Favorite Songs of 2010

Well it's time for my annual report of my favorite songs of the year as well as album of the year.

I am well aware that this type of post is very "high-school paper"ish but bear with me, I like to write about my music and it gives me an excuse to create a list and pop culture people love lists.

So here goes. My top songs and album of the year for 2010.

A few brief notes. To be one of my songs of the year, it doesn't have to be a song released in 2010. It just has to be discovered by me in 2010. These are songs that took up a significant portion of my listening this year. For better or worse.

6. "Derezzed" by Daft Punk. From the Tron Legacy Soundtrack.

It's no secret that I am a very big fan of Daft Punk. Many of us have been waiting for a LONG time to get our hands on some new material. Their last album "Human After All" has grown better with time but overall, it was a bit of a let down. The combination of Daft Punk and Tron seemed too good to be true. And after listening to the final soundtrack, it's largely hit or miss, but I'll take it.

"Derezzed" was the single and is Daft Punk at their finest. It's a shame more of the soundtrack didn't have this soul to it.

5. "I Walked" by Sufjan Stevens from the album "The Age."

I'm not a big fan of Sufjan Stevens but I somehow got a hold of this song and I think it's vibe and lyrics are killer. Plus I always like the combination of electronic music with general pop/rock. I can't say I was a huge fan of the rest of the album but this song struck a chord.

4. "Tres Brujas" by the Sword from the album "Warp Riders."

When it comes to simple, heavy hard rock, The Sword has it down to a fine science. "Freya" is one of my all-time favorite hard rock songs and this album produced more great tunes. It's not quite on the level of "Freya" but it's hard not to headbang like it's the early 1990s to this one.

3. "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga from the album "The Fame Monster."

I know I'll get made fun of for this one but I've always said that I'll never lie about the music I like. Good pop music is good pop music period. And this is good pop music. Take away all the weird outfits, bizarre behavior and just listen to the song. It's catchy and beats everything else in mainstream pop music world right now.

2. "The Best One Yet" by Black Eyed Peas from the album "The Beginning."

I can't help it. This song is catchy and I listened to it a lot this year. Sue me. If you tell me it isn't catchy, you're lying! The stupid Dirty Dancing song has really made people think this album is worse than it really is.

Favorite Song of the Year: "I'm Not Your Toy" by La Roux from the self-titled album.

Great song. It's very easy to listen to but has more of a soul to it than some of the other pop songs out there. The sound of the synthesizers gives it a retro 80s feel while Eleanor Kate Jackson's voice is so unique with it's high pitch and emotion. This song is a perfect example of why it is important NOT to use auto tone with a voice, even if the actual music is electronic. The emotion is much too important.

Album of the Year: "La Roux" by "La Roux"

This album came out of nowhere and snatched up my 2010 album choice last minute. Like I said earlier, the album had been out for a while but I would just read the great reviews and never buy it. Well I finally got it and not surprisingly, it's awesome.

It's a great mix of 80s synthesizer with some great lyrics and songwriting. All of the songs are great in their own unique way. I'm glad it showed up because I was probably going to have to give album of the year to the Black Eyed Peas and while i like that album, it was going to be hard to give it album of the year.

So there you have it. After looking back, I can say that 2010 was the year I found pop music again. Now whether or not that is a good or bad thing. I don't know, but that's what happened.

Happy listening!

DVR isn't the Enemy

After working for years in media research related to TV advertising, there has always been one question that I am asked about on a regular basis.

"How are Digital Video Recorders (DVR) affecting commercials?"

It's a very legitimate question, as we know, much of the talk revolving DVR is the ability to skip through the commercials.

I've helped my teams with many objections such as:

"Nobody sees my commercial because they are skipping through it."

"People are not watching the program live anymore so how is my commercial going to be relavent?

"Viewers don't flip through channels anymore, they simply look at the guide."

These are all great questions but after a few years of watching DVR come to fruition, It's effect on the normal 30 second commercial will not be the weapon of media mass destruction many think it will be.

In a survey done by Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, 62% of those surveyed said they had used DVR technology at some point.

Scarborough tells us that Louisville falls right in line at 63%

That is a high percentage and it will continue to grow, but in that same survey, many said that if they didn't have DVR, they probably wouldn't even be watching. They would be surfing the internet or reading a book instead. There simply isn't time to analyze what and when a show is on.

So in one sense, it is keeping our viewers engaged in Television and Nielsen Research agrees. This year Nielsen announced that Americans are spending more time watching TV each day than they ever have, and DVR users watch more TV than those without.

So we have our audience, we just have to continue to make sure we can reach them to the best of our ability as technology continues to emerge.

...Here is a crazy thought. What if DVR actually helps advertisers?

Live is still the preferred method for viewing

• 76% of all viewing is still done "live" even when a DVR is in the home, with sports programming especially.

A break is not a bad thing

• Viewers like the breaks. The phone rings, they need a chip re-fill, or another beer. Taking a break during a show gives viewers the chance to catch their breath. Even in playback mode, 40% of commercials are still fully watched.

No flipping the channel or leaving the room.

• When in playback, viewers don't change the channel to watch other shows during the break or leave the room near to the extend that they used to. And people have been doing that for years!

The DVR user is a captive viewer

• When a viewer is fast-forwarding through commercials on their DVR, they are focused on the screen. We've all done it. You don't want to miss a portion of the show, so you watch closely to make sure you stop fast-forwarding at the right time. Companies are beginning to leave their name and logo on their commercial longer so it leaves an impression. If the creative is strong, viewers will regularly stop fast-forwarding and rewind to watch the commercial. I do it all the time.

DVR isn't the threat. It still records programming at specific times and has a focused viewer with their eyes on the screen during the commercial break. It is nothing that creativity and adaptation can't fix.

Now as for Internet based TV.........

Sources: Nielsen Media Research. "How DVRs are changing the landscape. 2010.

Working with the Honda Dream motorcycle

I have been helping my Dad restore a 1960s Honda Dream motorcycle. Today was the fun process of painting all of the necessary parts. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uIHiJyK7DI

Mashup King Strikes Again

You wouldn’t think that Miley Cyrus’ song “Party in the U.S.A” and the hardcore rap group M.O.P.’s “Ante Up” would particularly go well together, but when you actually hear these two songs mashed together as one song, the sound surprisingly feels comfortable.

Welcome to the newest album “All Day” by the one man group “Girl Talk” AKA Gregg Gillis.

Gillis has been making or “modifying” music sinc

e his first album “Secret Diary” in 2002.

SO what makes this so unique

?

His entire album consist of samples from existing songs, modified and combined with each other to great a new type of song. I know your first reaction is probably like mine.

What a rip off!

but after giving it a decent listen, there is something slightly addictive about it The uncanny way some of these songs mash together is very fun to experience. It helps that a lot of the songs are well known hits from past years, so the album actually takes on a second role as a type of “game” trying to guess which songs the samples are from.

“All Day” is Gillis’ most ambitious album to date, clocking in a 70 minutes long. If you sit through the entire album, you will be exhausted by the end. It never lets up and pummels you without a break for the entire 70 minutes.

That’s my number one cri

tique. It would be nice if he could occasionally slow things down a bit. At the end of the day it will totally wear you out, but if you are trying a dance party, this album will be sure to get it going.

Whether you like it or hate it, It’s very unique, and a sure fire hit if you a planning a party in the near future.

A few of my favorite mashups from the album:

• Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” on top of Ludacris’ “Move Bitch”
• Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after Time” on top of Young Dro’s “Freeze Me”
• Phoenix’s “1901” on top of Ludacris’ “How Low.”
• Neil Diamond’s “Cherry, Cherry” on top of Crooked I’s “Everythang”
• Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” on top of Young MC’s “Bust a Move.”

So how does Gillis get away with all of this supposed copyright infringement?

Thanks to Fair Use laws Gillis is able to sample the songs without the threat of getting sued. (For now).

In another break from the norm, Gillis made his album available as a free download on his website www.illegal-art.net.

His site crashed several times on November 16th when he released “All Day.”

So give the album a listen. After a while it may seem a little to frantic but it’s fun to listen to for a while, and if you need some good music to jog to, I guarantee this will give you some extra miles.

Practice makes perfect

Do you play a musical instrument?

If so, how much do you practice? How long did you have to practice and perform the “Grunt work” before you could start playing pieces efficiently?

If I decided to learn to play guitar today, I wouldn’t be playing the songs I want to play by tomorrow. I’m going to have to learn my notes, practice my chords, and memorize them. If I consistently practice every day for an hour at 5 P.M, in a few months I’ll be better and will be at a level where I will begin to play some quality songs.

But I have to practice consistently or I won’t be playing guitar as well as I could be.

If I skip practicing a couple days, try to cram it all in at one time, or worst of all, not practice at all for an extended period of time, I’m not going to be the player I want to be.

Advertising is very similar. Ultimately you want to see increased sales, but you have to build up to them. Your message and advertising has to stay consistent as you “practice for those increased sales.”

The media world is so fragmented and there are so many messages bombarding viewers, it takes time for them to see your message, learn who you are, and put you top of mind.

…And just like practicing the guitar, your advertising has to be consistent and steady. If you practice the guitar for 5 straight hours on your first night, you won’t be playing classical guitar the next day.

The same with advertising. If you devote all your advertising to one short time period, you won’t see the maximum results right away.

The worst thing you can do is to stop practicing all together, then the only sure thing you do know is that you will not become the player you want to be.

Here is the lesson. To successfully learn how to play a musical instrument, you have to have a planned out, consistent practice routine. You can’t skip days, cram, or stop practicing.

Same thing with your advertising. You need a planned out and consistent message campaign. When you have that and you stick to it, the results will come.

What exactly is time off?

Warning, I'm typing this "off the cuff." Not internal "checker" is not turned on so take that for what its worth.

I've been thinking lately. What is "time off"? What is a weekend off supposed to be? Is it a day where you have nothing to do? If you spend and entire day off at the park and visiting relatives does that still count as time off?

Those closest to me know that I can be a bit of a prick when it comes to my time off. I want my Sunday off to consist of NOTHING planned. I can literally wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night having had nothing planned to do.

What I'm finding out is that when you have a full day of absolutely nothing planned, it's nice but its not as rewarding as getting out there and socializing at a park or taking a road trip. The human brain needs stimulation and interaction. Too much time alone gets depressing.

That's why I never complain about going to work because while it pays the bills, it also keeps me active and interacting with others out there. If I didn't have that, what would I do?

My Favorite Album of All-Time

Well after more than 10 years of never really knowing for sure and having new music and albums come and go, during my drive to Lexington this morning I finally made up my mind about what my favorite album of all-time is.

I have a lot of albums I really like but I have never been able to pin down which one is my definitive NUMBER ONE favorite. But that is no longer a problem because this morning my mind was made up.

...But before I spill the beans, here are some honorable mentions. Keep in mind these albums are not just albums I "like." these are classics in my book.

3rd Runner Up

Metallica: "Black Album"

A true classic. The Black Album was responsible for me entering my teen years. Although it didn't really take place during the album's actual release date, it was the album that propelled me into my teenage years. 1998 and 1999. My favorite story is being stuck on a ride at the County Fair because the lap restraint would not unlock. I was stuck with my ear about 2 feet from a giant speaker piping out "Enter Sandman."

I bought the album the very next day.

2nd Runner Up:

Tool. "AEnima"

This band is weird but I love them and this album has been a favorite of mine since 2000. Maynard's voice is so unique and his lyrics are amazing. Their videos may be a little far out but I can't criticize somebody for being different!

I always thought it was funny how religious groups went after Marlyn Manson even thought he was doing nothing more than getting publicly. At the same time you had Tool with REAL far out beliefs on religion, many which were more threatening and nobody paid attention.

1st Runner Up

Daft Punk: "Discovery"

I was up early one morning and the weird Japanese anime video for "One More Time" was shown on MTV. I'm not a big fan of anime or anything but something about it just grabbed me. The next day I saw the album in the mall and bought it figuring I would a least like a few songs off of it.

Almost 10 years later, the CD is still sitting out in my truck being listened to at least once a week. It's the catchiest, best dance/electronic album ever. Some purest say it sounds too much like disco but who cares. It's great. Go buy it.

I can't embed it but watch the video that got me hooked here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-0s0pRleg

...And now for my favorite album of all time.

Weezer: "Blue Album"

This album is perfect.

It was one of the first albums I got which steered me into the world of rock. My cousin Andy and I got it roughly around the same time. I remember singing "Undone, the Sweater Song." as a confused 13 year old.

I still listen to this album all the time. Not only are they the most catchy, well-written pop songs ever, but the mixing and production is so perfect. I've yet to hear an album that gives it's guitars the "Crunch" sound this one gives them.

Every song is a must listen, and what can we say about "Say it Ain't So."?

I remember ploying through that song on the video game "Rock Band" when it first came out. (I can sing it really well).

...And of course I haven't mentioned the behemoth that is "Buddy Holy" and the Happy Days music video they made.

It's a great album and today I make it official. As of right now, it's my favorite album of all-time. Nobody should be with out it. Here are some highlight below.

Holiday

Buddy Holiday

In the Garage (live)

Only in Dreams

Undone: The Sweater Song

ear-X-tacy's new location. A shadow of it's former self.

During the past few months I've reverted back to buying albums in the form of CDs instead of iTunes.

While I love iTunes, it doesn't replace the experience of buying a CD, taking off the plastic wrapping, and browsing through the booklet while you give it it's first listen. You just can't replicate that online.

So when it came time to buy my latest purchase "Warp Riders" by The Sword (a fantastic hard rock band I might add). I decided to go old school and buy the CD. But rather than go out to the nearest Best Buy or Wal-Mart, I decided to do the right thing and support our awesome local store ear-X-tacy.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I've never shopped there before, but just not lately. Today for whatever reason, I thought it was important to support them instead of the big box stores. I knew they had moved locations and were struggling a bit. Owner John Timmons had said the increasing rent was just too much.

So today I traveled to their new location hoping for the best.

I was pretty let down.

Tucked away in a small shopping center next to a wedding photography service is the new ear-X-tacy. The store is MUCH smaller and the building lacks the character of the old location. It's as if all of the great albums and genre labels were ripped from their old location and placed in an empty warehouse. They looked so out of place.

There were several other customers in the store, and that was pretty good for 1:30pm on a Friday.

While the employees and the overhead music still give you a taste of what ear X-tacy once was, it's nothing but a memory. I know that anybody who spent much time in their old location will feel sad in this new location.

I applaud John Timmons for being so positive about the move, but I have to imagine deep down he is sad to leave behind their previous building that gave them so much of their character.

And the worst part of all this is I'm the reason why ear X-tacy suffered. I hardly ever bought my music from them. Even during my time living just off Bardstown Road, I still got a ton of my music from iTunes and Best Buy.

I felt a lot of guilt when I left that store today. It's a cliche now but we can't let one of Louisville's best stores fail like this. I'll try to make sure I buy my music from them and hopefully it's not too little too late.

ear X-tacy's website

Stress doesn't end at "hired"

If there is one thing I've learned this past week, it's that starting a new job is a stressful process.

I always thought that the most stressful aspect of starting a new career was actually the job searching process. Once you got the job, everything from then on was icing on the cake.

Well it's more complicated than that.

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of stress that goes away once you get the job you have been looking for but it's pretty intense during the first month or two of the new job as well.

My wife Kayla is a perfect example. Having recently graduated from school to be a medical assistant/LMR, it has been tough these last few months while she looks for a job. So you can imagine how happy we were when she finally got a great job with an office within one of Louisville's largest hospitals.

But with a new job, comes a new type of stress. The job search may be over but after the first full week in the new job, Kayla is more tired at the end of this week than she has been in a long time.

The new job is good and she is doing very well so far, but the mental endurance it takes to learn, watch, inquire, perform, meet, remember and practice can be very tiring. Especially in a very fast paced medical environment such as the one Kayla is in.

AND on top of all this, your body has to adjust to a brand new sleep and work schedule, which is more difficult than one might think.

So while the new job is great and I'm positive Kayla will get it down in no time, it's a good lesson that during the career searching process, the mental stress doesn't end when the HR person calls and says "You're hired."

What the Tweet?

So I've been a pretty heavy tweeter for a while now and one of the main questions I always ask myself is what constitutes a professional tweet from a personal tweet?

Working in the advertising field, I like to tweet various topics about my profession such as great original cable programs and ratings highlights. I also like to occasionally network with other individuals like myself. It's fun and a great way to meet new people and learn.

I'm also a heavy tweeter when it comes to my personal life as well. Luckily I've gotten away from some of the bad habits such as tweeting what I'm eating for dinner and various photos of my dogs. However, I do send out a lot of random tweets about TV shows or sports I'm watching, and what my wife @porterkn is up to.

So the question I've been asking myself these last few months is this:

Should I pick one or the other?

The Career minded Tweeter: Do I keep my tweets to professional quality where I network and time my tweets out evenly throughout the day with various facts and linked related to my field?

OR

The Constant Stream of Consciousness Tweeter: Where I tweet about everything I'm watching or reading, along with what food I'm eating and voicing my nasty opinion without a care?

I'm concerned that if I tweet too much about my personal life, I'll annoy my professional followers but if I stick to the dull professional tweets, thats not very fun either.

Well tonight I decided that I'm over-thinking this entire subject. Twitter wasn't designed with any particular goal in mind except to simply tell people what you are doing. So that's what I'm going to do. If that means a tweet about the latest in cable TV advertising is followed by a tweet involving my dog's bathroom habits, so be it.

At least I'm being myself.

Thoughts? What kind of tweeter are you?

My "don't tweet and drive" story

So it's not smart to mess with your iPhone while driving. You shouldn't be tweeting, surfing, watching, emailing, listening, playing, managing, facebooking, or weather checking.

We all know this and if you all are like me, here is your quote:

"I know it's extremely dangerous to tweet while driving and I SHOULD stop."

Well consider me STOPPED.

Before I go into great detail about the Breathalyzer test I had to take, let me set this up a little bit.

It was mid-afternoon this past Saturday and I was leaving from my part-time job at The Home Depot to head home for the evening.

While on the road, I'm checking my updated tweets and emails. I felt I was doing a pretty good job of multitasking my phone and the road in front of me but as you will find out, apparently I wasn't...

I pulled in to my local grocery store(which I am currently mayor of by the way) to buy a 6-pack of beer and a couple groceries. while spending about 10 minutes in front of the ice cream section trying to make up my mind, I noticed the crazy old Jay C security guy was REALLY following me around.

Dude, I'm not going to steal this extreme moosetracks ice cream. I would gladly pay $20 bucks for it. It's like chocolate crack.

Anyway, he keeps following me around, but I figured it was just my imagination.

On my way home, I notice a couple County police cars following me. No big deal, I put my iPhone down and try to be the best driver I can be.

They light me up as I turn on HWY 150.

While pulling over, I'm trying to think of any reason at all why they would be stopping me. My license plate is up to date, all my lights work. I then see a second police car show up with it's lights on as well.

The first officer walks up to my window, and I notice the second one looking through my passenger side at me. He is probably taking a long hard look at the 6-pack of Blue Moon on my passenger seat.

With the standard cop tone, the officer says "Sir, the reason I pulled you over is because we noticed you drifting through a stop sign and swaying side to side on the road.

"Have you had anything to drink today?"

I honestly hadn't had a beer in the past three days so my answer was "no. I'm on my way home from work."

The cop starts questioning me about where I work and what I do etc. Then he asked me to take a really deep breath and breathe in his face.

My first thought is, "Oh crap, I bet I have really bad breath right now."

Then he says, "Would you be interested in taking a Breathalyzer test?"

"You actually had an off-duty Jeffersonville police officer following you as you went to Jay C.

He called in saying you were driving erratically."

Geez, so I had a bunch of cops staked out for me outside the Jay C store while I was getting my ice cream and beer. Maybe they even called the old security guy and told him to follow me around.

The officer comes up with the Breathalyzer test and there I am on the side of the road taking a test to prove I'm not drunk driving.

"You're clean," the cop says with a slightly surprised tone.

Me being the honest person, I told him the truth (Because it's not an Indiana law yet).

I was on my cellphone and I will take this as a sign to kick the habit.

The officer seems pleased that I told the truth and they let me go.

So here is the lesson. Experts tell us that tweeting and driving is just as bad if not worse than drinking and driving.

Well they are right because I got pulled over for drunk driving, had to breathe in an officer's face, and took a test just to PROVE I wasn't driving under the influence.

That's how bad my driving must have been, all because I was looking at updated tweets on the phone.

So I no longer look at my iPhone while driving. I'll just have to make do until I arrive to where ever I'm going.

Maybe all these people are right, that I really am a horrible driver. After all, this marks the SECOND time I have been wrongly pulled over drunk driving.

-Alex

Foursquare says "You are boring."

"This is your 111th check-in at Insight Media. You are still mayor"

Thats the message I got this morning as I walked into the office and checked into Insight Media on foursquare.

Having used Foursquare for the past 5 months, I've learned one very important fact about myself.

I'm horribly boring.

For those of you who don't know, Foursquare is a location based service you use on your phone to "Check-in" every time you visit specific sites and places in the city. For the places you visit more than any other user, you become "the Mayor."

Back when I first joined, Louisville had just been added to the service and there was very few of us even using it.

Well thanks to some tweaks to their service and a very successful presence at this year's SXSW festival in Austin TX, Foursquare has quietly began to enter the mainstream media world.

Now getting back to my situation.

If you never do anything fun or exciting, foursquare simply reminds you of this every day.

Anyone who follows me on Foursquare knows this to be true. I check in at Insight Media and Home Depot. Both of the places I work at. And that is pretty much it.

If it is a particularly action packed day, you may catch me checking into my local grocery store to pick up a taco kit for dinner.

I'm such a dork, one of the main reasons I'm looking forward to my Indianapolis 500 trip in May is it will give me an awesome location to check-in at.

I want to be one of these people in the middle of New York City, always checking in with dozens of other people at various bars and hotspots.

But unfortunately Louisville still has a long way to go before Foursquare is that popular.

However I will say it is growing.

When I checked into Home Depot the other night, somebody else was checked in with me!

I'm going to keep using Foursquare because I think it's fun even if it is a little too self-absorbed.

As far as showcasing how boring I am, maybe Foursquare will force me to get out and do some new random activities, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

Top Ten Favorite Songs of 2009

It's New Year's Eve and this year there seems to have been so many "Best of" lists of not only 2009 but of the decade as a whole. Not to be left out, I thought I would post my top 10 favorite songs of 2009.

I first want to point out that these songs do not have to be written or released in 2009, just discovered and listened to a lot by me during the year. And while I love all of these songs, they are listed in order with the number one song being my personal favorite song and most listened to of 2009. So here goes!

10. "Walking with a Ghost" by Tegan and Sara

From their album "So Jealous," I came across this song like most, by accident. Kayla and I were cleaning around the house and listening to one of Insight's digital music channels on the TV. This song popped up and I thought it was instantly really catchy and had a great simple melody. It also gets stuck in your head and stays there!



9. "Starstruck" by Lady Gaga

I know it is kind of lame to put a Lady Gaga song on this list but it really was her year when it came to mainstream music in 2009.
Although I am not a big fan of her loud, outlandish style of performing, I think her music is great and very well produced.
For whatever weird reason, I have always had a weird, unexplainable like for dance/electronic music and this song is one of the best on "The Fame."
It has not been released as a single and is not as recognizable as "Poker Face" or "Love Game" but I played this song more than any other on the album, so it makes my list.



8. "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson

I had to put a Michael Jackson song on this list because I have been a fan since childhood and with his death this year, he was thrust back into the spotlight. So many of his songs could have made this list but I listened to "Human Nature" the most because it has an almost melancholy feel to it which goes along with the sad news surrounding his death. It was also included in the film "This is It" as well.
The one positive that came out of Michael Jackson's death was the return of respect for him. During the last few years, he had become such a joke and with his death, the public listened to his music and came full circle, appreciating how great he really was.



7. "Alive" by Black Eyed Peas

The album "The E.N.D." by the Black Eyed Peas had a big 2009. It was without a doubt my guilty pleasure album of the year. For all of it's auto-tune and over-produced production, at it's core, it had some great, catchy songs on it.
I am a huge Daft Punk fan and it seems to me that the Black Eyed Peas decided to copycat them and make a techno album.
...And you know what? I'm cool with that. I loved "Boom Boom Pow" but I played "Alive" more. It just has a great vibe to it.



6. "Forever Young" by Alphaville

Here is a throwback for you!
One of my favorite movies is the classic "Napoleon Dynamite" and I always loved the campy, yet surprisingly good song that played in the background during the school dance. It sounded so nerdy but at the same time, it has a great melody and sound to it.
I always noticed it but never took the time to find it. Then one night we were watching "Big Love" on HBO and they played the song during the closing credits. This caused me to like the song even more, so I finally got on iTunes and downloaded it.
It's a great song! It's so 80s but that's cool.



5. "Stand Back" by Linus Loves featuring Sam Obernik

As we break into the top five, this is the song nobody is going to understand, and frankly, I do not either. I have no idea why I like this song. It's basically just a copy of a really good song by Stevie Nicks but I guess it's my unexplained like of techno making it's appearance again.
There is also a longer instrumental version of this by Linus Loves called "The Terrace" that I really enjoyed listening to as well.
Plus the music video is a little camptastic.



4. "Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear

I just discovered this song last week. It could be potential too fresh to make the list, but after a few minutes thinking about it, I put it on the list anyway. I really like this song!
I found it while listening to a best of 2009 segment on Bob Edwards weekend. They played a clip of it and I was completely hooked.
I love the production of the harmonies. It sounds like a great Beach Boys song.
"Two Weeks" is very similar to a lot of songs that make my best of list such as "Phantom Limb" by The Shins.
I guess I like sad depressing songs.



3. "Colony of Birchmen" by Mastodon

Well I have to get my heavy metal entry from somewhere and this absolutely fills the void. This song was included on the video game "Rock Band." I remember playing through it and saying to myself, "this is one of the heaviest songs I've ever heard and actually liked."
It's very abrasive but you have to respect the musicianship. The tempo changes and riffs they unleash are amazing.
I bought their album "Blood Mountain" and it's great, but none of the other songs give me quite the hard rock satisfaction this song does.
Don't be scared by this song, give it a chance!



2. "Change your Mind" by The Killers

I love The Killers. Something about their hybrid of pop, 80s synthesizer, and rock appeals to me. My favorite song of last year was their hit "Human" from the album "Day and Age" so it is no surprise that they make another appearance this year.
"Change your Mind" is actually from their earlier album "Hot Fuss," which has so many great songs on it, but for whatever reason, this song slipped through and I failed to notice it.
I've likely listened to it at least once a day for most of the year. The lyrics, songwriting, and production are all perfect to me.
I was also lucky enough to see them play it live when they performed in Indiana this past Summer.



1. "The Ocean" by Dar Williams

This is a total dark horse winner for my favorite song of the year. VERY RANDOM.
Kayla introduced me to Dar Williams and while I am not into this "Lilith Fair" type of music, something about her songs struck a nerve.
"The Ocean" is a perfect song. Everything from the music and lyrics, to the mixing and production. It's all flawless.
The album "Mortal City" is full of great songs, but this one rises even higher.
It's a very sappy song but I've always said that I will never lie when it comes to admitting what music I like.
It has a very unique sound, especially when you have a male background voice along with the female lead. That is Kayla's favorite part of the song.



Well these were my songs of 2009. What were yours?

A Self-serving Note about Me

Well I need to write an updated post in my blog because I'v been lazy, but I can't think of anything to write, so I'm just going to type out the first thoughts that come to my head and see what happens. This should be an interesting experiment. No pre-thoughts, just whatever comes into my head first.

So I'm working A LOT. Between my 40 hours at Insight and another 18-20 hours at Home Depot, I'm staying quite busy. My idea of time off is a day where I work a full shift at Insight Media and get to come straight home instead of working the evening at Home Depot.

But through all of this, I'm actually quite happy. I love working at both jobs and there are great experiences I get from both. I may get tired sometimes but I am happy to be working.

If there is anything I hate most about it, it's the fact that I have less time at home. I don't mind being at my jobs but I hate having less time at home. I think I work best under pressure and the busier I am, the better I am at my job sometimes.

Working at Home Depot again has been a fun experience. It is a lot of fun to work in an environment where you know almost everything there is to know about the department you work in. It's fun to be able to help and teach new employees all of the tricks and helpful tips.

Working at Insight Media has been great too. I am lucky to work with some of the nicest and smartest people and I'm continuing to learn more and more with every month. I never want to get "stuck" and not move further. Luckily that hasn't happened to me yet.

So I am busy, but it's fine because the extra money helps as Kayla is in school and it is very rewarding.

We are now a little more than one week away from the video game "Modern Warfare 2". I am a dork when it comes to this. I actually took next Wednesday off from both Insight and Depot to dedicate some important practice time to it.
I am giving the middle finger to the video game community and NOT preordering a copy of the game. I am proud to say I have never preordered a game, and I see no reason to start.
The Gamestop employees gave me a lot of grief last time I did this when I went to buy my copy of Grand Theft Auto 4. They said:
"I can sell you a copy man, but I gotta be honest, we are actually only supposed to be giving out copies to our preorder customers."
This pissed me off. I wanted to say:
"No offense buddy but Wal-Mart is about 20 feet away next to you. It's really not a problem. I'll walk over there and get a copy." but I didn't say it.
So I hope I get a copy. I'm pretty sure I will.

So I'm busy, but life is good. I'm going to sign off and fall asleep watching the World Series. With the time change, I feel like I should be in bed already, but it's only 8:30pm.

Alex

Let's talk channeling

Let’s talk about channeling. The ability to let a mysterious entity or spirit use your body as a means of communication to our reality. What this means is an individual goes into a trace state, which thus allows the spirit to temporally take over the person’s body.
As crazy a theory as channeling sounds, I tend to believe in it, even being a mild
skeptic. After all, stories about this type of phenomenon can be traced back to the earliest times in human history, so there has to be something to it.
Many of the stories in the Bible were told to people by God. For example, when John
wrote the book of Revelations, he was secluded on the island of Patmos, living in a cave. The story goes that God wrote down the Revelations through John.
Could John have been channeling God? It seems to make sense to me.
So what if someone could channel the devil? Over the last few weeks, George Noory, the host of the radio show “Coast to Coast AM,” had been planning an interview with
the Devil through a channeler. It sounds ridiculous but this man claimed to be able to channel Satan, thus giving him a body to communicate to our world with.
There had been numerous calls into the show from people begging Noory not to interview him because of what might happen, but Noory stood firm saying the interview
would go on.
However, at a recent public appearance, so many people came up to Noory asking him not to interview Satan that he finally decided not to. I think this proves there are a great number of people out there who take channeling very seriously and truly believe in this ability.
Of course I’d been looking forward to this interview for days. I consider myself to
be pretty open-minded but I had my doubts about the authenticity of the channeler,
however, I still thought it would be a fun listen.
One of the most famous channelers was Jane Roberts. I wrote about Roberts in my Nov. 7 column of last year. Her books became extremely popular in the 70s and many of the lessons told to her by her spirit guide, Seth, are still extremely popular today.
There are also many mediums out there that claim to channel the spirits of the dead.
Remember Whoopi Goldberg in the movie “Ghost”? This whole concept has become extremely popular. There are multiple TV shows about it such as “Medium” and “The
Ghost Whisperer.”
The only problem with this is all of the fakes. There are so many people out there
claiming to be channelers and releasing dozens of books, trying to cash in on the
craze.
It makes it really hard for people who believe in the phenomenon to be taken seriously when the hard-core skeptics out there are having a field day attacking all the money hungry hoaxers.
However, even with all of the cheaters out there, there are still strong cases that
cannot be explained.
So if these mediums really are talking to dead people then it brings up the question
of what happens when we die. Do we just float around the earth looking for people to
channel our spirit?
Personally, I don’t think we die. Our physical bodies die and our soul leaves the
body and we continue living, so to speak, in a parallel universe.
However, if a channeler or medium allows us, our soul can temporally take over their body, thus allowing us to communicate again in the physical world. I don’t know about you all, but I kind of like the idea of being able to continue living without my physical body. It’s a primitive, bulky machine that wears out over time. I’ll
just float around in my parallel universe and when I have something important to say in the physical world, I’ll just find a medium, say what I need to say and be
done.
Channeling is a subject a lot of people laugh at, but if a person researches it, they
will find it throughout history.

Starbucks Via. An in-depth review

During the last few days, I have been hearing so much hype about this "awesome" new instant coffee Starbucks had come up with titled "Via." I decided to give it a try and write a thorough review.

...But before I do that, let me give you some background into my coffee drinking habit.

I drink A LOT of coffee.

I got this from my parents, mostly my mother, who had a full percolator of coffee hot in the kitchen all day, even during July and August. I had my first cup around the age of 8 and I have been a daily drinker ever since. So I know my coffee.

As for my opinion on Starbucks, I love it. It tastes great and their regular coffee is my coffee of choice. I would drink it every day if I could gather up enough pocket change.

So my love for Starbucks is strong, but I have to admit, I was skeptical of "Via." And rightly so, instant coffee is disgusting, but I was curious.

So this morning came and my boss was kind enough to have a nice black, unsweetened cup of iced Starbucks coffee waiting for me (thanks). She also gave me a free sample of Via she received. So without any further boring talk, here is my review:

Packaging/Marketing

The marketing push for this product has been intense to say the least, and I like what they have done. The orange color fits along nicely with the start of fall, and the clever instructions on the packet give you that feeling that you are really awesome and lucky to be drinking this instant coffee. Starbucks also has a strong Social Networking/Internet campaign going as well, which is really smart. So I give the marketing/packaging a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Step 1: Opening package and pouring into cup

The package of Via has an easy to use “rip” top located roughly ¼ inch from the top of the package. All you do is simply rip across at this “rip point” to open up the packet.

The illustrated instructions tell you to pour in the Via mixture before you add the water.

This was actually my lowest point during the entire process, because this stuff honestly does not look very good by itself in the mug. It basically looked like I had just poured a tablespoon of dirt into a cup, BUT, I was not going to lose hope just yet.

Step 2: Adding hot water

In our office, I am lucky enough to have a coffee machine that pours out instant hot water. I truly believe that is vital to the success of Via. You HAVE to have truly hot water. Zapping a cup of water for 60 seconds isn’t going to work. It need to be piping hot.

As I added the 8 ounces of hot water to the Via mixture, it instantly transformed into a great looked cup of black coffee. It even gave off a trademark Starbucks smell.
After a few seconds of stirring the water and Via mixture together, I took my first sip.

I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a good cup of Starbucks coffee! There is a difference but it is VERY small. But I do not normally drink my coffee black. Will this cup of Starbucks Via accept various condiments or reject them?

Step 3: The condiment test

My perfect cup of coffee consist of a strong brew, with “LIGHT” creamer and one package of Sweet-in-Low (yes I know its bad for me).

I was skeptical that I would be able to add these condiments to this cup of Via. But to my surprise, they blended perfectly. The coffee kept it’s strong flavor, even with the liquid creamer added in. I took the cup back to my desk and happily drank it dry.

Final thoughts

Starbucks Via is good. I’ll actually say it’s really good. I was a skeptic but I am now a fan. I am even seriously considering buying a pack so I can take some with me when I travel to the Lexington KY office. (I don’t like their coffee at all).

I now understand why Starbucks is promoting Via so heavily. I think they understand that they have a good product on their hands and they want to get it out into the public.

Consider me a fan. You should try it and don’t be scared off by it’s dirt like appearance at first.

I give Starbucks Via 4 ½ stars out of 5.

Meditation. Let's start!

Meditation is the backbone of some of the philosophies I like best. Namely Buddhism and Hinduism.
There are numerous reports and stories about how a little daily meditation can totally change your outlook and make life and work much more enjoyable. I like to talk the talk and say I meditate every day but I don't. Why?
I've decided that's enough talk, I'm going to start this weekend. All you have to do is take 15 minutes and sit attempting to clear your mind. That's all it is. There is no "practice" or "getting better." You simply meditate.
It helps to keep your mind centered, thus allowing you to perform better in your everyday activities.
Today people are dealing with a lot of stress managing their careers and family life. If they would just try a little meditation, they would find things to be much more relaxed and easier to handle.

But if you bring up the idea in most of our workplace environments, you get laughed at. I think meditation would be a perfect thing to try at my job for example. The staff I work with are mostly happy and it is a great place to work, but as with any job, sometimes the stress can have an effect.
If we took 15 minutes before the start of the sales meeting once a week to meditate and clear our thoughts, I guarantee you people would find it to be a positive experience. Many businesses out there have found this to be true. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. I get made fun of enough for having this Buddha statue on my desk!
Starting this week, I'm going to make a serious effort to meditate each morning and evening. I don't know if I can get Kayla to join in but I'll ask.

Here are some links below on the subject.

http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Quick-Guide-to-Meditation-in-the-Workplace

http://www.polarisbusinessguides.com/workplace_meditation.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804114102.htm

Horizon Archive: "You Don't know the Power"

After watching “The Empire Strikes Back.” for the 827th time last night, I found myself asking the exact same question that I’ve been asking myself since I was six and saw the move for the first time.

Is the Force real? And if it is real, how do I use it?

Let me first start by saying that although this column is going to come off as an extremely nerdy, Star Wars geek tirade, I am really not a huge obsessed Star Wars fan.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Wars a lot, but I don’t play the RPG card games and I don’t have any of the action figures.

Well, maybe one or two, but anyway, as a kid, I always believed in the Force.

I would listen to Yoda’s teachings and, like Luke, would attempt to join in the training.

I would put my right arm out and attempt to move my TV remote with my mind.

Well, now that I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that Star Wars is simply science fiction,

but I still haven’t really let go of the idea of the “Force” as a real power or phenomenon.

After all, the religion of the Jedi arts is an officially recognized religion in the UK.

Believe it or not, I believe that the Force does exist, more or less.

There is a power in our universe that surrounds us and connects all living things.

And I do believe it’s possible for humans to manipulate that power.

The scientific term for the ability to move objects with your mind is called "telekinesis."

It is a skill that has been proven possible by the famous psychic Uri Geller, who has the power to bend and break metal objects, and has demonstrated his ability many times.

It is a skill many people are said to have. What is most amazing is if one truly studies

the techniques for learning telekinesis, it isn’t even all that different from Yoda’s teachings.

One of the most common theories on how it works is an individual concentrates with her hands cupped together to form a “PSI ball,” which is basically a ball of energy.

They then send out psychic waves of energy through magnetic or electric energy fields that are all around us, and if one concentrates hard enough, the psychic waves sent from their mind will send a shock through the energy field and manipulate the object the individual was concentrating on.

So, as you can see, this is a very simply concept, extremely plausible.

Basically, material matter is really nothing but an illusion.

All of the objects we have are made up of nothing more than force fields of atoms.

Therefore, everything is connected and if we know how, we can manipulate the force field.

I believe that with years of practice and meditation, everyone has the ability to learn these skills, but the public simply does not believe in them.

Which once again comes back to Yoda’s teachings.

If a person goes into a situation already believing they know the outcome, then that is the outcome they will receive. It’s like studying for and taking a test.

If you tell yourself you do not know the material, then, most likely, the test will roll around and you won’t know the material. The Force is the same way: if you don’t believe in it, then you can’t learn it.

During his training Luke said, “I don’t believe it,” and Yoda said, “That is why you fail” is a perfect example. Even as I write this, I do not truly know if deep down, I really believe in it. I have to

open up my mind.

Yes, Star Wars has a lot of fiction in it. The ships for instance are not realistic at all, and much of the technology in the films could never realistically be created; however, the philosophy of the films is a completely different animal.

The philosophical message of Star Wars is what effects its viewers the most.

All of the technology in the world cannot compete with the power of the force and the

Universe Much like Darth Vader’s famous quote from “A New Hope.” “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant to the power of the force.”

Many similarities can be made with this and the current political agenda. It’s not an accident that “The Empire Strikes Back” is everyone’s favorite movie in the series.

I believe it’s because so many people, whether consciously or unconsciously, connect with Yoda’s teachings the idea of the religion of the Force.

I think we connect with it because in one way or another, it actually exists in our world as well. And, just like the characters in the movie did, we have to stop being so close minded and shallow and embrace it.

-Oct, 2005