Polaris Music Prize

There is a music prize in canada called the Polaris Prize. Which is similar in content to that of the Mercury Prize that is in the UK, as well as a similar one in the US.

It celebrates the best album of the year created by a Canadian band. There is a short list of 10 albums which are then voted on by a panel of judges and a winner is announced. The ceremony was last night.

This year Hey Rosetta!, Joel Plaskett, Metric were all nominated among some other bands who've been nominated other years.

A hardcore punk band won last night, they are called Fucked Up. Their album is a wonderful piece of work and it should be celebrated for what it is. That is an album wonderfully crafted which blurs the lines between rock and punk, while still keeping the fundamental aspects of both genres in place.

The news broke, to myself, this morning on the CBC website. The CBC is a federally funded organization which blankets the whole country in unbiased and fairly accurate news and information.  I spent the rest of the morning reading the scathing reviews that people would post on the news article telling everyone how much they hated the band. A good 75% of the posts openly admitted to not having heard their music before, but still put in their two cents on how the sound of the band matched that of the sound of their album. Its ridiculous to think that someone can be so opinated about something they know nothing about.

Getting back to the album, I have listened to the album and it honestly took me a couple of plays to get into the groove of the sound. It is one of their better and cohesive works that they've released in the past 7 or 8 years and quite frankly they deserve the recognition in their own country.

Their album "Chemistry of Common Life" is routinely found in the top 20 of most critics. It rates higher than all of the other albums that were also short listed.  I can't comment on most of the other performers on the list as I have not heard most of their work but I'm still shocked and in disbelief that someone could be so ignorant to base an opinion on nothing other than a name.

I guess the band is right, its all "Fucked Up".

"Shimmer"

The following is based on a cabin that I see on the highway while driving too and from my favourite weekend vacation destination. It is not based on any type of real event and can not really be considered to be anywhere close to the truth. Also, its a rough draft completed in one sitting, I can not guarantee that the grammar will be 100% accurate and correct, I apologize for this.


You can see it from the highway most times.

If you're quick enough you can see a shimmer out of the corner of your eye, but if you don't you'll never see it.

There is it sitting on a small hill, tucked back into the woods. See it now? That glint seems to be floating, hovering taking only a small bit of time and space. Its a single pane of glass, seemingly floating in the middle of the woods. There are too many leaves at this time of year for it to be seen clearly.

The mind does seem to play tricks when you see it for the first time. The more you look at it the more it seems to disappear before your eyes. Fading in and out of reality, the same way an oasis does in the middle of the desert heat.

The first time that I saw it I didn't know if I could believe what my eyes had just shown to me.

Its view was so strange to me that I had to stop the car to get a second look, a closer look. Putting the car into reverse I could see a patch of grass in the rear view mirror. A faint foot path up the hill towards it is outlined in the grass, I would not be the first to venture a closer look.

Getting out of the car, I began to scan the surrounding woods, looking for signs which would keep me in my car. Footprints from a hunter or derelect who calls this place his home.

With the engine no longer producing a sound, I began to hear the sullen sounds of nature just off the highway.

Far off in the distance a lone loon could be hear calling to his mate. A few chirps from a nearby cricket could be heard as the wind rustled through the grass around my ankles.

Feeling the blades of long grass moving underneath my pants sent chills up my spine.

My gaze wandered from the edge of the road towards the top of the small hill, that I was determined to climb.

As I surveyed the landscape, a few things stood out among the tall grass just off to the right was a large rock. The positioning of the rock made it look unnaturatal, the top of the rock was flat and seemed to have a dirt ring around the top, as if it had been moved in the last few months.

I concentrated on the rock and tried to find the path in which the rock had fallen down from the hill. Halfway up the hill, about 6 feet from the rock I saw a pile of dirt. This was where the rock bounced down the hill.

A look of concern crossed my face. That rock bounced? I asked myself. Maybe thats just a hole dug by a coyote. Trying to convince myself but using happy thoughts.

The grass leading from in front of me was discoloured, a dull lifeless green. The further up the hill my gaze traveled the lighter the colour as though the life was being sucked from the grass.

Swallowing my pride, I straightened.

Taking my foot off the safety of the gravel shoulder of the highway I began my slow walk up the hill towards the glimmering light.

After a few feet, I stopped to look up the slight incline towards my target, no more that 15 steps away was the edge of the woods.

My heart began to race, I was excited to see exactly what was contained within this structure. The same one I had been looking at countless times while driving. Would there be nothing but old clothes and moldy bread from a long forgotten hunting trip or would I find a small treasure of gold coins, like they find in the movies?

A smile crept across my face at the thought of this.

I tried to keep my mind on target. Getting too easily excited about a 'treasure' could make the situation even more dangerous.

I quickly looked down at my watch, as I remembered the appointment I was driving towards before I stopped. My eyes widened.

Had it really been an hour since I stepped foot out of the car?

Once I reached the edge of the woods the view through the trees seemed to have gotten thicker as if a small fog had rolled out of the leaves. Was this a sign from the woods to keep my distance and stay way?

I was about to find out.

A gust of wind picks up from behind me, the trees rustle and shift in the late afternoon sunshine. A beam of light comes streaking through the trees as I reach my hand towards some of the overgrown brush in front of me.

The sparkle of the day startles me as I concentrate on the light shining on my hand. While lost in the glimmer of the sun, a small bug lands on my out stretched hand and begins to walk around in a small circle.

After a moment, the wind subsides and the bug flies off into the wood as the beam of light fades from my hand.

The thick brush is difficult to push through, after shoving several large bushes to one side I am finally able to pass through the most difficult section and into a small clearing.

The utter beauty of what is before me is shocking, the life of the day is shining through the trees above and providing a dazzling light show on the ground before me. Light reflects off of the trunks of trees, the dew covered blades of grass and a lone pane of glass.

Before me is the glass that has brought me to this place of tranquility and beauty.

Expecting to see a rundown shack with a broken pane of glass, I was disappointed and excited to find this in its place.

Hung from a single branch in the middle of the clearing is a piece of crystal on a string. The branch is close to 10 feet from the ground and the crystal is planted firmly at eye level to best capture the light from the sun.

As the light dances across the floor of the woods it also travels across some of the many different facets of the polished gem.

I stood at the edge of the clearing transfixed by the simplicity of what I see before me. Time seems to have stopped at that point. I am unable to hear the sounds of nature around me.

The gentle rustle of the leaves has slowly been replaced by a sound which is unlike anything I have heard ever again. The sound seemed to come from the center of the crystal and changed everytime a ray of light touched it.

The closest think that I can use to describe the sound is the gentle warble heard from the ticking of a watch underwater. There is no distinct noise, yet it was every noise.

For each passing second I was there, I began to see images form within the crystal. Images of things that have never happened and are destined to be repeated for all eternity. A faint glimpse of another world, fleeting into the past.

Children played. Bells were chiming. Cars were flying. Horses pulled tractors. The train ran on water. A fire burned only the edges. A bird died. A woman loved.

A single tear formed in the corner of my eye and ran down my cheek to the ground.

I suddenly felt very alone in the woods, I wanted to turn around to leave but I could not let my gaze leave the depth of the crystal.

As the sun began to set, the world around me started to suddenly come back into focus. The crystal was loosing its alure, my eyes started to dance around the clearing, but always returning to the crystal.

I could feel the crystal calling to me, trying to pull me closer to it.

The world around me started to move as I suddenly became aware that I was taking steps toward the center of the clearing.

I was no longer sure if I was in control of my own body.

As I got closer to the crystal I could see my own reflection within it. The face looking back at me was smiling.

My hand rose towards the crystal; as my fingers opened to grasp the crystal from the string I could see the crystal begin to pulse light from its core.

My finger touched the crystal and I the world was flooded with the most intense light I had ever experienced in my life. The light was brighter than 10 suns. I tried to close my eyes but I was unable to move.

The wind began to blow harder and stronger, I could feel things around me beginning to move.

Was it me that was moving or the world around me?

The light around me begin to lessen, I could almost make out some shapes around me. Was that a cow? Could that be a house?

My eyes darted around frantically looking for some familiar shape that I could focus on to regain my vision.

In a panic I began to walk forward to see if I could find anything.

After two steps I came to a crashing halt, as I lifted my leg to take another step my knee made contact with something metal. A faint and low thud echoed around me.

I reached out for the object and what I found before me startled me. My fingers ran across a flat smooth surface with a few ridged areas at the edges. After a moment of frantic identification the clouds in my vision were replaced by a familiar shape.

It was my car.

At some point during the blinding light, I had managed to walk back down the hill to the car.

It was no longer sunset, the sun was shining.

I raised my hand to look at my watch and noticed that was only 3pm. Standing on the side of the road I realized that it was all just a day dream and I had not gone to see what was in the woods after all.

I open the car door and got in the car. I let out a little sigh of releif as I put on my seat belt.

With the strap pressed against my chest I could feel something pressed against my skin, it was the necklace that my daughter had made for me.

Lifting it out from underneath my shirt I looked at the ornate crystal hanging from the string necklace. It was beautiful, I loved looking at it shimmer in the sunlight.

I vowed that I would never let if out of my sight.

"The Box"

The following is a work of fiction and should not be taken seriously in any manner:

The day was the 23rd of October, and I will remember it forever. It is the day that my world was flipped upside down. What makes this day so special?

This was the day that I found the dirt covered box in our backyard.

There was nothing special about this box from the first time that I saw it. It was unremarkable in every manner.

Taking the dog for a walk in the woods one day after work, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. As soon as I turned to face the object the dog could sense what I had found and began to whimper at the sight of my discovery.
   
Poking up out of the ground was a piece of metal with a small silver nail. I bent down to investigate closer, a cool breeze blew across my shoulder to reveal more of the box.

I grabbed a stick that lay on the ground near my right foot.

Was that there a few minutes ago? I ask myself.

I used the stick to chisel out the sides of the box so that I might be able to pull it out further.

A simple square wooden box, held shut with a small twig.

The twig holding it shut was something you would have found on the ground in the woods after being discarded by teenager once the leaves and small branches had been taken off. There was a small bump on either side of the lock mechanism which is why it was still closed after all these years.

I debated bringing the box in the house with me, but figured that it must belong to someone.

I left it where it was, off to the right side of the path still mostly buried in the dirt.  Hoping that by uncovering it more someone would see it and remember that it was there.

After arriving home I packed the dog in the car to take a quick drive into town to pick up a few groceries, before sitting down to do some extra work this evening.
   
When I arrived home I noticed something different, the dog did not want to leave the car. Normally, he's trying to get out the door before I've actually opened it.

Today he sits on the passenger seat and just looks at me.  Whimpering a little.

I follow his glance and notice that there is something blocking the steps leading into the house.

Initially I am unable to distinguish what I am looking at. Slowly, my eyes begin to focus on the object and I notice what is sitting on the steps.

Its the wooden box that I uncovered in the woods.

There is something about the box this time, it looks a little different almost hollow.

I slowly begin to exit the car and tell the dog to stay. I look back into the car one last time and notice the dog has hidden himself under the seat.

I begin to edge closer to the house, taking one step at at time to make sure that I keep my distance.

As I near the house I see what is different about the box. Its been opened.

The lid of the box is laying completely open and flat against the stairs behind it.

I look around the area to see if I can see any foot prints or markings of the person who might have moved it there.
   
It was shortly after this that I noticed that the twig holding the box shut is in two pieces as if it was opened from the inside.
   
I began to wonder what could have opened the box from the inside when I heard the grass rustling from behind me.

As I turn to see what is behind me, I can hear the dog barking from inside the car trying to get my attention.

I being to turn around to see what was behind me when the world went black.

There were a few fragmented sounds that I can remember hearing before everything just stopped. I remember a low humming noise that seemed to come from every direction all at once, and a tearing sound which may have been from my leg.

... from the great beyond

Without sounding too much like Britney Spears, I am back.

In a self-diluted kind of way. Don't ask me what I'm talking about because I am not really too sure either.

Shit has been crazy around these parts in the million years since I have last written anything.  But I have decided to keep this blog more anonymous than it was before keeping everything a little more abstract than I'm used to. Posts may require a few re-writes before they're approved.

(That sounded a little pretentious. And I apologize.)

I have always enjoyed writing, and speaking my mind. But I have found that keeping a running interest in something online is a little more than I can muster for my attention span (as little as it is).
   
I will attempt to bring this back to what it was intended to be. A creative forum for stories and ideas.
   
With that I give you my next entry...

New Alternatives

I love my little blog, and its title. But I've grown tired of having to update things regularly and coming up with "content" that someone might find interesting. I think I'm going to move my little spot over to Twitter and try out the micro-blogging. I'll be back from time to time, not like anyone cares to this point since I write for myself only.

I'll let you know where it is when its up.

What's wrong with the world?

Music: XP8 - Angel and the Beast

There have been a few tragic and saddened news articles floating around lateley that have really gotten to me. You know the ones where people die before its their time, or innocent by-standers that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time while some hoodlum tries to seek "revenge" by being stupid. 

The stories themselves make me sad for the simple fact that I can't imagine what I would do if that happened to me or someone that I really cared about. I wouldn't know what to do with myself, or how to handle that situation.

Then there was this story, http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/02/16/nb-oromocto-accident.html#articlecomments, an off-duty police office and his two children, both under the age of 5 die in an accident because of the weather conditions. Completely tragic.

At the bottom of the article, the site allows any one who has registered to post comments about the story. And in this case, most people were leaving stories and memories of the officer who had died. Then there are a few of the inconsiderate people out there who have to voice their opinion about the situation because they are right and enjoy their own voice.

You'll see a barrage of people, who are trying to mourne the loss of a friend and loved one getting angry and defensive because of this person.

I'll summarize what they wrote: "This officer wasn't on duty, he didn't die for his country or his service. Why is this news? This doesn't deserve the attention that its been gettings."

Who writes that kind of thing after someone has died. Are they that miserable that they need to try and fault something like this based on sheer nonsense. 

I still can't get over what they wrote, and its been a few hours since I've read that. I just don't get people.

Pure Wanderings

Music: Skinny Puppy - Sparkless

Did you ever have a moment in your day where it made you so incredibly angry and yet you have no idea why it even happened in the first place? 

Let me explain:

I have a friend, lets call them N, whom I have grown to admire and respect for their sure determination in life and how they manage to get everything done that they need to.  I have another "friend", whom I wouldn't call a friend any more for reasons that I will try to explain without sounding too pompus, lets call them F.

My wife at one point in time has been close to both of these people, N more recently and has developed more of a friendship than she's had with F. The problem started when F began to have her baby, which was around the same time that we were trying to have one. 

F got jealous that our doctor was more willing to help us in anyway she could without having to refer us to a specialist as the wait time in our area for a person who isn't pregnant is close to 2 years. This pissed of F to no end as they had been waiting 2 years for their appointment when they had gotten pregnant. That's the first part.

After the baby arrived things had almost come back to normal between them and they would frequently make plans to go somewhere together so that she could meet their new arrival. Weeks would go by, plans would be made, but at the last minute F would cancel saying something had come up. 

At the time, we were living about 6 houses away from where I worked. One of the days which F had cancelled on she had gone to work to show off the baby like all new mothers do, and mentioned that she would go see my wife on her way home. She never did show up. Over the next severval months F would frequently visit the office and never stop by to say hello to me, maybe F felt guilty about cancelling plans on my wife? Probably not, F is too selfious for that. 

Lets bring this back to the current issue at hand. N is getting married soon, and in light of the new friendship has designated my wife as her honorary maid of honour, since she's not having one and we had a wedding exactly like the one that she wants. 

Yesterday, it turns out that F had almost invited herself to go along wedding dress shopping. With the line, "Amanda knows me."

Who invites themselves along to something like that after knowing them for only 3 days? 

Should I tell N about this, and say that they're not really friends? Should I keep it a secret and just stew on it? I don't want to mention anything and ruin what I have already established with N. 

**My personal issue with F is that I was to go into business with Mr. F, but it turns out that he wasn't interested in sharing any of the work with me, just on using and licensing the software I was building to make his life easier. F*ck that.

House

Music: Caustic - The Bible, The Bottle, The Bomb (Beta Virus Mix)

I'm sucking at this again. I think I need a job where I can play more freely on the internet without fear that IT isn't tracking every keystroke that I make. Thats a story for another day when I'm not typing on my computer at work. (IT rocks!) [kiss ass.]

I would like to appologize for not updating and for not commenting but it seems to be one of those trends thats going around. If find that over time, 90% of the blogs that I start reading go into a sort of hiatus and people seem to fall of the face of the planet. I'm down to 2 blogs that update on a regular basis and I read each of those everyday in my feed reader. 

Today marks the 2nd morning in our new house. We actually moved in 4 days ahead of schedule because of an unexpected visit from some family with a truck and trailer. They didn't have much to move other than the furniture as we put 200km on the car carting stuff back and forth from the apartment to the house. 

Its so nice to wake up in a place that you can finally call your own, its a really great feeling that I don't think I will ever get tired of. The best part about all of this is that we can start buying things for the house and start a life of our own without having to pay some skeezy guy money to live in a rat hole. (Though our last place really wasn't that bad.)

We've already gotten a new shower head, a new light fixture for the kitchen, switched all of the lights to energy efficient ones (there's a panel of 6 lights in the bathroom above the mirror, its the equivilent of 480 Watts of light but only uses 100W).

We even manged to have our first pet incident. In the 2nd bedroom closet there is a panel missing by some of the pipes but was covered over with a piece of plywood that didn't quite cover the hole. The new hold is about 4 feet up in the air. We had some totes in the closet which proved to be the right height for her. Needless to say she jumped down into the hole to see what was around, the hole has piping that runs from the hotwater tank, through the bathroom to the kitchen. We found her at the other end of the house by the hotwater tank. Cats are just crazy.

WTFriday

Who lets this happen?

Seriously? Asshole shouldn't be allowed to have kids.

How is it that someone can have a child but some people are deemed unfit to own a dog?


In other news:

Fraudsters in other countries are abusing the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) new national do not call list.

This list is similar to that of what is found in the USA, a person registers and a telemarketer is not allowed to call you. Simple. Instead of allowing telemarketers to have easy access to the list, the CRTC decided that they'd sell it to them. Instead of checking credentials, they sell it to anyone.

For $50 you can buy a copy of the do not call list for Toronto which has 600,000 telephone numbers on it from people in Europe and the US trying to trick people out of their money.


(Maybe this will be a new thing on here.)

Funny story

This is a little rant about the project that I have been working on for the past little while, the same project that sent me to Asia twice last year. I am not working on it much any more because it was a complete and total disorganized disaster. The people in charge here have been working on the project by themselves with it closely tucked into their shirt.

This is how bad it was. When I was in Asia one of the clients asked me a question about the requirements for a single module. I looked at her and scratched my head because I did not even know what that module was and what it was responsible for. Thats how bad it was.

Back to the present. Its January 9th, the project "super visor" (I prefer to call him the "ruiner") came up with a list of things that needed to be done by the 15th and given to the client which would close off this portion and allow the company to get paid. [Have I mentioned that because the "ruiner" is not allowing anyone else to help out on some parts the project is already 7 months late?] Which is fine, whatever. It was 4 business days that they gave us to work on things. On the list were about 22 items. I had 5 items that I needed to do. There was some programming and some reports that I needed to create/fix and then give to the client. Which is fine, I had created about 12 reports for the client already so I was familiar with what needed to be done and the software.

I worked my ass off doing all of the things that I had on the list and getting them done. Hell, I even finished by morning of the 14th.

We had a meeting yesterday to go over everything. It was the 21st and there are still 11 items on the list that aren't even started! Like wtf? How does that happen? Here I was working hard for nothing. How can the company be satisfied with the way this project is going when nothing gets done at all? We promise the client something and then don't deliver? Its no wonder the guy who is over there now has called/emailed the boss with complaints from the clients because nothing is as its supposed to be.

The best point of all. This isn't really our fault. Well not completely. This project is based upon a features document which outlines all of the components of the project, it should have never been signed. When the project was awarded, they didn't really know what they wanted. They only knew that they wanted a system to help streamline their business processes.

Fine.

They have a webmapping component. The document states that they required the ability to print from the web both graphical and textual information on A4 paper. Great. It already does that. Now that they've had time to think about it, they want the web mapping to print based on a template and started yelling for that. If they had of told us 6 months ago about this, then it would be different.

Do you know how hard it is to complete something when someone keeps giving you new stuff to add on top of it?

What would happen if...

Music: Silverchair - Young Modern

Canada or the United States adopted the same concept that the Isle of Man is proposing for their citizens. As some background the Isle is in the English Channel halfway between England and Ireland, its self-governing, has its own taxes, flag, anthem, etc.

The government there has been in negotiations with the big 5 (or 4) record labels to see if they can work something out. Their goal is to charge their 80,000 residents a blanket tax every year in exchange... for unlimited downloading. 

Thats right, they want to legalize file-sharing sites for music in the country with a blanket tax. Now before you start thinking, remember that in Canada there has been a tax/surcharge on every single piece of blank media on the market. This includes blank VHS tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, and even some MP3 players. This money then goes to the record labels as payment for people who tape things off the radio and television (since thats piracy or something).

What if the USA adopted this policy?

Think about it for a minute. There is about 300 million people in the country. (I'm estimating) If the government charged everyone $2 in a "internet tax", the government would be able to give the record companies $600 MILLION dollars a year to help offset the cost of what they're "losing" for not thinking proactively and getting stuck in old technology (re: American automakers). Think of the trouble this would save.

What if I don't download songs? So. The RIAA has successfully sued people who don't own computers so that doesn't matter.

What happens if more people start downloading music? The RIAA needs a swift kick in the ass to get on the band wagon that people want to own the music they buy and not just rent it.

What about the artists, do they get any money? No. The artists make on average a nickle or dime on every $20 CD sold. Most multiplatinum sellers don't care, they make their money from touring and merchandise. (Kid Rock did an interview in Canada in the 90s and they asked him about downloading, his response (summarized): "I'm rich, why should I care?")

I personally think it would be a great idea. I'd willingly pay for that.

Now if only the government would step in and tell the cable company to stop charging me $90 just so I can watch 16 HD channels...

Sources: here, here, here, and everywhere

More on the island here.

F*cking Cold

Music: Modest Mouse - Float On

Its bloody fucking cold out today. Like -34 degrees Celsius  (which is -29 for my American friends). Thats cold enough to give you frost bite within 2 or 3 minutes of over exposure. Don't forget about the windchill too, that makes it even fucking colder!

Get this, in the Arctic today is SEVEN degrees outside, in the fucking arctic. How the hell does that happen? The arctic is a thousand miles north of here and its bloody warmer up there than here. 

To make matters worse I went to work today wearing a short sleeve shirt. Normally I'm the kind of person who wears shorts around the house in the winter because I'm just a perfect temperature, I'm shivering at work right now because I'm just that cold. Its really not a good day to do just about anything.

I feel bad for the cats at home, I hope I left them some heat on today, I'm sure the heat will kick in enough for them to stay warm, they do like to cuddle though.

On a side note, and a bit of good news to get back in from the cold. We're buying a house.

A real, house. Well, a mini-home (what some people to the south call a trailer, but it doesn't have wheels so it really doesn't make sense). Regardless, my wife's friend got offered a job a month ago in another province and needs to sell her home quickly, so she's giving us an amazing deal on it. 

We're really stoked to be finally done renting and throwing money in someone else's pocket. We've been doing that for years now, and we've got nothing to show for it, apart from empty pockets. We take possession the first of February and will spend a week cleaning and moving boxes before taking the furniture and beds to officially move in. 

We're really surprised that we can get this house since our old mortgage lady, who we'll refer to as C1 kept telling us that we had too much debt for our income. We went to see a new lady and everything was perfect regarding our debt, it really didn't make much sense how we can go to one extreme to another with everything like that.

Woo! Now to build a fire under my desk to keep warm.

Its The New Year

Music: Korn - Twist

I figure I would start the new year off by getting back to this again. I like writing, I like sharing opinions on the world and my current surroundings, the problem is finding the time to actually put things to the keyboard. I should develope some sort or mechanism where I can blog from my mind.

I'm sure I could find a few takers. :)

Lets start with the obvious, what are some of my "resolutions"?

• Stop smoking. Done. (I don't smoke.)
• Cut pop and sugar out of my life. (Well after the tub of gummy "things" is finished at work.)
• Start paying down debt. (To coincide with this: cancel credit cards)
• Save for a home.
• Start paying back student loan.

There, thats some of the goals that I have for this coming year. They're mostly simple things, and more importantly: things that I know I can accomplish. I always found it funny that people would reach for the sky when I was younger, people would tell me what they wanted to do and it would be these obscure things that they knew they couldn't finish.

Why do people do that to themselves?

I'm not really sure what my favourite resolution that I've heard over the years is. I'd have to think of that one for a while.

*****

A fellow blogger (here) went through the top songs on their iPod, I thought it was such a great idea that I would do the same thing. Turns out my musical taste is so varied that my top song has a play count of TWENTY. What the heck!? I've listened to 27,000 songs over the past 2 years (I use a site called Last.fm to track my music habits).

I need to be a little more obscessed with songs. (The list is slightly different than that appears in my iTunes, if I have a song twice in iTunes I have two counters, last.fm will track it once).

Regardless, here is the top 10.

1 Rammstein – Sehnsucht 20
2 Funkstörung – Untitled 18
2 Elysian Fields – Lady in the Lake 18
2 Arcade Fire – No Cars Go 18
5 Primus – John the Fisherman 17
5 Kerli – Walking on Air 17
7 Blur – The Universal 15
8 Buckethead – Untitled 1 14
9 Buckethead – Untitled 4 13
9 Die Krupps – To the Hilt 13
9 Lily Allen – Smile 13
9 Elysian Fields – Off or Out 13

I'm very surprised that the Kaiser Chiefs song "Never Miss a Beat" isn't on this list, but its only got a count of 11. Maybe next time. ;)

Here is the counter from Itunes:

13 - My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - Dimentia 66 (Grayarea's Loaded on Lincoln Mix)
11 - Unter Null - Desire
11 - Butt Trumpet - I'm Ugly and I don't know Why
11 - Get Set Go - Suicide
11 - Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss a Beat
11 - Kerli - Walking on Air
11 - KiEw - Gabriel
11 - KMFDM - These Boots Are Made for Walkin
11 - Nine Inch Nails - My Violent Heart
11 - Tegan & Sara - Time Running