The year's slowly dragging it's feet across the finish line and, as such, bloggers are wrapping it up with a bow. Top lists are the order of business. I'll follow suit but with a bit of a twist. Here's a few arbitrary catagories followed by some nominees and the winner from 2006.

Best Album

Nominees: The Killers - Hot Fuss, Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene, Embrace - Out of Nothing, Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself

Winner: Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Ask The Girl on this, I really didn't like them for a long while. I had a few of their songs but never could get into them. Then Alisa buys me a ticket to their show and I'm immediately blown away. These guys and gals can rock. This cd is BY FAR their best, in my opinion. Just so much fun to listen to all the way through... the way cds are meant to be listened to. As one 48-minute long opus. Trust me on this one. It's great.

Best Vacation

Nominees: Las Vegas - Family Trip, Las Vegas - Friends Trip, NYC - Super Bowl, Ann Arbor - Michigan/Ohio State Weekend

Winner:Tie Las Vegas - Both Trips

It's tough to decide between these two. The first was the family trip. Room was paid for, food was paid for, flight was paid for. I mean, it was probably the best Vegas trip you could imagine. It was the first with The Girl. I got to see my sister, her fiance and dad. Beautiful rooms. It was great. Yet, 2 weeks later I went with my closest friends in the world. Both college and high school. I saw Titus for the first time in a couple years. Kangas for the first time in a year. It was drunken debauchery where I lost nearly 30 times as much money as the family trip. Plus random cameo from a DC friend. (This catagory looks to be the most promising next year as there are already two trips planned in January, one to Chicago and one to NYC, and the two annual Vegas trips. Other possible VERY possible destinations include: San Fransisco, Seattle/Vancouver and London.)

Best Podcast

Nominees: Adam Curry's Daily Source Code, CBC Radio 3, Lynn Parsons, Sportweek

Winner: Sportsweek

I am always excited when I see the little blue ball in my iTunes telling me that I have a new episode waiting for me from each of these shows. I listen to each religiously. All four are so very different in their approach. But Sportsweek is the one show I really get excited about. It's the only one I listen to in the car. The only one I wait for. Gary Richardson does a wonderful job interviewing. This might be one of the best, most well informed sports radio shows on the air in the world. And luckily, I get to enjoy it because of podcasting. Thank you BBC!

Best Internet Application

Nominees: Flickr, BaseCamp, Blinksale, Bloglines

Winner: Flickr

No doubt. It's by far the most fun. Plus, it's turned in a verb. "I'll Flickr that." Just my fav... and I've turned my little sister onto it too. Sign up. Thank me later. No more needs to be said.

Best Book I Read

Nominees: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman, Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Winner: Freakonomics

I read a fair amount this year. Maybe more than I ever had. This is a tough one. I'm always a fan of Palahniuk. Klosterman just seemed to be on a book long rant. With Blink, I think my hopes were too high after The Tipping Point and, although very good, it didn't delvier up to those hopes. I think the book which made me think the most was Freakonomics. That's what I enjoy. Winner.

So ends my 2006. I know I'm forgetting A LOT from the beginning of the year. That's what this blog is for. Next year for me to look back and remember all those times so maybe, just maybe, this will be a more interesting post. Until then... Happy Holidays! I'm off to pack...

There's a few random things hanging around I've been meaning to post but just haven't had time. It's been a bit hectic but (never fear!) I'm here.

1. The new Firefox was realeased a couple weeks ago and, although, only a point release, it was pumped up by some publicty. Key improvements include automatic updates (which means users no longer need to download a complete new version of the browser to upgrade... thank god!), faster navigation, drag and drop reordering for browser tabs (previously only done using a third-party plug-in), improvements to pop-up blocking and better support for Mac OS X. There's also a number of bug fixes and security enhancements as explained in greater detail here. But it still doesn't pass the Acid2 test.
2. I've forgotten how easy Uncle Ben's Bowls are for dinner. I was big on them the summer after my senior year in college and never went back. A few weeks ago I was walking through my local Safeway and decided to pick up a couple bowls. Delicious! And it only takes 7 minutes for the whole process.
3. Dear Flash designers, PLEASE STOP HIJACKING MY BROWER! I'm at your site already. There is no need to take over all 23" of my monitor to show off your 300x500 site. I'm looking already. Please... just stop. It will make my life so much easier.
4. John set up a nice little plog for us designers. Check it out. We'll get better at posting as time goes on.
5. Looks like Yahoo has aquired another social networking service in deli.cio.us. Very interesting. Yahoo now has Flickr, Upcoming and deli.cio.us which points to where the company is thinking the future is headed. Tags. Hopefully somehow all of this will be intergrated with their MyWeb service. Is Yahoo becoming cool again?
6. There's been a leak of a 3 CD Sufjan Stevens Christam album. I've been listening to it nearly nonstop lately. It's a complete joy to listen to. A twist on old songs but not enough to sound completely unique.

Last weekend, I was sitting around working on the new addam.wassel.org and catching up on some podcasts. One being Accident Hash #77. Now when I say, catch up it means tune in and out depending on the work load. So I was tuned out for most of the show. After a song had ended I went back and rethought "Wait, I kinda liked that." I quickly opened my iTunes and backtracked about three and a half minutes. This song was worth a relisten. This time I focused on the song, heard it, comprehended it and loved it immeadiately!

A couple days later, Mr. Curry played the same song, having heard it on the same Accident Hash podcast. He agreed. It was brilliant! The song: What to Do with Michael (iTunes link) by the Candy Butchers. Today, I'm a proud backer of the band with the purchase of their cd. It's the first time I've ever purchased a cd because of a podcast... and probably won't be the last.

This is a typical way I find new artists now-a-days. I tune out and when I hear a good song it'll immeadiately grab my face and shout. It's happened with a few bands and only on a select podcasts. CBC's Radio 3 being the main culprit. Lake Holiday, Hilotrons, and The High Dials are just a couple to grab me. Grant Lawerence does an amazing job hosting. Almost too good. For instance, during the CBC strike about a month back, I nearly made a post saying siding with the brodcasters to bring them back... and for the selfish reason that I missed Grant hosting the show. I had no idea what the strike was about. I missed Grant. I can't stress it enough... CBC Radio 3 is THE podcast for new music. But again, this is the kid that saw Broken Social Scene, Metric, Feist - and almost Stars as well - within a week span. I'm a bit baised when it comes to the Canadian music scene right now.

Yesterday marked the release of Death Cab's new CD Plans. Now I don't try to force my musical opinions on people. Like politics, it NEVER ends nicely. People like what they like. You can't change that no matter how many arguements you get into.

Knowing all this, why the heck am I telling you about a CD? Well, it's JUST that good. In my completely unbiased opinion - and it should be noted I have every song Death Cab has ever laid on a record - it's good. The Photo Album good you ask? I'm not so sure about that. It's up there. Maybe right on par with Transatlanticism. You can hear the major label influnce in it JUST A BIT. And that's not a bad thing. It's a great album. My favorite tune, "Marching Bands of Manhattan."

While I'm on the topic, a couple weeks ago John came into work with the new Imogen Heap album Speak for Yourself... it's GREAT. It has been in constant rotation on the iPod since. I suggest dropping the $25 on it. Totally worth the price tag.

So I've been sitting on this for weeks now. Due to either my work schedule, my life scedule, my sleep schedule or my overall laziness schedule, I haven't gotten around to it. I have hopes of not becoming the Marion Jones of the internet world my first month on the job. Without further, or any, ado... my musical baton, as brought to you by John.

Total volume of music on my computer: 20.89 GB, my Powerbook's iTunes says. Of course, this is minus the new Motion City Soundtrack cd which sits at home on my PC.

The last CD I bought was: Bought? Verve Remixed 3 from iTMS. The last CD I got was Coldplay's X&Y, courtsey of The Girl.

Song playing right now: Infromation Travels Faster by Death Cab. I have a headache...

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me: According to my iTunes, my five most played songs are

• Goodnight and Go by Imogen Heap
• California by Phantom Planet (yes, THE O.C. song)
• Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys
• A Lack of Color by Death Cab
• The View by Modest Mouse

I'd have to concur with all. Or you could just click on the "Currently Playing" up there to the left and see what Audioscrobbler says.

Five people to whom I'm passing the baton: Everyone has already done this so I'm passing on the passing. It's too old now and I'd feel like the one guy at the house party that arrives at 4.30AM, when everyone is drunk and tired, with a 24-pack and decides now's the time to continue the party... even though there are only 6 people left at the party... 4 of which are sleeping.

That said, if you want it, I've got 5 spots. Leave a comment and I'll gladly amend this part of the entry...

iPods are everywhere nowadays. When I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. On the Metro, in movie theater ticket lines, men's rooms, airports, cars, and the most prevelent place, the streets of DC. Even my dad, who is pretty tech savvy I grant you, owns one now. It seems one in every three people is wearing those little white headphones whereever they go.

(I should say, before I get too far into this rant, that I do own an iPod and I find it very useful.. in certain situations. My long drive to Michigan. It's nice with the iTrip attached. I DO use the iTrip everyday, in my car, and love it. I have used it on the Metro as well. I have no problem with iPod usage during mass transit commutes. I've been there... and they are nice to have.)

Now, these little white headphones also represent the modern "Do Not Disturb" sign that anyone can hang on their private door by throwing them in. They are the "cool" anti-social gadget of the this and future generations. How many times have you gotten into an elevator and had the person to your right rocking out Metallica (when rock music is heard second-hand, doesn't it always sound like Metallica)? As if the silence in the elevator was too much for this person to take. It might make them go crazy. They say silence can do that to a person. How hard is it, for the sake of the others in the elevator with you, to kindly remove your headphones and, heaven forbid, leave your ears exposed? Or maybe even TALK with another person. Human contact isn't all bad is it?

John Flinn wrote an interesting article for the San Francisco Gate the other day that, I'm sure, is more elegantly written than this raving tirade.

But by routinely switching on our iPods and dialing up our favorite tunes, we're cocooning ourselves in the old and familiar. Whether we're conscious of it or not, we're erecting a defensive barrier against the new and alien, and retreating into our own personal worlds. That's not necessarily a bad thing when we're riding Muni home from work. But when we've flown 8,000 miles to reach a distant and exotic land, it gets in the way of what we came for.

Well, it's summer here in DC officially. Time to crank up the A/C and rid yourself of that muggy swamp feeling that seems to linger around this city (Hummm... wonder why that is). The temperature may be only 83 degrees outside but throw in the humidity and it feels like it's about 158. No joke. The Fox 5 weather guy said that. I think...

Anyways, I'm sitting here making a few updates and tweaks to the "newly" revealed wasseldesign site, listening to Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens cd's with the window open (A/C kicking though) and I've come to realize there isn't anything better than a warm Sunday afternoon spent outside with a little jazz (real jazz, not soft jazz 98.3) softly soundtracking the day. Which is just another reason to love jazz.