On the perfect roast ...

From the archives at Sweet Maria's Home Roasting mailing list:

Turning coffee beans brown is easy. Bringing each bean
to its full potential is a life long journey.

Corny but I'll buy into it.

Top Canadian Albums of All Time

1. Harvest, Neil Young (1972)
2. Blue, Joni Mitchell (1970)
3. After the Gold Rush, Neil Young (1970)
4. Music From Big Pink, the Band (1968)
5. Fully Completely, the Tragically Hip (1992)
6. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (1995)
7. The Band, the Band (1969)
8. Funeral, Arcade Fire (2004)
9. Moving Pictures, Rush (1981)
10. American Woman, the Guess Who (1970)
11. Songs of Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen (1967)
12. Reckless, Bryan Adams (1984)
13. Five Days in July, Blue Rodeo (1993)
14. Twice Removed, Sloan (1994)
15. Up To Here, the Tragically Hip (1989)
16. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, Neil Young with Crazy Horse (1969)
17. 2112, Rush (1976)
18. Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell (1974)
19. Whale Music, Rheostatics (1992)
20. Acadie, Daniel Lanois (1989)

Full story here.

Iron Cup: Italian vs. N.A. Espresso

World Barista Championship judges and internationally renowned baristas do a double-blind dog fight of the best of Italy (must be widely available) vs. the best of Canada and the US (must be available through mail order). Read all about it. Oh yes!

Action shooting

Nature shots

End of Harris on a fall morning. Ridges & cliffs approaching Pitt Lake.

More playing on the Canon G7

Playground (multiple focus points) and nearby bush (macro).

First crack at the G7

Macro of bush outside the house.

100 Mile Cellar - Canadian wine

You'll know Canadian wine has fully come of age when prominent restaurants across the country feature all-Canadian wine lists. While we're not there yet, the signs are promising. Read the 100-mile cellar.

New camera - G7

I picked up this, after T dropped our old Cyber Shot in the sand last weekend. You gotta love the Mac-like name, eh?!

Leopard in the cross-hairs

Latest version of OS X should be here by month end. Maybe.

Conrad Black on the Mercer Report

C.B. joins Rick Mercer's 'Celebrity Tips,' demonstrating how to create waxed leaves for fall decorating. Past notables include:

* Historian and prolific author Pierre Berton, demonstrating how to roll a joint.
* Activist June Callwood, giving pointers on kicking a field goal.
* Literary icon Margaret Atwood, showing how to stop a puck.
* Esteemed actress Shirley Douglas, sharing how to jump-start a dead car battery.
* Rocker Geddy Lee offering tips on safe tobogganing.

Classics, all of them.

Guitars - Simon Jarrett & Blue Morris

More photos of the '07 Maple ridge Jazz & Blues Festival (thanks M. Kalus).

Jazz/Blues in the park

Jazz & Blues festival fashion --> a nice t-shirt and a crazy jacket.