Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus

World Wide Wins - Tiger 88, Jack 79.
PGA Tour Wins- Tiger 77, Jack 73.
European Tour Wins- Tiger 8, Jack 0.
Player of the Year- Tiger 10, Jack 5.
PGA Tour Money Titles- Tiger 9, Jack 8.
Vardon Trophy Scoring Titles- Tiger 8, Jack 0!
Most Wins per Season Titles- Tiger 11, Jack 5.
Most Wins in a Season - Tiger 9, Jack 7.
Most Consecutive Cuts Made in a Row- Tiger 142, Jack 109.
Missed Cuts- Tiger 10, Jack 88
Career Scoring Avg- Tiger 68.75, Jack 70.28 (Thru age 36 for Both)
Major Championships- Tiger 14 of 60, Jack 18 of 112 (thru age 49 only)
World Golf Championships- Tiger 18 of 45. Jack Nothing Comparable at all.
And Tiger Woods has done all of this by Spotting Jack Nicklaus THIRTEEN YEARS!
It Took Jack 453 Professional Tournamets to Win 73 Times. A 16.1% Winning %.
It Took Tiger 271 Professional Tournaments to Win 74 Times. A 27.4% Winning %.

Display problems - Philips 42PF9631D37

Biggest reasons for Windows 8 failing in the marke

Here's an online comment from "Nategator," in response to the article Understanding Windows 8′s lackluster launch and Microsoft’s cryptic sales figures by Sebastian Anthony on the Extreme Tech website.

Biggest reasons for Windows 8 failing in the market:

1. Pushing a touch-based OS interface down desktop user's throats.
It was absolutely asinine that Microsoft both got rid of the familiar (Start button, deskop view) and pushed massive innovations (tile system, corner access) at the same time. At the very least, they should have made the ability to go straight to the desktop with a start button an optional feature. Better yet, make it adaptive. If Windows 8 detects a touchscreen, start with the tiles. If Windows 8 just detects a mouse and keyboard, start with the traditional desktop view. If they would have done this minor step they would have avoided 95% of the criticism (the other 5% largely focused on the App Store -- see #3) and made the new Start option a desirable feature rather than a reason not to buy/upgrade.

2. The tiles/Metro is ugly and poorly designed.
It's pretty much a rip off of the Xbox tile system, which is largely panned by users because it ends up hiding the content they want behind advertisements and side features Microsoft is pushing. What people tend to want is symmetric columns and rows that can be easily customized -- a la MS's own deskop, Android, and Apple.

3. Poor relationship management with key partners.
It's telling that HP, Acer, Steam, and Blizzard have all publicly went out and panned Microsoft's Windows strategy before launch. Each company was directly threatened by Microsoft making moves to become a direct competitor instead of a trusted partner. And as the carcasses of Netscape and WordPerfect testify, when Microsoft goes after your revenue they do not play fair. Plus, these are key partners trashing Microsoft's strategy. HP sells the most PCs, Acer used to be dominant in laptops/netbooks, Steam sells the most PC games, and Blizzard sells the most beloved PC exclusive franchises. Now all of them are looking seriously at Linux (or its fork, Android) and pushing the GPU companies to start developing drivers.

4. Continued failure to understand the touch market.
People like touch as secondary devices. But it is yet to be seen whether they really want to ditch the keyboard and mouse system for a less efficient touch system. There are big drawbacks with touch. fingerprints, oil, scratches, and dirt build up on the monitor. Touch is less accurate than the mouse and keyboard. Touch creates more input errors than the mouse and keyboard. All of these have the potential to decrease productivity.
In addition, you should not have the same touch OS for both a tablet and a desktop/laptop. With the tablet you are interfacing downwards and with the PC you are interfacing perpendicular. Motions that feel comfortable with the tablet can feel strange with the PC.
No matter how many corporate touts try to clog up the comments they cannot escape the reality. Windows 8 is looking more like Vista (or worse) and less like Windows 7/XP. And if the gaming pubs open up a Linux front Microsoft may be in serious trouble.

Lost your Windows discs?

Here's a link to an excellent blog article written by Ed Bott, for the Ed Bott Report, on ZDNet.

Lost your Windows discs? How to get replacement media, legally

Did your most recent Windows PC purchase come with a set of reinstallation media?

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. As I noted in my coverage of Microsoft's lawsuit against UK retail giant Comet, big PC makers—the so-called royalty OEMs—are required to include a recovery solution as part of their installation of Windows. But the details of those recovery systems vary by manufacturer, so there's no one-size-fits-all set of instructions.

New PC Build

After a few years of wanting to build a new PC, I finally got around to it this month.

My goal was to assemble a system with two SSDs in RAID 0, have several USB 3.0 connections, utilize a CPU water cooler, have plenty of storage, and not have to buy a discrete video card, since I'm not a computer gamer.  The Asus motherboard does not have D-Sub (VGA), DVI, or PS/2 connections.  I opted for Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, instead of Windows 8.

I also wanted to use a water cooler and found one that would allow me to use four fans in push-pull configuration.

The Samsung S27B970D 27" monitor was what I had expected to buy.  When the price was finally released for Canada, it still wasn't listed as being in stock anywhere.  I opted for the new Asus PB278Q monitor, which was half the cost.

Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5 GHz 8 MB
 Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe
Asus 12B1ST 12x BD Writer
Asus Front Panel USB 3.0 Box (2 ports)
Asus PB278Q 17" monitor (2560 x 1440 w/DisplayPort)
Corsair Vengeance 2 x 8 GB RAM (qty 2; 16 GB)
Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T case
Corsair CMPSU-650AX 650W Gold AX P/S
Corsair Hydro H100 CPU water cooler
Noctua NF-P12-1300 fans (4) in push-pull configuration
OCZ Vertex 4 256 GB SATA III SSD (2 in RAID 0)
Seagate 3 TB Barracuda 7200 rpm 64 MB (qty 3)
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

Concert Review: Curtis Nowosad at the Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB, 11/8/12

Jazz drummer Curtis Nowosad has established himself as one the most popular musicians in the Winnipeg jazz scene, seemingly gigging all the time with a crop of young, rising players, and many of the local veterans, as well as the University of Manitoba's Jazz Studies professors.

My evening at The Park Theatre Café, a refurbished movie theatre that has become one of the hottest venues for live music of all genres, began with my arrival about 15 minutes before the doors were opened. I had a feeling the show would sell out and I wanted to sit in a particular location. As I handed over my $10 ticket, I also paid the special pre-sale price of $10 for the CD, Nowosad's first, entitled The Skeptic & The Cynic.

As the venue began to fill up, I noticed a few fans spontaneously clapping as Nowosad strolled from the stage to the floor. I recognized several people from other jazz shows. The audience was comprised of teenagers and people who may have been in their 70s and above. This just confirms for me that jazz is still growing its fan base.

When the band finally took to the stage, they were warmly greeted by the audience. I recognized everyone, save for the alto saxophonist, Craig Bailey, who recently joined the U of M faculty as a jazz educator. In fact, five of the seven performers are U of M jazz educators, including Bonness, trumpeter Derrick Gardner, guitarist Laurent Roy and the head of the Jazz Studies program, Professor Steve Kirby on bass. Tenor saxophonist Niall Bakkestad-Legare is another popular young player on the local scene.

As soloists, I was particularly bowled over by the force and authority of Gardner's trumpet. He earned some of the loudest ovations from the audience all evening. Roy, who was known by his Anglicized name "Larry" for a long time, was stellar on electric guitar, deftly releasing notes with the creativity and spontaneity that many guitarists aspire to but few possess. Bassist Kirby performed with enthusiasm, bringing excitement to an instrument that is sometimes performed without enough flair. Kirby's performance was totally involved, physically moving around and giving the audience another worthwhile focal point.

Bailey's alto sax was given the type of workout that can only be expected from someone of his pedigree, who has put in the endless hours of performance with cream-of-the-crop players, over many years. His sound is potent but also fluently soulful. Bakkestad-Legare confirmed for me that he is more than capable of sharing the stage with masterful musicians. His craft is always on the up-rise every time I see him.

Bonness showed his sense of humour by injecting a few (piano) notes here and there as Nowosad was speaking, sometimes mimicking the organ sound at hockey games. The audience enjoyed these moments and once again, they were spellbound by his performance. I've never been a fan of the sound of electric pianos, but I do understand how they are far easier to schlep around than acoustic ones. Having heard Bonness on a grand piano before, I felt as if I was missing out on hearing a superior piano sound.

Nowosad's command of the drums displays his skills for subtlety and nuance, as well as strong fluidity when he gets into a groove. Given the quality of the musicians he plays with, I expect him to continue to develop his style and craft.
To add to the diversity of the sounds that evening, local hip-hop singer/poet Ismaila Alfa appeared as a special guest and impressed me with his performance. It's not the kind of thing you would see at a traditional jazz show, but times are changing. (Witness the almost unheard of popularity for the Robert Glasper Experiment's Black Radio CD.)

Numerous times throughout the show, the affable Nowosad recognized his bandmates for the evening and was gracious as he thanked them as well as his other critical influences in his life, including all his teachers, the Park Theatre, and finally, his wife.

At the end of the band's performance, it came as no surprise that the audience quickly rose to their feet and offered up a heart-felt standing ovation. This was a terrific evening, exactly what I was expecting, and an important and well derserved milestone for Curtis Nowosad.

Rush - MTS Centre, September 26, 2012

Rush performed for 9000 fans, without any opening act.  This wasn't quite as many people as their 2008 show, which was their first performance in Winnipeg since their 1982 show at the old Arena (which drew a 50% capacity audience of 8000.)

Rush drummer Neil Peart.

With their 20th studio album out, Clockwork Angels, Rush simply do not know how to slow down.  Despite the fact that their non-hit material can take some effort to get in to, Rush have enough strong, popular material to allow them to tour until they decide to call it quits.

I found this quote from the MTS Centre's website. "The RIAA has certified Rush for the third most consecutive gold/platinum studio albums by a rock band, topped only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones."

The first set saw them utilize material from four of their '80s albums, half of which was from the synth-heavy 1985 album Power Windows.  I could have done without most of the tracks from this album in favour of some of the older classics like "Closer To The Heart" (which they did not play during the 2007 Snakes & Arrows tour), "Red Barchetta," "Limelight," "Fly By Night" (not performed live since 1978), "Freewill," "Trees" and "Something For Nothing."

Geddy Lee (59) really looked like he was having fun.  When not playing the keyboards, he would strap on his bass guitar and playfully shuffle over to guitarist Alex Lifeson (59).

 I wasn't as crazy about the previous studio album, 2007's Snakes & Arrows and when they performed about an hour's worth of it during the last tour, I felt quite disinterested.  For a three hour show, they could have cut it down by 30 minutes with less new material and I would have enjoyed myself more.  This time, they played 9 of the 12 tracks from Clockwork Angels during the second set and I found the new material easier to get into.

Lifeson played keyboards juring "The Garden," which Lee exclaimed was his favorite track from the new album.  During the title track, the lighting rig moved in a fashion probably meant to mimic floating angels.  For the second set and for the first time in their history, they performed with backing musicians, in the form of a string section.  Whether or not these seven or so really contributed to the overall sound, I couldn't say with any certainty.  Right behind them, gasoline bombs, fireworks and explosions went off.  I could feel the heat from the 16th row on the floor.  I can only imagine what nerve it took for them not to jump during those explosions, which always caught me off guard.  The heat must have made quite an impression on them.  Throughout the show, they played humorous short films ("Gearing Up," "The Appointment," and "The Office of the Watchmaker") one of which had the three members acting as scruffy dwarfs in an industrial setting and giving a government bureaucrat the runaround.  Cameramen, some of which were high above in the lighting rig, provided close ups off the band members so that no matter where you sat, you had a good view of the show.  I wish more bands would do this.

Drummer Neil Peart (60) didn't limit himself to one long solo, like he did last time.  Rather, he added some solos to "Where's My Thing?" in the first set, "Headlong Flight" in the second set, as well as stand-alone solo in the form of "The Percussor" in the second set.

Not wanting to become a nostalgia band, Rush are compelled to play plenty of new material, along with several old classics.  I question why they played four tracks from Power Windows, which, while a popular album, surely isn't what the long-time fans consider to be a classic.   

It goes without saying that the band performed like the virtuosos that they are.  Not only are they masters of their instruments, but no other musicians out there sound like the individual members of Rush.  Even in the songs that I wasn't totally into, I was enthralled by their craft.

Overall, I enjoyed this show more than the previous one and I would definitely see Rush again.

  
Set 1
01 Subdivisions (Signals, 1982)
02 The Big Money (Power Windows, 1985)
03 Force Ten (Hold Your Fire, 1987)
04 Grand Designs (Power Windows, 1985)
05 Middletown Dreams (Power Windows, 1985)
06 Territories (Power Windows, 1985)
07 The Analog Kid (Signals, 1982)
08 The Pass (Presto, 1989)
09 Where's My Thing? (with Drum Solo) (Roll The Bones, 1991)
10 Far Cry (Snakes & Arrows, 2007)

Set 2
11 Caravan (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
12 Clockwork Angels (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
13 The Anarchist (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
14 Carnies (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
15 The Wreckers (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
16 Headlong Flight (with Drum Solo) (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
17 Halo Effect (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
18 Wish Them Well (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
19 The Garden (Clockwork Angels, 2012)
20 Dreamline (Roll The Bones, 1991)
21 Drum Solo (The Percussor)
22 Red Sector A (Grace Under Pressure, 1984)
23 YYZ (Moving Pictures, 1981)
24 The Spirit of Radio (Permanent Waves, 1980)

Encore:
25 Tom Sawyer (Moving Pictures, 1981)
26 2112 Part I: Overture (2112, 1976)
27 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx (2112, 1976)
28 2112 Part VII: Grand Finale (2112, 1976) 

Bob Dylan w/ Mark Knopfler - MTS Centre, Oct., 5, 2012

Not a huge crowd. One of my friends who works at the MTS Centre figured attendance was around 4200. The Sun said is was around 6500, the Free Press, 5500.

So Mark Knopfler was in the hugely successful 70s and 80s group Dire Straits. At one time, they were the biggest selling group in terms of the new format known as the Compact Disc. Knopfler was backed my a 7-piece band and they wouldn't have been out of place at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. It was a decidedly a twangy affair, rather than pop/rock. When they were jamming, it was outstanding. The level of musicianship was high quality. Like Clapton, Knopfler doesn't strut around and play a showy guitar. He economizes in his playing, not wasting notes for showmanship or applause. But when he plays, it's precise and distinctive. You know it's him. Ditto for his vocals, which were all over rock radio for decades as Dire Straits made themselves heard. The type of songwriting he offers now is the kind where you either have to really pay attention to the words to see that he's telling stories, or you just have to let the exquisite sound wash all over you.

Despite ending Dire Straits with some of their most commercial sounding albums, as a solo artist, he's opted more for quality songs laid back songs that require you to invest more of your attention than easier to digest all out rockers. This was my second time seeing Knopfler, the first being at the Concert Hall a few years ago, so I knew more or less what to expect. Almost as if he was cutting the umbilical cord and sending a clear message to the fans that he's moved on to a different phase in his musical career, he did not play his all-time most popular song, The "Sultans of Swing," from 1978's debut album, Dire Straits. Which went on to sell 6 million copies. He did play one Dire Straits song, "So Far Away," from 1985's Brothers In Arms. That song earned a lot of airplay and the audience definitely perked up when it was performed. For most people, it was the only song they recognized.

Bob Dylan has been at a point in his career for a while now, where he likes to change things up when performing live, regardless of the bad press that he's received for doing so. And for singing like only he can sing, and not caring too much that many people think he should have packed in a long time ago when his vocals really became the topic of much derision. He's not going to play his greatest hits like so many groups who are still touring way past their prime and milking the past for all they can. Doing so would likely be downright boring to him. Nope, he plays mostly lesser-known songs, some material from the last few albums, and maybe handful of old favorites, thrown in to keep the casual fans who make up a huge part of the audience, somewhat content.

Still, like the last time he played at the MTS Centre, fans left early and complained about his vocals and song selection. From where I was sitting, on the floor and fairly close to the stage, the sound was actually very good. No complaints from me about how it sounded. As for his vocals, I mostly gave up on trying to make out what his was singing, although I did catch a few words here and there. But, I knew that this would be the case. On the plus side, I thought his backing band was strong. Charlie Sexton was once again on lead guitar. He was a brief pop sensation in the 80s, before resorting back to his original calling as a rootsy, bluesy, folksy performer, ideal to be in Bob Dylan's band.

I can't recall seeing Dylan grin so much in concert. He was clearly having a good time. The first time I saw him, he played a lot of guitar and the bulk of the solos. That was back at the old Arena back in August, 2002. In Nov., 2008, he played mostly on keyboards as he had an injury that prevented him from playing guitar. This was at the MTS Centre. At that show, his vocals were definitely at a low point. At last night's show, he started off on keyboards, then played some guitar but spent most of the evening on piano, which sounded fine to me. He's not a virtuoso pianist, so I wasn't expecting that type of performance. At one point, he strolled to the front of the stage with a microphone. He did play a little bit of harmonica, which caused some excitement among the fans. About a third of the 15 songs he played were popular classics, but the last one, "Blowin' In The Wind," was impossible to recognize. I don't think he played the entire song but just enough of it tacked onto "All Along The Watchtower" to qualify as a separate song.

If you knew ahead of time what to expect, you probably enjoyed the show. If you didn't, you might have been shocked and disappointed. I had a good time and I would see him again.



Set list
01 Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, 971)
02 It Ain't Me, Babe (Another Side of Bob Dylan, 1964)
03 Things Have Changed (from the film Wonder Boys,released as a single on May 1, 2000)
04 Tangled Up In Blue (Blood on the Tracks, 1975)
05 Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Love and Theft, 2001)
06 This Dream Of You (Together Through Life, 2009)
07 Summer Days (Love and Theft, 2001)
08 Desolation Row (Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
09 Highway 61 Revisited (Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
10 Scarlet Town (Tempest, 2012)
11 Thunder On The Mountain (Modern Times, 2006)
12 Ballad Of A Thin Man (Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
13 Like A Rolling Stone (Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
14 All Along The Watchtower (John Wesley Harding, 1967)
15 Blowin' In The Wind (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, 1963)
http://www.bobdylan.com/us/tour/2012-10-05-mts-centre