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THINGS THAT NEARLY ROCKED SCOTT’S FACE OFF IN 2007

Five Albums That Kept My Toes Tappin:
5. Keith Murray – Rap-Murr-Phobia – wow, it’s been a LONG time since Murray’s been around, but this disc is tight. well worth the wait.
4. The Toasters – One More Bullet – another great release from a legendary band. amazing to see they’re still goin…
3. The New Amsterdams – Killed or Cured (2-Disc) – it was great as a 1 disc free download, but it’s even better with a totally new take on all the seconds on the second disc.
2. Relient K – Five Score and Seven Years Ago – totally took me by surprise… an epic album… includes my vote for best SONG of 07, “Deathbed.”
1. Streetlight Manifesto – Somewhere In The Between – proves that Ska (and ska/punk) is not dead… as long as it’s done well… probably my favorite album overall of the last few years.

Five Social Networking Sites That Didn’t Suck So Bad:
5. Utterz – ingenious idea that I have yet to REALLY put to the test.
4. MySpace – yup… the layout sucks… the spam sucks… but it’s still pretty good for networking.
3. LinkedIn – love the business/professional aspect of it, but needs more interactivity.
2. Facebook – Ah… the social networking ease without all the MySpace bullshit. I even booked photo clients off here!
1. Twitter – GREAT great idea that spawned into something REALLY useful, and a very easy way to stay in touch with friends.

Fifteen DVDs That Kicked Wolfman in the Nards:
15. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – actually ends up being my favorite of the three films. people will look back in a few years and realize how great of a trilogy this is.
14. STARDUST – not a great DVD, but this movie’s simply too good to leave off the list. fun, romantic, funny, and whimsical. it’s Princess Bride for a new generation.
13. EASTERN PROMISES – cronenberg is a genius, and probably my favorite filmmaker. he and viggo mortensen team up for another great film.
12. TRANSFORMERS: 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION – man, this one was really hard for me to put on here because this is so not my type of flick, but it was just WAY to fun NOT to include. Mindless…sure…but fun as hell. perfect popcorn flick.
11. BUG – ashley judd’s best performance ever. she’s great in what is essentially a play on film. creepy and terrifying.
10. DAYS OF HEAVEN: CRITERION COLLECTION – terrence malick’s gorgeous film has never looked THIS good. criterion, as always, takes it to a new level.
9. DEATH PROOF – screw the naysayers… Planet Terror was good, but this one’s even better. total grindhouse experience. great film… only wish they’d put them both on one DVD.
8. BLACK SNAKE MOAN – dirty, gritty, and just a nasty little flick. the ending just does it for me.
7. HOSTEL: PART II – i don’t care what anyone says… Eli Roth is a genius and this is a great movie with tons of nods to other great movies. bring on the gore!
6. LITTLE CHILDREN – maybe not a stellar DVD, but a friggen amazingly good movie. haunting and beautiful at the same time. winslet is a goddess in it.
5. WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END – this straight-to-dvd sequel was SURE to be horrendous. wow… what a surprise. it was fun as hell and a great little dvd.
4. ZODIAC: 2-DISC DIRECTOR’S CUT – sure, maybe I’m a little partial, but this is the long-awaited extra special version of a fantastic crime thriller. I only wish more people had seen the film in theaters.
3. KNOCKED UP: 2-DISC COLLECTOR’S EDITION – an excellent DVD for a hilarious movie and probably my favorite comedy of the year. from Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared to 40-Year-Old-Virgin, etc… Apatow just knows how to make his characters come to live.
2. PAN’S LABYRINTH – wow. Guillermo del Toro knocks it outta the park again. simply astonishing film and a great DVD.
1. MONSTER SQUAD: 20th Anniversary Special Edition – I’ve waited for this DVD for SO long, and it lived up to al my expectations.

Six Hour-Long TV Shows That Kept My DVR (Or DVD Player) Full:
6. JERICHO – thank all the peanuts in the world for giving this show at least a few episodes of a second season.
5. DEXTER – creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeptastic. well-written, funny, and really well acted. great show.
4. BONES – just the write mix of humor and procedure. boreanaz and deschanel have great chemistry and show is only getting better with time. I first tuned in because I missed ANGEL. now I watch because it’s just that damn good.
3. CRIMINAL MINDS – we miss you already, Mandy Patinkin. please come back. it’s just not the same without you, sir.
2. VERONICA MARS – I’m still mourning the loss of this great show. Kristen Bell was PERFECT as Veronica and the entire cast just… worked. Noir. Mystery. Fun. so many great things about this show…sad to see it go.
1. LOST – to everyone who bowed out at the end of season 2 (or the beginning of season 3) saying that LOST was done… wow, sorry, guys. you’re wrong. just plain wrong. still the BEST thing on TV and the season 3 finale was mindbogglingly good.

Three Sitcoms That Kept Me Laughing All Year:
3. WEEDS – everything about this show just works. kevin nealon’s performances week-in and week-out really put a shine on it.
2. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER – it’s all about neil patrick harris. he’s just perfect as barney and makes this show have that special something that just keeps me cracking up. don’t get me wrong… the rest of the cast is great too… but barney is what this show is all about.
1. THE OFFICE – consistently funny and well-written. great ensemble cast that’s only getting better. as long as they stick to 30 min. episodes this show is just about perfect.

Five Things That Changed My Life in 2007:
5. scottshoots.com – my photography blog is where my photo biz REALLY took off. I don’t even send people to my MAIN website anymore… just the blog…
4. Canon 5D – you don’t know how beautiful digital photos can be until you’ve captured them on this camera. i heart it.
3. Dave Ramsey’s “The Total Money Makeover” - this book made me remember why managing your money is so important. made me a happier person. made my relationship with my wife even that much better. excellent book. great program.
2. Getting hired by Mac and Dinah @ Click! (and no… I’m not just kissin ass…) – changed my life in more ways than I can even express.
1. October 28, 2007 – my one year anniversary to my gorgeous and nearly-damn-perfect wife, Denise.

Five Websites That Kept Me Sane:
5. funnyordie.com – hilarious stuff with some really good people behind it. a more structured and funny youtube
4. rememberthemilk.com – best todo management site I’ve found yet. makes sure I don’t forget what i need to do every single day.
3. opensourcephoto.net/forum/ – great group of people that really know photography. I’ve met so many good friends on here, and even a few REALLY close ones.
2. grandcentral.com – really made the transition to working from home easy by helping manage my phones. great, great service.
1. google.com/reader/ – easily the best and most intuitive RSS reader out there and one that keeps my sanity in check. i didn’t check it for 3 days straight and have almost 4000 unread items. sheesh…

Five Things I Could Have Died Happy Without Seeing:
5. a young Hannibal Lecter in HANNIBAL RISING – as much as I love me some Lecter (and there are things about Hannibal Rising that I do like… this was just… unnecessary.
4. Warner Bros. declare their Blu-ray exclusivity – that may be the last nail in the HD DVD coffin… sigh…
3. birth scene on the KNOCKED UP DVD – …even if it had some very funny moments…
2. a very old, very naked man with a catheter – as Denise and I walked through an emergency room.
1. 30 minutes of NORBIT – my brother-in-law found this movie hilarious so I tried… yeah… I gave him hell.

Five Pieces of Software I Used Just About Every Single Day (Because They Made My Life Easier):
5. MozyBackUp – integrated with the website that keeps all my important files backed up online without me really having to even touch it.
4. Mozilla Thunderbird – makes my job SO much easier by allowing me to color code and sort in ways that are logical.
3. DVD Profiler – makes it simple to manage the evergrowing (…about 1,700 or so now) DVD and HD DVD collections.
2. Pidgin – gone for me are the days of that overbloated Trillian. pidgin is lightweight and just easy to use.
1. Launchy – fantastic, lightweight, application and file launcher. I NEVER use the Start menu anymore…

TEN Photographer’s Blogs That I Checked Every Single Day (Even If They Didn’t Update…Because I’m That Anal…):
***… in no particular order…***
- www.shylasblog.com
- www.bobbiandmike.com/blog/
- www.behindthecamera.info
- www.justingaynor.com
- www.shoot-scoop.com
- www.theblogisfound.com
- kristinbednarz.blogspot.com
- blog.jeffnewsom.com
- erinvey.typepad.com
- www.slobberspace.com

Six People I Didn’t Know THAT Well in 2006, But Became REALLY Great Friends of Mine in 2007 (and helped me in more ways than I could ever express…thanks so much to you guys and gals…):
***…in no particular order…***
- Shlya Dalirifar (www.shylasblog.com)
- Justin Gaynor (www.justingaynor.com)
- Bobbi Sheridan (www.bobbiandmike.com/blog/)
- Kristin Bednarz (kristinbednarz.blogspot.com)
- Laura Bruen (www.shoot-scoop.com)
- Fred Egan (www.behindthecamera.info)

I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but that should do it… Here’s to 2008, ya’ll. Let’s make it a great one.

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