Music
I'm enjoying playing around with Pandora instead of working on my program like I really ought to do. It's fun reading about their recommendations. I started with "Welcome to Paradise" and it played me "Brain Stew," which is also a wonderful song. It led me to some other songs I liked less, but its reasoning seems sound (pun intended): "Based on what you've told us so far, we're playing this track because it features punk roots, electric rock instrumentation, a subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation and extensive vamping." (I don't really know the words to describe music, so the mere use of these terms amuses me already.)
For some reason, it's more fun to get automated recommendations than to talk to another human being about music. I guess I'm biased toward assuming that quantifying songs is going to give me a better answer to "music I like." The only thing about constantly getting similar songs is the issue of where I'll get irregular things like A Little Night Music, Katamari Fortissimo Damacy, CS-themed filk, and, most importantly, Presidential Campaign Songs. For these things, I'll always need interaction with real people.
Oh man; I'm on wireless at Ginger's Deli (an eating place on campus) and they're playing "Backstreet's Back." I can't decide whether this bothers me more than hearing "All The Small Things" earlier for the third or fourth time in a public campus location.
People with homophonic first names and similar-sounding last initials should not have the same middle name. I'm sorry, but it's true.
For some reason, it's more fun to get automated recommendations than to talk to another human being about music. I guess I'm biased toward assuming that quantifying songs is going to give me a better answer to "music I like." The only thing about constantly getting similar songs is the issue of where I'll get irregular things like A Little Night Music, Katamari Fortissimo Damacy, CS-themed filk, and, most importantly, Presidential Campaign Songs. For these things, I'll always need interaction with real people.
Oh man; I'm on wireless at Ginger's Deli (an eating place on campus) and they're playing "Backstreet's Back." I can't decide whether this bothers me more than hearing "All The Small Things" earlier for the third or fourth time in a public campus location.
People with homophonic first names and similar-sounding last initials should not have the same middle name. I'm sorry, but it's true.