Random randomness

[ImLawBoy]

It's been 30 years since I took my year of typing in high school, split between a classroom full of IBM Selectric typewriters and a room full of computers (my class was the first one to start the transition to computers.) It was one of the most useful single classes I ever took in high school. But to this day I can't break the habits that were so deeply drilled on and ingrained in me back then, if they're unnecessary now - and even actively frowned upon.

I still double space after a period.
I still do a double return after a paragraph.
I still do a double space before a zip code when writing an address.

Times have changed. But that muscle memory designed for a mechanical typerwriter just won't go away.

I do all of this, and I also learned on a traditional electric typewriter.

[Daehawk]

I finally found me a rock and roll radio station last night. Listened to it for about an hour.
If what they played was typical of rock now a days then rock and roll is truly dead.

Have you tried Sound Garden? I posted about it before. Its an online radio finder / player. Has a global map and each green dot is a station. The sound quality is amazing.

http://radio.garden/listen/kz106/gQtTejSa

Its pre set to KZ106 a local 'classic' rock station. They used to play new music but in the 90s they reverted to classic rock. I think because rock kinda faded. Now its all 70s and 80s it seems. I complain about it because they play way too much Skynyrd and Zeppelin.

Kinda sad how music I grew up on is now classic or oldies. But in the 80s as a teen 1950s was golden oldies. By that mark the 90s are the new oldies. Anyways can move that world globe all over and click until you find stuff. Theres a heart shape for each station to mark favorites. I use it to quickly go to my faves.

Right now Wheel in the Sky - Journey is playing.

[Unagi]

Yes, please know that every single-space after my periods is being forced on me by the forum.

[Blackhawk]

I finally found me a rock and roll radio station last night. Listened to it for about an hour.
If what they played was typical of rock now a days then rock and roll is truly dead.

That depends - is rock and roll Buddy Holly and Little Richard? Or The Beatles? Or Black Sabbath, KISS, and Zeppelin? Or is rock and roll Alice Cooper and Motley Crue? Or Pantera and Anthrax? Green Day and the Foo Fighters?

What rock is and sounds like changes all the time. None of those are similar, and most wouldn't be recognizable as rock to those earlier on the list. Play some Pantera for Buddy Holly and see what his reaction would be.

I don't like rock these days either (at least nothing they'll ever play on the radio - there are plenty of non-mainstream bands I like), but I also don't think I can judge it as inferior because it isn't my rock.

[hepcat]

I've been pleasantly surprised by some current bands. For a while, I was afraid we were entering a realm of nothing but linkin park and cold play clones and it made me despair.

[Blackhawk]

I've switched to single spaces after a period, although it took years to fully break the habit.

I haven't really had the need to try, but if I were writing for a living in a format where it mattered, I might. It's more likely I'd just type the damned thing, then do a find and replace. (Find "_ _" Replace with "_") I've done that before in material to be published where I needed to replace all my 'returns' with shift-enter and all of my double enters with 'enter.' I did restrain myself from using the Oxford comma for a few years when I was told to use a certain style guide. As soon as I was done, though, that comma was right back where it belonged.

Every once in a while you'll see someone rant about the extra space, or you'll see and article by some younger person ranting about how bothersome it is that people still do it, and why don't they just stop putting in the space? They don't seem to get that it isn't a conscious process. It's muscle memory, drilled into our heads for hours on end in a classroom where failing to do it resulted in punishment (in the form of lowered grades or having to repeat the drill), and then reinforce by years of practice. It's entirely automatic.

[gilraen]

I've been pleasantly surprised by some current bands. For a while, I was afraid we were entering a realm of nothing but linkin park and cold play clones and it made me despair.

I'd listen to Linkin Park or Coldplay over 95% of whatever has passed for Top 40 for the last decade.

[hepcat]

[Blackhawk]

I've been pleasantly surprised by some current bands. For a while, I was afraid we were entering a realm of nothing but linkin park clones and it made me despair.

Even back when 'my' music was still popular, most of the stuff I liked the most was rarely, if ever, on the radio. Current (non-oldies) radio stations have always played most the top-40. All that changes is which list they get their top 40 from. Most of the music I listened to - like most people - came from the record store, be that on CD, cassette, 8-track, or vinyl record, depending on the era (mostly cassettes for me.) It's the same way now, except that the record store is Spotify (and similar.)

I think what really changes is how you're exposed to new music. Back then I found most of what I listened to because I heard a friend playing it, or because someone at the record store who knew my taste suggested it (thanks, Eric!) As you get older and your friends are either friends of circumstance (IE - work friends rather than people you share tastes with), it gets less and less likely that you're going to be introduced to new music. That means that if you're not into the top-40 on whatever chart the radio station is playing from, you have to do the legwork yourself. Pandora is great for this (plug in a few songs and see what it gives you), and just poking around helps. Just searching for "bands like ______" can get you to stuff you enjoy.

Seriously - dbt - tell us what kind of stuff you like. Someone will probably point to a few current bands that fit the bill.

[Daehawk]

[Daehawk]

I have some neighbors with SUVs. They always had one or two but Im not sure if their older daughter moved back and her younger brother became old enough to drive or whats going on but now they have 4 or 5 SUVs at their house every day. All either white or black. No other colors. I'm pretty sure they are cancelling out at least 50 carbon conscious hippies.

[dbt1949]

My favorite music come from the 60s and the 80s. 70s had some good stuff but a lot of crap compared to the other two. The 90s started losing me and by the early 2000s I said goodbye to modern rock and roll. I listened to oldies until they went off the air and switched to my wife's favorites.....C&W. Now a days C&W are seems to be mostly rock and roll. But even now me or C&W are changing tastes.
I find new music on youtube. Oddly, most of the "new" stuff I like is 10-20 years olde. I made up a list of favorites that I play but I'm always looking for new stuff. I listen to the stuff in our music thread but most is okay but a little weird.
But all this doesn't help me when I'm looking for something to listen to while I'm driving.


PS; I'm one of those weirdos that liked disco. I'm so ashamed.

[Blackhawk]

Here is an easy thing I did that led me to a ton of new music. I actually need to spend a few months with Pandora again. I've spent so much time with Spotify in the last few years that my selection has started to get a little stale.

Go to Pandora.com . It's free.

Take a song or artist that you like find them, and click 'create station.'

Now, click 'My Collection'. Click on the station you just made. On the right is "Find and Artist or Song to Add to this Station. Pick a few artists or songs that are in the same 'category' that you like and add them.

Now just play it. It will play songs by the artists you included, but also by other artists with similar styles. If you really like a particular song, thumbs up it. If you really dislike it, thumbs down. It will learn and slowly evolve the station into something that is suited just to your tastes, and you'll hear a lot of artists you hadn't listened to before.

Tip: Don't add too many things to a single station - you can make any number of them. If you like, say, The Doors, don't add Black Sabbath to it. Give different styles their own stations. Otherwise you'll end up with chaos as it tries to figure out what is like both.

[hitbyambulance]

Here is an easy thing I did that led me to a ton of new music. I actually need to spend a few months with Pandora again. I've spent so much time with Spotify in the last few years that my selection has started to get a little stale.

Go to Pandora.com . It's free.

Take a song or artist that you like find them, and click 'create station.'

Now, click 'My Collection'. Click on the station you just made. On the right is "Find and Artist or Song to Add to this Station. Pick a few artists or songs that are in the same 'category' that you like and add them.

Now just play it. It will play songs by the artists you included, but also by other artists with similar styles. If you really like a particular song, thumbs up it. If you really dislike it, thumbs down. It will learn and slowly evolve the station into something that is suited just to your tastes, and you'll hear a lot of artists you hadn't listened to before.

Tip: Don't add too many things to a single station - you can make any number of them. If you like, say, The Doors, don't add Black Sabbath to it. Give different styles their own stations. Otherwise you'll end up with chaos as it tries to figure out what is like both.

+1 this is what Pandora was made for, and works well at that

[Daehawk]

I find country music so boring. Or what they call country music now. Its either trucks, dirt, beer, or girls. Thats it...over and over....every song almost. Boring.

[Blackhawk]

I find country music so boring. Or what they call country music now. Its either trucks, dirt, beer, or girls. Thats it...over and over....every song almost. Boring.

Go read what I wrote to dbt, but replace 'rock' with 'country.' It's out there. It just isn't on the radio.

Music won't come to you. You have to go to it.

[Daehawk]

I dont care to pick my music same as I dont shows. I like the Radio garden app and I listen to iHeart Radio. But I do pick it on YouTube. Thats where about 95% of my music is. I have like nearly 1000 saved videos on there.

[Isgrimnur]

I hear Ironrod has a lead on newish music that drops every year.

[Kraken]

I hear Ironrod has a lead on newish music that drops every year.

I downloaded the SxSW bittorrents from 2005-2020. Each year, I spent months auditioning the >1,000 songs and winnowing them down to 150-200 keepers. I accumulated thousands of MP3s in the process, and that was my exposure to new music. I still listen to my SxSW folder nearly every day.

There was no torrent in '21 because pandemic, and I don't think they did one this year, either. At least I couldn't find it when I looked a couple of weeks ago. Apparently bittorrent is a crypto currency now. No more new music for me.

[Daehawk]

Looks like this supposedly about a 1/2 mile down the road from me. Its on a road where we used to attend church and where we had my wife's parents 50th wedding anniversary in 1990.

These 40+mph winds surely aren't helping.



Not heard a single siren or smelled any smoke.

[Unagi]

Half a mile away from you.
Supposedly…
And you can’t be bothered to verify.

[Daehawk]

The only way would be drive down there and it was bedtime. I dont care anyways. Im sure it was. ..now ...says it was 80 acres and was contained by 3am. i was in bed trying to sleep. HORRIBLE insomnia.

EDIT: Caused by wind downed power lines.

[Holman]

PS; I'm one of those weirdos that liked disco. I'm so ashamed.

1) There's a Confessions thread for that.

2) I like disco too! It's unfairly maligned. Plus, a lot of the "Disco Sux" fervor looks like thinly disguised bigotry in hindsight.

[hepcat]

I think a lot of the Disco Sucks stuff is essentially just shtick.

[Unagi]

Of course when all ya got is a hammer…

[dbt1949]

You have to sign in to your Microsoft account before proceeding.....fuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufucyouyoufuckyoufuckyou and fuckyou.

[xwraith]

Impressive!

[Daehawk]

Trying to order a 15/16 socket from Amazon...its $5 shipping $10 and tax $2 ...total $1.41. I stared at over and over for nearly 2 minutes before I figured out I had a gift card wallet lol. I forgot I used the Got Milk winnings for $15 in gift card total lol. If Id known this I could have ordered it a week ago when i needed the first time. Sigh.

EDIT: Changed shipping to a cheaper one and now its FREE ..wooooo!! I mean why pay $10 shipping for Sunday when for $3 I can get it Monday.

[Daehawk]

Icebreakers mints are as good as ever! I used to get the duo pack. Today I saw pina colada...I will try any pina colada ...its great!

[Daehawk]

I think restaurants are too expensive even with inflation.

Yes Im going back to the 80s for this one again.....Roses had a little eatery in it. A large chocolate shake was .89 cents and a club sandwich was $1.25.

I see a 'cheap' place in town has a club sandwich for $12! Hell. Even with inflation a club sandwich to me is worth $5....$6 at most.

[Kraken]

Restaurant prices have gone up a lot in the past year. I don't mind paying $10 or $15 more if it's going toward higher pay and better working conditions. I'm fortunate to be able to afford a weekly night out and I missed a LOT of those during the previous covid surges (and will no doubt miss more in future spikes).

[Isgrimnur]

[dbt1949]

I think I need to trim my beard. I keep losing my pills in there.

[jztemple2]

Restaurant prices have gone up a lot in the past year. I don't mind paying $10 or $15 more if it's going toward higher pay and better working conditions. I'm fortunate to be able to afford a weekly night out and I missed a LOT of those during the previous covid surges (and will no doubt miss more in future spikes).

We had lunch at a Miller's Ale House today and I'd say the bill was probably $15 more than pre-Covid. I think it was probably a split between higher supply chain costs and higher salaries. It was still a good lunch

[Sudy]

I think I need to trim my beard. I keep losing my pills in there.

I have never had such a long beard, and man, it's a hobby of its own. It pops up into my vision when I'm in bed and I think someone's broken in. It gets stuck under the sheet when I pull it up. It protects my shirt from milk and soup. It gets in the brush when I'm trying to brush my hair.

[dbt1949]

That gabapentin sure helps a lot with my neuropathy but I feel like I'm drunk all the time, especially after the doctor increased my dose. Not even sure I should drive.

[Daehawk]

Wife took it. Dont recall anything she said about it, They put me on it but i refused it. I found a full bottle of wifes...hurting so bad Im tempted to take a few but as I recall it takes a month to even do anything. So threw it away.

[dbt1949]

Just took a few days to affect me.

[dbt1949]

I was watching some videos on youtube and I was wondering............how can videos look better than real life?

[Blackhawk]

I was watching some videos on youtube and I was wondering............how can videos look better than real life?

Carefully chosen colors and backgrounds, planned camera angles, careful lighting, digital contrast enhancement - you name it. The more natural it looks, the more planning it took.