I heart Internet

With my reconnection to the online world, I've been able to do some serious surfing on my day off. I don't know what the kids listen to these days but now with the WWW, I can investigate. Today's wonderful discovery comes not in the form of a band or album, but a website: Pandora by the folks who brought us Music Genome Project.

The site (via Creative Generalist) is simple. Type in the name of a song or an artist and based on the music — and just the music itself — Pandora will play songs it thinks you will enjoy. I've experimented with the site and it's been hit and miss. When I asked for something similar to the Stars, I got Garbage and other pop-rock that didn't sound quite as dreamy as I like the Stars to be. But when I input Bloc Party, I discovered We Are Scientists and Convoj, bands I enjoy and follow what Pandora says "electric rock instrumentation, subtle use of harmony, mild rhymic syncopation, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and a vocal-centric aesthetic." Clearly, this isn't perfect but by giving suggested songs a thumbs up or down, you can help Pandora adapt and adjust the settings to your preference.

If you are just looking for a good laugh, I suggest this video of screaming Japanese girls wearing steak hats. Har har har. This ones makes me chuckle everytime. Two questions arise upon my second viewing of this clip: 1 - Is screaming contagious? 2 - Is it wrong to want a Japanese schoolgirl as a pet?

Comments

[chelle]

I heart the internet again too!!! Thanks for the 5hr iChat... hearing that doorbell was totally worth it lol

[Iris]

OH MY GOD! I've SEEN that video of the Japanese girls with steakhats and was SERIOUSLY disturbed. I didn't know what kind of lizard that was in the corner and my maternal-type instincts (don't worry andy, you haven't been gone so long that I've had secret children) freaked out and seriously thought the lizard was some kind of freakish komodo dragon-type thing (which is one of only 4 animals on earth that actually hunt humans) who wanted to eat the girls. not the steaks. DISTURBING!!! Or maybe i need to be less sensitive and not watch stuff that comes from Japan involving lizards, steaks, and screaming girls.

[Andrea]

The Japanese are awesome.

And I'm glad you don't have any secret children although I'd love them if they existed.