Samson

Pandora Adventure

I have a confession to make. Despite loving the internet and adoring music, I've never even bothered to try Pandora. Now, to make this a bit more interesting (to myself and my poor, unattended blog), I'm going to take a look at what kind of shaping Pandora does to my tastes. It might be boring, who knows.

When asked for an artist to start with, I put in Of Montreal. They're one of my favorite bands, and sufficiently indie. In response, Pandora started playing "Gronlandic Edit," a song from Hissing Fauna... that of course I've heard before. A

Next up is New Slang by The Shins. A nice, slow paced song and similar to Of Montreal, appropriately. Very easy rhythm, basic rock structure, slightly less centered on the vocals, though this might just be because it's not Kevin Barnes. With a voice like his it's easy to get distracted. B

Love Like a Sunset Part II by Phoenix. Reminds me a lot of the Dandy Warhols with the dream-like qualities of the sound. Also, I discover why Pandora is free - ads popping up all over the place, ack! Anyway, I'll give that one an A-

Ah, something I've heard a billion times before. Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn and John. Lyrics also somewhat dreamlike thanks to the reverberations. The whistling in this song infects my brain to an insane degree. I've always had an affection for this one. A

More Of Montreal, earlier era this time, Look at the Bell. Not as much a fan of this one; vaguely Beatles-esque, but not quite what I'm in the mood for when I think "indie". Thumbs down! Still not a terrible song. C

Time to Pretend by MGMT. Always loved this song; actually I enjoy pretty much everything by MGMT. Discography download anyone? A+

Thus far I'm really enjoying the intricacies that Pandora Radio keeps track of when it's tracking my likes and dislikes. I can pull up any song and ask why it was selected, specifically the different aspects of the song that I enjoy. Things like "electronica influences" and "subtle vocal harmony" unconsciously tug at my ears!

Next up is Jennifer Louise by Of Montreal. I like this one quite a bit; it really reminds me of the Hissing Fauna stuff with a little bit of an instrumental twist. Rhythm piano, woo! B

Is This It by The Strokes. Doesn't really do it for me for some reason. C

The King of Carrot Flowers Part I by Neutral Milk Hotel. I like the vocals and it's a little folk reminiscent. Nice and mellow and acoustic. A-

The progressive nature of Ratatat's Loud Pipes is going to be stuck in my head. B+

You get the idea, anyway. I probably shouldn't keep writing like this because I'm sure it's just going to bore everybody who normally reads my scrawl. Thus far, Pandora seems like a great listening-at-work option.

Snowpacalypse: Snow Fear

I woke up today like it was any other day. I rose from bed, brushed my teeth, took a shower, and got dressed. As usual, I flipped on the television and what confronted me was literally the most horrifying thing I've ever heard. Well, at least in the top thousand most horrifying things.

Now, what I'm about to show you, if you were a trained meteorologist, might give you a heart attack. See if you can spot what's so frightening about this PROFESSIONAL RADAR IMAGE:


It's difficult to see on the image, but there is a fairly large snowstorm on the horizon for the east coast. Gasp! Just in case you missed it, I have circled it here for your convenience:


Whoa!

Anyway, after hearing this devastating news, what did I do? Of course, as a lifelong Minnesotan, I am used to snow and ice having a presence around me for several months of the year. I should be able to simply shrug off the notion of its danger, right? But then, I'm a resident of New Jersey now. And what would a lifelong New Jerseyan do in such a situation?


Run to the nearest grocery store and panic whilst purchasing as much food and water as possible. I could be trapped in my apartment for what, almost a month at this point! After heading into the nearest Wegman's, I was greeted with chaos and panic all around me.




Frightening. At least six people were trampled in the shuffling, though the gore and bodies were mopped up before I could withdraw my camera.


This is one of the many people purchasing a shovel. Now, being from Minnesota, the idea of a homeowner owning less than three shovels terrifies me more than you could imagine.


My survival supplies. God help me.

Anyway, here's some "before" pictures so that I can keep track of some of the action.




Me looking very worried.


Stay tuned for my impending death!

UPDATE @ 11:41p
Apparently Philadelphia is already planning on declaring a state of emergency now. There's no wind outside and it's kind of scary.

Eulogy

When setting out to formulate a eulogy for my grandfather, my goal was to think of a single attribute to encapsulate his long and complex life. It was difficult at first. He held many roles in many lives: son, brother, sailor, teacher, coach, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. One adjective seemed woefully inadequate for such a storied life, until I came to a realization. When moving between these roles, when swapping one hat for another, he always managed to maintain a zeal for life. He had such passion for every moment, every pair of shoes he stepped into, and every life he touched.

I would like to share some of these roles he played in all our lives, and the passion he held for each and every one of them.

He was passionate about his country and the defense thereof. During World War II, he was one of many members of the United States Navy stationed on Allied merchant vessels, tasked with strategically defending the sea-based supply lines of the war effort. Withstanding both stormy seas and the constant threat of attack from German U-boats, he helped ensure protection for these important avenues vital to the allied victory.

In perhaps his most renowned and recognized role, my grandfather was a passionate athlete, his love of athletics carrying him far beyond his own sporting career. Over twenty-five years he coached hundreds of promising wrestlers at New Hampton, Rochester Community College, and my own high school, John Marshall in Rochester, MN. Behind his standard, RCC rose to national prominence. Seven wrestlers under John's tutelage were selected as All Americans, and brought ten titles home to these halls. He was honored in 1979 as the first coach elected to the National Junior College Athletics Association hailing from RCC.

It was obvious that the most important part of John Philo's life was his family. He and his wife Jean oversaw the raising of four sons and a daughter, and joyfully watched fourteen grandchildren grow up before their eyes. My grandfather was a font of sage advice and guidance; I came to appreciate this most of all when it came to advice concerning education, something John realized was of amazing importance in every life, young or old. Each and every one of us enjoyed his warmth no matter what role he played in our lives. John was, above all, a kind and loving person, especially concerning his family; we will, and already do, miss him tremendously.

Nothing will fill the gap that John Philo has left in our minds and our hearts, but I can be confident that in remembering his deeds, his laughter, his wisdom, and his passion, we can all take a step in the right direction.

I love you, grandpa.

Schedule for Week Ending 12/6

Monday - 11:30 to 14:30 (3 hours)
Tuesday - 08:00 to 16:30 (11.5 hours)
Wednesday - 04:00 to 12:00 (19.5 hours)
Thursday - 00:00 to 12:00 (31.5 hours)
Friday - 04:00 to 16:00 (43.5 hours)

Taking the weekend off.