much random

2006-05-30 00:59:38 -0700

Welcome to the "Every 30th" blog, where I scramble at the end of each month to toss a handful of words into the ether. This month, I bring you much random.

Recently, I've started using Last.fm to track what I've been listening to and to discover new music. I've been quite happy with the recommendations, although I find Pandora better at delivering a greater variety of random music that I like. Nevertheless, Pandora doesn't offer any sort of browsing capability, and their Flash-based player is less than great; Last.fm allows for iTunes integration and has a good site and community.

Primarily through these services, I've been exploring progressive metal music, roughly in the style of Dream Theater. Some of the bands I've found that I really enjoy are Pagan's Mind, Kamelot, Andromeda, Sonata Arctica, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, Fates Warning, Trivium, and Winterfell.

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Tahoe with Karen, Tadhg, and a host of fun people. For such a large group of mostly strangers, I was impressed at how little friction, how much cooperation, and how much fun there was. It felt like the better days of high school and college, staying up late playing cards, poking fun, talking, laughing, and enjoying the company of happy people.

I experienced a strange period of time earlier this month in which people appeared to me as nothing more than shapes and color. I found it extraordinarily difficult to identify with anyone. My ability to empathize and sympathize nearly disappeared. Upon seeing a random person, in place of wondering what motivated him, what she enjoyed, what he did, what she was thinking, where he was going—in place of these things, an assortment of vaguely familiar shapes registered briefly in my attention and then dissipated.

For the first time that I can remember, I've developed allergies. And pretty badly. I spent most of this month sneezing, sniffling, coughing, and expectorating unpleasant viscous blobs.

Some of my other hobbies lately include not replying to email, not playing guitar, not reading, and not keeping my apartment in order.