Kerry Allen's Blog

Nov 19 2008

For when your local radio stations suck like whoa

Tag: Shameless pimpage — Kerry Allen @ 10:46 am

My good local radio station changed format from rock/alternative to “a sunny mix of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s,” which makes for a jarring mix of The Supremes, Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones, and Wang Chung with perhaps one decent song every three hours, bookended by ear-rotting audiofungus.

We can’t afford to download any songs or subscribe to a radio service right now, and we’re not down with the other local radio fare of perkypop or country, so Angelic Daughter has been getting her music fix from YouTube, and I’ve been listening to my playlists until everyone (except Boyfriend, of course, which may have something to do with having 53 hours of music to choose from there…) is pretty much making me sick at this point.

Then I found Pandora, and Lo, the angels sang, and life was good again.

You don’t have to pay anything. You don’t even have to register if you don’t want to save your history. Simply type in the name of an artist you’re in the mood to listen to, and Pandora, that clever bitch, will hook you up with a seemingly endless supply of music in the same vein.

Being in a snarly, antisocial frame of mind (and feeling unimaginative), I plugged in Boyfriend and was served up Tool, Deftones, Filter, Rage Against the Machine, A Perfect Circle, Manson, System of a Down, Alice in Chains, Incubus, Stabbing Westward, and so on and so forth.

Four hours so far today, and I’ve yet to hear anything that sucks, which is not something I have EVER been able to say about actual radio.

My snarly, antisocial frame of mind is in danger of improving…
:blowkiss:

Aug 14 2008

Have I ever mentioned how much I lurve Netflix?

Tag: Shameless pimpage — Kerry Allen @ 5:10 am

I signed up for the el cheapo program with Neflix (one DVD at a time, only limit on the number per month is how fast I can watch them and get them back in the mail). A little while later, they sent me a notification that they were reducing the price. REDUCING. When was the last time anyone REDUCED the price of anything? Sometimes companies do that to lure in new customers, but existing customers are stuck with whatever deal they signed up for (*cough* cable *cough* phone company). Not Netflix. I didn’t even have to ask. I fell in lurve with Netflix that very day.

But that’s not the end of this lurve affair. Not by a long shot.

Once I received a disk that had been gouged in the auto mail sorter. I filled out the online form letting them know the disk was damaged. They emailed me within MINUTES to say they were sending a replacement, and I had it the next day.

Today, I get an email from Netflix apologizing profusely for a delay in sending my next DVD because their shipping system is down. They’re giving me a CREDIT to compensate me for my inconvenience. Keep in mind, I’ve been known to leave a disk sitting around unwatched for 2 weeks because I can’t be bothered to watch it, but if they can’t send one to me INSTANTLY, they offer me an apology and money.

I want to marry Netflix.

In a world where consumers have become resigned to getting shafted every time they deal with a business, it’s a treat to find one that doesn’t screw you over. But one that goes out of their way to treat you right…
:blowkiss: True lurve.