Possession

Continuing on the Zipcar theme, I'm realizing more and more the lack of a need to own things. A while ago, some friends posted the link to Pandora - a fantastic internet radio site where you can basically just type in the artists you like and it'll play those artists plus similar-sounding artists.

When I got an iPod, I started selling off my out-of-control cd collection. In SF, I'd been lugging the iPod to the office to listen to music. (I have a $5 clock radio, but for some reason, possibly related to it costing $5, it only gets two bad stations, even on the 4th floor with the antenna out the window -- I bought it to listen to Sox games in the kitchen in MA, where it got their station, but not NPR.)

Now I just use Pandora. It's remarkably simple. If I feel like hearing Erykah Badu, I type her name in, and they play a song by her. I put in a little mix of artists (Badu, John Coltrane, R.E.M., Morphine, etc.) and I now get those artists plus a nice medley of R&B, jazz, and indie rock. In addition to making instant requests, unlike regular radio, I can also skip songs I don't like.

So I don't need a car. I don't need cds. I do need a computer, but that's work. I also need a bike, but at least that's non-polluting. Low tech wheels and high tech radio, that'll be good.