I Still Buy Music

Monday, February 18, 2019
I know we're in the age of getting music for five or ten dollars a month, or free if you're cool with ads or piracy, but I still like buying music.

First off, at home I have this super nice Crosley player. It can play vinyl, CDs, cassettes, the radio, has an auxiliary port, and bluetooth. And since there has been the resurgence of vinyl, as well as the passing down of my parents' and my uncle's records to me, I have the perfect player to play them on. Not to mention I can still play my old CDs  from when I was a child.

Second, I love having my iTunes library. As much as Spotify has a lot of music, there is some music that they do not have access to that I actually have to purchase, either through iTunes or physically, in order for me to play it. Also, since this is the same library I've had since I first got my own computer, it's fun to look at all the music I have accumulated since I was nine years old.

Third, there's a sense of ownership when you purchase something. Once I buy a CD, or record that has a download code, or something from the iTunes store, and it gets added to my library, that music is in my possession and it cannot be removed, for whatever reason.

Finally, I know the artist will get paid for me listening to their music. In the age of streaming, there is ongoing reporting about how much artists actually make on those services. I know for the bigger artists who are obviously well off are probably fine, but for smaller artists who don't have as big of an operation around, as the music industry is no longer as centralized and it is hard to get a foothold, it's important to put your money where your headphones are and actually buy their music, a tour ticket, and maybe a piece of merchandise if you can swing it. For those who can't buy every single album of artists they like, share the music and get more people interested and listening to them. Then go to their shows together and have a good time.

Okay, Sure, Happy Birthday, Whatever

Friday, February 15, 2019
So today is my birthday. I am not a party person, so birthdays were never really my thing and I never really cared if I had a huge party or not. It's just another day. I do not understand the big deal people make of birthdays. I get the milestone ages because they are a big deal, but any other average birthday I am fine with a low-key dinner or get together. I don't need that much.

In high school birthdays were a big deal. People would receive a gigantic amount of balloons and would be swamped with gift bags. And as much as I don't want the attention, you can't help but feel jealous watching others get that outpouring of love. And who doesn't love getting presents?

But then you remember that you don't need it. And you can be content with the way you like to celebrate instead of being concerned with how others do.

I Don't Watch Sports on TV, But I Love a Good Sports Doc

Sunday, February 3, 2019
With Super Bowl 53 being played tonight, this will mark the third time I have ever tuned in to watch the "big game", and honestly, it is mostly because I have to watch the ads for a marketing class. Very rarely do I watch sports on television. A couple football or basketball games at family functions, half of the final game of the 2015 Women's World Cup and all seven hours and twenty minutes Game 3 of the 2018 World Series in full. The Olympics are an exception to this, as I will watch as much as I can. But for some reason, watching sports on tv isn't a regular occurrence for me.
One part of it is that I don't really know all of the rules to most sports. So I don't know if there were bad calls made, or a team made a stupid move or a miraculous one, and that is a part of the joy of watching sports.
Another, and probably the biggest hinderance, is the ads. So. Many. Commercial. Breaks. Why they decided cutting to commercial every three minutes was the best game plan for that I have no idea. It interrupts the momentum of the game, and it is hard for me to care about what is going on when my attention is constantly being diverted from the action. They should take the hint from soccer broadcasts, let the quarter play in full, and have a longer than average ad break. It'll be great for fans, and more importantly, probably better for the athletes. The constant stopping and starting is most likely not helpful for athletes and the rates of injury among players.
With all of that said, I love a good sports documentary. The drama, betrayal, joy, and tragedy of sports. I have watched practically all of ESPN's 30 for 30's and love SBNation's YouTube channel. A lot of the time, I am being introduced to the people and events for the first time. And I cannot imaging how much better my viewing experience might be if I had the context of being a sports fan when watching, especially if it was about my team or my favorite player.
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