So recently I discovered (or, rather, was introduced to by Sharon) this awesome service called Lala.

Basically, you can “purchase” rights to stream a song as much as you want for $0.10/song. (You can also stream any song in their database once for free.) Signing up gives you credits for 25 songs. And if you like it, you get the $0.10 off the cost of the MP3 download (which is normally $0.89, so already $0.10 cheaper than iTunes).

If it was just that, it would already be kind of awesome, but annoying to use as you’d have to re-buy all of your music (which is the main annoyance of digital distribution). However, Lala also provides a program that can run through your MP3s, match them against their database, and then give you access to them online (either immediately if it’s a song they carry, or by uploading your file if it isn’t).

This basically means that you can upload your entire music library to Lala and listen to it anywhere you have internet access. Convenient.

I’ll make a proper post one of these days, but meh. You should give them a try*. Signing up is free, and you get 25 free songs to stream.

Also, yes, Southwest found my bag. They also gave me $50 for the inconvenience of having to go get it. They should lose my bags more often. :D

*I get 5 free songs to stream if you do. I don’t get paid and I don’t get song downloads. Also, it will automatically make you follow me and make me follow you.

Today has been way too long.
– Woke up too early to a lot of snow and headed to the airport for a long flight (with two layovers) home
– Waited in the terminal with way too many people (due to two flights from the gate being delayed a few hours) and broken wifi
– Had flights, which were actually not too bad except for the fact that I developed a horrible headache during the last leg
– Got to SFO and waited for my bag with a headache… and waited… and waited
– Went to the baggage office to file a missing/delayed bag claim
– Headed to the bus stop and missed it by literally 30 seconds
– Waited another hour and a half for the next bus… headache getting worse
– Caught the bus at 9:20 instead of at 8:00 as I was planning
– Am now sitting at home pondering clothes for tomorrow (most of my good pants were in the bag that is currently missing) and being way too annoyed by kitty mewing in the other room and pondering taking some advil and going to bed

At least I was smart and carried on everything I didn’t want to lose (camera, cables, laptop, batteries). Still, that’s a lot of clothes (and boxes of red velvet cake mix, and Christmas presents) that I’ve potentially lost.

Ugh.

Hate.

My head hurts so much. :(

My best friend gave me the best advice. He said each day’s a gift and not a given right. Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind and try to take the path less travelled. That first step you take is the longest stride.
Against the grain should be a way of life. What’s worth the price is always worth the fight. Every second counts ’cause there’s no second tries. So live like you’ll never live it twice. Don’t take the free ride in your own life.
So do whatever it takes ’cause you can’t rewind a moment this life. Let nothing stand in your way ’cause the hands of time are never on your side.

Life is good. ^_^

Life has been pretty awesome lately.

Work has been quiet, for once. Feature freeze was fairly uneventful (with the exception of one issue last weekend).

Today was online games with my college group, and it was really nice.

As far as TV shows go, I finished Roswell and have started on Smallville. I’m halfway through the first season now, and have discovered that watching episodes at 1.4x with subtitles on is far more interesting (the dialog is still quite understandable, but the subtitles are good if I miss something, and I still often read faster than the lines are spoken). I suppose I’m missing out on a lot of subtlety with the actors’ speech and expressions, but it sure does advance the plot a lot quicker.

I guess it goes back to how I speed-read through books for the plot and not details. A good example of this is the last Harry Potter book. We bought it in the early afternoon and I had finished reading it by that evening. I could give a fairly good summary of the plot afterward. However, I missed a ton of details in the process… for example, I didn’t know that Ron and Hermione kissed until I started seeing Facebook groups that included a passage I couldn’t recall reading. Despite it being a fairly significant portion of a page, it was not relevant to the larger happenings at the time (with everyone about to die and all), so my brain (and eyes) skipped right over it.

I suppose as long as they bring me enjoyment it’s fine, but I sometimes wonder if it means I’m often going through life without appreciation for the little things that make it special.

Also, Smallville? Great show.

With the recent sales on many older TV series, I’ve taken the opportunity to catch up on a couple series I’ve been interested in but never really followed.

First was the short-lived comedy series Grosse Pointe. The show as a whole was pretty awesome with such hilarious juxtapositions as cast members fighting between takes of a scene where they are clutching each other in fear and saying how they love each other. If you’re looking for a good couple days’ entertainment, the entire series can be had for under $10 (shipping included) through Amazon marketplace. I highly recommend it.

Next was Roswell… all three seasons on Amazon for $42. I just finished the first season today and I have to say that I am very impressed. The season finale was really, really good.
So two seasons of that left to watch, which I will be doing in the coming days/weeks.

In addition, Amazon had a special sale on Smallville last week and was offering it at $10/season. Naturally, I had to get all 8 seasons. Those arrived tonight, so I now have 48 discs of Smallville goodness to watch. Whee.

My parents also bought the third season of Psych ($12 at Target on Black Friday), and I’m glad it’s not accessible to me right now because I’m already overloaded.

I still have the complete Firefly series from a while back when Best Buy had it on sale for $12. I keep meaning to watch it, but haven’t found time.

I also have the second season of the OC that I ordered a while back ($6 shipped from Amazon marketplace) that I should watch sometime. The first season was kind of a train wreck but I couldn’t look away, so we’ll see what the second season is like.

Oh yeah, and I still have season 3 of Supernatural to watch.

At least I have stuff to do now when I’m home alone and bored. :P

(Of course, if anyone is interested in watching any of these with me, I’m always up for “movie” nights)