I logged on to Launch and discovered that I could create my VERY OWN radio station, complete with a DJ name and customized playlist, based on songs, albums, and artists. The first step was to create a name. At first I just did my name and street number for a lack for imagination (and, besides, I was in a manic rush to get my station off the ground). Then, I rated my favorite artists (just to start) and, voila!
However, what could have been a hip and eclectic mix of the lastest hits and cutting-edge tunes quickly became a big old cheese factory. "WOW!", I thought, "I can set my station to play all Debbie Gibson, all the time!" Of course, it wasn't that easy to do (the site is required to play stuff I've never even heard of lest they get sued by the record companies), and besides, I discovered that "Shake Your Love" only works in the smallest of doses.
Then it got worse. Several weeks after discovering LAUNCH, I became one of the Bay Area's tens of thousands of dot-com casualties and found myself unemployed. That led to two whole months of listening pleasure.
One day I was listening to my station (natch), when I was surprised to hear "You Should Hear How He Talks About You", an old chestnut of a song from 1982 by Melissa Machester. MM is also known for the psychologically damaging "Don't Cry Out Loud" (Just keep it inside/learn how to hide your feelings). Someone's gonna get institutionalized from that advice. Anyway, I must be a cheese magnet, because that led to a Carpenters-a-thon, followed by some 80's hair bands, etc. etc. Of course, I gave most of the songs high ratings, and laughed hysterically as these songs conjured up high school memories of girls with big hair and stonewashed jeans, one declaring (really!) that she was so in love with Jon Bon Jovi that she'd let him pee on her. Is that what "Living On A Prayer" really is?
Two years have passed since then. I have a job again, but my computer has no soundcard (dammit!). Besides, most normal companies don't let you use streaming media because it screws up the network. I still have a few hours every night to obsess, though. And, the little blue gnomes that are due in about ten years or so should have much better technology than exists today.