If the Music's Too Loud, You're Right!

In a triumph for grouchy old people everywhere, science has proven that pop music really is much worse than it used to be.

Scientific American reports that in a study of nearly half a million songs released since 1955, researchers found that, after a high point in the 1960s, creativity and variety in music have steadily declined. Music has gotten louder and louder while becoming less and less interesting.

When disgruntled baby boomers complain that today's performers all sound the same (and not very good), they are right. Thanks to the formulaic application of Auto-Tune and other homogenizing technologies, it seems that just about anyone can produce a song whose pulsating blandness guarantees success among zombified fans who can no longer differentiate between a human voice and a synthesizer.

Maybe it's time to dust off that old vinyl collection. If you don't have a turntable (or if you don't know what a turntable is), no worries. All the hits of the sixties are at our fingertips online, ready to provide instant relief from the dull conformity of all those Kesha wannabees. Rock on!

Needs Cleaning

Sometimes when I use the restroom at CSUN, I have to remind myself, "You survived the pit latrines of the Serengeti; you can survive this, too."

Picnic Time

We took advantage of the lovely weather Easter Sunday to go for a scenic drive. We took Angeles Crest Highway from La Cañada/Flintridge to Palmdale, stopping along the way for a picnic lunch. It was around 85° Fahrenheit in the Valley. As we gained elevation, the temperature dropped, but even at the highest point (9000 feet or so) it was never colder then 58° F.

We could see snow on the distant mountains, but didn't expect to find it still on the ground along our route. Our picture was snapped by a friendly tourist, dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.

Tough Choices

I can remember many occasions on which I have filled out forms or responded to surveys that asked the question "Sex?" with the choices M and F. But in the modern academic world that is not quite the way it is done any more. Today I filled out a survey for CSUN that asked me, "With which gender do you identify?" followed by three choices: Male, Female, Other.