I got this idea from Gartenfische — put my iTunes on shuffle, and here are the ten songs that came up:
- “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat
- “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads
- “Unwell” by Matchbox 20
- “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt
- “Harder to Breathe” by Maroon 5
- “Drive My Car” by the Beatles
- “Rain King” by the Counting Crows
- “Shame on You” by the Indigo Girls
- “Cheeseburger in Paradise” by Jimmy Buffet
- “Good Riddance (Time of your Life)” by Green Day
I only used the songs on my iPhone playlist as opposed to the entire music library, otherwise I was getting a ton of Christmas carols, random Latin music, and kids’ songs. The iPhone list is heavily pop, because that’s what the kids and I listen to in the car. However, I notice that at least three of the songs on that list have the “F” word in them — oops! — that’s when I try to remember to turn the volume down for a second or two.
Lately, we’ve been listening to audiobooks and podcasts as much as music. There’s a podcast called “Coffee Break Spanish” that FrogGirl and I really enjoy; the instructor has a great Scottish accent when he’s speaking English, but his Castilian accent is nearly impeccable. It sounds like Shrek teaching you Spanish. FreckleBoy is far too cool to participate, but he’s learning by osmosis as FrogGirl and I enthusiastically repeat, “¡Estupendo!” and “¿Cómo te llamas?” (I’m proud of myself for figuring out how to type ¿ and ¡, by the way.) I also enjoy the short Grammar Girl podcast and of course, the always fascinating “This American Life.” We’re in between audiobooks right now, but Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books (A Hat Full of Sky, The Wee Free Men, and Wintersmith) have brought us a lot of laughs. Don’t tell the ladies in my book club, because this is totally cheating, but sometimes I listen to the books instead of reading them, and find I remember the story much better that way. I just read so fast that I sometimes skip over things, but in listening to an audiobook, you can’t skip anything.
Anyone else want to do the shuffle and share the results?
October 27, 2007 at 1:40 am
Thank you very much for the tip of the Coffee Break Spanish. I’ve been searching for such a podcast for my teenage son. I’ve just listened to a few episodes of Grammar Girl and she is not in my iTunes.
Tit for tat… WNYC’s Radio Lab, PRI:Selected Shorts, BBC’s The Daily Mayo, NPR Columns: The Ethicist.
October 27, 2007 at 9:34 am
I suppose I should take exception to the “Shrek teaches Spanish” thing, but I personally feel Shrek was an exceedingly good looking guy! Seriously, glad you’re enjoying Coffee Break Spanish!
Shrek (Mark, from Coffee Break Spanish!)
October 27, 2007 at 10:37 am
Ah, Burning Down The House may be one of the best songs ever. Funny how a random shuffle can yield such a great set and progression of songs. Randomness is underrated. Thanks for stopping by my blog and the condolences (sp?).
October 27, 2007 at 12:19 pm
lilalia, thanks for the suggestions! I may find myself driving around aimlessly just to listen to all those podcasts!
Mark, I mean the accent only. I’m sure you’re much better looking (and less green) than Shrek! Thanks for visiting – you made my day!
Richard – I still love that song after all these years!
October 27, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Yes, Burning Down the House is a great song!
Thanks for playing!
Oh, and I second Radio Lab, it’s an awesome program.
October 27, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Thanks for the tip on Coffee Break Spanish! I downloaded the first 10 podcasts. The pooch and I listened to the first episode already – love it!!
(I wonder if there’s a similar podcast for German?)
November 3, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Okay, here goes:
(Funny, I got Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly” up on mine, too!)
1. Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer’s “The Mountain”
2. Girlyman’s “Amaze Me”
3. Chris Webster’s “Candy Bars & Freedom”
4. Simon & Garfunkle’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
5. Jai Uttal’s “Ganesha Sharanam”
6. Patti Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain”
7. Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly”
8. The Byrds’ “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”
9. Cademon’s Call “Mother India”
10. Catie Curtis’ “Do Unto Others”