Music
I get homesick quite a bit. I'm in my third year here in Spain and I haven't been back in the U.S. for over a year, and that was only for a week. I've been in the U.S., what, like 15 days in the past 2+ years.
What this means is that I'm out of it. I don't know the popular programs on TV. I don't know the in-jokes. I don't know the latest popular music. I read things on the web and think, "What are they talking about?!?." My main connection back home is the web and NPR internet broadcasts. It's a Sunday ritual for me to listen to Sunday Morning Edition in the evening here while cleaning and ironing and prepping for my week ahead. (I'm 9 hours ahead of PSt and NPR doesn't put on the shows on the web until after it's broadcast out West...)
Thanks to Jenny I just found out that Sirius Satellite Radio has all it's programs live on the web. THIS IS AWESOME. It's nice to hear clear radio that's 24-hours and commercial free, yet up with what's popular and current. I tried subscribing to RealOne and it was a total freakin' ripoff. Real has some scuzzy business practices... must be something in the Seattle water. I've tried to find some radio programs or recorded music with current stuff without much success - it has to do with the advertising or something. Someone doesn't want to pay for the additional broadcast of the ads... What I'd really like is if KROQ in LA broadcast it's music on the web, but it doesn't. Anyways, this is cool. I wonder how long it'll last before they 1) cut access or 2) charge for it. Hey. I'd pay.
Gene Kan died. That sucks. He was one of the original developers of Gnutella and helped Sun start the JXTA project. But why the mystery about how? It's the first question the pops into your mind when you read about a young person passes away (he was 25). It's really too bad. Makes you think about getting off the freakin' computer and spending more time with your family and friends, doesn't it?
-Russ