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  • aishak 4:47 pm on December 11, 2009 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment  

    Music Survey Results! 

    Thank you to everyone who took the music survey over the last week.  You listed 136 song entries and 121 unique songs.  Here is a list of the 12 songs that were picked by more than one person:

    Beyonce – Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
    Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
    Dave Matthews Band – Funny the Way it Is
    Green Day – 21 Guns
    Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
    Jason Mraz – Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat)
    Jay Z – Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)
    Jay Z – Run This Town (feat. Rihanna and Kanye West)
    John Mayer – Who Says
    K’naan – Wavin’ Flag
    Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
    Taylor Swift – Your Belong With Me

    We love John Mayer, but...really? This is the album cover? Okay, if you say so.

    We love John Mayer, but...really? This is the album cover? Okay, if you say so.

    (songs in bold also are on our Fountain Circle compilation – see below)

    I asked everyone about their favorite songs of 2009 for two reasons.  The first is that I am genuinely interested in knowing what my friends are listening to and finding some good songs along the way.  The second reason is that I make an annual compilation of favorites for my college roommates and their families (“families”…we are old…well, some of us are).  It’s a good disc this year.  I am still working on the order, but here is the Fountain Circle 2009 Compilation of Songs Released in the Last Eighteen Months! (that’s a mouthful, I’ll have to shorten it)

    (most of the songs are in the music box down and to the right)

    .

    .

    .

    1. Jason Mraz, “Lucky (feat. Colbie Callait)” – Dan’s #1
    This was Dan and Nadia’s wedding song.  How nice.

    2.  Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean 2008 (Thriller 25th Anniversary Remix feat. Kanye West)” – Editor’s Choice
    Editor’s choice means I pick a song to represent the year in some way.  Last year it was this.

    27th best album cover of 1982

    27th best album cover of 1982

    3. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”-  Criss and family #1
    I heard this was the best performance of Austin City Limits this year.

    4. Britney, “Circus” – Heather
    Incidentally, I download all of my wife’s music for her.  iTunes gives me some great recommendations now! he said sarcastically

    5. Tyrone Wells, “Remain” – Heather’s #1
    The only person on this list that we’ve met.

    6. Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me” – People’s choice!

    Chosen by you, the people, as the most popular song of 2009 that wasn’t already chosen by someone in this list.

    7. John Mayer, “War of my Life” – Brian

    8. Madonna, “Celebration” – Brett’s #1
    Brett’s been living in Europe for…too long now, it seems (jk Brett lol USA!)

    9. Green Day, “21 Guns” – Nadia’s #1

    10. K’naan, “Wavin’ Flag” – my #1
    When I get the okay to run again, I am going to have so many good new workout songs.

    11. Bon Iver, “Skinny Love” – Stacy’s #1
    Blake and Stacy say their choices were influenced by ACL.  I think this whole album is, and most of us didn’t even go!

    12. Rob Thomas, “Her Diamonds” – Criss and family

    13. Dave Matthews Band, “Funny the Way it Is”-  Blake’s #1
    Another ACLer.  5 total on this list (Kings of Leon, K’naan, Bon Iver, DMB, Phoenix)

    14. Lady Gaga, “Paparazzi” – Brett

    15. John Mayer, “Who Says” – Nadia

    16. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling” – Heather and Brett
    Our only duplicate among the 10 Fountain Circlers.

    17. Jason Mraz, “A Beautiful Mess” – Brian’s #1
    Try not to be relaxed when you listen to this.  That’s why it goes near the end.

    18. Phoenix, “1901″ – Stacy
    This was my album of the year.

    19. John Mayer, “Human Nature (Michael Jackson Tribute)” – Dan

    20. Kate Earl, “Melody” – Editor’s Choice
    I allowed myself 2 Editor’s Choices because I only included one song from my list.  This song fits too well on a compilation among friends.  It’s about how music keeps us company.  I had to end it with this one.

    If you’ve read this far and you want a copy of the CD, let me know!

     

  • aishak 11:19 am on December 7, 2009 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment  

    Yakademics Episode 4 is up! 

    Check all the episodes at yakademics.com.

     

  • aishak 10:49 am on December 7, 2009 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment  

    CompuDrew final rankings: If only… 

    Okay, now that my heart has restarted after the Texas/Nebraska game, let’s talk about actual matchups for a playoff.  First, let me tell you what I like and don’t like about these matchups: If you won your conference this year and you played reasonably well, you’re in. Conference champions are starred below in the rankings.  Only Ohio State (#13) could make an argument that they should be in, but they lost 2 games on what turned out to be an average schedule.  Central Michigan, (#28), East Carolina (#42), and Troy (#44) can’t make too much of a case in my opinion.

    Here is the only thing I don’t like about my system this year. Alabama beat Florida in what was essentially a playoff game.  If my playoff system were in place, they would basically have been playing for seeding and home field advantage, given that they were both ranked so high before the game.  So yes, I’ll concede that a playoff system would have diminished that game’s importance (or delayed it until later in the month).  But let’s go back to last year for a second: Alabama was ranked #1, Florida was ranked #2, and when Alabama lost they dropped behind Texas, who would have gotten the at-large berth.  So in many years, the importance of a #1/#2 matchup would be at the same level as it is in the current system.  Some people were actually calling for an SEC rematch had it been a close game, so it’s not out of line in any way to see Florida in the playoffs.

    I’ll end with this.  Cincy, Boise State, and TCU are getting absolutely ripped off in the current system.  They ended their season with no losses.  They did not lose a game.  And now, they are going to be placed in high-paying consolation games while Texas and Alabama go on to play for the national championship.  Since we have to pick two teams in the current system, I do think Texas and Alabama should advance.  But we shouldn’t have to pick two teams.  Our playoff matchups should be as follows (remember, at-large berth is moved to #5 or lower because they cannot host a game):

    #8 Oregon @ #1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa
    #7 Georgia Tech @ #2 Texas in Austin
    #6 Boise State @ #3 Cincinnati in Cincinnati
    #5 Florida @ #4 TCU in Fort Worth

    It’s been a fun season, and I look forward to the bowl games.  My rankings are below.

    (Conference champions are starred.  Top 7 would make it, Florida would get the at-large berth.)

    CompuDrew Final

     

  • aishak 1:02 am on December 4, 2009 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment  

    Sports vs. Tabloids (link) 

    In the Wall Street Journal, John Paul Newport compares why we watch sports to why people read tabloids (link):

    Sports coverage fundamentally is about documenting effort and celebrating triumph. Yes, fans and commentators will tee off on losing coaches (like Charlie Weis of Notre Dame) or bonehead jocks who underachieve (the New York Knicks). But their disappointment is more or less righteous and pitched against a backdrop of desire for greater things. The payoff moments in sports are the record-setting performance and the come-from-behind victory.

    The gossip industry, by contrast, is devoted to sussing out the very worst in human behavior and wallowing in it. Yes, reporters will occasionally don a moony face and intone sentiments such as, “The real losers in this sordid affair are the couple’s children.” But there’s no disguising those reporters’ squirming joy in having got the goods on the couple in the first place. The payoff moments in gossip are the gotcha video (or in today’s modern world, the gotcha text or voice message) and the lurid detail.

    Just another reason why I love sports.

     

  • aishak 3:39 pm on December 1, 2009 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
    Tags: music, survey   

    Do You Like Music? 

    I always think it’s funny when people say: “I LOVE listening to music!”  Oh really? I hate music, I thought everyone did.  Hey did you know I also like food and I also enjoy hanging out with friends?  Oh you, too?  What are the odds?  I thought I had niche hobbies!

    So in this post so far we have established that I am rude and everyone likes music.  So take my music survey.  It will take you 30 seconds to 4 minutes.

     

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