Knowing when to quit is always a good idea, especially when you are the oldest person bouncing around a techno club with your glow stick.  The first time I realized I was the only person in my 30’s at a night club, I stopped dancing, and started smoking hookahs (also not recommended).

As you can imagine, now that I’m past my 30’s, I’m thankful for self-awareness and satellites.  I can still enjoy all my favorite techno or trance without making a fool of myself.  So suck it up 20 something’s, I have my own office with a door, my own house, my own car, access to satellites, and don’t have to suffer through techno clubs any more.  (pictured here is the Lizard Lounge, one of 10 best clubs in Dallas.)

So this is for all those not so tech savvy people who love music but hate clubs.  In my office and at the gym, I like Pandora Internet Radio.  Of course, paid Pandora is far superior than unpaid Pandora.  Then there is the giant, the latest rage, Amazon Prime.  And just in case you are really lazy, you can access all things Amazon through an Amazon Echo and be completely hands free.  Just tell Alexa what music to play and on what app.  You want to hear a real radio station on iHeart, she’s got it.  Want to play Pandora or Amazon Prime, easy. Need TuneIn Radio, done.  I’m falling in love with Alexa.

Whether its Pandora, Amazon, Google or iTunes, you can create just about any music channel your brain can imagine.  Giving a thumbs up or thumbs down for songs selected helps tailor your listening experience, all from some floaty object in the sky.

But what if you don’t have access to satellite or Internet?  That’s when you need to download your music library from Amazon, iTunes or Google Music which offers offline listening.  Now, you can access your music on the subway in New York City.  Subway stuck in the tunnel and not moving?  No problem, you have DJ Tiesto to help you “fagetta ’bout it.” Just beware, Google Music costs $9.99 a month for all access without the drone delivery offered by Amazon.

At home, I turn on satellite television, and way up there in the upper channels are several radio stations.  My favorite is the “zen” station, which I leave on for the dogs.  My dogs love this station so much, I came home to find them burning incense and sitting on meditation pillows.

And this is really old school, but I don’t think I will ever give it up, my iPod.  Since most of my music is being held hostage by iTunes, I load my old Nano up with my favorites, and still wear it proudly on my arm.  If all the satellites go down, I have gigs and gigs of music to enjoy.

Carpe Diem!! and Rock on.

If I were to work towards a Ph.D. in Sociology,  it would be hard for me to pick just one topic for a thesis.  Some topic ideas include: 1) why do people do the things they do?; 2) why do you live in your car? or better yet; 3) what made you purchase those hideous clothes?  All of these topics delve into the movements of the human race, people’s places in society, upbringing and more.  Of course, it could all be psychological, but who cares about that.

During my graduate school days, I have had a theory that the United States would be overpopulated to the point of having a very limited caste system of the “haves” and the “have-nots,” with great disparity between the two classes.  The huge, sloggy government will have to control the birth rate, similar to what was done in China; our natural resources will run out; and we will live on GMO, and drink soy sauce for nutrients.  But then along came virtual reality, and it has changed my opinion, kind of.

From 1900 to 2000 there have been 5 great generations.  Then, starting in 2001, along came Generation Z.  I can hear the conversation between parent and child now.  “Honey, you need to write a thank you note to your grandmother for the $1,000 check she gave her for your 10th birthday.”  “But mommy, I don’t know how to write, and what’s a thank you note?”

Savvy Gen Z’s will wear out credit cards on the latest technology because that is all they know.  An example of what’s available is Samsung’s Gear Virtual Reality Goggles.  You can go to another world, and the only thing bringing you back to reality is the need to recharge with actual electricity.  For a plaid hating Gen X’er, I am pleasantly surprised that I can use them, and think they are cool!  If you have a room with 4 walls and no furniture, a Samsung phone and these Goggles, you can see amazing places, experience flight without wings, visit the planets, and battle it out with zombies without risk of injury.  And this is just the beginning.  Why on earth would you need anything else?  http://usat.ly/1qmHrHI (great story from USA Today).  Previous generations can just kiss Gen Y and Z goodbye, unless we are part of their VR, or need to write their thank you notes, they have no use for us.Although I read somewhere that there have been more Gen Z’s born than during the baby boom, my theory of population overload in the US has changed a little bit.  I now think that virtual reality will far out interest Gen Z’s, and they will have little interest in actual human interaction causing the birthrate to slow down.  Unless, of course, satellites fall from the sky taking everyone’s internet connection down for a day or two.  What else will there be to do?

Carpe Diem!