Life just rocks

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

So, nobody knows how the gas companies get away with that little nine-tenths thing. No big deal.

The world is full of things with which to occupy our minds. I’m thinking happy thoughts today, having worked in the vegetable garden for the first time this year. I added a bunch of alfalfa pellets and eggshells to the soil, double digging the whole garden, except for the square where the spinach and lettuce have sprouted. You should see this soil; it’s black as Missouri bottom land. I’ve also got 16 tulips poking their little fingers out of the soil in that front yard garden I built in November.

But that’s just part of what’s making me happy. I bought this thing for my Sirius radio subscription today. It allows me to plug my little receiver into my home theater receiver. Now, I can listen to satellite radio in my living room on our best sound system.

Yeah, I’m conflicted about it. I like to support local businesses, like KTHX and KRZQ, but all of a sudden, I get to listen to all the new bands, tons of bands I’ve never heard of. Really good music. And the only commercials on Sirius radio are the commercials for Sirius radio. I’ve yet to hear a commercial making false promises about what a puppy needs. And Sirius may merge with XM? Hmm.

But this satellite radio thing has really got me going. I’ve only felt this strongly about music twice in my life. The first was in 1977 when I first heard Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. I remember we were at Denny Pyle’s house, and it was like a religious experience. That buzz lasted until “My Sharona” morphed punk rock into New Wave. The second was in 1991 when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” rang my bell. Grunge made life worth listening to until Cobain blew his guts out. I’ve always loved music, but popular music has sucked for long periods of time.

But radio is inspiring again. There’s a ton of great music out there. Ten bucks a month—pah; two beers with tips. And life is good when the music is great.