My Radio Dilemma
In my car, there are three options for the radio presets. For each of the five presets, I can choose one AM station and two FM stations.
Now that I live in Oakland, this has presented a problem. When I first moved here, I used a scattershot method to assign the presets. But then, one day several weeks ago, I decided to get scientific about it, using this handy website.
Here's the problem. When I'm driving, I like to have three go-to stations, so I can use the AM/FM button to scroll through them, rather than look at the five preset buttons.
With AM this isn't a problem, because my go-to station is simply KGO (middle of the road news-talk, similar to WGN).
But with FM, all of the stations I like are clustered together, from 102.1 (KDFC, the classical station) to 102.9 (KBLX, "The Quiet Storm") to 104.5 (KFOG, non-threatening rock alternative). Combined with the fact that lower portion of the FM spectrum is crowded with two NPR stations plus Pacifica radio, all of which I feel I should have on my presets, but none of which I really ever want to listen to -- I'm left with the dilemma that it's impossible to get a good go-to station in the first five FM presets, and still keep all of the FM stations in ascending order. And, often, I find myself clicking to the second set of FM presets and then taking my eyes off the road to choose the "1," "2" or "3" button.
How does this affect the price of beans in China, you may be asking? Well, within the first five FM presets, I've settled on one of those annoying stations that go by a person's first name -- this one is called "The Alice." And that led to the experience of driving home today and being hit by four seconds of one of the worst songs ever: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers.
Now that I live in Oakland, this has presented a problem. When I first moved here, I used a scattershot method to assign the presets. But then, one day several weeks ago, I decided to get scientific about it, using this handy website.
Here's the problem. When I'm driving, I like to have three go-to stations, so I can use the AM/FM button to scroll through them, rather than look at the five preset buttons.
With AM this isn't a problem, because my go-to station is simply KGO (middle of the road news-talk, similar to WGN).
But with FM, all of the stations I like are clustered together, from 102.1 (KDFC, the classical station) to 102.9 (KBLX, "The Quiet Storm") to 104.5 (KFOG, non-threatening rock alternative). Combined with the fact that lower portion of the FM spectrum is crowded with two NPR stations plus Pacifica radio, all of which I feel I should have on my presets, but none of which I really ever want to listen to -- I'm left with the dilemma that it's impossible to get a good go-to station in the first five FM presets, and still keep all of the FM stations in ascending order. And, often, I find myself clicking to the second set of FM presets and then taking my eyes off the road to choose the "1," "2" or "3" button.
How does this affect the price of beans in China, you may be asking? Well, within the first five FM presets, I've settled on one of those annoying stations that go by a person's first name -- this one is called "The Alice." And that led to the experience of driving home today and being hit by four seconds of one of the worst songs ever: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers.
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