Ever since I was young I have been a prolific list maker. Those crumpled bits of inky paper lining my pockets and overcrowding my desk. I’ve surmised its just the way my mind works. Their presence stemming from a subconscious desire for some sort of ordered rationality. Tidbits of ephemera reflecting my range of interests and jumbled musings. In simpler terms it might actually be tangible proof of my pop OCD- My myriad lists chronicling everything from upcoming work tasks, themed music playlists, future book titles to lists of list ideas… You get the picture.
Further related to that innate sense of order though is my love for charts and graphs. Colourful little bars and pies explaining overspent monthly budgets or my stagnant stock portfolio. But the charts that are of most interest to me are those generated by my
Last.fm scrobbles that reveal, in great detail my music listening habits. Only in the parallel universe of my mind and my psychic iPod could
Arthur Russell, King Crimson, Miles Davis, Electrelane and
the Clash make it to my list of monthly listening favourites.
Curious indeed, iTunes now providing the automated soundtrack that is my life.
(Think of HAL with a penchant for melody.) I’ll leave the psycho iAnalysis to the armchair psychologists out there. Must be something about it though… I would so listen to that radio station.
3 comments:
In a somewhat related topic, if ever I find myself with someone's iPod attached to my computer, I find myself a little nosy. For a moment or two, I'll organize their tracks by playcount to see what songs they listen to the most - it's often very telling!
I am a obsessive list marker too. I have a notebook at work, and the start of each day is filled with a new list. Next to the notebook are about 7 different kinds of post-its, where notebook info gets transfered when I leave said workstation.
I should probably compile these lists into an electronic gadget and stop wasting so much paper (I've been known to restart lists if I've spelled something wrong).
I've stopped using music players that track what I listen to...but it's interesting to see an analysis.
Love the link to 35 extremely funny graphs!
I occasionally make lists but then usually toss them before I can get to anything on the list. Have you ever read or seen the book "Found"? A collection of notes and lists etc. that have been discarded, found and are interesting.
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