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A rant and a meme . . .

First, the rant. A few months ago, Winamp put out a new version of its software which included streaming AOL (America Online) Radio channels, free of charge. It was great! AOL Radio is probably the best internet radio out there, because it has so many different channels to listen to. Think of a style of music, and it's probably listed on AOL Radio. I had discovered AOL Radio last year because my family subscribes to AOL, and I was happy that I could finally listen to it through my preferred media player, Winamp.

Well, that great little treat is no more. For whatever reason, AOL Radio is no longer available through Winamp! Only the few XM Radio stations that AOL provided are still around. Everything else is gone. I don't know whose decision this was (I'm guessing it was AOL's), but it's a decision that makes me quite upset. For years now I've tried to find a GOOD online radio source and I finally found it with AOL Radio. Now, it's been taken away from me. Sure, I can still listen through the AOL software, but that's not very convenient. I can't search the stations like I could through the Winamp Media Library. Also, they've taken away many stations that I liked in the past. Why can't anything this good ever last?

It seems to me that my dream of finding a good, eclectic, stable and most of all FREE online radio source is just that - a dream, never to be fulfilled. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all why that dream can't be fulfilled. I will say, however, that I think it's sad that the people responsible don't care about art and don't care about how to make things easier for consumers. It's all about money, and that sucks.

*rant over*

Now for the Top Five On Friday:

Top 5 Unlikely Musical Pairings

I think this topic was referring to duet songs, but I'm not a particular fan nor listener of duet songs. Thus, I'll make this combinations that I think would be very unlikely.

1) Ozzy Osbourne and Barry Manilow. I cannot for a second imagine these two getting along.
2) Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan. Toby Keith and The Dixie Chicks. They've had a war of words in the past, so I doubt they'd ever tour or record together.
3) Bruce Springsteen and . . . whomever conservative Republicans listen to. Bruce would go insane trying to explain that, no, "Born In The USA" is NOT a patriotic song!
4) Jimi Hendrix and John Denver. They're both gone now, but if someone had suggested they collaborate when they were alive, I think that person would be laughed at.
5) Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. Let the battle of the stage antics and big lips begin!