Educating Pandora

Technology, especially late in the second decade of the 21st century, is ever evolving.

There's so many apps you can get on your Android or IPhone that most of us don't really play around with it all that much. It's kind of like revolving addictions, really.

Recently I got hooked into Pandora, the service where you pick an artist and it delivers a radio station based on that artist and music like it.

But as in the case with many applications for your phone and computer, there are hidden intricacies and nuances that make the apps addicting. In the case of Pandora, there are "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" buttons you're encouraged to press to fine tune the station.

What I've learned is not to hit "thumbs up" too much, or you'll hear that same damn song every time you fire up that particular radio station. Hit it when it plays your favorite artist, but not too frequently.

Example: one of my stations I'm fine tuning in Pandora I call Goodfella Radio. A lot of the Rat Pack, modern day crooners like Matt Dusk and Michael Buble, some older music from mob movies, stuff like that. It'll want to play "Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney. But it's Goodfella Radio I want, not Good People Of All Genders Radio.

For some reason, the station wants to play Harry Belafonte music. Don't get me wrong. I love Harry. His Carnegie Hall album on 8-track was the first album I ever heard. But he's not a perfect fit for this niche I'm trying to develop.

That's the addiction. Thinking of what fits on the station you develop and what doesn't. Looks like it's hooked a few people other than me.