#NowPlaying...

When you say "#NowPlaying", this is what I see...

I'm sure people have many nice legitimate reasons for sharing what they're listening to. But when I see #NowPlaying, I always have to wonder what they are. From what I can tell it could be any of the following:

"I'm genuinely listening to this song. I like it. You might like it too. Check it out!" [Not enough examples are this reason, in my experience]

"Every programme on my computer is so tightly entwined together that my music player posts to all my social media accounts and I can't figure out how to stop it." [Especially funny when something totally out of their normal genre pops up]

"OMG, I'm soooo angry* ** right now, but I don't have the balls to tell the person concerned...I'll tweet lyrics, and hope they notice how the song embodies my blazing feelings towards them and realise how totally serious I am about it."

"That guy/girl I like will be sooooooooo impressed that I listen to this..."

"I want to look edu-ma-cated, I'm going to put that I'm listening to smart people music." *spells title/composer's name incorrectly*

Listen away, people! Love music, whatever it may be. But really, you don't have to tell us every. single. track. Save it for the special ones, or how will we know what's especially awesome?

* Just not angry enough to tell them
** Ditto "in love", ditto "sad because they dumped/ignored me", ditto "not getting enough attention"

You've Gone Too Far Now...

...Or "Why I Am  Not Excited About Dr Who".

Apparently I have strange breaking points when it comes to fiction, beyond which the work of fiction is ruined for me.

"Men In Black III" was ruined for me by NASA. More specifically, a tour guide at Kennedy Space Centre, who left us with the catchy information about shuttle launches:

"Within 100ft, the noise will kill you. Within 200ft, the heat will kill you. Within 500ft, the alligators will kill you...The noise and the heat really riles them."

So, [SPOILER ALERT] when MIB go shimmying around on a rocket as it's launching, that was just a step too far for me. Aliens? Why not. Secret mind-wiping government branch with aliens in the kitchen? OK then. Hanging around on a launching rocket? Just too unbelievable.

I was reminded of that by all the recent who-ha (seewhadIdidthere?) about Dr Who's 50th. I've never really been into Dr Who. I like the idea of it and everything, I can understand the attraction, I love how dedicated the fans are, but the actual show has never thrilled me, personally. I'm sure it's excellent, but I just don't like it. I've tried to watch it. For a couple of years, the family Christmases aligned so that we were at the in-laws for the Dr Who Christmas Special which our niece wanted to watch. OK, cool. Never really watched it before, let's give it a go. The first year was alright. I think (if I remember correctly) it was a two-parter and I actually made the effort to see the second half.

The second year...They went too far.

Regenerating man travelling through time and space in a phone box? Fine. Robot dog? Not a problem. Daleks? Cybermen? Sounds OK to me. Dumbledorenezer Scrooge controls the weather? Fair enough. Man who always knows exactly where a screwdriver is when he needs it? Decidedly iffy (or at least it is in our house), but believable. Sharks that swim through the smog of a major city?

You've gone too far now.