The IBM Glass Engine

Interesting title huh?

It's the title of a web page sponsored by IBM featuring the music of Philip Glass. But not just words; you can stream the music direct to your PC.

I'm supposed to be doing a last ditch effort to implement about a months code in 4 hours so I hope the boss doesn't see this entry. But it's pretty dull work comparing one text file with another to see what ours lacks and then adding the appropriate database queries to get the data to write the... well you get the idea.

I've had the link[^] for at least a couple of years but I didn't remember it was tucked way down there in Favourites until half an hour ago. There I was just last night thinking that when I go home I really must rip a hundred or so CD's to the laptop and then I remembered.

So now I'm skiving off instead of working (geeze I've already done 12 or so hours) writing about it.

Be aware; the streamed music isn't CD quality. It's also incomplete. It can jump halfway into a track (most annoying when you know the music so well).

I'm listening to The Photographer[^] - Track 2 from 1983 right now. Just listening to it again I can go back to 1986 when I first heard it and I was playing Zork 1[^]. To this day, when I play that game my mind fills in the music from The Photographer. I started listening to the music and playing the game in June of that year (1986). In July I went to the US for company training and suffered horrible withdrawal symptoms. I can still recall puzzling for the nth time over the 'Bell Book and Candle' part of the game and replaying this music in my mind. It was wonderful to return to Australia, put the LP on the player and hear the music again!

I have a pretty good aural memory so my mind fills in the details lacking in familiar music but if you've ever been curious about one of my fascinations this is your chance to decide for yourself that I listen to really boring music. Heh, I know it's not boring but most people think it is. Their loss! :-)