I, for one, still listen to the radio

Everyday I listen to the radio.  Not really because I choose to, but because it's my only choice. There's no CD player or even tapedeck, so I am regulated to the airwaves of old.  For a while I was rocking an adaptor for my MP3 player, which was really quite awesome.  But then one day it was gone--I think someone stole it just to force me to listen to the radio again.

I have 12 presets for the FM dial, which I punch through rapidly, 1-12, probably 50 times each day, searching for the elusive good song.  They are organized from lowest frequency to highest:

1. 92.3 This is the first of my presets and therefore has alot more of an oppurtunity to be listened to than the ones further down the list.  They have a 25-song classic rock set, which is far and away the longest set of any Portland station.  I don't usually listen until 10 AM, when the morning talk is over.  Tuesday is "Twofer Tuesday", where they play two songs for each artist.  Grade: A
2. 94.7 This is an alternative rock station that I actually never listened to like a year ago but now that it is my second preset it gets alot of play.  At 8 AM I'm not listening to much else so I often listen to the "8 at 8", where they play eight songs in a row which share a common theme.  They gets bonus points for playing music in the early morning when most stations have crappy morning talk shows.  Grade: B+
3. 95.5  This is a sports talk station that I listen to nearly everyday.  The early morning sports show (why do they still call programs on the radio "shows"?) is local and I listen to it often, despite the annoying hosts.  At 9, the "Jim Rome Show" starts, which I have been listening to for years.  I usually base the next three hours of radio listening around this show.  My love for this program is a whole 'nother story.  Grade: A-
4. 97.1 Random radio.  Used to hate it because it replaced the oldies station, then I warmed up to it, now I love it!  Grade:  A-
5. 101.1 This is another station that I never used to listen to.  They play heavier rock, and the songs I get into are usually the older ones anyway.  Points taken away for a very late start to their music library--like around 11 or so.  Grade: C+
6. 101.9 KINK plays artsy-fartsy music, which is so hit-and-miss.  Often enough it's good, but you usually don't recognize it, which makes it hard to get into.  They also play music in the early morning.  Grade:  B
7. 103.3  Ok, I admit it:  I have a soft spot for soft rock.  They would have a higher grade, except for this week they already switched to their all-Christmas rotation.  Tsk tsk.  Grade: B
8. 105.1 I only like about 20% of the songs on this station, so often I skip past this preset (along with 103.3 now that they are playing Christmas music).  It is just a filler station, needed to fill up 12 presets.  Grade: D+
9. 105.9 As good as a substitute of the old KISN station as you can find.  I also have a softer spot for oldies, and they play them long and often.  They also play a fairly decent amount in the early morning.  Grade: A
10. 106.3  I barely even get this station--I think it's based in Corvallis.  Sometimes it comes in pretty good, and they often play some cool classic rock.  Just because of the bad reception, I often skip it, and that also unfortunately knocks down its grade.  Grade: B-
11. 106.7 I still don't really know what this station is all about--but they say they play songs from the 60s and 70s.  So they are in-betweeners.  Usually good stuff.  Grade: A-
12. 107.5  This is the ultimate filler station.  I needed a 12th preset, and once I heard one song playing that I think I kinda liked.  So I skip this preset every time.  Grade: F+

I know, I know.  There's Z100, country stations, or whatever.  No thanks.  I am open to switchng up my presets, but I never know about new stations because I never go off the beaten path.

AM, you ask?  Why yes, thank you.  I often listen to 970 in the early morning wasteland for the "Dennis Miller Show", which is often quite funny.  Then there's a big drop off, but occasionally I dabble in 1080, another sports talker, and then also 1190 for Rush and Dr. Laura.  All the other conservative political shows I've listened to, but I'm usually 95% of the time not in the mood for it.  

I've pretty much listened to every morning talker and all the other talk shows too, just to give them a chance.  One day I listened to Christian radio (not the music but the preachers).  Today I decided to listen to classical (that was the first time ever).  

About once every three weeks I just turn the radio off and I let my mind fill up the void.  That's pretty scary, huh?  Someday I'll post all the topics that recycle through my head on the radio-free days.