Free Music on the Internet; Create Your Own Playlists

I've opened Pandora's box on my home computer and laptop. An extensive catalog of free music is available for dinner parties, yoga classes and personal happy hours at my home thanks to recommendation from my friend, Leah.

Free music is available at Pandora, an Internet radio station. Unlike traditional radio stations, Pandora puts together a playlist based on your tastes. For instance, fans of songstress Anita Baker can select a favorite tune from Rapture, Baker's top-selling R&B recording. With that input, Pandora will play Sweet Love -- one of Baker's signature tunes -- and after that will provide an endless loop of music that echoes Baker's sound as performed by a variety of artists. The catalog includes classical, hip-hop, new age and other categories.

My teenage son has introduced me to Imeem.com, another free music website. At Imeem, you can develop a playlist based on a favorite performer, song or composer. You can also sample playlists created by other listeners, including recordings of dance music, alternative rock, jazz or ''old school'' dance tunes. Based on your musical selections, Imeem will suggest a sound-alike menu of music.

Frugal For Life, a top-rated thrifty living blog, has created a great list of free music and audio sites. Here are a few favorites:

• Yahoo music: http://new.music.yahoo.com/. After registering, create your own playlist of music and videos. Additionally, Yahoo offers a station guide for Internet-based radio outlets in different categories. The site also offers links to music blogs, concerts and news.
• Live 365:http://www.live365.com/ This site provides links to broadcasts that offer category-specific music, such as movie soundtracks, jazz and oldies. The music guide includes thousands of stations. The service is free, but for a fee you can sign up for a VIP membership that offers links with CD-quality sound.
• Last.FM:http://www.last.fm/. This site offers a wide selection of music and makes playlist suggestions based on your prior selections. The site also has concert information, news and station spotlights

Britney Steals Lighter: Other Items the Rest of Us "Borrow"

Britney Spears has allegedly stolen a lighter from a Chevron gas station store, according to People magazine. She's not alone: Many of us, aware or not aware, have tapped into the five-finger discount. Here's how:



1. Borrowed, but did not return a pen or pencil at a bank, customer service desk or grocery store. For me, this little theft works like this: "May I borrow that for a minute?" I sign the card, check or document and then mindlessly slip the pen or pencil into my pocket. Oooops. I am now making a big effort to return a pen right after I've used it.



2. Buffet extras: Sure it's all you can eat, but not all you can take away. Taking a to-go platter from a buffet is stealing unless you've asked the manager for permission or have paid for take-out. Amy Dacyczyn addresses this issue in the Tightwad Gazette.



3. Condiments and sugar to go. A few restaurants in Florida have a lock-down on their Splenda. When the yellow packets are out on the table, people swipe Splenda by the fistfuls. Putting lots of sugar/sweetener in your coffee is fine, but preparing a sweet take-out package may also qualify as a five-finger discount.



4. Unfair use of children's discounts: It's so expensive to go to out. For example, at Disney, adult prices kick in at age 10 or 11, which means that I pay adult fares for my sons, including my 12-year-old, who still looks very young. But it's wrong to pass kids, teens and tweens off as younger in order to qualify for cheaper tickets for theme parks, movies or other events.



5. Under the radar cable hook-ups or electric connections. A few families were busted in South Florida a few years ago for using a bypass connection for their electricity. Somehow, they were able to rig-up some connection or fix the meter so that they could light up their homes without paying for the juice. Ditto with cable connections. Personally, I prefer to watch tv on the Internet. (How I Get Cable Shows For Free)



6. Jumping the line: When we cut into any line: at a theme park, bank or movie, we are actually stealing time from the people behind us.



7. Goldbricking. Okay, most of us have done this. But if you're shopping on company time or writing the Great American Novel when you should be proofreading a company report, you are stealing time from the company.

Here is another version, with photos, of the alleged lighter theft:
Britney Spears Steals A Lighter From The Gas Station

Here are links to my other Britney stories:



Britney & Celebrity Economics: The Perfume & Cents of Fame

Britney's DIY Haircut & $500 Emergency Funds: My Weird & Frugal News Wrap

Advice for Britney Spears: Go Frugal; Cover Your Assets & Learn from JLo

Off Topic Rant: Leave Britney Alone



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