In a last-ditch attempt to defeat personal demons and increase my quality of life, I have decided to cleanse my soul by listening to Chuck Mangione's 1978 hit "Feels So Good" [iTunes link] for the entire work day. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I've called up the longer 9 minute 42 second track. Updates will be posted throughout the day.

11:03AM: Song has played twenty times so far. I feel a little sleepier than before I started this experiment.

11:52AM: I wonder what Rachelle, a girlfriend from the summer of 1990, has been doing recently. I'll bet for sure she hasn't been listening to a goddamned flugelhorn for over three hours.

12:33PM: Slowly realizing why some people drink on the job.

1:05PM: Someone just walked into my office thinking it was an elevator.

1:54PM: According to Wikipedia, prominent jazz flugelhorn players include Miles Davis, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Art Farmer, Hugh Masekela, Tony Guerrero, Jimmy Owens, Chet Baker, Chuck Mangione, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Shaw, Kenny Wheeler and Tom Harrell." Only one of these people is currently torturing me and needs to die.

2:44PM: The song has been playing on my MacBook Pro throughout my group's weekly meeting. A co-worker asked me, "What's with the "Sanford and Son" music?" Tomorrow I will be listening to the theme from "Sanford and Son" for the entire work day.

3:38PM: Andrew has suggested I spend a day listening to New York Jets coach Eric Mangini next time.

4:10PM: This has been like being on hold with the cable company for almost eight hours. Which, oddly enough, is shorter than I usually have to wait.

4:24PM: Fifty-four. Fifty-four times I have played this song today. Which is about the same rate as most Eastern Maine radio stations play it.

4:44PM: That's it, I'm done. Quit midway during the fifty-seventh playing. I'd like to say that I've learned something about the nature of man, or could describe a transcendental experience as a result of this experiment. I'd also like to say I have a pony, the prettiest pony on Planet Pony.

All I know is that it really isn't that hard to listen to a well-crafted pop song for an entire work day. I'd like to challenge the Internets to provide me with suggestions of popular songs — the definition of "popular song" is not firm — that I could not stomach for one full day of work. I can promise at least two independent observers for verification, and one iPod to ensure that I have constant access to the song even away from my laptop. After today's experiment, I'm pretty sure that I could even handle "Don't Worry, Be Happy" or "We Built This City" for nine hours. Strike that, I'm sure I could handle five full days of work, Monday through Friday, with either of those songs constantly playing, and at least five independent observers to monitor my performance. Hell, I'll even print out pictures of the band and decorate my office door prior to beginning. Bring me your worst.