Introducing…The New wePod!
I’ve been plagiarizing all my life. It’s called learning.
— Hunter S. Thompson, in the kitchen.
Guess what? I went to the Apple Store today on 5th Ave and got myself an iPod nano. During the decision process as to which one I should buy, the sales clerk told me that the 4 gigabyte iPod nano "only holds about a thousand songs." I cocked my head sideways for a second, to grasp what he was implying. He suggested I get the $200 nano with double the gigs. It made it glaringly obvious how time has passed me by since I bought my first walkman in 1989. When I started to walk away with my new 4gig purchace, the nice young girl behind me said "ya know, those don’t hold more than 1000 songs."
They had staff all around the crazy place just to help us geriatric customers figure out how to work our new iPods, and make them get along with our computers. One helpful kid downloaded all the proper software, instructions… everything on to my laptop, then onto my Nano. Now, I have my whole music library on this tiny little thing in my pocket that played beautifully the entire train ride home (with my mega noise-reducing headphones). Which didn’t skip a beat…pretty neat.
The $50 savings of buying the 4 gig, instead of the 8, gave me a good exuse to buy some other songs such as Springstein’s new albumn (only because my friend Doug Brinkley HIGHLY recommended it) another version of Dylan’s "Lay Lady Lay," & "Hard Rain", and two seperate versions of Elton John’s "Candle In The Wind" (don’t laugh, it’s one of my favorites). I also bought a few of Elvis Presley’s gospel songs just for good measure, along with my favorite, "I Never Loved Nobody Fully" – "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor.
The whole iPod experience was pretty weird, particularly for me. I am a luddite — not necessarily by choice, but just because technology moves much faster than I can keep pace with. The tech noted that I have an "older" model pc laptop – which I bought 11 months ago!
Anyway, so off I went, with my new puffy earphones, out of the glass Apple store, and into my iPod world. I walked down 5th Ave to the subway, totally blocking out the iWorld.
Maybe someday, some romantic at Apple will invent the "wePod." A device for friends to listen together. Sort of like a hot-fudge sunday served with not one, but two spoons. I often see couples on the subway, earphoned into their own seperate iPod worlds, genres apart from each other, but seemingly very happy indeed. Who knows. This is all very interesting.
Speaking of combining technology and art, here is the a special video that a reader put together on Utube to honor "The Gonzo Way." (To "Mr. Tambourine Man", no less) It is really a beautiful gesture, and whoever did make it, I thank you! I was touched, and I know Hunter would have loved it too. It’s fantastic.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BquM04sYDWE
Until next time, your iFriend,
Anita Thompson
p.s. yes, you may have noticed that I borrowed a little from Washington Irving’s "Rip Van Winkle…" I love the part when Van Winkle comes back after 20 years to see the changed painting of King George… but under it reads "GENERAL WASHINGTON." He is asked by the harranguing crowd if he is a "Federalist" or "Democrat," … "Alas! Gentemen," cried Rip, somwhat dismayed, "I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and loyal subject of the king, God bless him!"
I have to say that I wasn’t just playing into it when I told you I downloaded Elvis. Hunter is the one who turned me on to Elvis Gospel (and also Billy Joe Shaver). And I’m the one who turned Hunter on to Eminem and Prodigy.
