Attack of the iPods

9-28-10

Attack of the iPods

At least 4 people in my immediate vicinity at my work have iPods.  I see them scrolling through menus, with their white earphone dangling (most only wear one).  I’ve heard soft cursing, when “something gets messed up”.  I am not an iPod person.  Many years ago, I was a “Walkman”-type, but no longer.  Sometimes, it takes a few minutes for them to scroll all the way through their playlists.

Never had that problem with my Walkman!  I carried around a heavy-ish case of cassettes, all carefully labeled.  My best Walkman memories concern journeys in First Class compartments on trains in Europe, listening to Frank Zappa.  In 1980 /1, it seemed like Mr. Zappa released about 2 or 3 double albums – so listening to these monsters on a Walkman on a train made sense – there was time to listen.

I do not listen to music at my work.  In my previous office, they had the radio on – and I got sick of the tiny playlists of oldies stations, and “easy to listen to” FM drivel.  No radio on in my office now – it’s all iPods!

But I do still listen to music in my car – to and from work, to and from lunch – on CD.  That’s right – I make CD-R’s at home and play them in my car.  I do not take regular CD’s into my car; I don’t want to scratch them!  But I do not listen to CD’s at work.  The phone is ringing, people are talking – and I listen to everything going on.

If I had my own office, I might consider a small “Personal Stereo” – though I’m a few years too late to be able to find a Sony MiniDisc bookshelf system.  I remember a really cool one I saw in Japan – that looked like a weiner dog!  But now it would be a CD player, I guess.  What would I bring in to play in my office?  Well, as I can’t really listen properly in here – I might bring in some jazz, but nothing too demanding.  I mean, my work is now not about listening to music – it’s about the work that I do in the office.

Maybe I was wrong – the woman next to me isn’t scrolling through an iPod playlist, but looking at her iPhone – for a long time.  When her son calls her, it plays “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin – she has it turned up a bit too loud, so everyone can hear it, when it rings.  I don’t even turn my cell phone on at all, when I am at work.  What I do turn on is my little “02 Cool” battery-powered fan!

Another iPod just went past.  Boy, am I ever glad I don’t have to hear what they’re listening to!

I am sometimes amused at what I am listening to in my car – and the chasm of disparity it would cause, if played in my work place – the Marzette Watts CD, for instance.  Skronk jazz!

So, get out your cough drops – scroll through your iPod playlist and don’t answer your phone – and maybe you could have a job in my office.