A new, little black toy....
Well, I did it. I invited an ipod Nano into my life. It has a shiny black coat and tiny as the runt of a litter. It eats very little and sings whenever I request. All my faves too!! If Sarah-dog knew how smitten I have become with my newest pet, she'd be very jealous. So we won't tell her, will we?!?
I tend to go kicking and screaming into new technology. But, I also have learned from experience some (not all) things are just worth the effort and change it takes to incorporate tangible, new fangled items along with a new way of doing things.
The itunes software itself if a dream come true. My olde computer with its retro-fitted cd burner used to takes about a half hour to burn a compilation cd. Even then it only did it successfully about 60% of the time. Tonight, not without some idiotic moments of trying to figure out how to move songs into a burn-list, I got a list together, clicked "burn" and turned aside to get something pressing done. Not 5 minutes later, I turned back and there was my play list on the screen and my cd drive was dormant. I figured I screwed something up badly. To be sure, I closed itunes out, took the disc I tried to copy to out and put it back in. Up came the burn-list again. I still figured it was there on screen from my previous attempt. Even when it started playing song One, I dismissed it as playing it from my hard-drive. There was no way, a cd could have been burned in less than 5 minutes. Before throwing it away, I decided to try sticking it into my Bose for a quick check. There it was! Song one, "Charlemagne's Hometown" by James McMurtry filled the air. Then the White Stripes, "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" poured out. It was nearly a religious experience, to have such great and sure doubt, then to be reversed to faith.
Last night while staring at an empty music library file, I had to decide what song I would inaugurate 'itunes' with. Just like when I picked Elgar's 'Concerto for Cello' to be my Bose player's first sounds. I picked Tracy Chapman's, "Change." About the next thing I did was purchase Joan Osborne's, "One of Us" and the Trogg's, "Love is All Around." It was so lovely to be thinking about favorite music. Not just favorite cd's, but down to the very best songs. The ones that make me feel energized, or thoughtful, or soothed, or even sad. Cause and effect. I am delighted with this 'favorite' aspect of my Nano along with the size, the shiny-ness and simplicity. It is inviting the very best of something into my life. Something I did not consider till it was in front of me.
When ordering one of these things from Apple, they give you the option of having a 2-line engraving put on the stainless steel-looking back. I paraphrased the last 2 lines of one of my all time favorite poems, William Ernest Henley's, "Invictus." To fit into Apple's limited space, I had to drop the "I am"(s) at the front of each line. This is what is engraved on my new musical toy:
Master of my fate
Captain of my soul
It is impossibly small to contain 1000 songs. I have decided there is some element of magic involved in all this...the same magic that allows jets to get off the ground and light bulbs to turn on :o) There is only so much I am willing to give of myself to technology. The rest will remain wonderous and awe inspiring for me.
I tend to go kicking and screaming into new technology. But, I also have learned from experience some (not all) things are just worth the effort and change it takes to incorporate tangible, new fangled items along with a new way of doing things.
The itunes software itself if a dream come true. My olde computer with its retro-fitted cd burner used to takes about a half hour to burn a compilation cd. Even then it only did it successfully about 60% of the time. Tonight, not without some idiotic moments of trying to figure out how to move songs into a burn-list, I got a list together, clicked "burn" and turned aside to get something pressing done. Not 5 minutes later, I turned back and there was my play list on the screen and my cd drive was dormant. I figured I screwed something up badly. To be sure, I closed itunes out, took the disc I tried to copy to out and put it back in. Up came the burn-list again. I still figured it was there on screen from my previous attempt. Even when it started playing song One, I dismissed it as playing it from my hard-drive. There was no way, a cd could have been burned in less than 5 minutes. Before throwing it away, I decided to try sticking it into my Bose for a quick check. There it was! Song one, "Charlemagne's Hometown" by James McMurtry filled the air. Then the White Stripes, "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" poured out. It was nearly a religious experience, to have such great and sure doubt, then to be reversed to faith.
Last night while staring at an empty music library file, I had to decide what song I would inaugurate 'itunes' with. Just like when I picked Elgar's 'Concerto for Cello' to be my Bose player's first sounds. I picked Tracy Chapman's, "Change." About the next thing I did was purchase Joan Osborne's, "One of Us" and the Trogg's, "Love is All Around." It was so lovely to be thinking about favorite music. Not just favorite cd's, but down to the very best songs. The ones that make me feel energized, or thoughtful, or soothed, or even sad. Cause and effect. I am delighted with this 'favorite' aspect of my Nano along with the size, the shiny-ness and simplicity. It is inviting the very best of something into my life. Something I did not consider till it was in front of me.
When ordering one of these things from Apple, they give you the option of having a 2-line engraving put on the stainless steel-looking back. I paraphrased the last 2 lines of one of my all time favorite poems, William Ernest Henley's, "Invictus." To fit into Apple's limited space, I had to drop the "I am"(s) at the front of each line. This is what is engraved on my new musical toy:
Master of my fate
Captain of my soul
It is impossibly small to contain 1000 songs. I have decided there is some element of magic involved in all this...the same magic that allows jets to get off the ground and light bulbs to turn on :o) There is only so much I am willing to give of myself to technology. The rest will remain wonderous and awe inspiring for me.
posted by Laurie at
7:23 PM
3 Comments:
The itunes thing on my computer is always active. It is a wonderful program and I finaly understand where it puts all the music now. Apple not only makes good computers (the best I think) but they also make them beautiful. I actualy fel in love with my own.
By
Gerrit Bosman, at 10:52 PM
It's funny how we get attached to inanimate objects. I definately at least have a 'crush' :o) on my new nano.
And I always get attached to my bikes. My frosty green road bike is named: Puff (hehe) My purple mountain bike (with front shocks) is: Thumper. I don't know if I will name my Nano, but I did crochet it a little sock this morning for protection from the cold and hard knocks in my pocket...Sad, but true :o))
L
By
Laurie, at 3:35 PM
Where are you hanging out my dear friend? I miss you!
By
Gerrit Bosman, at 1:17 PM
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