Monday, January 8, 2007

Over consumption.

As in, I am so over all this consumption!

I spent Saturday afternoon in a desperate and futile search for lightweight, long skirts for the trip. Not exactly the kind of thing one finds in Nebraska in January. (I’m told that the country Im visiting, which is 50% Muslim pants are acceptable on foreign women but frowned upon, and no short skirts. What classifies as short? Need to put the question out to my international-traveling friends … are pants really not cool? Is below the knee long enough for a skirt?) Blegh. I still have mall rash from Saturday’s escapade. Buying things I neither want nor need, with money I don’t really have – hey, it’s the American Way!

And now I think I’ve officially killed my iPod, and this just makes me angry. Three hundred dollars and not even three years old, and I'm told it's not “worth the trouble” to fix – just buy a new one, lady. I remember when I was a kid (WARNING! OLD FOGEY RANT ALERT!) if something broke, there was someone to fix it. You didn’t just go buy a new TV, toaster, calculator – you had it repaired. It wasn’t ending up as electronic toxic waste in India or Nigeria, polluting someone else’s kids. We’ve accepted/created a throwaway society in which expensive toys are no longer luxuries but necessities, and we’re well trained not to even expect them to last. Yet here I am playing along.

On the other hand, I happily binged on a bunch of new music yesterday, much of which I haven’t even listened to yet.
Ornette Coleman, Sound Grammar (I’d been meaning to get this for a while; innovative jazz, pared-down yet still sounds multilayered)
Sera Cahoone, self-titled (folky/indie chick with a simply lovely voice and a kickass drummer)
M.. Ward, Post-War (lushly orchestral indie singer-songwritery (the fantabulous Neko Case shows up here, and I think Cahoone does, too; also, he produced Jenny Lewis’ solo debut)
Be Your Own Pet, self-titled (screamin’ girlie punk from Nashville, I think; this’ll kickstart my a.m. gym workouts … WHEN I get a new iPod!)
Lilys, A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns (they had a new recording out last year, but I like this 12-year-old EP better! Usually compared with My Bloody Valentine)

And Miz K scored me some Joanna Newsom and some other cool stuff!

I’d have created links to iTunes, but I don’t know how. :-(

4 comments:

pohl said...

I'm sorry to hear about your iPod. See if you recognize your symptoms anywhere on this list. Maybe I can help try to resurrect it. No guarantees, but possible.

I think the reason that small devices like that are practically disposable is because the components have to be made so tiny that it is not practical to work with them in most cases. For example, if something in there is held down by a thin strip of adhesive, it wouldn't be easy to peel it off and put it back in the process of dis/assembly.

Anonymous said...

How horribly sad about your iPod. I know what you mean about our disposable society. It disgusts me, too. I've had the same CD player since middle school (doesn't that count for something).

As for the long skirts, I always go with the extra long to the ankle ones to be on the safe side. It was winter when I had to buy mine to go to Mexico for the first time. I'd check into stores like Walmart, Target, and Gordmans, and... (what was the other one on 27th and Cornhusker?) That's where I found all of mine. Not to fashionable, but it was too hot for me to really care when I was there. I hope that helps.

--Nealy

Lincoln Writer said...

Success! Mark The Amazing Juggler Extraordinaire managed to restore my iPod (now renamed Lazarus!) back to the factory settings. In no time at all it's been reloading and is now resting/recharging comfortably. Mark, there's all the free beer and free music you want in your future; many many thanks!

And thanks to Nealy for the ideas. I think I'm set OK, really; I just hate the idea of long skirts/long sleeves in 90-something heat ...

Anonymous said...

Big fan of Ornette Coleman. Also hate my iPod.