Friday, August 14, 2009

Gadget Mania


This morning as I was running my errands I found myself getting restless by the minute. I wondered why that was as the anxiety was of a distinctly different nature. It was nuanced by a kind of emergency I had yet to experience. I did a run-down of my routine and all seemed in order. All minus one thing, that is.

I had forgotten to bring my iPhone along.

If I'm walking or waiting in line somewhere I use the opportunity to read the news, email, or text and satisfy an array of multi-tasking inclinations. Gadgets like the iPhone succeed in claiming your attention because they are just that well deserving of your attention. They, more often than not, produce the right info. Not only that, they're quick and they don't waste time by producing a litany of 'uhms,' 'you knows,' and 'likes.' How many humans can we say this about, folks?

I was away from it for about ninety minutes today and I don't think I've ever hurried that much to get home. Under other circumstances, I would have checked into the nearest Betty Form clinic for the clinically addicted to iPhones and other such über-cool gadgets. Instead, I realized that I, like millions of others, have long fallen into the unavoidable lap of trickery of the iPhone. For, once a user, always a user.

And yet somehow I didn't try to rectify the problem and get all 'zen.' I suppose I know who I'm dealing with so I gladly give in. Because, after all, I do know that just when I start to think I'm out, it, the gadget, will find a way to pull me right back in.





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How the Beatles Destroyed Rock n Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music


Elijah Wald's book How the Beatles Destroyed Rock n Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music is a must-read.
Well-known musicians concur as well. Wald provides a most gripping analysis of the history of rock and how it shaped many of our attitudes towards music and various musical trends throughout time during the 20th century. If you're interested in the history of music and the role that rock 'n roll plays in our lives, this books needs your attention.
The wonderful stories and vignettes Wald provides are imagination-capturing.
I very much doubt you'll have the urge to stop reading.
It is that good!





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