So, here’s the great thing about getting older — it comes at you in ways you could never see coming. It’s not just a cliche: I turned 41 this week, and I can tell you young guns from experience that you really do think you will stay young, you will fool the world, you will cheat time, you will be the one. And then, when you least expect it, you will get blindsided and realize, “Uh, no, actually, I’m ancient.” Once you learn to accept that, it really is pretty great. It’s sort of like watching a movie that keeps fooling you no matter how many times you see it
Give you an example: Everybody knows that most people, when they get older, stop appreciating the young folk’s music. Sure, there are a few people who manage to stay current with music, manage to appreciate what the kids like, and I admire them, I do, but I also notice that they often have their own aging issues — like they wear ponytails and open-buttoned shirts when they’re 54 (this would be the guys, mostly) and they divorce their spouses and marry people 20 years younger and they wear clothes that, frankly, their shadows could not get into.
Most of us, though, don’t fight it forever. At some point we just give up and start openly despising our children’s music. It was that way when Frank Sinatra was young, when Elvis came along, when the Beatles came along, again when Zeppelin came along, again when disco, when New Wave, when long-haired leather bands, when grunge, when rap, when hip-hop came along. And the funny thing is that you tell yourself, “Oh, that will never be me. I’ll always appreciate the new sounds. I won’t ever just sit in my car and listen to my old REM songs over and over.” But here’s the thing: Kids will find a kind of music you hate. It’s just what they do. If they have to dance to the sounds of lawnmowers running over rocks, by God, they will.
So it just happens: One day you turn on a Top 20 station, and you don’t know ANY of the names, and everybody’s swearing at you, or they’re singing that one Disney song from High School Musical that sounds like EVERY Disney song from High School Musical, or they’re doing that song that is some mesh of rap, synthesizers and samples from some song you hated back in the 1980s and you can’t help it, you just can’t, you think: “These kids today …”
Basically my philosophy of life has become this: Sooner or later, we all turn into Fred Mertz.
This became clear to me again this week when, for my 41st birthday, I went to a store to buy an iPod Touch. I love gadgets. I’m no longer as obsessive about getting them the minute they come out, but give me a little birthday money and look out …
GADGET ASIDE: I’m dying here because I can’t get an iPhone because I’m locked into Verizon — damn, aren’t there, like, monopoly laws in America? Why in the hell can’t I get an iPhone for my Verizon service? (And please don’t tell me I can “jailbreak” the IPhones — I told you, I’m OLD). What happened to my freedom of choice? Why aren’t the presidential candidates talking about this? If a candidate said, “I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do with health care, honestly, you know, with all the lobbying groups and Congress and everything, but when I’m president I will DAMN WELL get you Verizon and Sprint customers access to the iPhone,” well, I’m not saying I’d automatically vote for that person. I’m just saying I’d listen.
By the way, here’s one of the more fun “Which candidates fits your beliefs” tests I’ve seen. I’m not going to tell you which candidate best fits my beliefs, but you could probably guess.
Anyway, I went into the store, and the iPods were locked behind glass, so I had to call someone for help. This kid came over, he couldn’t have been more than 18 years old. He looked about as young as that kid on 60 Minutes who came up with “Facebook.” I never feel quite right in that sort of situation — buying some kid toy from some kid. I always get the feeling he’s judging me. I get the feeling he’s looking at me like, “I’m not sure I can sell you this Mister — you’re going to put, like, show tunes on this thing, aren’t you?”
Me: “No, I don’t like Showtunes, um, much. Can I just have the …”
Kid: “Wait a minute. Are you going to put Tom Jones songs on here? You are, aren’t you?”
Me: “Uh, well, you know, it’s not unusual to be loved by anyone.”
Kid: “I’m going to have to call my manager.”
Me: “But when I see you out and about it’s such a crime!”
Kid: “Never mind that. I’m calling the cops.”
But this is what I mean about how age blindsides you. You expect a punch in the stomach, and age will hit you in the jaw instead. The kid came over, and I said I wanted to buy the iPod Touch and he said something I never in a million years would have expected. He said, and I quote here, “Apple sucks.”
I said, “Um, excuse me?”
And he pointed across the aisle to the Zunes. Those would be the Microsoft Zunes. And he goes, “Once people start realizing what’s in the Zunes, they will start buying those.”
I just stood there, open mouthed. As mentioned, I’m 41 years old. I was never hip, but I’m especially unhip now. I don’t get anything that’s going on. I don’t understand the Wii. I have never played Garage Band. I don’t know what “Heroes” is about, or any other show on television really. I’m OUT of it. I get it. But I can tell you that I never, ever, ever expected a kid to tell me that Apple is now the establishment while Microsoft is the little-train-that-could of technology. It’s like having the floor drop out from under you. Am I that old that now that I don’t even know who is THE MAN and who is THE REBEL?
“What does the Zune have?” I asked.
“Well, first of all, they all have an AM/FM radio,” he said. I have to admit I was not all that impressed by this — can’t you get an AM/FM radio for like 42 cents now? Aren’t most toasters equipped with AM/FM Radio?
“Also, you can like beam music to someone else with a Zune,” he said. Again, I probably did not look too impressed. I mean, that might be a pretty cool feature when you’re like 15 and are on the smoking patio with your friends (do they still have smoking patios?). But I’m probably not going to be able to go up to Emil Brown in the A’s clubhouse with my Zune and go, “Hey man, before the interview, I’ve got this great new song by Arcade Fire, you’ve got to hear this.”
BASEBALL ASIDE: Three big baseball stories for this blog broke this week:
1. The Oakland A’s signed blog favorite Emil Brown. I have to tell you, I have absolutely no idea what the hell Billy Beane is doing these days. He’s got me stumped, which might be a good thing. The A’s traded off Nick Swisher and Dan Haren, and I have yet to find a baseball person who was impressed by what they got back. The Mark Kotsay deal is almost finalized, right? They seem just about ready to trade Huston Street. I’m utterly befuddled. I have no idea if this will turn out to be some sort of Moneyball genius and Oakland will dominate the world and Michael Lewis will write another best-selling book about it or if Oakland is about to really suck for a long, long time. As is the case with most mysteries, a lot depends on Emil Brown.
2. Cleveland announced that Jacobs Field will now be called “Progressive Field” after a car insurance company. I try not to be an old fogey about these things — I mean, Wrigley Field is named after a gum magnate, and Yale is named after an apparently corrupt governor who donated goods to the school and got his kicks arresting and also hanging Indians* (thank you for the correction Holly). So I really don’t have any problem at all with naming a stadium or school or whatever after someone who gives you a whole lot of money. In fact this blog name is for sale at all times. You want to call it something rhyming like “Charles Schwab Sports Slob” — I’m all for that at the right price. But I have to say, I think it’s tacky to RENAME something for money. We had all gotten used to Jacobs Field, gotten to like it even no matter its origin. No way around it, Progressive Field will for years sound cheap and tawdry, a complete sellout name. And when we finally get used to it, they’ll probably change it again.
3. Blog favorite Dale Murphy came out against Roger Clemens and steroids. Again. He does this pretty much every other day now, it seems. We love Dale, as everyone here knows. And to be fair we’re now getting to the point where anytime a reporter wants to do an anti-steroid story, he or she just calls Dale — he’s now listed in the Yellow Pages under “Grumpy Old Time Ballplayer Who Hates Steroids.” That isn’t all his fault. Still … he really is living proof of our Fred Mertz philosophy of life, isn’t he? “Hey Ricky, can you cut out all that bongo playing out there, I can’t get any sleep.”
Sorry, back to the regularly scheduled blog. We were talking about the MLK — Microsoft Loving Kid. So, I’m probably not looking too impressed by the share feature of the Zune, partly because I’m too old to be beaming songs to friends, but even more because I DO NOT KNOW A SINGLE PERSON WHO OWNS A ZUNE. Don’t we feel like this is a bit of a drawback on the whole “Let’s share” philosophy of the Zune. I keep thinking of the Zune guy as the overly eager and desperate-for-friends guy at the high school dance, the one walking, pointing at people he doesn’t really know, the guy shouting, “Hey sweetheart, I’m a Zune guy! You got a Zune! Looking to share some music here!”
I say to the kid, “Well, uh, you know, I’ve got all my songs on iTunes so I’ll probably stick with the iPod,” and he says, “Well, I think Microsoft has started its own music deal.” He THINKS Microsoft has started it? Don’t we all feel like yet another drawback that this Microsoft Spartacus doesn’t even know that Microsoft had its own music deal for more than a year?
Anyway, I say something like: “Well, yeah, even though you have been very persuasive, I think I’ll stick with my original plan of buying an iPod Touch.” And that’s when it happened … that’s when the kid started to open the glass case. But first he gave me a look, a look that so clearly said: “OK, old man, if you want to be a fossil, there’s not a lot I can do about it.”
Yes, I felt old buying an IPod Touch. That’s what I mean. Age will blindside you.
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46 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ryan
Oh, man, how are you going to be able to listen to all that riveting sports talk radio now?
Jan 14th, 2008
pdb
Cleveland announced that Jacobs Field will now be called “Progressive Field” after a car insurance company.
And can I just mention the following equation:
Progressive stadium name + horribly regressive team mascot = comedy gold!
Jan 14th, 2008
Trieu
The Zune has nothing on the iPod Touch. It’s not even close. You made a great decision. Also, for what it’s worth, it’s definitely NOT more hip to own a Zune.
Jan 14th, 2008
Ross
That makes me laugh, the only reason anyone buys the Zune is because everyone has an ipod and they just want to be different (which is, in its own way, somewhat ironic). You made the right choice with the iPod (and I’m stillin my 20’s, barely)
Jan 14th, 2008
Pope
I’m a displaced Kansas Citian (is that the right word) out here working for Microsoft (not on the Zune team) and I hear that story all the time. It seems that all of the kids are moving towards Zunes for whatever reason. Part of that is the backlash against the iPod which has been so popular…*shrug*
Jan 14th, 2008
Holly Martins
Well, as a Yale alum, I’m afraid I have to take issue with your defamatory portrayal of good old Elihu Yale. It’s my understanding that he was a corrupt governor who donated goods to the school and got his kicks arresting and also hanging not Native Americans, but actual Indians — in Madras, India, which is the state he was corrupt governor of.
So, you know… completely different!
Jan 14th, 2008
Rob L
A Zune is cool in the same way that Crystal Pepsi was cool.
As for things you don’t know, it’s Rock Band (not Garage Band) and they should rename it to Coitus because it’s that much fun.
Jan 14th, 2008
Yuda
“All of the kids” is pretty much limited to hopeless nerds who see feature lists and not quality products. The iPod is still the kind of the roost.
Jan 14th, 2008
Mean Dean
I have a Creative Zen Vision: M. Its two disadvantages relative to the iPod are that the touchpad takes a lot of getting used to, and the software is not as good as iTunes (you can of course find third-party software that is, such as MediaMonkey, and use that instead.) Other than those factors, it is a lot better in terms of memory capacity, sound/video quality, and battery life than what Apple would give you for the same amount of money. It does have an FM tuner, and that is indeed useful. What, do you also carry a boombox around with you?? No AM tuner, though. I dunno if Creative makes one with that. But anyway, a fine product.
Mine actually posts here!
Do you know what “X-Men” is about? Okay, you got it then.
I believe you’re thinking of Rock Band. GO TO BED, OLD MAN.
Jan 14th, 2008
Aspiron
I never cease to be amazed at the popularity of the ipod. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great product, but a subscription service with an mp3 player is the only way to go.
If I may write my own aside, I’m watching Slapshot right now; are the Hanson brothers not the greatest sports character brought to film? That scene where the National Anthem is playing and the camera focuses individually on each brother with their bloody faces and their glasses fogged up and the ref keeps looking back at them angrily is great cinema.
Jan 14th, 2008
Richard
How unhip am I that my PARENTS have ipods and I don’t?
Jan 14th, 2008
ajnrules
I wouldn’t fault you for not knowing anything about the difference between the Zune and the iPod Touch…I’m part of the younger generation and I can’t care less…but how could you not understand the Wii? Forget the fact that it’s harder to find than vacancies in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame induction weekends, but it manages to combine traditional gameplay methods familiar to video gamers with simple motion-detection that attracts new players.
Anyways, ever since I lost the iPod Nano I got as a gift, I’ve been without a portable MP3 player.
Jan 14th, 2008
John
I’m 45. I never realized I’m an old man. But I’m enlightened by what Carrie Fisher said in a recent issue of Esquire. It went something like this: “When I was 45 I thought I was old. Now I’m 51 and I think 45 is young.”
I own an iPod Nano. I’m inordinately happy with it. Buck up Joe, those of us who have never heard of a Zune and never watched Heroes will do just fine.
Jan 14th, 2008
John
Joe, you will appreciate this line from A’s owner Lew Wolff (from an interview in Sunday’s SF Chronicle):
“The whole thing is, looking at it passionately, I think we’ve improved the ballclub. We’ve certainly improved the probability of improving the ballclub”
Billy Beane even has the owner stumped.
Jan 14th, 2008
Steve
That whole idea of sharing music using the Zune? Completely bogus.
I’m in my twenties, and I card-carrying Apple enthusiast, but I’m not so blindly loyal to check out out something else that could be better when it comes along. So I hear Microsoft wants in on the digital music biz, and they’ve got this cool new device called the Zune coming out, and it’s supposed to blow away the iPod. I checked it out (and this is going to sound a lot like your conversation with the 18-year-old sales kid, Joe), the biggest differences were the radio and the ability to share music.
For starters, radio isn’t exactly new technology…that’s a bit like saying “Now comes with rewind AND fast forward!!!
Secondly (and getting back to my original point) the sharing music is NOT simply sharing music. To me, sharing music makes me think of Napster, downloading and sharing music for free with another person. The Zune doesn’t allow you to share music, it allows you to sample music. Basically, I like a song, I use my Zune to send it to your Zune (of course, you have to actually find someone that owns one of these things, which I’ve yet to see), and they can listen to it a set number of times..I think it’s three times. After that, it locks up the song, and you can’t listen anymore.
The purpose behind the whole sharing/sampling idea is that if you like the song, you’ll buy it for yourself, which means it accomplishes the exact same thing as saying to someone “Hey, check out this song,” then handing them your headphones.
Jan 14th, 2008
Clayton
The thing about voting for a presidential candidate isn’t that he (not she, in this case, but I’m looking forward to the Boxer campaign) necessarily agrees with you on every little detail (and, damn! did your presidential test leave out the majors–corporate economic hegemony, environmental degradation, apartheid in Palestine…), but the one with the integrity and brains and guts to deliver on the big issues as they arise.
It’s not the one who says the best thing, but the one who might credibly do something about it. Not, for example, someone who changes their approach every five minutes in response to public opinion polls.
We’re in the jam we are because Reagan was a mensch. Some wiffleball curve-thrower from from corporate ain’t gonna begin to get us out.
That’s why I, as a proud liberal, am ready to vote for Huckabee over Hillary in the general, if it came to that (heaven forbid).
Jan 14th, 2008
PC
What will the nickname for the Indians newly-named stadium be? A lame abbreviation like The Prog? The Pro? The Sieve? Since it’s a car insurance company, can we dub it The Wreck? That’s my personal favorite.
Jan 14th, 2008
Pete Ridges
“Progressive Field” would be OK, just as long as every single batter were introduced with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. No abbreviated versions allowed, obviously.
Jan 14th, 2008
ErnieAdams
That kid must have been Bill Gates’ son-in-law or something. Funny, you wouldn’t think he’d need the money.
Jan 14th, 2008
Paul White
Don’t feel bad Joe. I’m a year younger than you, and I had never even heard the word “Zune” until I read this post.
I think we really need to explore PC’s suggestions about Progressive Field’s new nickname. Personally, I like “The Pro” for comedy relief purposes, not to mention the fact that it seems appropriate for a team that sells it’s stadium name to the highest bidder (and will likely do so again).
Jan 14th, 2008
Ron
I’m the same age as you, Joe. I love gadgets too, and am always eager to buy the latest. The iPod Touch is one I’d love to have. But here’s the kicker - I have a Zune. In fact, our house has 5 Zunes. (FIVE!).
So, you might ask what the big difference is. Well, the Zune’s interface is a joy to use. It’s much more beautiful than the iPod and is easy to use. But, the biggest thing for me and my family is subscription music. For $15.00/month, we can download unlimited music from the Zune Marketplace. iTunes does not offer subscription music.
So, when I read your blog about Springsteen, and I get a craving for some old school Bruce, but don’t have his CD’s, I simply go into the Zune Marketplace and download away. And if I hate something that I downloaded, I simply delete it without feeling like I just wasted 99 cents or $10 or whatever I spent on it. The freedom is overwhelming!!
Also, if I ever get myself into a gym, the FM tuner will be perfect for listening to the one TV that is tuned to ESPN (or, the soap operas, or whatever).
Jan 14th, 2008
Kevin
I don’t have an ipod but was thinking of getting one. Now I have to reevaluate that decision and look into these Zune players? Not cool.
The candidate I am supposed to pick is Kucinich. No way on that one. Obama all the way.
As far as Progressive Field goes, of course there will be some backlash initially. However, isn’t everyone basically used to “The Q” now? I know, baseball is different and the history of baseball is more revered than other sports. Also, this is good for Progressive. Even though they are not in the City of Cleveland, they are still a Fortune 159 company located in Cuyahoga County. Anything that can help increase there local presence is good in my book. By the All-Star break, no one will care.
Jan 14th, 2008
ballmw
That kid you talked to is going to have a painful journey to adult hood and beyond, you should feel bad for him, not for yourself. Enjoy your new toy… I’m jealous.
Jan 14th, 2008
Robert
I recently turned 30, and spent a number of years in my early 20s working in an electronics store, which means I can understand where you’re coming from, Joe, in that I can’t believe that I’m actually aging, and I can understand (sort of) where that kid is coming from.
However, I’m an iPod guy (even though I am a PC person completely), and I’d rather download music online through reasonably priced services (like eMusic) or well, steal it. Yes, the moral implications aside, I make sure that the artists who deserve it are well compensated via other methods which I will explain very shortly.
As someone who routinely sees anywhere from 50-100 different bands a year for fun, I’m really starting to feel my age, when I talk to some of the people near me in the crowd, and I mention something I saw when I was 18, and they look at me like I’m a dinosaur, of if I’ve just discovered the lost continent of Atlantis. It’s truly horrifying, and makes me feel like I should move to a nursing home.
Jan 14th, 2008
Ricardo Dawkins
Go Zune!
Jan 14th, 2008
Rob
The Zune is a pretty nifty device, but unfortunately, nifty is the most I can measure it as. The hardware and interface are there, and are done right, yet the desktop suite is deficient of functionality, which pales in the wake of the first variant, it still lacks gapless (for those that like Pink Floyd, this is a must), and the primary feature differentiators from the iPod fall flat in the face of reality, despite their nice idealistic concepts, such as subscription music and wifi sharing. The Zune Pass sounds like a good deal, until you factor in the fact that not all music is available through subscription per licensing restrictions. The idea that I’d pay monthly and be frustrated by songs failing to download (and I’d like to sample them before I bother paying full price for them) make it instantly worthless, at least for me.
Jan 14th, 2008
Ed Podolak
Since radios are so cheap and small, shouldn’t apple just add one to the ipod? Why not?
I wouldn’t use an FM radio much, but I sure would listen to baseball games on an AM radio. But since my ipod doesn’t have a radio, I have to carry an additional thing along with the ipod. even though it’s cheap, it seems wasteful and unnecessary.
I have zero interest in a zune though, radio or not.
Jan 14th, 2008
Paul O'Connell
You gotta wonder what kind of kickbacks Microsoft is offering to kids in electronics stores to talk people into switching.
Jan 14th, 2008
Dan V.
You should have just went to an Apple Store, Joe, I’m pretty sure there’s one in Kansas City, MO.
Also, that kid is pretty stupid. Zunes are not hip and never will be.
Jan 14th, 2008
Steve F
Another reason the kid may have been pushing the Zune was that he was ordered to by his bosses (it sounds as though you were at a Best Buy). The retailer profit margin on Zunes (and Sansas) is much higher than those on the iPods. I doubt it was as a measure of his hipness quotient (I can just see him with this friends touting the Zune: “but it has an AM/FM radio built in, bro - AM and FM!”.)
Jan 14th, 2008
John
I just got a Zune, but this was to replace a Dell MP3 player which doesn’t even exist anymore. So I would have to think that the Zune was not the way to go just by my past experiences. Sorry Zune peoples.
Jan 14th, 2008
Chris
I work at an annonymous financial institutuion. I say this because the name is not important. All of us are pretty much the same. Today, an elderly couple was trying to decide how long to invest their money; three years or five years. They finally decided to go with a three year plan, the justification for which came when the gentleman said:
“Well, we’re not getting any younger. In fact, we don’t even buy green bananas anymore.”
For some reason, that made me smile.
Jan 14th, 2008
Chris
Hey Joe, I’ll fill you in on another feature. If you have an XBox 360 you can play music on your TV through your Zune software on your computer.
So just don’t ever buy an XBox, either.
Jan 14th, 2008
Aaron
If Apple were a baseball team they would be the New York Yankees because of all their fans.
Doesn’t it grate on anyone else how they incessantly promote their products as better than Microsoft’s? Especially the Mac vs. PC commercials? I’m quite surprised the iPod hasn’t died yet. I think the main reason is iTunes, and that was quite smart of them. You see, there was once a device in the 80’s that everyone had to have called “The Walkman”. Sony made it, there were cheap knockoffs, but Sony’s was best. Then it just kind of died as people bought the cheap versions. Then Sony came out with the CD version and it just never had the same market share as the tape version. So the lesson is, the iPod will cave to less expensive devices soon enough.
Jan 14th, 2008
bulb
43 and got a iPod touch for Xmas. How much luck have you had syncing playlists from iTunes to touch? I’m not running Leopard yet but reasonably up-to-date (iTunes 7.5, Mac OS 10.4.11)
I have 100 Gigs on an externa;l HD and select about 7 Gigs of playlists to put on the iPod 2 weeks later I’ve managed to sync maybe 40% of that.
Get something to carry the touch I tried the in pocket thing and every other step the mp3 player would turn off.
Jan 14th, 2008
bulb
For all the Gates apologists, here’s some wisdom from Stephen Fry:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/10/iphone1
http://www.ipodhacks.com/article.php?sid=348
and to extend the movie-related stuff more from Smeagol/Gollum/Kong (Andy Serkis):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/30/andy.serkis
Jan 14th, 2008
James
“If Apple were a baseball team they would be the New York Yankees because of all their fans.
Doesn’t it grate on anyone else how they incessantly promote their products as better than Microsoft’s? Especially the Mac vs. PC commercials?”
What? Apple is the Yanks, not Microsoft? Are you thinking clearly?
Jan 14th, 2008
MittMcThompson2008
What a waste of a conversation.
Buy whatever you want. If your suck a bastard that you have to make fun of some product that someone else bought, then you might as well stick your d*ck in the car door and slam it because you obviously don’t need to reproduce.
That goes double for my fellow Apple users who sometimes get on my f*cking nerves.
Jan 14th, 2008
Old Man Duggan
No one buys those Zunes. I talk with people who are still hip. They would never buy Zunes. High school kids aren’t plugged in to what’s “cool”. At all. Most of them are still listening to top 40 radio and watch crappy TV and movies. I wouldn’t throw away your holding out hope for still being “cool” quite yet.
And as long as Brad Pitt is five years older than you, you can’t really be old, can you?
Jan 15th, 2008
David
Joe, seems to me plenty of guys think Beane did a fantastic job of completely restocking the A’s farm system by moving Haren and Swisher. Obviously we won’t know for a few years, but he seems to have laid out his plan pretty clearly. Baseball Prospectus and The Hardball Times have various articles and links discussing it.
Also he seems to have signed Brown (for one year, relatively cheap) so that he could have a replacement for Kotsay who he moved for the still promising Joey Devine.
Jan 15th, 2008
antoniomo
One plus about being old (54 in my case) and uncool is that I sometimes find myself actually enjoying not being cool, when it results in pained expressions from those much younger and hipper than I. There are times I’m embarassed. But if I see it coming, and play up my out-of-touchness for the heck of it, it can be pretty funny (to me, anyway). Others’ embarassment for me is part of the pleasure. Another sign I’m old.
And Chris, I love that green bananas story. Thanks.
Jan 15th, 2008
Zach
If you ever want a cheap feeling of one-upmanship, find a friend with a new Mac and remark “It’s just like Linux, only expensive!”
Jan 15th, 2008
Old Man Duggan
David,
I think Beane did spectacularly well this offseason. I’m no expert, but it seems to me like they’ll be much, much better in 2010 than they would’ve been by keeping Haren and Swisher (who is no more than a pretty good outfielder).
Jan 15th, 2008
Michael
Thirty-three years old. No I-pod, no cell phone. Actually, I have a rotary. And this is a good candidate quiz, too, I think:
http://glassbooth.org/
Jan 15th, 2008
Jake
Just for the record, there is SOME truth to the “Zune hipper than iPod” theory. I just happened to notice a cover story on that exact subject in the January 28′th edition of Forbes magazine. I’ll try to find the story and link it (though I haven’t read it, yet):
http://www.forbes.com/technology/forbes/2008/0128/053.html
So maybe your readers are just as “un-cool” as you
(and no, I don’t have either… just a non-branded MP3 player…)
Jan 15th, 2008
Korneel
Don’t be like everybody else! Buy a Zune!
Ones you go Zune you’ll never think again of that silly thing… what was its name again? iPob?
Jan 21st, 2008
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