May 23, 2006

"Start Rip"

I am entering the 21st Century and burning all my CD's to the computer. Well, I had a few CD's burned already, but then I heard about the new Microsoft Media Player Version 11 (Beta) and immediately decided it was time to create "a library."

Rip? Create a library? I am utterly awed by the new language that is created with the evolution - I'm sorry, no - the meshing of computers into our lives. It is neverending and constant and always changing. The necessity of the computer, the efficiency of it, and the wasting of time of it [reading blogs that have absolutely no pertinence to one's immediate life or interests]. etc., etc, is all so overwhelming and so required at the same time. The realism of it, the escapism of it, all needed.

At this very moment, I am in the middle of "ripping" a Radiohead CD to the compu. Oops, I mean, just finished. Damn, that was fast. Please hold for a second while I go retrieve and insert the next CD into the drive for "ripping." Oh goody, Stephen Malkmus! Oh I remember the time I saw him live at the Fillmore....

"Start Rip." These are words which, to my grandmother, woud have had absolutely no significance. I am absolutely fascinated by the evolution of All Things Computer. And also fascinated with the steadfastness of things that endure time and the "meshing."

When I was in high school, one of my electives was Humanities. On the first day of class, the teacher asked the collective of absent minded students: What is "Humanities?" And we were all like, huh? A form of English maybe? And then he answered his own question: "Humanities are the arts that stand the test of time. Certain poetry. Certain sculptures. Certain writing. Certain ideas." We were introduced to these "certain" things throughout the course. In that class we learned Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in their original Olde English, and were forced not only to translate the texts to mondern English, but also to recite them in their origninal form. To this day I can still remember the first 2 verses of the recital flawlessly; but I truly don't know whether I remember because I have the memory of an elephant or because the verses actually moved me (er, when translated. Er, well, maybe when pronounced and spoken in proper Olde English and knowing the translation at the same time. I have a thing about languauges; I'm simply very good at them).

"Burn." On to a classic album from The Black Crowes. Anyway, back to the original underscore of the post; am I the only one that has noticed the the velocity of change in recent times? I doubt it. (On to U2.) Am I the only one who still clings to crap like The Canterbury Tales, 20th Century novels and 19th Century art? I doubt that, too. In fact, I could probably go online right now and search out a hundred groups who have created online homes for their respective old school passions. Chat rooms. Discussion groups. Nerds. Hipsters. And all the oblivions of people in between. Google search, go. Then on to the next CD. Start Rip.

2 comments:

Dawn Summers said...

So...when're you getting the ipod to go with your new library?

Author said...

Funny you mention ipod because this version of Microsoft's Media Player is in bed with MTV's URGE download site and iRiver MP3s - so a direct assualt on Apple's prowess in the music game. The hype actaully makes it sound like ipods aren't compatible, but I doubt that. Anyhooo.. to answer your q, I'm settling on my mediocre other brand MP3 at the moment. It does the trick.