good bye my digital dictator

as of today, i finished backing up all data from my last standing apple product, the omnipresent, omnipotent ipod 60g. now. i had some good lovin'time with my pod. like a tumor, it needed extra care everyday and everywhere i went. a bit heavy, big, and holding much information. i was the dependent of my pod.

often it will turn itself on at an inappropriate level, thanks to the jogwheel. sometimes it will just jam up and doesnt do anything else, claiming a sick day, where you literally have to let it run its course. the webguide asked to perform a 'two finger salute,' where you press on both the inner and outer circle of the jogwheel. i would hope and prey that it would work, giving a proper two fingers salute using the longest fingers of the both hands. yes. it certainly had a big element of S/M. our co-dependency. when i travelled, i always made sure i packed my power chord, from the wall plug direct to that thin, delicate, massive 30 pin opening.

but it did hold more music than i could care to remember- most of tracks very dear to them, some of them holding even life-altering significances, and about 1/3 of it as a reference materials, the ghosts that occupies the playlist but never.. gets.. picked... for one reason or another. however, it did bring much joy and much thoughts, even spreading wild-fire, zealot-like madness, infectious enthusiasm for certain artists and musicians that just ate away my brain and mental capacity. i be soaked silly, brain pickled in certain genres, certain music for days days days and more days. then something else. the flavours changed. the process the same. brain. pickled, wrinkled, provoked, expressed.

there was a time the pod was even fed daily sharing of photos and movies. when i was running outside briefly, i would even use the time clock function and such. engraved with the sarcasm and irony, it was a fitting vessel for the jumbled mind of monkey.

so that what was the problem? the problem is that it's getting old. since it's got some mechanical machine parts in it, i think the old heart (the motor) has been creaking out quite loudly (one could feel it croaking in hand... trying to keep itself going) and ya- i did put it into heavy use. it was my reference library, a portal of temporal and temporary escape, an open pharmacy for a heavy addict. and my ibook that came with it couple years ago, actually died quite awhile ago, leaving its partner by itself. it just suddenly started to yell at me loudly about kernel panics just when i started to work on my dissertation. once. twice. more often. then. just became a raving lunatic. though it did speak four languages at once whenever it raved. may be it thought everyday was a pentecost sunday.

so unlike an old elephant, which is supposed to fade into solitude and die in quiet silence, my laptop died slowly with much grief from myside, usually yelling, cursing, screaming, pulling hairs out in frustration. and before it... gasped... its.. last... damn....e...d... brea...th, i tried to back up much as possible, and graced it exit with a proper baseball bat swings. might as well go with a bang, no? PULL THE PLUG! DAMN I DIDNT SAY PULVERIZE ME WITH A HAND BLENDER! oh well. sorry, what were you saying laptop? man, you talking garbage again, with that kernel panic of yours.... (swing.)... wHAMmmmm!! (dramatic white particles flying out, zoom in, slow-mo as the bat crashs the screen, shattering it into million cracks right before it all falls apart)

that was
satisfying.
a la office space.

i know.
i never said i was so civilized.
in fact,
i havent finished evolving either, remember?
the monkey knows who she is....
(scratch. throw poop at apple logo)

well anyways since itunes is such a controlling biatchy to work with (well, one does not work with itunes, it will tell you what EXACTLY you may do with it. a one way communication with much grumbling from monkey) i didnt wanted to install another itunes on my next laptop. no freaking way. so ive been looking to rip things off from the pod, which has been having alzheimers on top of its weak heart. and it's not an easy task. especially with itunes. artists protection? at what cost? at owner's skinned fist cost while swinging it to the wall in frustration?

GAWWWWWWWD.

but with a tip from a buddy, this afternoon/evening, i simply purchased a program, and paid some money online for it. and i didnt think it was going to be that simple.. then it was. cleaning some files out, then ripping it back, backing it up as winamp so i wont ever ver never ver ever n never have to worry bout this crap every again, to three different hard drives, and hours and hours later (well i did say it was a intensive collection no?) im all backed up and happy and red-eyed.

and backed up. multiples.
unlike constipation or traffic, backed up full and over is a good thing in this case.

i dont think i will treat the ipod to the tragic and overdramatic ending i subjected its comrade to. it's done. i guess i can NOW convert back 100% to PC and let it be that. right away tomorrow, i am going to get the next mp3 player thing- prob no larger than 2g, keeping it light and simple and just toggle from the external HDDs. im looking at sony but i also remember their terrible syncwares... perhaps it's time for me to try a PC company, like creative or iriver (guess what though, you cant really get a iriver product here. whats with things being inaccessible and me being painfully aware of them? perhaps too many hours of random musings on tech websites. bah). and for the old guy, i guess i may keep it plugged to the tivolis (my mini room system) or something until it runs its course.

but as of today, i realized that i am no longer slaved to steve job's empire. if you like apple products that's fine. it's your money matey. but me, im done with the i-craps. whatever. hopefully i can continue to dodge working with protools as well. if i do, i hope that i will never ever once again have to install another apple component. ive had it.

so here it is. good bye my digital dictator.
apple, you looked flashy whatever blah blah
but with your anal-retentive and one-direction oriented flowchart of tasks written in steel and blazing glaze of sauron the pure evil,
youve became my source of agony and annoyance.
and now i can say bye with no hesitation.
but i be kind to the pod.
it may stay and relax its retirement.
afterall, the contents of 0s and 1s of this little device can call up so much memories and experiences. for that, it's worth it to sit around by the stereo. let it run its course, like retired, exiled political bastas of well, various countries. dying,quietly.