I have spent a good deal of my morning time today doing two things: 1) I filled out the meme below (yes, I usually do the meme before the entry. Shocking, I know. That's why you get a lot of entry that say, "I have no time to write" and then they're followed by a filthin' long meme) and 2) reviving my old 3rd Generation ipod.
I don't know how much you know about ipods, but here's the skinny on my old one. The first generation of ipods was released in 2001. Tom had one and I was jealous. But they were only made for Mac back then so I hoped that they would release a Windows version. The 2nd generation came in 2002 and was the first Windows compatible ipod. I was going to buy one when I got one of my college grants, but Tom wisely told me to wait for the 3rd generation. The 3rd generation had a high-end 40 gig version as compared to the 10 or 20 gig versions of the 1st and 2nd generations. I let Uncle Sam buy me the 40 gig version as soon as my grant came in, and it turned out to be one of the best purchases of my life. I remember bringing home that cube-shaped box like it was only yesterday.
In much the same way that people who get cell phones become almost immediately dependent on their phone, I became hooked on my ipod. I had been taking music with me wherever I went for years before I got my ipod, but that involved a discman and a wallet full of CD's. The ipod was able to hold more music than any of my CD wallets and zip through songs and albums faster than I could've ever imagined. Every time I turned my ipod on it was like magic.
There are very few gadgets that can claim to have changed my life as substantially as my ipod. But there's a funny thing that happens with electronic gadgets: they get old and outdated. When I bought my ipod, hardly any of my friends even knew what an ipod was. I found myself explaining the concept of an mp3 player than can hold 40 gigs of music to people at parties. It was like explaining the internet to someone in 1988. When I got my ipod it was sleek, thin, and cool. It looked like a piece of alien hardware. But after a few years, everyone seemed to be getting ipods. There were nanos, shuffles, minis, and videos. All of a sudden the 3rd generation seemed old and out of date. It also started to skip around and not play the songs like it was supposed to. The battery life started to suffer even though I replaced the battery. I was sad to retire it, but it seemed its time had come.
I bought a 30 gig video ipod (5th generation) and that is my current ipod that I use on a daily basis. It is now out of date now that the 6th generation, ipod touch, and iphone have come out. No doubt we'll go through this thing again when my current ipod starts acting up. I could start a whole rant on planned obsolescence, but I won't.
So my old 3rd generation ipod, which looks like this:
has been sitting in a drawer for about 3 years. I had not made any attempts to revive it, though it always seemed a shame to throw out such an elegant (though now chunky and old in comparison with the newer models) gadget. So it collected dust until yesterday, when I was searching through a bunch of open source software and found a thing called rockbox. Rockbox is a replacement for the standard ipod operating system and it is designed to be more efficient and work better than the original firmware. In my previous attempts to revive the old ipod, I had downloaded every os update and patch you could think of, but to no avail. It seemed rockbox might be my last hope to get the old thing up and running again.
So I spent some time today installing and configuring the new os, and from what I can tell the battery life has been improved, the playability of the songs has been restored, and I have way more fun games and stuff on there than I used to have. In many ways rockbox isn't as simple as the original os, but it works better, which is what it important. I might even get brave enough to throw it on my 5th gen ipod.
So if you didn't know that this month is dedicated to the nice men and women who write open source software, you know it now. Megan was telling me last night that she wants to inherit the old ipod if I get it back up and running, so she might just get it. Of course I'll have to get new cables for it, seeing as how I'm using the old cable for on-the-go charging of the new ipod. So there's still some stuff to work out, but I honestly couldn't be happier to have breathed new life into a dying friend. If only I could do the same for Turbo (he has been in really poor health lately. I worry about him a lot).
Anyway, if I could teach you one thing it would be this: don't throw out old electronics. There are so many things that can be saved, salvaged, modded, or repurposed. For every technology you would consider old, outdated, or impractical, (like laserdisc, betamax, 8 track, cassette tape, vhs, reel to reel, vinyl, and the list could go on and on) there is a group of rabid fans who have forums, websites and groups dedicated to the preservation of that very technology.
Maybe I shouldn't tell you not to get rid of your old electronic items. I am the beneficiary of people getting rid of their Ataris, Nintendos, and whatnot. Maybe I should say it like this, "If you have old gadgets that you're tired of and think you'll never use again, give them to me. If I can't find a use for them, I'll get them to someone who can." That's my promise. I'm James Badger and I approve this message. Now let's hit the meme.
Sixty Stinkin Questions
1. Where did your last kiss take place?
I always kiss Megan at the door before I leave for work.
2. Who knows a secret or two about you?
I think you'd be surprised to know that Megan knows a thing or two about me. But seriously, I don't keep too many secrets. A lot of the things that go on in my life are public knowledge. I throw them up on the internet where they can be read by anybody and everybody.
3. Four words to explain why you last threw up?
I can't remember. It seems like I've thrown up sometime between the cheese stick incident and now, but I honestly can't remember.
4. Have you ever burned yourself?
I burned the filth out of myself when I was fixing the Atari. I guess it had been a while since the last time I was soldering anything. I also burned Megan pretty badly on the same finger and hand that I burned myself. Now that's what you call, "skills."
5. What's crazy to you?
I dunno. I suppose a person who had lost the control of their own though processes and was delusional and a danger to themselves and society would seem pretty crazy to me. Also, the fact that John McCain tried to weasel out of the debate seems crazy. I had a lot more respect for him before he did that.
6. Favorite cuss word:
I tend to use "flip" and "fetch" a lot. Just kidding. I'm not from Utah. But seriously, my go-to interjectory word is "filth." You knew that, right?
7. Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now?
The same person who is always talking a load of crap about me. I'd say their name, but I'm still paranoid of big brother.
8. Who is your hero?
Brady Quinn. He's dreamy. But seriously, I have lots of heroes. I look up to my friends, family, people I know from church, etc. I also have your standard sports/music/whatnot heroes like Mats Sundin or Rivers Cuomo.
9. Would you ever want to be a supermodel?
No. I wouldn't ever want people to look at me the way models get looked at. Their body is a commodity to be bought and sold, and they tend to lead unhappy and unfulfilling lives. They always have weight to lose, body parts to shape and tone, and they become "too old" too quickly. Modelling seems like it eats people up and spits them out the other side. Why would I ever subject myself to that?
10. Who is the most experimental person you know?
My old roommate, Jacob, grows bio-engineered tomatoes. I think he does plenty of experiments. That being said, I have no idea what you mean by this question. Are you asking which of my friends listens to Frank Zappa? Which of my friends has a part time gig as a crash test dummy? What are you asking?
11. Do you tell white lies?
I try not to lie. Most of my untruths are embellishments on the truth. So if that counts as a white lie, put me down for a "yes."
12. When is your next party?
With Megan every day is an adventure and every night is a party. And no, we don't get too many visitors. But I don't feel the need to party like I did when I was single, so I'm not sitting in the corner crying and wishing for the good ol' days. I don't party much, and that's fine with me.
13. Who do you want to be with right now?
I'll give you one guess and I'll bet you can get it. If guessed Megan, you have a firm grasp on the obvious.
14 Do you scratch when and where you want to scratch?
Pretty much.
15. How do you handle a break up?
I used to stop shaving and cutting my hair. I found that a thick covering of head and facial hair was a soothing cover for any hurt that might have been caused by some heartless harpy who didn't want to date me. But I don't think Megan will break up with me, so we're good now.
16. Your motivation for tomorrow?
Tomorrow Megan and I will still be house sitting in the boonies, but it will be Saturday so we'll probably go to DI, Bookmans, and the reptile store. I'll probably catch a little college football, and I'm sure Megan and I will watch an episode of Scrubs or two.
17. Do you know what you will wear tomorrow?
Without looking down I'm not even completely sure of what I'm wearing right now.
18. Last person to make you laugh?
Don Adams.
19. Last thing you ate?
The pizza I had last night. I didn't get breakfast this morning and I haven't had lunch yet.
20. Do u ever go a few days without changing your underwear?
Not any more. I used to be able to get away with it back in the day, but it gets too gross too quickly if I try to recycle underwear now.
21. Have you ever accidentally eaten an insect?
Yes, I've been mountain biking.
22. Do daddy long legs freak you out?
All spiders are disgusting and need to die.
23. Have you ever cleaned up someone else's vomit?
Nope. I don't have any kids yet. I have, however, spent a good deal of time cleaning up my own over the years.
24. Have you ever dropped food on the floor and eaten it?
Yup. And I saw the Mythbusters where they told me it was ok to do it.
25. Do you kiss your pets on the mouth?
Turbo isn't much of a kisser.
26. Do you talk baby talk?
Only in jest. People who use baby talk when they aren't talking to a baby or making fun of someone are disturbed and need a good shrink.
27. What serial killer do you find most disturbing?
I've always found serial killers both disturbing and fascinating. It's disturbing because the thought that there are people out there who kill in numbers with seemingly little or no motive can destroy your sense of safety and well-being. They're fascinating because you have to wonder what mental breakdown can cause them to act in a way that is the complete opposite of every ethic be it imposed by religion or society itself.
John Wayne Gacy has always been a disturbing one because he was a clown. I'm not afraid of clowns, but I can see why some people are. Clowns can be creepy. John Wayne Gacy was a psychopathic homosexual clown who killed 33 young men. That's about as creepy as a clown can get.
Ted Bundy is another scary one. He was fairly well educated and even studied a little psychology in college. He even worked at a suicide hotline for a while. He seemed like a normal enough guy, but in reality he was a psychopath who used his good looks to lure girls to his car where he would later kill them. He confessed to 30 murders, but some estimates on his victims run as high as 100.
I have always found Jeffrey Dahmer to be the most disturbing serial killer I have ever heard of. He was killing and dissecting animals at a young age. He became an alcoholic in his early teens. He had shown signs all his life that he was not in good mental health. The fact that he cannibalized and mutilated his victims makes him the most disturbing serial killer I can think of.
The other disturbing thing about serial killers is that the United States produces more of them than any other country. On a lost of serial killers broken down by country, the United States has about 100 even if you discount "angels of mercy" who are doctors that kill their patients in "humane" ways to save them from the pain of illness. The next closest country is the UK with only about 40 killers. Something about this country makes it possible for more people to go nuts than in any other country. I wouldn't eve be so bold as to guess at what it might be. But the fact remains: we have way more serial killers than anybody else. Now that you've all read more about serial killers than you would like, let's get to the next question.
28. Do you watch court tv?
No. I don't like to watch things that will bore me.
29. Would you ever work in a retirement home?
I hope I never have to. Retirement homes scare me. I'm a little bit of a gerontophobe. I fear old age and I'm afraid of old people I don't know. I was always good with my grandparents and other relatives, but I would not do well in a place where lots of old people are living out their last days in comparative misery.
I've gone with a few different youth groups to sing hymns in rest homes and whatnot, but it always scares me and I usually come away from the experience shaken and noticeably depressed. So the answer is no. I decline your offer of working in an old folks home.
30. Do you believe plants have feelings?
Yes. I discussed this last week. Plants have even less of a voice than animals. That's why I jab every vegetarian I see with a big salad fork. But seriously, there have been tests which show that plants may feel some level of pain.
31. Do you laugh at people with "bowl" haircuts?
When I was in junior high, the bowl cut was about the coolest haircut you could get. I myself had a bit of a bowl cut going. So if it's dorky now, give it five years. We're back into the 80's now, so the 90's should be right around the corner. Of course by then I'll be old enough to be curmudgeony and yell at the kids for not being "real" grunge.
32. Do you have nervous twitches?
I'm sure I do, but I don't usually take notice of such things. I usually have to have other people point them out for me.
33. Are you ever purposely irritating?
All the time. I should probably work on that.
34. If you could fly, where would you go first?
I would go as far from this library as possible. If there was any way that I could throw one fist in the air and break through the ceiling, that would be super duper. But don't you get me thinking about things that will never happen. It just makes ordinary life depressing in comparison.
35. Do you prefer boats or planes?
I'll take planes. I was an airplane nut when I was a kid. I checked out the same airplane book from our local library a billion different times.
36. Love or lust?
Who chooses lust? Love is always more satisfying. Generally speaking, people don't take lust if they have a real shot at love. It wouldn't make sense to. Lust is what you take when you can't find love and you stop caring about the consequences. Maybe that's a little altruistic on my part, but that's how I feel about it.
37. One best friend or 10 aquaintances?
I always seem to get this question. Megan is my best friend and I'd rather have her than 10 people who are cool to hang out with. It's a simple quantity/quality question and anyone who takes quantity needs to reevaluate their priorities.
38. Favorite food?
Megan makes delicious tacos. She makes lots of delicious foods, but I always look forward to taco Tuesday.
39. Do you believe that your first love never dies?
I'm glad my first love is dead. She's not dead, but I have no feelings for her. She's happily married with kids and I'm happily married. If I was still hung up on her I would not only be completely lame, but I would not be completely honest to Megan. So yeah, your first love will die out and thank goodness for it.
40. What upcoming event are you waiting and ready for?
I'm looking forward to Tuesday. Not only will I come home to the smell of spicy meat and taco toppings, but Megan will have her second interview for that job she interviewed for last week. It seems like she'll probably get it, but we're hoping it'll be a good job and that it'll pay her more than the last one did.
41. Current smell?
That library smell. The smell of paper, some old and some new. You know what a library smells like.
42. Do you get your nails done?
Nope. I have honored the request of all the women in the universe and have kept my nails short for a few years now. I think my long nail days are well behind me.
43. Most favorite person?
Questions like this make this meme less fun for everyone but Megan. She'll love hearing over and over that she's my favorite person. But if you're reading this, you probably knew she's my favorite and questions like this are too predictable. So there ya go. Megan, you're my favorite. Everyone else, buck up and let's hope you make it to the end.
44. What was the last thing you ordered at McDonald's?
A hot fudge sundae. It's the only thing I order there anymore.
45. Are you an emotional person?
Yeah. Sometimes I think having five sisters did something to me. I'm a little more sensitive and emotional than most guys you meet.
46. Do you like your name?
I have a fine name. It's a nice, normal name that has served me well thus far.
47. Do you have plans this weekend?
Sleep, college football, DI, Bookmans, the reptile store, and maybe burning stuff.
48. Do you work?
Now that's a loaded question if ever there was one. I've actually gotten a lot done this week, so yeah. I work. I work hard for the money. If you account for all the crap I take, I don't get paid enough for what I do.
49. Do you dance naked in your room?
Only for comedic effect.
50. When did your last relationship end?
The last relationship I had before Megan was in 2003. So it's been a while.
51. What are you listening to right now?
Absolute silence. This library is dead right now.
52. Biggest fear?
That I won't get that job I applied for and that I'll spend the next 30 years of my life here in the crap-taking factory.
53. How long have you been a part of myspace?
I got a myspace account in 2004 because I made an account for my band and they didn't have any friends yet. I check my myspace account about once every two weeks, just to clean out the porno ads. Myspace is not a good place.
54. Favorite place to be?
I actually like being home. Even when the house is a little messy, I'd still rather be home with my wife than anywhere else. It's nice to be married and settled down.
55. What are you wearing right now?
I'm 97% sure that I'm wearing pants and some sort of shirt. Beyond that, I couldn't tell you.
56. Are your toes painted?
Not that I know of.
57. Does anyone hate you?
Yeah. The boss man hates me more than any other person has ever hated me before. It's a new personal worst.
58. How many people do you trust fully?
Lots. I trust plenty of people. I trust my wife, my immediate family, my friends, random people who seem nice. I tend to be a pretty trusting guy. It bites me in the behind sometimes.
59. Did you have fun doing this?
Not really. I used to make fun of the questions a lot more than I do now. I think I've lost my edge. If anybody out these is officially sick of the Friday meme and wishes I would just do regular posts, lemme know. I might work something out for you.
60. Are you thinking of someone right now?
Yes. Her name is Megan. She's my wife. She's also the answer to a lot of the questions I get asked every week. That's not a bad thing. I just think it makes for boring reading if your name isn't Megan.