I am playing Falstaff this summer in a community theater production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor". This is my first lead role in a Shakespearean play (let alone any play)! I have already started learning lines and doing basic character development (psychology, motivations, et cetera). Even though I'm an amateur (a case could be made for semi-professional though), I want to do this role the best that I can.
For the cardio portion of 5BX, I have elected to run. At this point in the program, I need only run half a mile. So far, my average running time is a little over four minutes, which would pass at the A+ level for chart one (to "pass" at my current level of D+, I need to run it in seven). Still, I know if I am going to succeed at higher levels, I need to find other ways to push myself and improve.
I have been reading about boot camp experiences lately. One thing that struck me as interesting was that recruits have to yell their count out loud during push ups or other exercises, which trains the body to work more efficiently with less oxygen. I already count out my reps during the other four execises of 5BX (not necessarily yell them. I have neighbors), but I wanted to do something for the running portion.
During yesterday's run, I started reciting lines for Falstaff out loud (or at least ones I thought I had commited to memory). Not only did it become a test of physical endurance, forcing my body to work with less oxygen, but also a mental test, trying to focus on lines I need to have memorized by June. When I ran out of lines, I switched to Trinculo's first monologue from "The Tempest". Before I knew it though, I was already twice around the track.
At the end of the run, I did not get as fast a time that I usually get (I still would have passed on the A+ level), but it was actually a lot of fun. I was neither out of breath nor terribly exhausted afterward and, if nothing else, doing this reinforced scenes I know well and others that need work (and there are a lot of them). On the plus side, a good indicator of pace is whether you can talk out loud during a run. If Falstaff is going to be fat this summer, the theater may need to get him a special suit. So if you see someone running on track two speaking in Elizabethan English, that might be me.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
5BX and Lent
For Lent 2016, I gave up video games. I am no longer a practiciing Catholic, but I felt it was time for me to take a break and focus on other things in life. With that, my Wii Fit U activity has been suspended. In the meantime, I have rediscovered 5BX (short for five basic exercises). The 5BX regime is an exercise program developed by Dr. Bill Orban for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The notable things about this program are it only takes eleven minutes per day to complete and does not require any specialized equipment (particularly great for pilots stationed in remote bases or anyone with limited time or access to a gym). The participant starts at the lowest level of the first chart and progresses his or her way up to a level appropriate for his or her age (I am 31 years old, so my endgoal is Chart 4, Level C+). As one progresses through the program, the fitness demands increase, either requiring more repetitions per exercise in the time limit or the exercises themselves becoming more difficult.
The regime starts with two minutes of a stretching activity (essentially the warm-up period), followed by one minute of ab exercises, one minute of back strengthening exercises, a minute of push-ups, concluded with six minutes of cardio. The final exercise may be substituted with either a run or a walk that must be completed within a time limit. It must be said that later levels of ab exercises can cause back problems. Doing modern crunches or holding a plank formation may be substituted.
The program is no longer in use by the Royal Canadian Air Force. However, a quick Google search can bring up lots of resources for the program, including free .PDF files of scans from the old booklets!
I try to work out the entire two minutes or one minute required for each exercise instead of just doing the required reps and stopping. I also do the running option for my cardio (the school I work at has a track which I run on during my free time. On weekends, I go to the park and run). Today is my eighth day of doing 5BX and I am impressed with what I am seeing. Progress seems slow, but with my back injury from a few years ago, I want to take my time and make sure I can comfortably do the routine before moving on to higher levels (my age dictates that I spend at least four days at each level before progressing). The exercises are controlled and paced in Wii Fit U, contrasted with 5BX in that it's a daily physical fitness test where I push myself to do my best. It will be interesting to see how I do in Wii Fit U after Lent is over...IF I don't want to give up 5BX.
Here is a great link to get started with 5BX. As always, consult a physician before starting an exercise program. http://fit450.com/HTML/5BX_Intro.html
The regime starts with two minutes of a stretching activity (essentially the warm-up period), followed by one minute of ab exercises, one minute of back strengthening exercises, a minute of push-ups, concluded with six minutes of cardio. The final exercise may be substituted with either a run or a walk that must be completed within a time limit. It must be said that later levels of ab exercises can cause back problems. Doing modern crunches or holding a plank formation may be substituted.
The program is no longer in use by the Royal Canadian Air Force. However, a quick Google search can bring up lots of resources for the program, including free .PDF files of scans from the old booklets!
I try to work out the entire two minutes or one minute required for each exercise instead of just doing the required reps and stopping. I also do the running option for my cardio (the school I work at has a track which I run on during my free time. On weekends, I go to the park and run). Today is my eighth day of doing 5BX and I am impressed with what I am seeing. Progress seems slow, but with my back injury from a few years ago, I want to take my time and make sure I can comfortably do the routine before moving on to higher levels (my age dictates that I spend at least four days at each level before progressing). The exercises are controlled and paced in Wii Fit U, contrasted with 5BX in that it's a daily physical fitness test where I push myself to do my best. It will be interesting to see how I do in Wii Fit U after Lent is over...IF I don't want to give up 5BX.
Here is a great link to get started with 5BX. As always, consult a physician before starting an exercise program. http://fit450.com/HTML/5BX_Intro.html
Friday, February 5, 2016
RCA Viking Pro 10.1 (2015) Review
Last Christmas, I received the RCA Viking Pro 10.1 from Wal-Mart. While RCA isn't exactly renowned for their Android offerings, my family had decent luck with the devices (one tablet has lasted nearly two years!), so I decided to give the device a go and see what I could do with it. This is my first Android device, so I am not going to pretend to know every iota and inch of what the platform is capable of, nor am I able to compare it to other, arguably more capable, devices (eg: Samsung; LG; et cetera). But I digress, here is my review of the RCA Viking Pro 10.1: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
The Good
When I was shopping for a tablet before this one showed up on my doorstep, I knew I wanted it to be at least as big as an iPad's (9.7 inches). The device's 10.1 inch screen definitely fulfilled that requirement. The pixel density, although not the best compared to other models, is adequate to my needs. This device comes with Android 5.0 Lollipop. While it's not the latest and greatest (6.0 Marshmallow is out), one is able to run many of the latest apps on the Google Play Store. The 1.4 ghz quad-core processor makes running programs quick and convenient. On the other hand, it only has 1GB of RAM which is considered on the lower end of the tablet pecking order. In its defense though, it's not terrible either. So long as you don't have a lot of programs running at the same time, the tablet can be quick (put it another way, if a horse doesn't have a lot to carry, it can run faster). As I am a fan of Humble Bundles, I am happy to say that many of the programs offered throughout the years are compatible with this device (it's great getting a device and already having over a hundred games for it ready to go). One thing that suprised me was the USB A port. This was baffling as other Android devices I've seen typically only ship with a USB-mini port, but this one shipped with both the full sized port and the micro-port (the latter is ONLY used for charging though). With this full-sized USB port, one is able to plug in a mouse or a gaming controller and use them with the tablet to either play a game, navigate, et cetera. The tablet comes with 32GB of flash memory with support for up to 64GB more (though I can confirm 32GB more as that's the card I am using). The device comes with a keyboard which attaches itself to the bottom of the tablet without the need of a USB or Bluetooth connection. The tablet and keyboard and fold together and close like a laptop, offering some protection for the screen (though I would still recommend getting a case). The buttons on the keyboard are a bit small for my hands (especially when compared to my laptop), but it's actually really responsive and will do in a pinch if somehow your laptop is unavailable. Throw in a USB mouse and you might have the workings of an okay laptop.
The Bad
One thing I got excited about with the Android platform over iOS is being able to easily transfer files from my computer to the device via drag-and-drop (it gets complicated trying to transfer files from Lubuntu to an iPod Touch). However, I am unable to do so with this tablet. The box for "USB Computer Connection" is greyed out and the device will not go into USB mode upon connecting to a compuer (Windows OR Linux). I have also tried activating Developer Mode, but no luck with the USB connection. As the OS is Lollipop 5.0, I understand there were some bugs that came with this iteration of Android. However, when I plug the device powered off in my PS3, the system will say there's an unknown USB device connected, so I know the hardware's guts are working. I've contacted RCA Customer Support for help, but the last piece of correspondence suggested they were looking for an answer, so we'll see... The one speaker on the entire device is located on the back of the machine and it isn't particularly loud. For that, I suggest investing in some speakers or headphones (Pro-Tip, hold your tablet with the palm of one of your hands cupping over the speaker to get a little more sound out of it). Another thing that I'm not particularly hot on is the camera. There are two on the device, one in the front and one in the back, but neither are truly anything special. The front is a VGA camera (which is okay for Skype or chatting), but the back is only 2MP which is what my current three year old non-smartphone has. The only thing the tablet has over my phone's camera is a zoom feature. However, I digress, these things are considered luxury items (you don't "need" a camera to have a tablet) and RCA caters more to the budget conscience consumer, so sacrifices were made in order to keep costs down. While the keyboard streamlines and makes productivity on the device more enjoyable, the mousepad contained within isn't up to par with the rest of the device (slow responsiveness, if any at all). The battery doesn't last for more than an afternoon of work, so be prepared to use this device sparingly or be tethered to an outlet. Lastly, the overall build quality of the tablet isn't the best. While the device has some heft to it, the exterior feels cheap and plasticky. When my 3DS XL feels like a better build, there is a problem.
The Ugly
Overall, is it a bad tablet? Absolutely not! While I admit that I am still learning the ins and outs of the Android platform, I'm really happy being able to learn on the RCA Pro Viking 10.1". I've played with a few other Androids before (eg: my girlfriend's old Virgin Mobile phone), but this is the first device I can truly call "mine" and tinker with. There are a some short comings, the most damning one of all is the lack of "drag-and-drop" (which, like I said, is likely a software issue which I hope will be addressed in a future update), but there is a lot of good to be said about this device. I love that I can write blogs, do spreadsheets (albeit a bit clunky), and about 95% of what I can do on my laptop (while saving a LOT of energy, no less). While I doubt RCA will be able to compete with the likes of Samsung as far as quality, this is still a good tablet for what it's worth.
**Three and a half stars our of five. You get what you pay for, but what you get is pretty good.**
The Good
When I was shopping for a tablet before this one showed up on my doorstep, I knew I wanted it to be at least as big as an iPad's (9.7 inches). The device's 10.1 inch screen definitely fulfilled that requirement. The pixel density, although not the best compared to other models, is adequate to my needs. This device comes with Android 5.0 Lollipop. While it's not the latest and greatest (6.0 Marshmallow is out), one is able to run many of the latest apps on the Google Play Store. The 1.4 ghz quad-core processor makes running programs quick and convenient. On the other hand, it only has 1GB of RAM which is considered on the lower end of the tablet pecking order. In its defense though, it's not terrible either. So long as you don't have a lot of programs running at the same time, the tablet can be quick (put it another way, if a horse doesn't have a lot to carry, it can run faster). As I am a fan of Humble Bundles, I am happy to say that many of the programs offered throughout the years are compatible with this device (it's great getting a device and already having over a hundred games for it ready to go). One thing that suprised me was the USB A port. This was baffling as other Android devices I've seen typically only ship with a USB-mini port, but this one shipped with both the full sized port and the micro-port (the latter is ONLY used for charging though). With this full-sized USB port, one is able to plug in a mouse or a gaming controller and use them with the tablet to either play a game, navigate, et cetera. The tablet comes with 32GB of flash memory with support for up to 64GB more (though I can confirm 32GB more as that's the card I am using). The device comes with a keyboard which attaches itself to the bottom of the tablet without the need of a USB or Bluetooth connection. The tablet and keyboard and fold together and close like a laptop, offering some protection for the screen (though I would still recommend getting a case). The buttons on the keyboard are a bit small for my hands (especially when compared to my laptop), but it's actually really responsive and will do in a pinch if somehow your laptop is unavailable. Throw in a USB mouse and you might have the workings of an okay laptop.
The Bad
One thing I got excited about with the Android platform over iOS is being able to easily transfer files from my computer to the device via drag-and-drop (it gets complicated trying to transfer files from Lubuntu to an iPod Touch). However, I am unable to do so with this tablet. The box for "USB Computer Connection" is greyed out and the device will not go into USB mode upon connecting to a compuer (Windows OR Linux). I have also tried activating Developer Mode, but no luck with the USB connection. As the OS is Lollipop 5.0, I understand there were some bugs that came with this iteration of Android. However, when I plug the device powered off in my PS3, the system will say there's an unknown USB device connected, so I know the hardware's guts are working. I've contacted RCA Customer Support for help, but the last piece of correspondence suggested they were looking for an answer, so we'll see... The one speaker on the entire device is located on the back of the machine and it isn't particularly loud. For that, I suggest investing in some speakers or headphones (Pro-Tip, hold your tablet with the palm of one of your hands cupping over the speaker to get a little more sound out of it). Another thing that I'm not particularly hot on is the camera. There are two on the device, one in the front and one in the back, but neither are truly anything special. The front is a VGA camera (which is okay for Skype or chatting), but the back is only 2MP which is what my current three year old non-smartphone has. The only thing the tablet has over my phone's camera is a zoom feature. However, I digress, these things are considered luxury items (you don't "need" a camera to have a tablet) and RCA caters more to the budget conscience consumer, so sacrifices were made in order to keep costs down. While the keyboard streamlines and makes productivity on the device more enjoyable, the mousepad contained within isn't up to par with the rest of the device (slow responsiveness, if any at all). The battery doesn't last for more than an afternoon of work, so be prepared to use this device sparingly or be tethered to an outlet. Lastly, the overall build quality of the tablet isn't the best. While the device has some heft to it, the exterior feels cheap and plasticky. When my 3DS XL feels like a better build, there is a problem.
The Ugly
Overall, is it a bad tablet? Absolutely not! While I admit that I am still learning the ins and outs of the Android platform, I'm really happy being able to learn on the RCA Pro Viking 10.1". I've played with a few other Androids before (eg: my girlfriend's old Virgin Mobile phone), but this is the first device I can truly call "mine" and tinker with. There are a some short comings, the most damning one of all is the lack of "drag-and-drop" (which, like I said, is likely a software issue which I hope will be addressed in a future update), but there is a lot of good to be said about this device. I love that I can write blogs, do spreadsheets (albeit a bit clunky), and about 95% of what I can do on my laptop (while saving a LOT of energy, no less). While I doubt RCA will be able to compete with the likes of Samsung as far as quality, this is still a good tablet for what it's worth.
**Three and a half stars our of five. You get what you pay for, but what you get is pretty good.**
Thursday, May 30, 2013
LinkedIn Personality Clash
A few months ago, I started a LinkedIn profile to consolidate my professional life and to try and make real-world working connections (it's not what you know, but who you know, right?). I had all the skills I thought I could do at least halfway decent posted (leastways, at the forefront of my mind at the time), acquired professionally or otherwise (volunteer work, theater experience, scholastic-accomplishments, et cetera), and I was ready to go! Unfortunately, most of my "endorsements", the things people know you CAN do well, are in stuff like "Facebook" or "Social Media". Nowadays, hundreds of millions of people use social media, so it really doesn't help me stand out from my competition. Basically, I'm an Eagle Scout with a 3.86 GPA, a Study-Abroad experience in Ecuador, and an Environmental degree from the University of Oregon...and I can marketably do Facebook. ... Kind of pathetic, in some ways. I think the problem is the people who ARE endorsing me found me through Facebook, hence the social media nods. On some level, I feel like the hapless worker, promising prospective employers with a pathetic plea of "I can do...stuff." On the other hand, maybe I'm being ungrateful to my peers and for their endorsements. In fact, there are marketable qualities to knowledgeability in social media (eg: communications; global consumer trends; et cetera). Maybe I could get an environmental job involving social media to mass communicate issues imperative to society and the world at large? ... Or maybe not?
What do you think?
--
-Thomas
What do you think?
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| Meanwhile, I'm still looking for a job... |
-Thomas
Friday, April 26, 2013
Lubuntu, Sweet and Simple
'Tis a gift to be simple...
Most friends know that I've been using Ubuntu Linux for a good long while. I like that it's free to own and distribute (along with much of the bundled software like Libre Office), easy to use, relatively virus-free, and it's a good conversation piece when talking about computers. When I got my current laptop last Christmas, it had Windows 8...for about a week or so before I switched to Ubuntu. It's not a perfect relationship, with occasional glitches, set backs (iPod not working, etc), and needs to completely reinstall Linux (usually due to a mistake on my part). However, I digress, I'm really happy with it.
In the past few weeks, my Ubuntu had been acting funny (I had been running LTS 12.04.1). Randomly, it would say there was an internal error and either nothing would happen or I'd have to reboot. I looked up answers to this problem, but nothing was giving me the long term solution I was looking for. Either out of impulse or whatever, I decided to switch to Lubuntu.
Lubuntu is Canonical's variety of Linux for those with low power machines, based on the LXDE platform. My last laptop (with a 1.6 ghz processor and 2 gigs of RAM) had it and ran it beautifully until it died, ultimately living a LOT longer than I or most people would expect. It's not meant to be flashy like Ubuntu, but if you have an older computer and/or simple needs, Lubuntu is definitely a viable option. It's giving life and purpose to outdated computers in the face of designed obsolescence. It made me happy to feel that my old laptop could run circles around newer machines equipped with Windows 7 or 8.
It would seem like overkill to put an OS designed for low-end computers on a machine that's anything but low-end. However, I know my needs and I feel that Lubuntu addresses those superbly. While I'm not particularly big on Abiword or Gnumeric, Google Docs works fantastic in the Chromium web browser (then again, with most things related to productivity moving online, it seems all you need IS a web browser nowadays. Just be sure to save to the hard drive once in a while in case of service outages).
All the same, I love my Lubuntu because it's sweet, simple, and fast. So far, I haven't had many problems with it (mainly iPod related), but I can see myself using this for a good, long time. I don't "need" the biggest or baddest computer or OS. Just give me something simple and I'll be content.
Most friends know that I've been using Ubuntu Linux for a good long while. I like that it's free to own and distribute (along with much of the bundled software like Libre Office), easy to use, relatively virus-free, and it's a good conversation piece when talking about computers. When I got my current laptop last Christmas, it had Windows 8...for about a week or so before I switched to Ubuntu. It's not a perfect relationship, with occasional glitches, set backs (iPod not working, etc), and needs to completely reinstall Linux (usually due to a mistake on my part). However, I digress, I'm really happy with it.
In the past few weeks, my Ubuntu had been acting funny (I had been running LTS 12.04.1). Randomly, it would say there was an internal error and either nothing would happen or I'd have to reboot. I looked up answers to this problem, but nothing was giving me the long term solution I was looking for. Either out of impulse or whatever, I decided to switch to Lubuntu.
Lubuntu is Canonical's variety of Linux for those with low power machines, based on the LXDE platform. My last laptop (with a 1.6 ghz processor and 2 gigs of RAM) had it and ran it beautifully until it died, ultimately living a LOT longer than I or most people would expect. It's not meant to be flashy like Ubuntu, but if you have an older computer and/or simple needs, Lubuntu is definitely a viable option. It's giving life and purpose to outdated computers in the face of designed obsolescence. It made me happy to feel that my old laptop could run circles around newer machines equipped with Windows 7 or 8.
It would seem like overkill to put an OS designed for low-end computers on a machine that's anything but low-end. However, I know my needs and I feel that Lubuntu addresses those superbly. While I'm not particularly big on Abiword or Gnumeric, Google Docs works fantastic in the Chromium web browser (then again, with most things related to productivity moving online, it seems all you need IS a web browser nowadays. Just be sure to save to the hard drive once in a while in case of service outages).
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| Source: http://xkcd.com/934/ |
Sunday, April 14, 2013
iLove/Hate U, iPod.
I've had my iPod Touch a little over a year now. It's a generation two that I got on Craigslist, so it was already "ancient" by technology standards. Since then, we haven't exactly had the perfect working relationship.
I got it right before the Spring Break 2012 trip to Utah because most of my peers would have the ubiquitous Apple players. I wanted to bring music on the trip, but a 3DS might go over some heads, so I thought I'd give Apple a shot (peer pressure? Nah...). Other than the grievances, it's a good device. I LOVE the web browser (it's WAY faster and more compatible with the web than the DSi or 3DS browser), the apps are cool (BlackBoard and Notes were handy for school), and it can do enough things that I rarely turn in my laptop anymore (I did a good chunk of my homework down in Ecuador via Google Docs on it and I'm also writing this blog). The email and calendar features are handy to have to stay up to date. Overall, while apps for it are slowly disappearing (ie: no longer supported by iOS 4.2.1, like Facebook), for being a three year old "out-mode" (no camera, et cetera), it's still got a lot of pep its step.
However, it's an iPod, a music player, first and foremost. Because I run Linux, putting music on is a crapshoot, depending on how temperamental either the iPod or laptop is being (the inspiration for this blog). I was having issues, so I did a restore this morning with my friend's laptop (he has Windows 7 with iTunes). I took it back to my laptop (running Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with RhythmBox). After three hours of picking new music and syncing the iPod, I unplug it and find that the player is only recognizing one song, as opposed to the 1,700+ songs I had queued. The iPod's information says there's a huge chunk of data being used, so the songs ARE on the device's memory. This has happened before a few times. I'd either need to do another restore or the iPod wakes up and realizes there is more music and updates it's queue.
Sometimes I think about Lisa Simpson in that episode of The Simpsons where she eschews her new Malibu Stacy Dollhouse in favor of a simple shoebox home she made for her doll, that maybe I should reset my priorities and lifestyle and go back to something simpler, like my 3DS, DSi, or "Little Blue". Do I necessarily "need" a thousand songs when a smaller number of favorites would suffice? Can I, in good ecological conscience, endorse a company that designs its products to be obsolete after a short time on the market? Do I need my email checked all the time?
...but I digress. Again, it hasn't been a perfect working relationship, with tech headaches from time to time (like this morning). However, when it DOES work, I have no complaints, but praise for what it can do and has done. I also acknowledge that this is a "first world" problem, that there are more important things going on. Again, I digress, I love and hate my iPod Touch.
I got it right before the Spring Break 2012 trip to Utah because most of my peers would have the ubiquitous Apple players. I wanted to bring music on the trip, but a 3DS might go over some heads, so I thought I'd give Apple a shot (peer pressure? Nah...). Other than the grievances, it's a good device. I LOVE the web browser (it's WAY faster and more compatible with the web than the DSi or 3DS browser), the apps are cool (BlackBoard and Notes were handy for school), and it can do enough things that I rarely turn in my laptop anymore (I did a good chunk of my homework down in Ecuador via Google Docs on it and I'm also writing this blog). The email and calendar features are handy to have to stay up to date. Overall, while apps for it are slowly disappearing (ie: no longer supported by iOS 4.2.1, like Facebook), for being a three year old "out-mode" (no camera, et cetera), it's still got a lot of pep its step.
However, it's an iPod, a music player, first and foremost. Because I run Linux, putting music on is a crapshoot, depending on how temperamental either the iPod or laptop is being (the inspiration for this blog). I was having issues, so I did a restore this morning with my friend's laptop (he has Windows 7 with iTunes). I took it back to my laptop (running Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with RhythmBox). After three hours of picking new music and syncing the iPod, I unplug it and find that the player is only recognizing one song, as opposed to the 1,700+ songs I had queued. The iPod's information says there's a huge chunk of data being used, so the songs ARE on the device's memory. This has happened before a few times. I'd either need to do another restore or the iPod wakes up and realizes there is more music and updates it's queue.
Sometimes I think about Lisa Simpson in that episode of The Simpsons where she eschews her new Malibu Stacy Dollhouse in favor of a simple shoebox home she made for her doll, that maybe I should reset my priorities and lifestyle and go back to something simpler, like my 3DS, DSi, or "Little Blue". Do I necessarily "need" a thousand songs when a smaller number of favorites would suffice? Can I, in good ecological conscience, endorse a company that designs its products to be obsolete after a short time on the market? Do I need my email checked all the time?
...but I digress. Again, it hasn't been a perfect working relationship, with tech headaches from time to time (like this morning). However, when it DOES work, I have no complaints, but praise for what it can do and has done. I also acknowledge that this is a "first world" problem, that there are more important things going on. Again, I digress, I love and hate my iPod Touch.
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| I wish I knew how to quit you...you lovable scoundrel. |
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Musical Journal (circa 2009)
A few days ago, I got my old MP3 player back. I had let a friend borrow it years ago (using my DS and eventually my iPod to play music in the meantime), but all the same, I got it back recently. It's a little blue 512mb Sandisk Sansa m230 that a friend gave me back in Virginia, eventually becoming my go-to music player for my odyssey to the west coast. Because of it's small space, it could hold around 150 songs, enough for a day's drive. While it's convenient to have all of one's music on a larger device, having a selected mix of favorites can make for a more pleasant trip (and less skipping). So I bought a AAA battery for the Sansa and the player came to life with the familiar SanDisk logo flashing in the tiny screen. To my surprise, the music library I'd left on there when I let my friend borrow it was still intact (she mainly used it for the built-in FM Radio during her gym time).
I've been thinking about actually using the MP3 player again, just something to carry around for when I go running or on car trips. However, I don't have it in me to clear the current playlist. I look at it like my time capsule or a school yearbook. Also, I already have three other perfectly capable portable music players (my DSi and 3DS for "selected" tracks (1GB each, twice that of the Sansa) and my 8GB iPod Touch for a larger library), so the environmentalist in me (while screaming that I have too much stuff to begin with) is saying I don't "need" another device and would probably do well to donate the little blue. It also doesn't help that the Sansa is having connectivity issues with Ubuntu. I know I could just make a copy of the playlist and use that. The whole thing makes me wonder about attachment to things and memories.
As I browsed the songs, memories and feelings came flooding back to me. Seeing Eddie Vedder on the player brought me back to Mt. Rainier, driving amongst the tall trees of Gifford Pinchot National Forest as carefree and young as I could with "Big Hard Sun" playing on my car speakers. "I Don't Feel At Home In This World" by the Gospel Keys reminded me of the excitement of the wannabe gypsy life, traveling and having little but making the most of things (admittedly contrasting the song's actual meaning of spiritual pilgrimage on earth). Modest Mouse WAS the music of the Pacific Northwest, with "Dashboard" bringing a Walla Walla, WA fish and chips flavor to my mind's tastebuds (sad to learn that the little fish restaurant closed down). This little Sansa was essentially my journal, my thoughts and feelings from my 2009 self reflected musically, each song a memory, feeling, or issue I pondered ("Strawberry Fields Forever" queried life direction and "Wicked Game" was about relationships). Whether or not I keep the Sansa, it was great to go through and reminisce what was essentially one of the greatest summers ever.
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| "Little Blue" |
I've been thinking about actually using the MP3 player again, just something to carry around for when I go running or on car trips. However, I don't have it in me to clear the current playlist. I look at it like my time capsule or a school yearbook. Also, I already have three other perfectly capable portable music players (my DSi and 3DS for "selected" tracks (1GB each, twice that of the Sansa) and my 8GB iPod Touch for a larger library), so the environmentalist in me (while screaming that I have too much stuff to begin with) is saying I don't "need" another device and would probably do well to donate the little blue. It also doesn't help that the Sansa is having connectivity issues with Ubuntu. I know I could just make a copy of the playlist and use that. The whole thing makes me wonder about attachment to things and memories.
As I browsed the songs, memories and feelings came flooding back to me. Seeing Eddie Vedder on the player brought me back to Mt. Rainier, driving amongst the tall trees of Gifford Pinchot National Forest as carefree and young as I could with "Big Hard Sun" playing on my car speakers. "I Don't Feel At Home In This World" by the Gospel Keys reminded me of the excitement of the wannabe gypsy life, traveling and having little but making the most of things (admittedly contrasting the song's actual meaning of spiritual pilgrimage on earth). Modest Mouse WAS the music of the Pacific Northwest, with "Dashboard" bringing a Walla Walla, WA fish and chips flavor to my mind's tastebuds (sad to learn that the little fish restaurant closed down). This little Sansa was essentially my journal, my thoughts and feelings from my 2009 self reflected musically, each song a memory, feeling, or issue I pondered ("Strawberry Fields Forever" queried life direction and "Wicked Game" was about relationships). Whether or not I keep the Sansa, it was great to go through and reminisce what was essentially one of the greatest summers ever.
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