The Glory Machine

Once upon a time, when I was in University, mp3 players were gaining popularity. This was before Apple had more or less monopolized the market with their ipod. It was a time of variety, and of mystery. People had different kinds of mp3 players, all different, and all the shape, weight, and size, of a small brick.

I did not like ipods. I did not like the shape, the controls, the computer/player interface, the Appleness of it, etc. I was not the only one.

So in my first year of engineering I met someone with a Dell DJ. Seeing the awesomeness of an alternative to an ipod, a friend and I each bought brand new Dell DJs.

Now, let me tell you something that may shock you. Contrary to the popular belief that the ipod was the only functional and usable mp3 player out there, the Dell DJ worked, and it worked well. I used my mp3 player very hard and all the way through University.

True, that about a year in a little bug crawled into the headphone jack and behind the screen where he proceeded to perish... I named him, Fredrique the Helpful Cockroach... He wasn't really helpful, since he was deceased, and stuck behind the screen, but you could see him there looking out at you with those dead still eyes, and it was kind of comforting. People joke about bugs in their electronics... I joke not.

Other than Fredrique's appearance there were no real bumps in the road... well... I guess, at about four years in the headphone jack became damaged and then I had to use some shish kabob skewers, and heaps of electrical tape to make everything work. I also took the liberty of adding in another headphone jack, and renaming my mp3 player to "The Glory Machine."

The Glory Machine

Oh how The Glory Machine served me well. We had times... good good times... listening to tunes all around the world and doing all the things that people do with their mp3 players. Like, sitting in dark rooms alone listening to music, sitting on the toilet listening to music, even sitting in class listening to music... heh, true story, I actually used to have two sets of headphones, so that the Professors would see one around my neck and would not think that I was listening to another set... maybe that explains my marks in second year...

Anyways, long story short, good times were had.

But then, in New Brunswick, my fix on the Glory Machine unfixed, and where once I was listening to the voluminous variety of stereo sound I was reduced to the monotony of mono.

Mono... poor poor mono.

So then, I stopped listening to music, and the soundtrack of my life once again became the belaboured breathing from my deviated septumatic nose.

So life went.

So it goes.

Recently... ish... (I know, I know, I'm behind on posting)... It was my birthday. When my sister and I drove up to see Drayton Valley the first time, we did so in silence. She noticed. And that spawned an idea. Instead of listening to the air trying to squeeze through my nose, I could listen to... wait for it... novel concept... music!

So my family teamed up, and bought for me... an ipod!

ipod!!!

Ok. Don't get me wrong, I was not on the ipod boat, but, the war is over, and we lost. So ipod it is. Plus, the technology is good, I just have to get over its... Appleness...

Thus ends the saga of The Glory Machine, and begins the saga of...

The New Hotness

The New Hotness (Left) and The Glory Machine (Right)