strange world – strange times – strange dude
…Begin HQ communication…
June 2009
Fire crew dispatched to area for cleanup. Additional subterfuge reinforcements called up and new rotation established. Landing prevention cables installed on enemy’s stronghold zone.
Please advise HQ of updated mission status.
Another Kentucky custom classic, though I’m not sure of its intended function…
I plugged my ancient (nearly two years old) iPod car charger into my fancy new iPod Touch today and got the famous “charging is not supported with this accessory” message. Why isn’t it supported?! It is the same #@$% jack as the old one!! What is it about Apple stuff that makes us tolerate this crap?
If you have ever fumbled with a Mac computer, you are probably familiar with their myriad assortment of proprietary video ports. If you want to do something outrageous like, say, plug it into a VGA monitor or a projector, well you are just out of luck unless you go drop $20 on a special VGA adapter. But in a couple of years, that adapter will be old and busted and you’ll have to get a different one for your new Mac.
In a technology world where we rail against proprietary gadgetry (think about most anything with Cisco, Microsoft, IBM…), somehow we give Apple a pass on this one. Many of my dear friends who are die-hard when it comes to things like open source and development standards would not trade their precious Macs for anything. Indeed, if you tried to take my iPod, I would bite your fingers off! But why? Why don’t we treat Apple with the same spite for this behavior?
Driving down the road today and looking at this message, I think I put it together… Apple’s stuff is slick and just flat works.
Consider the America that we live in today. You call someone to do X for you, maybe fix your car or do something around the house. They come, they do it right, you pay them and then what? You feel like you got a bonus! We are so lazy and terrible these days that we EXPECT things to go wrong. How sad is it that we actually feel like we hit some jackpot when we get someone to DO WHAT WE PAID THEM FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE without having to watch them the whole time or make them come back three times to finish?
So Apple gear is just one big, fat bonus. Their stuff is so cool and works so well that we are willing to overlook the VGA adapters and non-charging accessories. Heck, we would have tipped the guy that did it right the first time, anyway.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go stand in line and smile while I get a new car charger.
…Begin combat report…
June 2009
Mayday – mayday – mayday. Enemy has adapted to subterfuge devices and turned them into bombardment targets. Enemy avoids spikes but now lands on lower sections and continues to bombard the area. Mission outcome doubtful. Request immediate reinforcements.
