THE CULT OF iPOD

I love my iPod (right up there with my Tivo.) To carry my entire music collection with me wherever I go and call up my favorites songs, not to mention lecutures and seminars, is sublime. It's dangerous that iTunes makes it so easy to download those songs that you "need." I've got about 2000 songs on it so far, which is nothing compared to some friends of mine.

When I see others on the BART or walking in the city with their white headphones, there's that knowing look, a kind of "secret handshake" look, like we have something that others don't know about. Of course everyone knows about it, it's driving Apple's profits right now. And most have seen the "dancing" ads and commercial. Steve Jobs is genius.

It's like having your own personal soundtrack of your life. I like to ease into my mornings so the morning BART commute is usually some classical stuff or meditative groove. But once I ascend out of the station into the bustling energy of the City, I switch to my thumping urban mix or old school jams. After a hard day's work, the commute home is usually jazzy stuff and R&B to wind down and get ready for my favorite part of the day, walking into the house to be greeted by "Daddy!"

Now it's become ritual when leaving the house: keys, wallet, cell phone and iPod.