Do you #1 or #2 when you shop?

While I was writing my last post that expands on my shopping theme, Ken chimed in. Ken's three points are dead on. To review:

Most people buying an MP3 player as a gift are going to consider three things:

1. What the person asked for.
2. What they've heard of.
3. What they can afford.

When #1 is locked up ("Grandma, I want a 4GB iPod nano") then there's no problem (unless #3 is an issue). I was thinking about cases where #1 is either vague or non-existent. If all you know is that your niece wants one of those portable music players, then #2 and #3 will determine your purchase. I'm thinking more of cases where #1 isn't even known.

For example. You have to buy something for your niece, but you have no idea what to get. Say, you've heard about those iPod thingys (#2). Well, you've heard all the kids seem to want one, so OK. Wow -- look at the price (#3)! At your favorite big-box retailer you find a no-name player that the clerk says is just as good as an iPod, and half the price. Another perfect gift! Or is it? That's the problem of a contextural gift.

As to Ken's concerns about iPod's hard drives -- that was a general statement. If you run, jog, mountain climb or do any other physical activity that regularly subjects a player (of any brand) to repeated shocks, it's best to go with one that uses embedded memory. Remember that hard drive players have a little spinning disc with a very small arm that has to track across it like the stereo LP players of olden time. While they're designed to handle occasional jarring, sustained impact could eventually misalign these moving parts and cause problems.

Orange plays again tonight. I think the second time they get flagged, the band should play Brittany Spears' "Oops, I Did It Again." Or maybe not.

- Ralph

Marching Memes 3 - and a new topic

Sorry, Ken. I've got to give you 2 out of 3 for your last post. "Imperial March" is a great addition to the list. "Green Acres" makes a valid marching meme -- the show hasn't been on for years, but everyone catches the reference.

I think any band that played "Three Blind Mice" after a call would earn their team a penalty of some kind, though. And besides, that's much too obvious. It may be a little on the subtle side, but Cory Hart's "I Wear My Sunglasses At Night" might sneak under the radar.

Orange has continued its losing streak. Maybe the band should play a little "Livin' On a Prayer" (Van Halen)? More additions are welcome. I'll compile a master list at the end of the season.

New Subject
So its that time of year again, and everyone's pitching consumer electronics as the perfect gift for your spouse/child/relative/coworker/paramour. But what would the perfect gift be? One of the problems with these kind of gifts is that they usually bring other unanticipated things to the table.

For example: an MP3 player for your pre-teen might seems like a good idea. All the kids have one. But when you purchase an MP3 player you kind of lock into a format. Is the recipient a big iTunes user? Those files only work on iPods. Get something else, and the recipient is looking a massive file conversion project. What about memory size? Get one too small, and its practically useless. Buy something with a hard drive for someone into running track, and you're giving them a player that will soon be on the fritz.

So, Ken (and loyal readers), what kind of consumer electronics device would make a great gift without requiring a lot of hookup or unpleasant incompatibility problems? Believe me, enquiring minds wants to know!
- Ralph

More memes...

OK Ralph, I'll take you up on that...

When the opposing team takes the field -- "Green Acres" theme (if they're from a rural area)

When your team takes the field -- "Imperial March" from Star Wars Trilogy (best if your team wears black...)

A bad call from the ref -- "Three Blind Mice"

Balls in your court, buddy...

Ken

Return of the Marching Memes

Another edition of "Friday Night Lights" (the Orange County version) has come and gone, and I can't get the concept of marching memes out of my head. For those who came in late, I'm calling any of those short little musical quotes marching bands play in the stands "musical memes." These little song fragments have, in some cases, been off the charts for over a quarter of a century, and yet everyone know them.

In one sense, they're serving a similar purpose to ringtones -- they're a musical shorthand. I keep thinking that it might be possible for a band to provide running commentary throughout an entire game just by playing 16-bar song quotes.

So here's the challange: think of a musical meme that would work for a football game. It must be short, have an identifiable melody, and words that everybody knows. And it would be helpful to list its purpose. I'll add to the list as I think of things -- and hopefully Ken will have some more. And maybe you will, too.

- Ralph

Marching Memes

Firing up the stands
"Song 2" - Blur

Opposing side penalty
"Hounddog" - Elvis Presley

Team losing with a big lead
"Where Did Our Love Go?" - Supremes

Team winning with big lead
"Na-na Hey Hey Goodbye" - Steam

The Marching Memes

I was pondering memes at the local high school football game Friday night. Both bands were in full swing. At almost every break in the action either Orange or Madison would fire up a little musical snippet. Most of it was standard fare: "Louie, Louie," "Wooley Booley," "Rock and Roll (Part II)", "Another One Bites the Dust" and so on.

Kids currently in high school now were born between 1989 and 1992. Most of the stuff they were playing was popular 10 to 20 years before they were born. The tunes were used because they still elicit a response -- but why? They're not part of what students listen to now, nor are they heard that often on radio, or even commercials. Yet, somehow, everyone knows them. Musical memes.

Just to put things into perspective, keeping the same time relationships, it would be like my high school band playing tunes from the 1935 hit parade!

BTW - although both band directors did a great job, kudos to the Madison Mountaineers director for some really imaginative programming. When a penalty was called, they played War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" and after losing 49-32 to Orange, their musical response was a Van Halen tune.

"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame. You give love a bad name."