iPoop

I have only good things to say about the Apple iPod. This past summer mine got wet and broke, but it was still under warranty so I got a new replacement, absolutely free. And all my music was on my computer, so nothing was lost. My old iPod was named "Mrkgnaaaooo!", but I named this new one "Terpsichore", after one of the Greek muses.

When I got my iPod replaced, I resolved to treat the new one better. I decided Terpsichore would not be coming along on any jogs or walks in rain storms, and I bought a nice leather cover so I wouldn't scratch up the screen. (It's made by Covertec, in case you're interested.) This past week or so I've been shopping iPod accessories again, because I managed to lose my headphones and also my USB cable and charger. The cable and charger seem to have gone missing from my checked suitcase after flying home yesterday; the headphones were stolen while I was in Buffalo, though that's a much longer story.

Anyway, this post is not about my recent penchant for losing stuff. Maybe I'll get around to that topic in another post. This one is about the astonishing variety of iPod accessories being sold. Covers, cords, headphones, there are so many of these, but they are only the beginning. I have no good explanation, though, for the AFT iCarta. This thing, as self-explanatory as it may seem, just leaves me asking rhetorical questions....

Do we really need an iPod toilet paper holder? Does this really enrich the bathroom experience, or can the toilet enrich the iPod experience? Can such an object have any real benefit, besides gag gift? And who spends over $100 for a gag gift?

One of my favorite things about the iPod is the simplicity of its design, the elegance of that single button right in the center. There's something wonderful about a gizmo that you can use without reading any instructions, that makes you forget that you're even operating a sophisticated gizmo. That simplicity not only makes it useful, it seems to encourage people to superimpose their personalities on it, to clothe and feed and accessorize their iPods. I'm just wondering if we've reached a point of ridiculousness, if the iPod has jumped the shark. I guess until I meet someone with an iCarta, and try it myself, I won't know for sure. For now, though, Terpsichore is staying out of the bathroom.