IPod Touch: Not Impressed

I recently received the iPod touch as a gift, and within one week the screen had already cracked in three different places stemming from one point. I had not dropped the iPod or done anything else to it that could have caused this damage. It was simply sitting in my purse throughout the day. When I went in to the apple store to have it looked at, I was informed the only option would be to replace the iPod for $150. This, to me, is a ridiculous price for a product malfunction. I have to say I am extremely disappointed with this product and I am unable to comprehend Apple’s poor warranty. The design of the front piece on the iPod touch is too fragile if it cannot withstand normal, daily use and conditions. I consider this a product defect. And of course, product defects should be covered by the warranty. For a product costing $300, I expected better quality and service and cheaper repairs. I am surprised by Apple’s unwillingness to replace or repair the iPod for free or a low price. After all, I only had the thing for one week! In the past, I have always had good experiences with Apple, especially when it comes to replacing and repairing damaged products. However, this time I walked away rethinking my image of this company. I am thoroughly unimpressed.

Snow Day

When I walked out of the gym today, I was shocked to find my car buried under nearly an inch of snow. I hadn’t heard anything on the news about snow, so this was a surprise. I was excited about this rare occurence of a snow day in Portland, Oregon, although I was also curious if the weather forecasters were unaware of this storm or if I was just out of the loop on weather issues. Neither would surprise me. Either way, I wish I had been alerted to this weather trend earlier so I could prepare my car, and my driving skills, for the trek home. Before even leaving the parking lot, I had already managed to almost hit a nearby parked car while skidding to a halt, the type of skid that makes a thump thump noise as you hope for the best. Once I made it onto the main road, I was confronted by another issue – traffic. Ahead of me there were five or six cars scattered around in the middle of the road with emergency lights flashing. It looked like some kind of obstacle course with a ton of stalled objects to avoid. By the time I’d crossed the first intersection on my way home, I had already meandered uncontrollably over to the oncoming traffic side of the road at a speedy two miles per hour. Luckily everyone else was going so slow that I was able to correct this problem without any issues. The total trip took around 25 minutes instead of the usual three. I was happy to arrive home without any collisions or compromised mailboxes. And I don’t plan to try driving in the snow without chains again today. Unfortunately, that leaves me stuck at home alone with movies, books, the lovely local news, and a few cuddly kitties. I’m sure I’ll manage.

Materialism

At this time of year, it seems like everyone is heading to the mall and shelling out cash frivolously. I suppose there’s nothing like a commercialized religious holiday to put people in the mood for buying things. While I admit that I too can be found waiting in the long lines at various clothing stores, I can’t help but wonder what the effect of this massive consumption of products has on our society and the environment. There are several things that concern me about this pattern of overconsumption. First, I am disturbed by any holiday’s ability to convince people that material things can bring joy to them and their loved ones. For what reason, other than to benefit capitalist corporations, do material items have more perceived value than quality time spent with family? I understand why people love giving and receiving gifts in this day and age, but what got us started on this track in the first place? The second thing that concerns me about consumer holidays is the effect on the environment. Consumption of unnecessary goods causes precious resources to be overused and destroyed. I know that I for one could certainly be happy without most of the gifts I receive over the holidays, especially the ornaments and cheap jewelry. I wonder where this consumption will lead us – will our values, which link happiness to consumer goods, cause resources to be depleted permanently? Or will this pattern of overconsumption change in the future?