An Ode to the Cassette Tape

So I should start this out with a rant about how much technology has changed over the years and just how far we've come and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to do such a silly thing. I'm just going to jump right in and say it's not nice to make fun of the last kid picked for dodge ball. Yes, cassette tapes are outdated, but don't laugh at them, they're totally retro! Sure, you indie kids have your records and the occasional mix tape, but the nostalgia or the good ol' cassette seems to be lost in "Ooooh... yeah, they sucked." Well, I'm prepared to stick up for them.

First and foremost we explore the mix tape. The notorious creature that plagued the angst ridden teenagers of the 80s and early 90s. Screw them. For you fellow 20-somethings out there, they were about twice your age at this time and just far too cool to hang out with you. My first mix tape featured carefully selected works from my Disney tapes. Yeah, I was that awesome. The mix tape now lives on, evolving from mix CDs to playlists. Back then you basically had to FORCE people to listen to your whole tape, now they can just skip around. My how times change.

Second of all, I think the cassette is the reason for my cat like reflexes. Want to skip through a song? You can't just press a button and the next song magically starts playing. Oh no, you have to go through the WHOLE song... or deal with the fast forward button- that wondrous little thing that turned a song into garbled nonsense... sometimes it was better off that way. Eventually you got good enough to realize when those 5 seconds of silence pass you by in the fast forward and it's time to stop the tape and enjoy the song you wanted to listen to in the first place.

Third of all, I miss the sounds a cassette player makes. The clicking the tape into place, the end of the tape sound and the subsequent rewind. So this part may just be complete nostalgia, but today's music players are far to silent. Except for the click a clicka clicka that ipods make, but does anyone keep that setting?


So let's give the cassette tape a break. They served their purpose in the evolution of music listening technology. And they are much better than the 8 track. Maybe not as retro cool as the record player, but they'll get there. I can already see some of the nostalgia. On another note, I have no sympathy for the VHS. Except for the giant plastic boxes the Disney movies used to come in.

So here I am. Almost a year after I graduated film school. And what do I have to show for it? Another year of professionally folding clothes at the local "MC Nickels" (name changed to protect my only source of income). Or not so professionally as one discontented customer decided to point out to my manager... since talking about Lost is apparently forbidden in the world of retail and highly offensive.

Needless to say, it seems as though I don't fit in there. Or anywhere for that matter. I would like a better job. As would most people during this pretty fantastic recession we have going on. Party in the USA, indeed. I know I don't have a lot of room to gripe. I went to film school for crying out loud, I knew it was going to be hard and I'm not so naive to think that Federico Fellini would rise from the grave and offer me a position on his upcoming film. I'm not sure if I'm a dreamer or just plain stubborn, but I'm not giving up on attempting to be an editor... or really anything in the film business for that matter. Except for actress. I don't think I could do that nor do I think that people would want to see images of my face the size of a billboard.

So that brings me this blog. I am attempting to find myself a job that I like better than the one that I have now.... especially since they like to persecute me based upon my television watching habits. I'm desperate. Especially after the recent one night stand that I had with the Apple Store. They seduced me into their clean, shiny, well-lit store and sweet talked me for three hours of my life. It was an evening of passion and computers. Then they dumped me for some younger, less cynical college kids. Now they won't even answer my emails. Yes, I did email them back after my rejection. Twice. And no response. I just asked them to keep my resume on file and if they could give me any tips for future interviews. Is that too much to ask? What? Am I not pretty enough for them? I can change! I can cut my hair! I can lose weight! Should I get plastic surgery? I can sell a kidney and get a nose job!

OK, so they emails haven't gone that far. But maybe they should. Someone out there has to be as crazy as I am and have a job available and I am going to find him or her. By thinking outside the box. Or just being plain crazy, but I honestly don't have much else. If anything I could get famous for being insane. Right?