| Nokia fascinates me. I am one of those | | | | sound, image, business, making money, giving gifts |
| consumers that like to find a brand and stick with | | | | of assistance to others - what is it that stirs your |
| it. Mostly, I go to mid range products although, | | | | soul in a peaceful and loving way? |
| where quality really counts, I will go to the top - | | | | I tend to not carry my music with me because it |
| you just cannot beat a '72 Fender Precision bass. | | | | would somehow distort and cheapen my deep |
| I drive a Toyota station wagon, ride a brand | | | | relationship with music. I don't like being interrupted |
| name surf board, use a HP computer and used to | | | | while listening and, rather than jostle with time, |
| ride a Yamaha motor cycle. | | | | crowds and other environment issue, I like the |
| Generally, the company behind most of these | | | | sanctuary of my music. Devices that let you bring |
| things doesn't really matter to me. It is only | | | | your music with you, for me, do not create the |
| where my passions are raised that I will put in the | | | | same sense of solitude and sanctuary. |
| effort to search out the best I can find. I tried | | | | When you get to that stage where you have to |
| out several bass guitars before we met (my | | | | take your music wherever you go, has your |
| Fender Precision and I) and I have been | | | | music shifted from an escape to become your |
| unswerving ever since. It wasn't the name Fender | | | | prison and does this dependency deteriorate the |
| it was the feel, the balance, the sound and its | | | | quality of what you see as sacred music Is |
| responsiveness to doing what I wanted it to do. | | | | something else going on? I think of the people in a |
| I can still remember the experience of walking | | | | train carriage whose distorted music can be heard |
| into the music store. Picking up the Fender | | | | half a carriage away -have hey become prisoners |
| Precision, plugging it in to an amp and immediately | | | | to noise? |
| being transported to bass player heaven. That | | | | Like Dr Charles Winchester on MASH 4077, has |
| was more than thirty years ago. Some events in | | | | their music somehow twisted back upon them in |
| life do record at an indestructible soul level. | | | | betrayal? He listened to classical music to take |
| Stop reading for a moment! Take some time out | | | | him away from the war, when the war was over |
| for your own reflection. Close your eyes and go | | | | however; he knew that listening to his beloved |
| back to a better time. Think back to an event in | | | | classical music would always remind him of the |
| your life when the experience touched your soul | | | | war. What a terrible fate and savage irony for |
| gently. The article will still be here when you get | | | | one's passion. I digress. Am I right about creating |
| back, but, hopefully, you will have touched into a | | | | sanctuary or is it just that the cost of freedom is |
| better space. Enjoy (visit my site and post your | | | | so high nowadays we have to take it at any |
| comment). | | | | price? Even in a carriage to the discomfort of our |
| I guess that sort of experience comes back to | | | | fellow journeymen? |
| the love and passion that the people making the | | | | In most areas, contemporary product offerings |
| object or event of your affections put into it that | | | | vary little between the major manufacturers. |
| bringing the moment to life. I bet you have | | | | Take cars for instance. Some are so similar as to |
| inanimate objects where your feelings blur from | | | | be indistinguishable at twenty feet. My car fits into |
| inanimate to intimate. That is probably appreciation | | | | the indistinguishable category but the brand has a |
| of beauty, craftsmanship and care put in by the | | | | fierce reputation for the reliability. That is good |
| maker. (When I was five years old I slept with | | | | enough for me. |
| my birthday present - a football!) | | | | My relationship to Nokia is different however. It |
| As a consumer, I am more driven by reliability, | | | | lies somewhere between the first time I laid eyes |
| function, quality and service than by fashion, fad | | | | on my own Fender Precision and first listening to |
| or status. For example, I am not caught up in the | | | | a new CD. I am not quite in love with Nokia but |
| need to constantly change the ring tone. Although | | | | watching what they do is exciting. Following the |
| I could download Hotel California, I still use the | | | | evolution of Nokia products is, to me, akin to |
| same default ring tone as Allison Dubois does on | | | | window shopping. I can see what is on offer |
| the TV series Medium - is that called product | | | | without denting my credit card and it fascinates |
| placement or bloody annoying? | | | | me. |
| Because my dream is to work from home for | | | | In this case however, the window provides a |
| somewhat less than 20 hours per week, I opted | | | | deeper view into the shop that is our global |
| for a reliable (sic expensive) desktop computer | | | | culture. Because Nokia is constantly pushing the |
| (to be paid from future - read unforthcoming, | | | | technology limits and through its propensity to |
| income). A laptop or cell phone 'bluetoothed' (as a | | | | forge and develop relations with other key |
| verb?) to a Desktop PC just doesn't interest me. | | | | players, looking into the Nokia window allows one |
| When I sit at the computer I like to have my | | | | to see what is happening at a more broad level. |
| desk, a biro, and at least a scribble pad close by, | | | | For instance, Nokia is pushing the boundaries that |
| headphones on listening to CSN, and I feel I am' in | | | | allow an individual to select a hand-held device that |
| the zone' with a glass of red and my extensive | | | | is optimised for entertainment, music and games |
| library around me. What creates you sanctuary, | | | | and the undeniable practicality of the Internet. |
| what gets you into your creative zone, music, | | | | |