Why I love and hate iTunes (and all things Apple)

So I've always had a love/hate relationship with Apple and the stuff they make. It started in school where we had access to Apple computers back in the Stone Age of technology. (With our first computers, we had to use a tape player to load programs.)

There really isn't much to relate about those days. We basically got to play around with really simple graphics and games (that are very similar in content to what you might get from Addicting Games or a site like that.

We loved our Apple computers because we were able to play games on them and pretend to be hi-tech computer gurus. I still remember doing lots of DOS style programming. We were able to figure out all sorts of basic games to play with the computer including a number guesser and the game that locks your computer in an endless loop.


So that makes it sound like I just love Apple, right? Well, that was the early days of computers and we didn't know any better. Later on, we started working with PCs. I found those computers to be more intuitive and easier to use. The other major problem I had with Apples versus PCs was the lack of a right-click button. I love right click. It's one of my favorite things in the world.

Yes, I know there are all kinds of keyboard tricks to get those same things done, but I'm not sure what they are, and I'm not really excited about figuring them out.

So what about iTunes and iEverything? First, I really don't understand the push to put a lowercase 'i' in front of everything. iTunes, iPad, iPhone, and the like are just annoying to me. I want to be able to just type without having to think about my Shift

key.

I do enjoy my iPod and iTunes. I like the easy acces to content without having to worry about dealing with legal issues on the other end. I'm watching the Jim Gaffigan special right now. I also have all the seasons of the new run of Doctor Who available any time I want to see them.

However there is a big downside to  this. My content is tracked by Apple. I can't just put it somplace and have access to it. If I lose the file, then it stinks to be me. I don't think there's much we can do about the situation though. We'll just have to continue out love/hate relationship until something better comes along.

Is this seriously the top iTunes single of 2010?

I don't know about you, but I've found several songs this year that I really enjoy until I pay attention to the lyrics. I still can't decide which is worse, "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train, or "Cooler than Me" by Mike Posner. I love the music of the songs, and I usually find myself singing along until I realize what I'm actually saying. Think about the message behind "Cooler than Me." The song basically boils down to "You won't have anything to do with me because you think you're cooler than me." Here's the problem with this statement: the fact that you have to make such a big deal about her thinking that she's cooler than you means that she is cooler than you.

This brings me to my real topic: Train has the number 1 downloaded song on iTunes for 2010. Just typing that sentence makes me want to cringe. So what's so bad about "Hey, Soul Sister" that has me writing about it now?

Every time the song starts, I think that it's a different song that I actually enjoy. I think it's the strumming of the mandolin. I don't know what song I think it is, but after the singer starts in, I know I've been tricked again. The worst part is that the song is popping up everywhere. It's in commercials. It's on the radio all the time. It was even covered by some kid on the beach on an episode of "Hawaii Five-0." You just can't escape it.

But what about specific examples of what's wrong with this song?

Let's start with the use of soul sister. I'm sorry, but a goofy white man has no right singing the phrase soul sister, or pairing the term with a question about Mister, Mister just because it rhymes. Then there's bizarre word images like lipstick stains on my brain. Wouldn't it be easier to simply say "your kiss is on my mind?" I also have a huge problem with him describing himself as a gangster, not because I have a problem with gangster musicians, but look at the guy. There's no way he's a gangster. There are plenty of other snafus, but I think that's more than enough for now. Besides, if I keep ranting about the song I may never stop.

Let's just say that I find it hard to believe that it is a sad state of affairs that this is the most downloaded song, but that's my just my opinion. Leave a comment below to let me know how you feel about it.