Friday, December 01, 2006

The End of an Era


Tower Records will soon be going out of business.

Part of this is due to the popularity of downloading songs off the Internet. The younger generation prefers to downloads songs from iTunes instead of buying a CD (which might have 2 good songs, and 8 songs to take up space)

Still, I'll really miss going to Tower's!

I remember when I was attending McKinley High School, I would sometimes walk to Tower's after-school! (side note: being able to walk to Tower's was one of the great benefits of attending McKinley High School)

I would go to Tower's and usually stay there for at least an hour. I can look at the new CD's, read the magazines, and sometimes buy the CD's.

But the BEST THING ABOUT Tower's was the listening stations. Listening stations had a group of CDs you can listen to before you buy them.

Sometimes, the listening stations had the really popular albums. Other times, they had albums that have been over-looked by the mainstream media!

The listening stations were separated by categories, so that there were listening stations for hip-hop, reggae, heavy metal/hard rock, jazz, techno, Hawaiian, etc. There were also listening stations reserved for musicians who were ignored by radio & MTV!

With listening stations, I could find out which CD was worth spending my limited funds.

Sometimes, I hear a good song on the radio, and I find out from the listening stations that the rest of that musician's albums is just junk!

Other times, the listening stations had albums that from musicians that have been over-looked by radio stations & MTV! However, when listening to the album, I loved it so much, I bought it!

Many of the other record stores, like Sam Goody's, either DONT have those listening stations or dont have as many as Tower's did!

I used to go to Tower's every week, but time limits have reduced how often I went to Tower's. Soon, I would no longer able to go there!

I would be really saddenned when Tower's is closed forever! It was such a big part of my teenage and young adult years! It was where I would sometimes run into my friends and acquaintances! It was a place which my family know I love! The staff members there recognized me when I went there! It was one of my favorite places!

To the folks at Tower Records, thank you for so many good years of service! I will forever miss you!
Cell phones on the bus

Here is my letter to the Star Bulletin on the idea of regulating cell phone use on the bus

http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/22/editorial/letters.html

Don't ban cell phones on city buses

There is a bill in the City Council to regulate the use of cell phones on TheBus. That is a step in the wrong direction, and is out of touch with the lives of average bus riders.

If I'm riding the bus and there is a traffic jam, I'll be late for wherever I'm going. I'll need to notify those who I need to meet. I'll need to use my cell phone!

Another scenario: I am almost never home in daytime. But someone might need to contact me during the daytime. That is why I carry a cell phone. If I'm on the bus, I'll need to speak to that person on the cell phone!

I might need to get important information out to someone. But the only time I could do so is when I'm not busy. And when I'm on the bus, I'm not busy, so that's the time to call!

I don't use the cell phone every single minute while I'm on the bus. I also understand common courtesy and will not discuss certain subjects in a public space.

But I also believe bus riders need to understand that the bus is not a private space, nor should they feel entitled to having every single moment on the bus as a silent moment.

Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu

And here's a response to my letter

http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/25/editorial/letters.html

We do need ban on cell phones in buses

In reference to the Nov. 22 letter by Pablo Wegesend about cell phones on city buses: It is about time a cell-phone ban takes place. I have been a bus rider for 20 years -- 10 years with the presence of cell phones. It is hell riding on the bus with someone sitting next to you chattering about personal business for more than one hour at 7 o'clock in the morning or going home late in the afternoon. God help you when that person is using a walkie-talkie type cell phone! And imagine if you have someone next to you and behind you talking on cell phones at the same time. When that happens, I usually find another seat and move. Why should I be forced to do that?

I understand the need for cell phones in emergencies. Other than that, people should shut them off. Business can wait. Unless you commute to the countryside, bus rides usually are short.

So shut off those cell phones, and meditate or read. This applies to bus drivers as well. This is the very same reason why radios are not permitted in the bus. Imagine if everyone turned their radios on?

Rosita Sipirok-Siregar
Makakilo


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My response:
Listening to a fellow bus passenger talk on the cell phone is just like listening to 2 friends on the bus talking to each other!

What, we cannot talk while we're in the bus?