Bob Newhart, Season One

I was only a kid when The Bob Newhart show hit TV. I saw the box for Season One at Target, and on a whim, I picked it up. I'm glad I did. The humor's still as good, if not even more appreciable, today than it was then.

I guess reading about Bob Newhart, and what he's really like off screen, was the deciding factor in the impulse purchase (if there's such a thing). Rick Reilly, in Who's Your Caddy, describes Newhart as an approachable, unpretentious man who's wit is quick and style timeless.

One thing's for sure, there are easier ways to blow twenty-bucks, but not as many are as rewarding. I'm sure I'll be laughing at and loaning out these DVDs for years to come.

Fresh Fruit

There's something cleansing, refreshing, associated with purchasing and using an Apple computer.

At work, I found myself chronicling the experience. Here's what I wrote:

WiredNews (spawned by Wired Magazine, which was co-founded by fellow Louisvillian Jane Metcalfe, incidentally) has an interesting story on Apple customers being pack rats.

I have to admit, having purchased my first PowerBook several weeks ago, that the packaging was unlike anything else I'd ever purchased. An attractive and stylish box, with a built-in handle, was only the start. Inside the box the computer and its peripherals (power cord, manual, etc.) were creatively packed, with a space for everything and seemingly the items you need first packed in that order. Apple even took care to insert a small protective sheet between the keyboard and screen, which is not a step I expect every laptop manufacturer takes.

Of course, not every manufacturer's product designs are so stylish. When unloading a new PowerBook or iPod, it only makes sense that such care is taken to protect the contents.

I suspect Apple's invested serious funds in researching its package designs. Does it make a difference? You tell me. I'm beginning to believe I'm the last person on the planet without an iPod. But that'll change soon. And when it does, you can bet I'll keep my Nano's original packaging.

There is a pleasant aura undeniably associated with not only opening, but operating, Apple products. Were Jesus walking among us today, and who's to say he's not, I feel certain he'd use a Mac.