Monthly Archives: December 2008

I had a job interview for a reporter position with a news wire service this afternoon. One part of the interview process was completing an on-site editorial test.

The machine I was assigned to do my write-up was a PC without Microsoft Office. As a result, I was forced to use the forgotten relic of text editing — Microsoft WordPad.

Although WordPad is not as simple and basic as its even more antiquated forebear, Microsoft Notepad, it still leaves a lot to the imagination when you’re hoping for good old regular Microsoft Word.

While I was typing away on this thing I realized there is a sort of zen-like simplicity to the program. It reminded me of the lofty ideals and love affairs riders have with their fixed-gear bikes. Commonly found under NYC’s bike messenger community, these stripped down versions of regular bikes get you from place to place literally without all the whistles, bells, extra gears and brakes.

As I worked my way through the test I found myself spellchecking my document like a 20th century caveman — manually. Even the formatting was as no-frills as it gets. But that’s exactly the point I suppose, everything you need, nothing you don’t. Minimalism?

The Raconteurs? The Mars Volta? Audioslave? Bad English? Journey? Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? Cream?!

I’ve narrowed it down to two finalists.

You may think pitting legendary rock super-band Traveling Wilburys (featuring Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison) against Moulin Rouge!‘s chart shattering soundtrack factory Lady Marmalade (featuring  Lil’ Kim, Pink, Mýa and Christina Aguilera) would be an unfair battle.

But where the lovely ladies of Pop excel in underwear-clad dancing, the aging minstrels of Classic Rock dominate in guitar strumming and facial hair growing. And similarly, I’m sure just as many young girls had posters of Roy Orbison on their wall when the Wilburys’ first album dropped as when Genie In A Bottle did, right?