Girlfriend Eye-Rolling Method #354

The past two evenings, I've been transferring my core group of albums to a new Giant CD Binder. This one goes with me on any moderately long car ride. I still don't put a lot of faith in FM iPod transmitters, and my car isn't wired for an MP3 player (I missed that boat by a model year), so I still have to "make do" with those crazy CDs the old people are talking about. I'm just dreading the day when CDs are thought of as obsolete, because I still think there are a number of problems with a completely digital music industry (namely sound quality and backups), but Steve Jobs' recent decision to offer copy-protection-free music on iTunes is a small step in the right direction. I do, however, think that digital-only releases are the future and are a positive for up-and-coming musicians everywhere. Even so, I will still prefer to have a hard copy in the form of a CD for as long as they'll sell them.

Which brings me back to the Giant CD Binder. It's a big deal for me, and I wonder if anyone else has one. I think it's absolutely crucial to have the right mix and amount of albums available for any kind of situation or mood on the road. I follow three simple rules:

1. The latest purchases go up front.
2. Always have the location of my favorite bands memorized for emergency switch-outs.
3. The binder's size and proportion filled must be disproportionately larger than the length of the trip.

Simple!