Death of a Walkman

On July 1, 1979 the first Walkman was created in Japan by Sony’s co-founder Akio Morita and last week the last set of Walkman’s were sold to Japanese markets. Once this batch is sold off the shelves, no more Walkman’s will be made for this market. Though the Walkman will continue to be sold in China and other international markets, it is in Japan where the Walkman first had its genesis over 3 decades ago.

This is the beginning of the end for the first, personal, portable music device that reshaped how music was heard. Shutting down production in one region is just a precursor to its eventual decline elsewhere.

This is not just the end of one technology, but also the demise of a product that brought acute cultural change to the way we viewed and accessed music. The Walkman journeyed through its American Dream, fulfilling its life’s purpose until it gave rise to the young, fresh technologies of the future.

It was the Walkman that brought music from the communal sphere into the private world of the individual.

The Walkman reshaped the discussion of privacy and the evolution of personal space. People could not be in very public places and still have a very private experience. Attention and focus could turn completely inward even amidst parks, on subways, or walking through downtown. And of course, the Walkman was the precursor to the Discman, iPod, the Nano, and later the iPhone and iPad, as well as whatever other forms of personal music players have yet to evolve.

The Walkman also brought freedom to music. People could listen to whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted. We could copy our favorites onto a tape rather than having to listen to what was playing on the radio. Music fans could compile their own mixes and young lovers could make mix tapes for their significant others to listen to in private.

The Walkman first made portable the ability to listen to music, creating a new culture of running with music that made its mark even into the exercise industry.

Clearly over the years, the Walkman has made its mark, selling over 220 million units in a little over 3 decades, and it may continue to sell more, at least in the U.S.

There are no immediate plans to cut the Walkman production and distribution here in the states where, a Sony spokesperson told LA Times, there is still a “consistent but small demand.”

As the Walkman’s steady life comes to an end in the city that birthed it, it may only be a matter of time before the Walkman meets is quiet demise. The once innovative, cutting-edge technology of the Walkman has reached the end of its days, “isn’t that remarkable?”

Election Night

Republicans needed 39 seats to win over the House, and they got it. Dominating in the east coast from the onset, where more seats were up for grabs, the House turned right early in the night. CNN Election Center projected the Republicans at 113 seats and the Democrats at 67, with the majority of the country still up for grabs.

The Senate was more of an uphill climb for the Republicans, where a critical loss in West Virginia could cost them the majority, but by no means will they be an overwhelming minority in the upper house of Congress. Currently the Republican Party maintains 44 of the 100 seats; even at a 50-50 stalemate, the Republicans will have gained 9 seats in Senate.

Clearly, the days of Democratic control of both houses are coming to an end tonight. Even if Republicans do not win the majority in the House or the Senate, they have already gained enough seats to swing the left-resting pendulum closer to the center. With a more bipartisan congress, will the next two years mean a stalemate in Congress?

Most of the legislation passed by Congress had been passed despite GOP resistance. The Democratic majority Congress had passed a stimulus bill with only three Republican votes. Republicans vehemently opposed the $940 billion health care reform law, and still seek to repeal it. The addition of 30,000 troops for the war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of all forces from Iraq have gained great GOP opposition. And the constant threats of terror attacks, though unsuccessful, have many Republicans voicing their opinion to increase focus on national security. Disagreeing on almost all major issues facing the country, Congress could be headed to a 2-year hiatus where tabled legislation becomes the norm.

Historically, midterm elections have gravely shaped Presidential legacy. With a majority in both houses for the first two years, the Democrats were able to, and did frequently, sidestep Republican members to singlehandedly pass legislation. This was ne major criticism of the President’s promised campaign goals: his failure to incorporate both parties’ wishes into his legislation. Now, with a more balanced congress, the possibility for constant deadlock seems more than likely.

The same happened with Reagan’s loss of majority in the midterm elections of ’82 as well as Clinton’s midterm loss in 1994; both presidents were kept at bay from completing their agendas after these congressional losses.

However, this midterm election is unique in one way: some of the Republican gains are Tea Party candidates, like Rand Paul in Kentucky, who do not necessarily align themselves with mainstream GOP agendas. In fact, Paul has already declared his plan to challenge GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Paul told CNN’s “American Morning,” “We will challenge him from day to day, but there will be many areas in which we agree.”

This challenge maybe a positive for the Obama administration, as Tea Party Republicans tend to lean less to the right, remaining more centrist. Centrist though still doesn’t guarantee an acceptance of the Obama administration’s agenda for the next 2 years.

On the other hand, no president in the past century has lost his second term after losing the majority in the midterm elections. Whether we look at Harry Truman in 1948, Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 or Bill Clinton in 1996, all three of these Presidents lost control of at least one house of Congress in the midterms, yet continued to win re-election.

Maybe this is a blessing for President Obama in the long run, even if it comes disguised in red, elephant garb.