You just never know who might be a 'Pod person.

Byline: Serena Markstrom The Register-Guard

With their stylized ads featuring wildly dancing, physically fit silhouettes against bright, colorful backgrounds, iPods have become a cultural phenomenon.

Apple has sold 10 million iPods since the music players debuted in 2001.

As if iPod didn't get enough attention with celebrities such as quarterback Tom Brady and filmmaker Michael Moore posting their playlists online, one of President Bush's aides recently "leaked" the presidential playlist to The New York Times.

Though Bush doesn't download his own iTunes, many media organizations have speculated on the meaning of Bush's song selections, which are heavy on country but also include some artists who actively campaigned against him in 2004, such as John Fogerty.

Apple may dominate the market for hand-held devices that store music downloaded from the Internet, but there are other makers of MP3 players out there that do the same thing.

Locally, well-known people of all backgrounds and professions have MP3 players - from U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, 57, to Eugene Police Department spokeswoman Pam Olshanski, 38, to half of last season's fifth-place "Amazing Race" team from Eugene, Karli French, 27.

Not everyone has one, of course.

University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer doesn't. Artistic director of the Eugene Ballet Toni Pimble doesn't. Singer Mason Williams doesn't. KLCC's Tom Krumm doesn't. Eugene Superintendent George Russell doesn't.

And Buddy, aka Wilson Paul Hazelton, 57, famous greeter from Rite-Aid in south Eugene, didn't know what an iPod was when asked. Ever helpful, Buddy found out whether his son had one. Buddy's son doesn't have one, either.

Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, may rock out to Aerosmith's ``Dream On'' and ``Bittersweet Symphony'' by the Verve, but local Ducks QB Kellen Clemens gets by sans iPod.

UO basketball big guy Mitch Platt, on the other hand, is listening to Tim McGraw, Usher, Eminem, Sublime and James Taylor.

Superintendent of Springfield schools Nancy Golden, 53, has an iPod, but she doesn't use it for music. She voice records information, then puts it on her desktop and a woman in Albany fetches it to create documents.

"It's like dictation without needing to use the tape," she said. `I wouldn't have it if I hadn't said to the tech person `there's got to be a way I can do the voice thing without having to send tapes.' I wouldn't know how to download music on it. I have no clue how.'

Author and former KLCC radio host Alan Siporin, 56, said he doesn't have an iPod, either.

"I guess my head is full of enough noise, without devices, to keep me fully entertained," Siporin said.

Dave Lacy, general manager of the Mac Store in Eugene, said his store sells iPods to all sorts of people and the only noticeable generational difference is what type of iPod customers choose. iPods range in price from the $99 Shuffle to the $499, 60 gigabyte iPod Photo with a color screen. The young people tend to go for the inexpensive Shuffle.

"You'd be amazed," said Lacy, whose own iPod has everything from "VeggieTales" for his kids to Weird Al Yankovic for himself. ``We have a lot of senior citizens who are customers of ours who have been following the Mac world since 1984.'' That's when the Macintosh made its noteworthy television debut in an ad during the Super Bowl.

"We have a lot of people who like to be on the cutting edge," Lacy said.

People have all sorts of rituals surrounding their playlists.

`There are a few ways in which I am very anal retentive, or, as I like to say, `particular.' This is one of them,' said Dustin Lanker, singer and keyboard player for local band the Visible Men. "I only put entire albums on my iPod, as I cannot stand having individual songs floating in space. I know it's a little weird. It's the only thing in my life that's organized."

Another local group, the Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers, have a song on the iTunes music sampler given out to new iPod owners.

But the Soldiers don't get any perks with that - such as free iPods.

The band's lead vocalist, Marty Larson-Xu, said he is the only member of the group who has an iPod, but the group shares it.

Larson-Xu said he and the other band members make playlists for when they go on the road. They pass around a laptop and add to the list and friends always send ideas for downloads. Plus, "we try to keep tabs on our competition," Larson-Xu said.

Lacy of the Mac Store said out-of-town performers who are visiting the Hult Center often come into the store and buy iPods. They are still selling well.

The iPod ``crosses all boundaries of race, creed, color and sex,'' Lacy said.

WHAT'S ON YOUR iPOD?

Playlists (iPod and other MP3 players) from a few notable Lane County music listeners:

Scott McKee, Eugene Police Violent Crimes supervisor: Sound track from "What Women Want"; Destiny's Child, "Destiny Fulfilled"; AKON, "Locked Up"; Beck, "Loser"; Dixie Chicks, various songs

Dustin Lanker, vocalist and keyboard player for the Visible Men (full albums only): The Band, "The Band"; Neil Diamond, "TapRoot Manuscript"; Cardigans, "First Band on the Moon"; Thelonious Monk, "Underground"; XTC, "Buffet"

Jordan Kent, UO track and field and basketball athlete: 50 Cent, "Hate It or Love It"; Rick Astley, "Together Forever"; Luther Vandross, "Don't Want to Be a Fool"; Lee Ritenour, "Bahia Funk"; Usher, "Throwback"

Marty Larson-Xu, vocalist for the Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers: The Hunches, "A Flower in the Ending"; Marilyn Manson, "The Fight Song"; Jay-Z, "My 1st Song"; Jimi Hendrix, "Pali Gap"; Neil Young, "Barstool Blues"

Pam Olshanski, public information director for the Eugene Police Department: Nate Sallie, "Whatever It Takes"; Ana Laura, "Because You Loved Me"; Chris Tomlin, "Holy Is the Lord"; Phillips, Craig and Dean, "You Are God Alone"; Michael W. Smith, "For You"

Craig Hickman, director of the Digital Arts program at the University of Oregon and creator of Kid Pix software: Virginia Rodrigues, "Depois Que O Ile Passar"; Johnny Paycheck, "Friend, Lover, Wife"; Billie Holiday, "Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)"; The Crystal Method, "PHD"; The Cure, "Fascination Street"

Karli French, Eugene resident who competed on "The Amazing Race": The Cure, VNV Nation, Modest Mouse, Cyndi Lauper, Afghan Wigs, Prince

Peter DeFazio, U.S. Fourth District Representative: John Coltrane, Etta James, Mozart, Dave Matthews Band, Karrin Allyson