new wave

I kick it old school.

Damn I love people who use these kind of phrases. Imagine when I'm 80 - hmm, not too far away - how those dern young 'uns will be talking.

Languages aside, the point of the blog - started by Anil Dash - is to value what you already have, you don't need the latest model.

VVB has always been heavily into this mode of living. We only got a our first TV bigger than 51 cm (isn't that the 'standard' size?) a couple of months ago.

And when I was having trouble getting the new TV to do all its magic tricks with the DVD (about 4 or 5 years old) and the new amp/receiver (replacing my 1986 Luxman), the dude who eventually came to help looked at my NAD CD played and asked was it a new one?

No, the beauty of NAD gear is that their current line of CD players looks just like the 1994 models, which is what I have.

Psst: don't tell Kevin about not buying shiny shiny new things!

And while I'm here...what are readers' (apostrophe placement indicates heartfelt hope I have more than one) views on the child abuse ads on TV. You know, there are three situations:

• the father who loses his temper and whacks the mower when it won't start, the young son recoils in surprise or fear;
• the mum stuck into the plonk after either breakfast or lunch (can't tell by the plates on the table, no sign of the kids);
• the bloke with the little girl in the bedroom, about to do some genuine kiddy-fiddling.

Sure the first two will do some damage in different ways, but the third is more what I associate the word 'abuse' to mean in this context. Wouldn't diffusing the point of the ad in this way reduce its impact? If you're going to put on yet another ad trying to get people to dob -well, that's what it does seek to achieve with its silly "thank you" closure line - surely better to make it a bit more unambiguous?