DVD, TV, VCR, HI-FI

Today we went shopping. Guess what we bought? Does the title give it away just a little? We bought a dead posh new TV - flat screen, High Definition, all that bollocks. We wondered whether to get the next size up but it turned out later I was glad we didn't as this one only just fits in our entertainment unit.

Then we chose a DVD/VHS combi to go with it. Dunno why we needed the VHS but TT wanted to "just incase" so I thought - why not? Then we picked a JVC hi-fi to complete the bundle. As soon as I get my laptop back I'll provide before and after photos of our entertainment unit. It's pretty amusing to finally chuck off (literally) an 18yr old sizzling, flickering 10" portable TV and replace it with something proper.

Seriously, the old TV was a hazard to anyone unfortunate enough to touch it. Even without touching it would crackle and fizz alarmingly. Trying to watch the picture generally led to one of two things - seizure or eyeballs revolving within their sockets. Either way, not a pleasant experience. Sometime though, the sound would hold out so we could listen to one or two tunes on Saturday morning music TV before it would mysteriously retune itself. Of course it didn't have a remote control, it was invented before infra-red. So when it decided to retune the process was generally stand as far away as possible and bash it with a non conductive pole. A wooden broom handle was ideal.

Anyhoos, ding dong, the old TV is dead, which now just leaves the issue of how to dispose of it. TT wants to do the "right thing" and wait for the bi-monthly council collection of old electrical goods. Shame it happened about two days ago. I'm in favour of doing what everyone else does - put it outside and wait for a bum to steal it and try to pawn it. If it's not gone within 2 hours I'll concede and bring it indoors again - I'm not a litterer, but we honestly have this wonderful resource of scrounging bums at our disposal so it seems silly not to use them.

And while on the subject, why are we all so obsessed with acronyms for technology? HD TV, DVD RW, VHS, Hi-Fi w/ CDR & MP3 capabilities... If we're going to use them then I only think it right that people know what they mean so that they don't go saying stupid things like :

Idiot - "Er, is there an ATM machine near here?"
Me - "Um, let me think, An Automated Teller Machine machine... Hmmm, yes, it's over there there..."

or...

Idiot - "Great film! Do you think you could burn it onto DVD disc for me?"
Me - "Sure, Digital Versatile Disc disc, not a problem problem..."

I think the Germans have it right. The German for aeroplane is "flugzeug" literally meaning "flying thing". The German for hovercraft is "Luftkissenfahrzeug" Guess what that means? Yup, "Hovering thing". (And of course, in German, "zug" is train, maybe that just means "thng"?) Perhaps we should follow their lead:

TV - "Moving picture thingy"
Hi-Fi - "Music thingy"
DVD - "Film thingy"

sound good? Oh wait...

HD-TV - "Great-quality-moving-picture thingy"

Hi-Fi, SB, x8 SRS - "Music-with-loud-booms-and-noises-that-come-at-you-from-eight-points-in-the-room thingy"

DVD-RW - "shiny-disc-you-put-in-the-machine-and-can record-loads-of-stuff-onto thingy"

Ummm. Shit. Acronyms are here to stay I guess.

Gotta go, need to top up my suntan on the new big-glowy-screen thingy...

ON A SERIOUS NOTE:
I'm terribly sorry I didn't mention it yesterday, but the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is a time we should have all had a thought for the brave soles that were lost and the families they left behind in the conflicts around the world. I spent some time in respectful silence, I hope you all did too. If not, there's no time like the present... Lest we forget.