How old are you?

[Nocompression]

Are we listing our other expensive hobbies now? Mine are sailing and fast cars. Two hobbies no one wants to spend their own money on.

Let's be realistic here ; Does anything exist that we would prefer to spend our "own" money on ?

Wait a minute , is this a discussion about David Crosby ? If he could only remember?

[orgel]

Let's be realistic here ; Does anything exist that we would prefer to spend our "own" money on ?

Personally, I like to spend my own money on replacement windows and a new heat pump. Oh wait, I don't like it. Never mind.

--David

[Musicophile]

Whoa, less than 20% under 40... I always had the impression that the audiophile community was aging and didn't have a lot of younger followers, but was at least secretly hoping that the topic of computer audio would attract a slightly younger audience.

I know this poll is far from representative, but still it looks like if you've grown up with MP3, the Itunes store, and Bose docking stations as your main audio source you're not very likely to end up caring about audio quality.

If you were still in doubt if the high-res audio market is ever going to become mainstream, here's a pretty strong signal it never will.

When I grew up in the 80s (just turned 40), there was a lot of interest in Hifi across the board and you weren't considered a complete nerd if you had a decent audio system. Probably not true any more these days.

[REShaman]

I think therefore I am. I hear therefore I enjoy. I feel therefore I am older than I think.
Best,
Richard

[paul30d]

Who's the guy that's 81+?

If it is true, well done, and how did you get into computer audio?

[dave_kiwi]

Heh - never to young to be an "audiophile"



My daughter - 4 months and listening to Barry D's SR recording: Equinox

[Audio_ELF]

Heh - never to young to be an "audiophile"

My daughter - 4 months and listening to Barry D's SR recording: Equinox

She doesn't look very happy about it!

Another youngster who would rather watch Bob the Builder I guess :-)

[REShaman]

She doesn't look very happy about it!

Another youngster who would rather watch Bob the Builder I guess :-)

Beg to differ, Eloise. She's in a theta state so entranced by Barry's master of Equinox with the music providing the scenery.
Best,
Richard

[dave_kiwi]

She doesn't look very happy about it!

Another youngster who would rather watch Bob the Builder I guess :-)

Actually her education started a couple of months ago ..... No Bob The Builder in this house :-) Mr Bean the cartoon series or Shaun The Sheep or Tom & Jerry.

Good Jazz, Classical & Blues so far.

[RankStranger]

I'm trying desperately to keep my 7.5 month old away from the telly. I can't shake the feeling it will make her stupid (based on nothing in particular, I just hate television). She rocks out to a bit of Old Crow Medicine Show and Ween on the weekends but evenings it's Rockabye Baby's lullaby versions of Pink Floyd tracks or the local classical station in the bath. She most definitely does not like the headphones but we'll work that out later.

@dave_kiwi The Rockabye Baby series is all kinds of awesome. They've got everything from Beatles to Stones to Floyd to Sabbath to new stuff like Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Radiohead, QOTSA etc. Highly recommended for music that you can all enjoy.

I hope all is going well for you. Four months is around about where we started to feel we had a handle on things. The last three months or so have been the best in my life.

RS

[dave_kiwi]

I'm trying desperately to keep my 7.5 month old away from the telly. I can't shake the feeling it will make her stupid (based on nothing in particular, I just hate television). She rocks out to a bit of Old Crow Medicine Show and Ween on the weekends but evenings it's Rockabye Baby's lullaby versions of Pink Floyd tracks or the local classical station in the bath. She most definitely does not like the headphones but we'll work that out later.

@dave_kiwi The Rockabye Baby series is all kinds of awesome. They've got everything from Beatles to Stones to Floyd to Sabbath to new stuff like Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Radiohead, QOTSA etc. Highly recommended for music that you can all enjoy.

I hope all is going well for you. Four months is around about where we started to feel we had a handle on things. The last three months or so have been the best in my life.

RS

The headphones lasted about three minutes :-) - most of the "listening" is done when I play music via my ATV2 an am baby sitting.

[Jeff In San Diego]

I'm trying desperately to keep my 7.5 month old away from the telly.
RS

Let me start with an apology and a disclaimer...you can decide for yourself which is which:
- nobody has every successfully proven that I have any children, so I can't possibly have a valid opinion on this subject
- I fear I may be about to temporarily derail this otherwise tremendously topical thread

If I had a valid opinion on this topic (which as already mentioned, I don't), it would be that parents should provide their progeny with variety and choices rather than cloistering and bias. Let them find out early if they are a cellist or an aficionado of Seinfeld reruns. Your efforts to choose for them will only delay the inevitable and set them back a few years on being an expert in the fine art of Festivus.

I have a good friend who started procreating about 10 years back. Happily his wife decided to start about the same time. He is the only vegetarian I've ever met who dislikes salad (eats mostly french fries and wonders why he has high blood pressure). Anyway, they decided to be "good parents" and kept their poor kids away from most of popular culture. Most messed up kids I know of.

Provide kids with variety and choices rather than trying to "steer" them. They should be given both free and expensive pornography at an early age so they can decide for themselves.

[Jay192]

... Most messed up kids I know of.

Provide kids with variety and choices rather than trying to "steer" them. They should be given both free and expensive pornography at an early age so they can decide for themselves.

Install an appreciation of good discipline in them, and if that means the odd "no soup for you" and a whack with the wooden-spoon then so be it.

At the same time, I agree with the latitude; if you don't provide it and rope them back in as necessary they'll take it somehow.

For porn, it's all free - no need to pay! But they will OD on it unless you put your PG on. And put it on as soon as they enter double-digits!

I think the most dangerous thing is communication via txt/sms. They forget how to communicate and hide behind their sms/txt messages.

[Paul.Raulerson]

Let me start with an apology and a disclaimer...you can decide for yourself which is which:
- nobody has every successfully proven that I have any children, so I can't possibly have a valid opinion on this subject
- I fear I may be about to temporarily derail this otherwise tremendously topical thread

If I had a valid opinion on this topic (which as already mentioned, I don't), it would be that parents should provide their progeny with variety and choices rather than cloistering and bias. Let them find out early if they are a cellist or an aficionado of Seinfeld reruns. Your efforts to choose for them will only delay the inevitable and set them back a few years on being an expert in the fine art of Festivus.

I have a good friend who started procreating about 10 years back. Happily his wife decided to start about the same time. He is the only vegetarian I've ever met who dislikes salad (eats mostly french fries and wonders why he has high blood pressure). Anyway, they decided to be "good parents" and kept their poor kids away from most of popular culture. Most messed up kids I know of.

Provide kids with variety and choices rather than trying to "steer" them. They should be given both free and expensive pornography at an early age so they can decide for themselves.

Heck - raising kids is the hardest, most thankless, most frustrating, most expensive, most anything job anyone can do.

Mostly, all the good advice in the world goes down the commode pretty quickly after the first few days. About the time their poop starts to have that characteristic and unique odor...

You just have to love 'em, care about 'em, and do your best to do the right thing every day. How they turn out is far more up to them than it is to you, no matter what anyone might think.

I found myself praying, meditating, and cursing a lot when they hit the teenage years. (grin)

-Paul

[Blake]

...ohhh, ohh my turn- for me: audio gear, bicycles (road, mountain, faux nerd commuter) and Eddy Merckx memorabilia, Japanese market golf gear, modern and mid-century modern furniture, art and design, all things italian...... wait, what is the topic of this post again??

[mav52]

Heck - raising kids is the hardest, most thankless, most frustrating, most expensive, most anything job anyone can do.

Mostly, all the good advice in the world goes down the commode pretty quickly after the first few days. About the time their poop starts to have that characteristic and unique odor...

You just have to love 'em, care about 'em, and do your best to do the right thing every day. How they turn out is far more up to them than it is to you, no matter what anyone might think.

I found myself praying, meditating, and cursing a lot when they hit the teenage years. (grin)

-Paul

Paul you are so right. I currently have two daughters in college, one in medical and the other graduates Dec 14.

raising kids is the hardest, most thankless, most frustrating, most expensive,

so very true

[mwheelerk]

Heck - raising kids is the hardest, most thankless, most frustrating, most expensive, most anything job anyone can do.

Mostly, all the good advice in the world goes down the commode pretty quickly after the first few days. About the time their poop starts to have that characteristic and unique odor...

You just have to love 'em, care about 'em, and do your best to do the right thing every day. How they turn out is far more up to them than it is to you, no matter what anyone might think.

I found myself praying, meditating, and cursing a lot when they hit the teenage years. (grin)

-Paul

In the end I might agree that it is up to them to ultimately determine the type of person they would be however if there was nothing we can do what would be the point. My feeling is you can instill the core of what a person can be (I did not say will be) through your choices and examples as a parent and then have some faith that in the end the core groundwork you laid will come out in that child. When I speak of core I am relating to core values of how a person behaves, how they treat other people. I do not mean you have instilled in them to be a Cowboy fan or a Nurse but just the key values that make up a person.

...and I guess I would add to the end of that first sentence, most rewarding.

[venkey]

Are we listing our other expensive hobbies now? Mine are sailing and fast cars. Two hobbies no one wants to spend their own money on.

Sailing, as in a Hinkley Sou'wester?

[REShaman]

My promised Paul McCartney's RAM digital booklet was finally emailed to me months later (not complaining). In perusing the photographs of Paul, Linda and their children, I discovered one that might keep this thread on it's other path. Excuse the OT the photograph's worth it, and I imagine you will also enjoy. It's one of Paul's babies (Stella?).
Best,
Richard

[Mike_K]

expensive bicycles = tick
nice cameras = tick
fast cars = tick

errrm, what else can I spend money on ?
oh yes. kids........

the list used to include windsurfers, expensive tennis racquets etc, but as time goes by the active sports seem to be dropping by the wayside.

[venkey]

expensive bicycles = tick
nice cameras = tick
fast cars = tick

errrm, what else can I spend money on ?

Try a collection of Patek Phillippe grand complications

[Blake]

Try a collection of Patek Phillippe grand complications

Personally, I prefer vintage Rolex Submariners, vintage Rolex Daytonas, Panerai or IWC. Different strokes......

[orgel]

Personally, I prefer vintage Rolex Submariners, vintage Rolex Daytonas, Panerai or IWC. Different strokes......

Personally, I prefer Casio G-Shock. When the band wears out, I get a new one. Different strokes, as you say.

--David

[Blake]

Personally, I prefer Casio G-Shock. When the band wears out, I get a new one. Different strokes, as you say.

--David

Touche!

I should clarify- I own none of the aforementioned watches. Most expensive watch I currently own is $300. If I did win the lottery, I would buy one (and only one) of the watches I mentioned. Too many other things to spend my hard-earned cash on.

[jhwalker]

Personally, I prefer Casio G-Shock. When the band wears out, I get a new one. Different strokes, as you say.

--David

. . . and I can't stand wearing any form of jewelry, including watches. Never worn one, never will - I can see the time in at least three different ways just about everywhere I am, don't need a device dangling on my wrist