How a child almost died in my living room... needle jumping

Hang on, are you suggesting that I shouldn't have pointed that out? Who’s policing who?

Really, it’s not about policing; and it’s not about telling people what they can and can’t say. Everybody is free to say what they want, when they want. I have no issue with that.

However, equally, others have a right to point out that using certain language can have broader implications than what they may have initially intended. Now you can choose to ignore it, which is your right; or you can perhaps try a bit of empathy on for size and maybe see that some casual language can have a substantial negative effect on others.

 

Once, when my son (now 30), was about 5, and expressed some interest in my music, I let him listen to Hey Jude on a reel to reel player while I was doing something else. He was fascinated by the player as the tape reels rotated and, at one point, the music stopped. When I looked up, I realized that he had pressed the record button on my deck, erasing a portion of my irreplaceable 7.5 ips Ampex prerecorded tape of the album. By the time I got there to press stop, the deed was done. I didn't raise my voice at him, because I knew that it was my fault- he had no idea what he was doing was wrong or the absolute insanity of my collecting. Plus, the record button was red: what kid wouldn't naturally press it? Subsequent digital and remastering breakthroughs have made my then-crushing loss far easier to take and I now consider my four second gap a fond reminder of those long gone days. It really is only a tape. Plus, I've grown to find that song really, really annoying.

 

Ha! Thought I was safe with the write protect tab on cassettes, but a little one managed to combine them with fridge magnets.

 

Yes, I do know people that are disabled. I also know people who are retarded.

 

Wow, you have a real talent for heartlessness.

 

No, I'm just honest about things.

 

Yeah, like pointing out that someone's talent is being heartless.

 

OK, so honesty to you is casually using a term that has traditionally been associated with, and appropriated from, people with physical/mental disabilities, to describe someone who you think is stupid. ...Presumably because the inescapable rationale is that people who can’t walk or talk properly (i.e. the most vulnerable people in society, and least able to fight back) basically look stupid.

Callous logic. It’s the best!

It’s such a shame that killjoys, like parents of kids with disabilities for example, can’t harden up, because you just like using that word. The fact that it refers to both their kids and stupid people generally, is just a coincidence. Next time I see parents of a kid with Down syndrome, I’m going to tell them to grow a pair.

 

Not the kids' fault. Really. They discover they can make the tonearm jump, jump up and down to do it, hear the damaging effect on the record and it's not their fault? Un-friggin'-believable. Something tells me this kind of attitude describes a huge swath of what's wrong with the US, with adult children that have reached their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond and still have zero concept of simple, adult responsibility. Keep at it. You're already reaping the reward.

 

Blowing things out of all proportion and being generally a patronizing high-horse PITA on a Music Forum full of grumpy audiophiles that love their equipment more than their children will not make life better for one disabled/retarded or otherwise handicapped person.
It only serves your already too big ego.

Now please go away.

 

If the kids were aware of the damage they were causing, then I'd agree with you about this. I would probably have just sent the kid home. But that's not what the OP described. These kids had no experience with this strange new phenomena of needles jumping and sound skipping like that - which must have been fascinating and hilarious to an inexperienced 12-year old. They probably thought that's what it was for.

The OP left a bunch of kids, unsupervised, after putting on an LP - then started a thread to express his horror and disgust over the result. The harm here, if any, was caused by a lack of common sense on the part of the adult.

Kids are not adults. It will be years until they can conceptualize the neurotic fetish we know as audiophilia and all the weirdness that goes with it.

"Daddy says vinyl is more involving".

I feel sorry for those kids.

 

Time to close this thread.....point, counter point, needless name calling and soap box chatter has reached a crescendo......

 

And where is the proportion in comparing a person who you think is a bit stupid to someone with a physical/mental disability?

You might think it's a throw away remark that doesn't have a consiquence, but it feeds into a culture that marginalizes disabled people. People in that situation, reading, hearing these things get hurt and scared by it.
I know that for a fact.

My motivation on this issue is not a product of my ego. You can trust me on that.

 

You hit the bulls eye! I so agree with all that you said.

 

My wife is a job coach for developmentally disabled adults - or "retards", as some folks say. From my experience with them, I'm often surprised and impressed at how technically savvy they can be - very capable and fluent with computers, smart phones and such - and always excited to learn something new.

The other common thing I've noticed about them is an absence of any meanness or bitterness, which is an admirable trait - too often lacking with "normal" people.

 

The problem is however, you can be as technically savvy as Bill Gates and be totally devoid of bitterness with a positive disposition, but still be hurt but a vilifying culture that doesn't value you.

 

I think we all need to read what you wrote above a few times for it to truly sink in. "They probably thought that's what it is for." Really? I have to call BS on this. I do not believe that you believe what you wrote above.

Again, I think we all need to read what you wrote above a few times for it to truly sink in. When I was 12, 12-year olds did not need "supervision" like that. But that was a different era. Clearly.

Here's why.

These were 12-year olds, not 5-year olds. If you think it's a 'lack of common sense' for an adult to think a 7th grader might have a modicum of respect for other people's property, especially an adult's, especially in that adult's home, and especially since that property could well represent the most expensive items in the room, then I guess that explains why the nation is full of adult children. I suppose that's nothing out of the ordinary for a great many Americans.

No, kids are not adults, and these days many adults are not adults and the reason they aren't is they didn't have any adults teach them basics like having a bit of respect for other peoples' property.

Nice straw-man diversion. Thanks for that little dig at a huge segment of members on SH Forums. Yeah, that's it. Audiophilia is the reason the OP didn't want his or her records ruined and his or her cartridge destroyed. Audiophilia is the problem, not any lack values teaching about what belongs to others, especially fragile belongings. Good job.

Ah, here we come to the nut of your comments. A straw-man dig at vinyl. Nice one.

So do I, but clearly not for the reasons you do.

 

wow just let it go already!! do you have to have the last word or something, let's see..............................

 

A few things.

1. You're continue to assume that these 7th graders (or even most people born after the CD age) have the slightest idea that a turntable is valuable, fragile, or that their actions were hurting anything. Most likely they never saw one these things before.

2. Why do you hate America?

 

My mom told me long ago if you don't want your friends (or whoever) playing with your toys don't leave them laying around. As far as the name calling and loaded language please just stop it. You can also add threats of violence. If this hobby puts you in that state of mind you need to seek counseling. And a new hobby; try scrapbooking. Then again some of you may represent a public hazard if you were to have scissors.

 

http://www.r-word.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retard_(pejorative)

Having grown up with the word commonly used as a pejorative it is easy to slip and use it that way. I try my best not to use it that way now.

 

Look out the window. Those damn kids are playing on your lawn again!

 

Lawn = audio system?

Can we say...



I think that we can.

But I'll address the strawman none the less: if I had a lawn, the kids can play on it.

They can't jump up and down in front of the turntable, though. If they want to learn what it's about, they can.

Was there point somewhere you were attempting to make?

 

Hmm. This comment is puzzing in its irrelevance.

But I'll personalize it for you so you can see what I thing should be a stunninly obvious point.

I clearly remember being that age and younger and remember going into friends homes where parents owned things that were obviously valuable. I could tell they were valuable because:

1. they occupied a central place in the living room or den
2. they were located on their own dedicated shelf or in their own dedicated cabinent

These simple, primitive indicators signalled me that these were valued possessions. Consequently I did not run around them, handle them without permission or jump up and down in front of them, not past the age of 6 or 7, anyway. None of us did. We still retained a modicum of respect. Made no difference whatsoever whether I understood what the object in question was or not. The point was it did not belong to us. Our parents taught us that.

What did yours teach you?

In my mind that question is more appropriately self-directed, considering the entitlement / coddling philosophy you seem to espouse. America is already well into an era where that point of view is bearing a rich and bountiful harvest.

Good luck with that as it continues to blossom and spread.