Please, DON'T TOUCH

"Somewhere along the line, I hope, that mature adults will be able to keep that advertising influence in check."

There's a whole ad. industry dedicated to making sure that doesn't ever happen. We are so immersed in advertising that, and the advertising industry is so manipulative that is very difficult for folks to step back from it all.

Recognize also that there's a difference between being wedded to ones posessions, and simply not wanting to be put in the difficult situation of having to pay a lot of money (which we all have to work for) to get something fixed. When we goof and break something we feel stupid, but if friends or family break something expensive it is quite an arkward situation.

Bombaywalla, in the words of an old rock star "there ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy, there's just you and me and we just disagree"

Why would a reasonable person invite a child anywhere near his audio system....I had a friend bring his child over to my home for a visit and I met them at the door and wouldn't let them in.....The kid was known to be death on speakers.....

Some people think that the tweeters atop my B&W N803s are karaoke microphones and attempt to remove them to start singing. I have my 1911 .45 ACP for those and I prevent the removal of the "microphones" beforehand.....just kidding.

No really, the suggestion to put the components in closets or their original boxes and turn the speakers towards the wall is the best one.

Wifes friend has two boys, between 4 and 7 years old. They are rough, very hyper, and their mother's attitude is "let them grow on their own." Obviously, they are plants.
Example of roughness: they were playing soldier, the older one threw a "bomb" (plastic) at the younger one and then proceeded to kick the life out of him, (and I do mean really kick the life out of him) thus having "blown him up." Mom? Ha-ha, aren't they cute? Flipping idiot.
This mother actually gave me sh*t when I asked her to keep her boys out of the living room, saying "Why are the speakers so far away from the wall anyway, why are the cables off the floor where a kid can trip on them, blah, blah, a blur of mommy blah....."
Obviously, mom is more intelligent than I am, & I have irrational tendencies.
What did I do? There's now a lock on my living room door.
Knock, little wolves, but this piggy aint letting you in......