Wave goodbye

Kicked my old Omni DVD player (hacked by BS and I to play all regions) to the kerb in readiness for tomorrow's council clean-up. The unit and remote control had vanished within minutes. Little does Oliver/Olivia Opportunist know but the thing's skippier than a bush kangaroo. I've no need of it now thanks to my Xbox and DVD recorder.

Was equally glad to divest myself of a decrepit NEC microwave that had begun groaning in protest if so much as a coffee cup was placed on its turntable. However, as I didn't fancy reheating leftover pizza or pasta in the oven, this necessitated the purchase of a replacement and therefore a trip to Bondi Junction.

While I'll cheerfully blow $100 on printed matter, I'm something of a penny pincher when it comes to technology - which is why I scrutinised the low-end models at Bing Lee, David Jones, Harvey Norman, Kmart and Myer before making my informed choice: an LG reduced from $129 to $89 at Bingers.

According to a receipt dated 14-08-99, the NEC cost me $169. I find it amazing that I can now get a microwave of the same power/capacity, with more features and finer lines, for almost half the price. Sure, the old one came with a free cookbook - but it's not like I ever used it :-)

[A siesta and perfect Ford-Ford-Ford podium at the Bathurst 1000 later:] Someone prised open the side of my discarded micro, presumably to scavenge a part. Jawas?