Punch or Scratch

written by lena randolph

the battle of old vs new is an ageless struggle between invention and improvement. we live in an age where nothing is above remastering. got a wrinkle? shoot it with some hormones. don't like your eye color? pop in some contacts! cell phone too big? get a chip sewn into your ear. technology can perfect all of life's inconveniences. but has man's desire to improve begun to overshadow the beauty of his initial creation?
perhaps there are those things that need no improvement, some things that are much better off left alone. "cds are clear, clean air. vinyl is music," stan the music man told me this as i purchased an original astrud gilberto record from his music store. stan represents old class and energy. he has managed to keep his record store thriving on the sales of vinyl records and 45s alone. i asked him if he was opposed to the digitally remastered cds that allow a listener to fully distinguish instruments and isolate sounds. stan said, "sure thats great, but its not real. nothings that perfect. maybe its supposed to be fuzy. life isn't all that clear anyways." wise words stan, wise. he does provide an interesting point, does he not?


i found this paper that i wrote my senior year of high school. i was a funny kid.