Thanks to the thread I mentioned a few days ago, I have many new "old" tunes downloaded to my iPod. Sitting here listening to a few of memorable moments of my teenage years, it occurs to me that being one of the original MTV generation has - in addition to the well-known and obvious ways - affected my cultural worldview in other ways.

Howzat-a-wha?

I was just listening to Madness "House of Fun" and recalling the video for that song...

"Good morning, miss." "Can I help you son?" "Sixteen today, and up for fun! I'm a big boy now, or so they say, so if you'll serve, I'll be on my way."

And it occurs to me that my 16-year-old image of the world was that that was what British boys did when they turned sixteen. And of course, everyone grew up in council flats. And had spikey hair. Or hung out on a street corner wearing overalls and dancing with Dexy's Midnight Runners. Or lived in a crappy apartment a la "The Young Ones."

More amusing to me still is that now if I try to imagine any random British guy at sixteen, I have a mental image of him as Suggs from Madness trying to buy condoms from a chemist.

"No, no miss, you misunderstood. Sixteen, big boy, full pint in my manhood. I'm up to date and today's the day, so if you'll serve, I'll be on my way..."

He braves torrential rains to bring my Chinese food when I'm sick and snotty. I'm keeping him.

This thread is going to end up setting me back at least twenty bucks worth of music at iTunes. Maybe thirty.

It's 5:45 AM and I am awake because I dreamed a loud thud that I convinced myself was the result of a vicious killer who fought his way through ten feet of blooming oleander bush to break into my bedroom for the sole purpose of menacing me and/or taking my life.

Nevermind that the cat who is scared of his own shadow was still asleep at the foot of the bed. Obviously he's just a deep sleeper.

And so it is 5:45 AM and I am watching the sky slowly brighten to pale gray and listening to the one bird silly enough to be awake at this time of the morning has well. Either he's quite happy about it or he's putting up quite the bitchfest before he gets his morning cup of bird-coffee.