It all started one weekend when some friends, Jim and Tessa, came over for dinner. I asked what they'd been doing all day. Jim answered for both of them: "We've been throwing away CDs," he said. "We're working our way through them alphabetically.' As he explained it, his role in the exercise involved quality assessment - working out whether a CD was something they'd realistically ever listen to again. If he decided it was, he handed it to Tessa to feed into their new 3TB external hard drive; if it wasn't, he tossed it into the "charity shop" box. "There's no point selling them," said Jim. "They're completely worthless." (While this is an overstatement, it's certainly true that CDs, even limited pressings done for a band's fan club, have nothing like the value they had a decade ago - just look on eBay or Amazon Marketplace.)
This was astonishing news. Jim was famous for his CD collection, which ran into the thousands and occupied vast stretches of prime shelf space. He had devoted most of his adult life to growing it, and no visit to his flat was complete without a listening session and tour of its outer reaches. How could he bring himself to do something so brutal?
"It isn't brutal," he protested. "It's a humane cull. Just think of all the CDs you never play any more. I bet you've got loads." He walked over to my shelves and pulled a few CDs out at random. "Take this Turin Brakes one. You bought it because you liked that strummy song about having WD40 in your veins. But did you listen to any of the other tracks?" I shook my head.
"Well then. Oh hang on, what's this? That Elvis Costello album with the string quartet - The Juliet Letters. I bought this, too. It's awful, isn't it? Really boring and worthy. Chuck it out. As for this..." He pulled out Aquarium by the Danish-Norwegian popsters Aqua. "I remember you buying this, back in 1997 or whenever it was. You said it was a 'post-ironic Europop masterpiece'. It wasn't, was it? Don't look like that - you can feed 'Barbie Girl' into iTunes before tossing it."
In fact, Jim is not alone. CD disposal (or recycling) has become commonplace among thirtysomethings scared of being trapped somewhere between the past and the future - and worried about how much junk they seem to have acquired. For many expats, an accumulation of CDs - stashed away in an attic back home, or crammed into an expensive storage facility - is a problem that waits to be dealt with.
"I have at least 200 CDs in my parents' garage," admits 28-year-old Stuart Turnbull, a Dubai-based marketing executive who moved from the UK a year ago. "The cost of shipping them was prohibitive, and most of the music is on my iPod anyway. I tried to sell a few on Amazon's second-hand trading site, but I got so little money for them I gave up. I know it's only a matter of time before my parents tell me I have to get rid of them."
The writing has been on the wall for CDs since at least 2001, the year Fortune magazine got so excited about Apple and its "new kind of gadget that has the potential to change how we think about personal audio-entertainment gizmos". Of course, the iPod did more than that. It cemented the idea that music was like air and didn't require any sort of physical complement - no case or sleeve; no artwork beyond a tiny picture on a screen; no sleevenotes or detailed track information. (So you want to know which musicians played on a given track, or who produced it? Tough. Look it up on the internet.)
When the beleaguered record label EMI relaunched The Beatles' back catalogue with shiny new remastered editions in 2008, the basic quality of the packaging was noted by critics. But then why would you bother mimicking, say, the original Sergeant Pepper sleeve (as the 1987-vintage, first-generation CD did) when you know that hardly anyone is going to be paying attention?
For many, though, CDs and vinyl records aren't just "sound carriers" but emotional totems. Like photographs, they evoke powerful memories. (Where did you buy that Nirvana album? Who were you dating at the time? Where were you living?) It follows, then, that throwing away a CD should be like tearing up a photograph. So why isn't it?
The problem for the CD, invented in the late 1970s by Philips and Sony and introduced in 1982, is that it has no aesthetic appeal: it isn't a beautiful object in the way that a vinyl record was, especially in vinyl's 1970s heyday when gatefold sleeves and lavish artwork were all the rage. (Think of the graphic designer Storm Thorgerson's extraordinary work with Pink Floyd.) Even when a CD has emotional significance, it remains easy to disparage as "podfood" because it looks disposable.
Last year, Sony Japan announced that it would no longer be making that 1980s icon the cassette Walkman - which shocked those of us who thought they'd stopped years ago. The cassette tape's demise was linked to its poor sound quality. But in their defence, CDs still sound great compared to MP3s. A future-proof, loss-less form of compression that doesn't take up loads of memory has yet to be invented. Convert your CDs into MP3s or even superior-sounding AAC files (the type used by Apple) and even if you're no audiophile, you'll notice the difference in quality, especially when they're played on a high-end docking station.
Ambitious and futuristic though it sounds, Jim's transferring-CDs-to-a-hard-drive plan still cleaves to the romantic idea that music is something you own physically, even if it's in the form of digital files. Within several years, say trend analysts, not only will a locket-sized MP3 player be able to hold 250,000 songs in its terabyte memory, but music will either be streamed into our homes à la Spotify or stored somewhere in the "cloud", ie on the internet. Jim's external hard drive will soon look as clunky as the eight-track cartridge player my father used to have in his car.
I pointed this out to him, but he didn't seem to mind. "I don't care," he said. "I just want the shelf space back."
It can be an overwhelming job, but once you ditch these, you won’t look back
1. Any 1980s hits compilation featuring Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship.
2. Any solo albums made by former members of Duran Duran.
3. Soundtrack albums bought on impulse after being moved by a film: you got it home and found it basically comprised 64 minutes’ worth of variations on the main theme.
4. The second Strokes album.
5. Anything given away free by a magazine.
6. Earlier versions of albums you subsequently bought in remastered form, ie the early 1980s RCA editions of David Bowie’s classic 1970s albums. Although, on second thought, these are now quite valuable. And they don’t take up that much space, after all...
SPECS
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Aggro%20Dr1ft
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Harmony%20Korine%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jordi%20Molla%2C%20Travis%20Scott%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
GOODBYE%20JULIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohamed%20Kordofani%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiran%20Riak%2C%20Eiman%20Yousif%2C%20Nazar%20Goma%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)