study in contrasts

Rock critic Simon Reynolds (a British writer who seems to have "gone Hollywood" since moving to the LA) is ecstatic at the thought of a Biden presidency:

Tried to put down some thoughts on the events of the past week, but I don't really have thoughts, just feelings. Relief, joy, hope, elevation... a sensation of lightness, the lifting off and away of an immense heavy shadow. All the things everyone else is feeling. Well, except for the people who are feeling the opposite - and who are still with us, still alarmingly numerous, still implacably lost. But let's not dwell on that right now... let's stay in the glow as long as we can.

The post where this appears is titled "Landslidin' with Biden" -- wait, what landslide?

Meanwhile, Russiagate skeptic Raúl Ilargi Meijer reminds us that Biden is The Swamp and will bring all the oozy creatures back with him (to the extent they ever left). Go back to sleep, nothing to see here, etc.

"Aruba Doobie (2020 Mix)"

"Aruba Doobie (2020 Mix)" [1.6 MB .mp3]

Am going through older tracks (for no good reason), seeing what's salvageable. Removing one measure after another I whittled this one down from 110 seconds to 40. Originally posted in 2006.

Update: Removed another couple of seconds.

about that election

Bernard, Moon of Alabama:

That the Democrats lose House seats, do not win the Senate and barely manage to drag their demented presidential candidate towards a stalemate tells a lot about their lack of sane policies. A donor party completely disinterested in what the people really want -- medicare for all, no fracking etc. -- will have little chance to survive a future onslaught of conservatives with a more competent figurehead than Donald Trump.

Voter turnout was high, too -- highest since 1900, says Fortune mag.

Left-leaning comedian Jimmy Dore makes fun of the Dems' pitiful showing: [YouTube]

retired CD-R design

recombinant_youth_cd1

The MAM-A company (recently sold to an outfit in Chattanooga called WTS Media) changed the design of their CD-Rs and no longer offer an edge-to-edge white printing surface on their gold discs, as seen above. Now there is an obnoxious, bling-y 3mm gold rim around the white. I am rethinking my CD-R design for future releases, since I won't be making more copies with that design.