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This shit is just too retarded!! 😂 I for the record gave the entire 009 lineup another chance recently. Since they are so cheap now, for even like new used sets, I got a 009 and 009S... and they are still awful. This was actually one of the last 009's to be made and still sounds the same as my very early example. The 009S was also pretty new and yeah, still sounds the same sad mismatch of ideas. As for the X9000, it's not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination. Since I got a pretty much brand new SR-Omega for my birthday this summer I dragged out the X9000 for comparison and that lasted two songs... I couldn't get rid of the X9000 fast enough so it's back in the display case. Next comparison was SR-Omega vs. SR-007 nr. 35 of the production line... much closer but the 007 is easily better in every way.

I don't really give a shit what you think but my views/impressions are never for sale. The CRBN is flawed but still an excellent set of headphones with production quality rivaling Stax is many ways. In terms of sound, that is always subjective, but it's clear, based on the market, that people are not happy with where Stax are going. Used prices of 009's are now often below that of a used 007 (not even a rare Mk1) and the 009S's are headed that same way. Also notice how little talk there is about the X9000 from the long term Stax owners, those that did buy a set, quietly sold them off as they just aren't good.

Watch Live: NASA's DART mission on course to hit asteroid "head-on" | CBS News

Also not real, but again I wish it was Kind of in a similar vein. In the Chaplin silent movie The Gold Rush, he eats his shoe. That was in fact liquorice. Apparently sourced from a UK company who made the stuff, and made the shoes that Chaplin ate. Enough of them for several takes.

I watched this nearly 2 hour documentary on Putin;s "Dacha" today: It is a lengthy watch, but morbidly fascinating. Also it's available in Russian if one speaks the language.

The U.S. and the Holocaust This is very good, despite the difficulty of the subject matter. History will never forget the crimes the German butchers perpetuated against the Jews, the Poles, and the peoples of Eastern Europe. What was less well known to me was the story of how things went down over here. A lot of us already know about the bigotry of folks like Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh and his “America First” party (sound familiar?). What I did not know about was the behavior of our state department, of the immigration quotas and the pervasiveness of the anti-immigrant and anti-semite crowd. I don’t think these were all necessarily bad people so much as people who could have done way more, yet did not. They were on the wrong side of history. The stories of the survivors, as always, are the most heartbreaking of all. I’ve never understood anti-semitism beyond the fact that Jewish people usually lean to the left politically and hold themselves out as unapologetically different. It didn’t make sense back then and it doesn’t make any more sense now. Streamable on PBS here: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/

Pretty nice birthday weekend. Started out Friday giving my “famous” dinosaur lecture for Norwich’s Dino Day, then Saturday we went for a late lunch at J. Morgans Steakhouse. Sunday we went for a four hour hike that ended up taking 6 hours because we went the wrong way to the trailhead and ended up having to park the car 1+ miles from the trailhead 🤦‍♂️. Anyway, a very enjoyable birthday in Vermont.

Took Dr. Woods advice and made a Frankenstein’s Monster out of 3/4 aromatic cedar. Cannot decide I keep it inside and not seal it for the nice smell or seal it for the patio.

Popped up at Qobuz grand selection. I enjoyed it.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Jim!! I'm glad you had a good Bday weekend. Those are the best

I'm building a custom railing at one of my current projects. The posts and top caps will be White Oak, clear coated to match the floors. The pickets will be 1 1/2" round fir, and will be painted White. There will be no bottom rail, as the pickets will set directly into the floor. Hence the pattern piece that I made to use as a drilling guide. I'll use the same pattern to drill the bottom of the top cap. The pickets will be captured and glued. No screws or nails needed. The posts are set with fancy new newel post bolts. I will fill these holes with Whote Oak plugs, after I've got everything set into place. Just in case I need to adjust anything.

I'm on complete Jonathan Richman kick and wish to submit the Andrew Bird interplay.

I got to stay up past my bedtime.

Not real, but I wish it was.....

Pretty fancy work there. I am admiring the huge flat spot melted into the tire of this heavy equipment cart I am putting together.

Louise Fletcher, aka Nurse Ratched, RIP https://www.npr.org/2022/09/24/1124904771/louise-fletcher-cuckoos-nest-nurse-ratched-died