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This past weekend I went up to my Maine condo. Met up with an Audio friend for lunch in Portland, then worked my way South back to the condo. I ended up talking non-highway routes (Rt 1), and made stops coincidentally at several places Karen and I visited last Fall when we did a similar trip. Was both sad and wonderful, good memories but emptier without her. For anyone travelling to Southern Maine, some fun foodie places: The Cheese Iron in Scarborough - https://www.thecheeseiron.com/ Holy Donut in Portland and Scarborough (and a smaller location right near my condo!) - https://www.theholydonut.com/ Len Libby Candy shop Scarborough and home of Lenny the Chocolate Moose - https://www.lenlibby.com/ Maine is a beautiful state, lots of great small towns near and off the water. When we would go up, we'd literally feel the stress wash off and our shoulders relax as we crossed the bridge from NH into Maine. Gratuitous pic of Lenny the Moose.....

And I'll add Paul McCartney's favorite. When I found out Melissa was pregnant, the first album I thought of introducing to future Esmé was Pet Sounds.

You either love them or hate them. I happen to love them. In a family of 6, just my Mom and I loved fried chicken livers. She made them for us maybe 4 times a year. I don't think I've had them in about 15 years. Today I decided that was too long. Cheers Mom. Fried chicken livers, mashed potatoes and country gravy. This takes me home!

The more I listen, the more I love this; unique sound and she still has so much passion in her singing. "This House" hits a bit hard, but all is great.

Veggie Curry and Fixin's

We watched Becoming Led Zeppelin on Netflix last night. Very enjoyable...missed it on IMAX but such is life. HS

You're shocked? ... Just like our sponsor!

Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (2025) https://album.link/gtnmzvcxr3szp Example: Warm and sometimes brooding. A set of tunes from one that seems to know who they are and where they are in their life.

Some pretty cool spacey-psych-groovy music from Japan

Good God! How on earth am I going to unsee that?

Ohmigosh, I love "This House". So melodramatic. Right up there with "Winter Kills" in terms of depressing music. (For some reason, I'm always reminded of an SNL skit of a desperate, drunk woman in her apartment, "I'll shout from my window, to anyone listening: 'I'm losing!'" 🤣 ) In my top 10 favourite songs with her singing, with "All Cried Out", "Where Hides Sleep", "Winter Kills", "Goodbye Seventies", and others. I first discovered it as the B-side to "Love Letters", with a guitar solo instead of that bridge section. This is that version:

RIP Brian. Another prodigy gone. Figured I’d drop his favorite song here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortnin'_Bread#The_Beach_Boys_version

We had a holiday a couple of months ago in Japan. Fed up with sticky rice and lotus root in all its forms, we cracked in Tokyo and found a curry restaurant. This is quite a big thing in Japan, with endless options. Base curry. About 20 additional things you can add. Five quantities of rice, and heat level. So I had seafood (tick), no additional options (tick), standard quantity of rice (tick). Which left a choice of heat level. This went from 1 to 20. 1 was base level. I chose 5, reckoning that would be a bit hot. Now I can take heat. But a 5 was right on the hairy border of heat. In the UK, where you are never more than a few miles from an Indian restaurant, anyone having a Vindaloo is worthy of respect. Well a 5 was way, way beyond Vindaloo heat, and at the level where you just shovel, and under no circumstances touch the water or beer until you have finished. Now bear in mind that the heat index went up to 20! We joked that anyone ordering a 20 would be issued with a health warning, and an ambulance ordered to take you to hospital! I have to say that a Japanese lady on an adjacent table ordered a heat level 6, and ate it like it was nothing to write home about. Respect.

Veggie Curry

This looks interesting...

Sometimes things can be two things I mean, who makes a "mono" headphone amp?

Back in Novato to see aja vu and their commendable version of Steely Dan Then they bought out the horn section for a few Chicago numbers And threw in a horn solo and drum solo for good measure. A fun time with all the hits.

And another one's singing. Friends, this is my first home experience with stax cans, now with a sr303 bought for a dime. And I guess it'll be a long, long journey... I'm in love with this cfa, its speed and clarity are a perfect match with speed and clarity of staxes, wow... It is refined, delicate and well behaved (apart the offset that needs a screwdriver sometimes... What's the tolerance for balance and offset? Trying to keep em spot on on zero, but slowly drifts away...) Thanks Kevin! 🙏

This Blue Prince game... haven't played anything like it since Outer Wilds. I am loving it. Another puzzle game masterpiece. If you enjoy puzzles this is not to be missed.

^^ this. I had it high in my queue and your post pushed it forward. Not an easy listen. Not that it is not really good. It is pretty great. But it is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of notes, and they are not in the order that I would expect. But listening deeply there are themes and phrases that emerge that are very rewarding. And some tunes that are absolutely beautiful. Well recorded and minimizes the Jarrett mumble. Side note - last week when I had a friend visiting, I tried to explain - The Köln Concert - It was hard with someone that does not listen to jazz and had never heard of it before.

The Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops Shpongle - Codex VI

Pan Seared Halibut, Lemon Rice, minted peas, lemon / dill / yoghurt dressing.

Seen from outside it smells like Trump gave him the go, so Donald comes later as the peace maker, then he wins the Nobel prize. Donaldo Zanahorio is extremely pissed of Obama having it. It's hard to understand the point of Israel bombing Iran and risking a harsh retaliation.

😄 I'm from that part of Ohio and went to Kent State where the Casale brothers did also and dad taught. Devo was big in my life. I can't explain it, but 2.0 is unbelievably slightly growing on me. Slightly. Just listen to it 20 more times! Uncontrollable Urge switch from sex to junk food is kinda funny.

Hmmm, is that Gilda Radner in her satirical commercial for "Haley's Bristol Cream?" She parodied the real commercial of a woman telling another woman to call a man and not wait for him. So she tries it a couple times and the men are not available; she ends up yelling out to a stranger int he street, and you then see a bum in her apartment drinking with her.... Tried a quick search for the video, didn't find it.

Jim Lauderdale at a free concert. Not recording this time

Wait... Not everything that LTT reports on is accurate... I'm shock, Shocked I say...

http://caked-up.urbanup.com/13461795

Absolutely the best show I've seen this year.

Pulp you say? And arguably its greatest cover?

The band split up in 2002, got back together 24 years later and made this album. Low expectations on that and pop isn't exactly my favorite genre. I'd say they not only produced a good album but hit it out of the ballpark good. Or at least a triple. ex.

Martha Argerich plays Beethoven - Conductor Ion Marin - ARTE Concert full of goodness.

Chicken stuffed with haggis

Unholy carp, she (Saoirse Ronan) is so good in this!

Chocolate Tifin and Nice Cup of Tea with the Brits.

Today ... https://bonair.com/brits/ Lucas electrics has no power here, so here are a few of those that made it.

Took a Boat To The City Saw some controversial art. SF prices? Walked to a tech conference, where the zeitgeist is not just AI, but agentic AI. With phat/sick beats. And the expected A/V kit. Had a tech demo from a CEO, as one does. No need to be alarmed, citizen. Your timer starts now ... The conference ended with a nerd get together ( Code Block Party) Then some San Franciso Street Life And a First Thursday Gathering with one of many Waymos. Then back past the art, In time to catch the Last Ferry back a busy, but enjoyable day

A simple breakfast, however, one of the high school boys that works at the store on weekends brought me fresh eggs from his chickens. He wanted to bring something, because he really appreciates the food I bring on Saturdays. There really is a big difference in taste. These were layed yesterday. More than I can say for myself.

Getting ready for a trip to the Perigord by trying some local recipes. Grilled duck breast and duck fat fried potatos sarladaises.

Yeah Yeah another Rick Video - but I had never heard the isolated tracks before - pretty darn cool.

Corporate Marketing Budget Depletion by eating in San Francisco today. There was quite the selection. But choose wisely! I think I did. But a reminder to always read the small print to avoid failure of expectations. A neighbor at my table thought they were getting a Bacon Cheeseburger, But instead got a "Bacon" Cheeseburger. Plant based Bacon sounds like an oxymoron, and was described as "an abomination". Avoid. However, later that day there were cheese truffle fries. Not bad. Where's the duck fat, though?

Sonny Meets Hawk! by Sonny Rollins (1963) https://album.link/s94wfwvvrgh6z Example: Sonny, Hawk. Hawk, Sonny. Nice to meet you. Good colab. They play with themes and sounds back and forth the entire album. With some experimental things going on as well.