Hopstretch

PS: Have we found out yet what the deal is with the serial numbers and how we're actually supposed to register them?

Quite so. Certainly supporting that thesis is the fact that different songs on the same album can range from silky smooth to oh-god-needles-in-my-ears.

To-may-to, to-mah-to.

Soft Cell -- Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Next time I'm in Cape Town I'm totally going by his house just to rummage through his trash.

Bat For Lashes -- Two Suns

Bat For Lashes -- Fur And Gold

The days are long, but the years are short.

Seems a bit harsh. He was polite and concise and the comparison isn't unreasonable. Lots of folks around here still favor the various Parasound DACs over much more expensive and more modern units, so the consensus will almost certainly be to go that way. Your sound card has an optical out, so you can use that connection. In general, cheap USB DACs tend to leave something to be desired. Even better examples like the Cambridge Audio DACMagic measure much worse over that interface than over either their RCA or Toslink inputs. Welcome to HeadCase!

20% for BUDA + DAC together, if anyone's on the fence.

Start with this, then. Truly cracking.

Gomez -- A New Tide Not as good as the last one. But well ahead of 95% of the other shite out there today.

Eels -- Hombre Lobo

James Taylor -- Never Die Young

This is a keeper!

10cc -- The Original Soundtrack feckn_eexcellent.

We're out further West in Hopkinton, Ken. My local pusher is Julio's and they're really better for beer and spirits than for wine*. But I'll always take an excuse to hit Brookline Liquor Mart, Post Road Liquors in Wayland or Gordon's in Waltham. I haven't come across the Winecellar of Silene before, but now I'll be visiting soon. * The spirits buyer runs this local club. I could probably pick up a few of the extra shirts if anyone was interested.

Took the kids to free-icecream day at Friendlys. Free icecream turns people into frigging animals! Then took myself to buy-two-cases-or-more-and-get-20%-off day at my local wine merchant. Went hog wild.

Last night we went to Ken Oringer's newish tapas place in the South End. It was a mob scene, but the food was excellent. He does these grilled ears of corn slathered all over with spicy aioli and some sort of grated Spanish cheese -- maybe Idiazabal -- which are just disgusting(ly good). Thanks to the whisky bust after dinner, I couldn't face breakfast. Just had gyoza and yaki udon for lunch -- we'll see how the cuisines coexist.

Nope, but if it suddenly became absolutely imperative to tie off the old ball sack, I think I'd be looking for a knot that won't slip and definitely won't jam. Something like a bowline would likely serve.

You don't need to see his credit card statement. These aren't the components you're looking for. He can go about his business.

I also find them very comfortable. Perversely, this means I am constantly fiddling with them, trying to find exactly the right way to orient them on my head.

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Mouse head?