Mortality

First, a pointer:  This diary of a recording engineer has some interesting insights into the music industry.  Some of it, you've probably heard before.  Other details, you probably haven't.  Interesting reading.

I'd also like to call your attention to this post from Howard Tayler, author of Schlock Mercenary.  Here, he's taking on the NCAA decision to require the complete removal of Native American imagery from NCAA teams, completely regardless of objections from Native American tribes who'd like the teams that adopted their imagery and names to keep on using them, thank you very much.  "How much momentum does this stupid PC pendulum have left in it, anyway?" Howard asks.  Unfortunately, a fair bit yet, I suspect ... there are clear limits to wisdom, but sadly, none whatsoever to arrant stupidity.

( Never mind that bollocks, where's the introspection? )

Gratuitous excess 401

What do you get for the mega-billionaire who has everything else except a sense of good taste?  What else but a "yacht" the size of a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship?¹

(Found by jenkitty)

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[1]  OK, I concede, this is slightly inaccurate.  Her Majesty's Royal Navy did not formally classify the Queen Elizabeth class as ( battleships... )

Mischief ... er, vr00mage Managed

Went over by back roads through Windham to Pelham, found the game store, and got my Icehouse pieces for Zendo.  Toddled off from there more or less picking roads at random, heading sort of generally southwest until I hit Dracut, then generally northwest.  Found a few reasonably pleasant forested roads that made for a cool and relaxing ride, but I'll admit I'd been hoping to run across something a little twistier.  Found myself coming back into the south end of Hudson rather sooner than I expected -- it seemed a shorter ride back from Pelham than it was over there, even though I took a less direct route -- but maybe not such a bad thing as all that, because the toes on my left foot were already starting to hurt fairly badly.  I have to get something done about those toes, but now we have insurance again, so with any luck it'll be able to happen soon unless Harvard Pilgrim onvokes a pre-existing condition rule.

It wasn't until I got home that I was reminded I'd forgotten I also need pente stones or something similar for Zendo.  "Oh, bugger."  Don't know if I have anything here I can improvise a substitute with until I can get some pente stones, though I suppose there's always paper markers.

Still, I can open the Bruichladdich now.

It's unfortunate ....

...that now everything but the workstations is in the rack, there's no longer any space for my Argonath bookends on either side of my firewall.