For Audio Nerds (and people who listen to music on headphones at home or office)
NOTE: THERE'S A BIG DISCOUNT FOR MY LISTENERS (SEE BELOW) UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH
I recently went for my second visit to "Sparkos Labs" which is in the Denver Metro area. "Sparko" is an incredible mostly self-trained engineer who designs components for audio equipment, especially proprietary high-end "op amps" as well as headphone amplifiers. Those are what they sound like...they take in an analog audio signal (if the audio signal is digital, such as a computer USB output then you also need a digital-to-analog converter, known as a DAC) and amplify it to a level that can "drive" (aka provide enough power) your headphones. Good headphone amps (and good DACs and good headphones) can truly change the listening experience.
I was very interested in Sparko's new headphone amp called the Gemini which has a tube in it (for tube nerds, it's a dual triode) and the ability to experiment with different tubes of the same overall category but which differ in other ways; different tubes really can create slightly different overall audio quality -- and I don't primarily mean better vs worse but rather things like "warmer" or "more detailed." Sparko also has a very high-end headphone amp called the Aries (which does not have tubes). Both also have preamp functionality, meaning they have volume controls. And the Gemini can be used just as a pre-amp because it has RCA outputs on the back, though I wouldn't buy it for that function. (RCA is the old standard type of connector that looks like a metal circle with a whole in the middle for the jack, and a connector that has a metal circle and then a longer metal plug in the middle for the plug.)
If you're interested in either the Gemini or the Aries (and I have to say that that both great but at the price point I truly love the Gemini) Sparko has created a coupon code for my listeners that's good until the end of May.
The code is ROSS and it will get you 20% off!
So if you're interested in a fabulous headphone amp at a crazy price, consider the Gemini from Sparkos Labs.
High End audio components and Hi Fi Audio Gear. Sparkos Labs, Inc.
p.s. I get absolutely nothing if my listeners buy Sparko's stuff. I just arranged this for you in case any audio nerds in the listening audience wanted a great deal on a cool piece of gear.
Gemini headphone amp (and preamp) with swappable tube, by Sparkos Labs in ColoradoPhoto: Noah J. Katz
Joe Biden gets back on track, for now
Between this news and the following speech, I wonder if somebody important around Biden told his woke 20-something-year-old woke anti-Israel advisors to sit down and shut up and let the adults handle the policy and the messaging.
Israel hasn't crossed "red line" with current Rafah operation, U.S. officials say (axios.com)
Biden in Yom Hashoah speech: ‘People already forgetting’ Oct. 7, 'I have not’ | The Times of Israel
This is interesting too, and maybe part of the reason for the apparent change in course: College students shrug at nationwide campus protests (axios.com)
Per the Times of Israel (referencing Axios): "But a majority of the over 2,000 arrested in recent weeks have not actually been college students, and a poll published Tuesday in the Axios news site revealed that just eight percent of students have participated in the protests. The 1,250 respondents ranked the Middle East as the least important among nine other issues they keep in mind while voting."
HOWEVER, words are cheap and actions matter more. So does Joe Biden even know about this, or is he saying one thing and doing another? US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion | AP News
Just One Thing: Trump's Stormy day in court
I really don’t want to talk about Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial. The charges are nonsense brought by a prosecutor who hopes to use the case to advance his political career. This does not mean that Trump is a decent person, but lots of indecent acts are not criminal. Most of them, actually. Yesterday, the porn star who goes by the name Stormy Daniels described something even less than a one-night stand…maybe a 10-minute stand…that she and Trump had in a hotel room in 2006. It’s all very salacious and titillating and great for clickbait and CNN but as for the case before the jury it’s not just irrelevant but insanely prejudicial against Trump who, again, is not a good dude but even bad dudes should not be as abused by a judge allowing nonsense as Trump is here.
Daniels admitted she hates Trump, with is even more prejudicial. (Some might see it as making the jury discount her testimony but I see it more as getting a person on the stand who hates the defendant which could cause jurors to themselves hate the defendant.) Here is what Stormy Daniels testified happened between her and Donald Trump - ABC News (go.com)
Stormy Testimony Shows: Trump’s Humiliation Is the Point of Bragg’s Prosecution | National Review (may require subscription)
UPDATE: Trump had a good day in another court: Trump documents trial start delayed indefinitely, judge orders | Reuters
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Today's Guests
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) joins us to talk about the rewrite of a proposed WHO treaty (or non-treaty agreement?) regarding global pandemics. The first version angered many people by theoretically requiring nations that sign to do all kinds of things that would give up national sovereignty to the WHO. Now they've rewritten it substantially but is it much better? And should it be formally called a treaty so that President Biden can't agree to it without a vote of the Senate?
Ron Johnson Senator from Wisconsin (senate.gov)
The global pandemic treaty is coming
Maybe it's just my skepticism of the WHO or international organizations, or maybe it's the use of the word "equitable" but I'd stay miles away from this thing. In any case, here's the WHO propaganda in favor of it: Call for urgent agreement on international deal to prepare for and prevent future pandemics (who.int)
Here's what an Australian journalist and an Aussie politician have to say:
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Jeff Crank is a Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District. Recently, he was endorsed by Doug Lamborn the outgoing Congressman who has held the seat for 20 years (and who beat Jeff in a GOP primary 20 years ago in that first contest.)
Here's what Lamborn said:
I’ve been watching the campaign to succeed me in Congress. It’s clear that our community would be better served with Jeff in Congress. I know that Jeff will represent our conservative values in Washington. He’ll pick up my fight to secure our southern border, continue the push to fix Biden’s broken economy, and stand proudly with our veteran and military community. With critical issues facing us in Washington, D.C., like the future of Space Command, it is vital that we elect a U.S. Representative with credibility. I became friends with Jeff sometime after he first ran against me for Congress in 2006. I grew to admire his continued and unwavering role in fighting for conservative values in the years since. He is a man of integrity, conviction, and solid family values. He’ll serve El Paso County admirably in Congress. I’m proud to give Jeff Crank my total endorsement and full support.
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Hans von Spakovsky is a Senior Fellow for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation. We'll talk about various things surrounding TikTok including the company's recent statement that they want to help with "election integrity" by somehow policing content on the platform.
Hans von Spakovsky | The Heritage Foundation
TikTok’s new election integrity plan is a Trojan horse for censorship - Washington Examiner
TikTok takes divest-or-ban law to court (axios.com)
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Other Stuff
You know how they say don’t kick a man when he’s down, but when it comes to Tay Anderson it’s just so much fun: Tay Anderson’s bid for victimhood dismissed — again | Columns | denvergazette.com
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A story you don't hear every day: RFK Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain: Report (thedailybeast.com)
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Interesting story. Note that his particular blogger is extremely MAGA, but still this looks bad for the FBI: (20) The DOJ's Doctored Crime Scene Photo of Mar-a-Lago Raid (declassified.live)
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ByteDance (parent company of TikTok) pushes back: TikTok challenges federal law that could lead to its being banned - The Washington Post
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Best state in America...again: Utah Repeats as the Best State in America | Best States | U.S. News (usnews.com)
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Offered without comment: 10th Circuit slams University of Colo. for vaccine policy | Courts | coloradopolitics.com
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I changed the "man vs bear" question yesterday in a way that Sparko, mentioned above, said really changed the nature of the question. So the original question was...(note there's some bad language in the video)
Man or bear? A viral question has spawned scary responses (msn.com)
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Want to buy a (very) expensive watch from a famous person? https://observer.com/2024/05/sylvester-stallones-watch-collection-auction-sothebys/
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Surprising...but also totally unsurprising: Russian plot to kill Zelensky foiled, Kyiv says (bbc.com)
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Quite a story, including bringing back to the US a woman who is accused of receiving weapons training from ISIS: U.S. Repatriates 11 American Citizens From ISIS War Camps in Syria – DNyuz
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This continues to show vulnerability for Trump…what can he do to get the “Haley” voters to support him? Note that in Indiana, you can basically vote in whichever primary you want to regardless of your actual party affiliation because they have a dumb unenforceable law that tries to make it so that people only vote in the primary of the party they truly support.
Indiana Democratic and Republican primary election results and maps 2024 | CNN Politics
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Today's Videos
A gentleman from the Chicago area sent me his song
OK, this is absolutely amazing