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<i>Pain: I guess it's a matter of sensation</i>

The June 2009 issue of <i>Stereophile</i> is now on newsstands. At first, I was against the green border and font for the front cover, favoring <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/in_shades_of_orange/">a red and orange motif</a> instead, but I now think the green treatment looks excellent. It is appropriate for spring, and the Klipsch Palladium P-39F loudspeaker seems to leap right from the page. Like a (really freaking) gigantic squirrel leaping from the branch of a blossoming tree.

This was my initial choice of cover motif for our June 2009 issue. We were concerned that these colors, however, would appear too similar to those used for <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/now_on_newsstands_stereophile… May issue</a>. One goal in designing a cover is to make it look as different as possible from the cover preceding it. So that buyers don't get confused, or something, I guess. While I understand the point, I must say that the Klipsch Palladium P-39F loudspeaker looks nothing like <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/turntables/sme_model_2012_turntable_312s_ton… SME 20/12 turntable</a>.

Koetsu USA, the US distributor for the $15,000 Koetsu Coralstone Platinum Mono reviewed by Michael Fremer in our May 2009 issue, has announced that several of its products will be demonstrated during a special "Audio Round-Up," hosted by Audio Limits in Colorado Springs. This free, two-day event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, and is open to the public.

"Tax proposed to fund Public TV, radio," read the newspaper headline. The Working Group for Public Broadcasting, described as a "private study group," was proposing to free public broadcasting "from improper political and commercial influences" by replacing its $228 million in congressional appropriations and $70 million or so in corporate funding with $600 million to be raised from a new sales tax on electronic equipment. The article went on to say that the proposal was being sent to the congressional panels concerned with communications (<I>ie</I>, the commerce committees), where it could become the basis for a new Public Broadcasting Act.

While putting together yesterday's entry, I stumbled upon this video of Mike Bones performing a version of Grinderman's excellent "No Pussy Blues." This was back in the summer of 2007, during a music festival in New York City's East River Park. I wasn't there.

Though he, like many others, moved to New York City as soon as he could, Mike Bones is <i>from</i> New Jersey. Bloomfield, or Belleville, or maybe Bayonne. Somewhere around there&#151somewhere not far from a good view of the Manhattan skyline. You can hear it in his lyrics. Only a boy from New Jersey could write and sing a song called "Today the World Is Worthy of My Loathing."