<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occasionally Coherent]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://blog.bimajority.org]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Garrett Wollman]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://blog.bimajority.org/author/garrettwollman/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Random segue time (post-Olympics&nbsp;edition)]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>So I just watched the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics (on my TiVo, so the delay didn&#8217;t bother me &#8212; but taking a commercial break during the <strong>pre-recorded</strong> lowering of the Olympic flag is inexcusable), which always pushes my buttons like nothing else.  Earlier today, I said goodbye to my parents as they began their third cross-country drive (they will be spending the next two years in San Diego, where my mother&#8217;s company is relocating).  And after the recording cut out (a few minutes early, natch), I hit &#8220;play&#8221; on the music player and was treated to this rather somber sequence:</p>
<ul>
<li>Scars on 45, &#8220;Insecurity&#8221; (from the self-titled album)</li>
<li>Mark Knopfler, &#8220;Go, Love&#8221; (from <cite>Privateering</cite>)</li>
<li>Peter Gabriel, &#8220;Solsbury Hill&#8221; (one of only two really uptempo songs in this sequence, from <cite>Hit</cite>, originally released as a vinyl single and on his self-titled album)</li>
<li>Roxette, &#8220;Cry&#8221; (from <cite>Look Sharp</cite>)</li>
<li>Indigo Girls, &#8220;Become You&#8221; (upbeat, but listen to those lyrics! &#8212; from the album of the same name)</li>
<li>Catie Curtis, &#8220;Sugar Cane&#8221; (from <cite>My Shirt Looks Good on You</cite>)</li>
<li>Natalie Merchant, &#8220;Just Can&#8217;t Last&#8221; (from <cite>Motherland</cite>)</li>
<li>Corey Hart, &#8220;I Am by Your Side&#8221; (from <cite>Fields of Fire</cite>)</li>
</ul>
<p>This was followed by a Kashtin song, &#8220;Tshinuau&#8221;, and since I don&#8217;t have the liner notes I have no idea what it&#8217;s about &#8212; but it&#8217;s substantially happier sounding, to me at least.  (Thanks to the VLC team for making a playlist shuffle function that doesn&#8217;t forget the sequence when you use the next and previous track buttons.)</p>
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