On eBay I recently bid on and won the 4 CD set of The Best of William Burroughs from Giorno Poetry Systems. I'd been looking for a good copy of this set for a while, as it includes a lot of great photos and biographical material, in addition to the obviously marvelous recordings themselves. I was quite proud of myself, too, as I managed to get it for a reasonable price at a time when copies often go for rather unreasonable prices.

The package arrived today, and when I opened it I was delighted to note that it was in good condition. Aside from some scuffing on the LP-sized outer box, the booklet and discs themselves were in superb condition. It was only after a few excited minutes perusing them that I realized my eyes were watering, and that I was starting to sneeze. It appears that the previous owner was a smoker.

This frustrates me, not because I consider the set damaged somehow — I don't — but because I don't like having this weakness. I grew up in a house of smokers, back in the days when failure to light up after a meal meant you were anti-American, and probably a Godless Communist as well. I have dated a reasonable number of smokers, too, and been party to far too many smoke-filled rooms to recount. So I am hoping that this heightened sensitivity is just a temporary side-effect of my recent medical issues, and not a permanent fixture of my environment.

For now, having ripped the discs to MP3, I have banished the set to the garage until it airs out. In the meantime, I need some aspirin.