What does it mean to you, to "release a record"?

[George Ludwig <sfmissionman@yahoo.com>]

In the digital age, what is your standard procedure, as an independent 
artist, to “release an album”? Where do you send it for review? What 
kind of promo kit do you put together? Do you bother having it physically 
duplicated? Etc?
 
It’s been over ten years since I released a record for myself, and a lot 
has changed. I feel a bit like a dinosaur. And 2009 looks like I'm going 
to have several discs to put out!
 
-George