Knuckledragger

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. As further proof that I continue to live the wild DJ lifestyle, I spent my birthday getting my car working (yay!) then going ...grocery shopping. I did splurge on some organic, free range tree hugging hippie Kielbasa. It was eye-wateringly expensive, but damn is it good.

Damn, dude. Tyrus Wong was a few months older than my grandfather, who died in 1990. That was a pretty epic life.

Did not know him, but 54 is way too young. RIP.

Test Tone @ Home live right now: http://mixlr.com/illuminator/chat

This is slightly long form by Slow standards.

This is the third battery the Fit has had. In 3 years. First two were whatever Honda uses. A year ago I could have had it replaced under warrantee again, but opted to go to a local mechanic shop and get the best they had (which was an Interstate.) It was like $180 for the [gosh darn] battery. The problem is the Fit has a tiny fucking battery (like 360 CCA) and I store it outside, in New England. I'd love to retrofit a 450 CCA battery in there, but that is beyond my ability. I just ponied up $110 for a Swiss mate (WTF ever that means) car charger. I'd pour myself a drink at this interim, but after what two "non alcoholic" (.5%) beers did to me this summer, I'm afraid any of the Scotch in my house would fucking kill me.

Car's battery is dead for the second time in a week (first was Christmas Eve.) I am now super fucked, and apparently in the market for one of those home charging kits.

Someone said "the magic prize" in conversation yesterday and it brought back a flood of memories of listening to college radio in the 80s.

I was gonna post this in Slow Forum at some point. :/

RIP jazz drummer Alphonse Mouzon. http://www.soultracks.com/story-alphonse-mouzon-dies His drumming was sampled by ...everybody.

Scientist who discovered dark matter, Vera Rubin, passes away at the age of 88.

The following post was supposed to be much bigger, and posted yesterday. Inexplicably, imgur refused to accept any more uploads halfway through it. Today, imgur is STILL not working. I think it's the "I'm not a robot CAPTCHA failing." I spent half a fricken hour monkey with my adblock, and two other browsers. Got exactly nowhere. Here's as far as I got. "My friend tried to give her reindeer cute bowties...and accidentally created monsters." Spoiler: http://i.imgur.com/WdeZ3Gr.jpg Akureyri, Iceland.

Maybe it's not the western 2016, but the Chinese year of the monkey, which ends Jan 28th. Or maybe the Chinaman's not the issue here, dude. Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian American, please.

Holy shit. 2016 is not done yet, and it's determined to remove everything fabulous.

Test Tone @ Home live right now: http://mixlr.com/illuminator/chat

Paunchy German dude absolutely KILLS IT with some live DNB.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dr-rachel-owen-former-partner-of-thom-yorke-dead-at-age-48-w456895 RIP Dr. Rachel Owen, partner of Thom Yorke for over two decades.

2016 ain't over yet. She certainly lived quite a life. I remember an ad that ran on Nick At Nite, in the early 90s. It was a promo for Green Acres. It had a line in it that went something like "Remember, Green Acres stars *Eva* Gabor, not Zsa Zsa. Eva will not harm you." I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

I posted this as an FB status, but it's relevant here as well. I had an hour's conversation with my ma. She'd talked to her friend Alan. Alan is quite a guy. He went to college with my uncle. Alan has been a huge success in life. He runs a company that does (something I don't understand) and has made a small fortune doing so. All this while keeping his business in the US and employing actual Americans. He's owned at least two yachts in the time that my mother has lived on the Vineyard (5 or so years.) On a couple occasions he's sailed in to visit her. His wife took her life this week. She hung herself. Suicide by hanging is particularly brutal on those one leaves behind. Someone has to find the body and cut it down. I explained to me mum that I'm familiar with this concept because it's covered pretty thoroughly in a folk song that I had on a Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem record from about age 4. I still have said record, as well as a clean digitized copy (it has never been released on CD) some saint uploaded to what.cd. There's a moral here somewhere. Listening to folk songs (Irish or otherwise) prepares one for the harsh realities of life.

What is this I don't even.

Test Tone @ Home live right now: http://mixlr.com/illuminator/chat

This happened a while ago, but I forgot to mention it. 2016 claimed my friend's cat Mauro. He had many, many toes and a penchant for eating and napping ...and eating. He was a really chill companion.