A typical Friday or Saturday night for me, 2002-05.

In our too-connected world, what do we do when we manage to find a missing link?

I recently cleaned out my old bedroom at my parents’ house. Along with the circa-2001 Pentium III, its 16″ CRT monitor, and the third-row seat from an ’88 Suburban (complete with seatbelts and ashtrays,) I reclaimed about 500 CDs from around 1997-2010.

As you might imagine, that CD arc starts with agreeable major-label stuff like OMC, Smash Mouth and Barenaked Ladies, then briskly devolves into Napster-sourced mix CDs and DIY scenester-press CDRs, and the first and second albums of lots of bands that went on the Warped Tour (Of course, I had heard about ’em on the Tour’s companion compilations.) The most recent stuff in this collection was more polished indie output (which, 20 years on, has aged rather well!) on indefinite loan from my college radio station. When I moved out, I got into vinyl and didn’t have room for any of these CDs; but how could I possibly throw such precious artifacts in the trash? My parents graciously left my room alone all these years. I realize I am a spoiled brat.

The first CDs I put on when I got home were the “hometown heroes,” the lovingly crafted CDRs of original work by teenagers playing all-ages shows. I never failed to spend $5 for one of these CDs whenever I attended a show I enjoyed. Not only was I legitimately into the scene, but I always wondered if any of the albums might eventually be valuable if the band ever made it big.

There was one group I had particularly enjoyed back then, but I (privately!) accused them of plagiarism. It’s forgivable in retrospect to exist around the scene for years and have a phrase from somebody’s great lead guitar part eventually show up in your rhythm part. When I heard the song again, I was immediately reminded of the original song I thought they were ripping off. (I will not mention that offending song or artist here.) The song I was thinking of came back to me. The chorus: “My heart will race all night tonight!”

As I replayed the ripoff track, more lyrics from the song I wish I was listening to came back to me. It’s not a great song: It follows the formulaic progression of a thousand bands with music like this. The lyrics are superficial. You could say it paved the way for a lot of music I do not like today. But, it will always remind me of my youth, and for that I will always be compelled to appreciate it.

I can’t find anything at all about the song: Who wrote it? where are the lyrics posted? This situation I am in reminds me of an episode of the Reply All podcast (link) in which someone remembered a song they heard on the radio in the late 90s but could not find it. In fact, I am going through almost exactly the same situation: The song comes back to me after years, and I remember more than half the lyrics, yet Google is absolutely clueless. Search terms around the hook “My Heart will Race All Night Tonight” bring up advice better suited for folks worried about arrhythmia or palpitations.

So, I make this post as a beacon in the hopes that one day the right person will find it and reconnect me with this post-hardcore gem once again: “My Heart Will Race All Night Tonight.” I think they were a upstate New York band. I am completely certain of the lyrics I remember. I never saw the band live, but I remember hearing the song on Myspace or Purevolume.

I might as well do what the guy did in Reply All: Influence the process by reconstructing the song.

Lyrics:

CHORUS:
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
[guitar fill]
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight

VERSE:
For all it’s worth
You are the first
To make me hurt
You are the worst

(Guitar hook)

VERSE:
For all ??? ???
You ??? ??? ???
Forgive and take
You go your own way

(Guitar Hook with lyrics whispered:)
I can’t let go…

CHORUS:
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight
My heart will race all night tonight

BRIDGE:
I can’t let go
I can’t let go
I can’t let go

CHORUS (fade out)

—-

Remember this song?
Get in touch!
– Leon

Sometimes people ask me what’s with the image of the guy in blue greeting visitors to my blog. I don’t know who it is, but I’m moved to share its provenance: In the first Youtube video I ever watched.
17 years later, this clip is just as funny as it was the first time.

It’s culturally significant because it bridged a gap: The 99% of viewers on some weekday afternoon who saw this air and didn’t know who Mike Patton is would just keep folding laundry, or figure (accurately) that the program was merely referring to some rock guy. The other 1% of us would have had our jaws on the floor catching this scene, then telling our friends about it without the ability to play it back for them. That’s the gap YT bridged that exposed this little bit of unintentional comedy in an episode of All my Children to a brand-new audience, one where the majority of viewers may have gone years or decades since watching or thinking about that program. 17 years ago, it was pretty novel. I’d say most content on YT back then was short, of generally low image and sound quality, yet just plain old worlds more culturally significant than what’s been uploaded to YT since I started writing this post.

Around 2007-09 the quality got “there,” and it promptly became the greatest movie repository this world has ever seen for a solid three years. Today? Demonetization for the creators that have set up camp where the movies were swept away, and ads for the viewers. But I’m grateful and sentimental that this original clip remains up on YT, at the very same link where I first watched it in my 17th summer. One day, for some unknown reason….. It’ll be gone. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it somewhere else. (Good luck.) The artistic force behind Destination Hell will always be here at the top of my page to greet you.

You’ve been reading my blog...
So, thanks for reading my blog.

I want to apologize for this photo. I was jokingly putting post-hardcore ahead of hardcore, in the spirit of some kid butting in line at the water fountain after recess. Looking back, I’m aghast at thinking that it was posted on my band’s Myspace. I just plain old didn’t know what Hardcore was at that time. (Worst of all, now that I am older, I recognize Hardcore to be vastly superior to Post-Hardcore.)

But this post isn’t about Hardcore.

Quoth Bill Maher: “You’re tolerating things right now that will make you cringe in 25 years.”

This post, presented as a token of acceptance and self-forgiveness, is in keeping with that maxim. Before the above photo resurfaces out of context and costs me my bid for the Senate, I want to save my brand by doubling down on this matter.

I drove this spinnaker blue ’89 Ford Escort 3-door with a sunroof while the following ten albums were released, and I really, really enjoyed zipping around in that coffin, as the old folks would call it. I knew all the words to all these songs, and would go out with my friends every other weekend to Upstate New York venues like Winners, The Chance, New Age Cabaret, Valentines, Northern Lights or the occasional basement to see these bands and a hundred other adjacent acts live. These shows were so much fun and, depending on your taste in music, you may consider the selected albums herein as flowers or mushrooms, springing forth from the foundational Hardcore.

But this is not Hardcore, no; it isn’t Hardcore one bit. It’s………… POST HARDCORE!

Presenting: My top 10 POST-HARDCORE albums!!!

---

10. Underoath – They’re Only Chasing Safety
An amazing album, period. This Top 10 list doesn’t include “Screamo” excepting this prime example of that related genre. I had it on Vinyl with a bonus track, a cover of The Police’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” Favorite Track: “Reinventing your Exit”

9. The Used – Self-Titled
I feel they did not mature enough over the two or three albums following this one, so I lost interest before they saw most of their fame. Still, I maintain that this first album on its own is “Top 10” material. Favorite Track: “A Box Full of Sharp Objects”

8. At The Drive In – Relationship of Command
This album stretched Post-Hardcore lyricism away from its predictable angst in some very unique directions. Later spinoff bands Sparta and The Mars Volta are also great. Favorite Track: “Arcarsenal”

7. Fear before the March of Flames – Art Damage
They played Winners, and MFs were swinging from the chandeliers. Ask anyone. Favorite Track: “Absolutely Fabulous and Me”

6. Finch – What It Is To Burn
One of the best shows of all time @ Asbury Park in May ’05. Tracks from this were on lots of great comps. Favorite Track: “Post-Script”

5. The Receiving End Of Sirens – Between The Heart And The Synapse
They played Valentines and my college radio station sponsored the show, so I got to take the stage to amp the crowd up by asking them how they liked all the other opening bands: And, to please welcome to the stage: THE RECEIVING END OF SIRENS! That was a lot of fun. Favorite Track: “Planning a Prison Break”

4. Thursday – Full Collapse
This was another show my station put on at Winners. Promotion started 3 months before the show, and Thursday “broke” during that short period, so the promoter on the day of the show quietly put on another more major radio station as the official sponsor and I didn’t get to address the crowd and thank everyone for coming out and to please welcome to the stage: THURSDAY! Favorite Track: “Cross Out the Eyes”

3. Brand New – Deja Entendu
I had a hernia and missed them at Winners in 2003. They came close to playing live near me over the following 3 or 4 years, but it never happened. By the time they released later LP “The Devil & God” I was over Post-Hardcore. I understood they began playing out again but I never ended up seeing them. They ended up being one of the biggest bands of this genre and it’s all well deserved, but personal taste is an interesting thing: I have hundreds of hours logged on their first two albums, but am absolutely numb to anything they put out after that. Favorite Track: “Guernica”

2. Glassjaw – Worship and Tribute
My parents had a HS graduation party for me and hired a DJ to entertain everyone. I gave him this CD out of my sun visor sleeve and told him to play Tip Your Bartender because I was an idiot and I thought it would be funny. This album rocks and I love every project Daryl Palumbo has been a part of ever since. Favorite Track: “Cosmopolitan Bloodloss”

1. Dear Diary… by From First to Last
   The essence, the encapsulation, the [insert precocious french term here] of everything we loved about Post-Hardcore. The peak song of the Post-Hardcore genre is “Emily” off this. Favorite Track: “Emily”

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Alexisonfire, Senses Fail, AFI, The Fall of Troy, Escape the Fate, Boys Night Out, Emery, Refused

Here’s one more of me ca. 2003.

Enjoy,

Leon

In the five years since I started the international mixtape exchange known as Squabble, 186 tapes have been assigned between a couple dozen Squabblers, with 63% of them (117) having been ripped to mp3 for sharing within the club. To celebrate the last assigned tape due December 31st of 2023, I put together a collage of buddy icons representing each digitized mix. (I also went to town on the collection’s ID3 tags, so these 300x300px icons will show up on supporting audio players.)

It’s been a great experience watching the club form, storm, norm and perform; I’m especially grateful for the deliberate, conceptual approaches and original audio creations brought to some of these editions. Those crucial variations on theme make Squabble less like a collection of playlists, and more like Forrest Gump’s mama’s box of chocolates.

In retrospect, Squabble grew a bit like a weed, because I had no clean-cut outline or defined business goal going into it. I never asked anything of anyone apart from sending five cassettes to five other people every 73 days throughout a given year. (73 * 5 = 365) – I wanted to let everyone get their fingerprints on the final product as they defined what it became. I only used my novice skills in audio production, HTML coding, and administrative support around assignments/logistics to bring everyone together to trade these mixtapes.

I’m going to unofficially maintain Squabble going forward in a LIFO distribution method (“Last-in, First-out) as everyone previously involved will be invited to send me a tape at their leisure. When they do, I’ll serialize and digitize it myself, before mailing that artifact back out to the next participant who submits a tape. This feels like a very low-friction way for us all to move on from Squabble without letting go.

A very special thanks to all my Squabblers, my trusty Squabbies, all the Squabbldidons and Squabbledidoñas the world over, the collective Squabblentsia – Could not have put this together without you all!!!! This would not have sounded so good without you all!!

On to the next venture,

Leon

After 12 years of listening to a whole lot of tapes, something broke on my factory car stereo and it started sounding like garbage. I don’t fault Ford for this, because, 12 years. I poked an alcohol-soaked Q-tip on the play head but it didn’t work so I gave up. I got on Ebay and found a few OEM replacements for a hundred bucks or so, but I decided to have a little fun and install an aftermarket deck.

I wanted to do it right, though: The display had to be green, to match the dashboard. CD-only units were out, which alone reduced my choices by about 80%. I did not want a shaft-style radio, so those extra-vintage units were also out. The 1.5 and 2-din DVD / GPS units of 2000-2020 that morphed into today’s “digital media receivers” were out, as nothing with a screen takes a tape. But, what about a CD player? As a child of the 90s I do have a few, yes, quite a few, CDs. I spent a bit of time looking at those units larger than single-din that supported both tape and CDs, but I just couldn’t find one that I liked.

So, I made the difficult decision to lose the CD player and go with a single-din cassette deck. The choices are apparent: Alpine, Nakamichi. Pioneer, Sony, Panasonic, Kenwood, Clarion. Here was my problem: Each of these manufacturers made about 100 distinct car cassette receiver models between ’80 and ’00 and there is next to no product information about any of them available on the Internet. They vary by RMS wattage, capabilities, and superficial face designs and illumination. The search for my tape deck was unlike any other purchase I had attempted online: Constant cross-referencing, model number cutting and pasting, zooming in on scans of product lists (that I couldn’t ultimately read,) even number stuffing, guessing model numbers by inferring cadences between them by seeing other models from that line on Ebay.

(YT Link) Eventually, I found a gentleman in the Baltics who keeps an Ebay store of exotic rare cassette decks from several manufacturers. What really caught my eye was this Panasonic CQ-FG66EG: A 1989 model with a touchscreen. It was absolutely handsome and I had to have it. Problem was, the ask was $850. I tried to have a dialogue with him, but he proudly proclaimed how he wouldn’t move on the price, no matter what. I don’t fault him for that, but I can’t justify spending $850 on a car cassette deck before shipping.

I wasn’t that heartbroken over missing out on the only one of these for sale anywhere online because this model the seller had was a European model, which as I learned from extensive research through forums and zooming in on units’ factory spec stickers (that I couldn’t ultimately read) are simply useless in North America.

The deal is, in Europe FM goes up by .4 step and AM goes up by 9 kHz. In North America, FM is odd and goes up by .2 like this: 93.1, 93.3, 93.5; AM goes up by 10 kHz, so you have 580, 590, 600, 610. (This was probably done on purpose to reduce inter-hemispherical interference.) In other words, you may be able to successfully install a +12V car receiver from EUR in US and vice versa, but the radio is going to be a redundant feature for imports on both sides. One exception to this is having an analog tuner, which should be able to pick up both. (Japanese FM band works on 76-90MHz, so it is incompatible also.)

If you’re in the market, that’s great to know. As far as I know, this blog post is the Internet’s first complete explanation of this phenomenon. (When shopping set your search filters accordingly.)

Over about a two week period on Ebay, I tried and failed to get the following decks: (If you’re in the market, consider this list:)

Nakamichi TD-45z
YT https://youtu.be/g3aP97wUjf0?si=PavL3a82eJWyJk8i

Kenwood KRC-999
YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5usDlyQsk8

Alpine 7171
YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S7QzyfZH2Y

Pioneer KRH-M5002
Ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/394541361873

Sony XRM-550
YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9sYQfl6P4w

The best site I found for information on product lines is the Audio Video Component Archive. They only cover Sony, Kenwood, JVC and Pioneer, but these four brands are pretty extensively documented. It is an essential and too-scarce resource. It led me to the KRC-409 which I found on Ebay. Here it is installed in my dashboard.

I eventually decided to go with the Kenwood KRC-409 because it had a full logic face (no physical buttons to depress for FF/REW) and was rated at 22 watts per channel (my factory deck was single-digit!) It has a white readout, which I was hesitant on, but pleasant green button illumination. I wasn’t exactly bowled over with it, but, NOS is NOS: All told, the deck cost $104 shipped.

Unfortunately, the tape deck only worked in the right channel (I confirmed correct wiring because the tuner worked in both channels.) So, I had to return it. I went back to doom-scrolling the Audio Video Component Archive and seeing what came up on Ebay.

Suddenly, I saw a Kenwood KRC-X858 available! They wanted $200 but couldn’t test it, so I offered $125 and they bit. Here it is installed in my dashboard:

There is a noted progression in car stereo antitheft technology, where decks from the 80s and early 90s would be completely removable, leaving a hole in the dashboard. The faceplate had an actual fold-out handle, and I suppose one would pull their entire radio out and bring it along to dinner. In the 90s, removable faceplates became the norm. This deck has a unique feature whereby the faceplate folds in and out like James Bond’s license plate, leaving a matte black rectangle on display until the car is turned on again. (I am not sure if this is more or less effective than a blinking red light. Then again, car stereo theft is at an all-time low and I think I’ll take my chances.) As a middle finger to any successful thief, if the unit is removed, there is a security code set by the owner that must be entered when it’s reconnected.

This deck has a lot of audio settings and it’s a little frightening to someone like me who is only used to controlling bass and treble. There’s bass and treble center frequency control, high pass and low pass filters, Q-factor and more. This isn’t Audacity, I’m just trying to drive to work! But some heads would celebrate having this complete control over the audio product. It also has one non-fadable pre-out, which is a wonderful too-rare feature.

One simple “mod” that brings this deck into 2024 is an antenna-inline FM modulator: When tuned to 87.9 FM, I can flip a switch next to a USB audio port and replace the FM reception with cell phone audio.

Because my new cell phone only has one USB-C port, my workaround is this pair of USB cords simply wound together with zip ties so I can choose to either send audio to the car or charge the cell.

Overall the deck sounds great, I think I am all set until that motorized faceplate inevitably breaks. I think my only point against it is having two volume buttons instead of a flush knob. It is a real step above the KRC-409. (To its credit, the 409 itself with its logic board feels like a big step above models like the KRC-235 or even the KRC-S300 with its wacky faceplate color options.)

One last plug for the Audio Video Component Archive – absolutely crucial product specs for anyone in the market. The north star for car stereo research online!

Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment with any cassette decks that you think can dunk on the ones I mentioned here.

I recently came across this remarkable long-form commercial for the Pontiac Parisienne. It has all the substance of a daytime soap opera on mute, and the star of the show is basically a rebadged Caprice. Pontiac discovered plastic in the 70s (GTO nose) and pioneered it in the 80s with things like the Formula’s body kit (and this Parisienne’s wheel well flares and rear reflector panel fills,) before going a little bit too far with the Bonneville SSE body kit in the 90s and ultimately “officially” too far with the Aztek’s cladding the following decade. Throughout these decades, plastic is observed to be more gradually and humanely introduced on Chevy, Cadillac and Buick products.

This film was distributed to dealers on Laserdisc. This style of video distribution is interesting to me because the product absolutely reeks of being designed by committee: It’s a document of corporate culture, unlike anything made for the general public – unintentionally funny and even arcane (See Wendy’s Hot Drinks and Old Country Buffet Slicing Station for more examples.) Employees at Pontiac dealerships were meant to watch these videos and learn the product features they could then parrot to sell more product (the senior sales guys did not watch a single minute of these movies.) I frankly can’t imagine myself as a sales employee sitting in the bullpen watching this video against my will. I would read the back of the tape sleeve and wonder aloud: “A full minute in, and we still haven’t seen the car? What is this?”

The shot @ 2:53 is great because it shows how these full-sized boats can take expansion joints and potholes at highway speeds and dampen them in a way FWD cars could never. After 3 or 4 controlled bobs, the pothole is fully absorbed. In a thoroughly okay moment of marketing, the car is described as providing an “…unmistakably elegant ride.”

In my opinion, manufacturers missed a great opportunity during the late days of UHF and early days of cable TV, when instead of showing late night sleazy “1-900” ads or boring niche programs (or being off the air, for that matter) stations could have aired works like these as short-form infomercials and increased sales.

One detail that is surprisingly chilling is this shot @ 4:52. Kubrick used this same technique in The Shining to great effect (more on this here.) In the environment of a Pontiac Parisienne dealer promo, it is as silly to see as it is profoundly frightening. (FYI, the book is a lot scarier than the movie.)

Overall this car is forgettable – as previously mentioned it didn’t differentiate enough from the Chevrolet Caprice, but it was far from being the final nail in Pontiac’s coffin. These were well-made vehicles that responded to good maintenance schedules, and I still see one on the road every now and then, but they aren’t quite collector car status yet. If anything, the two-door configuration is going to be the most valuable, and unfortunately the Parisienne was not available as a two door. Another glaring omission is the lack of spoked or mag wheels as an option.

I would like to see more recent examples of these product marketing videos from any industry, but I fear the end result would be affected by too much self-consciousness – they are probably now keen to avoid being called “cringey” by their own sales staff.

These promotional videos represent a very interesting unexamined facet of media; yet, to paraphrase Socrates: “The unexamined video is not worth watching.”

My post on attempting to hook up a remote to my Technics 676 (here) is by far the most popular post on my blog; it seems I have stumbled on a niche, and there is a general lack of fan material on maintaining this flagship product.

Maybe it’s because it was developed before Metal / Type IV tapes, so it does not support them; maybe it’s because it was designed to support Dolby FM, which itself became antiquated by the 1980s. As a “plain old” component deck, it’s a dependable tank with pinpoint recording control and a great look, with its flat brushed face and green-lit VU meters.

In my opinion, the majority of 676 units out there that do not work can be rehabilitated by replacing rubber parts, capacitors and resistors. This deck was built to last, and it shows everywhere – In the articulating bay door hinge, the logic board controlling loud solenoids, and most importantly its main components.

In 2024, this tape deck will be turning 50, and so the rubber parts on these units have oxidized. This affects the FF/REW function. In 2019 I replaced the main belt, but the FF/REW function was never good. This condition also barred me from using the memory function. I finally got around to doing this project, and I’m happy to report the unit is now back to original working condition.

The following is a guide to replace the idler tires on the Technics 676.

YOU WILL NEED a regular-sized Phillips head screwdriver (P2), a 2.0mm precision screwdriver, curved nose precision pliers, and three new idler tires. OPTIONAL 99% alcohol for cleaning the tape heads and a ribbed interface wheel.

First, remove the four screws holding the cover. The cover is keyed to the face, so tilt it forward before lifting off.

Take off six screws holding the face on.

Take off knobs and switch covers. Use the 20mm precision screwdriver to remove the mic knobs.

Mind the delicate felt pad between the logic board and the face.

Remove four screws and eight washers from the cassette bay.

Remove two screws from the top lamp assembly. Remove plastic head shield in the bay.

Carefully slide cassette bay through front of unit.

OPTIONAL Press down on cassette tray to expose heads. Clean the play and write heads with 99% alcohol.

Remove four screws from cassette tray and flip cassette tray back over unit exposing FF/REW assembly.

This is where the sausage is made.

1) is the FF/REW-dedicated motor, 2) and 3) are interface wheels that transfer the motor’s movement to the two reels 4) and 5). Below 3) is a hinge allowing 3) to move left and right depending on the chosen FF/REW function.

This is the hardest part of the job. Remove the Jesus clip with precision curved pliers. Align the tips of the pliers as illustrated, with one tip slightly off center on the center hub, and one tip on the edge of the clip. Squeeze gently. Remove washer.

The two contact points are not 180 degrees away from each other: Think ~160-165. If you do 180 deg, the clip won’t move; if you do 150 deg, the pliers will slide off and/or the clip will go flying, and you will quickly understand the etymology of this clip.

Use the precision screwdriver to remove the white wheel with tire. Remove and replace tire.

Here’s the deal with these 50 year old rubber tires: They don’t matter anymore. They do not need to be carefully removed. Use the precision pliers to grasp the other two tires from the reels, and remove and replace them. (Do be careful mounting the new tires!)

OPTIONAL This ribbed wheel has pieces of old rubber all over it. Clean it with 99% alcohol.

Replace the white wheel now with its new tire. Replace the washer and the Jesus clip. Align the pliers as illustrated, with the two contact points 180 degrees away from each other to reinstall.

The cassette tray mount has a lot of play during reinstall. To ensure correct alignment on the first try, install the four screws in this order.

This is the second hardest part of the job. Slide the cassette bay back in through the front carefully, and mind lots of brackets and wires. I had to back it out again to move this green wire out of the way.

OPTIONAL If you want to replace the bulb at this time, the bulb is style XAMR9SHO.

Replace two screws in top lamp assembly.

Replace plastic head protector in the bay.

Replace six screws holding the face on.

Key cover into face and tilt into place. Replace four screws.

Most of the knobs are keyed, but the mic knobs are not.

Twist the inner shaft all the way to the left, then mount the knob (pointing at zero,) then screw it back into place.

Shouts out to EBay seller SILICONEMIND for making these idler tires available. It is unclear if Panasonic still makes replacement tires, but this seller 3D prints exact replacements on good quality rubber. Thanks to SILICONEMIND for making maintenance of these vintage decks possible.

Keen readers will note that I re-installed the REW button on the logic board backwards! Oh no!!!! A reminder to do this job slowly to avoid breaking or scratching anything (and in my case, to avoid rework.) To finish a job and notice a screw or two on the floor next to you is devastating! Keep a towel or blanket nearby to safely store the outer case, front face and pile of screws while working.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

chocolate milk > milk chocolate

Cooking > baking

Bars should offer shots of wine

lever + wheel = gear

All paint companies should have a gentleman’s agreement over the color of “ceiling white”

Most wedding DJs are R. Kelly apologists

Slipknot should have a “Lick It Up” moment

NYC ≠ NYS

A healthy Blue Jay’s tail looks like stained glass

The guy from Go West’s hairline 1985-1992 = my hairline 2009-2016

The primary goal for my 30s is to acquire a 1kg gold ingot

What makes more quarters per capita: Car wash / arcade / parking meter / washer / dryer?

late 80s early 90s brought us some of the nicest sounding, yet least inspired music of all time

Hydrox : Oreos :: Reese’s Pieces : PB M&Ms

screws > nails

The Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River is from 1910. 1910! the train goes over it 100x a week… Wondering what the orig. architect would say if u told him this bridge would be used for 110 yrs.?

When I was little, I saw Vanilla Ice on VH1 hiding a smile explaining how he didn’t actually sample Queen. Immediately etched in my memory. Like seeing an infamous politician squirm.

After 2019’s Squabble and 2021’s Squabble II, I’m left with a treasure trove of great mixtapes that have been a go-to for train rides and traffic jams. The two editions produced 125 tapes with about 65% of them ripped to mp3 and shared in the community.

Now, I’m bringing Squabble back for a third installment – All you’ve got to do is mail five mixtapes to five people throughout 2023, and receive five tapes in return! You also get access to the member exclusive online archive filled with mp3s, J-card scans and other extras!

If you would like to participate… Email me!

L