When Chris Randall (the other half of Audio Damage) tweeted the following video, he introduced it by saying, “I’m still convinced this is the best thing ever made in the history of ever.” Yes, Chris is prone to hyperbole, but there is something oddly compelling about it:

I suppose its allure has something to do with not expecting a rapper to be passionate about architecture, or not expecting anyone to draw parallels between house construction and sampling. Maybe it’s just the line, “1949 style, bitch!” Whatever the explanation, maybe it is one of the best things ever made. read more

Regular readers of this blog have almost certainly noticed a paucity of postings over about the last 12 months, even compared to my usual low level of activity here. The short version of the explanation is this: the last 13 months have been very difficult for Tracie, and–by association–for me as well. To put it bluntly, things have been so difficult that I haven’t particularly felt like writing about much of anything, most of the time.

Over the past month, I’ve mentally worked on a long version of the explanation. It involves two incurable illnesses, one excruciating nerve condition, more than half a dozen doctors, more appointments with doctors than I can count, many tough choices and several disappointments. The story isn’t all bad; there have been triumphs as well, and Tracie’s in good shape now. But it’s going to take some time to write, and I find myself avoiding the trip down memory lane, because that lane is really rough for the last year. read more