Wmcmanus

It was, yes!! My brother organized a small flashmob visit to my room that included some of my favorite humans including Bill Arkins who is almost 96 years old, a retired pharmacist who said he still has ways to smuggle dope if I need anything good. Also mentioned that my house is still standing and that he hasn't stolen anything yet. He rides by every day like clockwork on his 1960s style Schwinn bike with coaster brakes that looks practically new still. Best bang for the buck ever. Bill's son-in-law Don, one of my high school classmates, walked in behind him and said, "Oops, wrong room. I thought this was a removal call. I get a lot of those here..." He's a funeral director, so naturally followed that up with "We appreciate your business but we're willing to wait..." for probably the 10,000th time with his typical stoic delivery. There was cake... it was an Office Space sort of birthday celebration but in a good way.

Good one, Brent!! Seems I forget to post in here my news update... let me do a cut and paste... Broke my back a couple of weeks ago, but other than that I'm doing well. Gotta laugh sometimes!! On September 15th at 3:30am, I was at home at the house in Illinois (my parents house which I bought from my siblings after mom died in 2020) where I usually spend my summer months. Lost my footing going down the stairs to the kitchen and broke my back pretty badly. Ended up at St. Francis in Peoria until they transferred me out yesterday to a bounce back place in Peru, IL just 7 minutes from the house in Oglesby. Thankfully (miracle, I think) there is no nerve damage to the spinal cord or anything it controls so everything is still working right. They decided that (just barely) I could avoid surgery so no hardware being put into my back. They made a custom fit TLSO back brace, like a 2 piece turtle shell. Been using it with better and better results since Sunday. Lots of pain but meds are controlling it pretty well. Need to be on my back most of the time for the next 2-3 months but the bones should fuse back together in time and I'll be as good as new. I feel lucky. It's not fun but there is a good path forward and God is watching over me. Kind of tricky doing a lot of things and odd to have to rely on nurses to wipe me up but whatever. It's not their first time! At least I can get up out of bed and sit in a recliner and go for walks with the back brace on, even use the toilet so no bed pans. But can't wipe! Maybe I'll need a garden hose when I get home for the shower!! The L1 (highest up lumbar) and the T12 (lowest down in the mid back part of my spine) both were snapped straight through, including the diec between them. It's a 3 column fracture which is the worst kind possible since all 3 layers of bone broke through so there isn't any one layer of bone still in place to provide stability. Thus its considered an unstable fracture (back won't support itself again until they fuse back together in time). But the good news is there was no horizontal shifting so my spine is still straight and that makes it possible (with my high tolerance for pain) to allow the brace to be an option to avoid surgery and locking 6 vertebrae together with pins and screws for the rest of my life. That would be VERY expensive and risk infection, but mainly I'd be less flexible once healed since the hardware for that kind of surgery is not designed to come out. So it's the right approach we're taking, just kind of a PITA in the short term. But I've got my laptop, phone, and TV. Really just need people to help me get into and out of the turtle shell. After that I can get to my feet and so long as the meds are doing their thing, I can do pretty much anything for myself. When I get home there may be some new challenges but life is never without them. I'm good and getting better already.

Too funny! I very much doubt that and would never be dumb enough to fight him over it! 😅

I had a pair that I bought and listened to once or twice for maybe 5-10 minutes, and then posted about them at Head-Fi, Bunch of people were interested in heading them so I came up with this brilliant idea of a floating pair of Jecklin Floats. First 10 people to sign up got on the list. Idea was that I'd send them out to the first person on the list, who could them listen to them for 2 weeks or less, and he would then send them off to the second person and so on. Had all of the names and addresses of the first 10 people who contacted me. Might have been a minimum number of posts requirement, or something like that to ensure that these were all honest and legit people. They were asked only to pay the shipping cost to send them to the next person, and to post their impressions on the thread. All good to go. So I sent them out to the first person, then forget to follow up on it to ensure that they were being passed along as agreed... And that was that. Gone in 60 seconds. Or 60 days, or however long it was until I got my head out of my ass and tried to see what happened. Never made it past the first guy. No idea now of even who that was. Should have started with known people. Oh well. Whoever it was is a royal cunt.

Bobby Whitlock, 77. ...and fuck cancer. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/bobby-whitlock-derek-dominos-co-172001576.html

RIP Jim Marshall, 87, the first of the Minnesota Vikings four defensive linemen known as the "Purple People Eaters" to pass away. Always thought it was a crime that he was never elected into the NFL Hall of Fame. Grew up as an avid Vikings fan in the 70s. By all accounts, he was a good man otherwise as well. Time sure flies.

Happy birthday, young'n.

My condolences, Steve. Glad you got to tell her that you love her one last time.

Stan Love has passed away. A basketball and music guy. Former NBA player and father of Kevin Love (hell of an NBA player). Mike Love's brother. He led an interesting life for sure. Thanks for fighting for cousin Brian. You literally kept him alive at one point. RIP, Stan. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/stan-love-nba-player-brian-174737737.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

While I suspect that their methodology may be a bit suspect, I like the fact that they recommend specific pressings. Just don't know (personally) where to find a list of albums with measured DR rankings, although it seems to me that I've seen that before. If anyone has a good source, please share it. https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/04/audiophile-albums-show-off-systems/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJbiBxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdIaG5CVJ_7HV1XInkWg-Wcl3bi5eLqEwY5TvbZI40UW4lJ_Eqj6sLgZDg_aem_6BZ_zHeMd1xzv_520xfiqQ

RIP, to an actor who deserved an Oscar for his one. Total snub, didn't even get a nomination. By all accounts, a good man as well, and that's more important.

Fuck cancer. So sorry, Al. My condolences.

RIP, George Foreman. You have my deepest sympathies, George, George, George, George, and George, and your sisters too.

RIP, Karen. My condolences especially to you and your son, Todd. And to other family members, friends, and all those whose life she touched and will miss her too. There is never enough time with those who we love.

RIP Gene Hackman (95), and uhhh... his wife and his dog. Nothing to see here, folks, move along...

Bob Uecker the storyteller.

Did this same search a couple of years ago, and the Panasonic UB820 for $400 (ish) seemed to be the clear winner from a value perspective. But they also make a reference-level player for $1k (ish), Panasonic UB9000. Essentially is has the same video and audio quality as the 820, but said to maybe be slightly better in certain nebulous ways, forget which and why. The main difference is that it's built like a tank and looks and feels like a proper high end audio system component. Of course I bought one of each, like I do. But they're in totally different locations and connected to totally different TVs and systems. I never did A/B them. Duh!! Those who have compared them seem to think that the 9000 may be slightly better. Which likely means better at feeding your placebo and ego needs. But the 9000 sure is a nice piece of gear, and probably worth an extra $100 or $200 for that. If it was $600, maybe a logical case could be made for it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q2GXYRG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1#customerReviews

Thanks, man.

Thanks, guys! It was another good one. They all are as we start getting older... urgh! But thankful for sure.

What an incredible talent. RIP, John Mayall. https://deadline.com/2024/07/john-mayall-dead-bluesbreakers-1236019591/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1NWKjVLePZ-1BMkDXsxULtYWYCKUh7jnXdqbIbjt5e4NWuFhIn_IJxH4Q_aem_AecvaVoFEuaJ0oQ00qEQ4w

Really liked him. Not much else to say. Glad he got to live a full life. RIP.

Leon McBryde, one of my favorite Santa performers and a good friend of mine over the past 15 years or so. He was famous first as Buttons the Clown in the Ringling Brothers circus, and later in life as the professional Santa Claus at The Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. He and his friend Stephen Gillham worked as a "Brothers Claus" team teaching all of the tricks of the trade at most of the large Santa training venues. Suffice it to say, he was one of a kind. https://famousclowns.org/circus-clowns/leon-mcbryde-aka-buttons-biography/ https://santaclaushall.com/2017-inductees/leon-a-mcbryde/

Fuck, just saw that. RIP, Bill Walton, you crazy man, you, and I mean that in the best possible way. He was always a trip to listen to. Fuck cancer, and colon cancer in particular. "But you have to understand, my beard is so nasty. I mean, it's the only beard in the history of Western civilization that makes Bob Dylan's beard look good." - Bill Walton

David Sanborn, 78 (seemed younger), talented guy. Fuck cancer.