The Scout woke with a throaty roar—on the first start. Problem solved. The old battery was new to the truck when I bought it (it was stamped 10/97) so $60 later I have a new Exide 6-year battery in there and the starting problem is gone. So now I just have to get the exhaust fixed before the Man pulls me over for a noise complaint.

We are off tomorrow for the day to Jen’s parents’ place to do the Family Birthday; please send her your good wishes. She and I are going to order a bushel of crabs Sunday, throw some paper on the coffee table (or, maybe, in the backyard), crack some beers, and enjoy summer in the city. Hopefully I can catch the ice cream man out front too.

Break it down. More thoughts on Strays, the new JA album. Why is it that Dave Navarro, an otherwise outstanding guitarist, has to include some kind of break in the middle of an otherwise excellent song? Back in the day, JA used to be able to pull this off expertly (see: Three Days) but in 2003, it’s getting irritating. The tune Riches, which is a rip-roaring good time in the beginning, gets watered down in the last minute and a half or so with a buzzkill down-tempo coda. Another one of my favorite Navarro-written tunes, Transcending, off the RHCP disc One Hot Minute, began with a captivating Flea bass riff, building into a woven tapestry of guitar, drums, and vocal. At its peak, the song fell apart into a down-tempo sludgefest with an annoying chorus. Why? I ask you. Why?

Memo to this simple son of a bitch: Don’t come back, punk. I’ll buy a gun and shoot you for being a dumbass.
(thx to Todd for pointing this page out.)