Holiday greetings, dear friend-

Won't you please join Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. for a hearty, three-course, bi-borough helping of Christmas cheer to close out the year (in the festive form of our patented "ballads, boogies & blues", naturally)? Think of it as a turkey dinner, just without the carbs that seem to trouble so many. Ho ho ho!

Michael, SITandDieCo.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23rd ~ OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD ~
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan ~ Two sets, from 8:00 until 10:00 sharp ~ No cover!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 27th ~ PETE'S CANDY STORE ~
709 Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn ~ One set at 10:00 ~ No cover!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30th ~ OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD ~
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan ~ Two sets, from 8:00 until 10:00 sharp ~ And, yet again, no cover!

Figured it'd be a poignant exercise to stop by the place I worked for 26-ish years up to April there. Took this photo to make into a Christmas card that would speak directly to those who would still rather be there as well as raise a middle digit to those who "love the new digs". It's true, the new place has an amazing view from where I sit. Maybe I'll share it with you one of these days. The brainwashed and the buttlickers (some are both) can often be heard lauding the panoramic vista. It's the party line and it sickens me. I used to like to head for the hills with visitors, etc but now I feel like heading for the metaphorical hills.

Back to my crappy wee office where you could see exactly nothing outta the window but where you didn't have to earwig the most gut-wrenchingly inane conversations. Where you could just shut the door and get on with yer work. Those were the days. As were some of the good times that were had in this old howff. Soon the land it stood on will be awash with new, vastly overpriced houses. Filled with people with more money than sense that never knew the characters who made it bearable over the years. They know who they are, wherever they may be, on this earth or elsewhere. However as Mr Thunders put it, "you can't put yer arms around a memory" and this just compounds the humiliation.