I’m stuck at the airport so I’m gonna tell you a little story. You know I’m like Abe Simpson with the stories. I recently hired a handyman to come fix a few things at my apartment. I’ve got these blinds that get stuck, and it’s a really big window, I want that light. I also have a ceiling fan with 4 light fixtures on it and ever since I moved in, 1 of the 4 sockets was unusable. The metal base of an old lightbulb was stuck inside it. 2 weeks ago I was working calmly at my computer and suddenly a lightbulb exploded from that thing on the ceiling. No warning whatsoever, just a loud “POP!” and glass all over the floor. Melle Mel in my head going “Broken glass, everywhere!” Spontaneous combustion of the bulb? Beats me, but at that point 2 of the 4 sockets were cockblocked, so I had the handyman look at that too. As it turns out this man is normally a photographer and he told me he’s shot Mixmaster Mike before. But he had no idea who I was. 

Anyway he gets up on my stepladder, inspects the light sockets and determines that he can’t remove those metal bases with simple pliers. But he’s got an idea. He looks at me and says: “I’m gonna go buy a potato. Back in 5.” Apparently this is a trick of the trade. Not sure what trade, but it worked! He got a thin potato, and I’m not sure what he was doing with it exactly but I think he wedged it (no pun intended) inside the socket and used its potato-grip to loosen up the metal thingee. At least that’s how I understood it. All I know is, now I have light!