David Ayers

A Victorian vampire-slaying kit is expected to fetch £2,000 at an auction in North Yorkshire. The 19th Century box contains a crucifix, pistol, wooden stakes and mallet, as well as glass bottles containing holy water, holy earth and garlic paste. more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-18367300 I'd have thought it would fetch way more than £2000 ($3000) but I am out of touch with fighting the undead. Maybe all you need now is a taser?

D'oh!

It is an abbreviation. Are you a barrister? Are you a copy editor?

It is an abbreviation.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/george-w-bush-favorable-rating-lowest-living-president-100010623.html My policy is to allow an apostrophe if the style is all caps but lower case s w/o apostrophe if mixed case. So: DVD'S or DVDs, but not DVD's. Pickin's is correct of course.

We discussed this at length in a dedicated thread.

And if ever da bastids need a replacement reviewer... Good set, obviously, but I question that the editorial scope is set by Sony's ownership.

Um, like I say you guys can listen to nearly all that stuff for free on Spotify - no toes, no water required. Disco 3000 is great! In fact there's masses of Ra on spotters - takes the risk out of buying. And the cost.

I guess the Internet has given sexism and racism a whole new lease of life.

Nearly all of this is on Spotify: Sun Ra – Disco 3000 Sun Ra – On Jupiter Sun Ra Sun Ra – Beyond The Purple Star Zone And Oblique Parallax Sun Ra – HORIZON Sun Ra – Nidhamu & Dark Myth Equation Visitation Sun Ra – The Antique Blacks

Anti-Irish and other racist jokes might still be told by unreconstructed older bigots over here but no-one else goes near them.

If you're not being facetious - in the U.S. in the 1970s-80s, there were a lot of "Polish jokes" that commented on the supposed lack of intelligence of Polish people. Yeah I actually didn't know that. That piece is from 1983 - that's quite late not to have purged his discourse of racism, I'd say - already out of step with the times.

Well.... the article is from the 1980s when there already are some name Polish jazz musicians, that's one thing. But the main thing I don't get - were Polish people supposed to be stupid? poor? no history in music? greedy? not authentically American? not African-American? Were Polish people just the butt of all jokes at that time? Who for? Help me out I honestly don't know.

Now if you'd said printers and paper that would have continued the obsolescent technology theme... Any clues on the racist joke?

You want leaning? http://www.canterburybuildings.com/pages/plcst28.htm

BTW I don't even get the Polish joke in that piece. Who knew racism could be so arcane?

And buy their own parchment and quills.

Not sure. Lester told me it was the only BYG recording he participated in with any kind of rehearsal. "Jimmy's a serious cat." Well I see it is on itunes and spotify, and I see a vinyl reissue, but I couldn't find reference to any CD, which doesn't mean there wasn't one. The mp3 is a shade under $4 on amazon.

BTW does anyone know whether the fabulous Lyons LP with Lester Bowie (Other Afternoons) ever made it to CD?

They included another track in its place, so we can guess that the reasons were probably artistic. Maybe filling the double LP format had shaped the original choice of material?

Subtleties aside, this seems mainly familiar - am I right?

Chuck subtly made the point this has all been out before. Has it *all* been out before though - looks to me like, alt takes aside, yes. Anyone work this out?

Well, good luck getting it past the Pontiff, guys.

Only on this board.

That. Is. A. Good. Record.