Alexander

I'll second the complaint about the crappy CD issue of this album. I have it, and for that reason I don't think I've ever esteemed "There's a Riot Going On" as I otherwise might. Sony's been doing some very good reissues lately. This should be at the top of the list to be fixed. I'd run out and buy it in a heartbeat. I like the comparison with Shuggie Otis' "Inspiration Information." That's a fantastic album, and a stark contrast with "There's a Riot Going On." Shuggie wouldn't burn out until later... "Riot" also makes an interesting contrast with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" I once read that "Riot" was the "answer" album to Marvin's masterpiece. Any truth to that?

I have terrible sleeping habits. On nights before I work, I always end up staying up far too late (2-3am). Tuesday through Thursday, I don't work but I have classes in the evenings. I'll commonly go to bed around 2 or 3, and wake up at about 10 or 11 in the morning. I get more sleep on those days, even though I always PLAN on getting up early (I have to get reading done for my classes. Sometimes, if I know I want to sleep in, I'll make an extra effort to get my reading done the night before). Most nights, I stay up for hours after my wife turns in (work nights she usually goes to bed before 10). I'll listen to music on the sofa and read, but then I pass out and wake up at three in the morning. Last night I crashed on the sofa and woke up at 6am! I still had to do the dishes, so I trudged off to the kitchen. Once the dishes were done, I went back to the couch (I didn't want to disturb my wife) and read for another hour before I fell back asleep. My daughter woke me up around nine. My wife REALLY appreciated the break, because I usually sleep in on Sunday mornings while my wife gets up with my daughter. I also apparently snore LOUDLY (I have a deviated septum), so my wife actually likes it when I sleep on the couch. It annoys her if I come to bed after 2am, as my snoring wakes her and she can't fall back to sleep.

I've owned both, and the '99 edition is the way to go, as far as I'm concerned...

The first thing my wife said when I told her the airbags deployed was: "Really? Cool!" It's nice to have a wife with a sense of humor (although I'm sure I'll be hearing about this one for many years to come)... As to what it's like...I gotta say I really don't remember. I remember the sound of the impact (I can't stand that sound of crunching and griding metal, glass, and plastic), and I remember that I couldn't see anything at that moment, although I don't know if that was because of the airbag expanding in my face or if I had my eyes closed. I noticed that the airbags were opened when I looked around during the aftermath. I don't have any bruises or anything like that. In fact, I think I came off remarkably well, in terms of injury. I've been in some minor accidents (when other people were driving) and I've always ACHED the next day. I'm not at all achey today. It must be because the right corner of the car took the brunt of the impact and I was all the way over on the left.

I wasn't cited for anything, to my knowledge anyway. Would think that I would have gotten a ticket on the spot if the police thought I was doing anything wrong. I guess I'll find out when I see the police report! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts. I feel much better now. I'm just glad no one was hurt...

I had a pretty bad one this morning, although nobody was hurt (thankfully). I was driving to work at about 8:30 this morning when I came upon a red light. I began to apply the breaks, when I realized that I was on a patch of black ice. Unable to slow down, I attempted to avoid a car stopped ahead of me by turning into the left-hand lane. It was too little, too late. The right-front of my car slammed into the left-rear of the car in front of me. I was dazed, but unhurt. The impact was hard enough to deploy my airbags (needless to say, both the airbags and seatbelt saved me from serious injury or death). The woman I rear-ended was hysterical (of the two cars, mine was far worse off. I haven't heard from the body shop yet, but I suspect that it's totaled. The woman lost her rear bumper and had a flat tire). At the time I was pretty calm. Two men behind me in a van (who had also slid, but manged to stop in time) called the police, and I called my insurance company on my cell to report the accident. I then called my wife who came and picked me up. I feel pretty stupid right now, although as Elvis Costello has noted "accidents will happen." Although I've been involved in some minor fender benders, this is the first time (at 33) that I've ever been in a major accident when I was behind the wheel. Just so I don't feel like such a tool, what was YOUR worst accident?

I was hoping to see Cassandra Wilson at the Egg here in Albany back in November. The day I planned to call for a ticket, my wife informed me that we were attending her best friend's birthday party. That was the end of that! On various occasions I've planned to travel to either Boston or New York (the two major cities that are closest to me) to see people, only to have something come up to prevent me. Can't tell you how many times that's happened. Ahmad Jamal will be in Albany in March, though, so hopefully I'll get to see him!

Some further information on Spalding Gray's disappearence.... *************************************************************** Missing actor's wife says family 'in limbo' From Jonathan Wald CNN Friday, January 16, 2004 Posted: 12:31 AM EST (0531 GMT) Long Island (New York) NEW YORK (CNN) -- The wife of missing actor-writer Spalding Gray said Thursday the entire family is "in limbo" after not hearing from Gray for five days. "We're just waiting for a phone call that they've found him," Kathie Russo told CNN's Paula Zahn in a live interview. Gray has attempted suicide several times since a 2001 car accident in Ireland in which he was severely injured. Reports that a Staten Island Ferry worker thought he saw Gray coming off the ferry Friday night have left Russo and Gray's older brother, Rockwell Gray, fearing that Friday's ferry ride was a "dry run" to prepare him for a suicide attempt, family friend and spokeswoman Sara Vass said. Last September, Gray left a message at his Soho apartment in Manhattan saying goodbye to his wife and telling her he planned to jump from the Staten Island Ferry that day. Russo called police, who notified authorities on the ferry. A despondent Gray was found sitting on the ferry and escorted off the boat, according to Vass. Russo said her husband's depression actually seemed to be lessening since September. "We've seen an amazing improvement for him, where he was hopeful, he was getting back on stage, he was working on new material for the last three months," she said on "Paula Zahn Now." Russo also said if her husband's disappearance is a suicide attempt, it differs from previous attempts. "He's never done anything like this before. Where, you know his past suicide attempts, he left notes right away for me to see," she said. "And there's nothing, you know, this time." Russo and Rockwell Gray are urging police to search the river and question passengers immediately, Vass said, but Sgt. Michael Wysokowski of the New York Police Department told CNN there are no plans to do so at this time. "We have taken the report (from the Staten Island Ferry worker) into consideration, but it is speculative at this point," Wysokowski said. "He didn't say he saw him jump, he didn't say he tried to hurt himself, he just said he thought he saw someone who looked like him." Gray is known for writing and starring in the autobiographical "Swimming to Cambodia" and appearances in films such as "The Killing Fields," "Beaches," "The Paper" and "Kate & Leopold." The 62-year-old has a family history of depression but "it was a whole new ball of wax after the accident." Vass said. "Spalding has never been himself since the accident" and has subsequently received treatment for clinical depression at psychiatric hospitals. Police said Gray was last seen at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at his Manhattan apartment but did not show up for a dinner appointment that evening or a scheduled flight to Colorado the next day. The last time anyone heard from him was at 9 p.m. Saturday, when he called his Sag Harbor home and spoke with his 6-year-old son, saying he loved him and was on his way home. Russo reported him missing at 7 p.m. Sunday, Wysokowski said. She is staying at their other home in Sag Harbor on Long Island with their three children. Russo said the only reason she agreed to the Zahn interview was to focus more attention on her husband's case. "He was my best friend, and I want to spend more years with him. I want to find him and hopefully something will come out of this, and all the media coverage this week, for someone to call in and say, 'I know where he is,' or give us some kind of clue that will lead to him," she said. Lt. William Armstrong of the South Hampton Town Police Department said Gray had been scheduled to fly to Colorado for a skiing vacation Saturday but his flight was canceled and he rescheduled for Sunday. According to Vass, "his packed bags are still sitting ready to go in the Soho apartment. He never took the flight." Vass said Gray left with $120 in his pocket but was not carrying his wallet, nor his credit cards. She added that this was usual. New York police said Gray was last seen wearing a brown sweater, black corduroy pants, brown shoes, a gray jacket and blue scarf. Frank Depaulo, the NYPD detective in charge of the investigation into Gray's disappearance, stressed police are continuing their search. Vass said Gray's family is desperate. "Our mission is to get him home -- ratchet up the investigation," Vass said. "There's a great deal of desperation about this. The kids are very upset, and his wife is beside herself. It's very difficult for everyone."

I'm pretty sure that I was exposed to some live fusion when I was a kid (my dad was a fan of Spyro Gyra when they were still a local act), but the first live jazz I remember seeing was Freddie Hubbard at the Regattabar in Boston in 1993.

Exactly fifteen days before I was born! Man, that's weird. I know EXACTLY where I was when you went to that show, although I don't remember it at all...

Little Girl: Yes, yes, I have a chubby wittle tum-tum. That's all well and good. But what I want to know is how you propose to address the thousands of uninsured Americans...

"American Gothic, 2004"

The hero of Nathaniel West's novel "The Day of the Locust" is Homer Simpson. I always wondered if Matt Groening had any knowledge of that when he created the Simpsons (I know that "Homer" is the name of Groening's father, but I wonder if the decision to pair the name with "Simpson" was, in part, based on West's novel).

Bill Evans cited Cole as HUGE influence...

Well, speaking as someone who owns all three albums under discussion (Norah, Van, and Al), I think that these are all quite worthy CDs which any major label would be proud to release. Remember, Blue Note started recording boogie woogie and hot jazz. What do you think all those hard-core trad fans thought when Lion started signing the likes of Monk, Powell, and Miles?

Spalding Gray missing 1/13/2004 11:42 AM New York City police are searching for missing actor-writer Spalding Gray. The New York Times said police learned of Gray's disappearance last weekend. Authorities are looking for him in the city and around Southampton, where he lives most of the time. Many remember Gray from his autobiographical 1987 film "Swimming to Cambodia." The paper reported that he has a history of depression and tried to commit suicide in 2002. According to his family, Gray seemed sad over the holidays. ******************************************************************** I'm a HUGE fan of Spalding Gray's work. I've seen him twice live (once performing "Monster In A Box" and the other time performing "Gray's Anatomy") and it was an amazing experience. I sure hope he turns up okay...

Eye glove the rite eng ov Missed Her Germs Choice!

"Please, no!!! I don't WANT four more years of Bush!"

I got "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" off of iTunes. Of the two discs, I like Andre 3000's side better (more jazz and pop than straight hip-hop), but Big Boi's half has some nice stuff too (like the Funkadelic inspired "Bowtie" and the excellent single "The Way You Move"). Good stuff. I enjoy it.

"WAZZUP!!!"

"I hope that photographer brought his wide-angle lense."

"She's eating salad with her dessert fork! How gauche!"

"Whaddaya mean, 'white men can't jump?!'"

I'm well aquainted with bop, and *I* think it's a treasure trove!

I've only ever seen the first two. For my money, "Bride of Frankenstein" is the greatest of the Universal horror cycle, with "The Mummy" and "Dracula" right behind it.