Alexander

My 6-year-old daughter sums up her beliefs thus: "God is a myth." She's already gotten some shit from her more religious classmates. Two girls (twins) with whom Sammie is otherwise great friends have told her, in no uncertain terms, that anybody who doesn't believe in God will be struck down and go to hell. When she mentioned this to me, I told her to tell her friends that her daddy hasn't believed in God in 35 years and nothing has happened to him yet. I love it when little kids get into philisophical discussions. They haven't yet formed opinions of their own, so they pretty much just repeat what their parents say. One of her classmates claimed that heaven is a place in the sky. My daughter said: "Nuh uh. I've been in the sky on airplanes. There's nothing up there but clouds, which are made out of water vapor, so you'd fall through them if you tried to walk on them." Her friend insisted that what he said was true. His parents *said* so. Sammie apprently told him that he could look it up when he got home. Anyway, we're off to my dad's for the second Sedar tonight. I love Passover myself. Love the food. Love the company. I've told Sammie that even though we may not believe in God that we are still culturally Jewish, and that it is important for her to be exposed to her Jewish heritage. She loves the food, but thinks that the Sedar is a bore.

No question. Every 13 year old boy wants to fuck at least one of his better looking teachers (I know I did). I'm not sure how many 13 year olds would be able to turn down a teacher who looked like this woman. It is wrong, of course, but we do sort of have a "boys will be boys" attitude when this sort of thing happens...

No, no, no...The VU is *classic* rock. Songs about heroin and sexual perversion are only a problem if they're performed by people under 25.

I doubt very much that most commerical rappers would disagree with you on this point.

I'm not surprised (or offended) at all. Blackface has been popular in Japan since its introduction by Admiral Perry in the 19th century. Apparently, many Japanese businesses still use the "Sambo" characature in their logos.

Yes, Cassandra's voice redeems all on this album. I agree that the production on some of the tracks is going to sound dated in a few years. Pity. I was thinking that with Burnett the sound would be more "roots-y." Something more like Costello's "The Delivery Man."

The kids at my daughter's kindergarten hug all the time. I think it's sweet...

To this I'd add Jill Scott and M'Chell N'dgecello, two freakin' WONDERFUL contemporary black singers. Before her talent ate her brain, I'd add Lauren Hill (she was amazing with the Fugees and her first solo disc is wonderful too). The Roots are, as I've said before, one of the best bands around, full-stop. They are every bit as musical as they are rhythmic. ?uestlove knows his shit. Common is great too. Then there's Cody ChestNUTT...Mos Def...Roy Hargrove's RH Factor... Anyone who complains about contemporary black music/hip hop is basically not LISTENING to it...

What about Matthew? He was an apostle. Wasn't he a witness to what is included in his gospel? Mark was Peter's secretary. I think it's fair to consider Mark's gospel to be Peter's eyewitness account. The earliest gospel was written an estimated 60 years after the alleged crucifixion. I don't believe that Jesus existed as either man OR god...but you all know that...

But that's the BEST April Fool's gag! EVERYBODY is expecting it on April 1st. You gotta nail 'em a few days later if you want to be effective...

LOS ANGELES—The Recording Industry Association of America filed a $7.1 billion lawsuit against the nation's radio stations Monday, accusing them of freely distributing copyrighted music. "It's criminal," RIAA president Hilary Rosen said. "Anyone at any time can simply turn on a radio and hear a copyrighted song. Making matters worse, these radio stations often play the best, catchiest song off the album over and over until people get sick of it. Where is the incentive for people to go out and buy the album?" According to Rosen, the radio stations acquire copies of RIAA artists' CDs and then broadcast them using a special transmitter, making it possible for anyone with a compatible radio-wave receiver to listen to the songs. "These radio stations are extremely popular," Rosen said. "They flagrantly string our songs together in 'uninterrupted music blocks' of up to 70 minutes in length, broadcasting nearly one CD's worth of product without a break, and they actually have the gall to allow businesses to advertise between songs. It's bad enough that they're giving away our music for free, but they're actually making a profit off this scheme." RIAA attorney Russell Frackman said the lawsuit is intended to protect the artists. "If this radio trend continues, it will severely damage a musician's ability to earn a living off his music," Frackman said. "[Metallica drummer] Lars Ulrich stopped in the other day wondering why his last royalty check was so small, and I didn't know what to say. How do you tell a man who's devoted his whole life to his music that someone is able to just give it away for free? That pirates are taking away his right to support himself with his craft?" For the record companies and the RIAA, one of the most disturbing aspects of the radio-station broadcasts is that anyone with a receiver and an analog tape recorder can record the music and play it back at will. "I've heard reports that children as young as 8 tape radio broadcasts for their own personal use," Rosen said. "They listen to a channel that has a limited rotation of only the most popular songs—commonly called 'Top 40' stations—then hit the 'record' button when they hear the opening strains of the song they want. And how much are they paying for these songs? A big fat zip." Continued Rosen: "According to our research, there is one of these Top 40 stations in every major city in the country. This has to be stopped before the music industry's entire economic infrastructure collapses." Especially distressing to the RIAA are radio stations' "all-request hours," when listeners call in to ask radio announcers, or "disc jockeys," to play a certain song. "What's the point of putting out a new Ja Rule or Sum 41 album if people can just call up and hear any song off the album that they want?" Frackman asked. "In some instances, these stations actually have the nerve to let the caller 'dedicate' his act of thievery to a friend or lover. Could you imagine a bank letting somebody rob its vaults and then allowing the thief to thank his girlfriend Tricia and the whole gang down at Bumpy's?" Defenders of radio-based music distribution insist that the relatively poor sound quality of radio broadcasts negates the record companies' charges. "Radio doesn't have the same sound quality as a CD," said Paul "Cubby" Bryant, music director of New York radio station Z100, one of the nation's largest distributors of free music and a defendant in the suit. "Real music lovers will still buy CDs. If anything, we're exposing people to music they might not otherwise hear. These record companies should be thanking us, not suing us." Outraged by the RIAA suit, many radio listeners are threatening to boycott the record companies. "All these companies care about is profits," said Amy Legrand, 21, an avid Jacksonville, FL, radio user who surreptitiously records up to 10 songs a day off the radio. "Top 40 radio is taking the power out of the hands of the Ahmet Erteguns of the world and bringing it back to the people of Clear Channel and Infinity Broadcasting. It's about time somebody finally stood up to those record-company fascists."

I have the Capitol Box and all of the other discs of which you speak. I also have most of their American catalogue on original vinyl (I actually have TWO copies of the American "Revolver." One in mono and one in fake stereo). What I want are the *British* albums reissued with better sound (the same ones that are currently available in the inferior versions). The Beatles catalogue was last remastered in the mid-1980s!

Not jazz but... The entire freakin' Beatles Catalogue!

My sister-in-law is participating in the MS walk (as she does every year) and my wife and I will be donating to the cause. My wife was diagnosed with MS in 1997. While her medication has kept her disease from progressing to the point where she's in a wheelchair, a cure would certainly be welcome! I encourage everyone to contribute just a little bit so that someday that cure will be a reality...

I'm so sorry to hear this. I know quite a few people who didn't like Jackie's sound on the alto, but to me he was one of the all time best on his instrument. The first Mosaic I ever got was the McLean...

Exactly ! And Public Enemy and all those other OGs up till NWA were socially conscious rappers as well. And then The Man took the shit over and now it's 99% commercialized BS. Socially conscious rap lives on in the underground ! Hell yes! The Roots aren't exactly "underground," but they are an amazing band. I'm always surprised that none of the high schoolers who claim to be into Hip-Hop have never heard of them...As far as I'm concerned, they're one of the best contemporary bands of ANY kind out there...

The band was formed as a Willie Nelson cover-band. The album is still heavy on classic country covers, but they've branched out to include Hank Williams and Kris Kristofferson as well as a few originals. In answer to Jim C's question, there is a lot of very nice guitar work on the disc...

I got it. Norah only sings lead on about half the disc. The rest of the time she's on harmony vocals. It's quite good. I can hear it getting a lot of play at Starbucks. The last track, "Lou Reed," is a hoot...

I got the CD too, and I was disappointed to see that the Fugees and Cody Chestnutt material have been left off the disc. That said, I thought it had some good moments (particularly Jill Scott and Erikah Badu).

Another horror movie cliche bites the dust... "Call the police!" "I can't! The phone's dead!"

Here's a good example of foxes guarding a hen-house. When two people who look like this want to babysit your kids (no matter how reasonable their rates) YOU SAY NO! Edit: The picture didn't come up when I quoted the text, so you'll have to scroll back a couple of posts to see my point...

Hey Jim, et al... I know you guys have a nice full songbook, but have you ever considered doing a version of Steely Dan's "Do It Again?" I was just listening to it, and it seems like the kind of song that would really work as an organ trio arrangement. Just sorta thinkin' out loud...

I know. That's why I said it. That other situation DOES have some humorous aspects (mostly in the way the story has been reported), but there's nothing funny about this at all.

No, this is worse. Dead is dead. Molested is the kind of thing that can keep the pain going for years and years... Moreover, this is a child betrayed by his mother. I can understand a husband or a wife betraying one another. You choose your spouse. But you can't choose your parents, and when a parent opens up his or her child to danger, that's the worst betrayal of all... Worse, this woman actually PROFITED from her child being molested. That's some "never forgive" action there.

If they ever do a "John Travolta: The Vinnie Barbarino Years" TV movie, they should consider "Idol" heartthtrob Ace Young for the role...