Valeria Victrix

How about some respect for perhaps the greatest self deprecating Jewish comedian of them all - Woody Allen? His early stuff - I include his stand up, his immortal prose (Without Feathers, Side Effects and Getting Even) and his early films such as Bananas, Take The Money And Run (which has some of the most deliriously funny slapstick/sight gags I've ever seen), Sleeper are one all just stone cold gassers.

Robin Holloway obviously doesn't know shit, and evidently requires a damn good thrashing, which I'd be only to happy to provide. He presents a series of extremely subjective opinions which basically amounts to 'Well I didn't like it'. "Battleship-grey melody and harmony, factory functional in structure, in content all rhetoric and coercion". And a bit further on, describing his incredible and sublime String Quartets : "Here the horrors are different - a rapid degeneration from innocent cheerfulness via terse grimness to the long-drawn-out torture by excruciation and vacancy of the final works." Can we remove the threat of violence please? With respect but isn't that being a bit overly sensitive? Do you honestly think I am seriously advocating that someone find out where he lives and administer a beating? Is it not a little stifling that a rhetorical threat of violence is not to be tolerated? I mean to say - who even uses the word 'thrashing' these days?

One of the all time greats

Robin Holloway obviously doesn't know shit, and evidently requires a damn good thrashing, which I'd be only to happy to provide. He presents a series of extremely subjective opinions which basically amounts to 'Well I didn't like it'. "Battleship-grey melody and harmony, factory functional in structure, in content all rhetoric and coercion". And a bit further on, describing his incredible and sublime String Quartets : "Here the horrors are different - a rapid degeneration from innocent cheerfulness via terse grimness to the long-drawn-out torture by excruciation and vacancy of the final works."

Sherlock Holmes Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie

Brian Clough Peter Taylor Elizabeth Taylor

Jazzbo Bo Derek Bow Street Runners Christopher Walken Christopher Guest Nigel Tufnel

Arthur Penn Penn Jillett King Camp Gillette

"A lot of people say to me, 'Why did you kill Christ?' I dunno, it was one of those parties, got out of hand, you know." "I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to be if I grow up." "We Jews killed Christ.And if he comes back,we'll kill him again." Lenny Bruce

Billy Casper Ken Loach Barry Hines Barry Evans Bill Evans John Coltrane

Manfred Mann Herbie Mann Sonny Sharrock

Johnny B. Goode Benny Goodman Man Ray

Victor Mature Frances Charles Charles Francis

Joseph Stones Roxy Music Ed Balls Ed Norton Brad Pitt Pitt the Younger

A most amusing - albeit entirely unsolicited - anecdote sir! I profess myself indebted to you for providing me with a mirthful moment in this otherwise dark and naughty world. Would that I could return the favour in kind, but regrettably the only tales of overindulgence and misdeeds consequent of which I am cognizant involve old Smitty and Smith Major back in the good old days. To wit - I doubt you would find at all amusing the anecdote which relates the dyspeptic aftermath of their swinish gluttony with a pile of buttered crumpets, ill advised quantities of sardines, and a noxious concoction comprising condensed milk and Bovril.

I shall endeavour to provide satisfaction. Might I venture to add - in all humility and sincerity - that I trust you shall not find it a surpassingly onerous, nor indeed an intolerably odious duty?

Joshua ben Joseph Joshua Cox Courteney Cox

Ben Johnson John Jackson Jack Benson

Really? How so? On a recent thread certain features of the contributions of the gentleman in question struck me most forcefully. I surely need not explain my motives further, nor indeed elucidate their potential benefit to all in the unlikely event that my kind offer is accepted - a glad prospect, but one for which I hold out little hope, alas.

I should point out that your 'when he was in his prime' post preceded Pete's inquiring as to when had this Russell fellow actually been funny - i.e. my original quibble still stands.Your initial post was ambiguous, and furthermore did not provide a date, so it was sadly lacking even in as regards that aspect of the case. Bearing this in mind, kindly strive for greater clarity and lucidity in your subsequent posts as I find it both distasteful and tedious having to fritter away several minutes addressing issues such as this. Now, to recap matters as they stand - in post *128 Pete states that he's never liked Russel's comedy. You then made the argument that in his prime he was much funnier. At a much later point I then pointed out the problem inherent in your post. Now, all you have to do at this point is reply - 'yes, you are quite right.' Instead you try to absolve yourself, by anachronistic representation of the sequence of events, and hope thereby to get away with what is - on the grand scale of things - really quite a minor transgression on your part, and not one which you should feel embarassed about acknowledging. Your failure in this regard is something I find slightly troublesome. I shall be following your 'contributions' with a keen eye henceforth sir. If you are wise you will take heed of this - entirely warranted - scrutiny, as being of potential great benefit to both yourself, and your fellow members of this fine site.

Marty Krofft Richard von Krafft-Ebing Richard Strauss

Surely that would be true by definition?

Charles Kingsley B.B. King Lucille Ball

My granddad had a whole bunch of Dumas in the attic, which I had a great time working my way through in early adolescence. He had a great hero of a couple of them - a fat cleric, whose chief claim to fame was that he could eat a ridiculous quantity of capons at one sitting, washed down with copious quantities of red wine. I would recommend - if you have all the 'Musketeers' series to read them in order. I don't understand why you're saying that Vingt-ans Apres is last in story order - it's not. TMITIM ends with both Porthos and D'Artgnan buying the farm, so you're a little confused I think. Anyways, great series of books, glad to encounter someone else who's read them.

Josip Broz Tito John Broz John Lennon