Jim Alfredson

I fixed the link.

After riding around Israel, where drivers tend to drift in and out of lanes seemingly at will and love to use the "flashing lights" technique for getting slower cars out of the way, the over-reaction of US drivers has never been in starker contrast to me. Things that would get you at least a middle finger and at worst shot at here don't even phase people over there. Here's a clue for y'all: Calm the fuck down. You'll get there. Let the assholes be assholes and just get out of their way. Karma will get them sooner or later.

Hardly anyone on here except for us locals knew this man, but today I found out about the tragic murder of one of Lansing's beloved citizens, Robert Busby. Robert owned and operated the Creole Gallery, which is one of the only hip rooms in Lansing for jazz, world, and folk musicians to play in a real listening environment. He also pretty much single-handedly spurred the revitalization of Lansing's Old Town district, which was nothing more than a series of boarded up store fronts and drug houses when he started renovating his property. My wife and I join the rest of Lansing who are shocked and saddened by this senseless death. Robert was not only a great community activist and important figure in the local arts, but a true gentle man, a kind soul, and a beautiful person. His importance to the arts community in this town cannot be overstated. This is a loss that really cannot be put into words. I am heart broken. RIP Robert Busby. http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...EWS01/702270342

Exactly. You just slow down and they'll move out from behind you eventually. If they don't and start following you, drive to the nearest police station. That always works. Take their license plate number as they drive by and report them. I don't see how shooting at someone solves anything.

So the solution is for people to carry guns and then shoot at other people who they think are driving too close to them? That sounds like a fantastic society!

That's a logical reaction.

Congrats Paul, this is tremendous news on a day that so far has had nothing but bad news for me. I'm excited for you!

Gee, who's that?

XP with Service Pack 2 is a good OS. I see no reason for Vista other than making the RIAA and Hollywood happy at the expense of the consumer.

They could/should have last year, but they choked big time. Yes and no. If you got back and look at some of the shit Wade got away with (same stuff he got away with vs. the Pistons in the ECF), it would make you not want to watch the NBA anymore. There's a bunch of it on YouTube.

I'll never forget when I was working for MSU Recording Services (as the chief engineer... nice job that I got screwed out of, but that's another story) and one of the saxophone graduate students (nice cat from Italy) hired me to record a piece for his "audition" packet. It was a saxophone/piano piece, modern classical thing. We did about 12 takes of the tune and then literally edited the final one together, measure by measure. It took about three days. How honest is that?

As I've said on other forums, I ain't touching Vista with a 10 foot pole: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html Worst. OS. Ever.

I put my pictures up via Kodak's gallery. http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=956yd7...=0&y=x0oyba Don't worry, you don't have to log-in to see them. Just click on the yellow "View Slideshow" button. Daniel, thank you for the compliment! It was very nice to meet you in Tel-Aviv.

My favorite part is when you answer that you play jazz and they say, "Jazz? Oh, I like jazz. It's so relaxing."

SS, with all due respect, one could use that exact phrase to criticize separating music into different genres.

It was the 18th annual. We learned that one just started in Jerusalem last year (this year will be year two). Maybe we can do that one next year, if it survives.

Joe and I did try an Israeli beer called Maccabee at a little restuarant by the beach the following day. It was very good! Long flight(s) yesterday, but here it is 8am and I'm pretty well rested after going to bed at 9pm last night. Its just Zora and I today! Back into the thick of it, so to speak. Nice pictures, Barak. I can't wait to see more.

Yeah, but the software was total poo and you know they wouldn't have upgraded, even by now. I like this place better, but then again I'm a bit partial.

Although we've been kind of continuing this conversation in the Amsterdam thread, I just wanted to publicly say that Barak and company know how to throw one helluva jazz festival. This is an experience that was above and beyond anything I could've imagined. Barak took us to Jerusalem yesterday (or today depending on how you look at it) and Joe and I were operating on no sleep. For some reason, neither of us could sleep a wink the previous night. Barak is a fantastic tour guide, very passionate about his city, and very knowledgeable. Old Jerusalem is like nothing I could've envisioned. Sure, you see pictures... but actually being there was incredible. I don't even know how to describe it. It will take several weeks to wrap my mind around it. We head to the airport in about two hours. I am looking forward to coming home and yet wish I had more time in this fascinating country. Thank you, Barak, for giving us this opportunity. I know I am forever grateful.

Cool! Glad to know people are still digging it!

It doesn't raise my ire, I just think it's not a very good song. The words are indeed the worst part and that might account for 90% of my aversion to it, but the melody is also super-cheesy in parts, including the line that goes from "People loving people... are the luckiest people..." There's just no way to play that without sounding like Bill Murray in the lounge on SNL. And I never complained about GG covering pop tunes. Musicians can cover anything they want. I just think it's a lousy tune.

Sorry, but the song is still crap. It is possible for great musicians to cover crappy songs and they still come out crap (although still probably the best version of crap you can get). They probably covered it because it was popular at the time.

"People" is one of those unexplainable tunes that folks choose to cover.

What... no mention of the mighty O taking over?

There's a lotta love in this thread! Here's hoping for the best Lon and Rachel and Shawn. Life is good at one thing: Throwing you curve balls. Personally, I'm doing well and the family is doing well. Alison's health problems have still not been resolved (or even diagnosed, for that matter) but she is doing great and working hard at her job. If you looked at her, you wouldn't even know she was sick. I don't know how she does it. She is a strong gal. I'm having a great time in Israel, but I really miss my family, especially little Zora. Being a stay-at-home dad is the most amazingly rewarding job I could ever imagine. I never thought I would love it as much as I do. I would give up music for it. My younger sister is having a girl in about 5 months or so, her first. Very exciting. More babies! I hope we can have another as well. It has been incredible to watch Zora grow and learn and become her own person. Danielle, music is never-ending. Sometimes you'll feel like you got it, like you can play anything. The next instant, you'll be knocked down to the ground. There is always something new to learn. Music is the only reason I still believe in some sort of Creator (although who or what "he" might be is beyond me at this point). Infinity expressed within finite means. That about sums it up.