Christiern

I really hope Peter's Monk book is on permanent hold, because I don't see how he could write an honest book without stripping off some of Orrin's self-serving embellishments. Seriously. I wonder what happened to Robin Kelley's Monk biography, "Thelonious: a Life." It's been a long time coming and is, I believe scheduled for publication this year..

I watched "Letters From Iwo Jima" last night — "Flag" is on order. I just watched "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," Sidney Lumet's last film (2007). As you watch it, you wonder what will happen. After you've watched it, you wonder what did happen. An interesting story with effective, fractured chronology, but it all comes together. Still want to know what happened to the Ethan Hawke character.

The last time I was in touch with Peter, I got the impression that it was almost ready to go to the printer. That, however, was a long time ago. Larry i right about Peter being super meticulous and I can see him having a hard time letting go—there is always new stuff around the corner. I will attempt to contact Peter (I think he's still in Europe) and find out what the status is.

Yesterday, I put my Motorola cellphone in my jacket pocket and stepped out for a half hour. I left the phone in mu pocket overnight, as I often do, but look what happened to it! This morning, this is what I pulled out of my pocket. Mind you, there was nothing else in that pocket, the top side and battery compartment are totally unaffected, and the phone functions normally. Can anyone explain? Gives new meaning to Hot Pocket, eh?

I have never heard anything by my namesake, is he/she any good?

At 60—and, presumably, still talent handicapped—Grace Jones is back!

We have, indeed, missed you. I tried to rationalize and imagined that you were simply taking your time deciding which Mac to get.

Taken from a book called 'Disorder in the American Courts' the following exchanges are, verbatim, things people actually said in court, taken down and now published by court reporters who witnessed these exchanges were actually taking place. ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I forget. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ. ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken? WITNESS: Are you shitting me? ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time? WITNESS: Getting laid. ATTORNEY: She had three children, right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney? ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death. ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated? WITNESS: Take a guess. ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard. ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female? WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male. ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight. ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral. ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 pm. ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished. ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question? ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law. THINK ABOUT IT! MOST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE LAWYERS. Here's a link to more.

I always thought it was tickling rather than tinkling. The latter approach might, indeed, account for that tinkled upon look...

Blood is thicker than water.

Let me echo Chuck's post, but you should be making merry, Conrad...or something like that Although the Gulf Stream made Southwestern Iceland considerably more livable than Antartica, some of these photos gave me déjà vu. The aurora borealis was always spectacular, especially when it had movement,but the 24-hour darkness was depressing (there were window shades/curtains to make the 24-hour high noon sun less of a problem). Iceland's weather had a lot to do with my childhood decision to eventually go elsewhere, so I truly understand your sentiment. Thanks for the post.

Chris

My Roku arrived today and it was installed with the greatest of ease. What is Roku? A great movie ticket... Here's a description, check it out. This afternoon I played hooky for 2 hours and forty minutes—ten minutes were spent connecting and setting up Roku, two and a half hours were spent watching The Comedians, a movie I hadn't seen since its release in 1967. It works like a charm, smooth as a DVD. I'd love to see comments by anyone who has this little device.

I once walked out on Coltrane, when he was on one of his ludicrous solo binges. Enough is enough, no matter who you are.

Here's another letter from Susannah McCorkel. What a loss her death was!

First of all, they are not all "greats." That said, I never had difficulty getting into music of any of these guys. Let me, however, add that, as a reviewer working from a typewriter, Braxton's song titles gave me grief. One question. How can anyone admire Wynton and not hear the greatness of Louis?

Willie B was the highest paid dj since Martin Block.

Perhaps on a local Florida or Philly radio station,but not WNEW. Perhaps you can use as a yardstick the fact that William B. Williams' basic annual salary was over $100,000.

Is that how they got the name, or did you make that up, Chuck? Off the cuff mention? Dan, even when payola knocked on the door, I resisted. Turned out that, at WHAT in Philly, I was the only one who did—resist, that is. That said, don't you think even an off-the-cuff mention on a station like WNEW would be worth more than fifty dollars a week?????

Chuck, that's one of the many questions I have regarding this mystery note. BTW, I just discovered this scribble on the back—doesn't help my memory, however...

Many of the items I come across trigger my memory, but there are some that I have no recollection of ever seeing before. Such is the case with this note, obviously written in the early Sixties, when I was at WNEW. What $50-a-week service did I perform for Korvette? Why did they owe me $125 rather than, say, $50 or $100? Finally, why do I have the original of this note? Did I change my mind? Did Korvette cough up? Hmmmmmm. Something in the back of my mind tells me that Kermit (no relation to the frog) was an account exec. Guess this is one little mystery that will remain just that.

A letter from Rudy Powell, when he was on the road with Ray Charles.

You already said that—what are you chewing, Aric?

On the other hand...