Christiern

I am comforted by your response

Time to revive BIIF, I think.

Even if your Italian is rusty or non-existent, you will enjoy going here.

Nice to be remembered. I hope the notes were not too embarrassing.

Even people of that ilk eventually go to Vermont.

Thanks, Dave. I guess I should hook up a LD player and check these out before I throw them in the trash. Doubly sorry to hear that The Story of Jazz is probably doomed, since I wrote the script (hence the prominence in the photo ) I'll report back on how well or not my collection fared. Apropos deterioration and technological dinosaurs, did anyone catch Favid Pogue's piece in that subject on today's CBS Sunday Morning show?

Two left lenses—you, of all people! How awful that experience must have been! So, do you now see better with two right lenses?

It happened to me 25 years ago, in the early days of home banking. A+, and Apple-dedicated computer magazine, assigned me to write an article on this new thing. When they got the piece, the editor asked me for suggestions as to an illustration. I told her that the monthly statements were quite different from what we were used to, so she asked me to send one. It never occurred to me that the art department would go beyond using my statement as a model. Well, the fools actually reproduced the statement, complete with my account number, etc. I did not know about it until a friend called me from Philadelphia and wondered why my electric bill was so high, "but, of course, your rent is reasonable," he added. As soon as I realized what had happened, I called Chase and Citibank, but charges had already been made, including some $500 piece of computer equipment, dinner and membership at a California Bally club, etc. Fortunately, the banks absorbed the loss, but it was still a scary, avoidable experience. The editor's reaction? "Oh, did we do that?"

Thank you, Allen, that's what I was thinking of. Also, of course, how persuasive Clint Eastwood's wining and dining was when it came to reviewing "Bird". Then, too, there is the reverse of that, his bad review of a Blue Note anniversary concert, complete with dig at Lundvall (they have since made up, sort of). I was at that Carnegie Hall event and, upon reading Gary's review, wondered if he was. Shades of Leonard Feather, regardless of what 7/4 surmises.

I am under the impression that Gary hasn't been listening to the music for quite some time.

Here's the historic encounter.

I would say sometimes less of one than at other times. But I think we all have moments when it just isn't coming out right—the prose, that is.

Microsoft Corp. acknowledged over the weekend that it overpaid severance to some of the 1,400 employees it laid off last month and has asked the former employees to pay back the money. The company also said it had underpaid some laid-off employees. "An inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment in severance pay by Microsoft," said one letter to an ex-employee, which was posted on the TechCrunch blog Saturday. "We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you." Read more here.

Thanks, Serioza. Your photos speak well for that camera.

I used to hang with Joe Goldberg, back in the Prestige days. I stopped doing so when he made Bob Weinstock lower the liner note fee from $75 to $50 by undercutting the rest of us. Still, I thought Joe had better sense than to be friendly with homophobic creeps who are full of themselves—hey, eve the one's who aren't.

I was at Zabar's this afternoon, so I crossed the street to see what was happening at Circuit City. Well, it was depressing. Not much left and what is there is "the last one." They are now also selling the shelves themselves. I felt sorry for the staff.

In the very early 70's, Yoko invited me to be part of a small audience at a live "happening" aired by WNET Channel 13. For about an hour (seemed longer), she and Lennon, assisted by Jonas Mekas, made strenuous efforts to do things that had not previously been done on camera. Novelty was the criterion and most of it was a dreadful bore that performed by any other couple would have fallen as flat as it deserved to fall. They also showed Yoko's film, "Fly", and had some audience participation (which I managed to avoid). I don't know if this telecast was preserved and I never hear it mentioned, but it was bizarre enough for me never to forget it. Has anyone here heard of this event?

The Sinatra book is much better than the one on singer in general, but Jim is right about humility being in short supply. Incidentally, although I have in the past been critical of Will's writing, he gave the later edition of my Bessie biography a glowing review, for which I have personally thanked him.

Guess you didn't read this...

Not specifically (remember, there was no name recognition involved), but the marathon, as a whole, was very successful. It was, I am told, the first such marathon and—if that is so—I have very mixed feelings about having come up with the concept. Our goal was a mere (by today's standards) $25,000 and the actual amount we raised was $35,000.

You want something to make sense???

Paul Secor: " I have an LP copy of Ellington's New Orleans Suite, and have never been able to completely get into the music because of what sounds to me like inferior recording quality. There seems to be a muddy/murky quality to the sound on my LP." Could that be the Phil Schaap reissue? The one he updated by bringing Katrina into the mix? Does it also have applause from a 1937 Bucharest concert...and Hodges coughing at an unspecified, but different, location?

No, that would be Greenland.

Thanks for posting the photos, Conrad. Very interesting, I have heard of but never seen hail of that size, not even in Iceland.