BeBop

Wow. These have been on my MP3 player for six years now?! Love 'em.

Enjoyed it. Thanks!

Ha! Yes I know that, that's why haven't taken that route - yet. No use unless I'm really prepared to follow through. However it remains a possibility given: a. My finacial situation is grim; and b. Much as we love our pay TV, truth is after six or so years it could actually be areally good thing for my son and I to get rid of it and create something new and meaningful from the vacuum. And for me, well, there are about six major hotel chains and I think they all play the game. At some point, everyone will "Like" them andthe playing field will re-level. I need a "Hate" button to click. Even if it did nothing, I'd feel better.

Thanks for this information. I was vaguely aware of this possibility. The "good" would be that I could join the "first to know" on promos. But in terms of cashing in on special rates, my understanding is that the targeted promotions would go to my fictional alter ego. And, of course, the contests require actual identities - for the promo sponsors and for the tax man. I'm usually told "it's a corporate deal"; remember, most hotels are just franchises, so there's a limit to what they can initiate. Demanding the same rates and concessions from management would likely be successful. Or at least worth a try. This is kind of like asking "why does my company pay so much to the airlines for business travel when it's some grandmother who only flies once every five years who gets by far the lowest fares?" Well, your company pays this much for airfare largely because your company is willing to be a sucker. I pay for my own travel, then seek reimbursement. The bummer is when the best rate I can get at the optimal property is over my rate limits, while the Facebook friends get a better rate or when my employer lowers the available reimbursement because "so and so" got "such and such" a rate.

Facebook is a soapbox issue for me. I'll try to keep my time "atop the 'box" short. Lots of the companies with whom I do business use it as something of a prostitution business. Example: I spend 100+ nights a year in each of three, major hotel chains. You'd think this would make me a favored (or at least not dis-favored) customer. But who do these chains offer ther best discounts to? Who do they ply with free nights and contests? Who are the first to learn of sales? Who get the free drink coupons? Yep, the people who "like" them on Facebook (I hope that's the right term) or "follow" them on Twitter. So much for my US$150,000 a year, money where my mouth is. I'd be better off clicking a button. Beyond that, I rather like the fact that, on the internet, no one knows you're a dog. I don't happen to use my real name here. In part, that's to protect my professional life which I'd rather not get into. And because BeBop's a monkier that I'd used back at the Blue Note board, JazzCentralStation, rec.music.bluenote - probably 20 years of history. Facebook? No choice. The cookie brand I favor (like) knows who I am, and all my friend know what I munch. And that cookie company knows what milk I drink too. (Granted, some control with privacy settings, but we know how well those have worked.) And yes, I was on MySpace, which I found to be useful to the music community, more than it was to the entirety of civilization. And before that, Friendster. (I hear you chuckle.)

JSngry who? Well, happy birthday, um...JSngry.

Diabetic, yes. It's also affected his vision.

All the best, David!

There is a Johnny Griffin biography, by Mike Hennessey. I haven't read it. But just in case you hadn't come across it... Little Giant --> http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/10926399/used/The%20Little%20Giant%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20Johnny%20Griffin

Peripherally related, I suppose: I bought a Kindle Fire -undoubtedly my one splurge for 2011. A few days later, I had to buy a couple of modestly priced things for my wife's birthday. Without the fast shipping...well you know.

Seems like Jim Hall, Bob Cranshaw and Ben Riley would have been naturals, under the circumstances.

I was glad to hear Sonny getting some White House recognition. Fully deserved. Congratulations Sonny Rollins. I wish there'd been more jazz represented at the ceremony. Gotta take what you can get sometimes.

Aside from Brownie and the Threadgill, any love for the recent Black Saint/Soul Notes? Appealing, based on price and availability.

$5 off $25 purchase, in store. Expires 7 December.

At 5:02PM, the deal was 77% gone. I feel like I'm at WalMart trying to score an xBox.

74 Jazz boxes that I found. Nothing I couldn't resist, but here's a link.

Have a great birthday, BFrank!

amoeba.com. 15% off "cyber Monday" with code "cybermon".

Without suggesting that he made a career out of a short association with Blue Note, I'd note that it's still the cornerstone of every introduction I've heard in a newspaper or at a performance. (Being a Las Vegan also featured prominently in that locale.). Coincidentally, I picked up Freap in LV just before catching the mid-2000s concert.

Alive (which I'm not sure is a requirement for appearing on a George Benson album ;-) ). I caught him in his hometown of the past five years or more, Las Vegas, with IIRC, his son Chris on drums. First time I saw Foster there (2007? 2008?) was in some funky* place under the freeway. More recently, he's been in the second tier casinos.

I get industry news, new product awareness and a small selection of record reviews from Stereophile. For some strange reason (momentum?) I still subscribe to The Absolute Sound!

I don't mind an "honest" recording. Snap, Crackle and Pop accompanied lots of musicians in the '20s. They're there, and they don't bother me. On the other hand, artificial stereo and other "effects", most multi-tracking, recordings "compiled" from five musicians who never played together - that I can't handle.

More "happy"s from here!

I know I'm not at five thousand. Let's see... 2,661. Not a single one of 'em worth a d*mn.