BruceH

Wasn't there an English memory savant who recited pi to tens of thousands of places in Oxford two or three years ago?

I'm having trouble interpreting this whole thread right about now. A thread about a large layoff at EMI has somehow gotten off into a discussion of music business ethics. Music biz ethics? As Hunter Thompson once said... "The music industry is a cruel and shallow money-trench. A long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side.” Yeah, they quoted that in the new documentary. A good one. I'm sorry to hear about Tom. Whatever way you look at it, a bad sign.

Just saw Wall-E again (with the kids this time) and it held up very well. The kids really liked it, too. I think it may end up being my favorite film of the year.

Strangely, that was one of the first Blue Notes I ever bought. (Well, one of the first five or so.)

A belated Happy Birthday to you!

It's the "just-got-out-of-the-shower" look.

Sad news. I'm gad he wasn't injured at least.

And to think, some people find clown make-up to be rather...psychotic.

Back in the 70's and 80's (early 80's at least) there was a local-station movie show called "The Great Entertainment" in the Boston area. Hosted by a rather pretentious guy who, I later heard, was once upon a time our local Bozo. It seemed fitting.

Jazzbo---Now that's the thing: I am a bit of an animation fan (don't even get me started on Looney Tunes...), but if you're not, well, I can dig it. But it should be noted that there's a world of difference between plain "Disney" and "Disney/Pixar." Alexander---I'm with you completely! Ratatouille was amazing...and I went in thinking that this might be the first Pixar film that really misses the mark. Rats? A rat that COOKS?? A name that nobody can pronounce or spell? Wha? But you hit the nail on the head; beautiful, funny, evocative. Wall-E is a film that cast a powerful spell from beginning to end. I sat there in some kind of dumbstruck trance-like state. (That's one of the reasons I want to see it again so soon---make sure the experience was real and not some kind of fluke.) For me I think that a lifelong affinity for science fiction (and longtime love of Chaplin, Keaton, and Tati) contributed to the buzz. But the rest of the audience seemed to like it too. When we walked out of the theater, my wife said, "Wow, that was really good!" Frankly, I doubt that any other summer release is going to come within a mile of matching it.

I think I'll go see it again. Maybe take one of my kids this time. AMAZING movie. But then, I've never seen a Pixar film I didn't think was extraordinary (well, "Cars" was probably the weakest of the bunch). I love the film's vision of mankind's future (without walking)! I agree, Cars was the most humdrum Pixar movie, but still not bad. Wall-E is one of those that's probably spoiled me for new releases for a while because nothing else can begin to compete.

Names On the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming In the United States----by George R. Stewart (The very same "George R. Stewart" who wrote Earth Abides!)

God, that's amazing! And pretty funny in itself.

I think I'll go see it again. Maybe take one of my kids this time.

That's probably because the target audience was 14-25 yr. old males.

Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 was the first Hunter Thompson book I ever read, in high school, before even Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (which I didn't get around to until college.) For ages it was my favorite Thompson, though I'm not certain how I'd like it now. But I agree, it is a bit overlooked.

I always liked Melville's short story "Bartleby". I don't know if it's in your volume. Ah, "Bartleby the Scrivener" is one of the best things Melville ever wrote, to my eyes at least. He anticipates Kafka.

DukeCity and Bright Moments seem to have turned this into a "Covers that show heroin addiction to be bad for your looks" thread.

That's a good one!

You know, I never before noticed that bottle in the picture.

C+ sounds pretty bad.

Copyrighted 1956. This was right at the beginning of the kind of production I assume you're thinking of (minimalist backgrounds, etc.). Yeah, when I was a kid watching Looney Tunes on TV, the later minimalist backgrounds didn't bother me at all, but now I really notice them. (I also notice when it's not Carl Stalling doing the music.)

One of my favorite Warner Bros. cartoons, and doubly interesting because it not only uses real jazz musicians, but, as Dave pointed out, all the vocals are done by Stan Freberg, not Mel Blanc, which makes it exceedingly rare in the history of Looney Tunes. A few years back, when the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 2 came out and I finally got a copy of this on DVD, I used to drive my family nuts playing "The Three Little Bops" over and over. Also, a friend of mine demonstrated an impressive memory when, at the time, I mentioned this cartoon to him. He still didn't have the DVD set, but immediately said, "You got to get hot to play real cool!" This shows just how hip the WB animators and writers were back then.

Wow. $4.00-a-gallon gas. That would be so nice.

Good call, Shawn. On View At the Five Spot Cafe has long been a favorite of mine. The other, I'm sorry to say, I don't have. Don't recall even seeing it anywhere.