BruceH

What did you all think of last night's episode? Personally, I thought it was great. Loved the scenes of young furrier Don trying to get into the ad biz through Roger.

I'll wager you'll enjoy it once it reels you in. These were a great series of books to read. . . real and grim and with their own pace and "lighting." They get better and better. One of the few serie i've read where our attitude to the characters changes from book to book. Two good films made about Beck: The Laughing Policeman (American with Walter Mathau as Beck). And Man on the Roof (Swedish based on IIRC The Abonible Man). I vaguely recall renting the Matthau film version of "Laughing Policeman" quite a few years ago. All I can remember is that I didn't care for it. Enjoying the book right now though; I've skipped ahead to it, and then maybe I'll go back to the second book in the series. Liked Roseanna BTW.

"Mojo Hannah"---give that song a listen.

Giving the Martin Beck police series a try, with "Roseanna," the first one. Written by the husband-and-wife team of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.

Those little "Star Gazer" segments ran on some local station here. Cheesy but kind of nice. I had no idea he was in his 70's now.

I've never even heard of the guy before.

Very interesting!

There's too many Baldwins, that I'll grant you.

I guess this is what happens when a significant percentage of you population gets cars...and your population is well over a billion. (Perhaps they should invest in more trains.)

Roger, you fucking idiot.

Sounds like you had a terrific time! Now I remember Wallace; he sure got off on the wrong foot.

That's 'cause so few people have ever heard of it.

I agree; it's time for Spain to go. Wait...what was that again?

Well, just proves what I've been saying for years: i-pods are evil. (Or maybe just playing them too loudly is stupid.)

We may be selecting for bears that are afraid of jars.

I was going to say, "I saw nobody," but come to think of it, I saw Benny Carter live, as well as Phil Woods and Bud Shank. Sonny Rollins, too. Not many though. (ALMOST saw Benny Golson a few years back, but missed him.)

He photographed smoke very well. RIP

Time rumbles on. RIP

I agree. A lot to chew on there.

Yes, I heard how little she thought of Day the Earth Stood Still while she was filming it, and it certainly is ironic that quite a few people now think of it as her best-remembered role. But I think it's a testament to her skill and professionalism as an actor that she comes off so well in the role even though she didn't take it seriously.

I like Coke Zero.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is also one of my favorite Hollywood SF films, but then there are so few that hold up at anything more than a camp level. She's so good in it. To me there's something so appealing about her character, a young, sensible single mother (war widow, of course---this was 1951) who was about to marry a dull lunkhead who was utterly beneath her in every way (played by Mr. Thankless-character actor Hugh Marlowe.) There's this subplot within the film (not overplayed at all) about how bumping into an ET who might represent huge danger to the Earth saves her from wedding an unsuitable suitor. When Tom Stevens tells her, "I don't care about the rest of the world!" that shows her what an idiot he is.

Yuck. You'd get doughnut-frosting all over your fingers.

"Dying Inside" is on a whole 'nother level for Silverberg. I'm not sure how apt the comparison is, but I've always likened it to Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint." I saw a lot of "Herzog" in it.

Sad news indeed. I always liked her. RIP