BruceH

Nice!

Well, I think the "missing link" hypothesis has long been suspect, since we've found that evolution tends more to branch out in a bush-like pattern rather than move in a clear, direct chain of types.

"You will be shocked at how fast you can forget this..."

I hear you can't use the word "Beaver" now, either. Sad.

Hope you like it! I bought it recently after hearing it for the first time on a free music site, last.fm IIRC. I think it may have been your recommendation that inspired me to buy it. And I do like it a lot! Thanks.

Ellington, Monk, Herbie Nichols, Nat King Cole, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Basie, John Lewis, Sonny Clark... ...Wynton Kelly, Cyrus Chestnut, Bud Powell, Tristano, Hawes, Solal, Tatum... you know, the usual suspects. Also Victor Feldman, Carl Perkins, Duke Jordan, Evans, Wallington...many more. I loves me some piano.

I long ago stopped trying to "identify" with the fictional characters in movies, TV, novels, or short stories. I mean, sure, sometimes I do just that, sort of automatically, but it's not something I require. What I do require is good storytelling, and characterization that's consistent or convincing or just interesting on some level. And in movies and TV, good direction and good acting. I don't need fictional characters who I'd pal around with in real life, or want to "be" myself. For instance, take "Breaking Bad"---not as good a show as "Mad Men" but I catch it once in a while. I don't really identify much with the main character, Walter, played by Bryan Cranston. And his young partner I have zero identification with. None. But the show is well-crafted on a number of levels, so I find it pretty watchable. Something of the sort goes for "Mad Men." Just my take.

All this would be fine if cars could drive themselves. But they can't, yet.

As I'm not much of a science fiction buff, he would have been my first guess. Make no mistake, sometimes expertise can cause one to miss the forest for the trees.

Where have you been, Victor? When Chris left there was so much hubbub, I thought everyone had heard.

Got "Dedication!" by Duke Pearson in the mail yesterday.

Thanks for posting this, Tom. Nice to read some good news for a change.

Well, I personally see nothing wrong with "Space Opera" as long as it's well done. (Most of the "Star Wars" movies are examples of crappy Space Opera.)

Actually, somebody told me that back in (undergrad) college, that Paul played the solo on "Taxman, " not George. I didn't want to believe it. OTOH, maybe that's one reason that "Taxman" is such a very good Harrison song, that the other Beatles really gave it some attention and helped out (supposedly John added some bite to the lyrics as well,) rather than just letting George sink or swim on his own. One thing that MacDonald points out in his book is that some of the weaker Harrison songs during the Beatles' career suffered from scant effort from John and Paul, whereas if they had helped with arranging and so on they could perhaps have improved some of them.

"Lazy Scranton..."

Wow. Isaac Asimov. I'm a little surprised. Seems a trifle mordant for him.

77 is only HALF of Stitt's albums? I thought he put out around a hundred, not over 150. And to think, Television only put out two albums.

Could have been Fredric Brown. Sounds like him.... (Damn. I feel like I should know this.)

Apparently the main reason Duck had sex with Peggy was to taste the liquor on her breath. Well, maybe that wasn't the main reason, but it was sure turning him on. Which was creepy.

Well, if you're using Triumph on the Tonight Show you can't be accused of being totally square.

I've long thought of John Lewis as a sort of be-bop version of Basie.

It was the Red album (or compilation) that first got me into them.

Alexander, imo, you're going a little overboard with these Beatles lectures. To each his own. You certainly don't have to read them. Someone else on this thread has said that they are "more confident of their rock knowledge than their jazz knowledge", or words to that effect. Well, that's kind of how I feel about the Beatles. I've literally been listening to them my whole life. Not passively listening either. This is music I know as well as I know myself. They are probably the one artist that I REALLY feel qualified to discuss. Now the flip side of this is that I can come off as a bit of a know-it-all. A few years ago, my wife and I were in the car when a Peter and Gordon single came on the radio (one of the songs Lennon/McCartney had written for them. Possibly "World Without Love," I'm not exactly sure). She asked me, "Is this the Beatles?" I said no, it's Peter and Gordon, but it's a song the Beatles wrote for them. She asked me, "Are you sure?" To which I replied, "Look who you're talking to. Of course I'm sure." I will put my Beatles knowledge (lyrics, trivia, etc.) on the line against anyone else's. That's fine with me. Where better to display your knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, the Beatles than on a Beatles thread? I don't really understand these people criticizing you for it...that's a little like going on the Grateful Dead thread and dumping on someone for being so damn positive about The Grateful Dead. Myself, I don't much care for the Dead and don't know much about them either, so I don't go on that thread, because I don't think I'd have much to add. Make sense? I think so.

Sorry; the American one. Ah. For years I avoided the American version (even though I'm a fan of Steve Carell) then a couple of years ago we were at the in-laws' for Thanksgiving or something and some channel was having an Office marathon. I watched five or six of them in a row and became a big fan of the show. A different "vibe" from the British original, to be sure, but I like it.

Saw the Mad Men repeats yesterday. And the new episode. The repeats were welcome because I managed to miss one, the fourth episode I believe. The one where Betty's father dies.