T.D.

Are you sure he isn't a bot? * *Back in the days of Usenet newsgroups (does anyone still use them?), highly tendentious and predictable posters were often suspected to be bots...

Pheeroan akLaff Elmo Hope

Federer-Murray in mens final. No real pressure on Andy to win this one... In this clip, Murray hits a striking winner vs. Tsonga...

Another crash-fest today: Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) made it through the crash unscathed and retained his overall lead. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp), Fränk Schleck (RadioShack), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Robert Gesink (Rabobank) and Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) each lost between two and 15 minutes after being caught in the crash. Mountains start tomorrow, looking more and more like an Evans-Wiggins duel. I give the nod to Evans - despite Wiggins's great form of late, I'm just not comfortable rating him as the favorite.

:party:

Probably doesn't qualify as "bargain", but Decca is releasing some Solti opera mega-boxes: Wagner Mozart R. Strauss Verdi Waiting for wider release and price drops...

Wadada Leo Smith, Ten Freedom Summers

Let's stir the pot: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-hincapie-leipheimer-vande-velde-zabriskie-vaughters-give-evidence-against-armstrong Four former teammates of Lance Armstrong will receive six month bans after they confessed to doping and testified against the seven-time Tour de France winner, according to De Telegraaf.

I'm not going to play amateur lawyer (though I regard PSU's conduct throughout as reprehensible), but I do give the University considerable credit for commissioning the "Freeh investigation"*. *even though it may just have been to cover the U's collective arse...

Surely he'll request some kind of "protective custody" or whatever the term is. But guards could still turn blind eyes, etc. (one recalls Jeffrey Dahmer's demise, though he apparently refused PC).

Cecil Taylor, The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note Wadada Leo Smith, Ten Freedom Summers

I guess you never know. You can always put in an order. I think this one is more likely to be fulfilled: Complete Sampson Francois (EMI) I briefly considered this yesterday but decided 30+ CDs was too much even for me, and I went for this slimmed down 3 CD box instead: Sampson Trilogie The Yves Nat box, which I had almost forgotten about, just shipped! I'm shocked.

(Semi-troll) This just in: Armstrong reportedly made $465,000 payment to [doping-meister Dr. Michele] Ferrari in 2006

They are favored, and rather strongly. I Googled and found the following odds: - Oklahoma City Thunder 1/2 - Miami Heat 13/4 - Boston Celtics 9/2

Listened occasionally to jazz for decades, started with Miles and Mahavishnu. Miles was the mainstay for a long time. What got me "hooked" (in the sense of drastically increasing jazz listening, and only quite recently) is music of Tadd Dameron. Was listening to a Proper "Bebop Spoken Here" box, and the included Dameron tunes made a huge impression. That started a more "systematic" exploration of jazz (and big acquisitions of recordings...).

Thanks! Importcds has very good prices on the Soul Note / Black Saint box sets, and this offer induced me to order the David Murray Octets box.

Hey, Terrell Owens just got cut by the Indoor Football League (whatever that is)...he might be looking to sign with the CFL!

I fear it's too late for this (showing back-order), but amazon.ca is improbably offering 15 Yves Nat CDs for C$16.09

No shortage of funny doping stories from cycling, but here's a good one (not about LANCE, but I didn't want to start a new thread): Vansevenant's doping products were only amino acids ...the “doping products” he ordered did not contain the advertised contents, and that he was scammed by the company from which he bought the products..."It's not about doping, so he deserves no punishment," his lawyer said, according to Het Nieuwsblad.

Believe it or not, I've almost finished! Rather strange, but very good. I can't outright recommend the series for general consumption due to length (over 1,900 pp.!). That was televised in a classic series back in the 80s by the Beeb. I know of the series, but never saw any episodes. Now, having read the whole quartet, I'm amazed it was TV-serialized! Doesn't seem like very telegenic material, and I don't know how they managed to cut it down to a manageable size. Maybe I should check out a DVD or two.

I like 'em all (except "From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs" which I've never heard), listen frequently, and "Easy Living" is actually my favorite. Agreed re. Ike's playing on Clark's "Deep in a Dream".

All the best!

Believe it or not, I've almost finished! Rather strange, but very good. I can't outright recommend the series for general consumption due to length (over 1,900 pp.!).

I'm shocked by (but not at all unhappy about ) how badly the Flyers got outplayed. Before the series, I thought they'd win in five, with a chance at a sweep. Is it just me, or does Jagr have absolutely nothing left? I can't recall him doing anything in the series. I remember when (long ago) he was the best player in the league...

FWIW, I clicked on your link, perused the blog for about 15 seconds, and couldn't bring myself to read any of it... There's a virtually infinite supply of smug self-absorbed bloggers out there. Ragging on any particular one seems like shooting fish in a barrel.