Guy Berger

EMI was having trouble before the recession started, the recession made things worse.

I haven't seen it yet, but I'll admit I'm surprised that it might be decent. That already puts it above most other films in the series... Guy

I'll defer to you there - I don't think I ever heard Asia or UK. UK was a super group without a hit. Asia was a pop group providing employment for former progrockers without a band. I've heard the first UK album - quite mediocre in my opinion. I've always been surprised to hear some people describe it as a classic. Guy

Not sure what argument spurred this thread, but no, I don't like the occasionally intense personal tone that a small fraction of the bickering on this board takes on. One of the reasons I quit the politics forum. Guy

I finally got a road bike. My first tri of the season is next week. I'm gunning to do an Olympic-length in the fall. We'll see whether I'm sufficiently motivated by then.

I have one of DiMeola's solo albums (Eleganct Gypsy) and it is not bad. (Not great either.) Not much of the over-the-top corniness of Romantic Warrior. Guy

I'm in the process of filling in holes in my Monk collection and this is the only omission (at least as far as official recordings) in the pre-1957 era. I assume I should pick it up ASAP? How does it compare to Thelonious Himself or Alone in San Francisco? Why did Monk lean toward slow tempos when playing solo? Guy

I was listening to Paul Bley's Open to Love recently and it struck me that in some ways the classic performance of "Ida Lupino" was the perfect foil to Keith Jarrett's "Lalene" (Facing You), which I believe had been recorded several months earlier. I think both are great; the differences between the two pianists' styles are obvious, but that hides the fact that they had a lot of things in common. Heck, Jarrett himself admitted Bley as a key influence on his playing. One final comment - I know Bley is known as a deeply unbluesy player, but when he wants to his playing definitely has that feeling and it doesn't sound affected to me. Guy

What do people think of this tune/performance? I read one or two reviews of this tune that were pretty dismissive - I guess the melody/harmony are pretty basic and the rhythm is funky. But as far as son-of-Sidewinder tunes, I think it's damn good. Anybody else agree with me? Guy

SEK passed away a few years ago - I miss his contributions. Guy

Just an assumption on my part....but you aren't a farmer are you. Nope. There are two entirely separate issues here. One is that farmers in California need some sort of mechanism to smooth water supplies due to seasonality. That has nothing to do with the fact that I brought up - California farmers pay a tiny fraction of what city dwellers do per gallon of water. This leads to waste of not only taxpayer money but also water supplies. If California really is "#1", then there is no reason for farmers to freeload off society - let them grow what they want while paying the same price for water that everyone else does. If they can't - well, some other place, either somewhere else in the country or abroad, will grow the produce instead. If Alaskan farmers were intent on growing pineapples and mangos in greenhouses that required power supplied at a tiny fraction of what regular Alaskans paid, we'd say that they were nuts. But the moment anybody suggests something similar about the "#1 grower of produce in this Nation"... (For what it's worth, I love California. It's where I grew up. I just don't understand why we need welfare for farmers.) Guy

Are you saying farmers shouldn't pay a pittance??? My Uncle, like many in and around the L.A. area, pay hundreds of dollars a month for water. Still doesn't seem to slow folks down much. But, just saying no outdoor watering(unless it is something like a garden) would probably make a huge difference. Yes. Farmers should pay what everyone else pays. I bet they would use water much more efficiently than they do now if they weren't freeloading off society. Guy

I am guessing that Californian farmers use far more water than urban residents. Do they still pay a pittance per gallon? Guy

OK, you guys sold me on it. Will check it out.

One of the big problems worldwide is that is that water isn't priced appropriately - droughts would be a much less severe problem if it was. Guy

Just listened to Motian in Tokio for the first time. Great disc. Guy

Thanks Frank. The kind of stuff that makes me almost wish I lived in the Northeast. Then I remember it's an icy tundra. Guy

This is my favorite as well. Guy

I guarantee that whatever Toyota loses, GM will dwarf. One company is positioned for success once the global economy recovers, the other is pinning its hope on dollops of taxpayer money and a car which doesn't even exist. Guy And now..... TOKYO — The Toyota Motor Company, the world's largest automaker, said Friday that it expected its full-year operating loss to be three times bigger than its previous forecast, and also said it expected its first net loss since 1950. Toyota, which had not previously forecast a net loss, said it expected to lose 350 billion yen, or $3.9 billion, across its operations during the 2008 fiscal year, which ends in March. It widened its forecast for an operating loss on its main automotive business to 450 billion yen, or $5 billion. Full Story Here

Not my favorite record by Motian, and I think Brackeen is somewhat underutilized, but Izenzon is awesome here. Highly recommended for fans of arco bass playing. Guy

Sorry, I can't do it. I quit this show in the middle of the sixth season, my shark-jumping tolerance can take only so much. Guy

I'm indifferent to the disappearance of the print NYT, but it would be a real shame if the online version disappeared. I wonder if they've considered shifting their pricing model to one approximating a luxury good - their reader base is relatively affluent. Guy

The Financial Times had an article plugging this special in today's edition. Guy

I appreciated the knowledge and insight he frequently offered and didn't mind the affected writing style, but the guy was frequently a jerk needlessly. Why not just be nice to your fellow man (and woman)? Too bad. Guy