GA Russell

When it abruptly became apparent that BMG/Your Music would no longer carry Sony/BMG, one of the few of their discs I was disappointed not to have ordered was Sade's last CD, Lovers Live, which was the only one of hers that I didn't have. Yesterday I found it in a store for $6.84 plus tax, so I picked it up.

I remember a family tree of the Canterbury groups. Was that Pete Frame?

I received an email from Mosaic today which said that the Grachan Moncur Mosaic Select is running low.

My coupon arrived in the mail today. It expires in three months. Recommended retailers are Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack and Walmart. Two telephone order numbers are listed, as well as four websites. There is a list of 34 box models to choose from. I have not heard of any of the companies except GE, Magnavox, Philco, RCA and Zenith.

Needs to be seen to be believed! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bddb26de2a

Mike Vanderjagt is trying out with the Broncos this week. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** Ticats LB Jamacia Jackson was found dead today in his girlfriend's apartment. No word yet on the cause of death. He was 26. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24088714/ NEW ORLEANS - Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti looked down at the litter of empty oyster shells in front of him and savored the sweet taste of victory. For Crazy Legs Conti, the bitter taste of defeat could be washed away only by beer.The Acme World Oyster Eating championship belt — leather, with a silver dish featuring an oyster on the half-shell — hung on Bertoletti's skinny hips. The 22-year-old Chicago resident took the title Saturday by slurping 35 dozen of the big bivalves in eight minutes. "I could probably do a couple dozen more, especially if they were charbroiled," said Bertoletti, who holds the endurance oyster-eating record, having downed 53 1/2 dozen in 2007 before calling it quits. "Although they're great raw." Story continues below ↓advertisementdap('&PG=NBCMSN&AP=1089','300','250'); Conti, the defending champion, tied for third, sucking down 24 dozen. "They're supposed to be an aphrodisiac," said Conti, whose real name is Crazy Legs. "But I think that's only true for about the first three dozen. When you get up higher than that, you don't want much activity for a while." Juliet Lee, 43, of Germantown, Md., formerly a Ninjing University chemistry professor, methodically polished off 31 1/2 dozen for second place. Such a thing as a professional eater? A dozen professional eaters who compete in Major League Eaters events year-round squared off at the French Quarter Festival on Saturday. Major League Eating describes itself as a sports franchise that oversees all professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. It puts on the annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest, as well as other events, such as the World Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Championship and the National Sweet Corn Eating Championship. Rules for the oyster tournament forced contestants to use forks, not lift the shells to their mouth, and to finish all the oysters from a tray before starting a new one. Officials in striped shirts stood beside each contestant and flipped a counter as each dozen was consumed. Many of the competitors wore gloves to handle the shells; all carried several bottles of water, cold drinks or beer to help them keep their mouths and throats lubricated. Lee carried a thermos of hot water but said she didn't feel the need for it. "Oysters are pretty liquid," said Lee, who weighs 105 pounds despite being on the pro-eating tour for the past year. "I didn't need it." 'Reversal of fortune' Tim "Gravy" Brown — ranked 13th in the world — was disqualified when he had what professional eaters call a "reversal of fortune." He vomited after 14 dozen. Scott "Scozzy Bone" Zukowski, 20, a Tulane University student from New York's Long Island was in his first professional event. He ate 20 dozen. "I feel good about that; my goal was 15 dozen," Zukowski said. "I had only eaten one raw oyster in my life before this and I thought I'd vomit after it. I hate them."

Thanks for that link, clave! Last week at BJ's I saw a Boston Patriot hat. Maybe the next time I go there I'll pick it up. The card attached to the hat said "NFL Classics". Of course, the Patriots were an AFL team. One problem - the hat is navy blue. The main color of the Patriots was red. This the one? I'd thought about springing for one as well....never did like the new logo. That's it SoW! $12.99 at BJ's. The adjustable strap in the back says "Patriots". I too have never liked the new uniform, including the Elvis logo. But since they won the Super Bowl with it, I don't expect that they will ever go back to what I am nostalgic for. By the way, BJ's also has a second hat that is a little lighter weight. It is basically a lighter shade of blue, with the front panel being white. Same Pat the Patriot logo.

Thanks for that link, clave! Last week at BJ's I saw a Boston Patriot hat. Maybe the next time I go there I'll pick it up. The card attached to the hat said "NFL Classics". Of course, the Patriots were an AFL team. One problem - the hat is navy blue. The main color of the Patriots was red.

Sorry to hear it, Dan. Is there such a thing as health insurance for pets? That's quite a steep bill if there isn't.

I was in Walmart maybe a month ago, and all of the CDs I saw on display were budget lines priced at $6.45 or something. It's hard for me to imagine judging from the Walmart we have here that Walmart is the #1 or #2 music retailer in the country.

Herbie Nichols, disc 1 I'm not Nichols' biggest fan, but the music here is so different from anything else I own that I enjoy it from time to time.

Each year when the weather turns warm, I break out my bossa nova and surf guitar albums. So I was happy to see a few weeks ago that BMG/Your Music is carrying something that I don't have (and as a matter of fact have never heard of): Sadao Watanabe - Bossa Nova '67 I've yet to hear a bossa nova album from the 60s that I haven't liked. Watanabe is another one of those musicians whose name I have read occasionally for years, but whom I have never heard. So I'm looking forward to checking this one out.

I see that Crispell's American tour starts tomorrow night. If anyone here gets to see her, I hope he/they will tell us what she was like.

The Bombers released their annual report today. They lost $264,000., but $262,000. of that was for the solicitation of bids for a new stadium. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...5251036-cp.html

I received three of these promptly, but the Cafe Jazz is listed as temporarily out of stock. Since the Savoy/Dial Parker box is no longer carried, I am wondering if BMG is no longer carrying anything of that label. You will note that my order was placed Feb. 29. Last week I received a postcard from BMG saying that Cafe Jazz was still on back order and thank you for your patience. Today I received an email telling me that Cafe Jazz has shipped!

Chris, you'll enjoy this BusinessWeek article: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/conte...8889_page_3.htm Braun Pulsonic ($270) v. Gillette Fusion Power ($13) The idea of putting vibrating razor blades to your face may sound unwise, but that's the thinking behind both the Gillette Fusion Power and the Braun Pulsonic. The shavers shimmy and shake across your mug, employing minute vibrations to glide more smoothly. The Pulsonic, a sleek chrome electric shaver, manages this by blasting your face with high-frequency sound waves. While you can't feel it, on the microscopic level the waves make your skin ripple like a wind-blown flag, causing hair to stand up straighter for a closer shave. Braun claims the Pulsonic provides the closest dry shave on the market, and it did perform admirably. Yet it still struggled to mow down hard-to-reach hairs nestled under the chin and along the neck. And while we liked the flexible shaver head, the stealthy sonic action, and the heft (the machine weighs a reassuring 6 ounces), it left our tester's face feeling sore and caused irritation along the jawline. The simpler battery-operated Gillette Fusion, on the other hand, imparted no blotchy redness. And for the comparatively cheapo price of 13 bucks (single AAA Duracell included), it packs some interesting technology: An onboard microchip regulates five vibrating razor blades and a low-battery display. The vibrations, the theory goes, reduce friction between the blades and your skin, so you get a more comfortable shave with fewer nicks and less irritation. Press a button on the razor's midsection and it begins to buzz like a miniature jackhammer. "It felt like putting a Pocket Rocket to my face," our tester reported. But the results were worth the initial awkwardness. As promised, the blades effortlessly glided across his skin, leaving no whisker standing and proving that the vibration feature is more than just a gimmick. Sure, some men prefer the convenience of an electric shaver, in which case we'd recommend the Pulsonic, the gold standard of face mowers. But for a flawless shave that won't mar your mug, we'd opt for the Fusion. One caveat is the steep cost, as with most razors, of the replacement blades: $14 for a package of four. In the long run, the Fusion could end up costing you more than the Pulsonic, so it's no bargain: just a better shaver. Advantage: Gillette.

Happy Birthday BM!

Sounds like the train should have designated cell phone cars and quiet cars.

Your Music only has two. I ordered Happenings today, and put Montara in my queue. The review of Montara there (from AMG) is ecstatic. Anybody have an opinion of it?

Aggie, I love you, man! With the codes, I've just ordered: Al Cohn Quintet Brown/Roach - At Basin Street (with Sonny!) Bobby Hutcherson - Happenings Robert Palmer - The Very Best of the Island Years

Aggie, I love you, man!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/fema...in_page_id=1879 CDs come in cases that are 148mm wide and 125mm high. By contrast, DVDs are sold in cases that are 135mm wide and 191mm high. Why use such different packaging for discs of identical size? A little digging reveals the historical origins of this difference. Prior to the appearance of digital CDs, most music was sold on vinyl discs, packaged in close-fitting sleeves that measured 302mm square. The racks on which vinyl discs were displayed were just wide enough, in other words, to accommodate two rows of CD cases with a divider between them. Making the CD cases a little less than half as wide as the record sleeves they were replacing thus enabled retailers to avoid the substantial costs of replacing their storage and display racks. Similar considerations seem to have driven the decision regarding DVD packaging. Before DVDs became popular, most film rental stores carried videotapes in the VHS format, which were packaged in form-fitting boxes that measured 135mm wide and 191mm high. These videos were typically displayed side by side with their spines out. Making DVD cases the same height enabled stores to display their new DVD stocks on existing shelves, while consumers were in the process of switching over to the new format. Making the DVD package the same height as the VHS package also made switching to DVDs more attractive for consumers, since they could store their new DVDs on the shelves they used for VHS tapes.

Valerie, I always trust your posts. Did you know Gerald or another musician who pronounced it that way?

CD Universe says that Forever Changes will be re-released April 22. It will be a 2-CD set. The first CD will be the original album, and the second CD will be the album remixed, if that's what "alternate mix" means. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7640350