Noj

I agree with Weizen too.

Anyone else blown away by how many there are? It's a friggin' epidemic! Several within walking distance of my home.

Happy Belated Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

RIP Ray. I love your music. I recently got this bad boy, highly recommended:

Must find. Must order. Must have.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

A friend at work recently began seeing a chiropractor my boss recommended. He's been telling everyone he is amazed at the rapid improvement his back has made. He says he hasn't been as comfortable in years. Another friend recommends acupuncture. She says it miraculously fixed a recurring neck problem. I had back pain briefly after being 10-15lbs over my normal weight. Regularly doing abdominal crunches and push ups made it go away.

I hope the "Essential" includes "If You Want Me To Stay" and "Crossword Puzzle." CRUCIAL!

Who was the guy who jumped over the Great Wall of China? Tony Hawk? Danny Way. He's a madman.

Rodney Mullen Rodney Mullen 2 IMO, this guy is the greatest skateboarder of all time. Hawk is great. Danny Way is insane. This guy, otoh, is a genius. Rodney does stuff that no one else on earth can do.

Finals MVP as a rookie. Best passer on the fast break, there is no comparable player. Clutch buckets galore. Magic was the greatest point guard of all time imo, and my favorite player ever.

Hopefully they'll at least make Gilbert the alternate for an injured player. Is anyone sitting out?

But a songbird isn't really singing - or making music. What it's doing is communicating - "talking" if you will - and it's only we who ascribe it as being "music" since its (usually) pleasant and organized sounds are "musical" to our cultural sensibilities. A bird's singing is really no different from a dog's barking, but aside from a few annoying Christmas songs few would consider barking to be musical. So, intent is necessary. I think you're right, Ray. But, do birds sing and dogs bark for the same reason? After I posted the above I was thinking that birds singing is akin to pheromones emitted from horny moths or something. Do dogs bark to find their mates, or is it scent-oriented..? I guess that's another discussion. I agree, that's why I tried to modify it.

There doesn't necessarily HAVE to be artistic intent. When a songbird sings, it is musical sans artistic intent. If a musician is communicating horror or sadness or creating music which is "ugly," but puts it together in an artful manner, it can still be beautiful. Confused yet?

For example, this is ugly, but is arguably a beautiful painting.

Well, if composed with artistic integrity, even the ugly can be seen as beautiful.

Adding to Chuck's fine definition: Beautiful emotions shared through organized sounds.

SS1 is rooting for the Heat this year, Bruce. The Clippers are a better team than the Lakers this year. No joke. They have a better PG, better PF, better C...I hope the Clips kick ass in the playoffs.

Happy Birthday!

I harbor no dislike for over-exposed giants of the past such as Dali or Escher or Van Gogh. They're played out, but their art is still interesting and historically relevant. Thomas Kinkade is a craftmaker. He makes wall decorations for little old midwestern ladies who relate to his romanticized glowing cozy cottages and don't recognize kitsch with they see it. I dislike his paintings, but if the ends justify the means he's done a good job as a businessman. He's no artist. I don't consider myself an artist. I contribute nothing to the ongoing dialogue of fine art.

Happy Birthday!

My Pops has a '67 VW Bug and a '49 Ford Truck which he is restoring.

Hey, the Clippers are a damned good team--Brand, Cassell, Mobley, Maggette, Kaman...they're not messing around this year.