Noj

I've got the polar opposite opinion of Lon on this one. There were qualities that made Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back cool which were lost because the third installment was totally geared toward children. Among those cool qualities--aliens and droids made noises unintelligible to the audience yet the characters understood them completely. Aliens and droids were constructed models, not flimsy, less-than-believable CGIs. Arms were getting hacked off by light sabers left and right, bounty hunters were getting smoked by guns under the table, and some of the dialogue was reasonably funny... All in all, there was a harder edge to the first two movies. The cutesy little Ewoks were the beginning of the end, Jar-Jar Binks an insult to injury.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Rat!

Blue Edwards Blake Edwards William Blake

Derek Fisher Hal Fishman Bill "Tuna" Parcells

Dirk's comments stem from Dampier declaring himself the second-best center to Shaq earlier this season. The self-proclaimed second-best center to Shaq shouldn't yield 40 points to Amare Stoudemire. Gotta agree with md655321, these second round games have been ZZZZZZZZZZ.

I listened to this last night--what a show! These guys were on fire! Thanks for including it, Tom. I'll be looking into some Mulgrew Miller! The only problem is a scratch right at the beginning of the drum solo of disc one, track two. It won't let me play it all the way through. Concurrent with the grain, bummer.

Fritz the Cat Fritz Coleman Gary Coleman

It was a joke, man, because I had just come from the endless Stevie Wonder thread. But hey, why don't you tell me how you REALLY feel? I never claimed Green Day was even great punk. I said they had some good pop-punk tunes that I enjoy when I want non-demanding listening. And I DO listen to Black Flag (not a big Minute Man fan). For that matter although I've heard at least two Linkin Park songs I liked, I'm not elevating them into the canon. You don't like Green Day or Linkin Park, then I feel for you-- cause you must have to hear them every day. Me, I'm just lucky I guess! Some people live in a strange binary universe where you have to exclude one artist to like another. If you enjoy the Ramones or the Sex Pistols, then you have to piss on a band like Green Day-- it's twisted (and funny to watch them get their panties bunched up over it). Of course some people just like to rail against something that's popular in an attempt to elevate themselves and their exquisite taste (me, I like what I like, from Lee Morgan to Coldplay, from Monk and Mingus to Audioslave, and feel lucky that there are so many things that are able to provide so many different kinds of listening pleasure. I feel bad for those who've been closed off to it). Until shown otherwise, I'll just attribute both those exclusionary tendencies to some strange limitation in psychic RAM that I'm happy hasn't struck me yet. Chris, I'm about as eclectic a listener as you're likely to come across--jazz, funk, soul, r&b, hip hop, rap, classic rock, punk, dub, reggae... Attribute my opinion to whatever you please, but those two bands just don't cut it for me. Green Day loses me at the faux British accent, and Linkin Park's raps are enough to make my stomach turn. Thankfully, I hear both of them next to never.

Pardon? I love Stevie Wonder. Linkin Park is false punk with a pinch of pseudo rap. Use3D hit the nail on the head about "Green Shit." Give me The Minutemen or Black Flag or even The Vandals first.

I have one of these from about 1985--it still works! I score virtually every possession.

Linkin Park hurts my ears like a hundred dogs. Their music is dead and dying.

Although I didn't sign up, RDK made me an offer I couldn't refuse! All 4 discs received today. B-) Thanks Rooster Ties and RDK!

Shaq. He feigned tears, then congratulated and complimented Steve Nash before saying he's more concerned with the Wizards right now.

It is unfathomable to me that two professional basketball teams can manage a 35-32 half time score. The Pacers and Celtics both stink. The Dallas/Houston game can't come soon enough...

Although no personnel is listed, in the liner notes from a King compilation featuring "Honky Tonk Popcorn" Hank Ballard & The Midnighters are mentioned in the same paragraph. Both Bill Doggett and Hank were working with James Brown for these "Popcorn" records simulataneously. When James went to Polydor, both went with him. Not sure if this helps.

Uh oh, I've never gotten Springsteen, but I dig Dylan and The Beatles. Springsteen's just that Born In The USA guy that danced with Courtney Cox...

What's the length of the curse sentence for an unsportsmanlike swat at the ball in the glove of an opponent making a tag during the ALCS?

The Yankees seemed to have a lot of question marks this year despite the massive payroll. Too many graybeards. I'd bet they'll turn it around, but I'm hoping the Orioles keep it going and give the Bronx Bombers and the BoSox a big shitburger to eat! Go Dodgers!

Aren't there any parents/cheerleader directors with a good moral compass left down there in the Lone Star? One would think the lawmakers have something more important to spend their time on without this worthless issue bubbling up from below. It doesn't take a new law to have someone go up to the cheerleading squad leader and ask that the sexual innuendos be toned down since children are involved. Too much lawmaking, not enough common sense.

Happy Birthday!

A few scattered Syreeta tracks can be found on compilations.

BB King Dee Dee Bridgewater JJ Johnson

Maybe it's just me, but keeping the Hubble telescope sounds like a better idea than a manned mission to Mars.

I have one disc from this set, and I love it! My favorites are the versions of "Blue Monk" and "Topsy."

Dude on the right clearly has a different head superimposed, note the subtle change in the grays. If I knew the identity of said head or the other guys, I might get the joke.