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Maybe this is more maddening than madness, but I've noticed that the shipping/handling prices (particularly for many Ebay stores) have gotten really high. Sometimes over $10 for domestic shipping for a single CD. Just in general, I find Ebay a real drag now and only go to it as a last resort. I did a lot of Ebay shopping in the second wave where it was getting quite popular (2000-2003) but now I find there are too many scam artists, too many sniping programs, too few deals and too many people that want to gouge you on shipping. I'll just stick with the other internet sources from now on.

Looks like this was released March 13, a bit under the radar. Anyway, I was in Jazz Record Mart (every time I am in there it is a bit more disorganized and depressing) and they already had a promo in the used bins, so I snatched that up. First impressions later.

So anyway, Chicago is in the running for 2016. I would rather they didn't get it, but I don't think it would be quite as disastrous as being in London in 2012. People are already pointing to the London Olympics as a famous warning case, i.e. how can you prevent the overruns that are happening in London. I'd say that's pretty impressive in a sick sort of way. Meanwhile a bunch of pompous windbags in England are (grimly) saying that no matter the final cost, it will be worth it in the end for regeneration, when of course you could just cut out the Olympics and throw a big street party and put the same amount of money into basic infrastructure. Pardon me for being less than impressed at English efficiency in the building trades, especially when there is a big deadline to make. You're already in the warning zone in terms of CBA (cost-benefit analysis) and I am sure the London Olympics are going to end up being a big turkey.

Isn't Tessa blaming EU accounting rules for this? That's what I recall.

All things considered, that's not a bad price. Curiously enough, I was checking out something about this set, and I find it has gone completely out of print (maybe only a few weeks ago). I suspect it is a rights issue (about 75% of the performances were taped for Dutch radio). So now I have a rarity. I'll hang onto it, but if it ever starts going for astronomical prices on eBay, I'll probably sell. Unlikely I know. sounds like an interesting investment. I can't explain exactly what grabbed me so much about it, but after I read the review about the set, I thought hard for two days and then bought it. I've listened to about 1/3 of it so far. Only a few of the discs are devoted to Schoenberg. The music is pretty good, if you like "contemporary classical" or whatever they call orchestral and string quartet music being written after 1950. (Actually I have to say that the BBC radio 3 seems light years ahead of anything in the US for sponsoring and playing loads of new compositions, and I tried to listen to most of these shows. And I see that the Chicago Symphony has a few world premiere pieces and I may go see those shows. So I guess I am doing my bit to support expanding the canon.) I've been slowly putting myself onto a music budget (so no Hutcherson Select this month), though I did recently buy a copy of J.R. Monterose (the Conn version), and I am leaning towards getting a used copy of Here Comes Louis Smith. I think I will hold off on Smithville, as there seems to be a reasonable chance this will be rereleased by BN in 2007 or 2008.

All things considered, that's not a bad price. Curiously enough, I was checking out something about this set, and I find it has gone completely out of print (maybe only a few weeks ago). I suspect it is a rights issue (about 75% of the performances were taped for Dutch radio). So now I have a rarity. I'll hang onto it, but if it ever starts going for astronomical prices on eBay, I'll probably sell. Unlikely I know.

I started converting LPs over on an old turntable and found that the converted songs were 20-25% too short, according to track timings and so on. Obviously, that really wasn't acceptable. I eventually did replace it with a turntable with adjustable speed (and strobe built in) and found this worked much better. Al will soon find out that depending on the thickness of the vinyl, he should be making micro adjustments for each LP.

There is one piece actually called "The Stripper," which sounds just like you would expect. We played this in jazz band, and the score should be available. Whether it has ever been played "for real" in a strip act, or only for ironic intent is not clear to me.

Sadly, most Americans are simply not educated these days, despite near record levels of people going to college. But I do think we have to take these death of culture essays with a grain of salt. Adorno and others wrote long books about how horrible middlebrow and popular culture were, and this was in the late 1940s and 1950s, which is an era many of us consider to have produced some of the best movies and music of all times.

This spoof is also good. Apparently, Bob Dylan wrote every single popular song of the last 35 years. No Direction, Period The clip is called "No Direction, Period" but I prefer to Google "dylan baez lady lump" to get it to turn it up. It may take a long time to load.

For me it wasn't exactly a "find," since I got it at Dusty Groove, but it was a fair price. I do like the music, but I have Asante and a really clean transfer from Cosmos, so I really can't justify the Select. I think we must be talking about two different things. I was responding to Guy. Ok, I thought you were saying that Cosmos was a great vinyl bin find, which it certainly would be. To change the subject again, I did find Hill's One for One in a record shop set up in some guy's garage. Unfortunately, he knew pretty much what it was worth... But I bought it anyway.

For me it wasn't exactly a "find," since I got it at Dusty Groove, but it was a fair price. I do like the music, but I have Asante and a really clean transfer from Cosmos, so I really can't justify the Select.

Just want to agree that you want to avoid a Dell printer. You can only buy the cartridge through them by ordering by phone or on the internet. No running down to Staples or somewhere in an emergency.

Yes, I should be here another 4 or so years, maybe longer. I'm not downtown at the moment, but am looking around for something close to the Loop. Unfortunately, I have to be a bit selective about what shows I see because of the long trek to where I am staying, but this should get resolved in a few more weeks.

I saw this show on the HotHouse website: HotHouse home Toumani Diabate with the Symmetric Orchestra on March 22. It's $25 if you preorder tickets, $30 at the door. First show is at 7, second show is 10. I'm going to try really hard to make the 7 pm show. But my life is in flux at the moment. Still, this seems like a good time to make it back to HotHouse.

That's great news, but will it be possible to get them as a small box or something? I have all the rest in the series, so I might as well get these.

I have an even better story about the a**holes who are taking up valuable space on this planet. My brother and I were driving across Michigan on Christmas Day on I-94 which is mostly 2 lanes in each direction. We were not in any particular hurry and he was driving the speed limit or a bit over. And we were in the right lane. Somebody comes speeding up behind us, passes on the left, gets into our lane and slams on the brakes. Totally unjustifiable on all counts. And quite possibly he had a suicide wish or something, as it was a smallish car and we were driving a minivan. Fortunately, I had sensed something was up and told my brother to start slowing down as they guy passed, but we still had to slam on the brakes, fishtailed and went into the median. It could have been a lot worse, but we were pretty shaken up, and I drove the rest of the way home. I tell you some people do deserve to die. In a karmically just world, he would have wrapped his car around a tree the next week. I certainly hope he did. This is over 10 years later, and I'm still angry when I think about it.

Interpretations of Monk should be floating around there. I picked up a set from DMG, but that was several years back. Most of it is really good. That's the Way I Feel Now is pretty interesting. I don't like the Bobby McFerrin, but most of the rest is good. I actually like the Work piece quite a bit -- it is done with a driving beat that is really catchy. This is a case where the LP (a 2 LP set) has more material than the cassette or the very limited edition CD.

Sal: I imagine if you are in South of France, you have to see Provence -- otherwise, why bother? Marseilles was ok, but I wouldn't spend too much time there. Aix-en-Provence was a really beautiful, kind of touristy place. It has a lot of historic buildings, and the food was great. I did not manage to make it to Avignon (needed one more day) but that would be another key spot to visit, both in terms of historical importance and understanding what Provence is all about. I would imagine the wines to be good, but I don't drink wine, so can't give any personal recommendations. Enjoy! Eric

Well maybe, but it is more that American Idol offers better story arcs -- and the potential for conflict between the judges (mostly staged) -- and has more of a human element (wow -- I could be that goofy looking guy up there singing his heart out). Award shows are just a bunch of overpaid pop stars/movie stars/tv stars sitting around and exchanging metaphorical blow jobs. Who cares? I hate awards shows and have never voluntarily turned one on (my wife sometimes watches).

It really depends on the kind of music you like -- they mostly either have Brazilian or kind of eclectic freak-out jazz. I haven't regretted anything I bought. Probably the best is Collier's Deep Dark Blue Centre, then Paulo Moura Quarteto Charlie Mariano - Reflections Alberto Favero - Suite Trane Jacques & Micheline Pelzer Quartet - Song For Rene [this has a nice version of Naima on it] They have a few compilations they sell (and may be on emusic) which might be a good way to get a feel for what you would like. I've got a huge backlog on emusic to work through, but eventually I'll see if they have some new releases and download those.

They have a wide range of artists, with the best being from Brazil. But they are the ones who reissued Collier's Deep Dark Blue Centre and a few other key British jazz albums. They cut a deal with emusic a while back, and much of their output is there. This is especially good news for some of their OOP CDs, which they added as mp3s. I have 10 to 12 of their CDs and maybe another 5 albums as downloads.

I was extremely fortunate that I sold at the top of the market (to some idiot) and have been renting for a short while. Now that I am returning to Chicago, prices are slowly dropping, and it is a good time to buy again. Our house went up well over $150,000 in two years, though there was a fair bit of sweat equity involved as well.

Saw the Moscow State Symphony in Cambridge. The highlight was Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, but they also did well with Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Suite. In the middle was a Rachmaninoff piece that I found unbelievably boring. I started looking over at the wall, counting bricks, waiting for it to end.

Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely consider the Musee Marmottan. I've seen pretty much all of the Louvre at one time or other, but would like to make a short trip (ha). I've been to Pompidou once, but not the newish Quai Branly, so I may go despite the crowds.