Spent a lovely last evening at the Hollywood Bowl, listening to one of the great jazz pianists, Chick Corea, who was performing with various "friends" including vibraphonist Gary Burton, saxophonist Michael Brecker and vocalist Flora Purim. What was on stage was great, though the event was marred a bit (for us) by audience members talking to one another and into cell phones. The fellow behind us alternated between telling them to quiet down and committing the same sin for which he was scolding others. I fear home video has gotten folks in the habit of talking while a performance is in progress. We need to get militant about these people and start hitting them with large blunt objects.
Shelly Goldstein, who knows as much about the Beatles as I do about Mark Evanier, corrects me: Apple Corps was not a charitable foundation, at least not primarily. It was mainly the boys' own management/recording company with a few charitable aspirations vaguely down the line. Silly me: I was recalling the version that The Rutles formed and confusing parody with reality. Which, these days, is easy to do in all walks of life.
Mike Rieder sends in this link to an article that lays out the case for the legality of George W. just charging off to war with Iraq without Congressional approval. I'm not convinced and neither are a lot of prominent Republicans, even. But it may all be academic because while G.W.B. may not need a Congressional declaration of that war to act, he also doesn't need the criticism and divisiveness that would come from not obtaining it.
Guy Gilchrist, sometimes in tandem with his brother Brad, produces terrific newspaper strips, including the current version of Nancy. Here's a link to a great two-part interview with Guy in which he discusses his strips and the problems of both syndication and self-syndication. And don't miss the second part.
Thanks to the many of you who've recently clicked on our "donate" buttons and sent this site some money. I'm way behind in sending personal gratitude but will attempt to catch up soon. Or so I claim.