http://www.areviews.net/ We present only products that well-selected by Amazon's Top 100 Reviewers. 1 20 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400063981/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ George, Being George: George Plimpton's Life as Told, Admired, Deplored, and Envied by 200 Friends, Relatives, Lovers, Acquaintances, Rivals--and a Few Unappreciative ...(Books)

Release date:2008/10/21
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 One who knew and appreciated the "great enthusiasms, the great devotions" November 28, 2008
By Robert Morris
#28 REVIEWER


The reputation of George Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was well-established prior to the publication of this oral biography of him five years after his death. However, dozens of those who knew him best will help others who only knew of him to gain an even better understanding of who and what he was...and wasn't. Credit Nelson Aldrich with a brilliant job of obtaining, organizing, and editing the abundance of material. The book's title could not be more appropriate as a prefix to various personal accounts.

For example:

1. "George, being George," he once talked the Detroit Lions into letting him participate in their pre-season program and was even allowed to play (as QB, of course) in one of the team's scrimmages games.

2. Immediately after Robert Kennedy was shot, he helped to subdue Sirhan Sirhan.

3. Decided that he was uniquely prepared to conduct oral histories of Truman [Capote] and Edie [Sedgwick] and, of course, he did.

4. Agreed to serve as the first editor of The Paris Review that was co-founded in 1952 by Peter Matthiessen, Thomas H. Guinzburg, and Harold L. Humes. He remained in that position until

5. Also pitched against Major League players prior to an All-Star game.

His other adventures and misadventures include sparring with professional boxers Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson, participating in a pre-season scrimmage with the Baltimore Colts action against his previous team, the Lions, briefly playing goalie for the Boston Bruins, competing with an 18 handicap against PGA players such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, losing badly in a tennis match with Richard ("Pancho") Gonzales, and failing in an audition to join the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus as an aerialist. On another occasion, he somehow obtained a temporary percussionist's job with the New York Philharmonic when Leonard Bernstein was its conductor.

As I read this book, I was reminded of James Thurber's Walter Mitty who escaped the boredom of his life and the miseries of his marriage by imagining himself in all sorts of situations that are far more exciting and (especially) much more glamorous. Having an equally active imagination, George also proceeded to do (or at least attempt to do) whatever seemed like "fun" while living an already exciting and glamorous life that included relationships with those who share their reminiscences and observations in this book. The several hundred contributors include (listed in alphabetical order) Arnold ("Red") Auerbach (former coach of the Boston Celtics with whom George also played briefly), Bill Curry (former NFL player and head coach of Alabama and Kentucky), Hugh Hefner (founder and CEO of Playboy Enterprises), A.E. Hotchner (Hemingway authority as well as co-founder and partner, with Paul Newman's Newman's Own food products), Alex Karras (All-Pro defensive tackle with Detroit Lions), Norman Mailer (author of 37 books), Freddy Espy Plimpton (George's first wife), Sarah Dudley Plimpton (George's second wife), Gene Scott (widely recognized as "Tennis's Renaissance Man," "the most controversial figure in the game," and "the conscience of tennis"), William Styron (author of many works that include Lie Down in Darkness and Sophie's Choice), Calvin Trillin (staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963), and Gore Vidal (author and playwright).

Each of these and the other contributors share her or his reminiscences of "George, being George" from his student years at various schools and then Harvard, through his lengthy association with The Paris Review, until the years immediately prior to his death when health issues precluded almost all physical activities and yet he still retained (in his words) "the gumption to get out and try one's wings." Together, the mini-contributions -- from so many different people, recalling different moments in different places at different times - create a multi-dimensional portrait of a truly unique person. Almost a century ago in a speech delivered at the Sorbonne, Theodore Roosevelt praised what he called "the man in the arena." He could well have been describing George Plimpton: "Credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

If asked to respond to Roosevelt's description, contributors to this book would probably explain "that's just George, being George."

See all 2 customer reviews... ]]> November 28, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0739376918/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ With The Private Patient we visit an impressive old house, Cheverell Manor in Dorset. Once a family home it was sold of necessity to an eminent plastic surgeon, George H. Chandler-Powell, who now operates it as a clinic for the privileged. Rhoda Gradwyn comes to him for the removal of a disfiguring facial scar. She's an investigative journalist (her work is similar to that of a reporter for a supermarket tabloid in the USA). She's with us only briefly as she's soon dead of strangulation, a murder committed by an unknown person wearing latex gloves.

(While the crime most definitely has affected Rhoda, it also affects the good doctor as who would want to come to a clinic where a murder has just occurred? Commander Dalgliesh is summoned to investigate. He has a great deal to look into considering the clinic staff, the departed's boyfriend, and others who were a part of her life for good or ill.

)

Once again James treats us to her vivid descriptions of setting and extensive vocabulary - the perfect word for every thought and situation. A pleasure to read - do so slowly and savor this author's unique style.

- Gail Cooke Release date:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JvbmKz1VL._SL160_.jpg
   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 A MODULATED, PRECISE READING November 28, 2008
By Gail Cooke
#112 REVIEWER

London born actress Rosalyn Landor is the perfect choice to read a P. D. James mystery. The daughter of an actor/broadcaster Landor grew up with reading aloud, story telling, and that love for the spoken word is reflected in her voice performances. Her readings are well modulated, precise as she carries listeners along to what is in this case a surprising denouement.



See all The Private Patient (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries) customer reviews... ]]> November 28, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001FB4W0W/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ True Blood (HBO Series)(DVD)

Anna Paquin,
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A fun and adventurous take on vampires and the supernatural November 27, 2008
By Robert Moore
#20 REVIEWER

I'm not sure that any good series on the supernatural has ever tried as hard to be simply good fun. It isn't the masterpiece that BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was, but I don't think Alan Ball set his sights that high. While Joss Whedon strove in BUFFY to create an icon and redefine television narrative, Ball just seems to want to tell a compelling story filled with memorable moments.

TRUE BLOOD is, of course, based on the series of novels written by Arkansas writer Charlaine Harris. The series was originally known as the Southern Vampire Mysteries, but has since come to be better known as The Sookie Stackhouse novels. The premise is that a Japanese corporation has successfully created artificial blood, a product so like the real thing that vampires, previously relegated to feeding off humans in the dark, come "out of the coffin" and into society, intent on living off the new fake blood. The series' title comes from the name of the artificial blood marketed and sold in stores. The television series wisely does not try to hew too closely to the novels, though for the most part Sookie's story does. And the way things turn at the end of the season, it is clear that Season Two (the show was renewed very early in the season) is going to pick up with the second novel in the series, though the action most likely will be in Bon Temps and not in Dallas (the second novel is entitled LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS).

The major difference between the novels and the TV series is that while the novels focus almost entirely on Sookie, the series has elevated a number of secondary characters and padded out their story. The focus on Sookie in the books is inevitable given that she is the narrator. But since few shows attempt to tell a story primarily from one character's point of view (an exception is Season One of VERONICA MARS, in which the title character features in very nearly every scene), elevating several characters was a necessity. Tara is a very minor character in the books (and white to boot), but on the show she is black and one of the most important characters. Sookie's brother Jason is a moderately important character in the books, but definitely not as central as Bill, Eric, or Sam. Tara was promoted on the show partly to balance out the show in terms of race and gender. I'm not quite sure why Jason was made more important. The story arcs that are given to these characters are not always successful, but they do give the show some diversity. Lafayette, Tara's flamboyantly gay cousin and short order cook at Merlotte's, the tavern where Sookie is a barmaid, likewise is a major character on the TV series, but barely makes an appearance in the novels.

I'm not always comfortable with the additions the show makes to the story and they usually are the weakest part of the show. For instance, the long story of Tara's mother and her demon possession is an addition that I feel clutters the show, even as it raises the question of why Tara herself struggles with relationships. The character of Amy, who is weirdly involved with Jason in the latter half of the season, sits on the rest of the story like a weird, disconnected appendage. In fact, the entire obsession with V (or vampire blood, which is taken like a drug) is unique to the show and not the books, I think to the show's detriment. Terry Bellefleur is a slightly more important character in the series, and about 20-30 years younger (and played by Todd Lowe, who played Zack, Lane's band mate/boyfriend/husband in THE GILMORE GIRLS), and a veteran of the Gulf War instead of the Vietnam War. I don't expect for a show to be especially true to its source material. I don't look for a scene-by-scene recreation. But I do think that the additions show actually add something of value to the story. All in all, I do not think the completely original aspects improved the overall story.

There is a lot of controversy on boards where fans of the books linger about Anna Paquin. Physically she isn't quite like how Sookie is described in the books, where she is far curvier and extremely busty. I personally love Anna Paquin's performance. She has a haunted, hunted look that someone who has had to struggle for years of hearing the thoughts of others might have. She does very much seem to embody "Crazy Sookie," as she is known to everyone in Bon Temps. I also like all the actors who played the three other major characters from the books, Stephen Moyer as Bill, Alexander Skarsgaard as Eric (who will, given his stature as an actor and the precedent of the books, become a more important character in Season Two -- and let me just add, could anyone have been found more perfect to play Eric?), and Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte. My favorite performer to play a major role on the show but a minor one in the books is Nelsan Ellis, who also had a recurring role on the sadly short-lived THE INSIDE and was on an excellent episode of VERONICA MARS, and who on TRUE BLOOD plays Lafayette. Though I have to add that he is s completely unbelievable character. I've lived three years in a town not terribly distinct from Bon Temps and I can assert that you simply will not find many if any openly gay people and definitely not one a flamboyant one.

All in all I really enjoyed the series TRUE BLOOD, though on the one hand I prefer the books (and I strongly recommend anyone who loves TRUE BLOOD to give the books a try, though I also warn them that the show does seem to be following to a greater or lesser degree the books -- Season Two is already set up to follow many of the second novel's storylines) and on the other I prefer Alan Ball's earlier show SIX FEET UNDER. Still, it is a good, fun show.

And can I just add that this show has my all time favorite opening credits. It is filled with one astonishing image after another, from a coiled water moccasin to a Holy Ghost inspired preacher doing a 180 jump in church to lasciviously dancing strippers, all to a wonderfully appropriate song by country performer Jace Everett entitled "Bad Things."

See all 37 customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001FB4W16/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ True Blood (HBO Series) [Blu-ray](DVD)

Anna Paquin,
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A fun and adventurous take on vampires and the supernatural November 27, 2008
By Robert Moore
#20 REVIEWER

I'm not sure that any good series on the supernatural has ever tried as hard to be simply good fun. It isn't the masterpiece that BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was, but I don't think Alan Ball set his sights that high. While Joss Whedon strove in BUFFY to create an icon and redefine television narrative, Ball just seems to want to tell a compelling story filled with memorable moments.

TRUE BLOOD is, of course, based on the series of novels written by Arkansas writer Charlaine Harris. The series was originally known as the Southern Vampire Mysteries, but has since come to be better known as The Sookie Stackhouse novels. The premise is that a Japanese corporation has successfully created artificial blood, a product so like the real thing that vampires, previously relegated to feeding off humans in the dark, come "out of the coffin" and into society, intent on living off the new fake blood. The series' title comes from the name of the artificial blood marketed and sold in stores. The television series wisely does not try to hew too closely to the novels, though for the most part Sookie's story does. And the way things turn at the end of the season, it is clear that Season Two (the show was renewed very early in the season) is going to pick up with the second novel in the series, though the action most likely will be in Bon Temps and not in Dallas (the second novel is entitled LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS).

The major difference between the novels and the TV series is that while the novels focus almost entirely on Sookie, the series has elevated a number of secondary characters and padded out their story. The focus on Sookie in the books is inevitable given that she is the narrator. But since few shows attempt to tell a story primarily from one character's point of view (an exception is Season One of VERONICA MARS, in which the title character features in very nearly every scene), elevating several characters was a necessity. Tara is a very minor character in the books (and white to boot), but on the show she is black and one of the most important characters. Sookie's brother Jason is a moderately important character in the books, but definitely not as central as Bill, Eric, or Sam. Tara was promoted on the show partly to balance out the show in terms of race and gender. I'm not quite sure why Jason was made more important. The story arcs that are given to these characters are not always successful, but they do give the show some diversity. Lafayette, Tara's flamboyantly gay cousin and short order cook at Merlotte's, the tavern where Sookie is a barmaid, likewise is a major character on the TV series, but barely makes an appearance in the novels.

I'm not always comfortable with the additions the show makes to the story and they usually are the weakest part of the show. For instance, the long story of Tara's mother and her demon possession is an addition that I feel clutters the show, even as it raises the question of why Tara herself struggles with relationships. The character of Amy, who is weirdly involved with Jason in the latter half of the season, sits on the rest of the story like a weird, disconnected appendage. In fact, the entire obsession with V (or vampire blood, which is taken like a drug) is unique to the show and not the books, I think to the show's detriment. Terry Bellefleur is a slightly more important character in the series, and about 20-30 years younger (and played by Todd Lowe, who played Zack, Lane's band mate/boyfriend/husband in THE GILMORE GIRLS), and a veteran of the Gulf War instead of the Vietnam War. I don't expect for a show to be especially true to its source material. I don't look for a scene-by-scene recreation. But I do think that the additions show actually add something of value to the story. All in all, I do not think the completely original aspects improved the overall story.

There is a lot of controversy on boards where fans of the books linger about Anna Paquin. Physically she isn't quite like how Sookie is described in the books, where she is far curvier and extremely busty. I personally love Anna Paquin's performance. She has a haunted, hunted look that someone who has had to struggle for years of hearing the thoughts of others might have. She does very much seem to embody "Crazy Sookie," as she is known to everyone in Bon Temps. I also like all the actors who played the three other major characters from the books, Stephen Moyer as Bill, Alexander Skarsgaard as Eric (who will, given his stature as an actor and the precedent of the books, become a more important character in Season Two -- and let me just add, could anyone have been found more perfect to play Eric?), and Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte. My favorite performer to play a major role on the show but a minor one in the books is Nelsan Ellis, who also had a recurring role on the sadly short-lived THE INSIDE and was on an excellent episode of VERONICA MARS, and who on TRUE BLOOD plays Lafayette. Though I have to add that he is s completely unbelievable character. I've lived three years in a town not terribly distinct from Bon Temps and I can assert that you simply will not find many if any openly gay people and definitely not one a flamboyant one.

All in all I really enjoyed the series TRUE BLOOD, though on the one hand I prefer the books (and I strongly recommend anyone who loves TRUE BLOOD to give the books a try, though I also warn them that the show does seem to be following to a greater or lesser degree the books -- Season Two is already set up to follow many of the second novel's storylines) and on the other I prefer Alan Ball's earlier show SIX FEET UNDER. Still, it is a good, fun show.

And can I just add that this show has my all time favorite opening credits. It is filled with one astonishing image after another, from a coiled water moccasin to a Holy Ghost inspired preacher doing a 180 jump in church to lasciviously dancing strippers, all to a wonderfully appropriate song by country performer Jace Everett entitled "Bad Things."

See all 2 customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001GVA7E6/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ F.J. Haydn: The Complete Symphonies (Box Set)(Music)

Release date:2008/11/18
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 The Joy of Haydn Symphonies November 27, 2008
By J Scott Morrison
#6 REVIEWER

I can't tell you how much unmitigated pleasure I've had over the past week or so listening to the treasures contained in this box set of all of Haydn's symphonies. I've been in a Haydn frenzy this past month what with listening to and reviewing the Naxos box set of all the string quartets F.J. Haydn: The Complete String Quartets (Box Set), and now the sympnonies; the complete piano sonatas await F.J. Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas (Box Set). And on top of that I sang in a performance of Haydn's Creation a week ago, too. I keep thinking I'll get tired of Haydn, but it hasn't happened yet! (What a persistent set of Earworms his music provides!)

I have had a number of wonderful single recordings of Haydn symphonies over the years but never collected an entire set, not Adam Fischer's set on Brilliant, say, or any of the earlier ones like Dorati's with the Philharmonic Hungarica. Having gotten this set, though, I find myself not feeling any need to look any further.

First a few statistics. There are 34 CDs in the set which includes all of Haydn's extant symphonies, actually 108 of them if you count the 104 standard ones plus the Sinfonia Concertante (here in a terrific performance) and the so-called 'Symphony A' and 'Symphony B'. There are several orchestras involved, each with several CDs in the series to their credit. They are the Capella Istropolitana (Bratislava) under Barry Wordsworth; the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under Helmut Müller-Brühl; the Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia under Béla Drahos; the Northern Chamber Orchestra under Nicholas Ward; the Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä under Patrick Gallois; the Swedish Chamber Orchestra under Béla Drahos; and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra under Kevin Mallon. All of these groups acquit themselves with honor, even the ensembles one has never heard of.

One tends to think that Haydn's symphonies don't really come into their own until he enters his Sturm und Drang era, roughly those from Symphony No. 35 up to No. 60 or so, and I had never paid much attention to the symphonies that came before that. But it was a revelation to hear some of the very early symphonies which, although they don't sound like the Haydn we know and love, are nonetheless replete with felicities. For instance there is the long cello solo in the slow movement of Symphony No. 13, essentially an aria for cello, lovely in the extreme. Or the military air of Symphony No. 9, the sonata da chiesa form of Symphony No. 11, the use of cor anglais in No. 22 'The Philosopher'. One can see that Haydn knew how, for instance, to use winds in his characteristic and delightful way as early as these first essays in the symphony form. Probably most notable among them were Nos. 6, 7 & 8, the so-called 'Matin', 'Midi', and 'Soir' symphonies.

One of my favorite Haydn symphonies has always been No. 44, the 'Trauersinfonie' ('Mourning Symphony'), and I would never want to be without the recording by the wonderful Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, but the performance here by Capella Istropolitana is very nearly its equal. It was of course during the Sturm und Drang period that Haydn left behind the compose-to-a-formula symphony and began writing works that expressed feelings. And certainly No. 44 is among those. I hold it close to my heart and this performance does not disappoint.

As we get beyond 1761 and Haydn's move to Eszterhazy we see the blooming of Haydn's genius and practically all the symphonies written from then on are veritable masterpieces. And by the time Haydn has become famous throughout Europe, making trips to Paris and London, the flow of brilliant works is in full spate. There is not one of these latter works I would gladly be without. It would be silly of me to pick one or two as favorites, but I feel that the performances of Nos. 88, 92, 94, 96, 101-104 are a triumph. Indeed, I think I may b well be driving my wife up the wall with my repeated playing of these late works. But they are so inspiriting, so inspiring, so satisfying that I don't seem to be able to stop.

In all honesty, although I have heard only a few of them, I suspect if cost is a consideration the Fischer/Austro-Hungarian Orchestra set may be the preferable set because of their budget price Haydn: Complete Symphonies (33 CD Box Set). I've been very pleased with those I've heard and the set as a whole has gotten laudatory reviews. Of course, you could also simply buy both sets! (But that may be my Haydn-intoxication speaking.)

Scott Morrison


See all 1 customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001LR60P0/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Lindor truffles are smooth and mouth-watering, a thoroughly delightful taste experience. This year Lindt has thoughtfully packaged them in festive holiday boxes ready for gifting. Our favorites are the Christmas red Poinsettia Box and the golden Holiday Tree.

(As if incomparable taste and pretty packaging weren't enough the truffle gifts are also very reasonably priced.


- Gail Cooke )

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ye0xE9ddL._SL160_.jpg Release date:Lindt Holiday Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffle Gift Bag
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 SMOOTH AND MOUTH-WATERING November 27, 2008
By Gail Cooke
#112 REVIEWER




See all Grocery customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001E4437W/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ The Unreleased Recordings(Music)

Hank Williams, Release date:2008/10/28
   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 As good as Hank Williams got November 27, 2008
By hyperbolium
#35 REVIEWER

It's rare than an artist whose been turned into an icon can ever again be seen in mortal form. But such is the case for the Hank Williams heard on these three CD's of transcriptions from 1951. With these fifty-four previously unreleased tracks, the dark saint of country music is delivered from fifty-five years of canonization as a hard-working musician striving to please his audience. Williams' much anthologized commercial recordings will forever keep his star aloft, but these newly released live-in-the-studio renderings, waxed under the sponsorship of Mother's Finest for radio broadcast, crackle with a level of intensity and vocal clarity not always captured in MGM's studios. Best of all, 1951 was a "career year" for Willliams, a year in which his artistry and superstardom hit simultaneous peaks. The crush of fame drew him repeatedly to the road and exacerbated the need to pre-record his 15-minute shows for Mother's Best, rendering into lacquer a one-of-a-kind portrait of Williams as artist and entertainer.

Williams filled each fifteen minute program with his own classic songs as well as numerous covers. Chestnuts like "On Top of Old Smokey" are lit up with emotional fire, and his soaring solo vocal on "Cool Water" resounds with the drama of thirst and relief. A large helping of hymns are equally impressive as Williams and his Drifiting cowboys testify in close harmony, and the recitations of alter ego Luke the Drifter are recounted on "Pictures from Life's Other Side." The portrait drawn includes details of Williams' influences, but it's the picture of a living, breathing performer that's so breathtakingly compelling. The ephemeral nature of these recordings - there were intended to be aired on the radio with no thought of commercial issue - renders the mood more relaxed than was routinely fostered in a regular studio date. The sheer volume of material Williams performed (this is only the first of several sets that will cover these recordings) creates a looseness that unwinds the fabrications of the recording industry. Williams' aside, "I like this one," as he launches into the fourth verse of "Dear John" is a humanizing touch that shows how comfortable he was with other writers' material, and how easily his charm translated to the stage.

Time-Life has cherry-picked the original shows, rather than providing raw transfers of the transcription discs. Listeners get a taste of the original shows' continuity through snippets of song introductions, but the bulk of Williams' patter has been trimmed away in favor of musical selections. The non-chronological ordering also dispels the shows' original performance arcs, but the producers have sequenced their picks terrifically and the overall result yields a superior experience for most listeners. No doubt these choices may displease archivists, completists and old-time radio fans, but Time-Life no doubt figured this approach would have the broadest appeal, helping defray the cost of securing reissue rights and remastering the original discs. Perhaps a full program could be released separately or included as a bonus in one of the upcoming releases of additional Mother's Best material.

Other than minor audio artifacts on a few tracks (e.g., a crackle in the background of "I Dreamed That the Great Judgment Morning), the sound quality of these recordings is simply astonishing, with Williams' voice clear and edgy, his band evenly balanced behind him, and steel player Don Helms and fiddler Jerry Rivers prominently featured in the mixes. Though primitive, the direct-to-disc technology used in 1951 captured the live sound with brilliance and clarity. The transfers (by Alan Stoker) and restorations/remasterings (by should-be Grammy-winner Joe Palmaccio) are superb, and Jett Williams' introductory notes provide a quick history of the original acetates and the lawsuits that have swirled around them. Colin Escott's liner and song notes are detailed and informative, and the 40-page booklet (which is unfortunately stapled into the folder) is beautifully designed and filled with photos.

These are among the best performances Williams ever laid down on record, and among the truest recordings anyone ever made of him. You could remove "among" and still be right. Given Williams' acclaim and the scrutiny given to his career, it's mind-boggling that these discs were bottled up for nearly sixty years. This set is so musically riveting and artistically revealing as to obsolete traditional hit compendiums as the best introduction to Williams' genius. An emotional veil has been lifted between Williams and his fans; a veil previously unknown to all but those fans who were by their radios in '51. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

See all 24 customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0505527731/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Slippery When Wet (Love Spell Contemporary Romance)(Books)

Kimberly Raye, Release date:2008/11/25
   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 enjoyable "NASCAR Holiday" romance November 27, 2008
By Harriet Klausner
#461 REVIEWER

Race Chicks Inc. driver Jaycee Anderson has stunned the previously all male dominated NASCAR Sprint Cup by finishing fourth in the final standings. Her objective for the new season is to move up at least one notch with her bodacious goal being cup champion. To obtain third place means holding off all that testosterone that placed behind her and move past Rory Canyon, whom she has known much of her twenty six years of life.

Rory has never forgotten when the teen tomboy kissed him as he ran from her and still is running. However, he knows in his soul how much he wants her even when she hides her curves with driving garb. She never forgave him for ending their friendship a decade ago, but also knows her impetuous kiss affirmed how much she needed him. Each use their rivalry on the track to keep them apart off the track as Daytona looms.

Readers will enjoy this "NASCAR Holiday" while rooting for the heroine to beat the pants off her rival on the track and elsewhere as Kimberly Raye leaves the "dead" romantic fantasy crowd for a spin on the NASCAR circuit. The story line is fast-paced especially when the lead couple competes with each other; the support cast seems two dimensional at times causing a detour to the pleasant prime plot of lady start your engine.

Harriet Klausner



See all 2 customer reviews... ]]> November 27, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061672475/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process(Books)

Irene Pepperberg, Release date:2008/11/01
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A deeply moving account of a unique partnership November 26, 2008
By Robert Moore
#20 REVIEWER

A few years ago when I was in grad school I knew slightly a woman who was the hearing child of deaf parents. While at Stanford she was one of the students who worked with Koko, the famous signing gorilla. I asked, of course, about her belief as to whether Koko really possessed the capacity for language, and she was adamant that she did.

A few years before that I had read three books by the ethologist Donald Griffin (who is mentioned in this book and after whom one of Irene Pepperberg's parrots was named): THE QUESTION OF ANIMAL AWARENESS, ANIMAL THINKING, and ANIMALS MINDS. I had worked very closely with my German Shepherd Birgit and had managed to teach her several hundred different commands and while I wouldn't argue that she possessed the capacity for language, her competencies made any suggestion -- as the behaviorists would insist -- that she did not think.

But the work that Irene Pepperberg did with Alex provided overwhelming support to the notion that not only do animals think but also they have far greater cognitive capacities than we normally give them credit for. The question of whether Alex possessed "speech" is a complex one, but there is little question that he used words, grasped concepts, and could employ simple sentences to achieve his desires. At some point the question of whether he had the capacity for speech becomes so blurry as to be irrelevant. To adapt the old expression, if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and swims like a duck, it is a duck, even if it is a parrot.

I first learned of this book as a participant in Amazon's Vine Program. But by the time I looked at the items offered that month, all copies of the book were gone. I then heard Iren Pepperberg interviewed on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (I've probably read 20 books as a result of listening to Terry interview one person or another). Even before the interview was finished I had ordered the book from Amazon. It is a very fast and enjoyable read, but also a very moving one.

Alex comes across as a bit of a stinker, but all the more lovable for that. You marvel at the kinds of things he was able to do. My favorite may have been when they were working with him, trying to get him to tell them how many of a particular kind of object was on display. Although the correct answer was two, he obstinately kept saying "one" or "four," until they put him in another room for being uncooperative. He instantly started shouting, "Two! Two! I'm sorry. Two!" But there were a score of similar instances in the book.

One thing that comes out clearly in the book is how deeply connected Ms. Pepperberg and Alex were. Though she intentionally attempted to maintain some emotional distance as befits a scientist, it is clear that the two had forged a deep bond. And while Alex died tragically young for a parrot, he seems to have had a rich and enjoyable life.

I kept thinking while reading this book of a very great short story by Gustave Flaubert entitled "A Simple Heart" (it can be found in THREE TALES). In it, a simple, uneducated servant insists that instead of representing the Holy Spirit as a dove as is traditional in Christian symbolism, it should be represented instead by a parrot. Just as the Holy Spirit gave the gift of tongues, so a parrot is the lone creature other than humans capable of articulate speech. Whether Alex shows us anything about the divine, he clearly showed that the distance between birds and humans is far less than we might have imagined.

See all 53 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591842239/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition(Books)

Guy Kawasaki, Release date:2008/10/30
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Kawasaki provides "hardcore information" for "hardcore people who want to kick ass." November 26, 2008
By Robert Morris
#28 REVIEWER


Having read all and then reviewed most of Guy Kawasaki's eight previously published books, I was especially eager to read this one because it was rumored to provide everything he wishes he had known (but most of which he didn't) when he embarked on his career in business (counting diamonds a fine-jewelry manufacturer called Nova Stylings) while at work on an MBA degree at UCLA. (He had already earned an undergraduate degree at Stanford.) Kawasaki later went to work for an educational software company called EduWare Services. However, Peachtree Software acquired the company and wanted him to move to Atlanta. "I don't think so. I can't live in a city where people call sushi `bait.' Luckily, my Stanford roommate, Mike Boich, got me a job at Apple. When I saw what a Macintosh could do, the clouds parted and the angels started singing. For four years I evangelized Macintosh to software and hardware developers and led the charge against world-wide domination by IBM." By now, presumably, he was accumulating a wealth of real-world experience in leadership and management and well as knowledge about marketing, sales, finance, strategic planning, problem-solving, resource allocation, and customer relations.

I have just read Reality Check and it exceeded my expectations. The twelve (12) "realities" that Kawasaki rigorously examines, in several chapters devoted to each, include Starting Chapters 1-5), Raising Money Raising Money (Chapters 6-15), Planning and Executing (Chapters 16-24), Innovating (Chapters 25-31), Marketing (Chapters 32-37), Selling and Evangelizing (Chapters 38-43), Communicating (Chapters 44-52), Beguiling (Chapters 53-63), Competing (Chapters 64-67), Hiring and Firing (Chapters 68-78), Working (Chapters 79-89 followed by a "Timeout"), and Doing Good (Chapters 90-94 followed by a "Conclusion." Yes, that is correct: This book has 94 chapters plus a "Timeout" and a "Conclusion" provided within (count `em) 461 pages plus (thankfully) a comprehensive Index. As is also true of Kawasaki's eight other books, the tone is informal, conversational, and at times confrontational; also, the pace is frenetic and the writing style has Snap! Crackle! and Pop! Most important to me, the content is more abundant and of a higher quality than in any other of his previously published books.

Readers will welcome the use of bold face to highlight key points. This device will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of those key points later. I especially appreciate the inclusion of several interviews throughout the lively narrative. They include those of Fred Greguras on key legal issues in raising funds (Pages 51-59), Chip and Dan Heath on why only a few innovations "stick" and most don't (Pages 130-138), Kathleen Gasperini on marketing to young people (Pages 168-175), Garr Reynolds on mastering the "Presentation Zen" approach (Pages 209-214), Robert Cialdini on the art and science of effective persuasion (Pages 243-250, Libby Sartain shares her perspectives on the recruiting process (Pages 314-317), Penelope Trunk offers "radically different" advice on career planning and management (Pages 318-325), Philip Zimbardo explains the factors that shape human behavior (e.g. how people adopt and adapt to given roles (Pages 359-365), David Marcum and Steven Smith explain why the ego can be one's greatest asset...or most expensive liability (Pages 393-400), David Bornstein explains what social entrepreneurship is and how it can change the world (Pages 428-435), Richard Stearns provides insights into the transition from the corporate to the non-profit world and shares lessons to be learned from an association that raises billions of dollars every year (Pages 36-441), and Jerry White explains how to overcome a "life crisis" (Pages 442-448). Note the variety of subjects covered during Kawasaki's interviews. They correctly suggest the scope and diversity of his interests.

Opinions will vary as to how to read this book. Some will read it cover-to-cover. Others will select several of the 12 "realities" and then read the chapters in which each is discussed. Still others will check out the Contents (Pages vii-xi) and then read whatever is of greatest interest. What sets this business book apart from almost others I have read in recent years is the extent to which it provides (quoting Kawasaki in the Introduction) "hardcore information to hardcore people who want to kick ass." The focus is almost entirely on how to create and then sustain an organization whose people "make the world a better place because of it." Presumably Kawasaki agrees with Thomas Edison: "Vision without execution is hallucination." If not you, who? If not now, when?

See all 24 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061470856/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Serena: A Novel(Books)

Ron Rash, Release date:2008/10/01
   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 "That's the only one of his you'll have." November 26, 2008
By Luan Gaines
#101 REVIEWER



Rash has crafted a truly stunning novel, a clash of beauty and violence as ambition and greed run unchecked in the western North Carolina wilderness, where the mountains are rich with timber and men are desperate for work in 1929's depression economy. Against a pristine background systematically destroyed by an avaricious lumber company, the workers ply a dangerous trade where fatalities are frequent as a newly-married couple gobbles opportunity and uncut timber with insatiable urgency, leaving behind a scarred landscape. The Boston Lumber Company is thriving when George Pemberton and his new bride, Serena, step from a train in Waynesville, North Carolina, the Colorado-bred Serena primed for the next phase of her life in boots and pants, clearly not intimidated by the country or the fact that she is a woman. In fact, it is Serena's character that drives the narrative, a woman so ruthless that she astonishes the rough-hewn men of the camp with her first interaction.

Waiting at the station is an outraged, inebriated father, his clearly pregnant daughter at his side. When the angry Harmon challenges Pemberton for his daughter's honor, brandishing a knife, Serena encourages her new husband to "finish this now". Harmon soon vanquished, Serena coldly informs Rachel Harmon, "That's the only one of his you'll have." Embarking on their married life and business enterprises, the Pembertons are inseparable, George bending to his wife's will as she deals expediently with every challenge and anyone who opposes their goals. The rangy Mrs. Pemberton rides around camp, supervising the crews on her Arabian white stallion, a tethered eagle on a perch on the saddle, much like the gyrfalcons of medieval times. Indeed, Serena is like a Nordic goddess, intractable and determined. Soon the company name changes to the Pemberton Lumber Company. Awed by his wife's spirit and vision, Pemberton is a willing accomplice to even the most heinous of decisions, a study in rationalization in the name of love.

Rash's prose is filled with contrasts, the beauty of a wilderness daily destroyed, the Pembertons invincible with their money and powerful contacts, controlling anyone who would hamper their ambitions. The camp is peopled with eccentrics, men who endure daunting conditions, knowing that death stalks the careless as accidents erase one life after another. These laborers have an innate wisdom, watching the Pembertons, exchanging opinions of the fates of those who stand in opposition, simple men hoping to escape each new tract alive. For no one crosses these people without repercussions. After a tragic childbirth, when Serena learns she cannot have more children, she turns her wrath on Rachel Harmon and her baby, Jacob, the final obstacle. What ensues is harrowing, a penniless young woman desperate to escape Serena's vengeance, like a small, wild animal pursued by Serena's raptor. This is the territory of nightmares, but Rash is no nihilist, drawing his reader into that hopeful state where- occasionally- good does triumph over evil. Luan Gaines/2008.




See all 36 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001E49EGM/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ When Will There be Good News? (Import) (UK Hardcover) Atkinson(Books)

Kate, Release date:2008
   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 "Coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen." November 26, 2008
By Mary Whipple
#12 REVIEWER

(4.5 stars) Not a traditional mystery, Kate Atkinson's third Jackson Brodie novel grows instead out of the terrible traumas that children and young people must endure when people they love die violently. So marked are they by their sudden tragedies, that they never really escape their pasts, and spend the rest of their lives wondering "when will there be good news." Five separate plot lines evolve and begin to overlap here, and in each of these plots the main characters are all needy people hiding an inner loneliness from which they would like to escape. In the first plot, Joanna Mason Hunter is a physician living in Edinburgh, the happily married mother of a one-year-old, a woman who appears to have it all, but thirty years ago, she escaped a slashing attack which murdered her mother, sister, and baby brother. Though she seems to have put her past to rest, the murderer of her family is about to be released from jail.

Joanna's "mother's help" is Reggie Chase, a sixteen-year-old fending for herself in a rundown apartment that she shares with her delinquent brother. Reggie adores her job--and Joanna, who has no idea that Reggie's mother has died traumatically over a year ago. Jackson Brodie, a former police detective and a lead character in Case Histories: A Novel and One Good Turn: A Jolly Murder Mystery, is newly married for the third time, estranged from his twelve-year-old daughter from a previous marriage and prohibited from seeing the two-year-old he believes to be his son with his former girlfriend.

While working on a case in England, Brodie takes the wrong train and ends up in Edinburgh, where a crash near the house occupied by babysitter Reggie Chase brings Reggie and Brodie into contact. Meanwhile, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe, a former girlfriend of Jackson Brodie, has also come to Edinburgh, to warn Joanna that the killer of her family has been released. In a final subplot, Joanna's husband Neil Hunter is in debt and in trouble with criminals, and Reggie, the babysitter, has found the house empty when she arrived to babysit. She is convinced that Joanna and the baby are missing and probably dead.

Atkinson's narrative is enhanced by her skillful pacing as she introduces new elements and surprises, and she is especially adept at individualizing her characters. Through flashbacks, she compares and contrasts their past and present lives, and the reader comes to "know" them. Connected thematically by their yearning for loving relationships, they are eventually connected through the plot's complications and mysteries. Ironies abound, and mistaken identities create some bizarre and sometimes darkly humorous scenes. Coincidence plays an important role in resolving the novel in dramatic fashion, and though no one will believe that these twists and turns are remotely realistic, they are great fun and completely consistent with the ebullient story-telling that Atkinson has made her signature. n Mary Whipple

Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Novel
Human Croquet: A Novel
Emotionally Weird: A Novel
Not the End of the World
Abandonment



See all 1 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802796516/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ The Rule of Won(Books)

Stefan Petrucha, Release date:2008/09/02
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A great story that transcends the "young adult" genre... November 26, 2008
By Thomas Duff
#21 REVIEWER

One of the review titles that I opted to accept for a recreational read was the young adult novel The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha. I'm often hesitant to venture into the YA genre, as 1) I'm definitely not a "young adult" any more (at least based on the calendar... "immature adult" may still apply), and 2) any lessons that are trying to be taught are often no longer applicable. But the premise tweaked my interest, and the tweak was accurate in this case... The Rule of Won is an entertaining read, with solid writing and a message that a few more adults should pay attention to...

The main character, Caleb Dunne, is a high school student who has turned slacking into an art form. Anything worth doing is worth doing as easily as possible, and there's not much worth doing in the first place. The flip side is his girlfriend, Vicky Bainbridge, who is a classic overachiever... running for school office, involved in everything, and is pushing Dunne to clean up his act. This motivation comes to a head when a fellow classmate, Ethan Skinson, starts a club to discuss and live life by the principles in the book The Rule of Won. Basically, if you want something, you can use mesmories to imanifest your crave. The group starts out small, and sets a crave to get money to rebuild the school's gym (which Dunne is accused of ruining the first time it was being rebuilt). When this event actually comes to pass, the group picks up momentum, and sets a crave to have their high school win a basketball game (which they haven't done all year) against the state champions. Strangely, this too happens. Vicky is smitten with Ethan, Dunne is on the fence as to whether this is all for real, and in short order nearly the whole school has gotten on the bandwagon. This "groupthink" bothers Dunne to no end, and he sees how it's quickly becoming a case of "you're either for us or against us". When a teacher is seriously injured in a car accident due to the crave of everyone needing to pass an algebra test (that he's no longer able to give due to the wreck), Dunne confronts Ethan with some facts, and that leads to a physical showdown between the two, with nearly the entire school body imanifesting Dunne getting the snot beat out of him...

Petrucha based the story off of the best-selling book The Secret, which proposes that you can have anything in the universe you want just by imagining it as already belonging to you. He pokes plenty of holes in the concept, as well as showing what happens when greed, ego, and groupthink start to drive what you crave. I really enjoyed the wisecracking dialogue of Caleb Dunne, as well as his emotional turmoil over Vicky's infatuation with Ethan, and his own growing attraction to a goth girl he's never really gotten to know that well. Great characters, and perfect pacing. The moral of learning to think for oneself really does transcend the YA audience, and I can think of a number of adults who would enjoy this (and a number who should also read it for the lessons). If you get the opportunity to pick this up for your kid (or yourself), I think you'll be pleased with your selection...

See all 3 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001AS0OD4/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Charlie Rose (November 24, 2008)(DVD)

Release date:2008/06/05
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Howard Ickes, Steve Pearlstein, Vernon Jordan November 26, 2008
By Shalom Freedman
#734 REVIEWER

One of Washington's most well- connected political pros Howard Ickes talks about the election, about Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. He is the person responsible for compiling the comprehensive data- bank containing profiles of individual voters which were used by both Clinton and Obama, and which in the campaign helped them contend with a long- time Republican advantage in this area. Ickes is a Clinton person who served as White- House gatekeeper for Bill Clinton. He gives high marks to the Obama transition operation, and says Obama is showing himself a competent and strong leader.
In another segment Washington Post Economics correspondent Pearlstein analyzes the government bailout of Citigroup. It is another twenty billion in addition to the twenty- five billion given earlier in the year, plus a guarantee for three- hundred and six billion of Citibank mortgage and credit obligations. In return the Government received preferred stock paying an eight percent dividend, an option to buy more. It did not Pearlstein says insist on what it should have exchanging the board which has made so many wrong decisions. Pearlstein is especially critical of former Treasury Secy. Robert Rubin who is a key Citibank player.
In the third segment Vernon Jordan speaks with dignity and eloquence about his own mentors in the area of preaching. He tells one particularly instructive anecdote in which he had been called and sent to do a talk as replacement for a senior figure he tremendously respected. When asked why the senior figure told him that he had been late and had sat in the back at a talk Jordan gave, one which impressed him greatly. He said as a piece of advice to Jordan, 'Whatever you do prepare thoroughly and give it your best, because you never know who is listening'.
Jordan tells of his feelings at the Obama election and speaks a bit of his prior support of Hillary Clinton.
An outstanding program.

See all 1 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OR8W/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Gemini(Music)

Les Spann, Release date:2001/10/02
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A True "Gemini" November 26, 2008
By Michael B. Richman
#175 REVIEWER

I don't usually write reviews for CDs that are already out-of-print, but I'm going to make an exception to inform jazz customers of an amazing deal that is currently happening via one of Amazon's Marketplace vendors. The Fantasy label has unfortunately decided to remainder a large number of their Original Jazz Classics CDs, but thankfully Newbury Comics (based in the Boston area) has purchased an enormous selection of these titles, and is offering them at closeout prices. Some of these discs, like Les Spann's 1961 Jazzland album "Gemini," are absolutely terrific! For those of you who don't know this musician, he plays both guitar and flute with equal aplomb, though he doesn't do both at once as the title implies :-). Joining Les the Gemini are Julian Watkins on French horn (a fabulous player if you don't know of him), Tommy Flanagan on piano, Sam Jones on bass, Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums on the disc's four flute tracks, and Louis Hayes on drums on the disc's four guitar tracks. Jazz devotees do yourself a favor, if you live in New England, go to a Newbury store and cash in on a once in a lifetime deal. If you live elsewhere, you can always have them shipped -- it'll be worth it.

See all 1 customer reviews... ]]> November 26, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553805096/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life(Books)

Alice Schroeder, Release date:2008/09/29
   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Great book for these economic times November 25, 2008
By MotherLodeBeth
#181 REVIEWER

In these troubled economic times the books value for me is in the common sense lessons Mr Buffet has to offer, be it living a simple lifestyle, to investing in what you know and trust as well as knowing that to those that much has been given, much is required. Would make a great gift, especially for that young person starting out or that person who thinks materialism is what will make them happy.

See all 95 customer reviews... ]]> November 25, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001DXS4E2/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Holiday Inn (3 Disc Collector's Set)(DVD)

Bing Crosby,Fred Astaire,Marjorie Reynolds,Virginia Dale,Shelby Bacon, Release date:2008/10/14
   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 "Holiday Inn (1942) ... Crosby & Astaire ... Paramount Pictures" November 25, 2008
By J. Lovins
#83 REVIEWER

Paramount Pictures presents "HOLIDAY INN" (4 August 1942) (101 mins/B&W/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire were the stars of Holiday Inn with support from Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale --- Produced and directed by Mark Sandrich, filming took place between November 1941 and February 1942. Holiday Inn had its premiere at the New York Paramount Theatre in August 1942. It was a runaway success both in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, proving to be the highest grossing film musical up to that time --- The big song had been expected to be "BE CAREFUL, IT'S MY HEART" --- While that song did very well, it was "WHITE CHRISTMAS" that topped the charts in October 1942 and stayed there for eleven weeks.

Story line and plot, In the first of two films Crosby and Astaire did together the other being "Blue Skies" (1946), the characters are remarkably the same --- Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) is the elegant and charming show business professional who's ambitious for success --- Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) is the talented, but lazy partner who just wants a life of ease and comfort and not to work more than he has to --- Small wonder that their double act broke up --- But now enter a complication --- They both get interested in the same girl who in this film is Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) --- Plus Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale), who becomes Fred's dancing partner with some wonderful routines in fine fashion.

"BE CAREFUL IT'S MY HEART", the Valentine's Day song, sung by Crosby and danced to by Astaire and Reynolds --- Fred Astaire gave a tour de force performance, singing, and, of course, dancing his way through this delightful piece in rare form --- It is said that he worked so hard during rehearsals that he wasted away some 25 pounds by the time he filmed the firecracker number --- He might just as well have been weightless, because he defies gravity with his every move.

Under the production staff of:
Mark Sandrich - Director / Producer
Claude Binyon - Screenwriter
Elmer Rice - Screenwriter
Dave Abel - Cinematographer
Irving Berlin - Composer (Music Score)
Robert Emmett Dolan - Musical Direction/Supervision / Composer (Music Score)
Ellsworth Hoagland - Editor
Hans Dreier - Production Designer
Roland Anderson - Art Director
Edith Head - Costume Designer
Wally Westmore - Makeup
Charles C. Coleman, Jr. - First Assistant Director
Daniel Dare - Choreography

Scene Index
Disc One -- Irving Berlin's: Holiday Inn
1. Love Triangle (Main Titles) [4:39]
2. "I'll Capture Your Heart Singing" [5:43]
3. "Lazy" [8:26]
4. "You're Easy to Dance With" [3:40]
5. "White Christmas" [6:18]
6. "Happy Holiday/Holiday Inn" [3:09]
7. Let's Start the New Year Right" [6:19]
8. A New Partner [3:29]
9. In Disguise [3:30]
10. "Abraham" [5:46]
11. "Be Careful, It's My Heart" [6:38]
12. "I Can't Tell a Lie" [6:38]
13. "Easter Parade" [3:42]
14. "Song of Freedom" [3:11]
15. "Let's Say It With Firecrackers" [7:49]
16. "Plenty to Be Thankful For" [6:24]
17. Lights, Camera, Action [4:52]
18. Happy New Year (End Titles) [8:06]

the cast includes:
Bing Crosby ... Jim Hardy
Fred Astaire ... Ted Hanover
Marjorie Reynolds ... Linda Mason
Virginia Dale ... Lila Dixon
Walter Abel ... Danny Reed
Louise Beavers ... Mamie
Irving Bacon ... Gus
Marek Windheim ... François
James Bell ... Dunbar
John Gallaudet ... Parker
Shelby Bacon ... Vanderbilt

BIOS:
Bing Crosby (aka: Harry Lillis Crosby)
Date of Birth: 2 May 1903 - Tacoma, Washington
Date of Death: 14 October 1977 - Madrid, Spain

2. Fred Astaire (aka: Frederic Austerlitz Jr)
Date of Birth: 10 May 1899 - Omaha, Nebraska
Date of Death: 22 June 1987 - Los Angeles, California

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. A couple of song and dance men; An intimate retrospective of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire
on interview with Ava Astaire-McKenzie;
2 All singing - All dancing; Experience the making of the unforgettable song and dance numbers of Holiday Inn; ;
3. Audio commentary; Feature length audio commentary by film historian Ken Barnes with archive audio comments
by Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and John Scott Trotter.
4. Original theatrical trailer
5. Coloring a Classic: With the help of Jan Mucklestone personal sketch artist of Edith Head.
6. Music Soundtrack: 12 classic Irving Berlin tunes from the original soundtrack

Great job by Paramount Pictures and released by Universal ---The conversion of color is done by Legend Films, which has colorized a number of Shirley Temple films --- The results are remarkable. If you'd never seen a Technicolor film, you'd think "Holiday Inn" was shot in color --- looking forward to more high quality titles from their film market --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 101 mins on DVD ~ Paramount Pictures ~ (10/14/2008)

See all 15 customer reviews... ]]> November 25, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001DMVZOE/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ 24: Redemption(DVD)

Robert Carlyle,Cherry Jones,Kiefer Sutherland,Jon Voight,Gil Bellows, Release date:2008/11/25
   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 The Clock Moves to Africa November 25, 2008
By Mark Baker
#60 REVIEWER

In the last year, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has seen the world. No, he's not on vacation; he's running from a subpoena calling him to testify before Congress about his use of torture over the years.

Most recently, he's landed in the African country of Sengala where he's helping a friend named Carl Benton (Robert Carlyle) with his school for orphaned boys. When the subpoena catches up with him, Jack plans to move on. But before he can, the rebels make a play for the boys, planning to force them into becoming soldiers in their bid to over throw the government.

Meanwhile, back in the States, the first female President, Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) is about to be sworn in. While she clashes with outgoing President Daniels (Powers Boothe) over the situation in Sengala, her son is approached by a friend wanting help with a sticky situation at his job as a stock broker.

What does that have to do with Jack's situation? And can Jack get the boys to safety?

This TV movie was created to bridge the gap between the disappointing sixth season and the delayed (due to the writer's strike) seventh season. It does a good job of setting things in motion, but as such it feels incomplete to me. Normally, the first episode of every season is slow as we catch up with our characters. Here, that takes up too much of the time. The happenings back in Washington DC were interesting, but they didn't seem to do anything but set up storylines for season seven. And, in a show known for its twists, this movie was fairly predictable. There was only one real twist.

Now, being a 24 fan, I won't say I was completely disappointed. The action here seemed better than what we got last season. Jack also seems to be more on an even keel, which might help. And I was certainly entertained the entire time.

And for those wondering, outside of a brief prologue, the events do occur in real time.

The threads set in motion here could be interesting once next season premiers. And fans of the TV show will certainly enjoy it. I know I did. But this isn't the best the franchise has to offer.

See all 15 customer reviews... ]]> November 25, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000MXOZ4W/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ Hit Parade 1948(Music)

Various Artists, Release date:2007/03/20
   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 a strong collection--it doesn't get any better than this !!! November 25, 2008
By Matthew G. Sherwin
#45 REVIEWER

Hit Parade 1948 is a budget priced CD that still gives us plenty of great tunes from 1948! The sound quality is generally quite good and the artwork is nicely done.

There are quite a few wonderful songs on this disc so I guess I'll stick to the very biggest highlights. The CD starts with a charming rendition of "It's Magic" sung by the great Doris Day; her voice is wonderfully full and she hits all those notes with great skill. When they say servicemen used to listen to her sing, I believe it! "It's Magic" makes for a strong start to this album. In addition, I also like Dick Haymes crooning his very best on "Little White Lies;" this is a timeless number that you can still enjoy today if you like such artists as Harry Connick, Jr. and others. Dick's tenor voice is excellent. Now if only they told us who accompanies Dick on "Little White Lies!"

"Buttons And Bows" is another cute number by Dinah Shore; and I especially enjoy "Serenade Of The Bells." "Mañana" is a tune by Peggy Lee that initially caused a stir in the Spanish community until she and husband David Balfour explained that they were jealous of the casual, relaxed attitude many Spanish people take on life--this was a far cry from the Hollywood grind Peggy Lee and David Balfour had to endure!

"On A Slow Boat To China" has an excellent arrangement that makes good use of the brass; Harry Babbitt and Gloria Wood complement each other's vocals perfectly for "On A Slow Boat To China." Perry Como sings his heart out on "Because;" and there's a great gem in "I'll Dance At Your Wedding" performed by Ray Noble with Buddy Clark and an uncredited lady vocalizing flawlessly. Pee Wee Hunt's "Twelfth Street Rag" is also thrown in for some shock effect as this tune sounds a number from an earlier time--but it works so nicely it doesn't do any harm.

Art Mooney and his chorus do an outstanding job on two classic melodies: "Baby Face" and "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover." I love it!

The Pied Pipers sing "My Happiness;" and the CD ends sweetly with Francis Craig and Bob Lamm performing "Beg Your Pardon." "Beg Your Pardon" starts with a strong piano solo that captures your attention and it never lets go--you'll be left wanting more after you play this CD!

I highly recommend this album for people who love classic pop vocals. The year 1948 saw many great tunes--and this selection is certainly the cream of the crop.


See all 6 customer reviews... ]]> November 25, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0156006456/areviews0c-20/ref=nosim/ An American Daughter(Books)

Wendy Wasserstein, Release date:1999/08/19
   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 "They tear you apart because they are jealous or disappointed. Or worse--just because they have nothing better to do." November 25, 2008
By Mary Whipple
#12 REVIEWER

When Lyssa Dent Hughes, a widely respected physician, is nominated for United States Surgeon General, it looks as if she is a shoo-in to be confirmed. Fifth generation granddaughter of Ulysses S. Grant, daughter of a conservative Indiana senator, wife of a respected Georgetown professor, and tireless pioneer for women's health issues, Lyssa is looking forward to her opportunity to make a difference on a larger scale. During a casual conversation in the presence of a reporter, however, a "friend" remarks that she once failed to appear for jury duty.

The press pounces on this "Jurygate" mistake, which quickly becomes worse when she indicates that she does not make "icebox cake" and "pimiento-cheese canapés" like her late mother and the other women from Indiana, galvanizing them to oppose her "elitism." The press camps out at her Georgetown home, and before long, her young son is yelling from the TV room, "Mom, they think that you're the problem with America." But Lyssa refuses to "be hung out to dry, even if I have to wear headbands, bake cookies, and sing lullabies to do it." In an interview with Timber Tucker, which becomes the climax of the play, she aggressively tackles the health and social issues which mean so much to her, and angrily faces down the press and the public's perceptions, for better or worse.

Written in 1999, this play tackles women's social issues in a man's world, serious women's health issues, political expediencies, and press intrusions into private areas, and every female reader or viewer will understand and empathize with the characters as they face their demons here. In the ten years since this play was written, however, the country has made great strides, and the issues Lyssa discusses have been analyzed and tackled with far greater energy than ever before, to the point that Lyssa's impassioned speech seems a bit dated. Hilary Clinton's "baking cookies" remarks and Lyssa's parallel icebox cake and pimiento-cheese references feel tired and "stale" now.

The facts and figures she cites regarding research funds for breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer, as opposed to the far greater funding for prostate cancer, are being actively addressed, and points made about the holding of women to different standards now feel like a cliché. As a relic of the 1990s, this play is important and, perhaps, even ground-breaking, but its punch has been blunted over the past ten years by the progress women have made since it premiered. The fact that it still resonates with viewers, however, shows that significant issues still remain. n Mary Whipple

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See all 3 customer reviews... ]]> November 25, 2008-00-00T00:00:00+09:00