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[bk]

Well, you've read the notes, the notes were musical, and now it is time for you to post until the sus third cows come home.

[bk]

And the word of the day is: TEMERARIOUS!

[DERBRUCER]

LA TIMES

Dutton's shelf life finally runs out

The Brentwood shop, which has a special place in literary L.A., plans to close its doors April 30.

By Martha Groves and Scott Timberg, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 26, 2008

Mired in debt and uncertain about the future of his current location, Doug Dutton said Monday that he will close his iconic Brentwood bookstore, where thousands of authors have celebrated their works in the central courtyard and readers such as Dustin Hoffman and Meg Ryan have sought counsel on stocking their bookshelves.

Dutton's, which plans to close April 30, is one of many independent bookstores that have disappeared in the last couple of decades. Rising rents, the growth of big-box chains and the triumph of Amazon.com as a major force have challenged the indies.

But Dutton's has a national reputation, a following among authors who appeared at its many readings and, for its two decades of history, a special place in literary Los Angeles.

Many considered it the most literary and high-minded of L.A.'s bookstores, as well as one that felt increasingly, if charmingly, anachronistic.
...

" ‘Welcome to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Daniel.... "

" ‘This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens. This place was already ancient when my father brought me here for the first time, many years ago. Perhaps as old as the city itself. Nobody knows for certain how long it has existed, or who created it. I will tell you what my father told me, though. When a library disappears, or a bookshop closes down, when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, its guardians, make sure that it gets here. In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader’s hands.’ "

                       (from "The Shadow of the Wind: A Novel" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon)

der Brucer

[Michael]

I am back, but it has been a rocky few days for me. I had a heart scare (I am fine now) and was in the hospital for tests. I hope I never have to got through that again. But a life style change is needed and I know it is going to be heard to adjust.

[Michael]

And what am I doing up so early???

[DERBRUCER]

LA TIMES

The Oscars require major surgery

Time for the Hollywood treatment -- a face-lift.
By Patrick Goldstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 26, 2008

IT'S now painfully obvious that the Oscars need what nearly every aging star in Hollywood has already had -- a face-lift.

The ratings for the show couldn't have been any worse if they'd been stuck with all of Jay Leno's strike-show guests instead of Jon Stewart and Co. The numbers hit rock bottom, down a million viewers from 2003, the show's previous low ebb, and that was right after a war started. Even worse, the ratings for younger viewers dropped off a cliff, falling almost 25% from last year's telecast. The film academy elders should be very, very worried. If Fox doesn't have a best picture nominee next year, they'll probably cook up a nighttime NASCAR special hosted by Jessica Alba, run it opposite the Academy Awards and do some serious damage.

By now you've probably heard all the same excuses. The show was hurt by a host of downbeat, little-seen movies. The show was damaged by the bad vibes from the writers strike. Stewart doesn't cut it with a mass audience.

Phooey. The writers strike didn't hurt movie box office, so why would it damage the Academy Awards? The academy could've given 10 nominations to "Transformers," but does anyone really think having Shia LaBeouf on stage would turn the Oscars into a youthquake? As for Stewart, who seemed slightly defanged for my tastes, whether a host kills or bombs doesn't lure anyone new to watch the Oscars any more than hiring a replacement for Katie Couric would ever get me to watch the " CBS Evening News."

THAT brings us to the academy's real problem. Like the evening news broadcasts, the Oscar is a relic, a cobwebby holdover from a bygone media age when Big Events earned Big Audiences. Those days are going, going, gone. The Grammys' ratings were down, the Emmys were down, the Golden Globes would've been down even if it hadn't been eviscerated by the strike.

Younger audiences just don't believe in appointment viewing anymore. Their lives are full -- they don't stop what they're doing to watch Oscar night. The only show that's held its ratings is the Super Bowl, which had at least three things the Oscars lacked: inventive, state-of-the-art production; a whole second show inside of the show -- splashy new commercials, which are often more involving than the game itself; and a far more suspenseful fourth quarter. Is there really anyone in America who didn't get best picture, best director and three of the four acting awards right in their Oscar pool?
...

der Brucer

[DERBRUCER]

And what am I doing up so early???

You lost power and the alarm is all screwed up?

der Brucer

[singdaw]

{{{{{DR Michael S.}}}}}

[bk]

The other two Duttons closed last year - there was no doubt the Brentwood store was next.  I did one of the Kritzer readings there - can't remember which.

[bk]

I would be happy to step in and overhaul both the Oscar and Tony broadcasts and turn them into what they should be.  

[DERBRUCER]

LA TIMES

More teenagers ignoring CDs, report says

48% of teenagers bought no CDs at all in 2007, up from 38% in 2006. Music downloads continue to grow, though, with iTunes leading the way.

By Michelle Quinn and Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 27, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- Going to the mall to buy music may no longer be a rite of passage for adolescents.

For the first time last year, nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs, a dramatic increase from 2006, when 38% of teens shunned such purchases, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The illegal sharing of music online continued to soar in 2007, but there was one sign of hope that legal downloading was picking up steam. In the last year, Apple Inc.'s iTunes store, which sells only digital downloads, jumped ahead of Best Buy Co. to become the No. 2 U.S. music seller, trailing Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

That could be hopeful news for the music industry, which has been scrambling in recent years to replace its rapidly disappearing CD sales with music sold online. The number of CDs sold in the U.S. fell 19% in 2007 from the previous year while sales of digital songs jumped 45%, Nielsen SoundScan said.

The number of people buying music legally from online music stores jumped 21% to 29 million last year from 24 million in 2006, according to the study by NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y.

NPD declined to release figures on individual retailers' sales or their market shares, so it is impossible to know how close iTunes sales are to Wal-Mart's. The NPD market ranking of music retailers is based on a study of the music habits of Americans 13 and older over the last week.

The report, which involved 5,000 people who answered questions online, highlighted a generational split. The increase in legal online sales was driven by people 36 to 50, the report said, giving the music industry an opportunity to target these customers by tapping into its older catalogs.

That's not to say iTunes is not popular with the younger set. Mallory Portillo, 24, an executive assistant in Santa Monica, said she hadn't bought a CD in five years, but typically spent more than $100 a month buying music online. She will turn to illegal music sharing sites only if she can't find new releases or more obscure music on iTunes, she said.
…
Hunter Conrad, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, says she downloads about 80% of her music from iTunes, "but when it's an artist I really like, I'll buy the original CD."

Out of her group of friends, she's "one of the few" who still buy CDs, she said. Most of her buddies download for the convenience, to save money and to get only the songs they like.

"Nobody really wants the other songs [on an album]," Hunter, 14, said. "They just want the hits."

That last line - how sad. These kids will never have the thrill of discovering a favorite track on their own.

If I were to sort my CDs into 2 piles, one in which the 'lead song' was still my favorite, and the other where a different track became the one I loved the most, I suspect the second pile would be larger.

der Brucer  

[DERBRUCER]

I would be happy to step in and overhaul both the Oscar and Tony broadcasts and turn them into what they should be.  

How would you handle the so-called craft awards? Eliminate them in toto? Keep the awards and kill the speeches?

Would you do anything to educate the audience? What is the difference between sound design and sound editing?

der Brucer

[DERBRUCER]

Note to Jrand:

You have an interesting Special election brewing in your area:

Indiana 7th Congressional District

ANDRE CARSON :

- black, Muslim, Democrat, plain clothes policeman

JOHN ELROD

- white, Methodist, Republican lawyer - Sen Lugar endorsed

(and Log Cabin supported)

der Brucer

[brian]

I just got my state tax refund. i will have to try this Bill Evans, of whom you speak, and maybe start in on the Kritzer novels, wherein i gather BK mentioned fave album covers of the old days. If it's not too repetitious, could you mention a few....Re re-issues, I think my hearing must be not that good. The only time i ever noticed any difference in sound was when they had the Columbia turned into SONY(now I don't know what it is) re-issue of House of Flowers. it was like going from a kiddie record player to a high fidelity stereo. I don't know what they did to it, but it sure sounded wonderful

[singdaw]

Just had to share the good news with y'all -

I just got an email informing me that I have the winning ticket to a larger manhood in just a few short weeks.

[DearReaderLaura]

(((((Michael S.)))))

I'm sorry to hear you had such a scare. You are in my prayers. Lifestyle changes are hard to make (and keep!) and I wish you great success.

[DearReaderLaura]

Congratulations, DR Singdaw, on your great news!

[S. Woody White]

It is time to deliver JJ to the adoption agency.

 

[singdaw]

I feel certain that DC JJ's story will have a happy ending.   But I will miss hearing about his adventures!

[singdaw]

Mini-rant:

What is it about tinted windows?  It seems like every other car and SUV on the road nowadays has windows so black that you can't see a thing.  I thought there were laws against this on behalf of police and safety?  

I do understand people's desire for privacy, but I also think that sitting behind blackened windows also gives people the feeling of license to break traffic laws more freely, and to drive rudely and aggresively with impunity.

[FJL]

Health vibes to Michael S.

[TCB]

Grrrrrrrr.....Too Many Connections!

[elmore3003]

Good morning, all! The 43 cartons left Independence, KY at 4 am this morning and arrived in Vandalia, OH at 6 am.  They may be delivered today.

As for me, back to BABES and LOS.  I may hear from Charlotte today, and that would be nice.

DT TCB, Janet is the wife of FANTASTICKS scribe, Tom Jones.

[Jennifer]

Health vibes to DR Michael S. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Jennifer]

Did not enjoy IDOL last night. I'm not getting the guys at all.

Liked BB and it was interesting to see that they finally showed what happened last Friday (the incidents). But I really dislike all of the cast except Amanda (even though she has a squeaky voice and can be slightly annoying) and sharon.

[ArnoldMBrockman]

And the word of the day is: TEMERARIOUS!

And The Song Of The Day Is:  BRING ME MY BRIDE

[William E. Lurie]

For Ask BK Day:

I just finished reading MURDER AT HOLLYWOOD HIGH.  I think it is your best book since the Kritzer trilogy and I hope Adrianas will be back to solve many more murders.

That said, I had one problem with the book which I would like you to throw a little light on.  Where did Adriana and Billy get all their spending money?  It is clearly stated that both are from low income families and it is never mentioned that either of them had after school jobs, so how could Adriana afford to constantly go to fast food restaurants after school, get a new outfit when she needed it and buy two orchestra seats for WICKED (which would have set her back about $200)?  And how did Billy afford a trip to New York and tickets for ten shows (not to mention seeing WICKED 13 times at the Pantages)?  While this in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book, it did puzzle me a little.

[Ginny]

Wednesday morning greetings!  If I didn't have an opportunity to be fascinating at noon today, I'd have called in sick.  I have a sore throat, stuffy head, and ache all over.  Maybe I'll go home after the SCORE meeting.

Minor complaints, of course, compared to what DR Michael S has recently endured.  Health vibes to you!

[Ron Pulliam]

Did not enjoy IDOL last night. I'm not getting the guys at all.

Liked BB and it was interesting to see that they finally showed what happened last Friday (the incidents). But I really dislike all of the cast except Amanda (even though she has a squeaky voice and can be slightly annoying) and sharon.

Funny.  I hate Amanda more than anyone in the house.  Her incessant need for attention is pathetic.  She is as bad, IMO, as Sheila who has to stage an irrational drama every week, trash-talking anyone who comes to mind -- and for no reason other than that she, herself, is trash, but fancies herself "street smart/tough."

[Ron Pulliam]

DR MattH:  Agree totally with what you said last night about "Jericho."  It was very well-paced, I thought, and extremely tense.