An evening pause: From the movie A Mighty Wind (2003), a wonderful and funny pseudo documentary about the 1960s folk era. The folk team of Mitch & Mickey never existed, but this song is superb, made even more poignant by the story.
An evening pause: On St. Patrick’s Day, how about one of Ireland’s best singers.
No lose, it’s just the same
Tears of joy, tears of pain.
They’re hand in hand, they come as one.
Never see the Moon without promise of the Sun.
For all the roses, for all the blows.
I’d rather feel the thorn then to never see the rose.So when you give the handsome flower
Don’t forget the thorn upon the rose
Its cut is deep and its scar lasts forever
It follows love wherever love goes.
An evening pause: As today is the Ides of March, I am always reminded of Julius Caesar. With that thought in mind, here is a clip from the 1953 movie, Cleopatra, staring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, and Richard Burton. The movie overall isn’t very good, though the first half with Rex Harrison playing Julius Caesar is worth watching, partly because of Harrison and partly because it is very clearly inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s play Caesar and Cleopatra.
That first half also includes the scene below, when Cleopatra enters Rome, bringing with her her son by Caesar. A more classic example of late Hollywood spectacle would be hard to find. It is silly, absurd, impossible, and yet totally engrossing. And it was done with no computer effects. When Hollywood PR used to say a movie had a “cast of thousands,” they really meant it.
An evening pause: From the late 1950s, Alastair Cooke introduces Les Paul and Mary Ford, who then demonstrate some advanced music technology (and some smokin’ music) that would only become commonplace in the coming decades.
An evening pause: For anyone who has ever attended a science conference and listened to the presentations there, this presentation embodies that experience better than any I have ever seen. It was so good it won an Ig Noble award.
If you want to read the whole paper, you can find it here [pdf].
An evening pause: As my wife Diane said after watching this, “Gee, I wish I had had a cool dad like that.”
An evening pause: How about some amazing piano jamming by Ronald Jenkees.
An evening pause: Yesterday I showed the rehearsal. Here’s their live performance of “Under Pressure” at the Freddie Mercury tribute, April 20, 1992.
R.I.P. Davy Jones, 66, of the Monkees has died.
An evening pause: Elbow recorded live at Abbey Road Studios with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Chantage choir. Broadcast on BBC Radio 2, 31st Jan 2009.
Holey Moley! That comic book collection sold for $3.5 million at an auction today in New York.
A motorized skateboard you operate with your feet.
Don’t throw them out! An inherited comic book collection is expected to fetch $2 million at auction tomorrow.
An evening pause: How about some really wild guitar playing by Preston Reed?
An evening pause:
I have a place where dreams are born,
And time is never planned.
It’s not on any chart.
You must find it with your heart.
Never never land.
And now for something truly important: Famous paintings improved by cats.
