farewell Glaswegian poet Ivor Cutler. All I have on CD is his very memorable cameo on Rbt. Wyatt's "Rock Bottom", should dig around in my cassette boxes...

"The earth meets the sky over the hill, I was told by a sparrow with a lump on his head."
 

farewell Kirby Puckett...

"In his retirement press conference, Puckett made a point of speaking directly to Dennis Martinez. Martinez had brutally (and unintentionally) beaned Puckett with a fastball to the face in his final at bat and as a result had been subject to the scorn of many fans. "I just want to say I love you," Puckett told him. "He didn't do it on purpose. I was hanging out over the plate cheating." "

 

JG Ballard on the book and film Empire of the Sun

"With them was a brilliant child actor, Christian Bale, who uncannily resembled my younger self. He came up to me on the set and said: "Hello, Mr Ballard. I'm you." He was followed by an attractive young couple, Emily Richard and Rupert Frazer, who added: "And we're your mum and dad.""

 

round-up of books on Wee Beasties

"At a time when our rat-sized ancestors were still cowering in the shadows of the dinosaurs it is probable that certain insects had already created cities, farms, and skyscrapers, and today their descendants have become highly sophisticated indeed."
 

Rubbercat and yr humble blogger celebrate 3000 posts with hand-delivered Krispy Kremes. Thanks Jo, Alister, Liam and my beloved readers! 

mix your own version of Charles Ives' "The Unanswered Question!

"Now imagine you are Charles Ives at the mixing board. Where would you place each instrumental grouping for maximum effect? How does each combination sound different? How do you bring an eternal piece to a satisfying end?"
 

enjoyable musical Les Girls at 2100 PST on TCM tonight, made more so by the rare presence of Kay Kendall (above) with Mitzi Gaynor & Gene Kelly, directed by Cukor, songs by Porter....

(found later in "George Cukor: A Double Life" by Patrick McGilligan, a quote from Francois Truffaut in Cahiers de Cinema "To give an account of "Les Girls" is a task which by no means can be compared to that required from seventh grade pupils when made to write a theme in French on the following subject: 'You have spent Sunday in the country; the weather was fine, the sun brilliant, you picked some flowers. Describe your impressions.'")



 

"My Father Pretending to be Old Growth" by Cynthia Lahti, from disappearing zine (thx Vanessa)