Year: 2007

Every picture tells a story.

From an ever expanding and linked collection at FFFF (via Rivets)

Noticed previews and reviews all over the place for the film of Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Compass”, but ignored them due to some prejudice against Pullman and “His Dark Materials” – I think I only drew any earlier conclusion when I saw some TV vote “contest” concering Pullman, J K Rowling and J R R Tolkien up against DNA’s H2G2. Anyway, must have got the wrong impression of Pullman’s position.

Very interesting e-mail interview with Pullman by Peter Chattaway on FilmChat, sent to me by Sam.

Perhaps a little too cock-sure, but very direct about Dawkins, Tolkien, C S Lewis and Rowling, but a perspective I’d sympathise with. Probably too extreme a “materialist” for my “new-physicalist” position. More later.

Interesting, Sam see’s Pullman as an idiot, in his reading of Tolkien anyway.

Some interesting writing on Terry Halwes “Dharma Haven” site, also via Marsha. Not just the Methodical Magical Myth but also the Terrible Truth. In fact a whole lot of good articles and references.

Will probably post some reviews if I get time, but worth a browse anyway.

Review of Paul Davies “Cosmic Jackpot” at The Daily Kos. (via Marsha on MoQ-Discuss)

Sad news forwarded today via Henry Gurr.

And this obituary in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, forwarded by Terry Dysart,

Promised Land
(Words & music by Chuck Berry)

I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound
And rode into Raleigh
And on across Caroline

We had motor trouble that turn into a struggle
Halfway across Alabam’
And that hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown Birmingham

Right away I brought me a through train ticket
Ridin’ across Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
Smoking into New Orleans

Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Just to help me get to Houston town
There are people there who care a little about me
And they won’t let the poor boy down

Sure as you’re born brought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Alburquerque
On a jet to the promised land

Working on a t-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the golden state
Ah when the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate

Swing low chariot come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone

Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line.

Thanks to The Crackerjacks at Klatchies bringing to mind what Elvis made famous. What is it about American road tunes ?

I left my home in Slough, and drove the A329M to Bracknell and came back via Maidenhead. Nope, not the same ring ?

Incidentally, Birmingham to New Orleans is still a passenger train service you can take. Here in Huntsville, Alabam’ lots of (freight) train traffic, from Virginia oddly enough, across the Appalacians via Chattanooga, but Birmingham is still the closest operating passenger terminal, a good 80 miles away.

Just noticed that last year Henry Gurr recommended these two books by Merlin Donald. Browsing the links to Amazon from there, they do indeed look like worthwhile material … all the right references indexed.

Henry, you shoud turn that news items page into a blog, so that each chronological entry is linkable and searchable. Lot’s of stuff there I’d missed.

The first “Friends of Wisdom” newsletter is published.

(It contains in its entirety the review I did of Mick Maxwell’s “Is Science Neurotic ?”, as well as several introductory articles to the subject of wisdom in science.)

Found ourselves in Nashville for a long weekend again, both Friday and Saturday this time. Last time we were impressed by Heath Haynes on the Saturday night and they were pretty good again, if a little different atmosphere due to fewer fans packed into Layla’s Bluegrass Inn, and the distraction of Hallowe’en fancy dress. (Had to step out of the previous set, Brandon Giles was just toooo loud on keyboard and vocals for the small venue.)

Anyway, back to Heath Haynes Four-Ballers. Rich Gilbert excellent on guitar again, Aaron Oliva on the bass and the superb [fiddle] seen also with Dave Racine [skins] in Jesse Taylor’s band at the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee International BBQ Contest in Lynchburg, TN on the Saturday afternoon. Surreal – truly international with everything-but-the-beer-tent in the dry county that hosts Jack’s distillery.

Heath Haynes supplied Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues and an excellent version of Neil Young’s Helpless but no U2 or Blitzkrieg Bop this time. That same powerful version of G.L.O.R.I.A. segued onto The Stones Last Time and closed with Lust for Life.

Anyway on the Friday night we took in the late set in Robert’s Western World and were thoroughly entertained by Brazilbilly led eponymously by current club owner Jesse Lee Jones – more trad country mix, including some real vintage numbers, but quality musicians and entertainers to a man.

Working down from Legends Corner, 5th & Broadway, the whole block backs onto the Ryman Theatre erstwhile home of Grand Ole Opry and “mother church of country music” – worth a visit in itself, saw Joe Satriani there earlier in the year, and took the tour on this visit, where “Widespread Panic” were set up.

No.428 Legends Corner
No.422 Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
No.420 Second Fiddle
No.418 Layla’s Bluegrass Inn
No.416 Robert’s Western World
No.412 The Stage