@Flaubert - What does Bonanza have to do with this?

In Cali, if you're "making" $150k a year, you're taking home less than $100,000; call it $7500 per month. That's very little money with which to pay a $2500 mortgage, pay utilities and insurance, feed your family, keep them clothed and pay the costs associated with grade and middle school. If you're trying to put…

I understand life is old there in West Virginia, older than the trees. Not as old as the mountains though.

The influence of casketbaggers on Recoagulation in the post-war years has been greatly exaggerated and certainly did not give rise to the "separate but evil" policies that led to so much un-rest in the 20th century.

My money's on Wilco for Johnny. Or, "Johnny Marr's Smiths" with Fred Schneider on vocals.

There was an episode where the gang were all going undercover at a performing arts-type high school and they decided to cover the Stones' "Monkey Man." I remember the detective mentor guy they had telling them that every lousy cover band in the world does "Monkey Man." I always liked him for that.

Wu Tang Clan ain't nuttin' to fool with.

Assuming similar speeds, weights of vehicles and obstructions, two cars could roll in the same basic manner. Or the exit ramp might be cursed.

So all of them are part of that Xenarthran group, eh? I had a feeling that sloths and anteaters might be preventing me from going clear, but I'm surprised and disappointed about the glyptodonts.

Don't be a Glyptodon't, do be a Glyptodoo.

@ livin - I can't tell if you missed what I was saying or not. Twain's point was that the author of the plays "was limitlessly familiar with the laws, and law-courts, and law-proceedings, and lawyer-talk and lawyer ways." Since Will Shakespeare didn't have the background that would have allowed him to gain that…

I've used Twain's comments on whether Shakespeare wrote the works attributed to him in closing arguments for years - usually when I want to call someone a liar without calling them a liar. Twain's take was that Shakespeare's knowledge of the law courts of England was such that only someone intimately familiar with…

"Live It Up" was great - I like the Animals medley, but I was thinking about one just called "Live" that was a recording of a single show, very early in the band's career.

The David Johansen Band
Was one of the best live acts around in the mid-to-late '70's. Seems like we'd see either them or the Ramones at one of the local places on Long Island every other month or so. Tommy Trask and Johnny Rao were two very good guitar players. There's a CD out there of one of their shows at…

Dream Boogie
Is a great read, as are most of Peter Guralnick's books. I'm especially partial to "Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom." His Elvis books are also very good.

Rusty Didn't Want to Rat Those Guys Out
He felt he owed it to them.

"One of the first things to ensure a good Christmas play is to pay strict attention to the director. I'll keep my directions simple. If I point to the right, it means focus attention stage right, and the same with stage left. If I make a slashing motion across my throat, it means cut the scene short. It's the…

John Ritter is against us?

@McGee - from Generation of Swine, right? I was thinking of posting that exact quote right at the time I read it here. Some of the doctor's best writing, I think.

I saw Buffalo Springfield when they headlined at the Bridge School Benefit in October - they were very good and had clearly put in a bunch of time rehearsing. Richie Fury took the lead vocals on the songs he originally had lead on, even the songs Neil wrote. Neil seemed happy playing and singing harmony. Speaking…