Did Coolidge ever do a funny cowboy dance in his cowboy pants? My friend Don wants to know.

It bugs me when people use the word "recluse" to describe Pynchon, and a lot of people do. Pynchon's no recluse, It sounds like for the most of his life he's lived more or less in society among friends and family, not in a cabin in the woods by himself. He's just a very private, publicity-shy guy who's clearly been…

My favorite Zappa studio guitar solo is on Zomby Woof, which doesn't get mentioned that much, but is amazing, and to me is the epitome of what made Zappa sound different as a guitar soloist. Such nasty skronky tone…
(at about 2:10 or so)
http://www.youtube.com/watc…

And really, every guitar solo off The Royal Scam. My favorite is Don't Take Me Alive.

I was just going to mention And Your Bird Can Sing. That riff is practically long enough to be a short solo itself!

Their first three albums are especially so good.

She was only sixteen years old!

It's funny, there have been a lot of comments saying how parts of these episodes seem unsubtle,
or heavy handed, etc., but I can't say I agree.

I am right with you on this. I think the birthday party is when it really really clicked for me that they were making the episodes like literary short stories, with the emphasis on character over direct plot. Don's progressive drunkenness, his untimely absence and the way the episode ends, Betty's response, it all…

I too would have liked to see more Helen Bishop in the show. As Todd
gets at above, I think she was a really key character for the 1st
season, helping to define the early 60s suburban setting by sticking
out. She's a fascinating contrast with Season 1 Betty.