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Very sad news. Some great clips of Friedman - no other economist was as clear in articulating their ideas as Friedman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbRcmKRv-zo http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid...Milton+Friedman

The hell...? That's certainly the attitude that both sides of politics are expressing.

As a foreigner, trade policy in the US is probably the second most important issue to me. It sucks to see both parties be utterly conservative in this field. If the US go soft on free trade, so will everyone else. Limiting imports on Chinese goods has to be one of the most idiotic decisions made. Let alone the ridiculous farm subsidies that are going around. Why can't any US leader grow a pair anymore? It's sad to see so much partisan hackery when no one will admit that both the Democrats and the Republicans suck.

Rainn Wilson was a panelist on Bill Maher's Real Time, post election edition. Didn't really have any party leanings, had a crack at both sides, and he made fun of hippies which made me smile. Available on youtube.

The West had its reformation in the 16th century, and is doing ok at the moment. Assuming the Middle East experience a similar cultural change in the next hundred years, everything should be fine by around 2500.

And Ecuador could hardly be called a functional democracy.

Israel & Hamas? Hamas isn't a country.

Bruce's voice seems to be straining in parts of 'AMOLAD'. One thing I noticed about the album is that the music itself seems to require Bruce to hit more high notes than usual. Brave New World was good because the music seemed to compliment his voice, hitting the high's only when he had to. Having listened recently to Brave New World, it just DOES rock better than Dance of Death or AMOLAD. The music is better, Bruce sounds better and the lyrics fit in with most of the music. The one weakness Steve Harris has is when he tries to incorporate his pre-written lyrics into his songs. It sounds all over the places and at times out of the rythm.

Just as I finished posting that, a black cloud drifted over my house, and the army of true metal warriors came and slayed my family.

Yet we love these guys...

The lyrical content of Sam's Town is blatantly Springsteen, but the tunes really arn't. The little crescendo around the 1:50 mark of When You Were Young is probably a nod to 'Born to Run' but that's probably as far as it goes. I would say that Flowers tries to imitate Springsteen's vocals on the Born to Run album as well (Springsteen was trying to imitate Roy Orbison) at times.

I had a quick look at the ratings from crz.net of Nitro in late 99-early 00 when Russo took over the booking. There is a very noticeable jump in the ratings during his period, throughout. What is very interesting is the volatility of the ratings for both Nitro and Raw. WCW was in decline but it was still a period where people appeared to be flipping back and forth from WCW to WWF depending on what was good. The couple of weeks before Russo booked his first Nitro, the ratings dipped below 2, to about 1.7ish during the hours when Raw would get going, with the main events drawing mid to high 2's. He was able to at least keep a 3ish average during his time. I think his main weakness was ppvs, both in drawing interest to and in booking. And THAT is where the money is unfortunately.

Bruce singing 'Sign of the Cross' on Rock In Rio was a highlight for me. Same with Clansman. In fact, that live album altogether is awesome.

Bruce Springsteen 1. Born To Run Encapsulates an entire generation perfectly. The Rebel Without A Cause of albums. 2. The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle The most interesting musically. Rosalita is still the favourite of many Springsteen fans. New York City Serenade is his most under-appreciated track. Kitty's Back is always a fun listen, more so when played live. 3. Darkness on the Edge of Town A shift to more simple tunes, but arguably his greatest lyrical achievement with Nebraska. Prove It All Night is one of his best tracks live, Badlands and Promised Land also great. The darker focus was the beginning of what arguably has made him such a long-lasting and relevant artist. 4. Nebraska A great set of tunes that are heightened by the low-fi production. An album that needs to be LISTENED to and understood. State Trooper has a great mood for such a simple song. From what I've heard, a band version of Nebraska exists somewhere. Would be interesting to here it, though Springsteen definately made the right choice releasing it like this. Along with Born To Run, Nebraska has the best album cover of Sprinsteen's catalogue. 5. The Rising A really underrated album, It's amazing just how strong the songs on this album are. Lonesome Day, The Rising, Waiting on a Sunny Day, Mary's Place, Nothing Man are all fantastic. It would be a mistake to call this a September 11 album. The lyrical content of this album is consistent with all of Springsteen's themes, and no song can be exclusively consigned to a 9/11 label 6. The River Springsteens first double album, with the only really blow away track being the title song. Jackson Cage is the most under-rated rocker from this album, with special mentions to Hungry Heart, I'm a Rocker, Two Hearts and Ramrod. Point Blank has a nice piano intro, and many like 'Stolen Car'. Still, a lot of generic rock songs on this, and plenty of filler. I can't stand 'Drive All Night'. 7. Greetings of Asbury Park The critically acclaimed debut. Blinded By the Light, Spirit of the Night, Lost in the Flood and For You are the best tracks. Probably a better album than the River, but held back by shoddy production and some filler. 8. Born In the USA I don't understand why people can hold this album in such high regard with Springsteen's other albums, other than sentimental reasons, like it was the first album of his that they heard/bought. It sounds more and more dated as the years go by. The title track is still powerful and songs like No Surrender and Bobby Jean have held up well, but the emergence of synths in Bruce's albums really began to hurt him. 9. Devils and Dust A consistent album with no real stand-out tracks, besides the title track, which doesn't hold up even to his Nebraska tunes. Really, there's some decent songs on here, but no tunes that haven't been bettered by his earlier work, and no lyrical approaches that haven't been bettered by other artists. Better production with Nebraska with a wide range of acoustic instruments, but ultimately forgettable. 10. Tunnel of Love Some people love this album to death, though as it deals almost exclusively with the issues of life as a husband, it makes us non-married folk looking elsewhere for inspiration. Very synth heavy, another of his dated albums. His two albums released in the early nineties are dismal, with a couple of good songs to emerge out of them, particularly If I Should Fall Behind. His live albums a well worth investing. If I had to place them in the top 10, LIVE 1975-85 would be ranked at 2 and Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1975 ranked at 3. They're that good. His live shows are his ultimate strength after all. His latest effort, of cover tracks of folk tunes, would probably be ranked between 6-8 depending on what mood I'm in. If you're after an album of American Folk Tunes, Springsteen's Seeger Sessions are well worth it.

National Treasure was made to cash in on the early Da Vinci Code fever that came from the book. Preferred Cage to Hanks as well.

VOUCHERS

Because I was in a car accident a couple of years ago I have to stand on my hands and poo into cylander that emerges from my side wall, horizontally. It's a little awkward but a neat little invention that compliments my limitations. So yeah, no paper of the seat for me.

I begin to hate 1984 when it's put into a contemporary perspective. I would say every year since the publication of that book, hundreds of pseudo-intellectuals have run around crying about how their town/state/country/world is turning into the society depicted in 1984, thanks largely to [insert government here]. Animal Farm, to me, has the most resonance because it happens all the time. Be it in a government or an organisation of some sort. It depicts a dark part of human nature which applies to everyone, but no one wants to admit.

What I also doubt that these two had an affiar. Also, I pray that it never did. I heard this too. Isn't that where the line 'I'm the Stinger and I'm gonna sting ya!' came from?

The SNL cast are only doing this to get in Lohan's pants. Fey included.

I prefer them to Jet. Nothing original (except a genuine attempt to update a 70s rock style to the 00s) but they're slightly more diverse and the singer is less annoying. Cheesy lyrics too, which is good and bad. Worth a look (or a listen, if your that way inclined). EDIT: Just realised my avatar was the Wolfmother EP cover. I better change it now that people have heard of them.

Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto is great, and has one of the best climax's of any piano concerto.

I've always enjoyed The Untouchables soundtrack, melodramatic but good fun. Most of Ennio Morricone's scores are worth a listen (the good, the bad, the ugly being the most well-known of his). Chariots of Fire, though overplayed and a little dated, is still worth a mention as well.

There was that short couple of days when Russo returned to WWE in the 00s. He claims to have written a large chunk of the RAW where Eric Bischoff returned. I think he left the day after.

For me it's The Da Vinci Code, because its short but thrilling chapters reminded me of the intensity that Eddie brought to the ring every night.