THE LUCKY OLD SUN

TIME (2008) 9/15

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Brian Wilson is at it again. From the award winning SMILE and to the almost gold BRIAN WILSON, LUCKY OLD SUN reunites Van Dyke Parks and Brian.

In this instance, it is looking at California and L.A. through the mist of the 60’s. The city and the state is varied that each story takes on a special significance. Be sure to turn your

CD toward bass as Brian’s voice best blends at that range. Songs are mixed with narrative and a booklet with wrap around CD cover contains lyrics. It is the LUCKY OLD SUN of Louie Armstrong, Frankie Laine, and Vaughn Monroe of the 40’s. From that song surrounds places one remembers in L.A. back then.

Perhaps the most nostalgic and autobiographical is a mix of LUCKY OLD SUN with the song SOURTHERN CALIFORNIA Brian recalls in a dream when he sang with his brothers in the BEACH BOYS. His melancholy is enchanting. It is not maudlin.

One feels the references, to other songs, other times, and turning inward at 25. Today, at 66 he is in better shape than he has been in years. The voice still has some rough edges, but the sweet innocence in his voice carries the day.

One song BEEN TOO LONG is an excerpt from the phenomenal PET SOUNDS. His back up band does a wonderful job. Songs and narratives appear to compliment each other. The lyrics are filled with metaphors and mysticism. The clear cut songs of the Beach Boys are not here. Brian tells you indirectly. The album is up there with some of his other hits and is now been released.

A NO-PAPER NEWSPAPER

NEWSWEEK (2008) 9/15

McGinn,  84

KINDLE is out and it is an electric newspaper that is one can hold in one’s hand. For about 15 dollars a month and get numerous newspapers all over the country. It is all still in black and white, and yet you get so much more information than the website of each newspaper. Further, it is green and there is no such thing as recycling the newspaper.

This particular model can contain few newspapers and only a 6$ charge is made per month. However, the black and white screen with headlines followed with stories is the best that one can do at this time. However, KINDLE should have future models that should do the job. Further, if it saves newspapers all over the country that can’t hurt.

However, others say that the newspapers are going to go the way of other dead technology. Was that not said about what the radio, movies, television and now the internet would do to newspapers?

It hasn’t happened yet.

THE WEEK (2008) 19

HEALTH & SCIENCE

 Cows and deer when photographed from above appear to align themselves in a north-south axis. It also appears that perhaps other mammals also have this capacity. It may have been used in the past as an orientation toward warmer climates.

The North Pole artic is melting faster than expected and the faster than the math models predicted.

Crows appear to be aware of good and bad people. That means that a bad person is likely to kill one or more of them.  When a researcher passes under a tree full of crows with a neutral face mask, the crows are calm and settled. When another researcher with a scowl on a mask crosses under then the crows start communicating with each other and letting know the human is not wanted.

Birds are getting better at staying away from wind mills, but bats are not doing well. However, the building of windmills is continuing to increase in numbers.