I have all the respect in the world for what Jeff Bezos has done in making Amazon one of the best online retail sources in the universe but why do we need digital books? Bezos is unveiling the Kindle, a handheld book reader that is capable of holding about 200 books in something the size of a paperback. This widget displays pages on a screen that look more like paper than an LCD screen. I already have something like that. It's called a book and I read them one at a time. Two-hundred books? I couldn't name 199 more books than the one I'm reading, so why would I carry more than the one I'm reading???
Books are not like music. We program music by choosing our favorites by the boatload. The most number of books I've ever read at one time is 3, reading a chapter from each book. If I ever read 200 at one time, my head would explode. For those interested in having the latest technology toy, the Kindle is wirelessly hooked up to the Internet on Sprint Nextel's high-speed cellular network, letting users download books at a moment's notice. About 90,000 titles are currently available for about $10 apiece, with no connection-subscription fees. And the Kindle sells at, surprise, surprise, Amazon.com for $399. How many do you want???
I wish Bezos all the luck in the world with Kindle but for me, I'll stick with real books. In this fully digitized world we live in, it's nice to take a break and curl up with something you can hold that has the smell and feel of the real thing. Books are for enjoying in the sun on a park bench, at the beach, on the couch or in your favorite chair. It's like baseball. No clocks, no time limits. It's an escape, something we all can use more of...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1928] Debuted on this date: The Boston Bruins lose to Montreal 1-0 as the Boston Garden makes its debut...1966] "Cabaret" with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, opens on Broadway (something it wouldn't be able to do now)...
- 1947] Wedding Bells: Britain's future queen, Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey. Celebrating their 60th anniversary, the Duke in addition to being known as the current queen's husband is officially known as her "consort" or as the Duke puts it, "I felt like I'd been turned into an amoeba."...
- 1960] Knocked into Monday: Frank Gifford is leveled by the Eagles Chuck Bednarik in a blind-sided hit that will wind up ending the career of the Giants star running back. The Eagles clinch the Eastern Conference title. As a reward Gifford will wind up with Kathie Lee...
- 1962] MVP...MVP...MVP: Mickey Mantle wins his 3rd American League MVP award...
- 1977] Record-breaking running backs: Walter Payton runs for 275 yards in a 10-7 Bears win over Minnesota, breaking the single-game rushing record held by O.J. Simpson (273 in 1976). In 2000, Emmitt Smith of Dallas breaks Payton's record...
- 1982] Youngest SNL host: That would be 7-year old Drew Barrymore...
- 1982] Adding insult to injury: In the most bizarre ending of any football game, California beats Stanford 25-20 on a 5-lateral, 55-yard kickoff return that goes into the Cardinal band, standing in the end zone. This is worth taking another look at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Awax0xMDcdY&feature=related ...
- 1983] The night of "The Day After": An estimated 100 million viewers watch the controversial ABC-TV movie, "The Day After" depicting a nuclear holocaust. This scene alone with scare the pants off of you: http://youtube.com/watch?v=G2H1E02iMHg ...
- 1994] Rock and Roll transplant: David Crosby receives a liver transplant...
- 2003] Book 'em Dano: Michael Jackson is booked on suspicion of child molestation in Santa Barbara (CA). He will be acquitted of the charges...
Music Memories:
- 1962] Released on this date: "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Four Seasons. Frankie and the boys show us their new 'high-waters': http://youtube.com/watch?v=SfYaPsyao7Y ...
Commentary:
It was nice to run into Maire Mason this weekend who was ecstatic over her new promotion to VP/GM at old stomping grounds, WCBS-FM. Maire will also continue to hold the same position at Fresh (WWFS 102.7). Jenn Donohue moves up to Sr. VP/Director of Sales for all 6 New York CBS radio stations. Good luck to both Maire and Jenn, two of my favorite people...
Lots of response to Hy Lit's passing. This e-mail from Hartley Pleshaw is typical: "I grew up in Boston, not Philadelphia but in 1967, Hy's American Bandstand-style TV show out of Philly was broadcast on Channel 56 in Boston every Saturday afternoon. He was fun and funny, the music was great and it was the last hurrah for local rock and roll dance shows on TV." ...
"Happy Trails" to Football Hall of Famer, Green Bay center Jim Ringo who died yesterday, two days shy of his 76th birthday. Ringo who had been battling Alzheimer's, played for Vince Lombardi at Green Bay following the college draft of 1953. He was a mainstay for the Pack through 1963...And finally "Happy Trails" to veteran actor Dick Wilson who passed away from natural causes on Monday at 91. You know him as 'Mr. Whipple' shown here doing one of his classic Charmin commercials: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fbXPjzM5no4 ...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Bo Derek (51, although we'll always remember her as a 'Perfect 10'), Joe Walsh (60) and still rockin': http://youtube.com/watch?v=vOlf2SDrWds , Judy Woodruff (61), Veronica Hamel (64), Norman Greenbaum (65), Dick Smothers (69), Richard Dawson (75), Estelle Parsons (80), Kaye Ballard (80), Evelyn Keyes (88) and Sen. Robert Byrd (90)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until Thanksgiving, 15 days until Hanukah, 32 days until winter and 35 shopping days until Christmas...
