MEDIA MONDAY
What have you been reading, watching, listening to?

Why Have I Never Heard of This?
Who's read Lewis Hyde's The Gift? And would you recommend it? There's a big spread about the author in the latest NYTimes Magazine. It sure makes the book out to be essential.

Bang it, Shout it, Play it
Paul McCartney wants to release a 14-minute track of the Beatles that never made it into record bins. Normally, I would think....great, just in time for Christmas he's trying to milk us Beatles fans for even more. But this tune is maybe not the most likely moneymaker, as it sounds, from the description, like it was created in the spirit of Revolution No. 9.

McCartney, usually regarded as the most melodically minded Beatle, told the BBC he had a long-standing interest in avant-garde music. He said "Carnival of Light" was inspired by experimental composers John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

He said he had wanted to include the track on the Beatles' "Anthology" compilation, but was vetoed by his bandmates.

Weekend Box Office
1. Quantum of Solace
2. Madagascar 2
3. Role Models
4. High School Musical 3
5. Changeling

and coming in at 29? One I'd honestly like to see...Jean-Claude Van-Damme is....JCVD: