dirac

I disagree, too, kfw, and perhaps we can agree to disagree at this point. Certain themes on this thread became repetitive a long time ago and several of us, including your correspondent, are raising points already made.

Well, there are risks you take when you walk out your door in the morning and as mentioned the anti-smoking strictures are generally promulgated in the name of health, not enjoyment. The question is how far you want to go in using state power to regulate the personal conduct of others when such conduct may or may not be harming the general enjoyment or anything else. The whole point is that in open spaces, you are in the open air and free to move about. Not sure what to tell you. I believe people have walked past such clubs and lived to tell the tale. And of course the smokers are out on the sidewalks because that's where they have to go now. If you don't want them inside presumably that's the tradeoff.

Thanks for telling us about the DVD, Ed. It would stand to reason that a dance company on the road would have a stage manager or the equivalent, but perhaps there are other Ballet Alerters who have more useful observations to make than I.

On the grounds that they are citizens who have a right to enjoy open public spaces just as others do as long as they observe certain rules. If you object to being downwind of the fellow, is moving such a titanic effort?

Puts me in mind of The Purple Rose of Cairo, which is one of my favorite Allens.

Rather like Princess Diana's gowns - not necessarily classic designs but their value lies in having been worn by Princess Diana. Some of the purchasers may well be just plain fans, albeit fans with really deep pockets. I think also of the auction of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' possessions - many of them not particularly remarkable but people paid over a lot of money for them, because of their associations. Yes, she seems to have bought them just because she thought it was a shame that they were being sold off in the fire sale manner miliosr described. Cheers to her and I hope she enjoys the proceeds.

If I remember correctly the ban was pushed as a health measure. I would suggest respectfully that there's a fairly substantial difference between radio playing in an open space, which unquestionably affects everyone within earshot, and an individual smoking a cigarette and otherwise minding his own business. And simply because we ban X doesn't mean that we have to ban Y and Z also. My grandparents used to enjoy old fashioneds on the porch at the end of the day, not only in front of the children but, later, the grandchildren. Not a lush in the bunch.

Same here except worse. Even the old ones I admired somewhat I never could take as seriously as others were. If you don't 'love', for example, 'Annie Hall', then how can you shell out for what he's doing now. You really can see films for just $10? Not that I'd pay it for this, but we're paying a lot more here by now, and no 'discount houses' like we used to have at Worldwide (that I know of.) Ultimately, I simply can't accept him, and do not even think he is particularly authoritative about NYC*. I know, for example, that I know a LOT more than he does, but that's by the by. I must say, though, that is one of the best praising with faint damns that I've heard for some time. Thanks. Yes, out here in the boonies you can still see movies for $10.00 or $10.50. Even at slightly higher prices movies are still a relatively cheap evening out, so I guess we can't complain. Allen is a much better director than he was in the "Annie Hall" era but he lost touch with his audience a long time ago. (Back then he had collaborators for his scripts, Mickey Rose first and then Marshall Brickman, and although he might be too old for it now working with someone else might be an option to consider.)

The novel form allows a writer liberties that he wouldn't be able to take in nonfiction and among them are the freedoms to speculate, invent, streamline events, to achieve an imaginative reality. Also, at least with a novel one know's it's a novel, whereas with some biographies it's possible to feel that the biographer is imposing a narrative on the messy events of a life. Non-fiction is no guarantee of truth, unfortunately.

"I do not know why there is all this fuss about education. None of the Paget family can read or write and they do very well." Looks like it was "The Book of Air and Shadows."

The latest:

Has anyone else seen it?

Oh, I certainly don't begrudge Reynolds the money. If all her good intentions can't be fulfilled, at least she is rewarded in this way. I still think several millions of dollars for these costumes is out of line, especially at this time.

I guess I expect a little more from the art I find museum worthy, bart. (No offense, ksk04.) Certainly McQueen is a little too-soon for the Met, although I admired him as a dressmaker. But if it fills up empty space and pays the bills, it serves a limited purpose. But I'm still sorry to see it becoming so common.

My membership renewal for the de Young boasts of forthcoming exhibitions of Pissarro, Titian.....and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Jeebus Christmas.

My understanding is that Reynolds neither wanted nor asked for market prices from a potential museum/backer for her collection. She wanted to donate the collection while possibly covering any debts she had incurred over the years maintaining this one-of-a-kind collection. I get every sense that she was willing to part with her collection for far below market value. And of course Reynolds isn't responsible for the amounts people are willing to spend at auctions. Although I agree with Anthony that these amounts were....excessive. So sad that in these hard times there are people who are willing to fork over four million dollars for a movie star's old costume. I hope that person's charitable contributions match up.

Marilyn's still number one! Very savvy purchases on the part of Reynolds, indeed. It is too bad she couldn't find anyone willing to house the collection, although I'm not entirely surprised.

This is also the ballet that plays under the opening credits of "White Nights" and when we first see Misha it's medium close in and he's....smoking. People do a lot of things that are risky for them in the long run for the sake of short term needs. This debate isn't new, now that I think about it. There's a scene in The Band Wagon in which Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, getting off on the wrong foot, find out that among the many things they don't have in common is smoking. Astaire lights up and offers one to Charisse, who sniffs that she doesn't think dancers should smoke. Later in the movie she bums a cigarette off him.

I'm sorry, bart, this whole "public approval" business sounds dicey to me. I do take your point, however, - better to be forthright and say "You can't do this because we don't like it," rather than concoct dubious scientific rationales. I think such a cost benefit analysis would show that smokers who die earlier than usual save us a lot of money thereby, but even if it didn't, does that mean you have the right to forbid a smoker to sit on a bench under a tree in the park and have a cigarette? Also, how far would you go? Should the fellow be jailed? He's costing us a lot of money, drat him.

Most if not all of the indoor bans are justifiable but these open air ones cross the line. I think it's questionable to call on the powers of the state to protect you from the occasional whiff, even the occasional big whiff. One of the hazards of democracy is putting up with some of your fellow citizens' bad habits in public places.

I'm not sure how much of the anti-smoking fervor has to do with serious risk analysis any more. It's become an occasion for moralizing.

It's not at all uncommon for people whose professional prospects depend on their maintaining a certain weight to smoke. The same phenomenon can be seen in the modeling industry. I wish no one would smoke and have never done so myself, but in the United States the social situation is becoming absurd. People are openly rude to smokers who are merely minding their own business and smoking where they're allowed to smoke, and the banning of smoking in public places has gone to extremes. Don't get me started on the "secondhand smoke" business. I expect they'll be putting smokers into stocks next.

It worked for me, sort of. I got a box inviting me to generate something. It would certainly be nice if artists could always use words with the facility they show in their chosen art form, but such isn't always the case, alas. Thanks for the link.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the latter. Interesting figure. Thanks, everyone. Keep the titles coming!

If you're reading this summer, tell us about it here. Currently open on my chair: 'The Killing of Crazy Horse' by Thomas Powers, which I was inspired to read by watching Gary Cole lead the 7th Cavalry into a very big mess indeed. I read Stephen Ambrose's 'Crqazy Horse and Custer' years ago and was not impressed, so am looking forward to finishing this one.