o to be a blogger

1. Here's a guy who, in explaining why he declined to see the Lord of the Rings movies, gives the lie to the old canard that "the book is still on the shelf." (My comment on why I took the rockier and less abstinent path of watching them, despite sharing his general distaste, is down at the bottom.)

2. I'm afraid the death of Donna Summer meant very little to me. The death of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, however, means a lot. (Lisa Irontongue has all the good links.)

3. I care about the death of former senator E. James Abdnor because his NY Times obituary finally reveals what the "E." stood for. Thirty years I've wanted this tidbit.

4. And The Other Change of Hobbit carries on.