Radiohead, reworked

In the New Republic, a disgruntled David Hajdu examines the delicate issue of the Internet and open-source remixing:

If this is legal, it is also extortionate and an act of terrible hypocrisy--a revocation of the promise of creative ownership that is drawing people to remixing, the promise that Radiohead has been eager to exploit, in large print, to sell its stems... For the moment, Yorke and his band have a message for fans loaded with GarageBand and an urge to own a part of Radiohead: Don't get any big ideas. They're not going to happen.

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Notebook

Back in Les Avants, heavy demands were made on his reserves of sympathy. Margaret Leighton came to stay, in the throes of divorcing Laurence Harvey, and Noël despaired of "these silly ladies" who "muck up their lives", regretting the time when women "just stayed put and, as a general rule, got their own way and held their gentlemen much longer. It isn't really surprising that homosexuality is becoming as normal as blueberry pie." Then Clifton Webb's mother, Maybelle, died. Webb had been inordinately attached to her; but Noël thought "the late sixties is rather late to be orphaned". When Webb rang in floods of inconsolable tears, Coward threatened him, "Clifton, if you don't stop crying, I shall reverse the charges."

Philip Hoare, "Noël Coward: A Biography".

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In search of another Swift Boat?

How blogs can influence journalism... Heavyweight pundit Michael Barone flags up a deeply speculative Pajamas Media piece about Barack Obama's changing views on Iraq and his relationship with Tony Rezko. Barone admits there are other, more convincing reasons for the candidate to have shifted ground, but he links to the story anyway. Responsible journalism or mere rumour-mongering?

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Damn...

I was sure it was going to be Portugal's year this time. Never mind, at least the Germans played some very stylish football. (It keeps crossing my mind that almost every side I've watched has displayed more skill and all-round power than England's non-entrants. Capello has a lot of work to do.)

[Photo: Portuguese defender Pepe laments a missed chance during tonight's quarter-final against Germany in Basel. Germany won 3-2. Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images]

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Cowardly

In the best sense of the word, that is... If you like Noël Coward, you really ought to try to catch the Lost Musicals revival of "Sail Away". It's running at Sadler's Wells every Sunday until the middle of next month. I'm a huge fan of the stripped-down LM approach: when the book, music and lyrics are this good, all you really need is a piano and a dozen actors in evening dress.

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