I am exercising my fatherly prerogative and taking the 3 1/2-year-old down to visit the 19-year-old for the day – back later on. It’s finally summer in Ohio. Have a great day!

Another historian comprehends the danger of fanatical Islamoterrorism: Walter Laqueur – a deeply learned polyglot historian, whose expertise ranges from 19th-century Germany to 20th-century Egypt – has for decades stood out as one of the very few sober and intelligent voices in this undistinguished crowd. His latest book, “No End …

For Steely Dan it was twenty years between Gaucho and Two Against Nature. The wait this time was only three years for the new one Everything Must Go. Neil Strauss interviews Becker and Fagan for the NY Times: Were you surprised, after making all those jokes about the Rock and …

While the entertainment industry and the Ashcroft Justice Department seek to erode or cripple free exchange over the Intenet, some are working to keep it free: We are creating an anonymizing storage network – a network that resembles the World Wide Web, but is capable of allowing people to publish …

We have been following the yeoman work of the noble California State Senator Kevin Murray to rein in the most egregious indiscretions of the record industry. Now, his Bill 1034 requiring labels to account accurately for artist royalties has passed the Senate: The Bill 1034 passed by a 22-15 vote. …

Even though Lily is only 3 1/2 she loves her “Harry Potters.” We picked up the new DVD of the second movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, about a week ago and have watched it three or four times. I’ve concluded it doesn’t hold my attention as well …

Sony Music Nashville slashes artist roster in half from the company’s four imprints – Columbia, Epic, Monument, Lucky Dog – as industry cost-cutting continues: Dropped were Pam Tillis, Mark Chesnutt, Tammy Cochran, BlackHawk, Billy Gilman, Michael Peterson, Cledus T. Judd, Brad Martin, Clint Daniels, Little Big Town, and Wynn Varble. …

As most of you know, Warren Zevon announced last September that he was dying of lung cancer. He has handled life since with uncommon grace and good mordant humor, including an exceptional NY Times Magazine interview, and a profound but light visit with David Letterman highlighted by this exchange: Dave …

Okay let’s have a concert with all of the best roots-derived bands in the world. We will call it the Austin City Limits Music Festival. We will have it Sept. 19, 20, & 21, 2003 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. More than 75,000 will attend – it will be …

I am deeply saddened that Adam Ant, who should know better at 49, can’t keep it together. He clearly has real problems: Adam Ant was arrested on Wednesday after he went on a rampage and exposed himself at a café near his North London home. Ant, given name Stuart Leslie …