I've just landed here for the first time, on a work assignment this week. If any of the Massive know their Hong from their Kong and can impart any useful tips/recommendations/must-sees I'd be really grateful, thanks!

A pioneer. 'Pauls Boutique' is one of my favourite albums and I loved 'Grand Royale'. Always seemed a very decent bloke.

I'm pretty much behind the curve on this apparently, and I'm sure most Mac users are aware of it, but in case you Mac and haven't installed the most security update, seems it's worth downloading immediately.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17623422

Inspired by the '5 Best' HJH thread and randomly watching 'Shine A Light' last night, I was thinking of posting a thread asking for our top five Stones tunes of all time. Now, thanks to an urge to stoutly defend 'Some Girls' (It is the koala's knackers, if you ask me) I am actually doing so. So, here we go!

"Think I bust a button on my trahsers..." etc etc

I'm really looking forward to this, it sounds as if it might be really rather good. The Longest Cocktail Party is one on the best HJH books out there IMO and getting the guy from Peep Show on the script plus Michael Winterbottom in to direct... sounds great!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15308250

Has been released today. Around 20 quid for an AppStore download. Lengthy review, favourable, in the Grauniad.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/20/mac-osx-lion-review

I'm always wary of diving into the first edition of a major upgrade. I know I am a complete klutz when it comes to this kind of thing, but the promise of blazing-fast new system and lovely new icons soon vanishes into a hell of forgotten passwords, reluctant applications and lost files.

Has anyone upgraded to Lion yet and if so - how are you finding it?

A wise man once shared his love of Fray Bentos pies with the Massive in one of my favourite threads from this site. I recalled it today as I distractedly ate a tin of sweetcorn, lovingly tainted with Vietnamese chili sauce, and a chopped pepper, in lieu of lunch (deadlines looming etc etc).

Has anyone else enjoyed a crap snack of late that nevertheless just hits the spot?

When I'm... 69?!

The Guv'nor. Happy birthday sir!

It's one of those kooky dates again.

That's all, just wanted to celebrate all the ones.

They've popped up in a couple of threads, which led me to checking out their debut album 'Through Low Light And Trees'. Bloody hell, it's good. It taps into a weird, haunting place. Bluesy, folky, rocking at times, ethereal at others.In case you haven't heard it, do give it a listen.

I've just been taking a look on Amazon. The whole kit'n'caboodle, from 1970 onwards. (Damn! No remastered "Two Virgins' and 'Life With The Lions'? Maybe they are saving that for the 80th...)

And a load of new compilations, 4-disc sets, one a straight 'hits', one more a 'history'. (Like what Macca did with his Wingspan set). All in sleek, lavish packaging, and they do look rather lovely.

Then there's the new 'Signature' box set, all the albums (1970 - 1984, no 'Live Peace In Toronto') with a bonus disc of outtakes (from what I can tell from the tiny audio samples, different material from the 'Anthology' set). No DVD and the 'new' mix of Double Fantasy absent. Oh, and a book. 130 quid.

But the remixed, stripped-down 'Double Fantasy' looks (and from the samples) sounds pretty good. Stripped of 80's bells and whistles, "Woman" and "Starting Over" sounded just gorgeous. (The original remains, remastered on a second disc). And I guess I'll splash out for my third copy of "Plastic Ono Band" - having always loved that bone-dry Phil Spector sound, I'm really looking forward to a good, meaty remaster - it sounded awful on the last re-release, plus the bonus tracks were poorly picked and ridiculously sequenced - 'My Mummy's Dead' into 'Power To The People'??

But whither "Walls And Bridges" 2010? Are you up for shelling out for some remastered "Rock'n'Roll"? "Does a more honeyed "Milk And Honey" appeal? Some more "Some Time In New York City"? What say you, Massive?

The diversity and sheer quality of those beautiful beazels honoured on BigJimBob's current thread got me thinking of their male counterparts. Whilst I am to all practical purposes pretty much predisposed to women there are fellows who inspire admiration, appreciation and buckletloads of sheer, sick envy. I submit, Massive, my nomination for the most handsome chap in the world (or, at least in 1975).

The Grauniad is streaming the rather splendid (IMHO) comeback album from The Vaselines today. I have been enjoying it all day. Well worth a listen

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/sep/09/vaselines-sex-x-al...

Hello Massive. Sorry if this has already been covered elsewhere - I did a quick search but can't find it. It's really not the end of the world, but my iTunes has 'stopped' accepting new music. Yesterday I downloaded some tracks from official Spiritualized site which are fine - I can click on the file icons and hear them - but they won't move into iTunes. Then, I had backed up some mp3 audio files to a hard drive a few months ago and now want to reinstall. Similar problem. The icons 'play' fine, they just won't copy over. I am aware I am probably overlooking some simple, elementary step here but don't know what!

Dragging and dropping, opening through File>Add To Library, weeping/swearing loudly all fail to work. Any ideas, anyone? MacBook Pro, running OSX 6.4 here.

Thanks!

Very sad news - Dennis Hopper has died. The guy was a legend.

What are they going to say about him?