LATEST ADDITIONS

It may read like a page out of a classic corporate crime thriller, but the threat is real. ExpoPul, a company whose factory in Saratov, Russia manufactures vacuum tubes under the brand names Sovtek, Electro-Harmonix, Tungsol, Svetlana, Mullard, and others—tubes that include the 6H30 "super tube"—is threatened by one of the many Russian corporate "raiders" who are increasingly stealing businesses from their rightful owners. If the threatened hostile takeover proves successful, two-thirds of the world's supply of vacuum tubes—tubes vital to the sound of audiophile gear and instruments from such well-known companies as McIntosh, Audio Research, BAT, Jadis, Fender, KORG, Peavey, Vox, Soldano, Carvin, Ampeg, and Crane—could become a thing of the past.

Since 5:43pm yesterday evening, the sun and rain have been engaged in some sort of <a href="http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/pets/hourbyhour/10016?from… tango</a> &#151; the sunshine whips the rain furiously across the dance floor, the rain stomps forcefully upon the sunshine. One moment is blue and gold, the next is streaked with gray. Lightning and thunder have me constantly looking over my shoulder and out onto the City rooftops. All that I can see is wet and droopy and confused. This type of weather makes me wonder what we've done wrong. Why are we being punished? I blame it on Elizabeth. This is what happens when people go on vacation.

More Eno, Wes? Why yes, thank you.

That's an anagram of "Brown's bestseller <I>The Da Vinci Code</I>." Oh drat! I just gave away answer #4 on this important cultural quiz. And, if you haven't already done so, read Tony Scott's hilarious review of the movie from yesterday's <I>NY Times</I>.

After a hard afternoon of sunbathing, relaxing in the dark living room is nice, too.

Erstwhile <I>Stereophile</I> scribe and <I>Audio</I> editor Corey Greenberg has a new mission: To bring back the manly art of wet-shaving with a badger hair brush and a "real" razor. No matter how obscure the subject, Greenberg's always an entertaining read.

If you like (or even if you don't like) the album version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," try this slow live jam.