"Even Noel?" "Yes, even Noel."

The Honorable Ms. Cristina Veran on tonight's FREESTYLE CONCERT!?! at MSG...: "the Latino music boom that pre- dated America livin' la vida loca to da riddims of reggaetón," word to Lisa Lisa y Gerardo alike. If what they're saying is true, and Robert Christgau is gone, goodbye to features such as this one. Also, did anyone catch the James Ridgeway forced exuent? He was one of the best political writers around, in my opinion, generally on point and covering Washington in a way no one else in print has dared since '70s-style newsjournalism perished from the birth of Turnerian boudoirs of spin and diversion. I will miss pieces like this one.