SEVENTEEN THOUGHTS ABOUT "THE" (PART 6): Here are the last 2 songs on my iTunes list that begin with the word “the.” I'll add a few closing thoughts tomorrow.

16. The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett. So many "love" songs are really about the singer and what is going on with him or her. "I never knew love like this before", "You send ME", etc. I prefer this (rare) version of The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett over the famous version by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's version is good, don't get me wrong. But the way he sings it, you know and feel a lot more about what's going on with him. The woman is more or less an object. In contrast, Bennett's contemplative approach means that he takes himself out of the song and leaves only the reflected glow of love. Listen, for example, to the way he sings: “And that laugh/ That wrinkles your nose.”

17. The Wind by Circus Maximus. Truly an amazing song. Jazzy, contemplative psychedelic rock. The only song that is anything like it is Traffic’s The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, although I would say that this song is even better. If you like that song, you’ll love this one. Fans of the work of Nick Drake should also check this out, although, again, I would say that this song blows away anything Drake did. Play it late at night and let the mood overtake you. Buy the CD here.

ALOTT5MA CONTEST ALERT: Name Kevin Costner's band! Is "The Postmen" taken? I feel certain that someone can do better than that.

Edit: How about "Beau Burroughs & The Wingmen"?

Tip of Ye Olde Internette Hat to No Rock & Roll Fun.

IT'S AUTOMATIC! SYSTEMATIC! HYDROMATIC! And it's getting banned from high schools, according to a front-page NYT article where complaints focus on the drinking and the kissing, and not at all the vixenlike behavior of Cha Cha Di Gregorio or the whole question of what type of "wagon" is involved.

CHILDREN! FUTURE! In front of a delighted HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, these opening ceremonies are even more filled up of overblown symbolism and odd choices (Sarandon! Disco!) than most. Shall we discuss?

MAYBE U2 IS LOU BROCK: Maybe not. But in any case, Soundbitten has produced and plotted an informative chart concerning the comparative logic of scalping Coldplay tickets. I entirely recommend it.

A CLASSIC FRIDAY TIMEWASTER: At least 1/3 of ALOTT5MA bloggers find the whole ethos of babynaming to be singularly fascinating. In keeping with that obsession, I refer you to the Baby Name Wizard Blog. Today's post presents the results of a wholly nonscientific poll as to which names are gaining ground and which are losing it.

The hot list feels pretty accurate to me: 1. Ava 2. Violet 3. Emma 4. Ella 5. Madison 6. Aidan 7. Aiden 8. Olivia 9. Lily 10. Sophia 11. Lucy 12. Isabella 13. Avery 14. Owen 15. Cadence 16. Charlotte 17. Jack 18. Jackson.

Setting aside Violet, which is clearly anticipating a post-Garfleck boost, and Cadence (I don't know who exactly is naming their kid Cadence), I know at least one -- and usually significantly more than one -- preschooler with each of the top 18 names. The girls' names, incidentally, seem to fall within two broad categories: (a) wholesome Americana names (1-4, 9, 11) and (b) European Infanta names (8, 10, 12, 16).

The downward trajectory is a little more all over the place: 1. Madison 2. John 3. Ethan 4. Kayla 5. Aiden 6. Melissa 7. Nicholas 8. Allison 9. Hailey 10. Madeline 11. Michelle 12. Zachary 13. Elizabeth 14. Jasmine. I think the descent of a name is a much more gradual process than the ascent, so it's harder to peg a name as trending towards unhotness.

Any votes for names that should be on one or the other of these lists?

(For another great time sink, see the Name Voyager, which depicts the Social Security Baby Name Index graphically.)

MOVIN' ON UP: There really is no other way to announce a member of the cast of The Jeffersons dying, even when said departed was already "up" when George and Louise made their leap skyward. I speak of Franklin Cover, perhaps better known as George's "honky" neighbor, Tom Willis, who was married to Helen, who was portrayed by the woman that is Lenny Kravitz's mom, who died yesterday at the age of 77. (I have to admit, though, when I saw the CNN headline "Franklin Cover, neighbor of the 'The Jeffersons,' dead," I thought it was Mr. "Don't Call Me Guffman" Bentley who had moved on up.)