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Came across some interesting stuff over the past week or so...

Unfortunately, Richard Wright died last month. I'm sure there were many articles written about him. Here's one that has the last interview he gave. Some record companies are trying to combat the decline in sales by distributing albums on microSD cards. At least you don't have to buy yet another music-playing device. Here's an interesting article about how Sha Na Na helped define the Fifties in pop culture (specifically) and how pop culture can influence our perception of the world around us (generally). There's a new service that purports to make your music collection (or at least the digital file portion thereof) available anywhere you have computer access. There's a rumor about that Apple may shut down iTunes. I find it hard to believe that they would after having spent so much time and effort to build up the user base. There's a pissing match going on between Warner Music Group and the makers of Rock Band.

France seems to be shooting itself in the foot by trying to block alcohol advertisement on the internets. I'm of the opinion that educating kids about the good and bad aspects of things (like alcohol) is a better method than the "you can't see/learn about/experience this thing until you're 21 (or 18 or whatever) at which point you'll magically be able to interact with it in a responsible manner" technique. Pub signs seem to be dying in England as pub ownership is consolidated by megacorps. I wasn't much of a drinker last time I was in England but I still prefer "the local" (or the pizza joint on the corner, or the nearby record store) to be mom-and-pop organizations rather than "Branch #3215344258". Scientists in Cali have made beer using 45 million year old yeast. Hopefully we won't see a Jurassic ParK-style scenario. Although, humanity on the run from giant, man-eating beers does have a certain charm. Here's an article about the convergence of celebrities and spirits. CNBC recently had a slideshow about the top 20 beer consuming countries. Websites that turn simple lists into slideshows to boost their page-view count piss me off. The "Museum of Beverage Containers and Advertising" has a pretty entertaining gallery of old beer ads. Get some Anheuser-Busch's Malt-Nutrine for your feeble children today.

There's a new book out that extols the virtues of animal fat in the diet. Hershey's is degrading their already-garbage chocolate even further. Although I must confess as certain guilty curiosity about their Pumpkin Spice Kisses. I came across two articles about delicious, delicious bacon, one pro, the other con. I'm all for organic food but this might be pushing it. If you've been good on your diet you might want to splurge. If you're considering McDonald's for a meal today (or any other fast-food for that matter), perhaps this 12-year old burger will change your mind. Finally, apparently hot peppers can in fact kill you.

Until next time this is your intrepid internet repeatporter signing out.