thoughts.bjsintay.com

I’ve bought a few CDs on iTunes “Plus” recently - all of which I promptly burnt to a CD and listened to that way.  For me, iTunes’s puny 128kbps standard encoding is too poor to enjoy much of the music that I like.  So when iTunes Plus, featuring “DRM-free music tracks featuring high quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality” came out I was thrilled.  The new tracks I downloaded seemed to stand up to my library - all encoded at 320kbps.

Today I purchased an album by the Doves on iTunes Plus.  I didn’t have the time to burn a CD, so I just threw my DRM-free tracks on my portable HD and headed into work.  Then I tried to play the files in Windows Media Player.  No luck.

I researched the iTunes Plus file format (.m4p) and discovered that WMP doesn’t play this type of file.  This is somewhat astonishing to me.  Obviously, it is good for Apple to not have their tracks playable on Microsoft software such as WMP, a direct competator.  But what made me frustrated is their DRM-free label.  A quick google search reveals various converters and even some “codecs” that I have read varying degrees of success about.  But why, Apple?  Why not give us what we all want…???

…the MP3

I guess I’ll go back to Amazon.com’s MP3 store.

OK - my laziness caught up with me.  I admit it.  Maybe you could call it neglect, I don’t know.  I just did not have updating WordPress, the software the runs this site, up high on my priority list of to-do’s.

I discovered that someone (probably a bot) decided to take-over pieces of the site.  I lost a post or two in the process and I also became the host of a large number of adult links.  This has all been undone (other than the content I lost) and WP has been upgraded to the new version.  Hopefully, I will take some interest in this or take it down in the future.

I know I’m a bit late in reviewing Death Cab for Cutie’s 2005 debut (non-indie) album, but I’ve just recently discovered this great disk.  Plans is an excellent emo-ish rock album performed by a seasoned group of musicians.  My favorite tracks include “What Sarah Said,” “Summer Skin,” and “Soul Meets Body.”  I like many of the songs on this album because of their experimental nature.  The album is generally mellow and smooth, emitting an emotional overtone.  The production is crisp and clear.

I was directed to this album by recommendations by my music player based on my current library.  My conclusion?  The boot fits.  Get this album if you like mellow experimental music!

Until June released its first full-length album (self-titled) this past week after years of hard work to get their name out there.  Signed to Flicker Records in late summer of 2005, this band shows promise for a new generation of music from Flicker.  Their sound is somewhat subdued, mimicking the lighter rock that’s been emerging in recent years (Coldplay, Keane) especially from the UK.  Vocals are flawless and smooth, with excellent falsettos and harmonies.  They almost sound like Watashi Wa with smoother (and probably better) vocals.  I have enjoyed my initial listening experience with this album.  I would not call it a smashing hit, but it does earn a respectable 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.  Herdman of Flicker should be proud.

http://www.untiljune.com

The United Nations has released a report blaming the world’s cow herds as the single-most greatest cause of the depleting environmental conditions… global warming, acid rain, deforestation, reef destruction, and oceanic “dead zones” to name a few.  Al Gore, you can stop blaming the Republicans.  Approximately 18% of all greenhouse gases are blamed on cattle (cows).  This percentage is higher than that contributed by all of the world’s transportation mechanisms (cars, airplanes, ships) put together!

I had no idea that burping cows produced nearly 1/3 of all methane in the atmosphere.  Methane, as luck would have it, warms the earth 20 times faster than CO2!!!  And there are other factors: 2/3 of the world’s ammonia emissions come from cattle (causing acid rain); emissions from producing fertilizer and transporting meat total 9% of all CO2; deforestation from overgrazing is creating deserts in many areas; and cattle use a lot of water - 990 liters per liter of milk produced!

It gets worse, those little buggers don’t even say excuse me!  Meanwhile they are slowing destroying our planet with no end in sight.  I propose a compromise.

According to Colorado State University, one cow can belch more than 50 million metric tons of methane gas each year.  I say we find a way to capture this gas and use it to meet our fuel needs!  Methane cars, power plants, and even batteries.  Your neighborhood cow, Betsy, could be used to recharge your cell phone.  Now, where’s the number for my patent lawyer…

Sources:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_176.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2062484.ece