Holy crap! Who has the job of mashing up the chickens and sqeezing them into those tiny little jars? Ugh... Why don't they just go to KFC.......

I upgraded to iTunes Plus and had a terrible first three days. The tracks I purchased (an upgrade to an album I had previously purchased from iTunes) took that long to download. They failed continuously, producing various error messages. Finally, on Saturday morning I logged on and the last three tracks downloaded promptly and with no errors or failures. I then purchased three other albums and had no problems with those downloads. So far, so good. I then learned of the embedded names and email addresses. I wasn't terribly concerned about that, as I knew Apple had always done that for their DRM files, although the theft concern is very real. I then decided to test the DRM-free claim. If these files are truly DRM-free, I ought to be able to burn them to CD using any software that supports the file format these tracks were encoded in. I tested this using Nero 7 Ultimate, which supports the m4a format of these song files. Everything seemed to go well, until I tried to play the CDs on my home stereo system. All three discs I burned had nothing but an annoying dit-dit-dit signal on them, all the way through. I went back and reburned the same CDs using iTunes,, and all was well. So, just how DRM-free can Apple claim these songs to be? I would appreciate any feedback from folks who have tried burning their iTunes Plus tracks to CD using different software programs.

My concern would be that someone steals your iPod or other portable player, then uploads all your unprotected m4a files onto every file sharing service in existence (and a few just coming online). The RIAA is then able to look at these files (now being shared in the millions) and determines that (your name and email inserted here) is a major thief and needs to be sued. And yet, all your iTunes Plus library was purchased legally and shared against your wishes. A nightmare scenario, but haven't there been a few in this digital age?

In haven't read all of the comments, but I do feel that today's installment of "Tom the Dancing Bug" is eerily appropriate to this article. Beyond that, it's just true that music's variety means there is something for everyone.

I go for the entire experience, the bands, the crowd, the unique dynamics of each venue. I have seen a few lackluster performances over the years, but they are definitely the exception. Each show is a unique experience in my life that can never be done again, and never needs to be. I love a lot of different kinds of musc so I have seen shows from diverse genres in all kinds of disparate settings. I've seen Dave Van Ronk play to 100 people in a little converted church in Kansas City and I've seen R.E.M. play to 60,000+ at Zilker Park in Austin. Each experience (and uncounted others) is an unrepeatable gathering together of forces and moments and I have loved them all. Rock'n Roll is a dirty business, but the overcrowded clubs, rude and drunk audience members and uncertain acoustics have all contributed to some of the greatest nights of my life. I'm a regular attendee at SXSW every March in Austin, TX, and that's a place where all live music lovers wish they could go after they die. Rock'n Roll Heaven. You can also find me at obscure festivals (like The Winnipeg Folk Fest) where the bands that absolutely blow me away are the ones I've never heard of.

Here are some of the outstanding shows I have seen over the last year.

1. The Stooges at The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver - an amazing night of the purest, rawest rock music to be found anywhere (I saw The Stooges at SXSW, but I was in the back and too drunk and having too much fun with audience members to care).

2. The James Gang at Red Rocks, again Denver. Red Rocks may be the most beautiful outdoor ampitheater in the world, and The James Gang delivered.

4. Johnette Napolitano in a top-of-the-hotel club at SXSW. Amazing singer and that view of nighttime Austin is etched in my mind forever.

There are too many others to list.

In closing, live music is much different than listening to music in your ideal home environment. It's a whole 'nother enchilada. Some people don't like going to see live music for reasons too varied to count. And others are like me and just can't get enough. We all get to choose whether to stay home and fire up the sound system or to go out and get a bit grungy.

Love, peace, and see you in the mosh pit :)