Much too enjoyable: the Underground Literary Alliance is raising a little hell where it so desperately needs to be raised, in the creaking, windy halls of “better” fiction. (Seriously, does anyone still actually read McSweeney’s, or I am correct in suspecting that the bloviatin’ little zine is merely the wrapped Brach’s Mint of your allegedly better coffeetables?)

I’ve been reading a bit about advertising today, and was struck by an interesting contrast in these letters to Advertising Age. Near the top (letter dates 13 March 2002) is a reprint of Leo Burnett’s marvelous farewell speech to his company in 1967 — honorable, wise, and really a testament to what is good in that strange industry. Scroll a little further down, though, and you find (on 20 February 2002) something from yet another ad schmucky with the jones to Brand America.” What Leo could tell Schmucky is that America is already branded, and by the kind of horrible “advertising” that made Leo B. threaten to come back from the dead to take his name off the company door if need be. The connection may not be immediately clear, but it’s worth your meditating on for a minute.

Hot hot hot: The BBC has a terrific piece talking about the recent anthrax mayhem. Their thesis? Not only does the government have a pretty good idea who did it, they may have started the project at the government’s behest (and then went essentially bonkers). You must read this.

Kevin Kelly’s got an interesting piece on technology and music in today’s NY Times Magazine. The best part is the historical analysis, which is really quite good. The forward-looking stuff isn’t all it could be; he lists a number of factors that’ll change what we expect from music in the future, but I think he’s missed the convenience angle entirely — it is, after all, easier to immediately search out and download a song one hears and likes than to jot down the title and artist and remember to look for the CD next time you’re in a record store, assuming of course that your tastes aren’t too esoteric to be served by such stores. And he is still Kevin Kelly, which means he’s entirely ignoring the darker forces in the market (particularly pay-per-play, in which you have to re-purchase your favorite song Every Time You Play It). Worth your time, but don’t believe the hype.

New Scientist has a writeup of a fascinating study that shows, maybe, that rejection makes you stupid. Put that together with the recent study saying that men who don’t get laid much don’t interpret women’s body language very well, and I think we’re… duplicating effort. Oh, dear, and I thought I was going somewhere with this one.

A tremendous essay on why journalists — particularly columnists — aren’t trusted. First the plagarism uproar now this. *sigh*

Okay, these people aren’t going to hell, unless hell is a place for folks with incredibly stupid, random publicity ploys. If that IS something hell does, though, make a little room. (And if it’s a hoax, kids, you’re a couple years too late.)

In case you’re keeping track (and someone is, someone is), here are some people who are going to hell. I have absolutely nothing more to say about this, or at least nothing that won’t melt your monitor.

Either this is really funny, or I know too many music critics, or I really need a nap. (That last one may be true in any case. I think this latte is broken.)

Remember Echelon? We’ve covered Echelon, though it has been a while. Belgium took a look and is extremely disgusted by what it found, as you will be.