times

Allan Gurganus on local support for Eric Rudolph.

Mark Bowden on not knowing what really happened to Private Lynch.

Steven R. Weisman on WMDs and credibility.

Brent Staples on the death of American radio.

The major labels continue trying to wake up.

ongoing fixation on avril lavigne as pop phenomenon, #3893485 in a series

(See #3893484.)

Yes, okay: I am watching Avril Lavigne: Anything But Ordinary on the ABC Family Channel. It's fun to watch her talk earnestly about why people respond to her music, and the problems of finding good vegetarian food in foreign lands. I have to say, with a live band, she comes off as a more convincing rock chick than I'd have given her credit for. So that's something.

Avril says she doesn't understand why people are screaming her name half the time. I know just what she means.

my day

The woman at the Orange Julius in the abandoned shopping mall next to the art and wine festival likes to guess people's professions from their attire. "You're the art or the writing or the music, right?" Not one to pick a fight, I agreed that I was the music. "See?" she asked.