Wes Phillips

No, not our intrepid correspondent from Sin City, but the anti-iPod—a cheap ambient sound generator with a line out for hi-fi connection. Rumor has it that Brian Eno bought 8.

Of course, any city with a maritime history has pirate history, too. In recent years, Salem has skewed more towards witches than pirates, but some traditions remain, including Beavis and Butthead tavern—or in this case, liquor store—names.

In 1987, one out of every 10,000 children was diagnosed with autism; in 2003, it was one out of every 166. How well has the press handled the story of a vaccine's potential involvement? Not so well, argues CJR.

"A stinking, rat-infested cesspit that would never be tolerated now." And your point is . . . ?

Yes, all of us chattering classes spent the weekend, um, chattering about Radiohead's shocker, but this article in The Telegraph may be the best I've seen. Its yearly sales breakdown and record company revenues charts provide some historical context.

No, not whether to have that extra martini, but rather how to isolate one voice out of the cacophony.

I don't disagree with the need for contemplative silence, but I find our contemprary society particularly ill-suited to it. Perhaps iPods are the cure to noise pollution rather than the problem itself.