A few interesting articles

Giving, the Hollywood Way talks about bell-ringers that stand outside supermarkets of a different sort.

The Geek Syndrome explores the thin line between genius and autism. At least I have nothing to worry about on that score, I'm miles away from both.

What Have They Done To My Art? offers an explanation why recorded music sounds so crappy these days. His theory works pretty well for me. Thanks for the tip, Mr. Watt.

The Great Pig in the Sky does a good job of summarizing the pro/con arguments about Pink Floyd, and then offers up the author's personal ethos:

Actually, what’s worse than either of those stereotypes is the dope like me who argues that post-Syd Floyd is superior but tries not to be caught dead listening to it, primarily because he spent the best years of his life having its catalog encoded into his DNA. Which is why nowadays I try not to be too smug while listening only to Syd’s solo records, disdaining both camps and shooting for some golden mean.