• The Forbidden Library: Banned and Challenged Books. I love this one: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this book because it is a 'real downer.'
• iTunes iSbogus: So why does iTunes give artists such a raw deal? Because it's the exact same deal that artists have always gotten from the big five record companies. Despite huge new efficiencies created by internet distribution --no CDs to make, no distributors to store and ship them, no CD stores to build and run-- artists receive the same pathetic cut. Reading this I ponder... what we (music fans) really need is a list of postal addresses for our favourite bands, so we can just send them $5 or whatever. Or even go the whole hog: rip the CD, send them the $30 direct. It's not robbing the artist since they get the cash. The record industry would have to admit they don't give a toss about the artist in their bid to sue people for doing it. It wouldn't change anything, but at least we wouldn't have to hear the bullshit argument "you're forcing the artists into poverty". musiclink is a site which acts as a conduit for sending cash direct to artists.... personally, I'd rather do it myself so I know it actually got sent to the artist. But I acknowledge that I have some trust issues :)
• John Howard Lies, a site which tracks all the lies told by John Howard. Once upon a time, the media did this sort of thing. Now they're on far too tight a leash to make a real difference. So we should turn to the net. A good quote:
  'My Government will not introduce any new taxes, and will not increase existing taxes.' John Howard, 1996
  Since 1996, the Howard Government has introduced or increased taxes 144 times.

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