Pigs vs Sharks and The End of Fear Factor as we know it...and why Joe Meek will not inherit the earth

"More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks, which shows you how good we are at evaluating risk." - security consultant and author Bruce Schneier



( as heard on http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail119.html which features a full streaming and downloadable interview regarding broad ideas about security and our useless department of Homeland Security's expensively mismanaged "war on terror". Bruce's own site is http://schneier.com/ where an informative "Crypto-Gram"newsletter and blog is hosted with well over 120,000 regular readers.

Speaking of irrational Fear, NBC's grotesque greed showcase Fear Factor is being pulled from the peacock network's fall broadcasting schedule. The show loosely based on Japanese gameshows that challenged contestants to participate in increasingly bizarre and humiliating rituals for prizes has finally dropped in ratings and is out. Sadly, I'm sure it will be syndicated on cable though for many years to come.

A recent survey published in Ad Week confirms that for 50 some percent of Americans, their favorite ranked weekend leisure activities are actually shopping at dicount chain stores, spots like Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target, and if income allows them access to membership stores, Costco & Sam's Club rank high as well. YAY!

In a related link the Christian Science Monitor has a look at the magic Wal Mart effect and what it means to so called "ethical investors" .

P.S Check Out San Diego's The Experiments w/ Fuck Wal*Mart a live mp3 version of a track from their 1998 Rock and Roll Weekend Release.

And now just because I can't leave ya without some extemporaneous audio I suggest this rare Joe Meek demo. Joe was a somewhat troubled young U.K record producer & songsmith whose biggest hit was Telstar in the early 60's. Compared to Phil Spector & Brain Wilson, not only for his virtuosity, but also because of his odd ideas & relentless pursuit of some bizarre romantic ideal audio world.

The BBC website provided this handy Joe Meek in One Minute overview

Producer of the Tornados' massive 1962 hit "Telstar", Margaret Thatcher's favourite record and the first single by a British group to reach #1 in the US He was tone deaf Claimed to have made contact with Buddy Holly during a séance The first producer to record Tom Jones and Screaming Lord Sutch On the February 3 1967, at the age of 37, Joe shot his landlady then killed himself

Here he is singing in a bit o' spaced out gibberish along to the instrumental track of his own Telstar, the 1962 hit song that heralded the launch of the first U.S communication satellite.

If ya dig the Joe Meek rarity , check out this page courtesy of archive.org that features lotsa similar selections from ol' Joe... and this BBC link to more Meek professional material and info