It seems the San Francisco PD has arrested some high school students who were protesting the potential war with Iraq. They apparently had decided to voice their opinion without a permit and as such were arrested. Reminds of of Todd Snider's "Can't Complain" laments of trying to overcome laziness to protest something. Check out the blog and pictures here.

Apple appears to be readying an online music subscription service that would allow Mac users to download single songs and burn them to CD or pop them on their iPod.

It isn't a new concept as we've all probably heard about the pay-to-Napster models, but it is the first major service to allow consumers to burn CDs of the music they download. For about $1 a song you will be able to pick and choose which songs you'd like and make your own road mix. Apple may debut the service as early as next month according to most speculation.

Will the service succeed where other services have failed? It will be difficult since the Mac user base is only a fraction of computer users. Mac users will most likely be avid if the reports are accurate about the price and features. If Apple provides all iPod users with the capability it might prevent similar services from relegating this to a niche offering. Should Apple keep this to only Mac users, there is a strong chance that Windows users will see a strikingly similar service in the short-term future--at least history seems to point that way.

Billy Joe Shaver is a man whose life is mired with bad decisions and even worse luck. He lost his fingers in a sawmill accident, divorced his wife three times, lost every decent record deal he's ever had, and his son died of a heroin overdose in December 2000. He is also a man widely recognized as one of the most talented songwriters to ever put pen to paper.

Shaver's most recent release, "Freedom's Child," on Houston-based Compadre Records is a wonderful recollection of life of a man from whom most would expect bitter words. Instead it is a poetic and sweet collection of songs that includes warm bits of Shaver's philosophy of love ("Hold On To Yours") to a tribute to Johnny Cash's dress code ("That's Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues"). Among the stronger tracks is "Day By Day" which chronicles Shaver's life from marrying his pregnant teenage lover to his hope to join his now-gone wife and son in the hereafter. In a rollicking turn, "Deja Blues" features Todd Snider and recounts a trip to a bar where they weren't wanted.

On overarching theme in most recent music written by this wonderfully warm man is his strength in faith. None of the music leans toward the religious but rather the joy Shaver finds in his faith. Not many people could write music with such references to religion without bearing down from a pulpit, but Shaver's weathered voice and relentless willingness to admit his faults enables each song to stand more as a reflection of the man and less as a testament of what we should believe.

There's also some good instrumental work on this album, produced by R.S. Fields. Will Kimbrough notably stands out with a simple sobering 12-string arrangement on "Day by Day."

If you've never heard of Billy Joe Shaver, this album will prompt you to run out and seek more of his work. If you are familiar with his work, this album quite possibly will renew your your interest in an underappreciated genius.