Random Notes

A few interesting, unrelated notes and news articles I've read over the last couple of days:

1) Starbucks has decided to switch from whole milk to 2% as its default for all espresso based drinks. In the same way you can currently ask your barista for skim, soy or 2%, by the end of 2007 you will ask for skim, soy or whole milk. As the press release and this article explains, the move will cut calories and fat, but not affect the price of drinks.

2) Fox has again changed the format and timing for episodes of their summer show On The Lot. According to this EW article, the show will now air only once a week with the filmmaker's movies being shown during the episode. The audience will then have time to vote and the elimination will be revealed at the beginning of the following week's episode. I haven't watched last night's episode yet, but it looks like this show is struggling for ratings and may be heading towards cancellation. I wonder if I should bother trying to watch.

3) On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey interviewed reclusive novelist Cormac McCarthy, author of the excellent book "The Road." McCarthy literally doesn't speak to the media and had only been interviewed twice in the past 40 years. You can read recaps from parts of this interview here and here, and if you sign up, I think you can see (or hear) some of the interview on her website's The Road bookclub page. It seems like there were a few interesting moments, but that the interview didn't reveal anything too detailed about McCarthy or his stunning novel that was on many "Best of 2006" lists.

I guess that's about it for now!