Well, I don't have an iPod (believe it or else, my cell, an old Nokia E61i, has a fine music player…not that I use it). But the iTunes on my laptop definitely has an AIFF option. Like most things audio, I came upon it kinda by accident. I almost fell off my chair when I pushed the first AIFF file I copied through my Sennheiser HD280 Pros. It was the rumbling bass that opens vibraphonist Walt Dickerson's To My Queen, and it actually sounded like thunder compared to the mp3. Ever since I've used the lossless file format, though I convert things down to mp3s if I have to send a track to a friend…(I know, I know, 'Why would I do that to someone I'm s'posed to like?', but e-mailing tracks larger than 20MBs isn't easy).

One other thing, refurb: You needn't worry about "upsetting" the gunslingers around here with your insights. In my experience, they're a pretty insightful bunch themselves…and so far very few folks have been told to get out of Dodge by sundown.

Btw, your next shot of sarsaparilla's on me.