THE LEFT LANE
No saving three flavors

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Here's gratitude for you: After almost seven decades, only two of the original "fab five" made the cut: "Cherry and Pineapple, please step forward. The rest — Orange, Lemon, Lime — thank you for your service and you're free to go." Raspberry, watermelon and blackberry have taken their place in rolls marked "New Flavors!" Trust us: We consume more than 42 million of the little O-shaped hard candies a day.

Shortlist to be aired

It won't be long before the American Music Awards and then the Grammys salute pop music's big-selling artists, but this year their cult counterpart also will get some air time.

The third annual Shortlist Music Prize, which honors albums that have sold fewer than 500,000 copies, will be televised for the first time — via taped broadcasts of the Oct. 5 event — on MTV2. The 10 finalists are: Sigur Ros, Black Keys, Bright Eyes, Damien Rice, Cat Power, Cody Chesnutt, Floetry, the Streets, Interpol and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Stamps of note

They are famous musical composers, conductors and collaborators who have appeared on U.S. stamps through the years. In fact, 37 U.S. stamps honoring 36 renowned men of music have been issued since 1940.

When the U.S. Postal Service announced recently that there would be a 2004 commemorative stamp in tribute to composer and conductor Henry Mancini, it emphasized the continuation of its dedication to the contributions of these talented artists to the world of music.

The first composers of musical note appeared on a five-stamp set in 1940. Those honored were Stephen Foster, John Philip Sousa, Victor Herbert, Ethelbert Nevin and Edward A. MacDowell.

In 1948, poet Francis Scott Key was hailed as lyricist of "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a special 3-cent stamp. The last composer honored was Irving Berlin in 2002. His most famous work? "God Bless America."