Week of February 8, 2003

Top Bush administration officials say the chances of a terrorist attack against

Americans here and abroad have increases substantially - to level orange. They

cite specific intelligence that had corroborated by different sources.

Russia joins France and Germany in calling for beefed-up arms inspections in

Iraq, complicating matters for the U.S. in “the war against the war” in Iraq.

A voice believed to be Osama bin laden urges Muslims to help defend Iraq in the

even of war and called for new suicide attacks against the U.S. and its allies. The

tape was released this week.

President Bush challenges the United Nations to “rise to its responsibilities” to

confront Iraq. This on the eve of a U.N. session that may determine if war is an

option.

Despite its bigger price and longer length, “Harry Potter and the Order Of The

Phoenix” will hit bookstores June 21 with a first printing of 6.8 million.

California kicks Enron out of the

state’s energy market because the

former energy trading company

refused to post more collateral to

cover potential damages from meter-

reading errors. Separately, two of

Enron’s top electricity traders have

pleaded guilty to federal wire-fraud

conspiracy charges in connection

with their attempts to manipulate

California’s power market.

A terrorist group in northern Iraq is

holding two ethnic Kurds hostage

after the assassination of a popular

political leader.

Passing - Ron Ziegler - press secretary to President Richard Nixon. (63).

Technology -

Sun Microsystems releases its first software for managing the assignments of

multiple computer serves.

Week of February 8, 2003

Music news -

Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Steve van Zandt and Tony Kanal will perform

Grammy Awards on February 23. Also set to perform - Eminem, Ashanti. Dixie

Chicks, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor and Norah Jones.

Pepsi signs a $3-million agreement with hip-hop activists who denounced the

company for dumping a commercial by controversial rapper Ludacris. “This

whole thing started because Pepsi culturally disrespected hip-hop,” said Ben

Chavis, president of the hip-hop Summit Action Network. “Pepsi is going to

distribute funds that will positively impact the hip-hop communities. That’s a

complete turnaround.”

Michael Jackson’s two-hour “20/20” documentary by British journalist Martin

Bashir, topped the ratings for last week, clobbering “American Idol.” Jackson got

a 27.11 share and “Idol” got a 20.06 and 19.27 share for two broadcasts.

major label debut, “Get Rich or Die Trying,” is

the biggest sales sensation - with 872,000

copies sold in just four days, according to

Nielsen Soundscan. 50 Cent, whose real

name is Curtis Jackson, gained fame in rap

circles in 2000 for “How to Rob,” a crime

rhyme that mocks celebrity rappers.

Sony music, in a dispute with rock act

Incubus, says they band owes them four more

albums under an exclusive contract. But

Incubus, whose 2001 album “Morning View”

has sold an estimated 20 million copies, files a

lawsuit to invoke a California law that limits

contracts of entertainers to seven years.

Capitol Records releases “Lights Out” by Lisa Marie Presley to radio stations this

week. Will it be a hit?

Television news -

Joe Connelly -writer-producer - developed/created shows such as "Leave It To

Beaver” and “The Munsters.” He was 85.

Wow - Flim-flammed - Some 25 million viewers, watching Joe Millionaire” pick

between the final two women and purported fortune, saw Joe confess that he

Week of February 8, 2003

was not rich and the show ended before he

picked either of the woman, leaving viewers

feeling as if they were the ones being deceived.

complained to Fox-TV.

Rural activist Dee Davis doesn’t want CBS to

move ahead on a new reality show called “The

Real Beverly Hillbillies” where a real rural family

will move into a Beverly Hills mansion and their

day-to-day encounters will be chronicled.

On Nickelodeon - Cartoon “Fairly Odd parents”

- a show about two well-intentioned but

sometimes bumbling fairies who live in a

fishbowl. They empower 10-year-old Timmy, the

only one who knows about them and help

protect them from his mean baby-sitter Vicky,

and his benignly idiotic parents, Mr. And Mrs. Turner. Timmy is often left with

Vicky-the-yeller and they get in odd situations.

At the movies -

How to Lose a Guy in 10 days

Shanghai Knights

Chicago

The Recruit

Final destination 2

Deliver us From Eva

Kangaroo jack

Biker Boyz

Darkness falls

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers