Week of February 22, 2007

Iraq - Twice in two days - Sunni Insurgents target civilians with a crude chemical

weapon - a bomb attached to chlorine gas canisters. Several are dead.

A suicide bomber gets past guards at the Shiite Muslim Mustanstriya University

in Baghdad and sets off an explosion that killed at least 40 Iraqis.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Congress should not try to limit

President Bush’s conduct of the Iraq war, but some democrats differ. She was

asked if Bush would abide by a binding resolution now being drafted by

democratic leaders. Meantime - there’s still a delay on Reconciliation in Iraq as

Shiites block and effort to include ex-members of Saddam Hussein’s party in

government service.

Vice President Dick Cheney harshly criticized Democrats’ attempts to thwart

President Bush’s troop buildup I Iraq, saying their approach would “validate the

Al Qaeda strategy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fired back that Cheney was

questioning critics’ patriotism.

Business - Stock prices take a plunge - from about 12,628 to close at

12,216.24. It all began in Chinese share on rumors of government moves to curb

that market.

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz says that the company’s expansion to 13,000

stores was “watering down” its brand.” He suggested perhaps that streamlining

store design might be more efficient and financially responsible. His comments

come as Starbucks faces more competition from Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s

Corp, which introduced premium coffee last year.

Rafael Garcia - a videographer

records some 30 to 50 rats through a

window of a closed-KFC-Taco Bell

restaurant in Greenwich Village.

“There were enough creatures in that

room that they could have devoured

a human being… It was frenzy. They

were going up walls. They were

jumping up and down. They rats even

came to the front window - like they

were playing to the camera! Garcia

said he has made a profit from the

tapes - which have been shown on

Week of February 22, 2007

morning shows and the like. “It’s exciting to me to do that kind of business.

Exhilarating. And there are no dead people involved.”

Passing - Joseph Gallo - (87) - of Gallo Wines.

Technology -

A San Diego jury says Microsoft needs to pay $1.52 billion for infringing patents

on MP-3 technology. A company called Alcatel said Micorsoft used their

technology.

Google will begin selling corporate America on online suite of software that

includes e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and calendar management,

escalating the Internet search leader’s invasion of technological turf traditionally

dominated by Microsoft Corp and IBM Corp.

Music news -

Passing - Early ‘60’s pop singer Donnie Brooks - best known for the hit “Mission

Bell.” He was 71.

Britney Spears leaves her live-in rehab facility in Malibu - far short of the usual

45-day stay.

Singer Bobby Brown is arrested while in Canton, Mass for failing to appear at a

child support hearing in October.

Van Halen’s planned tour - after they’re inducted

to the R&R Hall of Fame - has been shut down - in

the face of the chaos surrounding Eddie Van Halen

and David Lee Roth , who was supposed to be

back.

Entertainment news -

Looks like the animated movie “Flushed Away” did

just that to profits at DreamWorks, resulting in the

company to report a loss of $21.3 million. “Flushed

Away,” a film about sewer rats, brought in $175

million wordwide.

The FCC says it will fine Spanish Univision $24

million for airing children’s soap operas to comply

with federal educational programming requirement.

79 th annual Academy Awards - some winners:

Week of February 22, 2007

Best picture - “The Departed”

Best actor - Forest Whitaker - “The Last King of Scotland’

Best actress - Helen Mirren - “The Queen”

Best supporting actor - Alan Arkin - “Little Miss

Sunshine”

Best supporting actress - Jennifer Hudson -

“Dreamgirls”

Best director - Martin Scorsese - “The

Departed”

Top TV -

Academy Awards - 20.17

American Idol on Wednesday - 20.46

America Idol on Tuesday - 20.53

Grey’s Anatomy -27.39

Road To Oscars - 27.10

American Idol on Thursday - 24.44

CSI - 21.78

CSI: Miami on Monday - 19.23

Deal or No Deal on Monday - 17.62

Two and a Half Men - 16.56

Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special - 15.45

NCIS - 14.53

Barbara Walters Special - 14.53

Shark - 14.19

Heroes - 14.06

Rules of engagement - 13.86

Criminal Minds - 13.20

CSI NY - 13.62

Survivor: Fiji - 13.45

24- 13.05

Lost - 12.95

Law & Order: SVU - 11.93

The Unit - 11.20

Numbers - 11.02

Television news -

On Saturday Night Live - Rainn Wilsom with

musical guests arcade Fire.

Grey’s Anatomy will get a spin-off series starting

one of the series’ doctors - Seattle Grace, played

by Kate Walsh. Look for it in May.