Week of January 8, 2006

President Bush criticizes “irresponsible debate” in the U.S. over the war in Iraq

where he says political progress has been made.

A U.S. helicopter with 12 passengers and crewmembers crashes in Northern Iraq

killing all on board.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay indicted last fal,l abandons his plans

to regain his leadership post.

Florida International University in Miami

are charged as Cuban spies - doing the

deed for more than two decades. The

FBI says they have been sending Fidel

Castro’s intelligence agency encrypted

reports about American officials.

A stampede at Hajj, - one of Islam’s

holiest sites crushes 345 worshipers to

death in Cairo.

In Washington - President Bush meets

with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

and both are united against an Iranian nuclear program.

Iraqi insurgents shoot down an Army helicopter, killing two U.S. pilots.

A man shouting “I will kill!” rushed into a downtown Moscow synagogue and

stabbed eight before he was wrestled to the ground. Three were seriously

injured.

Confirmation hearing - as senate Democrats turn up the heat on Supreme Court

nominee Samuel Alito Jr. At question - his abortion views and his ties to a

conservative alumni group.

OfficeMax says it will close 110 retail superstores across the U.S.

Toys R Us says it will close 87 stores in the coming months as part of its

reorganization plan.

Week of January 8, 2006

Sports -

New England Patriots defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars - 28-3 and over in the

NFC - Washington beats Tampa Bay - 17-10.

Corp. A TV commercial promoting the new IMacs and MacBook Pro says Intel

processors have been “freed” from being “trapped inside PCs - dull little boxes -

performing dull little tasks.”

The DOW pushes past the 11,000 mark for the first time in more than four years.

It’s all time high (so far) was 11,722.98 in January of 2000.

Entertainment news-

Starbucks and Lionsgate Entertainment announce a partnership to promote the

release of the studio’s “Akeelah and the Bee.” Starbucks plans to promote the

movie, its DVD and its soundtrack in its 5,500 North American stores and will

share the profits. It’s the first time Starbucks is promoting a movie.

TV Guide’s newsstand sales

increased 38% after the magazine

was redesigned The company sold

an average of 400,000 copies a

week since the publication

switched to a larger format

guide in smaller format).

Oprah Winfrey comes to the

defense of embattled author

James Frey, whose bestselling

memoir has come under fire.

Apparently, there are big holes in

“A Million Little Pieces” as the

website smokinggun.com revealed

last week. They called into

question the veracity of key

moments, particularly altercations

with the police in Frey’s purported

retelling of his past drug abuse

and rehabilitation. Winfrey

selected Frey’s memoir for her readers’ club in October.

Week of January 8, 2006

Howard Stern takes to the airwaves at his new home - Sirius Satellite Radio. He

really let it out as he said the F-word some 77 times, cursed God’s name nine

times and used the n-word several times.

The Da Vinci Code is finally coming out in paperback. Originally published three

years ago, publisher Double Day says the book did so well in hardbound, that it

didn’t bother with paperback until now.

Music news -

UPN seems to be doing well with Chris Rock’s

“Everybody Hates Chris” and may do a series

loosely based on her childhood. Keys (24) was

born to a white mother and black father, who

split up when she was 2. Her mom raised her

in Hell’s Kitchen (NY) where she learned to

play classical piano beginning at age 6.

Eminem and his

ex-wife, Kim

Mathers have re-

applied for a

license to marry.

They had married

in 1999 and divorced in 2001. His name is Marshall

Bruce Mathers III.

Sony Music is launching a new label - “Music With

A Twist” and the twist is - it’s the first major music

label dedicated to nurturing lesbian, gay, bisexual

and transgender artists.

Television news -

Looks like “The Office” - about the world’s most embarrassing boss - is doing

great in the ratings as last week, the show was seen by more people than ever.

Catch it Thursday nights on NBC.

New on Oxygen - “Campus Ladies - about two fortysomething women going to

college. Also - “The Janice Dickinson Project” - a fiftysomethng supermodel who

starts up her own agency. According to programming president Debby Beece -

“Oxygen loves bold and unconventional women.”

Week of January 8, 2006

Monday night television -

CBS - King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Out of

Practice, CSI: Miami, Late Show, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

NBC - Surface, Las Vegas, Medlum, Tonight, Conan O’Brien

ABC - Wife Swap, Emily’s Reasons Why Not Jake in progress, the bachelor,

Nightline, Jimmy Kimmel Live

Fox - House,

UPN - One on One, All of Us, Girlfriends, half & Half

PBS - Frontline, Tavis Smiley, Charile Rose

WE - Race to the Altar, Women on death Row

MTV - MTV Cribs, Next, Real World, There & Back, My Own

Court TV - Beach Patrol, Forensic Files, North Mission, Dominick Dunne: Power,

Privilege & Justice

and Nathan Lane guest.

David Letterman - Albert Brooks and

Krisin Cavallari.

Conan O’Brien - John Leguizamo,

John Tesh.

At the movies -

Hostel

The Chronicles of Narnia

King Kong

Fun With Dick and Jane

Cheaper by the dozen 2

Munich

Memoirs of Geisha

Rumor has It…

Brokeback Mountain

The Family Stone

Week of January 8, 2006