Week of January 8, 2008

New Hampshire primary - Hillary beats Obama, McCain beats Romney.

Campaign - Hillary Rodham Clinton launches an attack against Barack Obama,

suggesting his opposition to the Iraq war is all talk and little action.

President Bush says that the U.S. is on track to bring home at least 20,000

troops from Iraq by summer. He emphasized that he is willing to halt slow the

action “in order to make sure we succeed.”

The Bush administration postpones a controversial law requiring Americans to

carry tamper-proof driver’s licenses, delaying its final implementation by five

years.

More Iraq - A bobby trop kills 6 U.S solders in a house.

U.S. and Iraqi forces discover an elaborate insurgent base complete with two

tunnels hidden amid the orange and palm groves of Diyala province.

Reeling from his New Hampshire defeat - Mitt Romney suspends TV advertising

in South Carolina and Florida.

President Bush completes two days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian

leaders without a firm commitment from Israel to halt expansion of West Bank

settlements or give the Palestinians a bigger role in policing the territory.

O.J. Simpson is taken into custody in Florida and will spend several days in a

Las Vegas jail before he hears allegations that he violated terms of his bail in an

armed robbery case.

GM unveils a Hummer HX and Saab 9-4X that run on ethanol.

Bear Sterns Cos. Chief executive

James Cayne resigns under

pressure from shareholders - upset

over the firm’s losses amid a slew

of problems sparked by the sub-

prime mortgage crisis.

Internet holiday spending climbs

19% during the recent season - the

slowest pace on record. Online

Week of January 8, 2008

spending in November and December reached $29.2 billion.

Passing - Sir Edmund Hillary - first man to scale Mt. Everest. He was 88.

Passing - Carl Karcher - founder of Carl’s Jr. hamburger outlets. He was 90.

Passing - Johnny Grant - honorary mayor of Hollywood and presided over all

those Hollywood star ceremonies. Johnny’s a former Los Angeles DJ as well.

Technology -

Sony BMG plans to sell digital music without copyright protection through

Amazon, stepping up competition between the Internet retailer and Apple’s

iTunes.

A grand jury is investigating the death of a Missouri teenager who hanged herself

after a cruel MySpace hoax. The “boyfirend” was really a neighbor who was the

mother of one of the girl’s former friends. So far, no charges have been filed

against Lori Drew - who wanted to monitor what the teen was saying about her

daughter. The dead girl - Megan Meir hung herself after receiving cruel

messages - allegedly from the hoax.

Sports - Olympian sprinter Marion Jones gets

six months in prison and two years of community

service for lying about steroid use and her

involvement in a check-fraud scheme.

Alex Ovechklin signs a $124 million, 13-year

contract extension with the Washington Capitols

- the first $100 million deal in NHL history.

Golden Globe Awards - some winners -

Best picture drama - “Atonement”

Best actor drama - Daniel Day-Lewis - There

Will Be Blood”

Best actress drama - Julie Christie - “Away

From Her”

Best picture comedy - “Sweeney Todd

Best actor comedy - Johnny Depp - “Sweeney

Todd”

Best actress comedy - Marion Contillard - “la

Vie en rose

Television series drama - “”Mad Men”

Actor in TV drama - Jon Hamm - “Mad Men”

Week of January 8, 2008

Actress in TV drama - Glen Close - “Damages”

Best comedy series - “Extras

Actor in TV comedy - David Duchnovy - “Californiacation”

Actress in TV comedy - Tina Fey - “30 Rock”

Mr. Blackwell dishes out his list -

Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is at the top of his worst-dressed list - his 48 th .

Mr. Blackwell says it’s all in fun to encourage fashion consciousness, but said

about Beckham - “forget the fashion spice, wearing a skirt would suffice.” Others

who made the list - Amy Winehouse, Mary Kate Olsen, Fergie, Kelly Clarkson,

Eva Green, Avril Lavigne, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and Alison Arngrim.

Music news -

Ayo performs on David Letterman this week.

Rapper Beanie Sigel is found guilty on a second probation violation for taking a

trip to Atlantic City form Philly and for being in contact with a convicted felon.

He’ll serve a day in federal prison and his probation, set to end next month, will

be extended 18 months.

Season 5 “American Idol’

winner Taylor Hicks and Arista

Records are parting ways. His

debut album, released at the

end of 2006 sold 699,000

copies and he’s still working on

his second album. Season 6

winner Jordan Sparks has not

set the world on fire - either.

Her debut album, released in

November, is the lowest for any

Idol winner this far. Her first

week sold 110,000 copies.

Television news -

Post writer’s strike - HBO’s Bill

Maher returns.

New show - “Terminator - The

Sarah Connor Chronicles” on Fox!

Week of January 8, 2008

Thursday night - On NBC - Jimmy Kimmel appears on Jay Leno’s “Tonight.”

After that - turn the dial to ABC - as Jay Leno appears on Jimmy Kimmel’s show!

Gotta love it!

Regis and Kelly - Howie Mandel co-hosts

with Kelly Rippa all this week.

On Oprah - Thursday -Oprah searches for

the best pizza in the U.S.

NBC loses the rights to broadcast the

Golden Globes this week - in a little tiff with

Dick Clark Productions, who wanted NBC to

pay a “nominal license” fee for its coverage. The network is considering breach of

contract action.

On VH-1 - “Celebrity Rehap” With Dr. Drew (Pinsky).

At the movies -

The Bucket List (debut - $18 million at the box office)

June

First Sunday

National Tresure: Book of Secrets

Alvin and the Chipmunks

I Am Legend

Atonement

The Pirates Who don’t Do Anything

P.S. I love You

Charlie Wilson’s War

Hot hits this week in 2008 -

SOULJA GIRL- Soulja Boy

WON'T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU- Maroon 5

LOW- Flo Rida

PIECE OF ME- Britney Spears

TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR (POP RADIO REMIX)- Taylor Swift

SEE YOU AGAIN- Miley Cyrus

BREAK ANOTHA- Blake Lewis

DON'T STOP THE MUSIC- Rihanna

HYPNOTIZED- Plies fea. Akon

BABY, DON'T GO- Fabolous

SHADOW OF THE DAY- Linkin Park

BEST DAYS- Matt White