Week of May 23, 2008

Israeli troops kill five Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

The Phoenix spacecraft - the first craft designed to taste the water of Mars -

lands there and sends back photos.

Federal regulators are investigating whether large institutional funds that have

been snapping up futures contracts for oil and other commodities may have

skewed the market and contributed to rising pump prices.

Army Gen. David Petraeus gives Congress a “better” assessment of the Iraq war

- saying violence has hit a four-year low and troop reductions are likely this fall.

Campaigning - Hillary Rodham

Clinton is in Puerto Rico - telling

the crowd - “I want to see Puerto

Rico’s status resolved within my

first term.” Singer Ricky Martin -

once a Bush fan, crosses over and

becomes a Hillary fan.

John McCain tells a crowd in

Montana of the success in Iraq,

saying - “We have drawn down to pre-surge levels.”

In Nevada - Sen. John McCain offers Barack Obama to travel with him to Iraq to

help him gain a better understanding of the war and the consequences of

withdrawing troops.

Officials suspend all crane operations throughout New York City while they

investigate the cause of the latest crane collapse which killed two construction

workers and badly injured a third.

Dr. David Scheiner of Chicago - Barack Obama’s doctor says he is in excellent

health and is medically fit to serve as president.

The Texas Supreme Court said the state had no right to take more than 400

children from a polygamist compound last month - and opens the door for the

children to be re-united with their families.

Barack Obama says that he accepted rival Hillary Rodham Clinton’s explanation

that she made an innocent gaffe in citing the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

in 1968 as a justification for continuing her longshot bid for the democratic

presidential nomination.

Week of May 23, 2008

Games - hot - Wii (Nintendo’s) new fitness game - Wii Fit.

Mattel and MGA Entertainment are going to curt over the popular Bratz line of

dolls, which Mattel says, was developed by someone working there at the time.

The designer, Carter Byant, defected in 2000 to MGA - which introduced the

Bratz girls in 2001.

Fast forward to December 8,

2008….

Toy giant Mattel Inc., after a four-

year legal dispute with MGA

Entertainment Inc., touted its win

in the case after a federal judge

banned MGA from making and

selling its pouty-lipped and hugely

popular Bratz dolls.

“It’s a pretty sweeping victory,”

Mattel attorney Michael Zeller said.

“They have no right to use Bratz

for any goods or services at all.”

U.S. District Judge Stephen

Larson rocked the toy industry with

his order that MGA must immediately stop manufacturing Bratz….

The decision was a stunning defeat for MGA, which exploded onto the tween scene in

2001 with the edgy dolls and made hundreds of millions in profits, giving Mattel’s more

classic doll-diva Barbie a run for her money….

Mattel has fought to neutralize the Bratz line for years. The dolls — with their huge lips,

pug noses, almond-shaped eyes and coquettish figures — were an instant hit with young

girls. MGA had taken Bryant’s original four dolls and spun out a line of more than 40

characters, complete with accessories and related toys such as Bratz Boyz, Bratz Petz

and Baby Bratz…. The judge’s injunction named all 40 dolls in the Bratz line, including

the four originals — Yasmine, Chloe, Sasha and Jade.

Bill Gates $37 billion foundation is buying shares of Vitec Group - the British

broadcast-equipment maker.

“Buket” - the famous YouTube video tagger is really Cyrus Yazdani - a college

grad with a job as a convention planner in Las Vegas. But Buket has several

YouTubes show him defacing road signs in Los Angeles.

Media -

Dunkin’ Donuts pulls an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after

complaints that a fringed black-and-white scarf the celebrity chef ore in the ad

Week of May 23, 2008

offers symbolic support for Muslim extremism and terrorism. Some say the scarf

that is wrapped around her, looks like a kaffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress.

Entertainment -

Jennifer Butler Murray - wife of comedian and actor Bill Murray - files for divorce

after nearly 11 years of marriage.

Some 31.7 million viewers tuned into the “American Idol” finale as David Cook

won an upset over David Archuleta.

Passing - Sydney Pollack -

Academy Award winning director.

He was 73.

Passing - Dick Martin - of Rowan

and Martin fame.

Passing - Barbara “Bobo”

Rockefeller - a coal minor’s

daughter and one-time actress

whose Cinderella wedding of the

century to millionaire Winthrop

Rockefeller in1948 caused a

sensation.

Music news -

Steve Tyler - lead of Aerosmith is in a rehab facility after his recent foot surgery.

The Flamingo in Las Vegas cancels the remaining shows of Toni Braxton”

Revealed” so she can focus on her health. She was hospitalized after

complaining of chest pains last month.

Do you remember pop singer Jewel? She’s sold over 25 million albums, but

she’s about to release a new one - this time - country! Look for Perfectly Clear”

on June 3.

Paul McCartney is awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Yale

University.

Passing - Jimmy McGriff - blues organist. He was 72.

Week of May 23, 2008

New York Gov. David Paterson grants a full and unconditional pardon to rapper

Ricky “Slick Rick” Walters for the attempted murders of two men in 1991.

Saturday night television -

CBS - Vinegar Hill, 48 Hours Mystery

NBC - Most Outrageous Moments, Last Comic Standing, Saturday Night Live

ABC - Eastern Conference Basketball

Fox - Cops, America’s Most Wanted

MTV - America’s Next Top Model, The Real World, A Shot At Love with Tila

Tequila

Nick - iCarley, Naked Brothers Dance, Drake & Josh

Last Comic Standing - Richard Belzer and

Najimy.

Saturday Night Live - Ashton Kutcher.

Television news -

NBC Universal pulls the plug on Spanish

morning show “Cada Dia.”

Passing - Earle H. Hagen - wrote “The Andy

Griffith Show” theme.

Actress Denise Richards and mother Diana

Lohan - each are launching reality TV shows

on E!

At the movies -

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Casplan

Iron Man

What Happens in Vegas

Speed Racer

Made of Honor

Baby Mama

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Week of May 23, 2008