Week of October 15, 2007

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin arrives in Tehran amid a swirl of speculation

about whether Moscow would follow or reject Western plans to pressure Iran

over its nuclear program.

Pakistan - What was supposed to be a joyous homecoming turned into tragedy

for former Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto as a pair of blasts rip through the crowd

surrounding her convoy in Karachi - killing more than 125 people.

Pakistan - Benazir Bhutto steps out in

public for the first time since a bloody attack

on her homecoming celebrations, saying,

“We will not be deterred.”

Scores of homes are lost in S. California

near Malibu (again) in yet another brush fire.

President Bush announces an overhaul

intended to streamline procedures and

provide new support for families. The plan

changes the way injured military personnel

are evaluated and compensated. The

overhaul simplifies the system and adds new

family assistance.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

wraps up her Middle East shuttle diplomacy

tour. Israel seems more at ease as she agreed with most of Jerusalem’s

demands. Earlier she said militant group Hamas had no role in peace talks.

China lashes out at President Bush’s White House meeting with the Dalai Lama

- arguing that it would seriously damage relations between Washington and

Beijing. They called on the U.S. to cancel plans to honor the famous Tibetan

figure with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Republican Mitt Romney has spent more money - $52 million and aired more TV

ads - than any other candidate has - so far.

Some best-selling books -

Run - Ann Patchet

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Playing for Pizza - John Grisham

Exit Ghost - Philip Roth

The Nine - Jeffrey Toobin

Week of October 15, 2007

The Age of Turbulence - Alan Greenspan

The Coldest Winter - David Halberstam

The Zookeeper’s Wife - Diane Ackerman

Radio news -

Rush Limbaugh says he has raised $2

million for charity by auctioning of a letter

signed by 41 Democratic senators that

criticized his on-air comments about US.

soldiers

Sports -

Crackdown on scalping - The New

England Patriots win a bid to get the

names of al the fans who bought or sold,

or tried to buy or sell tickets to home

games through online ticket reseller

StubHub. A lawsuit claimed that the

website encouraged fans to break state

law and violate team policies.

Joe Torre is leaving the Yankees as

manager. He refused to take a $2.5 million

paycut - down to $5.5 million.

Technology -

Web show - MySpace has co-developed a new scripted series, “Roomates” that

debuts this week.

Facebook ends an investigation by New York’s attorney general by agreeing to

changes designed to shield minors from porno images and improper advances

from adults.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs says that the company would let outside

developers create software for its iPhone and iPod Touch gadgets.

A coalition of major media and Internet companies issue a set of guidelines for

handling copyright-protected videos on large user-generated such as MySpace.

The guidelines would require sites to use filtering technology to block copyrighted

clips from being posted without permission. The incentive for the coalition’s

websites and others to comply is the media companies promise not to sue of any

copyrighted material sneaks past their best efforts to block it.

Week of October 15, 2007

AOL says it is slashing some 2,000 jobs worldwide to reduce costs.

Entertainment news -

Chris Pine will play the young James Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” movie. Karl

urban will take on the role of Dr. Leonard McCoy. Leonard Nimoy will appear as

an older version of the Vulcan.

Passing - Actress Deborah Kerr She was

86.

Passing - Joey Bishop (89) - Last of the Rat

Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin Sammy

David Jr. and Peter Lawford.

Passing - Teresa Brewer - Pop song artist

of the 1950’s.

Music news -

Musician Kid Rock is arrested after a fight in

a Waffle House restaurant just days after he

scored his first No. 1 album - “Rock N Roll

Jesus” on the U.S. pop charts.

Led Zeppelin’s eight original albums will now be made available to all major

download retailers, as will the live collections “the Song Remains the Same” and

“How the West Was Won. The Beatles are now the last major act to still not have

its catalog available digitally (on line).

Looks like the Spice Girls’ greatest hits CD will go on sale - but at Victoria’s

Secret stores and on the company’s website. It’ll be released nationwide two

months later.

Television news -

The Fox Business Channel launches this week!

On “Grey’s Anatomy” - Meredith is positive that her mother’s ashes are haunting

her.

On “Saturday Night Live” - Bron James with musical guest - Kanye West.

Three episodes are all as “Online Nation,” a YouTube inspired clip show is

canceled by the CW.

Week of October 15, 2007

Filmmaker George Lucas says he has “just begun work’ on a live-action

television series rooted in the “Star Wars” universe.

Ellen DeGeneres sobs on her TV show about a private rescue group that is

taking back a puppy she had adopted and then passed on the family of her

hairstylist

At the movies -

30 Days of Night

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?

The Game Plan

Michael Clayton

The Comebacks

Gone Baby Gone

We Own the Night

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before

Christmas

Rendition

The Heartbreak Kid

Hot hits this week in 2007 -

APOLOGIZE (TIMBALAND REMIX)- One

Republic

CLUMSY- Fergie

CRANK THAT- Soulja Boy

HATE THAT I LOVE YOU- Ne Yo &

Rihanna

TATTOO- Jordin Sparks

INTO THE NIGHT- Santana & Chad

Kroeger

CYCLONE- Baby Bash

YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

HAIL TO THE GEEK- Deaf Pedestrians

STRONGER- Kanye West

BUBBLY- Colbie Caillat

AYO TECHNOLOGY- 50 Cent

BED- J. Holiday

TAKE YOU THERE- Sean Kingston

SORRY- Buckcherry

LIGHT UP THE SKY- Yellowcard

MAKE ME BETTER- Fabolous fea. Ne-Yo

BARTENDER- T'Pain

LOVESTONED- Justin Timberlake