Week of September 1, 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi

in Libya - in a gracious meeting.

Iraq - Touted by President Bush as a sign of U.S. success In Iraq - U.S. forces

hand control of security in Anbar province to the Iraqis.

John McCain and Sarah Palin meet with hurricane officials in Jackson,

Mississippi to get a briefing on preparations for the expected landing of Gustav.

McCain praised the coordination he had witnessed. “I have every expectation

that we will not see mistakes of Katrina repeated,” said McCain.

As Hurricane Gustav nears the Gulf Coast - it’s estimated that 95% of S.

Louisiana has fled - and New Orleans is again - a ghost town.

Hurricane Gustav hits Louisiana with winds and storm surges, but New Orleans

is spared.

This is the week - when Sarah Palin makes her national debut and everyone it

seems, is waiting to hear her speech!

Unemployment hits 6.1% - the highest in five years - in what is sure to be a

major point in the Obama campaign.

At the Republican National Convention in

St. Paul - John McCain vows to forge a

government focused on problem-solving

rather than party labels. Sarah Palin makes

her much-anticipated speech. She cast

herself as a victim of hostile reporting and

scorn - and mixed an account of domestic

life with barbed attacks against the other

party.

More than 37 million tuned in to watch

Sarah Palin’s speech at the Republican

National Convention this week - almost as

many as watched Barack Obama accept the

Democratic presidential nomination last

week.

Some best-selling books -

Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pic Society - Mary Ann Shafer

Week of September 1, 2008

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

When You Are Engulfed in flames - David Sedaris

The Obama Nation - Jerome R. Corsi

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

Goodnight Bush - Erich Origen

Passing - Reporter Ike Pappas (75). He reported the shooting

death of Lee Harvey Oswald on radio - when he was with

WNEW radio - back in 1963 - as it happened.

Technology -

Google releases a new web browser - Chrome. Here’s a look

at the top Internet Browsers -

Internet Explorer - has 72.15% of the market

Firefox - 19.73%

Safari - 6.37%

Opera - .74%

Netscape - .72%

Others - .27%

Entertainment -

Oil rich Arab Emirate Abu Dhabi launches a production company to make moves

and digital content in partnership with other film makers.

Passing - Don LaFontaine (68) - who literally began

and “owned” the movie trailer business. LaFontaine will

always be - the first and last name in movie trailers -

with one of the greatest-ever voices - ever - to be

heard in the media. His trademark introductory phrase

- “In a world…” is pop culture history at its best.

Music - Jack Osbourne - says in Rolling Stone, that

he’s making a documentary about his dad - Ozzy

Osbourne.

Usher will perform the NFL season’s kickoff concert in

New York’s Columbus Circle with Keith Urban and

Natasha Bedingfield. The concert will be held just

before the season opener when the Washington

Redskins take on the Super Bowl champs - New York Giants.

Passing - Jerry Reed. He was 71.

Week of September 1, 2008

Their first album since 1984 -

New Kids on the Block are back

- with “The Block.”

Top TV -

America’s Got Talent - 11.12

million viewers

Deal or No deal (Mon.) - 11.00

America’s Got Talent (Wed.) - 10.34

Two and a Half Men - 9.03

60 Minutes - 8.03

NCIS - 7.45

America’s Toughest Jobs - 7.30

Criminal Minds - 6.93, House - 6.81

The New Adventures of Old Christine - 6.63

Democratic National Convention (Tu.) - 6.58

Wipeout - 6.32

Big Brother 10 (Tue.) - 6.28

Trend? -

Offbeat - TNT will air - 2-minute

micro-series called “ Blank Slate ” - a

20 episode crime thriller which will

debut Sept. 9 and will air for two

consecutive weeks. Each is two-

minutes in length!

The Jerry Lewis telethon raised a

record $65 million for the Muscular

Dystrophy Assn. over Labor Day.

Movie news - “The Dark Night” hits the $500 million gross mark - second to the

all-timer - “Titanic.”

At the movies -

Tropic Thunder

Babylon A.D.

The Dark Knight

The House Bunny

Traitor

Death Race

Disaster Movie