Week of September 8, 2007

In talks with Shiite militia - The media reports that U.S. diplomats and military

officers have been in talks with members of the armed movement loyal to

Muqtada Sadr - a sharp reversal of policy.

Frances Townsend - President Bush’s domestic security advisor - dismisses Al

Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden as “virtually impotent.”

President Bush says that improved security in Iraq would allow him to begin

bringing troops home - adopting a proposal by Gen Petracus to withdraw some

forces.

Hurricane Humberto strengthens from a tropical depression to a category 1

hurricane and lands in Texas - near Beaumont.

Alex the parrot - who knew more than 100 words and could count to six and do

other amazing feats has died. He was 31.

President Bush grants historian and fellow Texan Robert Draper cooperation for

a biography.

Appearing in a video message for the first time in nearly three years, Osama bin

Laden tells the American people to reject their capitalist way of life and embrace

Islam to end the Iraq war or his followers will “escalate the killing and fighting

against you.”

relieve pain from pinched nerves in her neck and

she’s OK.

Unemployment is on the rise - the first outright

decline since 2003.

Sports - Under scrutiny - Details are emerging

about the champion New England patriots’

breaking league rules by secretly videotaping the

defensive signals of the rival New York Jets last

Sunday.

Technology -

Google says it will sponsor the Google Lunar X

Prize which would award as much as $30 million

in prizes for landing unmanned rovers on the

Week of September 8, 2007

moon and having them perform certain tasks. The founders always said they

were not running a conventional company!

TV producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick say they will produce 36

eight-minute episodes of “quarterfile” that will debut in November on MySpace.

The series revolves around six creative people in their 20’s, with a plot that

includes an “overly truthful” video blog.

AOL is dropping a year-old “social news” component in which visitors submitted

news stores and blog entries and voted on them to determine how they’re ranked

on the site.

Passing - Actress Jane Wyman (90).

Music news -

The big news - Britney Spears’ appearance

at the MTV Music Awards. Is she losing it?

She wore a sparkly black bikini and

performed “Gimme More.” It was supposed to

be a comeback for the pop queen.

He’s hot - Justin Timberlake cleans up at the

MTV Video Music Awards and to boot, he

also received his first Emmy. This as his

former mate Britney Spears seems to be

spiraling out of control Timberlake’s record

producer is Timberland.

The Grateful Dead, the Doors, Led Zeppelin and Carlos Santana ask a judge to

force a music archive to turn over thousands of documents and recordings they

say are key to their fight over memorabilia and music rights The Bill Graham

Archive, sued by the musicians last year for alleged copyright and trademark

infringement, failed to turn over about half the documents it was ordered to

produce.

MTV’s Video Music Awards attracted 7.1 million viewers up 23% from last year.

Rachelle Spector (27) - wife of Phil Spector is scolded by the judge overseeing

the murder trial of her husband - for publicly talking about the case. Meanwhile

this week - the trial had ended and goes to jury.

Week of September 8, 2007

Another “Duets” album -

this time - Reba McEntire

and friends such as Kelly

Clarkson, Vince Gill, Don

Henely, Carole King, Kenny

Chesney and Justin

Timberlake.

Britney Spears on MTV

this week (see above).

Television news -

Oprah Winfrey has the

father and sister of slain

Ronald Goldman (OJ) on

her show this week. At issue - OJ Simpson’s “If I Did It” book.

On the movie - TV producers Greer Shephard and Michael Robin who produce

the quirky “The Closer” and “Nip/Tuck.”

At the movies -

3:10 to Yuma

Halloween

Superbad

Shoot ‘Em Up

The Bourne Ultimatum

Balls of Fury

Rush Hour 3

Mr. Bean’s Holiday

The Nanny Diaries

Stardust

Week of September 8, 2007