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 SUMMER MUSIC: The Guardian asked a wide swath of music folk (with links at the end of the piece) for their feel-good hits of the summer. Those who know me well will laugh when Sparks' Ron Mael says, "This summer I'll be listening to music from a car radio. Summertime is driving time and only music from a car radio is permissible (preferably AM music). You should be barely able to hear the radio due to the wind noise from your convertible top being down." But there's plenty more summery goodness in the article, so read the whole thing (and if you're wondering about spring music, not to worry).
ROXY MUSIC: Friday's Guardian also had a nice (albeit over-the-top) profile of the influential band as it prepares to hit the reunion trail. U2 BACKED LEONARD COHEN at a tiny club gig last week. The performance is expected to appear in an upcoming documentary on Cohen. THE BOREDOMS: The Japanese art-rock/noise-punk band whose drummer is name-checked for the Flaming Lips' "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," is profiled by Jim DeRogatis. ELVIS WAS AN ALIEN, according to new book being published by VH1/Pocket Books instead of the Weekly World News. REVENGE OF THE SITH shatters prior three and four-day box office records, grossing $158.5 million throught the weekend. Indeed, the flick raked in a record 50 million bucks on Thursday, with 16.5 million just from the midnight screenings.  BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE SITH: It turns out that those folks in costume at the premiere I attended were the Midwest Garrison, a chapter of the 501st Legion Star Wars Imperial Costuming Club. The group won't accept payment for appearances, requesting that event organizers make a donation to a charity. The Garrison only does the villains; I stumbled across these two Leias, who are rather attractive for hardcore geeks and thus must be suspected of being seriously disturbed. Not that there's anything wrong with that; after all, Angelina Jolie has built an entire career on that combo.
...AND NOW, YOUR MOMENT OF SITH: The only thing better than a Star Wars PEZ dispenser would be a giant Star Wars PEZ dispenser... that holds a dozen whole packs of PEZ! DOCTOR JONES is finally going after the Lost Ark of the Covenant. I guess it's not in that big warehouse. I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE, I see Saddam Hussein filing some lawsuits. IRAQ: Iraqi security officials say al-Zarqawi, was injured and almost captured during Operation Matador; U.S. intelligence officials say they have heard reports about al-Zarqawi being injured, but they have been unable to confirm them. FWIW, an Iraqi blogger reports that a source from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense told the Al-Watan Saudi newspaper yesterday that members from the Syrian army have joined the insurgents in Al-Qaiem against the US and Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Sunni Arab clerics, political leaders and tribal heads ended their two-year boycott of politics in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq on Saturday, uniting in a Sunni bloc that they said would help draft the country's new constitution and compete in elections. IRAQ II: Seven Iraqi battalions, backed by U.S. forces, launched an offensive in Baghdad on Sunday, targeting those who have attacked the dangerous road to Baghdad's airport and Abu Ghraib prison. Separately, Iraqi security forces captured Ismail Budair Ibrahim al-Obeidi, allegedly close to the network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on Tuesday.  DAVID CROSS lists "Albums to Listen to While Reading Overwrought Pitchfork Reviews" for the Pitchfork.
ALICE COOPER AND CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST have something in common. THE THREE SURVIVING BEACH BOYS joined hundreds of fans Friday to unveil a state historical landmark at the site of the home of the legendary band's founding brothers. THE STOOGES will be performing their 1970 classic, Fun House, at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in the UK. No word on ay U.S. dates. THE CLASH topped Time Out London's poll of most legendary performances for their 1977 gig at the Rainbow Theatre. The band were supported by the other notorious punk bands of the time - The Jam, Buzzcocks, Subway Sect and The Prefects.  BRADGELINA UPDATE: People at advance screenings of Mr. & Mrs. Smith say Jennifer Aniston never had a chance.
WHICH IS MORE SAD? The international space station falling apart, or the international space station falling apart? BLOGS may be overhyped, but cannot be ignored, according to Business 2.0 THE HUFF-PO: As The Huffington Post does not allow readers to comment on the celebloggers' entries, it's nice that Arianna has Greg Gutfeld acting as the fifth columnist. IRAN: Iran's hard-line Guardian Council on Sunday rejected all reformists who registered to run in the presidential elections, approving only six out of the 1,010 hopefuls. I suppose that's news. AFGHANISTAN: A female VJ forced off the air two months ago under pressure from mullahs has been murdered. MONGOLIA: The current election seems cleaner than the last one. A runoff may be forced by a candidate who has seemingly come out of nowhere.  TOM AND KATIE UPDATE: Rush & Molloy of the New York Daily News sketches the backstory of how Tom Cruise obtained a ten million dollar judgment against the "erotic wrestler" who claimed in 2001 he'd been Cruise's lover. Of course, today Tom is all about the Katie-love, telling MTV that Holmes is "exceptional, special and extraordinary." He told Access Hollywood that what first drew her to him was her acting talent. No doubt.
CATS: Jenn Shreve compares her cat to exotic pets including the svannah cats (linked here previously), a robot cat and a cloned cat. And cute kitties are forced into brutal competetion at Kitten War. DOGS: A St. Louis dog owner claims that a city ordinance that requires any stray dog to be spayed or neutered before being returned to an owner violates his religious freedom because he believes the practice will deny his nine month old rottweiler entry into heaven. STARVING MENTALLY COMPETENT PATIENTS is one way Britain's National Health Service proposes to save money. ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND: The Vienna Beef Co. and Alpha Baking Co., which manufactures S. Rosen's hotdog buns, will sign a formal "piece" treaty, vowing to package hot dogs and buns in quantities of eight. ROBOT RACERS: DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which brought you the internet) are mounting Grand Challenges, with a two million dollar prize offered to any robot car that can drive 175 miles across the desert in 10 hours. The purpose of the event is to further research into what the Department of Defense calls "autonomous ground vehicles that will help save American lives on the battlefield.'' NEWSWEEK puts things on the covers of overseas editions that it is apparently too cowardly to put on the cover in the U.S. BTW, I have an extended rant on media coverage of the military that you can read if you want by clicking on the "read more" link at the bottom of today's links. Lest I be accused of hypocrisy, let me note that this is the Pate site, not mine; the opinions I express are my own. Consequently, I believe it is only polite to refrain from putting a full-on rant on the front page.  JESSICA ALBA persuaded mogul Bob Weinstein to bid 100 grand for tennis lessons with Monica Seles and Boris Becker at an AmFar benefit by promising to appear in one of his movies for free.
LINDA BLAIR used to channel Satan. These days, she's rhyming like the Johnny Cochran. Not sayin', just sayin. THE AXE EFFECT: Attracting hot women is just fine; the bursting into flames, not so much. THE PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT will decide whether a sperm donor is obligated to pay child support. OUT: SINGLES BARS; In: Home Depot. ANOTHER DAY, another cheerleading coach arrested in Orlando for allegedly trying to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. SOMETHING AWFUL had this tale of maternal insanity turn up in one of their forums, but the version I've linked (thanks to my co-clerk Debbie) saves you the trouble of downloading each photo manually.
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