THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with CALEXICO! Live at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on October 15, 2008.  The setlist spans their career, not leaning heavily on their current album Carried To Dust -- and including their killer rendition of Love's "Alone Again Or," which I touted just last week.

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN: Lead guitarist and songwriter Will Knauer tals to Teen Ink, and it's amusing beyond the mere idea of it.

RA RA RIOT stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR, where they are likened to "Spoon with strings."

LOST ALBUMS that shouldn't be found, according to Seattle Weekly.

BEST OF 2008: Largehearted Boy is doing his usual yeoman's work compiling the list of lists.

THE TOP 40 VIDEOS OF 2008, according to Pitchfork. I'm singling out the Mountain Goats' "Sax Rohmer #1" because they probably should have been on last week's Faves list. RELATED: John Darnielle talks to Australia's Courier-Mail about the importance of a work ethic.

THE ANNUALS are finally "breaking" at Rolling Stone.  Video at the link.

DRESSY BESSY: Tammy Ealom talks about the importance of finding the right drummer.

PITCHFORK & FADER have entered a new strategic content and ad sales partnership.

CUTOUT BIN: From the Bonzo Doo Dah Dog Band to Manfred Mann's Earth Band, from The Clash to Ricky Nelson, from Iggy Pop to The Osmonds, from X to the Bay City Rollers, The Only Ones, Blitzen Trapper, Marvin Gaye and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds can be jukeboxed or streamed separately via the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This weekend's only wide release is Punisher: War Zone, which is currently scoring 19 percent on the ol' Tomatometer.  However, hundreds of screens will be showing Nobel Son, which is currently scoring 27 percent; and Cadillac Records, the Chess Records pic that is scoring 62 percent.

ANNE HECHE and her beau, actor James Tupper, are expecting their first child together.

JENNIFER ANISTON: Not pregnant, but longing for motherhood. Or so she says.

SEAN AVERY, the Dallas Stars center suspended by the NHL for making an offensive statement apparently referring to ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, apologized Wednesday.

MADONNA: Is Alex Rodriguez already two-timing Madge with model Melissa Britos? Perhaps more important, can we get a gander at model Melissa Britos?

EVAN RACHEL WOOD: Inspired by her role as a bitter daughter in The Wrestler, the actress has re-established a relationship with her estranged dad.

MORGAN FREEMAN may pay out more than 100 million bucks in a potential divorce settlement.

SPOILER ALERT: The Fine Brothers spoil 100 movie endings in under four minutes.

BEA ARTHUR accepts her second shot at the TV Academy Hall of Fame.

WES ANDERSON talks to The A.V. Club about on-the-job training, directing James Caan and Gene Hackman, being despised, and what debut films he admires most.

MAD MEN: Jon Hamm officially joins 30 Rock for a multi-episode arc as the love interest of Tina Fey character Liz Lemon. Creator Matt Weiner talks to TV Time Machine for an hour about all sorts of things, including The Sopranos and The Twilight Zone.

DECEMBER 7, 1941: A "date which will live in infamy." I'll be watching Tora! Tora! Tora! on Sunday. BTW, the first nation invaded by the US after entering WWII was Morocco, then Algeria, iirc.

IRAN: The Israeli Defense Force is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the US,  according to the Jerusalem Post.

IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN: The US military reported the lowest level of casualties in both theaters of war in over five years of fighting.

DOG vs BALLOONS: Let's go to the video.  I love the ending.

DEMO the ORANGUTAN is quite the stud. And King Louie wants to be like us?

JONATHAN the TORTOISE, as it turns out, is also quite the stud at 176 years young.

SUPER ANTS prepare to invade Britain.

THE SWARM apparently saved a Conneaut, OH, house from a devastating fire late Tuesday night.

KNUT UPDATE: The once cuddly polar bear is now a dirty brown and facing eviction from the Berlin Zoo.