THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE ROLLING STONES!  Here's a selection of live, semi-live, and undead clips of less-obvious tracks from the band's heyday: "Mercy, Mercy"; "The Last Time"; "Paint It Black"; "Honky Tonk Women"; and "Dead Flowers."

THE RAVEONETTES guitarist/vocalist Sune Rose Wagner tells the Portland Mercury that the duo's as-yet-untitled fourth album is nearly finished.  You can stream some demos at TheirSpace.

LOU REED talks to Common Ground about health and wellness, tai chi, turning wind into music and why he'd like to run for President.

SUFJAN STEVENS:  The 'Gum can hook you up with his new, Stripes-y rocker, "In The Words Of The Governor" and a La Blogotheque rooftop cover of the Innocence Mission's "The Lakes Of Canada."

TWELVE TRULY SAD SUMMER SONGS are listed by the A.V. Club, whose commenters jump in with additional candidates.

SEEN YOUR VIDEO:  Jane's Addiction plays "Jane Says" on the Show that must remain Name Less.

THE NATIONAL frontman Matt Berninger lists his bests and faves for Pitchfork's "Guest List" feature.

PET SHOP BOYS singer Neil Tennant is the latest skeptic of the Live Earth global warming concerts: "I've always been against the idea of rock stars lecturing people as if they know something the rest of us don't - it looks arrogant."

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE:  The supposedly sober supermodel has lapsed into her bad habit... of dressing like her current beau -- in this case, the troubled singer.

THE CUTOUT BIN:  This Friday's fortuitous finds from the ol' HM are: Barry Manilow - Very Strange Medley; Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the City; Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want); Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Shakin' All Over; The Dixie Cups - Iko Iko; Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine; The Posies - Solar Sister; Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl Of My Dreams; Guided By Voices - Glad Girls; Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars!; Wilco - Color Me Impressed; Magnolias - When I'm Not; Soul Asylum - Closer To The Stars; Husker Du - Celebrated Summer; The Dead Milkmen - Takin' Retards To The Zoo; Brian Wilson - This Whole World; Jason Falkner - Photograph (Def Leppard); Joan Jett - Summertime Blues; Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me; and The Dramatics - Hot Pants In The Summertime.

LINDSAY LOHAN is reportedly happy in rehab... or she was before her ex-con Dad told everyone she's in for multiple addictions to alcohol and drugs, including the powerful painkiller OxyContin.  Her beau Calum Best is promising to enter rehab also, after his coke-fueled sex orgy was taped and splashed in the tabloids.  And TMZ dug up a clip of Lohan laughing in an anti-DUI PSA.

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases are Judd Apatow's comedy Knocked Up, wich is currently scoring an impressive 91 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; the Kevin Costner-Demi Moore thriller Mr. Brooks, scoring 52 percent; and the sports drama Gracie, scoring 45 percent.

GEORGE MICHAEL had a cocktail of drugs in his system when he was arrested in his car last year, including cannabis, an anti-depressant, and the illegal dance club drug GHB.  No wonder the cops had to wake him before he could go-go.

PAULA ABDUL apparently had a sob-filled meltdown that was taped and sent to Page Six.  What set her off?  The fact that even E! Online is skeptical when she denies yet again that her often bizarre behavior on American Idol stems from drug or alcohol use.  UPDATE: Perez Hilton has posted the audio of the tape.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD has reportedly been benched by Cowboys QB Tony Romo.

GO, SPEED GO!  There are some early details on the Wachowskis' live-action version of Speed Racer at USA Today -- including a live-action Chim-Chim.

WOODY ALLEN could not find a buyer for his latest film, Cassandra's Dream, at the Cannes Film Festival, but the Weinsteins just bought the rights for a US release.

JENNA FISHER, a/k/a Pam on The Office, is recovering from a broken back with help from Zach Braff's cupcakes.

THE 50 BEST DATE MOVIES EVER, according to Nerve.com -- complete with a recommended "best scene to make a move."

LONG SHOTS:  The Daily Film Dose has posted a list of "The Greatest Long Tracking Shots in Cinema," with plenty of embedded video.

THE WIZARDING WORLD of HARRY POTTER is set to open at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village

JESSICA ALBA displayed her knowledge of single-malt scotches during an interview for Parade magazine.

VENEZUELA:  Radio Caracas Television, the station silenced by Pres. Hugo Chavez, has found a way to continue its daily broadcasts -- on YouTube.  In addition, RCTV's Colombia-based affiliate, Caracol, has agreed to transmit the evening installment of "El Observador" over its international signal, which could reach about 800,000 people in Venezuela.  The Carter Center and Reporters Without Borders issued critical statements , while relative calm returned to the streets after three days of demonstrations.

IRAN:  The US confirmed Thursday that a fourth Iranian-American -- peace activist Ali Shakeri -- is being held at a notorious prison in Tehran.  In a joint statement, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders, the International Federation for Human Rights and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi urged Iran to to immediately release the four.  Adding insult to injury, Citibank froze the bank accounts of one of the prisoners under US sanctions law on grounds that she is now a "resident" of Iran.

IRAQ:  The US military is working more aggressively to forge cease-fires with Iraqi militants and quell the violence around Baghdad, judging that 80 percent of enemy combatants are "reconcilable."  Sunni Muslim Iraqi insurgents fought fierce battles on Thursday with al Qaeda-led terrorists for control of a Baghdad neighborhood that has effectively been outside government control for months.  ITM's Omar hears the Sunni insurgents are members of the Islamic Army of Iraq or 1920 Revolutionary Brigades and that that machine guns, RPG's and mortars were used in the clashes.  IraqSlogger is reporting the same.  Bill Roggio reports on the formation of a Babil Awakening, noting that all four provinces around Baghdad have now established Awakening or Salvation Councils to fight AQ.  Michael Yon has exclusive details on the arrest of the once-heroic Gen. Hamid in the city of Hit.  Bobby Ghosh, Baghdad bureau chief for Time magazine, tells WNYC public radio about the progress that would be lost if the US left now.

TINY BABY HEDGEHOGS are proving a handful for carers at a British rescue center, after the mild weather triggered a string of early orphaned arrivals.  More awww...some pics and video at the link.

WAYWARD WHALES UPDATE:  The humpbacks have disappeared near San Francisco Bay.  Researchers are optimistic that they are back in the ocean, but they could be riding the trolley.

XiANG XIANG, the world's only artificially-bred panda living in the wild has plunged to its death -- and may have been "murdered" by other pandas.

A CAMEL went postal on his employer at the C2K Camel Ranch near Grand Junction, CO.

WHACKING DAY:  An 80-year-old Croatian heart surgery patient leapt from his intensive care bed and used his walking stick to beat a deadly viper to death.