Rock Roundup 080106

Pink Floyd are rumored to be planning another short reunion. Sources close to the surviving members of the band say they are contemplating giving late frontman Syd Barrett a "huge send-off". No official word has come from the band yet.

Axl Rose became ill during a Guns N Roses show in London Sunday Night. Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach...who is opening some of the European GNR dates...came on to sing the last two numbers for him...Night Train and Paradise City.

If you can't make it to one of the Rolling Stones' European shows, you can just dial up one of them. For a buck-99 you can phone the Stones and listen to seven minutes of each Stones show, with the feed coming directly from the soundboard. The first phone show was Friday in Paris, and it will continue through the band's September 3rd show in Denmark. When you sign up at ListenLiveNow.com, you'll see a set list for the show -- although the one that was posted Friday was slightly different from what they played. When your time is up, you'll be given options to extend your session. The next show is Thursday in Stuttgard, Germany.

You can also call 877-784-2777 from the U-S and 760-438-0100 from Canada.

Audio: A snippet of The Rolling Stones playing "Midnight Rambler" over the phone from Paris last Friday.

The James Gang, the band that gave prominence to Joe Walsh, will start rehearsals today for their first tour in 35 years. The James Gang Rides Again tour starts August 10th in Sturgis, South Dakota and winds up September 9th in Alpine, California with 15 dates in between.

NEW DVDS TODAY:

Disney's remake of The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen and V For Vendetta.

NEW CDS TODAY:

Billboard's #1s...The 70's including Styx, Chicago, Elton John, & The Doobie Brothers.

And if you have kids, you're aware that Kids Bop 10 is finally out today, which my children have been begging for since the commercials started running about two months ago.

Stupid News 7.31.06

Horrible Smell Over Paris, France

Worried about an excess of flesh visible on the banks of the River Seine, Paris City Hall has banned thong bikinis, topless sunbathing and nudity at the summer sand-in-the-city event known as Paris Beaches, Le Parisien newspaper reported Saturday.

Violators will be fined $48, the report said.

Thongs and "monokinis" _ or bottom-only bikinis _ are common sights on France's Mediterrannean and Atlantic shores.

Paris was pushed to forbid "indecent attire" because it could "provoke temptation and dangerous behavior along the bank of a river," Pascal Cherki, mayoral aide in charge of sports, was quoted as saying.

City officials responsible for Paris Beaches could not be reached for comment Saturday. It was unclear why the ban was only imposed this year, the fifth year of the popular event.

Mayor Bertand Delanoe inaugurated Paris Plages in 2002, filling sections of the left and right banks of the Seine with sand and installing spray misters, hammocks, parasols and other beach-style accoutrements.

The monthlong event attracted 3.8 million people last year, and this year has pulled in many seeking relief from record heat.

The Passion Of The Alcohol

Los Angeles - Australian Jewish groups have joined the widespread condemnation of actor Mel Gibson, over the reported anti-Semitic comments he made after his arrest for drink-driving on the weekend.

Gibson was arrested by a Los Angeles police officer during which he's alleged to have blamed Jews for starting "every war in history," and reportedly asked the officer if he was Jewish.

He's since apologised for his comments, saying he's deeply ashamed, and he doesn't believe them anyway.

Radio Station Trades God For Sex

KINGSBURG, Calif. -- A former Christian radio station in California now features sexy songs as part of what the owner calls "Porn Radio."

Until a week ago, KFYE-FM in Kingsburg offered religious programming. The new format promotes "all sex radio, all the time," and plays songs such as "Why Don't We Do It in the Road" by The Beatles, "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye and "Nasty" by Janet Jackson.

Tamer songs are heated up by adding recorded moans.

Stupid News

Severed Human Hand Found At Home Of Exotic Dancer

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. -- A severed hand was found at the home of an exotic dancer who decorated her home with skulls, and she was charged with improper disposition of human remains, authorities said. Six skulls were found in another room and the Middlesex County medical examiner determined that all are human. Two people who knew Kay told The Newark Star-Ledger that the hand, which Kay named "Freddy," was a gift from a medical student who frequented an all-nude juice bar where she dances.

Severed Horse's Head Found In Pool Of Councilwoman

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. -- New York authorities are investigating the discovery a horse's head in a councilwoman's swimming pool. Police in Wawayanda, N.Y., about 106 miles from Albany, said the head was found Tuesday and is being treated as a threat against Councilwoman Gail Soro. A spokesman said she's been harassed before. One of the most famous scenes in "The Godfather" showed a movie mogul waking up with a horse head in his bed after he refused to bow to the will of the title character, played by Marlon Brando.

Woman Steals From Blind Boss

ASHLAND, Ore. -- A woman is accused of stealing at least $14,000 from a blind attorney who hired her as assistant last year. Marissa Renee Wren, 24, of Medford was charged with theft and forgery and was scheduled to be arraigned this week. Soon after being hired, Wren began presenting her boss with checks to sign that were made out to herself, said David Orr, deputy district attorney for Jackson County.

Accused Prowler Falls Asleep In Police Van

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Police in the Seattle suburb didn't have to go far to arrest a man for investigation of car prowling. He was found sleeping in a special weapons and tactics van. Rsponding to a call of someone breaking into cars, officers quickly found evidence, but couldn't determine who might be responsible. Until about 4:50 a.m., when two SWAT team members came to get their van and found a 25-year-old transient asleep in the back.

Entertainment News 7.26.06

Carmen Electra was once married to Dennis Rodman, so she must know something about rebounding. Barely a week after announcing her separation from husband number-two, rocker Dave Navarro, the former Baywatch babe was spotted at a Hollywood nightspot on the arm of Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. A spy tells the New York Post the two "seemed like they were on a date."

In a move echoing Hachette Filipacchi's close of ElleGirl magazine earlier this year, Time Inc. has announced the close of Teen People magazine, effective with the September 2006 issue. But, like ElleGirl, TeenPeople will live on as a website...that I will never visit.

One of two men who admitted secretly videotaping Michael Jackson as he flew to Santa Barbara to surrender in his child-molestation case was sentenced to eight months in prison. Prosecutors said Arvel Jett Reeves, owner of Executive Aviation, an air maintenance service, must then spend six months at a halfway house that offers drug and alcohol rehab. Unfortunately, there are no charges pending against the person who recorded Michael's last album...

The bizarre Colin Farrell incident that disrupted Thursday's taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has resulted in a restraining order. A Los Angeles court has ordered the woman who suddenly confronted guest Colin Farrell to stay at least 150 yards away from him. During the taping, 31-year-old Dessarae Bradford suddenly walked out of the audience and handed the actor what police said may have been some papers or books. The show was stopped and the woman was escorted off NBC's premises and told she'd be arrested if she came back. The actor's publicist denied that Farrell had ever met or spoken to her before, but notes that Bradford has repeatedly tried to sue him. The publicist won't say why, only that the suits are bogus.

Fox News Channel chairman and CEO Roger Ailes responded to Keith Olbermann's latest critical volley against Bill O'Reilly on Monday, saying the MSNBC host's behavior "is over the line." Ailes, appearing at the summer meeting of the Television Critics Association, said Olbermann takes shots at Fox's O'Reilly because it boosts his ratings. "Clearly he has no viewers except those he gets when he attacks Fox News, and particularly has made himself committed to continuing to attack Bill," Ailes said. Olbermann opened his Saturday session at the critics' meeting by whipping out a mask of O'Reilly and giving a Nazi salute.

Topic for Wednesday

What's the weirdest item on your child's Back-To-School-Supplies list this year?

Entertainment News

With Oprah Winfrey and bosom buddy Gayle King's big "I'm not gay" interview last week backfiring -- and turning rumors that the two were indeed a lesbian couple from a whisper to a roar -- Oprah whipped out the rarely seen Stedman Graham for a red carpet stroll on Saturday night. Oprah, who is seen with her boyfriend of several decades about as often as Tom Cruise is seen pushing Suri in a stroller, made sure the motivational speaker was by her side for a Malibu benefit honoring Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Richard Hatch, who won a million dollars on the first Survivor, now gets to find out what it's like to survive in jail. The new home for "the fat naked guy" is a federal prison in Oklahoma, where he will serve 51 months for tax evasion -- including what he owed on his Survivor prize. His lawyer says his client should be in one of those cushy prison camps, saying the lockup in Oklahoma City is "bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person."

James Doohan, Star Trek's "Scotty," is finally going into space. The ashes of the actor, who died last year at the age of 85, will be launched into the great beyond -- along with the remains of about 100 others, including real astronaut Gordon Cooper -- in October by Houston-based Space Services. The launch was originally scheduled for last year. After a quick trip to space, the rocket with the remains will return to Earth. A second flight, scheduled for the winter, will launch "Scotty" into orbit around the globe. The same company blasted the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry into orbit in 1997.

Stupid News

Fish Spears Man

HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) -- A fisherman was recovering from surgery after he was speared in the chest and knocked into the Atlantic Ocean by a blue marlin during a fishing competition off Bermuda's coast.

Ian Card, 32, was in stable condition at King Edward VII Hospital in the British Island territory from a wound that his doctor said could have been fatal.

"He was very lucky," said Dr. Christian Wilmsmeier. "It was a very serious injury."

Card and his father, Alan, both operators of a charter fishing boat and experienced marlin fishermen, had just hooked the estimated 800 pound fish Saturday when it suddenly leapt out of the water, impaled Ian Card just below his collar bone and knocked him into the ocean.

"The fish all of a sudden changed direction and jumped. The fish made a leap and Ian just happened to be in the way," Alan Card said.

They managed to make it back to shore in about 40 minutes for emergency medical treatment.

Jesus' Descendant To Publish Book

BRITAIN, England, July 23 (UPI) -- An American who began her career as a journalist in Belfast, claims she is a descendant of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene and is publishing a book about it.

Kathleen McGowan has received a seven-figure advance for her novel, "The Expected One," said the Sunday Times of London.

The book will be published in New York on Tuesday. It has earned $2 million from the sale of foreign rights and will appear in Britain on Aug. 7.

McGowan, 43, said she had submitted her proposal to publishers in 1997, six years before author Dan Brown published "The Da Vinci Code" -- which features a plot line involving descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She self-published her book last year after she was "laughed out of New York City," she said. It sold 2,500 copies but was snapped up by Touchstone Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Marines Invade MySpace

KANEOHE, Hawaii (AP) -- Teens looking to hook up with a friend on the popular Web community MySpace may bump into an unexpected buddy: the U.S. Marine Corps.

So far, over 12,000 Web surfers have signed on as friends of the Corps in response to the latest military recruiting tactic. Other military branches may follow.

MySpace.Com, the Internet's most popular social networking site with over 94 million registered users, has helped redefine the way a generation communicates. Users, many in their teens and 20s, post personal profiles and accumulate lists of friends and contacts with common interests.

The Marine Corps MySpace profile - featuring streaming video of barking drill sergeants, fresh recruits enduring boot camp and Marines storming beaches - underscores the growing importance of the Internet to advertisers as a medium for reaching America's youth.

Tuesday Rock Roundup 7.25.06

Most of Pete Townshend's solo catalogue will be reissued on August 29th. Of the 11 albums being re-released, only four will not come with bonus tracks. The rereleased 1993 rock opera Psychoderelict will include a live D-V-D filmed at Brooklyn Academy of Music, which admittedly, might be the only reason to buy it (it's one of his weakest albums).

U-2 will release their first official autobiography on September 22nd. U-2 by U-2 features in-depth interviews with all four members, covering from the first time they met up through the Vertigo tour. The 350-page book also includes more than 1500 images, including previously unpublished photo from the personal archives of the band.

After four best-selling Great American Songbook C-Ds, Rod Stewart is returning to rock and roll, but staying nostalgic with his upcoming Still the Same -- Great Rock Classics of Our Time, which Billboard reports is due October 10th. This time Rod will put his stamp on such '70s favorites as Creedence Clearwater Revivial's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache" and the title track, which Bob Seger took to the Top 10 in 1978.

ZZ Top will appear on the season finale of M-T-V's Fast Incoporated, which airs on Saturday.

New on DVD today:

Ask The Dust with Colin Farrell and my other wife, Salma Hayek.

The Benchwarmers with Rob Schneider, Napoleon Dynamite, and the always annoying David Spade.

Final Destination 3.

New on CD today:

Tom Petty - Highway Companion, his third solo album without the Heartbreakers. He plays some of the drums on it for the first time, too.

Sammy Hagar & The Wabos - Livin' It Up

New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This

Soundtrack - Miami Vice

Top Ten Unforgettable Sports Moments

Most sports fans — particularly, say, those on the North Side of Chicago or in Cleveland or Buffalo — try very hard to forget some of the images that have been seared into their memories.

Stupid News

Diehard Fans In Germany
--Originally reported by Reuters

A German soccer club plans to open a cemetery next to its stadium so that die-hard fans can rest in peace alongside their favorite team. Hamburg S-V aims to open the graveyard some 50 feet from the stadium's main entrance "For a large number of people, it's important to be close to the club after their lives are over," said deputy chairman Christian Reichert. "The cemetery will have the look of a small, open stadium." Fans get 25 years in the turf and can choose from a range of burials.

None Of The Above
--Originally reported by The Tennessean

David Gatchell wants to give voters a voice of protest. Officials in charge of state elections in Tennessee are afraid he'll simply end up confusing the electorate. At issue are four words -- None of the Above. Gatchell had his middle name of Leroy legally changed to None of the Above last year and wants it to appear that way on the ballot in November, when he is running as an independent for governor and the U-S Senate. But state election commissioners unanimously voted in April to bar the unconventional middle name from appearing in the election. Gatchell has sued, and a Davidson County chancellor is scheduled to hear the dispute today (7.21)

They've Got A Jones Jones
--Originally reported by The B-B-C

A television channel in Wales has launched plans to break the world record for the biggest gathering of people with the same surname with a rallying cry to anyone called Jones. Welsh-language station S-4-C is out to unseat the Norbergs of Sweden by filling up the Wales Millennium Centre with 16-hundred Joneses for a variety show where all the stars will be called that most Welsh of surnames. Guinness Book of Records officials will validate the attempt to beat the record of 583 set by the Norbergs.

Under The Covers Work
--Originally reported by The New Zealand Press

A New Zealand policewoman has been censured for some unauthorized "undercover" work -- a stint moonlighting as a prostitute -- but is being allowed to keep her day job after giving up the night duties. While prostitution is legal in New Zealand and police are allowed to take approved second jobs, a top officer said sex work and police work don't mix. The policewoman had worked for a limited time as a prostitute in the northern city of Auckland before her clandestine activity was uncovered, police said. Her name and rank have not been made public.

Irish Recruiting story

Weis denies charge of negative recruiting
Updated 7/21/2006 3:04 AM ET

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis on Thursday denied a player's accusation that the Irish staff criticized Clemson after the recruit verbally committed to the Tigers.

"I find it quite amusing that a student-athlete already enrolled at another university has decided to be the team spokesman on Notre Dame recruiting practices," Weis said. "There is an obvious contradiction between how this was handled and what was stated. We do not use negative recruiting tactics."

Clemson on Thursday issued a statement from the player, Jamie Cumbie, in which he said he did not correctly describe his conversations with Notre Dame during a newspaper interview.

Cumbie, a 6-foot-7, 255-pound tight end who attended Morris (Ill.) High School, is a native of South Carolina who had moved to an area about an hour west of Chicago during high school. He said his final choice of schools was between Clemson and Notre Dame.

He announced last June that he would attend Clemson. But he said Notre Dame continued to recruit him — the only school to do so.

"I'm not going to lie," Cumbie told The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston, S.C., for a story Wednesday. "The coaches at Notre Dame sent some bad letters ripping Clemson after I committed here."

He said the Irish coaching staff had a list of advantages and disadvantages. He said among the advantages they listed was that all Notre Dame football games are televised.

"Then they said Clemson has a horrible education," he said.

Weis said all his coaching staff does is "represent what Notre Dame stands for."

"If supporting Notre Dame academics can be misconstrued as speaking down on another school's academics, call us guilty," he said.

Cumbie said in his statement that Notre Dame staffers did nothing wrong in recruiting him.

"No one from Notre Dame, either in writing or in general conversation, said Clemson had a horrible education," Cumbie's statement said. "Notre Dame made a comparison in different areas between the two schools and the facts made Notre Dame look better."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press

Stupid News

U-S Airways wants to make the most out of a nauseating situation. The Tempe, Arizona-based airline plans to sell advertisements on its air-sickness bags! Spokesman Phil Gee says, "They're in every back seat pocket. We figure while it's there, why don't we make it multipurpose?" Passengers should see the new, commercialized sickness bags in September. Michael Boyd, president of an aviation consulting group, endorses the idea, saying, "Barf bags have a lot of shelf life -- people aren't barfing as much in planes as they used to."

A thief in Greencastle, Indiana has police and business owners baffled after dozens of Rs were stolen from signs around the community. "We've lost our Rs. And we want them back," said Randall Jones, president of Headley Hardware. The weekend caper targeted gas stations, restaurants, repair shops and medical offices in the city of 10-thousand people. The thief also nabbed half a dozen letters from a lighted marquee in front of a National Guard post. Putnam Inn manager Jane Hansen isn't sure how the thief climbed more than six-feet off the ground to take Rs from a sign in front of her motel. Greencastle Police said they've been notified about the stolen letters, but many business owners are choosing not to file reports.

Houdini the snake bit off more than he could chew. On Tuesday afternoon, the 12-foot-long Burmese python underwent surgery to remove what he'd eaten Sunday night -- an electric blanket. Houdini was resting comfortably after undergoing two hours of surgery at a pet clinic in Ketchum, Idaho. The electric blanket -- six-feet long and wide enough to fit a queen-sized bed -- was kept in Houdini's cage to help keep him warm. On Monday morning, his owner noticed the blanket was missing and that Houdini didn't seem to be feeling well. He speculates that the blanket became entangled with Houdini's Sunday-night rabbit dinner. Once he'd ingested the rabbit, Houdini apparently just kept swallowing until he'd eaten the whole blanket, including the control box and electrical plug.

Oklahoma City Basketball?

Names for the team if it moves?

The Dokies (as in Okie-Dokies)
The Soonests
The Non-Hornets
The Jazz (it doesn't make sense in Utah, either)
The Starbucks
The Trailers

Stupid News Croatia

ZAGREB (Reuters) - A young Croat who posted a photograph of himself speeding on a motorbike on the Web was tracked down and fined by the police, the Jutarnji List daily reported Tuesday.

The 28-year-old, identified only as D.M., took a photo of his speedometer showing 170 km (100 mph) on a back road in northern Croatia and then put it on the Web site of his local municipality.
Police found him three days later.

"He was trying to be a hot shot. Guys like this may not know that the police scan the Internet.

This is a warning to them not to play games on the road and threaten their own and others people's lives," the daily quoted police as saying.

In addition to the speeding ticket, the police also discovered the motorcycle had been illegally imported from neighboring Slovenia and was not registered -- likely leading to another hefty fine, the daily said.

Tuesday Rock Roundup 7.18.06

New CDs Today:

30th Anniversary Edition of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like An Eagle"

Soundtrack - You, Me And Dupree (including Little Feat's "Spanish Moon" & Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina")

Next week: new Tom Petty and new Sammy Hagar

New DVDs Today:

ATL and She's The Man

Darwin's Finch

Darwin's Finch is further proving his theory of evolution...by evolving.

Brilliant!

Syd Audio Map

(NICKMASON) Audio: In 2005, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason said he hadn't spoken to Syd Barrett in over 20 years. OC:...left alone. :19

"I'm probably the furthest away from Syd actually. In terms of, I wasn't a childhood friend of his, I'm not from Cambridge, never produced his records -- I'm a little more removed. But the word has always been that he gets distressed when people try to remind him about the old days, and he's better left alone."

(NICKMASON2) Audio: Nick Mason and David Gilmour on Syd Barrett turning up in the studio when Pink Floyd was recording "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," which is about Barrett. OC:...fat and bald. :15

NM: "Well it's slightly grim in a way because yes he turned up. I for one certainly didn't recognize him."
DG: "He was there. A guy was just wandering around the studio for like two or three hours and no one actually recognized him at all. He was big and fat and bald."

(ROGER) Audio: Roger Waters on Syd Barrett coming up with the name Pink Floyd. OC:...all changed. :23

"Well Syd suggested it. In fact we were called The Pink Floyd Sound for sometime and then it got reduced to Pink Floyd. As is well documented it's two halves of the names of two sidemen on a blues anthology album who were called Floyd Council and Pink Anderson. Our repertoire consisted almost entirely of blues and rhythm and blues. And then Syd started to write songs and that's when it all changed."

(ROGER2) Audio: Roger Waters remembers plotting out a rock band with Syd Barrett in the late '50s. OC:...Pink Floyd. :32

"I remember sitting on a train with Syd going up to London once to go to a rock and roll show and we sat with a paper and a pencil and drew out the way we would be on stage and drew out the equipment. It wasn't until two or three years after that, I'd been in London for a year at architecture school and Syd came up to study fine arts and painting, and it wasn't until then that the group really came together. I think when we started we were called The Screaming Abdabs and then we changed the name to The Tea Set and it was after The Tea Set that we changed the name to Pink Floyd."

(RICHARD) Audio: Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright on Syd Barrett. OC:...to Syd. :12

"It was a tragedy what happened to Syd, because you know he was brilliant and he was a wonderful person. And I think underlining a lot of the Floyd writing, right from that time, has been because of our awareness of what happened to Syd."

Syd Barrett dies

It was announced today that Syd Barrett died at the age of 60. He's been suffering from Diabeties, and hasn't made any music in a dog's age.

The early Pink Floyd stuff had a very profound influence on my writing and, such as it was when I performed, my playing. This was NOT the way I wanted to end what had been a very good show today.

I'm planning a small tribute on the morning show tomorrow.

Godspeed, Syd. Wish you were here.

Stupid News

A young Russian farmer from a small village in South Siberia has asked President Vladimir Putin to allow him to marry a cow. "All girls have left our small village and moved to the city, so I cannot find a woman to be with. But I see the solution to the problem. I love animals very much and want to ask you when it will be allowed in Russia, as it is in Holland, to marry domestic animals?" his question to Putin read. The farmer's question was one of the 160-thousand questions Russians asked Putin during a webcast last week.


A British schoolboy whose afro hairstyle grew so big he required hospital treatment for head pain shaved it off in aid of charity. John Sterlin Browne, 14, a pupil at TynecastleHigh School, had his head shorn in the school gym to the cheers of hundreds of fellow pupils. Spectators were charged about a dollar at the door, to help John reach his target of a thousand dollars for Children With Leukaemia. The Ghanaian-born teenager had been cultivating his afro for the past three years and his mum styled it twice-a-month in fashionable corn rows. A newly shorn John said, "It felt like a big weight had been lifted off my head."

Tues Rock Roundup for 071106

Keith Richards has recovered from brain surgery, Ronnie Wood is out of rehab, and Charlie Watts is still in remission following his bout with cancer last year. So The Rolling Stones have been given the all-clear to tour again, starting tonight in Milan, Italy. As far as the tree Richards fell out of goes, Mick Jagger and Ron Wood point out that it was shorter than Richards, with Keith confirming that it was "a little tree." Keith also confirmed that he will make an appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean Three, saying he will film his role over a week in September.

A plaque honoring late AC/DC singer Bon Scott was stolen from his gravesite over the weekend. The plaque was placed at the site only five months ago, and was discovered missing when some fans visited the grave to mark what would have been Scott's 60th birthday. The organization that paid for the plaque, National Trust of Australia, says it plans to replace it as soon as possible.

Heather Mills-McCartney is back with husband Paul McCartney, but in address only. The former couple are still split up, but she has moved into the estate's guest house to try and regain some of her privacy.

New CDs in stores Today:

A reissue of The Sex Pistols' Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is also in stores today.

Reissues of David Gilmour's first two solo albums without Pink Floyd: David Gilmour and About Face.

New DVDs in stores Today:

Speaking of David Gilmour...the delays are finally over and the D-V-D of Pink Floyd's 1995 concert video Pulse is finally released today. Gilmour says, "The delays were for technical reasons. We really were struggling to make it work the way we wanted..." The D-V-D includes a complete live performance of Dark Side of the Moon, start to finish, which former member Roger Waters is doing on tour this summer and fall.

And Basic Instinct 2 is out on DVD today.

Entertainment News

‘Sopranos’ Cast Negotiations Completed

NEW YORK -- HBO said it has completed contract deals with all major cast members of "The Sopranos."

An HBO spokeswoman said deals with Tony Sirico and Steven Van Zandt were reached late last week. They were the last remaining actors not signed.

Sirico plays Paulie Walnuts, who had to deal last season with news that his beloved mom may not really be his mother. And rock star Van Zandt portrays marble-mouthed Silvio Dante, close confidant to Tony Soprano.

The cast will convene Thursday to read through scripts for the series' final season. The eight episodes will begin airing in January.


PIRATES BEAT UP SUPERMAN

$132 Million for Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest Of Kryptonite
$21.9 Million for Superman Returns For Two Weeks of Domination

Celebrity News

JESSICA SIMPSON: Daddy Says Strip...Mama Says Zip It! (audio)(Posted 3:00 AM, 7/7/2006)
Jessica Simpson's mom is doing her best to protect her daughter's image from being dragged through the mud -- by her own dad! According to the National Enquirer, Tina Simpson put her foot down when daddy Joe wanted Jess to go through with a steamy photo shoot. A source close to the Simpsons says, "It called for a very sultry, pouting Jessica to face the camera appearing in very tight short-shorts and bra. Standing behind her was a hunky shirtless model posed to look as if he were pulling on his pants. But just when the model started unbuttoning his pants for the photographer to begin snapping, Tina blurted out, 'Time out! This isn't going to work.' Tina said the pose made Jessica look slutty, [but] Joe had no problem. Tina dug in her heels and got her way."

DAVID HASSELHOFF: MC Knight Rider? (audio)(Posted 3:00 AM, 7/7/2006)
Knight Rider is crossing over into the world of hip-hop, as David Hasselhoff preps his debut rap album, reportedly with Ice-T as producer. According to Ireland Online, Ice-T said, "The man is a legend. We are going to show a whole new side of him. He's gonna come out as Hassle the Hoff -- I promise you. The Hoff will surprise people with his rap skills and humor."

Scary Thought For The Day: A tribute concert for the late A-C/D-C singer Bon Scott is being held today (Friday) in Perth, Australia. Scott would have been 60 today.

JOHNNY DEPP: Pirates of the Caribbean (audio)(Posted 3:00 AM, 7/7/2006)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is the first film in which Johnny Depp has reprised a character -- the pirate "Captain Jack Sparrow" that he patterned after The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards. Depp says, "It's still shocking to me. I was handed this opportunity to make something of this character and had pretty solid ideas about who he was and what he should be like and everything -- and there were a number of people who thought that I was nuts. But I was committed to the guy." --Bill McCleary

JENNIFER ANISTON: Going to the Chapel...With Brad's Mom!(Posted 3:00 AM, 7/7/2006)
What's a wedding without an ex-mother-in-law in the house? According to Life and Style magazine, that's Jennifer Aniston's viewpoint -- which explains why the actress wants Brad Pitt's mom to be there when she ties the knot with Vince Vaughn. A source close to Jen says that she called Jane Pitt last week to ask if she'd fly out for the ceremony. "Jane said there's no way she'd miss it. She's remained very close with Jen since her breakup with Brad and she still considers Jen her daughter." Aniston reportedly hasn't decided whether or not she'll invite her own estranged mom -- who was not on the guest list when she and Pitt got hitched. -- David Sprague

Holiday Leftovers

• Slaw and Chili for Carolina Dogs
• Cut up leftover sausage and add to Spaghetti Sauce or Lasagna
• Pulled Pork sandwiches

Stupid News Norway

Whaling trip goes awry. A lot.

Sports for 70306

Chi. White Sox 11, Chi. Cubs 15 at Wrigley Field
Chi. White Sox Record: (53-28)
Chi. Cubs Record: (30-51)
Winning pitcher - Carlos Zambrano (7-3)
Losing pitcher - Mark Buehrle (9-5)
SV - Bob Howry (2)

Chi. White Sox
2 0 0 3 0 0 2 3 1 11 14 2
Chi. Cubs
7 0 0 0 4 0 2 2 X 15 20 0

CWS HR - J. Crede (16) T. Iguchi (9) J. Thome (27) J. Uribe (10)
CHC HR - M. Barrett (9) A. Pagan 2 (2) N. Perez (2) C. Zambrano (3)

Next Chi. White Sox Game: July 3, 2006 06:05 PM CT vs. Baltimore Orioles
Next Chi. Cubs Game: July 3, 2006 07:05 PM CT vs. Houston Astros


Detroit 9, Pittsburgh 8 at PNC Park
Detroit Record: (56-26)
Pittsburgh Record: (28-55)
Winning pitcher - Zach Miner (5-1)
Losing pitcher - Ian Snell (7-6)
SV - Todd Jones (22)

Detroit
3 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 9 13 1
Pittsburgh
0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 8 11 0

DET HR - C. Guillen (10) C. Shelton (16)
PIT HR - None
Next Detroit Game: July 3, 2006 07:05 PM PT vs. Oakland Athletics

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The Mets & ChiSox each had 6 picks in the All-Star announcements last night, although none of the Sox are starters unless Ozzie puts Contraras on the mound first during the game July 11th in Pittsburgh. Sox on the bench for the AL are slugger Jim Thome, 1st Baseman Paulie Konerko, outfielder Jermaine Dye, lefty Mark Buehrle, and closer Bobby Jenks.

Detroit's Ivan Rodriquez was selected to start at catcher for the 11th time, in his 13th trip to the game, the most of any active player.

Cubbies pitcher Carlos Zambrano is the sole representative from the North Side.

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Yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michael Schumacher captured the US Grand Prix race for the fifth time, becoming the first driver in any series to win five races at the Indy course.