BOB DYLAN: I have to say that Part o­ne of No Direction Home was pretty good, though hearing "Blowin' In The Wind" covered by the Staples Singers and Trini Lopez in the space of 30 seconds gave me audio whiplash. NME excerpts a bit where Dylan justifies going electric by reference to country music. Part 2 is o­n PBS tonight. Meanwhile, London's Independent has lots of links, including Andy Kershaw finding the man who shouted "JUDAS!" And you should click if you don't know what that means, too.

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN'S Will Sergeant lists his Music You Should Hear at Amazon, including an album with the comment:"I know what you're thinking, 'Will's lost it.' Give it a whirl--you may just like it." ALSO: PopMatters gives tha band's new album, Siberia, a 7, but I think it reads more positive than that.

MISS INDIE ROCK 2005: Banana Nutrament satirizies the genre's rising popularity.

WHO WILL REPLACE THE DINOSAURS? Concert promoters would really like to know.

THE KAISER CHIEFS are profiled in the Guardian.

THE BLISTERS: Jeff Tweedy's kids rock out in a Quaker's Oats commercial.

COCOROSIE: Brooklyn Vegan notes widely divergent reviews of the duo's latest album, Noah's Ark and points you to a stream and a download so you can decide for yourself. It's not my cup of tea, but it's unique... sort of like an imaginary volume of Verve Remixed.

TANYA DONELLY has belly news, but it has nothing to do with her band.

ROCK STARS WHO WENT TO WORK: Stereogum points to a discussion thread that could be called After the Music, with a link to former Husker Du bassist Greg Norton's restaurant.

WOLF PARADE: Apologies to the Queen Mary scores a 9.2 o­n the Pitchfork. Brooklyn Vegan rounds up response to their CMJ gig and points you to downloads legal and otherwise.

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE: The troubled duo may be eroding standards of journalism. Gawker notes a cut-and-paste job at The New York Times and No Rock and Roll Fun notes that one of Kate's accusers o­nce got Rupert Murdoch in the dock. PLUS: H. Stern drops Kate Moss -- that's the jeweler, not the DJ, natch. But Rimmel keeps Moss to promote a product called... "Recovery." And Moss gets support from violent supermodel Naomi Campbell, like that helps!

PHIL SPECTOR: The Wall of Sound man will probably stand trial o­n those murder charges in January 2006.

THE STROKES apparently have a more eclectic sound o­n their forthcoming album.

A SMALL VICTORY has started a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Craig O'Neill should note its charter member.

THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY, HA-HAA! Twenty-one variations o­n a theme posted at the WFMU's Beware of the Blog.

THE DETROIT COBRAS: PopMatters interviews Rachel Nagy, who explains why they are proud to be a cover band. The discussion ranges from The Saints to Doctor Feelgood, with o­n "Shout Bama Lama" to boot.

DON ADAMS has passed away from a lung infection. Would you believe he almost died of blackwater fever he contracted o­n Guadalcanal in 1943? Now, o­nly the 3-D BB knows where he is.

VINCENT PASTORE: The big...ex-Soprano cops a plea to the attempted assault of his girlfriend. No word o­n whether he'll enter the witness protection program.

JOEY PANTS, who claims he has been addicted to the news since 9/11, opines that MSNBC has the hottest newsbabes. He better watch his back; I'll bet Roger Ailes is as dangerous with a frying pan as Tony Soprano.

CAMERON CROWE writes about how he matches music and movies and surveys music in other movies for the L.A. Times.

KIRSTEN DUNST, junketing for Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown, blurts out casting news for Spider-Man 3. BTW, "Dunst" means "stench" in three languages.

BRADGELINA channels Tom-Kat? I must respectfully disagree. Jolie already knows how to ride a bike. And doesn't need a cult to make her wacky.

DASHTON: Us magazine details its Kutcher-Moore Kabbalah weding scoop. Some people obsess o­n the "May-December" angle. I prefer to think of it this way: In 30 years, he'll look older than she will.

SEAN PENN and VAL KILMER have been demented since their days together at Julliard. Who'da thunkit?

AFI's 25 GREATEST FILM SCORES is topped by Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars...

SOPHIA BUSH separates from husband and One Tree Hill co-star Chad Michael Murray, after five months of marriage. I can't say I've ever seen the show, but if she dressed up like a cheerleader, undressed and kissed other girls, I might tune it in.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS: Proving that "Idiots" is the same in two languages, France decided not to submit the French version of the hit documentary as France's entry in the Foreign-Language category at next year's Oscars. SEMI-RELATED: Gay penguins Silo and Roy break up; Tango, a female they hatched, has paired up with another female named Tazuni.

IRAQ: American Special Forces killed a key lieutenant to terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. While Abu Azzam is replaceable, the fact that someone betrayed his whereabouts suggests that the US and its Iraqi allies are getting some valuable real-time intell about the insurgency and Azzam may have possessed other intell that could be useful in disrupting terrorist plans. Bill Roggio notes that an Al Qaeda commander and 20 terrorists were killed in a raid near Qaim, but that "Coalition successes in targeting al Qaeda leadership and operatives rarely, if ever, leads in the headlines, while al Qaeda successes get top billing." Army Pfc. Lynndie England of Abu Grahib infamy was convicted by a military jury o­n six of seven counts after two hours of deliberation. Heh; she shoulda taken the plea.

CINDY SHEEHAN took flack at the Daily Kos for complaining that Hurricane Rita was wiping out media coverage of the antiwar rally Saturday.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Louisiana Sens. David Vitter (R) and Mary Landrieu (D) are proposing a 250 billion dollar Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief and Economic Recovery Act. The bill would cost more than the Louisiana Purchase under the Jefferson administration o­n an inflation-adjusted basis. ALSO: The N.O. Times-Picayune reports that the the vast majority of reported atrocities allegedly committed by evacuees at the Superdome have turned out to be false, or at least unsupported by any evidence. As the evacuees stuck in the dome were predominantly poor and black, what would Kanye West say about the media's coverage?

HURRICANES and GLOBAL WARMING: A BBC analysis reports that we really don't have enough data to link them.

NANOTECH: Nanodot points to a nifty animated gallery of simulated nanomachines.

DOZENS OF PUPPIES (and a few kitties) snapped with fisheye lenses. Awwwww...

COMMUNIST GERMAN KITTIES dance to Laibach.

COWS cause oil tanker-truck crash, leaking more than 200 gallons of oil into a ditch near Colorado Hwy 66.

PETS and their C- or D-List star owners raise money for animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina as well as Linda Blair's World Heart Foundation for Animals.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...WITH THE CORPSE BRIDE? Why not? It seems to be getting good reviews, even better than those for Thumbsucker, which boasts a soundtrack from the Polyphonic Spree and the late Elliott Smith. Although not o­n the Corpse Bride soundtrack, o­ne song that seems like a perfect fit was written by...

ROBYN HITCHCOCK, who talks about his musical roots and songwriting style in the Japan Times promoting Obliteration Pie, a live acoustic compilation that is allegedly a Japan-only release, but which can be had from Amazon or -- at a greatly reduced price -- direct from Hitchcock. I will eventually want to have a copy of the previously unreleased  "A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations, Briggs" and his cover of "Funkytown."

...AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A drum set made of cheese. What would Robyn Hitchcock say?

FRIDAY TIMEWASTER: Why not try a couple of arcade games from out site admin Lance's own site?

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN: Sitting around complaining about no more Echo albums? Stereogum hooks you up with the free MP3 from the band's upcoming album.

DAVE DAVIES is using music to recover from his stroke last year. Best of wishes to him.

JEFF TWEEDY is touring solo in November, but Mpls. appears to be the o­nly major Pate city he's visiting.

COLDPLAY front man Chris Martin wants to broaden his musical boundaries (and promote peace and harmony, no doubt) by collaborating with Garth Brooks, Kanye West and Timbaland. I'm all for bringing people together in avoidance of hearing it.

THE POSIES reunion and rejoining with Big Star is blurbed at Flagpole.

SMOOSH: The pre-teen indie duo's performance in the office of Spin magazine is reviewed, with six songs posted in Quicktime. Other links to audio and video as well.

TOP 40 ALBUMS 2000-04: as compiled by Marathonpacks. I could do without the rap, but not bad overall.

DR. JOHN has organized Japanese musicians for hurricane relief shows.

MORRISSEY is making his rockingest album ever.

METALLICA is playing Springfield. D-oh!

AL KOOPER, legendary producer and musician, credits insomnia for his prodigious output.

WHO'S LEFT: Sorta Who drummer Kenney Jones is opening an international chain of polo resorts. That actually may be stranger than Roger Daltrey owning a trout farm.

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE: The troubled singer may be getting clean, as he's complaining about gaining weight. London's oh-so-reliable Sun runs a story claiming Moss smokes crack. Moss' lawyer statement: "The allegations that you put to me are specifically denied by my client." But Rimmel cosmetics is now reviewing it's contract with the waifish model. Plus, authorities are probing Moss' fitness to be a parent. And Scientologists want to help Moss kick her habit.

DENISE RICHARDS and CHARLIE SHEEN: Richards is wearing a ring again. Groveling o­n Letterman is paying off for Sheen.

JESSICA SIMPSON, otoh, seems to forget to wear her wedding ring. And occasionally looks really drunk. At least that would excuse the hanging all over the weird old dude.

TEEN QUEEN STORY: At Tuesday night's Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party, rival gang leaders Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff divided guests into two factions o­n opposite sides of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel pool. Sorta like West Side Story, but with really crappy music.

BRITNEY SPEARS: UK salespeople hate her. Guess it's a good thing she didn't name her son "London." Speaking of which, it looks like OK! magazine will have those first baby photos, reportedly paying two million bucks for them. So these two photos are not o­n the level?

BARRY COWSILL has gone missing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

N.O. LEVEES: BTW, Katrina may not have hit N.O. as hard as was thought -- the levees themselves may be the problem. Not a comforting thought as the city braces for a possible hit from Hurricane Rita.

THE BIG TEASY: Nevertheless, in a sign that things may be returning to normal in New Orleans, strip shows are back in the city's famous French Quarter. For strip club manager Brent Ardeneaux, reopening was a public service: "It's a disaster zone. You got a lot of people in from out of town that need entertaining."

JESSICA ALBA, while promoting Into The Blue, a movie opening next Friday that may not have much to recommend it beyond the amount of time Alba will be seen in a bikini, is saying she's a little miffed that papparazzi snap her in her bikini offscreen. I assume she's referring to stuff like this gallery of shots that's even more comprehensive than the last version noted here. But seriously, would she rather have people taking pictures of her buying Lactaid at the supermarket?

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY dumped by an obscure musician. As he's been seen since with the likes of Mariah Carey, Knightley can breathe a sigh of relief that she did not end up with someone who is so obviously deranged.

ALYSSA MILANO has flown to Texas to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Memo to TX-based Pate drummer Jon Hahn: Milano likes the musicians.

TYRA BANKS: It turns out that the episode of her new TV show where she took off her bra was all about mammaries (screen caps at the link). Why else would you have Anna Nicole as a guest?

DAVID SCHWIMMER caught canoodling with actress Sabine Singh. Not that I care, aside from the fact that I'm always amused by the word "canoodling."

FROM RED MENACE TO RED LIGHT DISTRICT? Chinese authorities crack down o­n a hotel manager providing prostitutes next to the Martyrs' Mausoleum. But in Hong Kong, sales of sex toys are encouraged.

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE: I have to give the State of Utah credit for putting Napoleon and Pedro in ads for the Utah State Fair. See 'em in streaming Flash 7 video and hear 'em at the link.

DAVID LYNCH, creator of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, will be teaching a Transcendental Meditation seminar in NYC at the end of the month. Otherwise, he's doing the daily weather report in glorious Quicktime. No, really.

BRADGELINA UPDATE: Jolie interviews Anne Hathaway, who appears in A Moment in the World, a documentary organized by Jolie that placed roughly 25 partici­pants in various locations o­n a specific day (Hathaway was in Cambodia), each instructed to videotape their surroundings at the same specific moment in time. But the interview is largely about other topics. Jennifer Aniston is the subject of some nasty Oprah-related gossip floating 'round the Internets.

IRAQ: The Washington Post reports that Iraqi forces are showing progress in the Tal Afar offensive, tthen moves quickly as possible to Sunni complaints that Sunnis aren't represented in the Iraqi Army. However, there appears to be some progress in recruiting Sunnis also. BTW, those complaints conflict somewhat with the WaPo story earlier this week suggesting that the effective forces were led by veterans of Saddam's army. Bill Roggio maps recent combat ops with a Flash presentation showing in pictures what he's been blogging for the last month or so. Chester takes a critical look at a recent Time magazine piece o­n the war.

IRAQ II: Zarqawi's treats against the Shiites has put more pressure o­n Iran to help the Shia in Iraq. Already, Iran's new hardline president -- while condemning the U.S. presence in Iraq -- expressed support for the new Iraqi government's drive toward democracy and stability. If Zarqawi follows through o­n his threats in the run-up to the referendum (which is also during Ramadan), Iran may offer covert help -- if it isn't doing so already.

CULT OF THE iPod: Boing Boing points you to the 1954 version.

FUN WITH PROPAGANDA: Photoshopped Phun at Worth 1000. Sylvia Hauser should just go directly to this entry.

KNIFE CONTROL: I don't know how you can rate Scotland as the most violent county in the developed world with a study that excludes street muggings, sexual violence and murder. But since the UK already has plenty of gun control laws, the authorities are now considering knife control.

THE MOMMY TRACK: As I mentioned a New York Times story about women at elite colleges wanting to be stay-at-home moms here earlier in the week, I should point out that it seems like there are serious problems with the reporting. As it's the NYT I can't say I'm shocked. Even so, the whole work-family issue had some interesting discussion this week, such as that in the comments at Prof. Ann Althouse's blog.

FRIDAY CATBLOGGING: I don't have a cat and (as some of you already know) am not much of a cat person. But I do find o­ne of blogger Amber Taylor's cats, Snape, to be very photogenic. Ms. Taylor's family seems to be in Rita's path, so I wish them the best this weekend. I'll get back to Snape in a moment, but first...

PETS: U.S. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CN) and Barney Frank (D-MA), are sponsoring a bill that would require that state and local disaster preparedness plans required for FEMA funding include provisions for household pets and service animals.

DEADLY DOG FLU: A new, highly contagious and sometimes deadly canine flu is spreading in kennels and at dog tracks around the country, according to veterinarians.

FARM ANIMALS, including 30 ducks, 10 sheep, two cows, three goats and several geese are bodypainting for their favorite soocer team in the Irish finals.

BADGERS, MUSHROOMS AND A SNAKE: The aforementioned Snape post gave me a tremendous earworm. Be sure to click (if you can have your speakers or earphones handy) if you don't know what I mean.

...and I'm spent.

THE MAGIC NUMBERS "may not yet reek of rock'n'roll excess but their journey along pop's perfumed highway grows more intoxicating daily." They have sold 100,000 albums in six weeks in the UK and count everyone from Brian Wilson to Jimmy Page as fans. You can give them a listen at their official website.

THE dB's: In the Jersey Journal preview of the band's Hoboken show, Chris Stamey explains how a planned second Holsapple-Stamey album turned into a dB's reunion: "We were going to end up trying to get guys to play just like Gene and Will, so we thought we should just call them."

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH o­n the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart last month without a label. Although the band just signed a U.S. distribution deal for the album with Warner Music Group's Alternative Distribution Alliance, Billboard looks at the band's prior unorthodox distribution deal.

JOHN PEEL DAY: No Rock and Roll Fun casts a critical eye o­n the upcoming double-disc and leadoff concert paying tribute to the late legendary DJ next month.

NEKO CASE: Her album due in February will be titled Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, with contributions from members of Calexico, the Sadies, and Giant Sand, plus keyboardist Garth Hudson from the Band.

THE DECEMBERISTS' Colin Meloy may do a solo tour and EP before plowing back into the studio with the band.

THE STROKES: Stereogum is killing music with links to a leaked track from the band's next disc. Judging from the comments, it's a departure from their standard sound.

BOB DYLAN: Entertainment Weekly read his book then rounded up links and multimedia of ten artists he likes. Some obvious stuff, like Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash, but also Roy Orbison, Ice-T and more.

THE WRENS were darn impressive at the Intonation festival. *Sixeyes interviews lead singer Charles Bissell and Kathryn Yu, who is making a documentary about the band (which has had label troubles rivaling those of the dB's in their day).

SWEET SOUL MUSIC: Singer-songwriter Joe Henry, who has produced albums for Bettye LaVette and Solomon Burke (winning a Grammy for the latter), launches the Work Song label with I Believe to My Soul, featuring newly recorded performances by Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles and Billy Preston. The album will be released in partnership with Rhino Records and Starbuck's, with a portion of proceeds going to hurricane relief.

PETE DOHERTY-KATE MOSS UPDATE: Fashion giant Hennes and Mauritz has canceled an advertising campaign using Moss. The company had previously said it would still use Moss after meeting her to discuss the publication of photos in the Daily Mirror which the British tabloid said showed her snorting cocaine (as she now admits).

HALLE BERRY has sworn off men.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA reacts to the birth of the Son of Federline: "Wow, she had a baby! That's crazy!" Aguilera says she has already sent Ma Spears a baby gift and a card (which, if she was honest, would read, "That is crazy").

BRADGELINA UPDATE: Jennifer Aniston tells Oprah she is ready to date again. I'm not sure why Aniston thinks Oprah would be interested in dating her; maybe she's reading too much into Oprah's steadfast refusal to marry Stedman Graham.

LADIES! Failed Reagan assassin John Hinckley, Jr. is looking for a girlfriend!

ASHTON KUTCHER VOICEMAIL HACKED? That's the claim at AshtonHacked.com, but with the numbers of the alleged passcode spelling "punk," this seems more like viral marketing.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Page Six claims that Teri Hatcher was sore about not getting an Emmy, refusing to pose with winner Felicity Huffman and her co-stars backstage. But Fox's Roger Friedman reports that "Sadly, for a gossip columnist, she was not vicious or backbiting. She was, however, extremely and noticeably thin."

JAMIE LYNN DiSCALA was spotted without her wedding ring last week; now Page Six has two witnesses linking Meadow Soprano to New York club promoter Keith Collins. Indeed, o­ne witness claims to have caught them canoodling in a public bathroom.

CAMPBELL BROWN has vaulted to the top of the list of possible replacements for Katie Couric o­n the Today Show, based o­n her reports o­n Hurricane Katrina. Network suits had long urged her to "girlie up" her image, as her competitors have; the storm allowed her to report in T-shirts and wrinkled shorts. It is, as Dan Rather recently suggested, o­ne of television news' finest moments.

MADONNA and hubby Guy Ritchie were booed at the London premiere of his new movie, Revolver, after the couple walked past most of the crowd without signing autographs. Imagine the reaction after the movie lands o­n cinema-goers' collective head like a sack of wet sand.

JANE FONDA bails o­n introducing British Member of Parliament George Galloway o­n his alleged antiwar speaking tour. "There's nothing anti-American about me. And I'm not against the troops," Galloway said at Northwestern University's Law School. Galloway has glorified the insurgents and compared Fallujah to Guernica, claiming that the people who invaded Iraq are war criminals who murdered more than a million people, but apparently the folks at Northwestern were ignorant of what he says to Middle Eastern audiences. Fonda -- who also cancelled her antiwar bus tour in favor of Cindy Sheehan -- may have decided that she better advances her cause by keeping a low profile.

TOP TEN WORTHLESS CELEBRITIES, listed by the Pittsburgh Tribune.

REBECCA ROMIJN got engaged to actor Jerry O'Connell. I saw this reported o­n E! by O'Connell's ex-fiancee, Giuliana DiPandi, who was wearing a t-shirt which read, "I never was your girlfriend."

CLINTON AND LEWINSKY condoms launch in China, which is an odd choice given the former President's position that he did not have "sex" with that woman.

DON'T ASK, don't put it o­n a coffee cup. Especially at Baylor University.

MANY WOMEN AT ELITE COLLEGES plan to get o­n the mommy track. And some academics are wringing their hands. Apparently, feminism was about giving women choices... as long as they don't choose to be stay-at-home moms. It's a little sad, but not surprising, that blogger Amber Taylor has a better feminist critique than the professors quoted by The New York Times. Maybe these women should work for NBC News, which likes it when women "girlie it up."

RADIO, RADIO: The National Guard needs more high-tech radios and satellite communications gear. A bipartisan group of legislators thinks other first responders do, too.

CRONYISM: Julie Myers, nominated to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (part of the Department of Homeland Security) is a lawyer with little immigration or customs experience to head the troubled law enforcement agency that handles those issues. Her uncle is Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She married DHS Secretary Chertoff's current chief of staff, John F. Wood, o­n Saturday. She may return from her honeymoon to find the honeymoon is over.

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, head of the active duty forces responding to Hurricane Katrina, let reporters have it when they persisted in dwelling o­n past mistakes, rather than informing people about New Orleans' evacuation plans for Hurricane Rita: "Let's not get stuck o­n stupid." The whole thing is worth a listen.

IRAQ: The DoD's monthly casualty figures suggest that this month is o­n track to have the lowest average daily casualties since February 2004. Bill Roggio notes that Zarqawi's declaration of war o­n the Shiites was rejected not o­nly by the Shiite and Sunni communities, but also by other insurgent groups. Reports suggest that suggesting that the jihadists are trying to conserve strained personnel resources. Saudi Arabia has begun a campaign to dissuade other young men from joining the Iraqi insurgency. The Arab News runs a story about a Saudi-born jihadi arrested in Iraq and returned to SA, (also mentioned in the prior link) in which he claims that he was duped by Al Qaeda (an account of dubious reliability).

DEAN ESMAY compares the "hate America Left" with the "hate America Right."

THE WAR o­n PORN: A new FBI squad will employ eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults. "I guess this means we've won the war o­n terror," said o­ne exasperated FBI agent, speaking o­n the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

CULT OF THE iPod: Cult leader Steve Jobs calls some labels "greedy" for wanting to raise prices o­n iTunes downloads. OTOH, Apple is cracking down o­n websites with "iPod" in the domain name -- everone wants to protect their investment in intellectual property, don't they?

THE FUTURE OF ROBOTS, including biorobotics, human-robot interaction and robot ethics, as envisioned by Ronald C. Arkin, Regents' Professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Director of the school's Mobile Robot Laboratory.

GLOBAL FROG PLAN UPDATE: The summit in Washington DC where scientists are trying to produce an action plan to conserve frogs, toads and salamanders is debating the theory that a disease threatening amphibians worldwide may have spread because of the use of frogs in pregnancy tests.

BABY SNAKES: Unlike most egg-laying snakes, female African Pythons spend time with their young after they hatch. The discovery underscores how little we know about the world of snakes and suggests their ways may be far more elaborate than scientists previously thought.

BEN, THE TWO OF US NEED LOOK NO MORE: A mentally-disabled man in the small Iron Range town of Gilbert, Minn., was being eaten alive in his home by more than 200 rats.