First D.J.: Rise and shine, campers and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.
Second D.J.: It's cold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
First D.J.: Not hardly. So the big question o­n everybody's lips...
Second D.J.: o­n their chapped lips...
First D.J.: ...their chapped lips is, "Does Phil feel lucky?" Punxsatawney Phil! That's right, woodchuck chuckers it's...

(IN UNISON): GROUNDHOG DAY!!!

Actually, Groundhog Day was Saturday, when the real Punxsutawney Phil ---  the Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary -- predicted six more weeks of winter.  Other groundhogs differed.  According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil has seen his shadow 98 times, and hasn't seen it (predicting an early spring) only 14 times.  Phil's track record is hotly disputed, though he's has been right 80 percent of the time over the last ten years.  Nevertheless, a crowd of 40000 spent a night of revelry awaiting the sunrise and the groundhog at Gobbler's Knob in the tiny Pennsylvania hamlet that has become known as the "Weather Capital of the World," due in no small part to the movie, which makes every day Groundhog Day.

This is o­ne time where the Internet really fails to capture the true excitement of a movie about a large squirrel predicting the weather. However, you can see the trailer as a refresher.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Jonah Goldberg's equally effusive movie meditation grabbed the cover of National Review: "When I set out to write this article, I thought it'd be fun to do a quirky homage to an offbeat flick, o­ne I think is brilliant as both comedy and moral philosophy. But while doing what I intended to be cursory research -- how much reporting do you need for a review of a twelve-year-old movie that plays constantly o­n cable? -- I discovered that I wasn't alone in my interest. In the years since its release the film has been taken up by Jews, Catholics, Evangelicals, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, and followers of the oppressed Chinese Falun Gong movement."

Indeed, a 2004 article mentioned by Ebert (but not linked) from London's Independent observes that the Harold Ramis comedy has been hailed by some religious leaders as the most spiritual film of all time. In addition to the examples given in that article, another can be found at the Christian Science Monitor.

As Phil Connors ultimately observed: "When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter."

ACCORDINGLY, we start off a new week:

...with Sonny & Cher o­n Hullabaloo and famously o­n Letterman years later, plus UB40 with Chrissie Hynde, not to mention The Cynics (from the Bonograph tribute CD), and David Bowie & Marianne Faithful.

SALES VS. INFLUENCE:  The Times of London lists the 20 best-selling albums and it its lsit of the 20 most influential albums ever.

BOB MOULD visited the World Cafe Thursday, so you can stream the set -- with selections spanning his career --on demand now via NPR.

CAT POWER:  At Chromewaves, Frank Yang has a nice take on the way her covers albums mark different phases of Chan Marshall's musical evolution.

RICHARD HAWLEY stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set -- including comments on the UK's efforts to address "antisocial behavior" -- that you can stream via NPR.

THE REDWALLS, a Chicago band I should plug more often, plays "Modern Diet" from their self-titled LP for Letterman.

BEST of 2008:  Apparently, the Times of London believes it's never too early to start making a list.

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and live tracks you can stream on demand via NPR.

LILY ALLEN has been dumped by Chemical Brother Ed Simons, just weeks after losing their unborn baby.  She appears to have been involved in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the relationship after she was pictured leaving his flat yesterday morning.

AMY WINEHOUSE was on a hospital drip after becoming dangerously dehydrated as she went "cold turkey" from drugs.  However, she has since been spotted out and about London. 

BRITNEY SPEARS got her stay in a psychiatric ward extended Sunday, as doctors decided to keep her hospitalized an additional 14 days.  People magazine describes conditions at the hospital.  Meanwhile, her house may have been robbed.  This can happen when the world knows you're not at home.  A Los Angeles court commissioner has placed the pop wreck and her estate under the temporary conservatorship of dad Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet.  Jamie now has the power to restrict her visitors, arrange 24-hour care and security, cut off all of hers credit cards and to prosecute any restraining orders on her behalf.  Britney did not take the news well, responding with a profanity-laden tirade in her wacky British accent.  Sam Lufti, on the outs with the pop tart's parents, calls her family crazy.  A British photographer has quit the chasing media pack, warning the hounding could kill her.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE:  Hannah Montana's digital 3-D concert movie crushed the box office, taking in 29 million bucks on 683 screens.  That is the biggest win of any film playing over Super Bowl weekend -- including Titanic.  And the budget for Hannah Montana was a rumored seven million.  The folks at Disney are swimming in Scrooge McDuck's money bin today.  You do that by charging 15 bucks per ticket, even for kids, with a one-week limited engagement.  Jessica Alba brought in 13 million for The Eye, while the other new releases opened below the Top Ten.  Katherine Heigl's 27 Dresses held a respectable third place in its third week, while last weeken's openers all tumbled 50-60 percent.  The adorable Juno shot back from seventh to fourth with 110 million in total receipts.

HEATH LEDGER:  The Daily Mail prints stills from the unreleased video the late actor made of "Black Dog" by Nick Drake -- the cult singer-songwriter whose death bore disturbing similarities to his own.  Eerie, verging on creepy.  Or maybe just plain creepy.  Baby mama Michelle Williams is heart-broken and begs for privacy.

JESSICA ALBA has -- according to the uber-reliable Aussie tab New Weekly -- walked out on her fiancé Cash Warren after a series of explosive fights over her pregnancy, vowing she'll never have another baby.  Look for them to be photographed together shortly.

KYLIE MINOGUE is reportedly back together with ex Olivier Martinez, supposedly on the condition of a "life plan" including marriage and children.

EVA MENDEZ reportedly checked into Utah's Cirque Lodge rehab clinic and has been in the facility, which deals with substance-abuse problems, for several weeks.

KIRSTEN DUNST "on the verge of a breakdown?"  Her rep denies it.

WESLEY SNIPES was found not guilty of federal tax-fraud and conspiracy charges Friday, but was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return.

SUPER BOWL ADS:  You can watch 'em all via AOL, including the new trailers for Iron Man, Prince Caspian (Narnia) and Wall-E, as well as  Beyonce doing the Thriller dance with lizards for Life Water.  Alternatively, you can watch and vote for your favorites at Spotbowl through noon on Tuesday.

HOLLYWOOD WRITERS' STRIKE:  Informal talks between representatives of Hollywood's striking writers and production companies have eliminated the major roadblocks to a new contract, which could lead to a tentative agreement as early as this week, according to the usual anonymous sources.

MATT DAMON took Jimmy Kimmel's long-running gag to a whole new level on the fifth 5th anniversary of Kimmel's show, by starring in a heavily-bleeped, but still NSFW video with Kimmel's girlfriend, comedienne Sarah Silverman.

CARLA BRUNI is in fact the new first lady of France, according to People magazine.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the ex-supermodel turned singer-songwriter wed in a civil ceremony Saturday morning morning in Paris.

THE UGLIEST BUILDING EVER:  The Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea -- the world's 22nd largest skyscraper -- has been vacant for two decades and is likely to stay that way.  It is such an eyesore, the Communist regime routinely covers it up, airbrushing it to make it look like it's open -- or Photoshopping or cropping it out of pictures completely.  Pics and video at the link.

THE STANS:  There is an excellent round-up of our precarious position in Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Small Wars Journal blog.  Bill Roggio reports that the fighting in Swat is currently more deadly than in Iraq.

IRAQ:  Al Qaeda fanatics plumbed to sickening new depths by turning two women with Down's syndrome into human bombs to kill 99 people in Baghdad.  There is a whiff of desperation in that depravity, esp. given AQ's attitude towards women.  Top Sunni politicians tried to stop final approval of de-Baathification legislation, but Iraq's presidency council approved it yesterday, the final step for the first US-backed benchmark approved by parliament.  US commanders and allied Iraqi sheiks have begun recruiting "concerned local citizens" directly from US detention facilities.

SWEE' PEA the border collie was just one of the record-breakers featured on a special edition of the Oprah Winfrey show.  You can see Swee' Pea is doing balancing that glass while climbing the stairs at the link.

WHEN LIONS ATTACK, it might just be a case of mistaken identity.  But that was probably small comfort to British teacher Kate Drew as the 400-lb beast sank its teeth into her head...

SHIH TZU SCANDAL forces the resignation of the mayor of Alice, TX.  Shih Tzu happens.

THE DOG at my Super Bowl tickets.  Like no one has heard that one before.  Video at the link.

COW!  An automobile accident caused Tonya Coccia to pick up an uninvited passenger in Rehoboth, Mass.  Video at the link.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with the MUSIC of LENNON & McCARTNEY! Both Beatles and non-Beatles tunes, as interpreted in different languages and in styles from pop to jazz to classical for this 1965 TV special. John and Paul introduce some of the segments, which include Sir George Martin, Peter & Gordon, Lulu, Marianne Faithfull, Dick Rivers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Cilla Black, Henry Mancini, Esther Phillips, Peter Sellers... and yeah, yeah, yeah, The Beatles.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.)  BONUS:  If you missed it lasttime I posted it, I recommend The Beatnix playing "Stairway To Heaven."

SHE & HIM:  Zooey Deschanel & M Ward dropped an advance track, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", to stream or downoad via the 'Gum.  Has a bit of a retro feel, but without the obvious chliches.

JOE HENRY:  The singer-songwriter talks mostly about his production work with the Detroit Free Press.

SCOTLAND YARD GOSPEL CHOIR -- which is jangly and sorta twee, not gospel -- stopped by KEXP for a chat and mini-set which you can stream (or just the music) via NPR.

ROLLING STONES:  A similarly named magazine is showing some of Ethan Russell's fab photos from the band's late 1969 tour (that would end in the ill-fated Altamont festival), plus two vintage stories about the tour and tragedy.

THE RAVEONETTES:  The brand spankin' new video for "Candy" is kinda cheap, but the song makes up for it.  I'm thinking the burlesque dancers are from the tour Ken King and I saw for the last album.

CAT POWER:  Chan Marshall's Jukebox debuted at No. 12 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart -- not only her best ever, but the best debut in the 20 year history of Matador Records.  She has a new website for the album, which is streaming music via the ol' HM!

THE EDITORS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via MPR.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND:  Rostam Batmanglij lists a few of his favorite things -- including Tchaikovsky's deep cuts -- for Pitchfork's "Guest List" feature.

CUTOUT BIN: From Jack Black to Patsy Cline, from the Staple Singers to the Replacements, from the Ramones to Roy Orbison, this Friday's fortuitous finds overfloweth and can be jukeboxed or streamed individually on the Pate page at the ol' HM.

BRITNEY SPEARS reportedly has been classified at UCLA as "Gravely Disabled," meaning the patient is unable to take care of basic needs; it is a possible basis for involuntary commitment.  Her inner circle, including her estranged mother Lynne, chose to admit her to the UCLA Medical Center because of its experience with treating bipolar disorder.  TMZ claims that when admitted, the pop wreck said she was on Adderall, a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, and was taking up to ten laxatives a day.  For a time, she was hurling profanities at her parents and staff.  The ever-reliable National Enquirer claims Spears had been on a 24-hour meth binge before she was rushed to the hospital.  Sources tell PageSIx that Spears' legal team has been instructed by the pop tart's family not to talk to Sam Lutfi.  Mama Lynne feels that the biggest problem facing Britney's recovery is the circle of friends she's become involved with and desperately wants to take her daughter home to Louisiana  as soon as she's released from the hospital.

JUSTIN CHAMBERS, who plays Dr. Alex Karev on "Grey's Anatomy," checked himself in to the psych ward at UCLA Medical Center this week.  It's becoming the "in" spot in Tinseltown.  Co-star Katherine Heigl found out from a swarm of paparazzi.  Video at the link.

HEATH LEDGER:  Apparently bowing to pressure from celebrities and Hollywood publicists, Entertainment Tonight and The Insider have decided not to broadcast more footage from a video which shows the late Heath Ledger talking about his use of marijuana at a drug-fuelled Hollywood party, but it is of course posted on the Internet.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE cheated on Jessica Biel with Kate Hudson, according to the ever-reliable Star magazine.

NOW SHOWING:  This weekend's wide releases are Jessica Alba's horror-thriller The Eye, for which advance reviews were embargoed (I'm guessing they won't be stellar); the fantasy-comedy Over Her Dead Body, which is currently scoring 19 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and the comedy Strange Wilderness, which wasn't screened for critics at all.  There Will Be Blood expands to wide releasse, with its 90 percent score.

CLOVERFIELD director Matt Reeves is in early talks with Paramount to direct a "Cloverfield" sequel, and he has also made a deal with GreeneStreet Films to direct "The Invisible Woman."

BE KIND, REWIND involves Mos Def and Jack Black re-creating movies on erased videotapes, so it's only fair that director Michel Gondry returns the favor by re-creating the official trailer for the movie.

MARY LYNN RAJSKUB, who plays computer whiz Chloe O'Brian on Fox's 24, is pregnant: "With the strike going on, I had to keep busy!"

ETHAN HAWKE is about to become a father again, this time with Ryan Shawhughes, described as the former nanny to his children by Uma Thurman.

CHUCK and SAMANTHA WHO?  Zachary Levi and Christina Applegate, stars of the shows just mentioned, were... wait for it... caught canoodling in a dark dive named Ye Olde Coach & Horses in L.A.  Bonus points to Metromix for actually using the word "canoodling."

FARRAH FAWCETT apparently has lots of cancer.

INDIANA JONES IV:  Empire magazine has a new exclusve still from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, along with comments from producer Frank Marshall.

TUBE THRILLER:  A gueriila perfomance of the Jacko classic breaks out on the London Underground.  Pretty good, though it's hard to top those Filipino inmates.

DOUBLE-DIPPING:  Just in time for Superbowl parties, the New York Times examines the potential health risks of the Seinfeldian phenomenon.

ABU LAITH al-LIBI, considered by some as the third-ranking terrorist in al Qaeda and fourth in the world, has been snuffed in Pakistan, most likely by your friendly neighborhood Predator drone.

THE MILITARY and the MEDIA:  The Washington Post runs with a story reporting that the Army reached an all-time high of 17.5 suicides per 100,000 active-duty soldiers in 2006.  The story fails to mention that the national suicide average is 21.5 per 100,000 for males ages 20 to 34.  Oddly enough, the Hartford Courant did the same basic story, with the same basic omission, last year.  I applaud the Army's efforts to get a handle on the rise in suicides -- a trend contrary to past periods of combat.  I do not applaud newspapers who fail to note how remarkable the troops are with regard to their peers in the civilian sector.

FLOCKE: Knut's successor as official cuddly polar bear cub learns to crawl at the Nuremburg Zoo.

WHEN OWLS ATTACK:  Captured on surveillance video.

PET HOARDING:  A new case in Virginia Beach, VA includes not only more than 100 live ferrets, but also 89 frozen ferret carcasses.

DEER busted for breaking and entering in Parker City, IN.  In a bizarre coincidence, the home's owner lives in Virginia Beach, VA.

A RABBIT and an EAGLE have become unlikely best friends in China.  Pic at the link; the bunny seems to be a little uneasy, if you ask me.

THE TING TINGS got picked up by Columbia and now have a video for "Great DJ."

PALE YOUNG GENTLEMEN:  Madison, Wisconsin's cabaret-rockin' octet are profiled by Revelille magazine, with two streaming tracks.  Recommended.

OF MONTREAL:  Matt of YANP has compiled over 50 covers from the band, from the Beatles, Prince, the Who, the Sugarhill Gang, the Kinks, the Cars, the Velvet Underground, the Buzzcocks, Neil Young, Apples in Stereo, Europe, Led Zeppelin and many more. Jukebox 'em via the ol' HM.

HOT CHIP: Synth-based indie dance music isn't really my bag, but it might be yours, in which case you can stream their upcoming album now via MuchMusic.

GNARLS BARKLEY:  The Daily Swarm wonders whether some press and the leak of "Run" marks the start of a viral marketing campaign for their upcoming The Odd Couple album.  I thought it was obvious.

CRABBY APPLETON:  From the "Where Are They Now?" file, the aptly-named "Go Back."

VAMPIRE WEEKEND:  Their debut LP has only been officially available for a few days, but New York magazine is already charting "What to Expect From the Upcoming Vampire Weekend Backlash."  Don't forget you can stream the whole album now via MuchMusic.

EARLY DAY MINERS are not easily categorized -- perhaps they sound a bit like the more ambient stuff Brian Eno produced for U2, but with a bit of rootedness one might expect from a band based in Bloomington, IN.  The did the four free unreleased songs thing for Daytrotter, so you can hear whether I got close.

NICOLE ATKINS and the SEA:  The Village Voice has an interview and a video performance for shrieking kids  from an indoor soccer field at Super Soccer Stars on the Upper West Side.

WEEZER frontman Rivers Cuomo talks to Drowned In Sound about his album of demos, a celebrity soccer match, and more, with some vintage Weezer video to boot.

BRITNEY SPEARS:  Multiple sources tell TMZ that the pop wreck has seen numerous doctors, including a new psychiatrist who has come to her home every day this week, adding that she's on medication to treat a bipolar disorder.  Meanwhile, Spears reportedly taunted a gay paparazzo in her wacky British accent Monday night, and went on a profanity-laced tirade against Sam Lutfi yesterday morning.  UPDATE - BREAKING:  Although a reported suicide attempt has been denied, Spears was taken by ambulance to UCLA Medical Center early this morning and will be placed on a 5150 hold, which means she poses a danger to herself and others.  This has apparently been engineered by Britney's psychiatrist, who felt her condition had deteriorated. TMZ is all over it. 

HEATH LEDGER:  Michelle Williams reportedly tried to get the late actor to enter rehab in 2006, but he refused to get out of the car.  A rep for Williams calls the story a "lie."  Ledger's Brokeback Mountain costar, Jake Gyllenhaal, is godfather to Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda, and is said to have been devastated by last week's news.  Entertainment Tonight and The Insider have purchased exclusive rights to tragic video footage of Ledger allegedly snorting cocaine at a party two years ago.

TOM-KAT UPDATE:  Holmes has fueled rumors she is pregnant by buying a "Big Sister" t-shirt for daughter Suri.  The uber-reliable Woman's Day mag claims Holmes is distraught over Cruise's bad career advice and Scientonlogy PR.  Meanwhile, Cruise is the first on the list to get Ducati's newest 72.5K, 200 m.p.h. motorcycle.  Cruise escaped unharmed in March 2005 when he crashed his turbo-charged Ducati in Beverly Hills after skidding on a patch of oil.

NANCY CARTWRIGHT, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, last year gave the Church of Scientology ten million bucks -- more than twice as much as Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley and ten times as much as John Travolta and Kelly Preston -- in support of an effort to rid mankind of psychology ills and other "aberrant" behavior.

LEAH REMINI is auditioning to be a Godparent to Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's unborn baby.  Left unmentioned in the story is Remini's membership in the Church of Scientology and J-Lo's openness to the group because her father was a member.

BRADGELINA: Both US Weekly and OK! magazine are running with the story the Jolie is pregnant.

LINDSAY LOHAN may be calling songwriter Jeremy Greene her boyfriend, but he is denying it: "Lindsay is a good person who means well, and I love her family dearly. But sometimes she has a habit of losing touch with reality - and I'm not one of those typical guys who have tried to take advantage of her."

JESSICA ALBA and Cash Warren are buying stuff for a baby boy.

THE FRENCH HOTEL was... wait for it... caught canoodling with Elisha Cuthbert?  A rep for Cuthbert denies it, and can you blame her?

SEAN YOUNG:  The Hollywood Reporter has some video of the drunken heckling at the Directors Guild Awards that has landed her in rehab.

OPRAH WINFREY is the latest target/subject of controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards, whose other works include a life-sized statue of Britney Spears giving birth while nude on her hands and knees on a bearskin rug, and a dead French Hotel.  "The Oprah Sarcophagus" pays full-figured homage to the closest thing America has to a living deity.

HOOKERS FOR JESUS:  Giving new meaning to preaching on the street-corner.

CARTOON JIHAD:  Denmark's Royal Library is risking the wrath of Muslims with plans to display controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked violent protest throughout the Islamic world two years ago.

IRAN:  Pres. Ahmadinejad renewed his verbal attack on Israel, saying its days are numbered and predicting that the "filthy Zionist entity" will fall sooner or later.  Coincidentally, he made the remarks in the southern city of Bushehr, where the theocracy's nuclear facility is getting ready to go online.

IRAQ:  Bill Roggio surveys the coming offensive in Mosul.  Prime Minister al-Maliki has called the Mosul mission a "decisive" final push against AQI but Major-General Mark Hertling, commander of US troops in northern Iraq, has cautioned against describing the joint operation in such terms. The Times of London tests progress in Baghdad from its Travel section.  In order to capitalize on gains in the Iraqi capital, the incoming commander of US forces in Baghdad, General Hammond, says he plans in the short term to push the envelope further and establish more US combat outposts in Baghdad and surrounding areas, particularly in places where US troops have not had much of a presence in the past.  As the security situation has improved in the southern belts of Baghdad, coalition officials are finding themselves more involved with building local governance capacity and creating jobs.

ENDANGERED LIONS, TIGERS & ORANGUTANS are among those getting swimming lessons at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or TIGER, in Miami, Florida,  More pics at the link.

BEAVER NEWS:  A beaver deceiver is nice, so long as it doesn't lead to beaver stroganoff.

A 3-FT, 4-IN CROCODILE is making the water hazard a wee bit more hazardous on the 14th hole at the Willows Golf Club in tropical Australia.

COWS are waterboarded for the enjoyment of young children in California.

A CURIOUS FROG survived a journey from South Florida to the Park Slope Food Coop, then another three days in her refrigerator, before escaping from a salad.

THE WHIGS play "Right Hand On My Heart" for Mr. Letterman.  The band also got a nice little feature for their garage-y southern rock on Weekend Edition at NPR.

BOB MOULD talked to SPIN magazine about Hüsker Dü and Grant Hart, grunge music, living in DC, DJing, the fact that his most-heard music is The Daily Show theme, and more... including the Joan Rivers Show.  Mould also did a "listening session" with Harp magazine.

R.E.M. is embarking on a summer tour with The National and Modest Mouse -- quite a triple bill.

DAN WILSON, formerly of Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic, stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set you can stream on demand via NPR.

MUSIC BLOG ZEITGEIST 2007:  The Hype Machine does what is does best -- music blog aggregation -- to come up with lists of the Best 50 Songs (broken up by month), Albums and Bands that had music bloggers buzzing last year.

DEAN & BRITTA:  Dean Wareham has an excerpt from his memoirs in Men's Vogue, covering the period after Britta joined Luna through the end of Dean's marriage.  Dean also shuffled his iPod for The A.V. Club, but ends up talking between songs as well.  (Thx, Chromewaves.)  And it's as good excuse as any to revist the duo's video for "Words You Used to Say."

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley have a fairly wide-ranging conference call with PopMatters about all things DBT.  Embedded video for the kicker.

DOC WATSON, one of the most influential folk artists of all time, played the Birchmere Music Hall the other night; you can stream the whole gig -- and an interview -- via NPR.

THE RAVEONETTES:  Sune Rose Wagner tells Rolling Stone that visual artists like Andy Warhol, photographer William Eggleston and filmmaker David Lynch influenced the Lust Lust Lust album.  Plus, you get a legit downoad of the band's "Dead Sound."

JOANNA NEWSOM:  The indie harpist talks to the New York Times about moving on from her breakthrough Ys album by performing it with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra on Thursday and Friday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

BRITNEY SPEARS reportedly had a huge, tear-filled bust-up with her manager-pal Sam Lutfi -- over boyfriend Adnan Ghalib --  which brought the pop wreck's parents to the scene and a measure of reconciliation with mama Lynne.  The gossip is mixed over whether her family is still pushing for an intervention or not.  Lufti says not, but may be in the dark.  Court documents reveal that Spears is allowed to speak with her kids on the telephone but still may not see them.

HEATH LEDGER:  A twisted impostor pretending to be Heath Ledger's grieving dad cruelly duped superstar Tom Cruise into consoling him over the phone - and nearly got John Travolta to buy him a plane ticket to the US.  Two superstar Scientologists almost fell for a con job?  Who'da thunkit?  Ledger's real father had the sad task of visiting his son's SoHo apartment Tuesday.  Filming of Michelle Williams's next movie, Blue Valentine, has been put on hold while the actress copes with the death of her ex-fiancee and baby daddy.

LINDSAY LOHAN gets a little snippy when the paparazzi try to snap the supposedly rehabbed actress downing vodka cocktails at the Beatrice Inn.  Li-Lo was spotted taking a swig from a bottle of Grey Goose at a different club the same evening.

GWEN STEFANI is pregnant again, as confirmed by husband Gavin Rossdale's father.

SEAN YOUNG, after getting into a drunken brawl and ejected from the Directors Guild of America Awards, has entered rehab for treatment related to alcoholism.

JESSICA SIMPSON & TONY ROMO made sure to be spotted having a PDA-filled dinner at a West Hollywood restaurant  the other night, after those break-up rumors hit the 'net.  Later, Romo reluctantly entertained at the Key Club with a kareoke rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". (Video at the link.)  If the pneumatic blonde looked drunk, it was only becase she is so happy, not because she's going through a PR stunt to benefit her creepy dad-manager Joe.

ASHLEE SIMPSON:  Speaking of whom, creepy dad-manager Joe continues to push a reality dating show for Ashlee to promote her upcoming album, even though has been dating Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz for more than a year.

BRADGELINA:  Jolie pregnancy rumors fueled by water.  Dad Jon Voight hopes the rumors are true, but doesn't know, as the two remain estranged.

JENNIFER LOPEZ:  Not in labor at the moment.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO is in talks to direct back-to-back installments of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" for producer Peter Jackson.

YACHT ROCK:  The acclaimed web series returns with the story of Kenny Loggins writing "Footloose," including a cameo from Jason Lee.

SWARMS OF ROBOTS that use electromagnetic forces to cling together and assume different shapes are being developed by US researchers.  Video at the link.

ISLAMISM in the UK:  A man has pleaded guilty to a plot to kidnap and kill a Muslim soldier in the British army by cutting off his head "like a pig", a court was told on Tuesday.

THE STANS:  The Pakistani Taliban has extended its reach across all seven of Pakistan's frontier tribal regions and have infiltrated Peshawar , the provincial capital, heightening US concerns that an insurrection may be broadening in the nuclear-armed nation.  However, Afghanistan's Taliban has moved to distance itself from Pakistani leader Baitullah Mehsud saying it has no interest in joining his guerilla war against the Pakistani government.  Police on Tuesday arrested top al-Qaeda linked suspect Qasim Tori in the southern port city of Karachi after he was injured during a car chase.

IRAQ:  Attracted by news of decreased violence, thousands of displaced Iraqis returning to Baghdad's safer neighborhoods are fueling a bit of a real estate frenzy.  Iraqis are using You Tube to poke fun US soldiers, policemen, and Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.  Not all Iraqis approve of their leaders being belittled in this way, and comments posted on the site beneath the videos reflect the wide divergence of opinion that characterises the country's political landscape.  US troops still battle local fear of retribution from AQI and make intelligence inroads in Diyala province.  Pres. Bush is reportedly siding with Gen. Petraeus on keeping pre-surge troop levels in Iraq longer than advocated by George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff.

CHEETA the CHIMP, now 75 and enjoying retirement in a Palm Springs sanctuary, is teaming him up with a ghostwriter for a "funny, moving and searingly honest" memoir. It will cover his experiments in modern abstract art, his battle with alcohol and cigars, his struggle with diabetes and, of course, that illustrious cinema career.

MASHOFAN the CAMEL, frequent winner of beauty pageants died last week following a disease.  The Kingdom mourns.

A RARE, THREE-FT LONG SPITTING EARTHWORM that smells like lilies is at the heart of a legal battle between conservationists and the US government.

A FUGITIVE COW escaped from a farm about 45 miles south of Brisbane, Australia on Monday and eluded police for about an hour.  The cow will not be alright.  Video at the link.

A MAKO SHARK attacks a fisherman aboard his boat.  Video at the link.  And, of course, cue Sheriff Brody (nsfw)!

JOE JACKSON has posted a live take on "Invisible Man," from his new Rain album, which you can stream below.  It's a bit jazzier, mid-period Joe than "King Pleasure Time," which recalls early Joe and is one of several tracks steaming via JoeSpace.  Add in his classic "It's Different For Girls" and you have yer Twofer Tuesday.

NEW RELEASES: Vampire Weekend gets a label release for its self-titled debut.  Joe Jackson, Hello Blue Roses, Thao Nguyen, Louis XIV, Radar Bros. and more are streaming in full via Spinner.  UPDATE:  Here's a new Vampire Weekend stream.

LED ZEPPELIN REUNION:  Jimmy Page said Monday he was ready to take the iconic band on a world tour after burning up the stage at last month's reunion concert in London. But it probably won't be before September.

WHITE RABBITS have a new, unititled track streaming via Paste magazine.

GNARLS BARKLEY:  There is what sounds like a leaked track, "Run," to stream from the duo's upcoming sophomore album.  Is it "Crazy?"  Nah, they wisely took it in a whole 'nother direction.  I think Austin Powers would find it groovy, yeah, with a smidge of the Go! Team.  UPDATE:  Hope you got there before the lawyers did!  If not...

BILLY BRAGG has a new album coming, but not until April for North America.  There will be two versions of Mr. Love & Justice -- the regular version with The Blokes and a limited edition that includes a solo version of the LP.

BON IVER:  Pre-order Justin Vernon's album and get a poster or a bonus track.  Also, Vernon has started a blog called Culture Fear.

MOUNTAIN GOATS make John Darnielle's lyrics the focus of the video for "Sax Rohmer #1," the lead single from the upcoming Heretic Pride album.

RADIOHEAD:  Thom Yorke appeared on BBC2 for an interview an two songs.  You can stream "Reckoner (acoustic)" and "Everything In Its Right Place" via the ol HM.

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, "the country's preeminent gospel group," played NYC's Cutting Room club last night, so you should be able to stream the gig on demand via NPR today.

MINOR THREAT drummer Jeff Nelson is selling a boatload of punk paraphenalia on eBay.

AMY WINEHOUSE:  Her jailed husband claims that he has warned the singer to "Quit smoking crack or you'll be dead in three months."

PETE DOHERTY:  Is the troubled singer on the road to becoming a pet hoarder? 

BRITNEY SPEARS was snapped in an acid green feather boa while shopping for underwear and videos at Hollywood's Hustler store.  Page Six has more on the three restraining orders taken out against Spears confidant Sam Lufti.  Meanwhile Lufti tells The View that the pop wreck was seeking help for what Walters termed "mental issues which are treatable."

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS may not have miscarried, but the ever-reliable Life & Style claims that those around Britney's 16-year-old knocked up sister still fear for her unborn child's safety: "Her mom and dad are both worried that Jamie's late-night partying isn't good for her - or her child."

GYLLENSPOON:  The Reese-Jake pairing is upsetting Jake's ex, Kirsten Dunst... and Jake's mother.

CELEB SCIENTOLOGY:  The Church of Scientology, having failed to keep wacky Tom Cruise videos off the Internet, has decided it's a good thing, raising awareness of the sect and driving tarffic to their websites.  Gawker has a Scientology indoctrination message, purportedly from TV star Leah Remini.

DEMI MOORE & ASHTON KUTCHER are slacking off on attending Kabbalah services.

HAYDEN PANETTIERRE:  The Heroes cheerleader was in DC over the weekend for some "save the whales, save the world" activism.

BRADGELINA were... wait for it... caught canoodling at their during the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night.  Jolie's dress for the SAG gala stirred more preganancy rumors.

THE GREG BRADY PROJECT:  Barry Williams is part of a group blog with often Brady Bunch-centric content.

HOLLYWOOD WRITERS' STRIKE:  AMC's Mad Men and Showtime's Weeds can get back to work after their production company cut a side deal with the WGA.  I hope this gives Mad Men some sort of edge, as it is among the best shows on television, not to mention the smokin-est, drinkin-est show on television.  In fact, Mad Men won a Directors Guild Award last weekend, after picking up two Golden Globes.

SEAN YOUNG leapt out of the "Where Are They Now?" file to get into a drunken brawl at the Directors Guild Awards presentation.

THE OSCARS:  Selected AMC Theatres will screen all five Best Picture nominees on Feb. 23rd -- one day before the statues are handed out.  None in Pate's home state of Iowa, but the list of theaters includes Austin, Chicago, L.A., DC, Mpls., Seattle, Kansas City KS, and many more...

ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO just did a photoshoot for the Victoria's Secret 2008 Swimsuit Catalog, though she reportedly is three months pregnant.

PAKISTAN:  The Washington Post's Jackson Diehl has a column laying out what Pres. Bush must tell Pres. Musharraf regarding the election less than a month away.  Diehl relies in part on the word of ex-cricket champ Imran Khan, whom Diehl writes "now leads his own small centrist party,"  Diehl somehow missed the WaPo's prior coverage of Khan, which noted he "has increasingly styled himself a champion of Islam," including inciting violent protests after Newsweek's bogus report that a copy of the Koran had been dropped into a toilet at Gitmo. And that in parliament, Khan often allied with a bloc of hard-line religious parties led by a pro-Taliban cleric who has called for holy war against the US.  Khan recently wrote that Pakistan should withdraw its troops from northwestern areas, negotiate with tribesmen sheltering the Taliban and al-Qaeda, while NATO should leave Afghanistan in favor of troops from the Organization of the Islamic Conference.  Diehl has been taken in by, or is advancing, a Khan.

IRAQ:  Influential members of Muqtada al-Sadr's movement have urged the anti-US Shiite cleric not to extend a cease-fire when it expires next month.  The Deputy Police Chief in Diyala has quit to join the AQI-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq.  In the L.A. Times, Bing West and Max Boot write that Pres. Bush may have to withdraw his support for Prime Minister al-Maliki if he continues to slow progress.  Michael J. Totten blogs from Fallujah about Marines and National Guard MPs  training the Iraqi police: "Training Iraqis to replace Marines is a lot less dangerous than fighting a war, but it's harder. Every single American who has an opinion one way or the other told me it's harder."

GLEN of IMAAL TERRIERS:  Rarer than giant pandas!

WHEN DOLPHINS ATTACK:  Film taken of gangs of dolphins repeatedly ramming baby porpoises, tossing them in the air and pursuing them to the death has solved a long-term mystery of what causes the death of so many of these harmless mammals - but has left animal experts baffled as to the motive.

A COLONY OF 20000 BATS living below two interstate bridges in Port St. Lucie, Fla. is expected to cause four extra months of traffic backups.  That's a long time to sit in a traffic jam.

BUNNIES!!!  Dozens of bunnies have descended on Ft. Worth, TX for this weekend's 1400-rabbit open show.

SOPHIE the CAT helps bust an Austin, TX man on kiddie pr0n charges.

CROCODILE ORGY kills a man in Papua New Guinea.  Lesson: If the mangrove's a-rockin', don't bother knockin'.