THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with THE TOP 100 ALBUMS OF THE DECADE, according to NME, with scads and scads of essays, streams and videos. Also, Largehearted Boy can hook you up with more "Best of the Decade" music lists than you can shake a stick at, albums, songs, compilations, genres, etc.

CORY CHISEL and the WANDERING SONS did four free songs for Daytrotter, plus a chat and mini-set at The Current, with no overlap.

ROSEANNE CASH stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a chat and mini-set streaming via KCRW.

BECK has posted a new 10-minute tribute composer Harry Partch.  It's likely a dig at Fiery Furnaces' Matthew Friedberger, and "veering from hip-hop to country to psych to R&B, the brand new song is a one-stop-shop that covers Beck's entire career."

COLIN HAY: Who can he be now? A man at work with a mini-set streaming via NPR. 

FIVE BANDS THAT RIP OFF WES ANDERSON, via Kid Pretentious.

JASON SEGEL (Freaks and Geeks, HIMYM, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) joins THE SWELL SEASON for an original song at The Wiltern Wednesday night. There's no profanity, but it might still be NSFW.

THE DECEMBERISTS' Colin Meloy explains how Husker Du changed his life.

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS frontman Gruff Rhys talks to The Guardian about his new, genealogical movie.

THE FIERY FURNACES survey their career so far with Drowned In Sound.

NEON INDIAN frontman Alan Palomo shares a few of his favorite things for a Pitchfork Guest List.

CUTOUT BIN: From Shirley Bassey to The Clash, from David Bowie to the Turtles, from Los Bravos to the Go! Team, plus CCR, the Jayhawks, Sambassadeur, Mudhoney, the Replacements, the Starland Vocal Band and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds can be jukeboxed or streamed separately via the Pate page at the ol' HM.

NOW SHOWING: This week's wide releases include The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which I haven't heard much about, but apparently involves teenage vampires or something.  It's currently scoring 30 percent on the ol' Tomatometer, yet I have this strange hunch that it will do alright at the box office.  There's also The Blind Side, a based on true-life sports drama scoring 59 percent.  And the animated Planet 51, which is scoring 21 percent on thin reviews.

TILA TEQUILA stripped down naked to go on a bizarre, rambling rant - live on her Ustream page.  Her lawyer blames her BF Shawne Merriman.

MICHAEL JACKSON is spotted in an ultrasound of a fetus, though no one raises the obvious Omen question.

AMY WINEHOUSE went to the hospital because her breasts have burst. 

ANNE HATHAWAY is the newest actress rumored for casting as the Black Cat in Spider-Man 4 (Rachel McAdams having denied it).

WILL FERRELL is Hollywood's Most Overpaid Star, according to Forbes.  You stay classy, Mr. Ferrell!

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: Streaming in full this month on YouTube.

CARMEN ELECTRA home video leaks, just in time for Gratuitous Friday. This SFW extract still fearures her in her underwear, kissing another woman.

PAM ANDERSON: Those poor kids.

DEMI MOORE: Worst Photoshop Evah?

WHAT'S IN THE BOX? An alternate ending for "Seven."

IRAN: UN experts were to visit a controversial uranium enrichment plant south of Tehran on Thursday, as Pres. Obama warned of "consequences" after Iran dismissed a UN-brokered nuclear fuel deal.

AFGHANISTAN: Two and a half years after it was started, the European Union's police training mission in Afghanistan is understaffed, lacks adequate security and transportation, and has yet to develop a uniform training program, according to diplomats and security experts involved in the mission.

A GOAT RIDES THE SCHOOL BUS: Let's go to the video. It followed them to school one day.

A COW stares unamazed from an Anderson County swimming pool. Moo 911.

KOALA BEARS are dying of stress from humans.

A PRIDE OF LIONS is not where you want your jeep overturning.

CATS FOR GOLD: Turn your pretty to kitty!

NEKO CASE sings "Red Tide" for Fallon.

BRENDAN BENSON stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming now via MPR. Hear about his kitteh rescue!

BOWERBIRDS played a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR. 

THE SWELL SEASON stopped by Oregon Public Broadcasting for a chat and mini-set in audio and video.

FEVER RAY is advance streaming the Live at Lulea album via NPR.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG drops a video for "Heaven Can Wait," featuring Beck.

VELVET UNDERGROUND REUNION: Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker and Doug Yule will make an extremely rare joint public appearance on Dec. 8 at the New York Public Library, to discuss the band's music and legacy with rock journalist David Fricke.

THE GIMME SHELTER YOU DIDN'T SEE: Critic extraordinaire Michael Azerrad looks at the outtakes from the infamous Rolling Stones documentary, included with the recent reissue of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out.

HOLD STEADY frontman Craig Finn talks to Pitchfork about his first band, Lifter Puller.

BELLE and SEBASTIAN: Hmmmm...

JOHNNY DEPP is People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for the second time.

RYAN O'NEAL claims he isn't bitter about being left out of the Farrah Fawcett's will.

PENELOPE CRUZ dodges engagement questions.

NICOLE RICHIE checked herself into a L.A. hospital, where she is being treated for pneumonia.

JASON LEE will play an Elvis impersonator in a new series for TNT.

THE 25 BEST LIVE TV MOMENTS of the decade, according to Paste.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR boosted the Melrose Place reboot a paltry 14 percent from its series-low-matching performance last week.

RACHEL McADAMS denies the Spider-Man 4 casting rumor.

ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL is accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend.

STAR TREK 2.0.2: Most likely not until 2012, but rumors abound.

MISS UNIVERSE threesome tape.

IRAN's foreign minister said that the regime would not ship its stockpile of low enriched uranium out of the country, making him the highest ranking official so far to declare that Iran would renege on a deal aimed at defusing a confrontation with the West over its nuclear program.  So of course, the UN has been secretly negotiating a deal to persuade world powers to lift sanctions and allow Tehran to retain the bulk of its nuclear program.

IRAQ: Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said Wednesday that he had vetoed Iraq's new election law, throwing preparations for the January voting into disarray. A postponement of the election could affect the schedule for withdrawal of US troops.

FEEDING A KITTEH with chopsticks. Nom nom nom.

JACK THE COLLIE survives a 130-ft plunge from a cliff.

KILLER BEES may be among the most feared of all insects - but they ain't too smart.

LIVE LIKE A HAMSTER: A French hotel tests the Furry market.

SHORT ENTRY TODAY, mostly because there really wasn't much gossip worth relaying, even by my obviously low standards...

WHITE RABBITS cover "Instant Karma." Gonna knock you right on the head.

GIRLS stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming now via MPR.

MAGIC WANDS did three free songs for Daytrotter: "It's as if The Ting Tings were oddly listening to White Magic, Neil Sedaka, The Velvet Underground and Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers and not hearing any difference in any of it, thinking as a collective, it was all coming from the same band and treating it as such..."

BEACH HOUSE has a new song, "Norway" from their upcoming Teen Dream album.

THE DECADE'S 50 MOST IMPORTANT RECORDINGS, according to All Songs Considered. Oliver Wang finds it a bit too "appropriate for audience."

DANIELSON goes animated for "Moment Soakers," a new single backed by a cover of ABBA's "Eagle."

VIC CHESTNUTT talks to the National Post about confronting his demons onstage.

STEVE ALBINI talks to the Daily Swarm about recording 2000 Albums, Nirvana, how Geffen tried to put him out of business, and (of course) disregarding the listening audience. Loads of audio and video, too.

CAMERA OBSCURA reveals their upcoming Christmas single.

ALELA DIANE talks to ChartAttack about late blooming.

MISSY, who could be the world's most perfect cow, was sold for 1.2 million at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

FLESH-EATING PIRANHAS could surpass the python threat in Florida.

NORMANDY NESSIE, a mysterious serpent-like creature that's at least 20 feet long, has been swimming in a canal in Madeira Beach, FL. Maybe it's after the piranhas.

A CROCODILE tried to take a shortcut over the backs of a herd of hippos. A fatal mistake, captured on camera.

A TURKEY caused havoc on the New Jersey turnpike, and is still on the loose.

BOB DYLAN "Must Be Santa" in a Brave Combo, zydeco-polka sorta way.

NEW RELEASES: Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, The Doors, Gentle GIant, and more are streaming this week via Spinner.

LANGHORNE SLIM stopped by the World Cafe for a mini-set streaming via NPR.

BOBBY BARE, JR. does the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, one previously unreleased.

LISSIE stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming now via MPR.

OUR LIPS ARE SEALED, co-written by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall, is performed by the Go-Gos and Fun Boy Three, for Twofer Tuesday.

TEGAN and SARA: The former talks to Prefix about where they fit on the scale between indie and mainstream, the lessons of writing songs together, and correcting misconceptions.

GRIZZLY BEAR: Chris Taylor talked to The Line of Best Fit about orchestral accompaniment, essential classical composers and finding yourself caught off guard by your own music.

JACK WHITE will produce an album for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN suffers the frontman's nightmare in Michigan.

FARRAH FAWCETT's will was read; long-time love Ryan O'Neal isn't in it, but a secret ex-lover is.

DAVID LETTERMAN denied a supermarket tabloid report claiming his wife booted him from their Westchester mansion over his sex scandal.

BRADGELINA is going into jewelry design. Is there nothing they can't do?

LINDSAY LOHAN's ex-con dad has been accused of hunting out strippers who look like his famous daughter.

AMY WINEHOUSE was hospitalized after mixing her meds.

ADRIANA LIMA and her husband, NBA star Marko Jaric, welcomed a daughter on Sunday.

KEN OBER, a brassy comedian best known as the host of the 1980s-era MTV game show "Remote Control," died this weekend.

PAKISTAN: The Taliban is coming in for criticism at the nation's biggest religious congerence.

IRAN: Supporters of the regime have desecrated the grave of Neda Soltan, the student who became a symbol of the opposition after she was shot dead during an anti-goverment demonstration on June 20.  Ahmadinejad issues a veiled threat that Iran will go ahead with enriching uranium to a higher level should negotiations with the international community fail.  International inspectors who gained access to Iran's newly revealed underground nuclear enrichment plant voiced strong suspicions in a report on Monday that the country was concealing other atomic facilities.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: An elk calf in a puddle.

TITAN, an ailing 4-year-old white Great Dane from San Diego, was awarded the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest dog.

WHIPPED: A ferocious feline turned her owners into a pair of scaredy cats in their Midtown NYC apartment yesterday, holding them hostage at claw-point until the cops came to their rescue.

SABI, a bomb-sniffing dog who went missing in action during the heat of battle, has been found safe and well after spending a year in the Afghan desert.

MERLOT the cat is found after 17 months astray.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE has a new video for "In the Flowers," as freaky as usual. Plus carny footage.

FANFARLO stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming now via MPR.

FASTBALL did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter. Nice, esp. "Soul Radio."

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS played the Mountain Stage for a short set streaming via NPR.

PATRICK WOLF did a chat and mini-set with The Quietus.

PSYCHEDELIC FURS perform an unpluggedy "Love My Way."

THURSTON MOORE talks to Carrie Brownstein about the decade, music and his Ecstatic Peace label.

DEVO: Mark Mothersbaugh talks to the Chicago Tribune and The Stranger about doing a retro tour before a new album.

BISHOP ALLEN's Justin Rice talks to the Village Voice about making the "True or False" video.

KING KHAN was busted in Kentucky "for allegedly possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: 2012 predictably won the weekend with 65 million in receipts; that's a litlle above the range predicted, and director Roland Emmerich's flicks tend to do very well overseas, justifying the the 200 million budget.  A Christmas Carol dropped only 25 percent with 23.3 million; giving it a shot at recoping its 200 million budget domestically.  The Men Who Stare at Goats held onto the third slot, but dropped 51 percent and took in 6.2 million. The black comedy has almost recouped its 25 million budget, and Overture paid only 5 million for the rights.  Precious - a movie touted by Oprah - leapt from No. 12 to No.4, taking in 6 million on only 174 screens.  Michael Jackson rounds out the Top 5, but This is It tumbled 61 percent to take in another 5.1 million.  Pirate Radio opened near-wide, but debuted at No. 11, which may be disappointing for Focus Features, but maybe not shocking, given its tepid performance overseas (under the title The Boat That Rocked).

KRISTEN STEWART, who returns to theaters this week in the Twilight sequel, gets praise for her acting from Oscar winners in a New York Times profile.

LINDSAY LOHAN caught on camera having a party in the bathroom.

NICOLAS CAGE lost his two historic French Quarter homes in a foreclosure auction Thursday.  Will Johnny Depp rescue him?

ANGELINA JOLIE waged "a mean-spirited but effective campaign" against Jennifer Aniston around the time that Brad Pitt divorced her, according to a new book.

CLINT EASTWOOD was made a commander in France's prestigious Legion of Honour on Friday.

ROGER CORMAN, undisputed B-movie mogul, is getting an honorary Academy Award.  EW has tributes from Martin Scorsese, William Shatner, Dennis Hoper,, Sylvester Stallone, Ron Howard, and more.

THE TOP 7 CELEBRITY PARENTS, according to ABCNews.

WES ANDERSON's 10 Best Movie Music Moments.

OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS may allow women lawyers to represent women in court, close on the heels of the kingdom opening its first co-educational university.

PAKISTAN: The CIA says it gets its money's worth from Pakistan's spy agency, despite fears of corruption. If only the CIA had a better track record on such judgments.

AFGHANISTAN: David Kilcullen, one of the world's leading authorities on counter-insurgency and an adviser to the British government as well as the US State Dept, is concerned the US will fudge on troop levels: "Do it or not do it."

HEY, NICE BEAVER: Let's go to the video.

1000 LIVE SPIDERS in the luggage.

PELICAN blamed for the crash of a million-dollar sports car.

A MOOSE became the first victim of Canada's newly armed border guards. That's a Dudley Do-Wrong.

A BUFFALO was abducted by a UFO. M'kay.