ALTAMONT:  Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the infamous Altamont Speedway Free Festival, headlined and organized by the The Rolling Stones.  The event is best known for having been marred by violence, including one killing and three accidental deaths.  Entertainment Weekly's Owen Glieberman looks at the big picture, while The New York Times talked to the sister of Meredith Hunter, the man murdered at the fest.  Filmmakers Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin shot footage of the concert and incorporated it into a subsequent documentary film entitled Gimme Shelter -- and thanks to the marvels of modern technology, you can stream the movie on demand. BONUS: Chris Hillman of the Flying Burrito Brothers remembers.

DEVO is streaming a 1978 live set.

REGINA SPEKTOR played a mini-set for the World Cafe streaming now via NPR.

NEON INDIAN did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: "California English Pt. 2" is the dizzily weird B-side to the band's "Cousins" single, and possibly NSFW.  Also, Ezra Koenig and Chris Biao talk image issues and second album syndrome with the Irish Times.

GLAM CHOPS: Art Brut's Eddie Argos has a "Countdown to Christmas."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE are to make a bid to beat this year's winner of 'The X Factor' to the UK's Christmas Number One single position.

THE 85 BEST MORRISSEY SOLO SONGS, according to The Awl.

LALA is getting bought up by Apple.

THE WASHINGTON POST is a joke.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: In the traditionally weak post-Thanksgiving frame, The Blind Side rises to the No. 1 spot with 20.4 million (a 49 percent drop from last weekend).  It could hit the 200 million mark domestically, which would make a stunning year for Sandra Bullock, whose The Proposal was her biggest film since Speed.  Twilight: New Moon finally drops to the second slot with 15.7 million, with a domestic total over a quarter-billion.  Brothers debuted in the third slot with 9.7 million, which is tepid enough to remove it from most Oscars consideration.  A Christmas Carol climbed up a spot to No.4 with 7.5 million, and will likely increase its weekend revenues as we head toward the holidays.  Old Dogs rounds out the Top 5, making 6.9 million after a 59 percent drop from its opening.  Below the fold, Armored opend in sixth place with 6.6 million, while Everybody's Fine proved a misnomer with a tenth place debut.  Overall, the Top 12 took in 92 million; last year that figure was 76.7 million.

UP IN THE AIR made the lucky 13th slot on a mere 15 screens, with a 77,333 per screen average.  Director Jason Reitman's follow-up to the adorable Juno was (imho) a solid B, B+ effort.  That's maybe a bit below where a lot of critics would place it, so I should emphasize that I do recommend it.  George Clooney is usually pretty good when he's acting (as opposed to acting cool or political) and he turns in a nice performance here as a man who enjoys living without any personal entanglements (though it may not be all that big a stretch for him in some respects).  And Jason Bateman was his usual excellent self in a minor role.  But it's really Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga who give this movie its spark.  Perhaps the best thing I can say about this movie is that it was not formulaic, with a set of mixed endings I won't spoil here.

ALEXA RAY JOEL, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter daughter of Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel was hospitalized Saturday after ingesting a large number of sleeping pills in what police consider a suicide attempt.  She may have been upset over a boyfriend, and may have taken a homeopathic medication. (really?)

TIGER WOODS: Alleged Mistress Number Four has lawyered up, as the mistress count stands at six.

RIVERS CUOMO, Weezer's lead singer, has reportedly been hospitalized after a bus crash.

AMY ADAMS: Knocked up. Enchanting.

JESSICA SIMPSON and... Billy Corgan? Run, Billy, run!

ACTRESS SALARY REPORT: The Hollywood Reporter tells how top ladies are faring in the recession.

A FORMER GITMO DETAINEE who went through the Saudi "rehab" program has emerged as a leading ideologue and theologian for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

IRAN's vice-president said today his country needs 20 industrial-scale uranium enrichment facilities, a potentially dramatic expansion of its nuclear program in defiance of UN demands.  Meanwhile, a simulation game played at Harvard last week had Iran closer to having the bomb, America failing to obtain tough UN sanctions; diplomatic relations with Russia, China and Europe strained; and Israel threatening unilateral military action.

DECEMBER 7, 1941: A "date which will live in infamy." I'll be watching Tora! Tora! Tora! on tonight. BTW, the first nation invaded by the US after entering WWII was Morocco, then Algeria, iirc.

DOGS decorate a Christmas Tree.

CHICKEN-LICKER charged with criminal damage.

A STRANDED TUNDRA SWAN may get a lift to the coast of British Columbia from Air Canada.

TINY BABY HEDGEHOG: Awww...some pics.