MARISSA NADLER's atmospheric video for "Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning" is not a bad way to ease into the week.

THURSTON MOORE is advance streaming Demolished Thoughts (produced by Beck).

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, incl Big Star's "I'm In Love With a Girl" and Archer of Loaf's "Web In Front."

COLD CAVE stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION stopped by World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

JULIAN CASABLANCAS: "Rave On," from the upcoming Buddy Holly tribute, leaks online.

THE HOLLIES: "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" (French TV, 1967).

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN guitarist Will Sergeant talks to New York magazine about the band's long second act.

GRAHAM COXON talks to Drowned in Sound about the English folk scene, Derby County Football Club and yes, Blur.

PAUL SIMON does not like coming in second to Bob Dylan.

BOB DYLAN issues a statement on his China tour.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Thor takes the top slot again with 34.5 million; that's a 47 percent drop, but that's actually pretty good for a Marvel non-sequel.  The God of Thunder has hauled in over 300 million in eight days. Bridesmaids places with 24.4 million, well above tracking estimates of 15-17 million (though below the 33 million opening for Superbad).  Fast Five shows with 19.5 million on a 40 percent drop in line with the history of this franchise; this installment is already the highest-grossing of the series. Priest opens at No. 4 with 14.5 million, which is again better than tracking estimates, but disappointing against a 60 million budget.  Rio rounds out the Top Five and boosts its domestic total to 125 million.  Overall, a bit of a lull before the Pirates of the Caribbean opening next weekend.

CHARLIE SHEEN delivered the ultimate back-handed compliment to Ashton Kutcher, saying he's talented but Two and a Half Men will tank.  Kutcher will be making more than half of Charlie Sheen's base salary, but less than 900K/ep. Jon Cryer is "jazzed" to be working with Kutcher.

ARNOLD/MARIA SPLIT: Shriver and Schwarzenegger comment on their separation.

JENNA FISCHER and her screenwriter hubby of nearly a year Lee Kirk are expecting their first child together.

MARIAH CAREY was visited by Child Protective Services at the hospital after receiving calls claiming drinking and drug use. Nick Cannon says he spoke with CPS and told them the whole thing is "ridiculous."

JULIA ROBERTS & TOM HANKS talk to W magazine about optimism, adult education and their upcoming dramedy, Larry Crowne.

MARY TYLER MOORE is recovering nicely from her brain surgery. She might just make it, after all.

THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO returned to SNL in live action, featuring Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon, as well as Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert.

YEMEN: The opposition said the GCC-backed plan for president Saleh to step down from power is dead.

SYRIA: Despite the reports of a pullout of troops in the coastal city of Baniyas and the main flashpoint centre of Deraa, reports from Talkalakh on Saturday suggested they remained very much in control there.  The US and its European allies, seeking to pressure Assad to end his violent crackdown, are lobbying the UN nuclear watchdog to formally accuse Damascus of covertly building a nuclear reactor.

IRAN: The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused his protégé Ahmadinejad of being "under a spell" as a constitutional crisis engulfs the country.

EGYPT: The Egyptian Islamic Group said it would hold a million-man protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand the release of Omar Abdel Rahman, its spiritual leader, who is serving a life term in a US prison for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

PAKISTAN's successful test of a missile able to carry short range nuclear weapons threatens to raise tensions in a region already nervous that the death of Osama bin Laden will create more instability.

THE OWL & THE  PUSSYCAT danced by the light of the moon...Mass hysteria!

BABY LEOPARDS, PANTHERS, MONKEYS and a BEAR were found drugged in a first-class passenger's luggage at Bangkok's international airport.

A COUGAR shows up at Safeway. A real one.

PARAKEET fed to a pitbull. Alcohol may have been involved.