I have been thinking a lot about how hollywood and war directly affect each other. A lot of people believe that the current extreme fascination with celebrities is because of the atrocitites experienced with 9/11 -- a need to escape. Or there is another theory that we as a culture have become desensitized to the war through images and unimaginable daily stories on television and newspapers. The only image that seemed to shake the US world recently was the little girl screaming in agony on the beach in Palestine when her family had been blown up by explosives. Haditha has not shaken Americans as much as it should or the numerous car bombs exploding in Iraq every day. It tool something as extreme as the little girl flailing on the beach to grab our hearts.

The increased interest in the lifestyles of the rich and famous has reached such a level that American Idol gets more votes than presidential elections...so what is it? Is there some connection between war and glamour? Or better, do we as a culture shift between idolizing war or hollywood?

Old Hollywood had a great respect for the American military, making many films that made heroes out of actors like Cary Grant and John Wayne. This deep respect was held throughout both World Wars and through the Korean War. A shift began with the Vietnam War. Respect was lost for our government and the men who fought for it in the tiny, cursed country of Vietnam. Films and TV shows like MASH and Apocolypse Now depicted atrocious acts committed by our government and our 'boys overseas. Obsession with glamour started to take hold right before the Vietnam war with the country's obsession with the Kennedy's. They were our royalty. After the death of both Bobby and JFK, focus shifted to Hollywood, ignoring the troops abroad. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Marilyn Monroe were becoming some of the first celebrities to have to deal with paparazzi and crazed fans. Then the seventies, the Vietnam war ended and in the limelight are Andy Warhol and Studio 54. Madonna took over the eighties and celebrity focus lagged in the early nineties...the Gulf War. The War that lasted as long as it took to say the name brought renewed encouragement and faith in our troops. Sadaam was allowed to escape however and that leads us to the current Bush and Iraq. The focus is now back to Hollywood more than ever with celebrities getting into fights and car accidents over paparazzi. Tabloids being sued left and right. It's become a huge dog and pony show. But what about what's happening in the Middle East?

What are your thoughts on war and hollywood?

Today is World Refugee Day and its importance cannot be stressed enough. Like the people in the photo from Darfur, over 15 million displaced persons exist in the world today. Amazing peacekeeping organizations and aid workers like Doctors without Borders fight an unimaginable monster every day. Let's honor them and those unfortunate enough to be out of their home country.

Rosanne Cash’s Black Cadillac was released earlier this year, perhaps the most compelling release of her distinguished career. She wrote the album over roughly two years in which she lost her father Johnny Cash, her stepmother June Carter Cash, and her mother Vivian Liberto Cash Distin. With this album Rosanne confronts her family legacy as never before while simultaneously pursuing her own bold creative path with renewed commitment.

But much more than Rosanne’s own musical memoir, Black Cadillac is a universal classic which resonates deeply with anyone who has wrestled with the complexities of mortality, loss and redemption.

7/07 Westhampton Beach, NY Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
7/15 Ottowa, ONT Cisco Systems Blues Festival
7/17 Ocean City, NJ Ocean City Music Pier
7/22 Highmount, NY Belleayre Music Festival
8/05 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
8/24 Ketchum, ID River Run Lodge
8/25 Boulder, CO Chautauqua
8/27 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
8/28 San Diego, CA Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
8/29 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
8/30 Napa, CA Napa Valley Opera House
9/01 Yosemite, CA Strawberry Music Festival
9/22 Fish Creek, WI Door Community Auditorium
9/23 River Forest, IL Dominican University
9/24 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
10/06 Burlington, VT Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
10/07 Honover, NH Dartmouth College
10/13 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
10/20 New York, NY Zankel Hall/Carnegie Hall

Legislation recently passed upping a network fine from $32,500 to $325,000 for an indecent act committed on network television. The FCC says that indecency is "language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities."

Evidently, this change in fine is due to the barely 2 second exposure of Janet Jackson's nipple at the SuperBowl. Bush thought that $32, 500 was nothing for a network to pay. This is coming from a man that is spending billions in Iraq. Clearly, throwing away $32K is nothing to him.

The Bush administration is also looking at applying the FCC rules to cable television as well. Can you imagine Deadwood without the language or Tony Soprano saying "what the fudge"? I think they will be looking for a fight with cable television - it's a paid service and can be seen as an infringement on rights.

A few people have asked where they can buy the Ring Bottle Opener. Here you go, it comes in various metals and designs:

Click here for the Ring Opener from Stuff Junction

There is no more need to question whether that ring on Brad's finger is a promise between him and Angelina. It's avtually a bottle opener. Brad gets a college Fratboy toy, a young wife and a baby during his midlife crisis instead of a Ferrari!

BBC America has the answer to all the Buffy freaks upset that "Slayer" is off the air -- Hex. Starring: One shy blonde-haired schoolgirl turned vampy witch and her lesbian friend who happens to be a ghost that is in love with her. Cassy (blonde vamp) is bewitched by an angel while at her boarding school in England. These angels fall in love with mortals and if a baby results, then it unleashes all of the lost soul angles onto the human race. It's full of cheesy lines, cult dress and ridiculous effects. It is absolutely brilliant. You can catch Hex tonite on BBC Ameica.

Daryl and Jarvis from Head Automatica (and Glasjaw) just power-popped into the office for an interview - my sides are still hurting from laughing. Daryl's face is uber-expressive and demands the attention of the room with nearly every eyebrow raise. Here are some funny remarks that the band made:

1. Daryl is uber-obsessed with the Click Five
2. Jarvis is into little punk girls with pixie haircuts
3. Daryl is Ashlee Simpson obsessed
4. Ryan Reynolds is the king of teen movies
5. The best movie ever is the Grizzly Man

I know I usually report on music but I think a Frodo Baggins spotting is worth an entry. Sitting at a local bar last night, Mr. Elijah Wood stopped at the ATM, then proceeded to sit down and have some drinks with the locals. What struck me is how tiny he really is. You know in the Lord of the Rings, everybody is about 6 feet taller than the hobbits? Well, that's his true height - no trick of the camera there. (well, maybe a wee taller).

Ms. Allen is the next brit import trying to hit the yank scene. She is a pop/ska artist. Will that make it in the states? Isn't ska over and done with? Gwen had a try at it and was successful. Go to her myspace and have a listen to the tunes, they are interesting little pop ditties. I say she can make it over here. Hermusic is perfect to pop for the summer - uptempo beats made to come screaming out of your radio on the way to the beach.

Lily's mySpace.