PARIS HILTON SET TO TAKE STAND IN FILM PROMO CASE (AP)

AP - It's Paris Hilton's turn to tell her side of the story in a lawsuit claiming she didn't do enough to promote her 2006 sorority movie "Pledge This!"

AS IMPORTS SLOW, TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS

The U.S. trade deficit fell to the lowest level in more than nine years in May as exports posted a small gain while the weak economy pushed imports down.

G-8 ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION FOR FOOD PLAN

The three-year investment fund to help farmers in the developing grew from $15 billion just days ago.

EUROPEAN SHARES FALL SLIGHTLY

Markets slipped as investors awaited more second-quarter earnings reports in the United States.

GOOSEN SHOOTS 63 TO TAKE LEAD IN SCOTTISH OPEN (AP)

AP - Retief Goosen came close to matching his course record at Loch Lomond, settling for an 8-under 63 Friday to build a two-shot lead over Adam Scott midway through the second round of the Scottish Open.

WITH SALE OF ITS GOOD ASSETS, G.M. TRIES FOR A FRESH START

Saying that business as usual was over at General Motors, the chief executive began a new era for the carmaker on Friday with a promise to emphasize the quality of its vehicles.

CHARGERS RB FROM PHILLY WOUNDED IN SHOOTING (AP)

AP - A San Diego Chargers running back from Philadelphia is hospitalized after being shot in his car at a suburban intersection.

SOCIAL-NETWORKING SITE TAGGED TO BE SUED BY NEW YORK (PC WORLD)

PC World - The state of New York plans to sue the social-networking site Tagged.com for allegedly using deceptive e-mails in order to gain new users, the Office of the Attorney General said Thursday.

RUSSIAN CHANNEL CUTS PUTIN SCENE ON 'SOUTH PARK' (AP)

AP - A Russian TV channel has cut a segment of the ribald U.S. cartoon comedy "South Park" that appeared to mock Vladimir Putin, a news agency reported.

HONG KONG OKAYS $468 MILLION DISNEYLAND EXPANSION (REUTERS)

Reuters - Hong Kong lawmakers approved a government plan on Friday to spend HK$3.63 billion ($468 million) expanding the city's Disneyland theme park with Walt Disney, boosting the smallest of Disney's five resorts.

GUATEMALAN COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF TWEET AUTHOR (AP)

AP - An appeals court found insufficient evidence to warrant the trial of a Guatemalan whose Twitter message led to his arrest on charges of inciting financial panic.

CHROME OS COULD OFFEND THE OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY (PC WORLD)

PC World - The announcement a few days ago of Google's new Chrome OS was simultaneously shocking and expected. It's a typically understated and quietly ambitious move on behalf of Google. It's also proof -- if it were needed -- that Google people are supremely smart. They have their sights firmly set on the future as well as the here and now.

GOOGLE CEO TO DISCUSS HIS ROLE ON APPLE'S BOARD (REUTERS)

Reuters - Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said he will talk to Apple Inc about how his role on its board might change after Google's move to launch a new operating system.

SKOREA SAYS ATTACKERS USED IP ADDRESS IN 5 NATIONS (AP)

AP - South Korea said Friday it had identified and blocked five IP addresses used to distribute computer viruses that caused a wave of Web site outages in the U.S. and South Korea.

BROWNS WR STALLWORTH RELEASED FROM MIAMI JAIL (AP)

AP - Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth has been released from a Miami jail after serving 24 days for DUI manslaughter.

MINING GIANT ANGLO AMERICAN NAMES CHAIRMAN

The mining giant appointed John Parker to the post as it tries to fend off a merger proposal from a smaller rival, Xstrata.

FOWLER RARING TO GO FOR NEW A-LEAGUE CLUB (AFP)

AFP - Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler says he is keenly counting down to next month's kick-off for the Australian A-League season with his new club North Queensland Fury.

40 YEARS ON, MICHAEL LANG TELLS STORY OF WOODSTOCK (AP)

AP - "The Road to Woodstock" (Ecco, 304 pages, $29.99), by Michael Lang: Former headshop owner Michael Lang had scant promotional experience when he dreamed up Woodstock as a massive festival different from anything before it. As this memoir released 40 years later makes clear, it's a wonder that Woodstock even happened at all.

AUSSIE KLEIN TENNIS BAN FOR RACIAL SLUR (AFP)

AFP - Former junior Australian Open champion Brydan Klein said on Friday he accepted a six-month ban and will undergo a racial sensitivity course after making a racial slur against another player.

GOOGLE CHROME OS, BLACKBERRY TOUR, AND CRUNCHPAD ON PC WORLD PODCAST 35 (PC WORLD)

PC World - This week on the PC World Podcast, editors Robert Strohmeyer, Tim Moynihan, and Ginny Mies try to figure out what the just-announced Google Chrome OS might look like... and how it will be different from Android. Plus, what does Google's new Web-centric operating system mean for the future of installed software and gaming? Only time (and more information about Google Chrome OS) will tell.

AUTHOR-GOAT FARMER'S MEMOIR A SURPRISE DELIGHT (AP)

AP - "Goat Song" (Scribner, 256 pages, $24), by Brad Kessler: You won't find "Goat Song" on any lists of must-read summer potboilers. After all, it's a hermit writer's memoir, about raising goats and making cheese on a Vermont farm. Not exactly the stuff of best sellers.

CLOONEY: I'LL FILM IN ITALY QUAKE AREA (AP)

AP - George Clooney has toured the ruins of Italy's recent earthquake and told the survivors he'll shoot a film in their mountain region.

MAYOR: JACKSON'S DAD TO ATTEND IND. HOMETOWN EVENT (AP)

AP - The mayor of Gary, Ind. says Michael Jackson's father will attend a memorial service for the pop icon in the family's hometown.

INDIAN MOBILE OPERATOR WILL SPIN OFF INFRASTRUCTURE (PC WORLD)

PC World - Idea Cellular, a large Indian mobile services provider, said on Thursday that it received shareholder approval to transfer its communications towers and other passive infrastructure to a subsidiary company, Idea Cellular Towers Infrastructure.

TOUR DE FRANCE HEADS TO PYRENEES FOR TOUGH CLIMB (AP)

AP - The seventh stage of the Tour de France between Barcelona and the Andorran ski resort of Arcalis has started, with Lance Armstrong facing his first big test in the mountains.

INTEL IS WORKING WITH GOOGLE ON CHROME OS (PC WORLD)

PC World - The world's largest chip maker is working with Google on the Chrome operating system and has been privy to the project for some time, a spokesman for the company said Friday.

PCS COULD BE HIT NEXT IN WEB ATTACK: SOUTH KOREA (REUTERS)

Reuters - Cyber attacks slowing U.S. and South Korean websites could enter a new phase on Friday by attacking personal computers and wiping out hard disks, a South Korean government agency and web security firm said.

KAWAMURA HOPES TO BECOME RISING SUN IN NBA (REUTERS)

Reuters - Japan guard Takuya Kawamura has joined the Phoenix Suns for the pre-season summer league in a bid to become the second man from his country to play in the NBA.

PENN STATE CHARITY GETS LIFT FROM BUCKEYES, OTHERS (AP)

AP - The Penn State Nittany Lions' workout schedule Friday includes lifting weights and pull-ups, followed by an odd assortment of drills like pulling sleds and pushing around giant tractor-trailer tires in front of hundreds of fans.

SPANISH FACE GERMANY IN DAVIS CUP QUARTERS (AFP)

AFP - Title-holders Spain are going for the kill as they tackle old foes Germany in their Davis Cup quarter-final tie in the cauldron of a Marbella bullring starting on Friday.

JANZEN, STILES SHARE LEAD AT JOHN DEERE CLASSIC (AP)

AP - Lee Janzen had trouble believing it, too.

STOCKS AND BONDS: AT END OF DAY, SHARES MANAGE TO TURN HIGHER

Stocks have hovered in uncertain territory for the last two sessions as the markets wait for more puffs of smoke from major banks, which start to report earnings next week.

PCS COULD BE HIT NEXT IN WEB ATTACK: SOUTH KOREA (REUTERS)

Reuters - Cyber attacks slowing U.S. and South Korean websites could enter a new phase on Friday by attacking personal computers and wiping out hard disks, a South Korean government agency and web security firm said.

MCNAIR'S GIRLFRIEND DISTRAUGHT OVER LOVE AND MONEY (AP)

AP - At just 19 years old, Sahel Kazemi thought she had it all: She was dating former NFL star Steve McNair, partying in VIP rooms and vacationing in Las Vegas.

INDIA'S INFOSYS Q1 PROFIT UP 17.2 PCT (AFP)

AFP - India's second-biggest software exporter Infosys announced a better-than-expected 17.2 percent rise in first-quarter net profit, led by revenues.

NEWS ANALYSIS: GROUP OF 8 IS NOT ENOUGH, SAY OUTSIDERS WANTING IN

Some view eight leaders sitting around a table trying to drive global economic policy as anachronistic.

MOUNTAIN DOWNDRAFTS BLAMED IN DEATH OF RECORD-SETTING PILOT

The acclaimed aviator Steve Fossett died in 2007 when his small plane flew into a mountain downdraft and crashed, a federal report said.

NATIONAL BRIEFING | SCIENCE AND HEALTH: NASA WILL TRY, TRY AGAIN

NASA has another short window Saturday to get the space shuttle Endeavour off the ground and resume construction of the International Space Station.

DIETING MONKEYS OFFER HOPE FOR LIVING LONGER

A study of monkeys suggests that people could in principle extend their life span by following a calorie-restricted diet.

SURVEY SHOWS GAP BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND THE PUBLIC

On the whole, scientists believe American research leads the world, but only 17 percent of the public agree, a new survey has found.

A MUSCLE CAR TO THE RESCUE FOR GENERAL MOTORS

G.M.?s new Camaro, a throwback to another era, is creating a buzz in otherwise quiet showrooms.

THREE ACTRESSES COMMIT TO "BARNEY'S VISION" (REUTERS)

Reuters - Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver and Rachelle Lefevre are playing Paul Giamatti's many wives in "Barney's Version," the adaptation of the Mordecai Richler novel being directed by Richard Lewis.

BY DEGREES: BUSES MAY AID CLIMATE BATTLE IN POOR CITIES

The use of low-emission buses could greatly reduce the heat-trapping gases produced in the developing world?s booming cities.

BY DEGREES: BUSES MAY AID CLIMATE BATTLE IN POOR CITIES

The use of low-emission buses could greatly reduce the heat-trapping gases produced in the developing world?s booming cities.

CHINA SAYS AUSTRALIAN IS DETAINED IN SPY CASE

Australian politicians suggested that the detentions of three workers and Stern Hu, a high-ranking executive of the Anglo-Australian mining giant, were retaliatory.

EUROPEAN PUBLISHERS CALL ON E.U. TO PROTECT COPYRIGHT

The publishers said widespread use of their work by online news aggregators and other Web sites was undermining efforts to develop an online business model.

OIL WEAKENS AS RECOVERY HOPES DIM

Prices have dropped over the last two weeks as traders and investors acknowledge the lethargy of the world economy.

A.I.G. SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT FOR BONUSES

A.I.G. has been quietly seeking approval from the Obama administration and the new compensation czar to pay $2.4 million dollars in bonuses to dozens of its senior executives.

AUSSIE KLEIN TO MEND WAYS AFTER BAN FOR RACIAL SLUR (AFP)

AFP - Former junior Australian Open champion Brydan Klein said he will accept a six-month ban from the ATP for making a racial slur and will undergo a racial sensitivity course.

CYBERATTACKS JAM GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL WEB SITES IN U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA

A wave of cyberattacks aimed at American and South Korean government agencies and commercial Web sites continued on Thursday.

AT END OF DAY, SHARES MANAGE TO TURN HIGHER

Stocks have hovered in uncertain territory for the last two sessions as the markets wait for more puffs of smoke from major banks, which start to report earnings next week.

BANK STOCK WARRANTS UNDERVALUED, PANEL SAYS

A Congressional oversight committee says taxpayers could lose money in banks? payments to reclaim their shares.

KEY RATE UNCHANGED BY BANK OF ENGLAND

The bank kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.5 percent and stuck to its plan of buying bonds with newly printed money after recent data quashed earlier hopes of a recovery.

ADVERTISING: A BLITZ THAT HAS DON DRAPER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT

Marketers have expressed a natural affinity for ?Mad Men,? an AMC drama about an ad agency set in the 1960s.

SONY HIRES NEW WRITER TO SALVAGE ?MONEYBALL?

Unhappy with a Steven Soderbergh script, the studio earlier canceled the movie, which was to star Brad Pitt.

EX-PARTNER AT TAX FIRM IS GUILTY IN SHELTER CASE

A former partner at BDO Seidman pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to three counts of conspiracy in connection with tax shelter transactions.

TWO AUTHORITIES ON FED ADVISE CONGRESS AGAINST EXPANDING ITS POWER

Two economists with longstanding ties to the Federal Reserve warned Congress on Thursday that it would be a mistake to give the Fed broad power to supervise ?systemic risk.?

CLAIMS TOTAL OVER 15,400 IN FRAUD BY MADOFF

The final claims from victims of Bernard L. Madoff?s vast Ponzi scheme now exceed 15,400, substantially higher than the 8,800 claims that had been filed by the first of June.

JUNE IS ANOTHER WEAK MONTH FOR U.S. RETAIL SALES

Rain and rising unemployment dampened sales for retailers already reeling from consumers? new frugality.

SPRINT TAPS ERICSSON TO RUN ITS NETWORK

Sprint Nextel announced that it would transfer operation of its networks to Ericsson in order to cut spending and stem continued declines in subscribers to its cellphone services.

CERBERUS PARTNERS FUND BEING RESTRUCTURED

Cerberus Capital Management is restructuring the fund amid a wave of requests from clients who want their money back.

UBS DIGS IN ITS HEELS ON CLIENTS? NAMES

The chief of the bank said in a memorandum that it would not comply with the I.R.S. because doing so would violate Swiss law.

WEB VIDEO: MYTHS AND FACTS

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SETTLEMENT REACHED ON ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS A MURDERER LEFT BEHIND

Companies once operated by Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, who was convicted of murder, agreed to pay $1.4 million for gas leaks from 21 gasoline storage tanks.

SETTLEMENT REACHED ON ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS A MURDERER LEFT BEHIND

Companies once operated by Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, who was convicted of murder, agreed to pay $1.4 million for gas leaks from 21 gasoline storage tanks.

HIGH & LOW FINANCE: AT BEAZER HOMES, IT WAS SEE NO EVIL AND PAY NO PENALTY

Beazer Homes USA, a home builder, settled its legal crimes, but its top officials remain with the company.

NEW INQUIRY NOT PLANNED ON HACKING BY TABLOIDS

British police investigating whether a News Corporation subsidiary hacked into cellphone messages concluded that a report in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday contained no new information.

THE MORNING DOUGHNUT? THE CHOICES ARE GETTING COMPLICATED

Thirteen Dunkin? Donuts shops are to be converted to New York City?s first Tim Hortons, a Canadian chain, over the weekend.

CITIGROUP SHUFFLES TOP RANKS AGAIN

Citigroup made is third change in top management in less than a year, a move that recognized regulators? concerns.

JACKSON'S DEATH GIVES BIRTH TO NEW GENERATION OF FANS (AFP)

AFP - MySpace said Thursday that Michael Jackson's death has given birth to a young new generation of fans of the artist at the online social networking site.

AS IRELAND?S BOOM ENDS, JOB SEEKERS REVIVE A WELL-WORN PATH TO NEW YORK

A fresh surge of immigrants have come to New York from Ireland in recent months amid its sudden economic reversal.

RYAN SEACREST NEARS NEW MEGADEAL (REUTERS)

Reuters - This is ... a rich new deal for "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

PLAN OFFERED TO FINANCE TRADE CENTER

The Port Authority, trying to break an impasse, offered up to $1.2 billion in financing, but only if the developer, Larry Silverstein, first raised $625 million.

COACH, TEAMMATES REMEMBER SLAIN EX-NFL QB MCNAIR (AP)

AP - Steve McNair's pastor and close friend cautioned against judging the ex-NFL quarterback Thursday, reminding people who gathered for his memorial not to cast the first stone when talking about his life off the field.

HARRY J. GRAY, WHO LED THE RISE OF UNITED TECHNOLOGIES, DIES AT 89

Mr. Gray rose from poverty to lead the transformation of United Aircraft into United Technologies, one of the world?s broadest and most powerful conglomerates.

SKOREA SAYS ATTACKERS USE IP ADDRESS IN 16 NATIONS (AP)

AP - Cyber attacks that caused a wave of Web site outages in the U.S. and South Korea used 86 IP addresses in 16 countries, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Friday, amid suspicions North Korea was behind the effort.

MARLINS ROUT DIAMONDBACKS 14-7 (AP)

AP - Pinch-hitter Brett Carroll's three-run homer sparked a franchise-record 10-run eighth inning, and the Florida Marlins stormed back from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 14-7 on Thursday night.

NBC REVEALS DISPLEASURE AS U.S.O.C. UNVEILS PLAN

The United States Olympic Committee drew fire from the International Olympic Committee, NBC sports and others for acting unilaterally on their planned television channel.

MAYFIELD CASE PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON NASCAR DRUG POLICY (AP)

AP - Although NASCAR contends it has the best anti-doping procedures in sports, some experts see flaws in the policy and question whether drivers are getting a fair shake in the lab or a safe ride on the track.

LINCECUM'S NO-HIT BID FALLS SHORT (AP)

AP - Tim Lincecum carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and won his fourth straight start, baffling San Diego with his nasty changeup and a curveball nearly as impressive in the San Francisco Giants' 9-3 victory over the Padres on Thursday night.

CONSUMED: THIS YEAR?S MODEL

Wearing one dress for 365 days sounds austere ? but not in this case.

TIVO, BEST BUY SET MARKETING ALLIANCE (REUTERS)

Reuters - TiVo Inc announced on Thursday a marketing alliance with retailer Best Buy and will consider putting its television recording technology into Best Buy's own brand of TVs and electronics.

MARION TO MAVS, STACKHOUSE TO GRIZ IN COMPLEX DEAL (AP)

AP - The way Jerry Stackhouse's contract was structured, the Dallas Mavericks knew they could parlay him into a key player for next season. As it turned out, a lot of teams benefited.

HOCHEVAR, ROYALS BEAT RED SOX (AP)

AP - David DeJesus hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied from an early four-run deficit and knocked the Boston Red Sox out of sole possession of first place in the A.L. East with an 8-6 victory Thursday night.

GOOGLE CEO: NEW OPERATING SYSTEM CHANGES THE GAME (AP)

AP - Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt can't wait for the Internet search leader's free operating system to debut next year.

WEALTH MATTERS: HERE?S $50 MILLION; WHAT?S YOUR RISK TOLERANCE?

Answering the questions in the Barclays Wealth behavioral finance profile can help you discover your investing personality.

NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL AS LONG-TERM FILINGS RISE

The number of workers filing initial claims last week fell to the lowest level since early January, largely because of changes in the timing of auto industry layoffs.

BREAKINGVIEWS.COM: TREASURY DRIVES A HARD BARGAIN

The warrant valuations matter; if banks are solid enough to pay back their bailout loans and buy back the warrants, it is appropriate for the Treasury to negotiate hard on price.

ANTIBIOTIC DELAYED AGING IN EXPERIMENTS WITH MICE

The drug, rapamycin, has already been in use for suppressing the immune system in transplant patients.

OBAMA WARNS OF RETURN OF SWINE FLU IN THE FALL

The Obama administration warned Americans on Thursday to be ready for an aggressive return of the swine flu virus in the fall.

TOP PICK GRIFFIN SIGNS WITH NBA CLIPPERS (AFP)

AFP - The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Blake Griffin, the top overall pick in the 2009 National Basketball Association entry draft.

JEREMY MAYFIELD CONSIDERS SELLING RACE TEAM (AP)

AP - Unable to find funding since his suspension for failing a random drug test, Jeremy Mayfield is considering selling his race team.

REVIEW: I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER A REAL, FUNNY TEEN-DORK COMEDY (E! ONLINE)

E! Online - Review in a Hurry: Supremely dorky high-school valedictorian Dennis (Paul Rust) decides to tell it like it is in his commencement address, trashing bullies by name and declaring his love for head cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere). We've seen nerds pine for less-unattainable-than-expected hotties before, but rarely does it feel this real...and funny.

LAWYERS SPAR IN PARIS HILTON FILM CONTRACT DISPUTE (AP)

AP - Paris Hilton hated her 2006 movie "Pledge This!" and refused for months to make promotional appearances for it despite a contract requiring her to do so, lawyers for the film's investors said as trial opened Thursday in an $8 million lawsuit against her.

SUPERMAX PRISON: OBAMA'S BOOKS OBJECTIONABLE (AP)

AP - The federal government's most secure prison has determined that two books written by President Barack Obama contain material "potentially detrimental to national security" and rejected an inmate's request to read them.

CYBERATTACKS PUT SPOTLIGHT ON WEB VULNERABILITIES (AFP)

AFP - Computer security experts were divided Thursday on whether North Korea was behind the ongoing attacks on US and South Korean websites, an assault that highlighted the vulnerabilities of the Web.

PEDRO MARTINEZ SAYS AGENT NEGOTIATING WITH PHILS (AP)

AP - Pedro Martinez says his agent is negotiating with the Philadelphia Phillies, trying to get the pitcher back into the major leagues.

IOC CRITICIZES USOC FOR LAUNCHING NETWORK (AP)

AP - The International Olympic Committee chastised U.S. Olympic officials on Thursday for "unilaterally" launching their own television network, warning the project could jeopardize relations with Olympic broadcaster NBC.

BARBADOS FREE PRESS WELCOMES VISITOR NUMBER SIX MILLION!

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MAC NEWS BRIEFS: CHECKUP ADDS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE LATEST MACS (MACWORLD.COM)

Macworld.com - App4Mac announced an update for CheckUp, improving the interface and adding other enhancements to the system maintenance tool.

BENZEMA INSPIRED BY BRAZILIAN GREAT RONALDO (AFP)

AFP - New Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema said Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo will be his inspiration as he looks to fire the goals to help the Spanish giants dethrone Barcelona in La Liga.

CY COLEMAN ECHOES IN NEW REVUE, 'BEST IS YET TO COME' (PLAYBILL)

Playbill - The California world premiere of The Best Is Yet to Come, the new revue of songs by the late Cy Coleman, devised and directed by his pal and collaborator David Zippel, begins July 9. The starry cast includes David Burnham, Jason Graae, Sally Mayes, Julia Murney, Billy Stritch and Tony Award winner Lillias White.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SEEMED DISTRACTED AT G8 SUMMIT ? (HE?D BETTER BUY SOME FLOWERS ON THE WAY HOME.)

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QUICKEN FINANCIAL LIFE DELAYED UNTIL 2010 (MACWORLD.COM)

Macworld.com - We know the folks at Intuit are busy, but we worry that perhaps they forgot to flip their calendar forward some time back in 2007. On Thursday, the company said that it would once again be delaying the appearance of its new Mac version of Quicken.

NY OFFICIAL: TAGGED SITE STOLE IDENTITIES (AP)

AP - New York's attorney general charged Thursday that Tagged.com stole the identities of more than 60 million Internet users worldwide

ARMSTRONG IS JUST OFF LEAD AS THE PYRENEES LOOM (AP)

AP - A split second off the lead with the mighty Pyrenees looming, Lance Armstrong now gets to see what his rivals can throw at him.

WILL SMITH SAILS INTO THE CITY (E! ONLINE)

E! Online - Will Smith is ready to make a break for it.

REVIEW: BRüNO KINDA HILARIOUS, KINDA HARD TO WATCH (E! ONLINE)

E! Online - Review in a Hurry: Sticking with the wildly successful Borat formula, Sacha Baron Cohen uses his guerilla tactics to "expose" the vanity and vacuity of Hollywood and the American South. His high-wire humor can be very funny, but here the groans often drown out the giggles.

AVERNUM 6 'OLD SCHOOL' RPG ANNOUNCED (MACWORLD.COM)

Macworld.com - Spiderweb Software has announced Avernum 6, the final installment of their long-running series of adventure role playing games (RPGs) for the Mac and WPC. The game is expected to be released in late 2009, first on the Mac, then on Windows in 2010.

FIND GOOD ENEMIES

Mark Bernstein in a rambling quote-filled piece has one of the nicest descriptions of yours truly. "Dave Winer could be rough if you got athwart his hawse, but he was generally a nice guy who always seemed to want to get a lot of bright people around a big table with plenty of food."

Maybe I'm not the most hated person on the Internet after all?

Re Barger's list playing a central role in the origins of blogging, not sure I accept that the most important thing was a list of blogs, or even a network of them. People who think the task of blogging is to pull people together miss, imho, the important thing about blogging -- that it separates people and gives each individual a place to express themselves, not subject to veto. In that way it is different from a mail list. Blogs emphasize the individual over the group.

The argument continues to this day. People who say Twitter is a conversational medium would agree with those who say Barger was the founder. I see Twitter as a publishing environment, a place to push links, a notification system. Oddly, I think Barger with his linkblog approach (which was the same as the early Scripting News or the News Page of the 24 Hours project) would agree.

Bernstein says many wise things in his post. I thought this one stood out.

"If you wish to shed light on a debate, reply to a weblog post on your own weblog."

Amen.

OKLA. ST. CALLED BEFORE NCAA INFRACTIONS COMMITTEE (AP)

AP - The NCAA is citing Oklahoma State for a potential major rules violation in its baseball program.

POORER NATIONS REJECT A TARGET ON EMISSION CUT

The lack of consensus on cuts in heat-trapping gases at the Group of 8 talks underscored the divisions between developed and developing nations.

VITAL SIGNS: SAFETY: HELMET LAWS FOR CYCLISTS ARE EFFECTIVE

Children who live in states with laws requiring bicycle helmet use are much more likely to wear them than those who do not, a new study reports.

PICK TO LEAD HEALTH AGENCY DRAWS PRAISE AND SOME CONCERN

President Obama on Wednesday nominated Dr. Francis S. Collins, a pioneering geneticist, as head of the National Institutes of Health.

HOLLYWOOD SENDS 3D HOME - IN VIDEOGAMES (REUTERS)

Reuters - Coming to a living room near you -- 3D videogames.

PARK & SUN BB-109 BOCCE PRO SET (SPORTS) NEWLY TAGGED "GAME"

Park & Sun BB-109 Bocce Pro Set (Sports)
By Pro Set

Buy new: $62.21
4 used and new from $48.99
Customer Rating:

First tagged "game" by Pamella Leiter
Customer tags: bocce(5), bocce ball set(3), games, park sun, beach games, lawn games, bocce ball, outdoor games, outdoor play

THE JOY OF BOCCE - 2ND EDITION (PAPERBACK) NEWLY TAGGED "GAME"

The Joy of Bocce - 2nd Edition (Paperback)
By Mario Pagnoni

Buy new: $17.50
31 used and new from $12.10
Customer Rating:

First tagged "game" by Pamella Leiter
Customer tags: bocce(2), games, joy of bocce book

MEET THE GOOGLE CHROME OS FANBOY (PC WORLD)

PC World - Apple has them. Microsoft too. And Linux is just teeming with them. But now Google has created its own brand of Borg that is willing to spread the gospel of Chrome OS just at the mere hint of its existence.

UK DIPLOMATS SHUN BNP OFFICIALS IN EUROPE

Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons will be denied some of the access and socialising afforded to 70 other British representatives

The government is to single out Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons, the British National party's two newly elected representatives in the European parliament, for special treatment, denying them some of the access and information afforded to all the other 70 UK MEPs.

Under new guidelines drafted in Whitehall and in the Foreign Office following the June elections to the European parliament, the two BNP leaders will be kept at arm's length from the kind of routine contacts and socialising that take place between British civil servants and MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg.

When the new parliament convenes next week in Strasbourg, Glenys Kinnock, the new Europe minister, is to host a reception for all British MEPs. Only Griffin and Brons have not been invited.

"Officials will not engage in any other contact with elected representatives of any nationality who represent extremist or racist views, unless specific permission has been granted to do so on a particular occasion from the FCO permanent under-secretary and the minister for Europe," a government spokesperson said.

The official said that the BNP duo would be subject to the "same general principles governing official impartiality" and they would receive "standard written briefings as appropriate from time to time".

But British diplomats made plain that they would not be "proactive" in dealing with the BNP MEPs and that any requests for policy briefings from Griffin or Brons would be treated differently and on a discretionary basis.

A Brussels-based civil servant said it was acceptable for him to meet MEPs across the party spectrum for a drink, but that any such meetings with Griffin or Brons would be frowned upon.

The MEPs of the anti-EU UK Independence Party have been invited to next week's government reception.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said he was satisfied that he was treated equally by the 155 diplomats and civil servants working at the British mission to the EU, known as Ukrep, in Brussels.

"During the British [EU] presidency in 2005, I remember Jack Straw telling me that we'll be treated the same as all the others," said Farage. "If we ring Ukrep, we would expect to be treated fairly by them. If we contact them, they help us even though they're almost certainly closer to the other parties. We've not found them to withhold stuff from us if we ask."

Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP, said that the BNP represented a special case and that the government was entitled to differentiate in its dealings with elected representatives.

"A line has been crossed [with the BNP]. It's a difference of degree. It's not surprising that the government has to draw up guidelines to deal with a different situation."

Following the European elections, the civil service and government officials considered a range of options for dealing with the BNP, from an inclusive non-discriminatory approach to total quarantine, effectively ostracising them. David Miliband, the foreign secretary, is said to have signed off a decision that would bar the BNP people from government and embassy events in Brussels, while providing the extremists with some policy information.

"I don't think the policy of isolating them, of a cordon sanitaire, will work at all," Farage said. "It's a mistake. They're elected representatives, whether we like it or not."

The isolation has been compounded by Griffin's failure over the past week to cobble together an alliance of extremists in the parliament in order to qualify for official caucus status and thus benefit from better funding, speaking time, and committee positions.

To qualify, a parliamentary fraction needs to muster 25 MEPs from at least seven EU countries. Griffin's signature failure was not persuading Italy's anti-immigration party, Liga Nord, to join him. Instead the Italians linked up with Farage's Ukip.

• European elections
• European Union
• UK Independence party (UKIP)
• BNP
• Nick Griffin
• Race issues
• Immigration and asylum

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IF I HAD AN ANONYMOUS BLOG?

I’ve been struggling with how personal I wanted to be with this blog for the last few months. It started out as a Chicago news “here’s what’s happening & here’s what I think” type of blog. It quickly evolved into a personal blog where I was very raw and open about relationships and the emotional rollercoaster my breakup sent me on.

Now, F&F has become a cork board of sorts where I hang up funny pictures, helpful tips and completely random ramblings. I don’t feel as comfortable as I used to about sharing personal details, especially since everyone knows about this blog: friends, family, employers, etc.

If I had an anonymous blog I could:

• Spill the details about my crush & why it will never happen.

• Vent my frustrations.

• Share why I just can’t get over it & still wonder if every guy with a shaved head could be him.

• Really explain what’s going on with my dad.

• Post pictures with that little black bar over my eyes.

I’ve thought about creating another blog where I could do some of these things. I wouldn’t be as open as I’d like because it would be impossible to be anonymous at this point, but it wouldn’t be something I pass out at tweetups, meetups or interviews. I’ll see what happens.

How open is too open? Do you ever wish you could go back and change the privacy of your blog? Do any of you have secret blogs?

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