♦ Beach town mayor launches blog for tourists, then insults them

Belmar, N.J., Mayor Ken Pringle has decommissioned his blog targeted at summer visitors after postings that some found offensive. "It was meant to communicate with our tenants in a fun way," Pringle said, but blondes and Staten Islanders, among others, were not amused. BELMAR, N.J. — To the Staten Island girls who may have been taught to fight dirty in Brownies, Ken Pringle is sorry.	1 vote

♦ Downey does Sherlock with Holmes mystery

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Downey Jr. is trading Iron Man's metal suit for Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker hat. Downey is following his action blockbuster Iron Man with the title role in Sherlock Holmes, a mystery drama based on Arthur Conan Doyle's detective and an upcoming comic-book about Holmes by Lionel Wigram, one of the movie's producers. Guy Ritchie (Lock...	1 vote

♦ ExpressJet to stop flying under its own name

HOUSTON (AP) — ExpressJet Airlines is grounding its own branded flights in September but will continue to operate the Continental Express commuter airline. ExpressJet Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday night that its ExpressJet commercial passenger service will end on Sept. 2 and it will return the unit's 39 planes to the lessor. Last week, Delta Air Lines Inc.	1 vote

♦ BBC forced to reveal EastEnders costs under Freedom of Information Act

The BBC has been ordered to reveal the annual staff costs of its flagship soap EastEnders following a freedom of information request – but has argued successfully that it should not have to say how much it pays stars including Barbara Windsor and Steve McFadden.	1 vote

♦ The Drifters Settle Name Dispute.

The Drifters Settle Name Dispute.... The Drifters have reached an out-of-court settlement with a band who were posing under the same name. The vocals group, which has featured more than 60 members since it was founded in 1953, has prevented any other performers from appearing under the same title again.	1 vote

♦ Brad Pitt turns to Julia Roberts

Washington (ANI): Brad Pitt is seeking advice on raising twins from his The Mexican co-star Julia Roberts. The actor is all set to become a father again when partner Angelina Jolie delivers twins in France. And sources say that he has turned to the Pretty Woman star for some expert advice.	1 vote

♦ Get Ralph Lauren's Flowery Summer Look for Less

Ralph Lauren gave us pretty flower prints in their spiring/summer 2008 collection when it hit the catwalk last september and now the high street has caught onto the trend. Female First have found two hot Ralph Lauren inspired dresses that suit any budget....	1 vote

♦ 'Idol' winner Cook reaps 940,000 downloads

NEW YORK (AP) — David Cook's American Idol win is already paying dividends on the music charts. The 25-year-old singer raked in 942,000 digital downloads in just a week, according to figures released Thursday by Nielsen SoundScan. The numbers are from the week ending Sunday. Runner-up on the Fox show, David Archuleta, amassed 323,000 downloads in the same period.	1 vote

♦ 'The naked guy' of 'Sex' is actually quite modest

Even when she was not required to be on camera, Kim Cattrall turned up on the Sex and the City movie set to watch Gilles Marini's numerous nude scenes. "She made the trips from her trailer — even just for her over-the-shoulder shots," says Marini, 32, speaking with his strong French accent. "She was there all the time to give me as much support as possible for me to act well." (Um hmm.	1 vote

♦ Will 'Crystal Skull' be the next-to-last crusade?

One thing creator/producer George Lucas needs to unearth before there can be an Indiana Jones 5 : an object for Indy to seek. In previous installments, Harrison Ford's character has pursued the Ark of the Covenant, Sankara Stones, the Holy Grail and now the Crystal Skull of Akatar. Coming up with the skull took a while, and he doesn't expect the next inspiration to happen overnight. Until it does...	1 vote

♦ Morissette: 'i'm Dating'.

Morissette: 'i'm Dating'.... Alanis Morissette has a secret boyfriend who's helping her get over her split from Ryan Reynolds and his engagement to Scarlett Johansson. The singer was left heartbroken when she split from Reynolds in 2006, and he began dating Johansson just months later.	1 vote

♦ Chart-Track: PS3 Ahead of 360 by 10% in 2008

No account yet? Dear everyone, I’ve been thinking lately about some more games that we need. It may be buried beneath the influences of other games, but there could be more to They than a sense of déjà vu. Witless enemies are an oft-cited failing of videogames, but while AI designers are forever finding ways to make more formidable opponents, is smarter always better?	1 vote

♦ Sebadoh, Bubble And Scrape: Expanded Edition

Sebadoh's first truly accessible album; a slightly Pyrrhic victory, and one that sounds a touch pejorative to their complexity on this record. Label Domino have done a superb job with this re-release; a huge glut of re-mastered and unreleased tracks are included, creating a decent testament to a band whose reputation for creative independence and defiance continues to grow.	1 vote

♦ Instruments strike a chord at National Music Museum

VERMILLION, S.D. — One visitor might be drawn to the six-string Spanish guitar on which Bob Dylan composed some of his earliest songs. Another might gaze in awe at one of just a handful of Stradivarius violins still with its original neck, or a 1767 Portuguese grand piano considered one of the earliest, best-preserved pieces known to survive. Each is important to the National Music Museum...	1 vote

♦ The Morning After: Summer Programming

I started doing these Morning After posts last fall as a way of dealing with the rush of new programming: it was a way to slap up a quick post for discussion of shows that aired the night before but that I hadn't had time to write full-fledged posts about. We're starting the summer now...	1 vote

♦ Lily Allen Denies Simons Reunion.

Lily Allen Denies Simons Reunion.... Lily Allen has dismissed speculation she has reconciled with her ex-boyfriend Ed Simons insisting she is not "some failed baby machine trying to win my man back". The couple split earlier this year (08) shortly after the Smile singer suffered a miscarriage and lost the pair's baby.	1 vote

♦ Keith Allen screens Diana documentary

Keith Allen has been holding private screenings of his documentary There Are Dark Forces at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, which examines conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, allegedly includes footage of a young Prince Philip attending Nazi events.	1 vote

♦ Grisham novel heading to big screen

Phoenix Pictures has acquired the movie rights to the bestselling book, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story revolves around a down-and-out American football player who discovers a new lease of life when his agent lands him a deal to play with a semi-professional team in Italy. Previous Grisham adaptations include The Firm, The Client, The Pelican Brief, The Chamber...	1 vote

♦ The Petite Nation's do-it-yourself art tour

I always get a kick out of the asparagus grower along Quebec Highway 323 who, at this time of year, uses his mower to write the word "Asperges" in large, flowing letters in the grass on a hillside across from his farm.	1 vote

♦ Robin Williams' 'honest' divorce

Robin Williams has vowed his divorce will be "honest, co-operative and civil". The actor and his estranged wife Marsha Garces Williams have signed a pact spelling out their goals, including keeping their children's interests a priority and to try to avoid courtroom battles.	1 vote