Hollywood apocalypse

Quite a day for celebrity scandalmongers. Michael Jackson surrenders on child molestation charges (giving his spokespersons an opportunity to use the word "scurrilous" -- is that word used under any other circumstances?). He was released on $3 million bail.

Phil Spector was finally charged with murder in the death of B-picture actress Lana Clarson, and is bizarrely claiming the woman's death was a suicide -- even though it took place with no witnesses, in his house, with his gun ("I don't know where or how she got the gun").

(Meanwhile Apple has released a new, Spector-less version of "Let It Be" entitled Let It Be...Naked. That ellipsis is really troubling. I don't know what is supposed to come to mind when they see that word "naked," but what could the dots mean, other than to force the reader to dramatically pause before the final word of the title? Could they have done anything cornier? Why not call it "Let It Be the Way It Was Supposed To Be"?) (Do follow that last link; there's a lot of amazing links on that page, including samples of the "naked" tracks as well as a fantastic two-hour radio doc on the making of "Let It Be" with outtakes and lore galore. I listened to it the other day and I was happy the rest of the day.)

And just to close this issue once and for all: Paris Hilton is dismayed that her now-infamous sex video was released on the internet. Just for the record, anytime some who has changed his last name to "Thrasher" is involved, you can probably predict a deal will go bad.