A Little Bit Cloudy, a Little Bit Rock 'n Roll

Becomes regional 'ally' in fight to protect ecosystem

(NEWSER) - Now that he's saving the rainforest, maybe Mick Jagger will finally get that long-elusive satisfaction. The Rolling Stone has been dubbed an honorary ambassador for tourism to a region of Peru's Amazon, AFP reports. "You are our ally. Your presence is a great support in our fight to protect our ecology, to the effort to draw world attention to the Madre de Dios area," an official told Jagger today in Peru. More»

Salon offers up a mid-year list

(NEWSER) - Now that we're more than halfway through 2011, the Salon staff compiled the best books, movies, music, and TV of the year so far. Among its recommendations:

• Film: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is quite good—but Lee Chang-dong's Poetry, about a 66-year-old woman who may have Alzheimer's, is a masterpiece. Another surprising inclusion: Matthew McConaughey-vehicle The Lincoln Lawyer, directed by Brad Furman.
• Books: You'd never know The Pale King, David Foster Wallace's third and last novel, was actually unfinished at the time of his death and pieced together by his longtime editor. Also worth checking out: novelist Andre Dubus III's memoir, Townie.

Female rockers don't get much action on tour, they say

(NEWSER) - Male rock stars are notorious for their groupie magnetism—but the same just isn’t true for female rockers, Salon finds. “Ladies in bands don’t get ANY action,” Neko Case tweeted last weekend, prompting a flurry of agreement from fellow women in rock. (Case made clear later she was not complaining, just stating a fact of the business.) “I have gotten laid exactly one time on tour, and it was an ex,” added a member of Crooked Fingers. So why the disparity? More»

Door's open: 'anything possible' before Crist leaves office

(NEWSER) - His Senate bid may have failed, but outgoing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may still make his mark ... on rock and roll history: He’s considering pardoning Jim Morrison for indecent exposure charges at a 1969 concert. “It's something I’m willing to look into in the time I have left,” Crist told the Hill . “Anything is possible.” Doors fans have long sought vindication for their hero. More»

Poison frontman, 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant rushed to hospital

(NEWSER) - Bret Michaels is hospitalized in the intensive care unit and in critical condition after suffering bleeding in his brain, People reports. The Poison frontman, a contestant on this season of Celebrity Apprentice, had an emergency appendectomy last week. His doctors "are running several tests," and the 47-year-old's prognosis "will be touch and go for the next few days while he is under intense observation," a source says. More»