Ry Cooder’s American West (New York Times)
Old times and an old race car canopy at El Mirage Dry Lake, in the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.

It's time for holiday movies (Philly.com)
Make way for the award contenders. Look out for Brad and Keanu, Leo and Will, Meryl and Tom. And save room, between the Thanksgiving turkey and the New Year's toast, for a new Jim Carrey high-concept comedy, a serious piece of political theater (or a play-turned-film about a fallen politician), and, yes, the lovable high jinks of a famous pooch.

Jazz News: Touring Ry Cooders American West (All About Jazz)
WHEN Ry Cooder and I got to El Mirage Dry Lake, it was 110 degrees and heading to 117, hot enough to cook your head inside your hat. The Mojave Desert in daylight will cut the gizzard right out of you, Tom Joad once said, which is why the Okies crossed it at night.

What’s in the Fox can? (Manila Bulletin)
20th Century Fox pops up its can of 2009 movie lineup with its latest batch of comedy, thriller, horror, and romantic flicks.

Black Hole "Hearts" Warm Galaxies, Control Growth (National Geographic)
A supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy gently pumps out energy at regular intervals that keeps the black hole's growth in check, astronomers report.

Scientists find huge glaciers on Mars (The West Australian)
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have discovered enormous underground reservoirs of frozen water on Mars away from its polar caps in the latest sign that life might be s

America's Best Leaders: Steven Spielberg, Filmmaker (US News & World Report)
He addresses important issues on the big screen and through his philanthropy.

THIS WEEK'S FEATURE (East Bay Express)
Jill Tarter has spent most of her life pursuing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Now, nourished by a new wave of funding from high-tech philanthropists, she and her colleagues are listening harder than ever.

Who took the holiday out of holiday movies? (Standard-Examiner)
Is it just me or are fewer and fewer movies released during the holidays actually about the holidays?

The Father of SETI (SPACE.com)
Frank Drake conducted the first modern SETI experiment in 1960.