Which is not surprising considering his conversion to Islam and very anti-Israel views.

Update: It seems I was confused. Cat Power is some female singer I have never heard of.

..who produces music like this:

So I can’t say I’m personally devastated.

And apparently, she’s felt “sick in her spirit” for quite a while.

Cat Power and another person who looks "well educated" on the Middle East

Marshall has been praised for her soulful vocals and raw, minimalist guitar playing. Cat Power’s concert appearances were unconventional and unpredictable for many years, and critics often called her an erratic live act. Marshall faced substance abuse problems which she said affected her performances..

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Marshall’s live shows have been known for their unpolished nature, with songs beginning and ending abruptly or blending into one another without clear transitions. She has also cut short performances without explanation. On some occasions this has been put down to her suffering from stage fright and the influence of alcohol.

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By the turn of the century, Marshall’s live performances had become erratic and unpredictable, with The New Yorker suggesting, “It is foolhardy to describe a Cat Power event as a concert,” citing “rambling confessions” and “[talking] to a friend’s baby from the stage.” Marshall later attributed this period to a drinking problem, telling HARP magazine in 2006 “I didn’t know I was messed up.” Marshall has admitted abusing alcohol in the past; in a 2006 interview with The New York Times, she declared herself to be sober, which she defined as having had “seven drinks in seven months.”

Following the cancellation of the arranged tour of “The Greatest” album in 2006, Marshall used the hiatus to recover from what she described as a “psychotic break,” brought on by mental exhaustion and alcohol abuse, which had left her feeling suicidal. As part of her recovery, she was admitted to the psychiatric ward at Miami’s Mount Sinai Medical Center but left after a week, stating “being in there wasn’t me.” She later likened the experience to “a pit of hell.” Marshall gave a first person account of her breakdown in an interview for the November 2006 issue of Spin.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am most certainly not mocking mental illness, and I hope Cat Power finds some peace.

She’s just not going to promote it by blaming Israel.

Getty Images

Katy Perry insists that her parents don’t speak for her after the fundamental Christians delivered a shocking sermon putting down Jews and praising their daughter’s recent divorce for bringing more followers to their church.

After news broke of her parents’ harsh words in church on Sunday, Katy tweeted, “NO ONE speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, ‘close source’ or my family.”

According to The Sun newspaper, Katy’s father Keith Hudson told his congregation at the Church on the Rise in Ohio:

“You know how to make the Jew jealous? Have some money, honey. You go to LA and they own all the Rolex and diamond places. Walk down a part of LA where we live and it is so rich it smells. You ever smell rich? They are all Jews, hallelujah. Amen.”

I’m guessing daddy would have also disapproved of Katy’s prayer for Israel.

UPDATE by Brian of London:

The Blaze actually rang her parents up and, not surprising really, it seems he was taken out of context and probably slandered.

Why the press is so desperate to hunt down Christian Jew hatred when Muslims pray 17 times a day for the death of all Jews, I’m not so sure.

Rather than a “sick blast” or a “rant,” he explained that the comments were said in jest and that there was certainly no harm meant by them. “I was joking. I have said this for years – I’ve said it in other churches before,” he continued.

Just before the comments were made, Keith said that he was talking about and praying for small business owners — mainly individuals who were self-employed. “I was talking about how God wants people to prosper and to be a blessing,” he explains. “God wants to bless you so you can be a blessing.”

The worst thing I can find in the piece is some minor mention of talking to Messianic Jews, but then I’ve also “talked” to Jews for Jesus though admittedly the conversation was one sided, short and fairly rude.

No sirree. Judging by the buzz, it has apparently been Chassidic Reggae Superstar Matisyhau’s decision to shave off his beard!

In the wake of his hair-raising yet-somewhat-cryptic announcement, speculation mounted. Had the artist formerly known as Matt done an REM and lost his religion? Or was this a close encounter with his shaver of a more superficial kind?

Matisyahu first alluded to the fact that he had not turned away from Judaism the day after his initial announcement, tweeting:

For all those who are confused:today I went to the Mikva and Shul just like yesterday

But in a subsequent tweet, he wrote:

Thought of an analogy on the way home from Shul this morning. Everyone was walking with plastic bags picking up there dog’s shit.

Apparently, he had not only shaved off his beard, but also developed a bit of a potty mouth (plus bad grammar, although that may have always been there).

This, however, did not mean he was no longer an Orthodox Jew. After all, I am one, and I tend to swear like a banshee (I like to blame it on my Australian upbringing).

Anyway, if there was still any doubt where Matisyahu stood in terms of his religious observance, I present you the following: 

Ok, now that we have cleared that up, can we get back to worrying about Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon?

More here:

Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery.

In its initial usage, it referred to the point in a television program’s history when the program had outlived its freshness and viewers had begun to feel that the show’s writers were out of new ideas, often after great effort was made to revive interest in the show by the writers, producers, or network.

The usage of “jump the shark” has subsequently broadened beyond television, indicating the moment in its evolution when a brand, design, or creative effort moves beyond the essential qualities that initially defined its success, beyond relevance or recovery.

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The phrase jump the shark comes from a scene in the fifth season premiere episode of the American TV series Happy Days titled “Hollywood: Part 3,” written by Fred Fox, Jr., and aired on September 20, 1977. In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing Fonzie (Henry Winkler), wearing swim trunks and his leather jacket, jumps over a confined shark, answering a challenge to demonstrate his bravery. The series continued for nearly five years after that, with a number of changes in cast and situations.

Jon Hein, creator of the now-defunct website jumpTheShark.com, explained the concept as follows: “It’s a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on…it’s all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it ‘Jumping the Shark.’ From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.”

Don’t thank me, I’m a giver.

"Now that really hurts!"

While no one would confuse “McCartney” as a Hebrew name, Sir Paul does seem to have a thing for nice Jewish girls. His first wife, Linda, was a member of the tribe, and apparently Macca had talked about converting after marrying her, but “never got around to it.” After a brief stint with shiksa Heather Mills, McCartney has once again fallen for a Jew, current MTA board member Nancy Shevell, whom he married last month. And this time, he’s being a real mensch.

National Enquirer is reporting that Macca, who was baptized as a Roman Catholic but was “admittedly never very devout,” promised Shevell that he’ll convert to Judaism, as she takes religion rather seriously. The two reportedly spent the night before their wedding at Yom Kippur services, and McCartney apparently told his friends he’ll be completing his conversion studies next year. Mazel tov, you crazy kids! Let’s hope Shevell doesn’t turn out to be a real Lady Meshugganah. Remember: All you need is l’chaim

Notice this is coming from the National Enquirer, which makes this slightly more reliable than the rumors Paris Hilton is converting to Islam.

But if this does turn out to be true, Paul’s going to need someone to hold his hand and Foreskin Man is going to have a new life-long enemy.

[source]

I think a caption is in order. I’ll start things off.

Yoel Hasson: “We are all here today to try to answer the burning question that has been nagging at our souls for a long time. Which is: Who do you think you are fooling with that really bad toupe, Mr Alexander?”

Update: More on the session here:

Sadly, singer Andrew Gold died earlier this year at the age of 59. 

Update: Here’s Andrew Gold’s most well known song.