September 11th was a brutal reminder that there are people out there who have the desire and means to kill us in a mass attack, and we have to stop them. "The best defense is a good offense", we like to say, but in this case it's a little trickier than that. We need an offense mindful of long-term gains and a defense more nuanced than smash-mouth football.

To better understand this quandry, I recently caught up with Juliette Kayyem, Undersecretary of Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a former adviser with the National Commission on Terrorism.

Zane Lowe: this Shockwaves NME Award is the best

Zane Lowe has declared his win for Best Radio Show at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2008 his best yet. The Radio 1 DJ has monopolised the category in recent years, with NME readers consistently naming his show the finest around. Speaking to NME.COM, Lowe said he was touched by the continuing loyalty. “It gets more special every time," explained the DJ. “The first time we won it for our show it was very precious, but every year it comes around you just hope that you're still connecting with the NME readers and the new music that's out there. So this is great." He added he was pleased to receive the award from presenter Jon McClure from Reverend And The Makers. “It's always nice to receive anything, but it's always an awkward situation when you go up at these things," said Lowe. “It's always weird situation so it was great to get it from a friend." McClure added his own tribute to the DJ, explaining: “He means a lot people in bands.

Oscar worthy: Our readers, not the Academy, make these movie ...

Another tie, folks, and both are Oscar nominees for their performances. Clooney's title character is a corporate controversy "fixer" who begins to develop a conscience, while in "Blood" Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, an oil baron who plummets into the darkness of his own corruption.

Reader's comments: "There's more to acting than reciting cleverly written lines. Clooney's body language throughout this film and especially during the closing minute ... set his performance above other very good lead actors this year." -- James Deck, Valparaiso.

Critics' comments: "Quite possibly Clooney's best effort to date." -- Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat, regarding "Michael Clayton."

"Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal is not just the performance of the year -- there will be injustice if he doesn't win an Oscar -- but a creation of awesome proportions." -- Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal, regarding "There Will Be Blood"

Oscar nominations: 7 for "Clayton" and 8 for "Blood" -- including Best Picture nominations for both films and Best Actor noms for both actors.

The Jonas Brothers take the 'Hannah Montana' roadmap to superstardom

LOS ANGELES — Most young men can be forgiven for not knowing what they'll be doing two days from now, much less two years. Not the three siblings who comprise the hit trio the Jonas Bros. The superstars-in-the-making have every day mapped out for the next 24 months.

Earlier this month, the band became the youngest act to sign a deal with concert presenter Live Nation.

Unemployment, Underemployment, and Hunger Boosting Obama’s Chances ...

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Soundtrack 1.0

Apple's Soundtrack made its debut last June, as part of the massive video-editing bundle Final Cut Pro 4. But now the same Soundtrack software is available as a stand-alone product. This puts Soundtrack within reach of video editors, Web designers, and content providers who don't need the rest of the Final Cut Pro 4 package.

It requires at least a 500MHz Power Mac, Mac OS X 10.2.5, and 5GB of available hard-drive space. Apple's official specs say that you can install the program with a CD and that the sound loops, called Apple Loops, on the included DVD are optional, but this isn't really the case. Soundtrack's entire appeal lies in the fact that it lets you mix and match the 4GB of material it provides.

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On Friday, October 12, the most popular sports talk radio show in the history of Dallas prepared for a routine remote broadcast at Addison's Blackfin Pub. KTCK-1310 AM The Ticket afternoon co-host Mike Rhyner arrived on time. Longtime sidekick Greg Williams, however, was alarmingly tardy.

Williams—"The Hammer" to a legion of loony fans that consistently makes the irreverent guy-talk station No. 1 in the market—finally appeared, albeit noticeably fidgety and audibly discombobulated. And then, just one segment into the four-hour show, he abruptly up and left.

No one's sure where Williams had been. But now we know where he was headed—down a dangerous, dark detour toward self-destruction. One that, according to multiple sources, ultimately landed him in rehab for a cocaine problem.

Jenice Armstrong: Rocawear picks Philly writer

PHILLY-BASED novelist Daaimah S. Poole deserves a shoutout, most recently for her recognition by Rocawear, the hip-hop-clothing giant.

Poole, whose latest book is "All I Want Is Everything" (Kensington, $14.95), was selected after submitting a video on which she talks about her struggles as a teenage, single mother who landed a major publishing deal without even owning a computer. A graduate of Overbrook High, Poole used to type on the computers in Temple University's library until closing time. I got to know Poole (who was discovered by literary whiz Karen E. Quinones Miller) after editing her first book, "Yo Yo Love."

A spokeswoman for Rocawear says Poole will be featured on the Web site www.Iwillnotlose.org. In addition to Poole, Jay-Z's I Will Not Lose Campaign is spotlighting singer Ciara and Nicole Paultre-Bell, fiancee of Sean Bell, who was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on the eve of his wedding after leaving a New York strip bar.