Spectacular speech by Michelle Obama during the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Listen to it here.

Little Britain is coming to HBO this fall. The series will consist of six episodes with rumored returning characters Daffyd Thomas, Sebastian, Marjorie Dawes, Lou and Andy, Vicky Pollard (my fave), Emily Howerd, Carol Beer, Bubbles De Vere, Harvey and Linda. New characters include Madonna’s PA, Ellie Grace and her pushy mom, American Jocks Tom and Mark, 8th man on the moon Bing Gordyn, southern teen Conor and his grandmother Mildred and more.

Little Britain USA has a nice rundown of the characters with descriptions. They also have a list of guest appearances by stars like David Schwimmer, Sting, Rosie O’Donnell and hottie Paul Rudd. This is going to be spectacular.

Little Britain USA. Check it out Sunday, September 28th at 10:30pm on HBO.

So the RIAA had to be douchey and eff up Muxtape. Oh well, here’s a list of 10 songs I’m listening to this week:

• Morningwood - “Sugarbaby”
• Solange - “I Decided”
• Yacht - “Summer Song”
• Pink - “So What”
• Santogold - “Lights Out”
• Adele - “Cold Shoulder”
• Leona Lewis - “Bleeding Love” (Jason Nevins Radio Mix)
• Lesley Roy - “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
• Rihanna - “Disturbia”
• Lady GaGa - “Just Dance”

Season 4 of The Hills starts tonight. Sweet!

Tonight at 10/9c.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower here in Chicago is nearing completion with the last significant concrete pour planned for today. In late September Donald will attend a ceremony placing the building’s spire on top.

Standing at 1,362 feet the 92-story building will become the second tallest in the nation behind the Sears Tower. Both records will be broken in 2012 though when the Chicago Spire is finished.

Check out some construction photos of the building on Flickr. Also, here’s a neat photo-rendering of the new Chicago skyline once Trump Tower, the Chicago Spire and a handful of other highrises are completed.

• Sorry muggles, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being pushed back to July 19, 2009.
• The NSFW trailer for Choke.
• The Perfect Vagina, a film in the UK exploring why more and more women are getting vaginal surgery.
• A Q&A with Buzz Aldrin on the future of Mars and private space ventures.
• Graves found from the Sahara’s green period.
• New York City Council votes 41-8 to approve a bill that requires stores to keep their doors closed if they’re running the A/C. Seems like a no-brainer.
• Bill Murray will parachute out of a plane today to kick off the 50th annual Chicago Air & Water Show.
• A new bird species, the olive-backed forest robin.
• The CTA’s Yellow Line will get one new stop for sure at Oakton and might get another in Evanston. The agency is also toying with the idea of making permanent the weekend hours they’ve been testing since March.
• Google’s Android will launch on T-Mobile this fall.
• A lovely white danish home with colorful accents.
• Ellen and Portia will wed this weekend.

• Sears will show at Fashion Week.
• The world’s tallest woman at 7 feet 7 inches dies at the age of 53.
• DVD playback on your Wii.
• Apple is now worth more than Google.
• You’re whining about $4/gallon gas, they’re paying $10/gallon.
• Mirel is an amazing new form of bioplastic that performs as conventional plastics but biodegrades when exposed to microbial activity found in soil, compost or marine environments. Via Inhabitat.
• The fastest dying cities in America.
• Minorities become the majority in 2042.

• LOL Bush.
• Ten new fuel-friendly cars.
• One of the 14 contestants on the new season of America’s Next Top Model, Isis, is transgendered. Awesome! The new season starts September 3rd.
• More Americans are parking their cars. Driving on average 12.2 billion miles less this June than last.
• Starting September 7th you can pick up an iPhone at Best Buy.
• The western Amazon, home to the most biodiverse and intact rainforest left on Earth, may soon be covered with oil rigs and pipelines.
• Smock claims to be the first print shop in the U.S. to offer printing on bamboo paper. Via TH.
• Nice little article asking “Can Sustainability Save the Midwest?”
• Or is it time to abandon northern cities?
• In WTF news, airlines charge soldiers heading overseas extra bag fees. Seriously?
• Santogold’s video for “Lights Out”

My Muxtape updates every Tuesday with 12 songs I’m currently enjoying, here’s my set for August 12, 2008:

• Imogen Heap - “Not Now But Soon”
• Solange - “I Decided”
• Duffy - “Stepping Stone”
• David Archuleta - “Crush”
• Mandy Moore - “Looking Forward”
• Santogold - “Lights Out”
• Adele - “Cold Shoulder”
• Leona Lewis - “Bleeding Love” (Jason Nevins Radio Mix)
• Madonna - “Give It 2 Me”
• Rihanna - “Disturbia”
• Lady GaGa - “Just Dance”
• Kylie Minogue - “The One (Freemasons Edit)”

Listen to it here.

• Holy crap, Apple has sold on average $1 million a day in apps for the iPhone.
• Looks like Tori Spelling will not be appearing in the new 90210.
• Trailer for Star Trek Online.
• IKEA wants to start selling solar panels.
• Wall Arch, one of the most photographed arches of Arches National Park in Utah, collapses.
• South Los Angeles proposes a ban on new fast-food restaurants.
• Michelle Obama will headline the DNC at the end of the month.