Jac Chebatoris

Singer-songwriter and feisty contrarian Ryan Adams writes achingly confessional love songs at an alarming rate. The talented 29-year-old is as well known for his prolific songwriting as he is for his temperamental and twitchy public persona.

WMD: Looted and Lost?U.S. troops have yet to turn up conclusive evidence that Iraq was maintaining a nuclear, biological or chemical (NBC) arsenal. Two very suspicious trailer rigs turned up last week in Mosul.

Isn't It Aaronic?Just eight months ago, "The West Wing" won a record third straight Emmy for best drama. Last week it set a record of another kind: fastest plummet from prime-time powerhouse to just another show in turmoil.

If I Were a Rich ManThe guy makes only $19,000 a year, but the ratings were extravagant. Fox's "Joe Millionaire" drew more viewers last week than any other premiere of a new show this season.

When you call Arista Records these days, the chirpy and well-coached personnel answer the phone this way: "Whitney Houston's album in stores Dec. 10, So and So's office, can I help you?" Well, they couldn't help us.

If there really were a rock-and-roll high school, Chrissie Hynde would be its headmistress, all bangs and sneers, handing out demerits just because she can.At 51, she's still here to remind you that she did it first and did it better, playing with the boys in her band, the Pretenders, but throwing a knowing wink at the girls.During the early '80s, such hits as "Middle of the Road," "Talk of the Town" and "Back on the Chain Gang" established the group's reputation.

Neko Case has picked up where country royalty like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn left off. Of course, the 32-year-old singer is far too humble to even approach their thrones. "I worship them, but I am not that person," laughs the Chicago-based songwriter.Still, Case is ONE of the more respected musicians to rise up from an independent and currently thriving scene of young country traditionalists.

Vanilla Ice could barely muster the street cred in one lick's worth of a Posse Pop, a new line of ice-cream bars wrapped with public-service announcements.