Hurricane Irene Could hit Philadelphia Thursday night

In what is already the rainiest August in Philadelphia history things are about to get worse, much worse. Thunderstorms rocked the Philadelphia area this morning and will continue to do so later in the afternoon.

However, with Hurricane Irene on the horizon, things could get far worse on Sunday! The track of the storm will take it further west, which could doom south Jersey and much of the area.

August 2011 could go down as the rainiest month in history for the entire region. The City of Philadelphia is already making plans as the Phillies game on Sunday was canceled. Instead, the Phillies are scheduled to play a doubleader on Saturday.


Many parts of South Jersey were under a state of emergency earlier this month following days of torrential rains. And, the last thing New Jersey needs is a hurricane.

With Hurricane Irene set to be the strongest hurricane in years, this could put Jersey residents in peril.

Jersey Shore residents and officials are beginning to make plans as this looks like it could be a very serious weather event on Sunday. In fact, New Jersey will face flooding even if Hurricane Irene doesn't make a direct hit.

Few tips to be safe from Hurricane Irene

As you've no doubt heard by now, Hurricane Irene is on her way.

According to the National Weather Service, this could be the worst hurricane in New England's history. It is expected to hit Boston and the surrounding area sometime on Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center classifies a hurricane as a low pressure system, a form of cyclone, that forms in the tropics. It is accompanied by thunderstorms and in the northern hemisphere, counterclockwise circulation of winds.

To be classified as a hurricane, winds need to be sustained at 74 miles per hour or more, but a category five hurricane can gust to 155 miles per hour, often causing catastrophic damage.

Catastrophic damage is defined as follows, "People, livestock, and pets are at very high risk of injury or death from flying or falling debris, even if indoors in mobile homes or framed homes. Almost complete destruction of all mobile homes will occur, regardless of age or construction."

Bottom line, this is to be taken seriously. Listen to local television and weather stations and take cover in a safe place if the risk is imminent. Never hurts to stock up on supplies, either. As always, Hopkinton Patch will give you information as we have it - we'll be monitoring this one closely.

It is recommended that all people have  a flashlight, a battery powered radio, three to seven days worth of water and canned goods.

Does Rush Limbaugh liar ??

Apparently, even with the economy obviously struggling, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity still feel the need to shamelessly mislead their listeners into thinking that President Obama's stewardship of the economy has been even worse than they realized. Last week, as Media Matters noticed, Limbaugh claimed that Obama "inherited" an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. Last night, Sean Hannity echoed Limbaugh, except that Hannity's figures say that Obama inherited a slightly better 5.6 percent unemployment rate.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in January of 2009, when Obama took office, was 7.8 percent.

So what exactly is going on here? Did Limbaugh and Hannity really just make up a number out of whole cloth? Of course not — they merely found a completely irrelevant number and used that.

Searching for where Rushity might have come up with this wildly inaccurate figure, we stumbled upon a blog post at the National Review, in which Greg Pollowitz explains

For the record, the average unemployment rate for 2008 was 5.8 percent. Of course, the average unemployment rate for the entire year, whatever it was, has nothing to do with the unemployment rate Obama inherited, unless you ignore the financial crisis that fundamentally altered the economy before Obama took office. One critical National Review commenter made this comparison, and we can't put it any better

A rumor about Jackie Chan.....Does Jackie Chan alive ??

Do we need to start copyrighting pranks? Back in March so many people started started tweeting that Jackie Chan had died in a snowboarding accident that his publicist had to come out and say that absolutely nothing had happened to the marital arts star. Now a Facebook page entitled R.I.P Jackie Chan has garnered over 80,000 followers and a rumor is circulating on Twitter that Chan has died of a heart attack.

Any truth to this? Almost certainly not. Chan's actual website and Facebook don't indicated that he isn't in anything other than perfect health, and if anything the plagiarists are less convincing. A heart attack? You've got to be in great shape to pull off those stunts. And to endure making three Rush Hour

Why Anne Hathaway is as cool as ‘Antarctic’ water ?

Anne Hathaway says her swimming scene in One Day was “as cold as Antarctica”.
The Hollywood star plays Emma Morley in the highly-anticipated romantic movie opposite Jim Sturgess, who plays her best friend Dexter Mayhew.
The film is based on the best-selling book by David Nicholls and follows the pair on the same day over 20 years.
In one scene, Anne enjoys a skinny-dipping scene with her co-star. The 28-year-old revealed that being in the freezing water was an unpleasant experience, but she had to look like she was having fun.
"It was not warm," she told.

"It was cold as Antarctica, I don't think would be too big of an exaggeration."
Anne had to master a northern British accent for her role in the picture. The brunette beauty based her Yorkshire twang on a character in American sitcom Frasier.
"That was hard," she admitted. "Here in America we don't have too many brushes with the Yorkshire accent.
“The most consistent one I ever heard was [Jane Leeves] the girl who played Daphne on Frasier and she was from Leeds and that's where my character was from, so I started there and I just kind of burrowed in further and further."
Anne travelled across Europe to film the scenes for the movie. The stunning star appreciates the perks that come with her acting career.
"That's one of the best parts of my job - just getting to go on adventures to new places with new people,” she added.

Who is the winner of GOP debate at Ames ??

Thursday night's Fox News debate presented eight of the Republican presidential wannabes on one stage as a political lead-up to Saturday's Ames Straw Poll.

Paul is a 76-year-old Air Force veteran and retired ob-gyn who has only been elected to 11 terms in the House of Representatives as a Texas Republican who talks more like a libertarian. None of the other Republican candidates have been elected to anything 11 times, counting schoolyard pickup games.

In the 2008 campaign, Paul and his noisy, very determined supporters were something of a joke. Fox News even barred him from its New Hampshire primary debate -- even though he'd done better in Iowa than Rudy what's-his-name, who went nowhere, and Fred Tennessee, who was going to be the party's next Ronald Reagan savior until he wore Gucci loafers to the Minnesota State Fair.

Paul came up more than 1,000 delegates short of winning the nomination in St. Paul, but here's what he did do: Talking fiscal discipline, he took his supporters' donations (more than Mike Huckabee's hand-clapping evangelicals ponied up, btw) and walked the fiscal walk.

Flying commercial and sleeping in Super 8's, Paul paid all of his campaign bills. He ended up with a $5-million surplus, a word we don't often hear associated with things Washington, unless it refers to empty words.

He did another book and has been going around the country preaching his less-government gospel and sowing the seeds of the "tea party," which -- oh, look -- elected his son Rand to the United States Senate from Kentucky over the opposition of the party's establishment. In many ways this presidential election cycle, much of the country's political talk has come over to Paul's position -- despite the Real Good Talker being in the White House and on the other side.

Here's the kind of things Ron Paul says in speeches, interviews and Thursday's debate:

I approach this differently than all the other candidates -– Republicans or Democrats. I defend individual liberty in a different way. I am the one that says, 'War, there is too much of it.' They are undeclared. It's time to end war.

I am the one that says, 'I'm sick and tired of this Patriot Act -– this pretense to destroy our individual liberties and molest us at the airport.' None of the other candidates are saying that.

How many of the other candidates are going to talk about the financial situation and tie it into the reality of the Federal Reserve? Those views are different from other views, and it's my strong defense of liberty that separates me from other candidates.

All Paul has done is play a major role shaping this primary season's Republican discussion agenda -- less government, less taxes. Leave us alone.

Now, another Texas Republican conservative with the same initials, Rick Perry, can step into the ring and take the Washington-doesn't-know-everything struggle to another level.

Some people make faces when they hear Paul's blunt talk. Others find it refreshing.

And then, playing by the establishment's rules, Paul's people, many of them new to politics, go out with signs and their voices and their straw-poll ballots. The debate winner may be arguable. Paul's chance of being the Republican nominee might seem distant. But he's driving a big chunk of the debate.

And on Saturday, look for Ron Paul's name at or very near the top of the straw-poll competitors.

But, of course, he doesn't really matter.

Sara Palin's bus tour !!! Find out why ??

Months after Sarah Palin rode her constitution-themed bus into New Hampshire just as Mitt Romney was kicking off his campaign, the former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate appears to be at it again.

In an email sent to supporters, Palin said she would travel to Iowa this week to visit the Iowa State Fair.

"The heartland is perfect territory for more of the One Nation Tour as we put forth efforts to revitalize the fundamental restoration of America by highlighting our nation's heart, history, and founding principles," she wrote.

Her email also includes a dig at President Obama's recent comments about eating peas as part of Congress's responsibilities during the recent deficit deal.

"I'm also excited to try some of that famous fried butter-on-a-stick, fried cheesecake-on-a-stick, fried twinkies, etc. I'll enjoy them in honor of those who'd rather make us just 'eat our peas'!" she wrote.

A video, posted on the SarahPAC website mentions no specific stops, but it makes references to Harry Truman and Abraham Lincoln, who were from Missouri and Illinois respectively, fueling the speculation that Palin will take her bus tour through those Midwestern states.
Palin's voice narrates a series of bucolic images, including small town parades and farms, though the audio is from her speech at the 2008 Republican convention. "We grow good people in our small towns...they love their country in good times and bad, and they are always proud of America," she said. (watch the video at left)
But the planned visit to the Iowa State fair has gotten the most attention. The state fairgrounds are less than an hour south of Ames, the site of this weekend's Iowa straw poll and the unofficial kickoff of the Republican primary season.

Palin is not on the ballot there, but her visit threatens to overshadow the weekend's events, including a debate Thursday night with nearly every Republican candidate, including Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, who are also not part of the straw poll itself. Saturday's straw poll event could be a make-or-break moment for candidates like Tim Pawlenty or Michele Bachmann, who have been traveling Iowa constantly over the last few weeks and are relying on a strong showing for a necessary momentum boost for their campaigns.

Like Palin's last bus trip, taking some thunder away from Romney's big announcement, her trip to Iowa threatens to repeat her scene-stealing, this time possibly overshadowing the entire straw poll process.

But Palin is not alone. Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was hinted more at a presidential campaign than Palin has, is expected to make his plans more clear at event in South Carolina, another early voting state, on Saturday. He'll also visit New Hampshire this weekend and will arrive in Iowa for an event Sunday. While most of the political watchers will be keeping an eye on what happens in Ames on Saturday, they will have to keep an eye on both Palin and Perry who hope to step into a field of Republican candidates that most primary voters are not entirely satisfied with.

Matt Lauer coming with his new show "Royal Pains"

Matt Lauer doesn't just host TODAY -- he's also an actor in his spare time! He'll make a special guest cameo on the USA's hit show "Royal Pains" tonight at 9 p.m.
How'd he do? Check out a sneak peek above -- but the cast is already raving about him.
"I had to hear from every member of the crew how prepared he was, how well he improved and was off-the-cuff and how nice he was to everybody on set," Mark Feuerstein, the star of "Royal Pains" said on TODAY. "It's annoying. He's a little too perfect," Mark joked.

Willie Nelson explaining relatino with farmers

country legend Willie Nelson and a host of other artists will take to the stage in Kansas City, MO at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to put on Farm Aid, the longest running benefit concert series in America. It has raised over $39 million to help family farmers keep their farms and also teaching millions of people about the Good Food movement.

Farm Aid founder Nelson (pictured above at last year's Farm Aid with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler) tells the Kansas City Star, "We're still in a desperate situation with our farmers and the land and the big corporations taking over farms and ruining the soil with chemicals and pesticides. It's been going on for so long. I think the biggest problem is with politicians who either don't know about it or don't care. At one time there were more than 8 million family farms in this country. We're down to less than 2 million."

"You wish we didn't have to do it, but you're glad you are able to do it, and you're glad people are willing to help you," Nelson continues. "Over the years, literally thousands of musicians have donated their time and services to Farm Aid. This year, it's the same thing. There's a great lineup of talent from all over the world coming to play for nothing."

Selina Jen Making herself ready for wedding

It was previously rumoured that S.H.E member Selina and her fiancé Richard Chang would be announcing their wedding date on 5 August. However, Richard revealed that Selina had not made her final decision, and that they would only announce the date next week, according to the Xin MSN website.
Richard did let on that the big day is estimated to be 86 days away. This suggests that the wedding would either be on 31 October (Selina's birthday) or 1 November (Richard's birthday). The wedding is reportedly set to be held at the Sheraton Hotel.

The invitation card had apparently been designed, which is pink and simple with no wedding photos in it. The initial 90 table banquet has been increased to 100 tables in total, this being the extra invitations going out to the doctors, nurses and therapist from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, who aided Selina in her recovery from her on-set accident last October.

Selina would also be re-shooting her wedding photos, as she looks different from a year ago.
Richard revealed that the couple had decided not to celebrate the Chinese Valentines' Day and would not give any presents to each other, so as to avoid having to recall old memories.

"Selina's father did not specially celebrate his birthday a few days ago because he is worried that she might recall the happy memories from last year's celebration," the lawyer added.

Richard expressed that Selina had not lived a happy day since she was scarred by the fire. He had to stay strong for her and accompany her through her physiotherapy sessions.
"My emotions would affect her. The therapy sessions still have a long way to go," he said.

Anna Nicole Smith to sell her Los Angeles home

Anna Nicole Smith's Los Angeles mansion is for sale.

The sprawling 4,700 square foot home - where the tragic former model filmed her reality TV show 'The Anna Nicole Show' before her death in 2007 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at the age of 39 - has been put on the market by the trustees of her estate for $1.75 million.

The house, which is located in Studio City, California, contains five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and a gym with the profits expected to be ploughed back into her estate. After starting out as a stripper, Anna Nicole went on to marry oil baron J. Howard Marshall when he was 89 and she was 26, and went on to fight for his estate in the courts following his death.

The year before her own passing, her 20-year-old son Daniel died of a drugs overdose, just three days after Anna Nicole gave birth to her second child, daughter Dannielynn. Dannielynn, four - who is being raised by her father Larry Birkhead - is the sole heir to her mother's fortune.

Jennifer Lopez almost sign for another american idol season

Jennifer Lopez is returning to American Idol with a huge raise, The Wrap reports.
The multi-hyphenate has hammered out a $20 million contract to remain with the Fox series for at least another year, sources told the site. Lopez, who earned $12 million last season, has not yet signed the deal, but the deal is complete.

Unlike fellow new judge Steven Tyler, Lopez did not sign a multiyear contract with Idol last season. In June, she told the BBC that she was "very on the fence" about coming back.

Besides Idol, Lopez, 42, is also working on Q'Viva!, a Latin American talent competition series, with her estranged husband, Marc Anthony. Lopez and Anthony separated last month, but their split is not expected to affect the series.

"Sometimes it doesn't work -- and that's sad. But I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love," Lopez told the September issue of Vanity Fair, speaking out for the first time about the split. "Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself -- if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me. I love myself enough to walk away from that now."

Lopez added she and Anthony "actually work great together" and that she will always respect him as a singer and a performer. "Together we could make magic -- and we did. He will always be in our lives. He will always hold a special place in my heart as the father of my children."

Kate Middleton's dress at Zara Phillips' wedding

The bride wore white and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, wore bone. Or ivory. Or ecru. Whatever it was, it was stunning and managed to flatter her trim figure without outshining Zara Phillips, the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth who married longtime boyfriend Mike Tindall Saturday (July 30) in Edinburgh, Scotland.

We've seen Kate in this coat before. According to whatkatewore.com, the duchess donned the same brocade coat at the 2006 wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes and last year at the wedding of Mel Nicholson and Oli Baker, whoever they are.

Kate's dress, too, was a well-picked retread. She wore it to that same Parker Bowles wedding and to a 2007 book signing.

The hat, we're given to understand, is new. And quite fetching.

Finally Shannon Tweed got Gene Simmons' proposal

Legendary lothario Gene Simmons finally popped the question to longtime partner Shannon Tweed on the season finale of Gene Simmons: Family Jewels last night. “I come with so much baggage, but you’re the only friend I’ve got, ” Simmons told Tweed on a bayside dock in Belize. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved … I used to watch movies where they say, ‘I can’t live without you,’ but for me it’s true.” Watch below.
Of course, the actual proposal reportedly took place months ago, and the couple, who have two children from a relationship that has lasted 28 years, have since looked less than loving in several interviews to promote the show. So don’t order off their wedding registry just yet.

Simmons tweeted this morning, “Shannon and I work on our relationship every day. One day at a time. Thanks for watching. When we figure out our lives, you will know.” Tweed tweeted, “We are taking it day by day. Stay tuned.”

Norway Terrorist Attacks Toll Upped to 87: Norwegian Man Arrested

Norwegian authorities early Saturday dramatically increased the death toll in a gun attack at a youth camp on the Norwegian island of Utoya to at least 80, bringing the total number dead in a pair of apparently related attacks Friday to 87.

Police have arrested a Norwegian man for the deadly attack at the summer youth camp run by Norway's ruling party, and they believed the same man was responsible for a bombing at a government building in central Oslo several hours earlier that claimed at least seven lives.

TV2, Norway's largest broadcaster, was among media outlets that identified the suspect as Anders Behring Breivik, 32, describing him as a member of "right-wing extremist groups in eastern Norway." Despite the reports, Norwegian police would not confirm the identity of the suspect.

The 80 dead at the youth camp was a dramatic increase over a Friday police report that at least 10 had died there. Police director Oystein Maeland told reporters early Saturday in Norway that many more victims were discovered after the first toll was announced, according to The Associated Press.

"It's taken time to search the area. What we know now is that we can say that there are at least 80 killed at Utoya," Maeland said. "It goes without saying that this gives dimensions to this incident that are exceptional."

Witnesses to the camp attack said the suspect, dressed as a policeman and identifying himself as such, appeared to be doing a security check related to the Oslo bombing. They said he used the ruse to lure camp goers closer before carrying out the attack.

Video showed bodies floating in the water around the island, and witnesses said victims took to the water in an attempt to flee the carnage, but were shot anyway.

One witness told the Associated Press that campers played dead, but the gunman shot bodies in the head with a shotgun to ensure they were dead.

More than 500 people were attending the camp, and most campers were teenagers. Police indicated the death toll could continue to rise.

Oslo police spokesman Anders Frydenberg was asked by the BBC how one man was able to kill so many.

"We are having an investigation," he said. "We are hopeful the investigation will show how this is possible."

With the arrest of a lone Norwegian in the twin bomb and shooting attacks, officials have all but ruled out any connection to international terrorism.

"We have one person in custody and he will be charged in connection with what has happened," said Justice Minister Knut Storberget during a Friday evening press conference. "We know that he is Norwegian. That is what we know. I don't think it's right from my position to go into details about him."

At the same press conference, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that it was "too early to say anything certain about the motive." Justice Minister Storberget said he was not aware of any threats before the two attacks.

The man in custody allegedly opened fire at the summer youth camp run by the Labour Party, the political party of both Stoltenberg and Storberget, just hours after explosions ripped through a government building holding Stoltenberg's office in the capital city of Oslo. According to media reports, the suspect had been seen in Oslo earlier in the day. Oslo is 45 minutes from the island of Utoya.

Third children for Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson

Maya Rudolph has given birth!

The 38-year-old Bridesmaids actress and director Paul Thomas Anderson welcomed son Jack on July 3, her rep tells.
This is the third child for the couple, who joins older sisters Pearl, 5, and Lucille, 20 months.
"I make big babies," Rudolph joked during a May appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "Pearl was 7 lbs, 5 oz, but she was three weeks early. That's a big baby! Lucy was 8 lbs, 8 oz, so this one's going to be 20 lbs."

Fans are not happy to daniel radcliffe

Legions of "Harry Potter" fans swarmed movie theaters around the planet this past weekend, propelling "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2," the final installment in the lengthy franchise, to a record-breaking $475 million in global ticket sales.

For Daniel Radcliffe, who has spent half his life playing the boy wizard, the phenomenon never gets old. On "The Daily Show" Monday night, host Jon Stewart asked the star, who's currently starring in the Broadway revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," if he ever gets jaded.

"No, not at all. That's what's kind of cool, I think that's what's great about the series is the fact that we haven't gotten jaded," he said. "It's kind of hard to get jaded when you're a 14-year-old and you get to do scenes with Gary Oldman."

"As a 14-year-old, being jaded is in many ways your job," Stewart quipped.

Radcliffe confessed, "I don't think I've ever been particularly good at that." He also expressed his particular appreciation for "Harry Potter's" enthusiastic, unrepentantly nerdy fans: "I think what's lovely about the 'Potter' fans is this does not apply to them in the slightest. I'm always amazed when I meet a person my own age who's kind of enthusiastic and excited, I always latch on to them ... ."

In fact, Radcliffe confessed to his own slightly embarrassing viewing habits. He said he's a big fan of cartoons, including "The Mighty B!" starring his neighbor, Amy Poehler, and even "SpongeBob SquarePants," which he used to watch before going onstage in "Equus," a play about a man who is sexually obsessed with horses -- as one does.

"This girl asked me at the opening-night party, 'How do you prepare for this show?' and like really obviously wanted me to say, 'Oh well, I sit in the stable for a couple of days, talking to myself,'" Radcliffe joked. "And I was like, 'Well, I watch SpongeBob 3 till 4.'"

Stewart then gave Radcliffe the opportunity to field questions from "Potter" fanatics at a recent Quidditch tournament.
"Do you feel any guilt at all for my ongoing virginity?" asked one. Another wondered whether Radcliffe knew "any anti-wedgie spells."

Gwen Stefani set to open children's fashion at Target

Singer and fashion designer Gwen Stefani is reportedly developing an affordable fashion line aimed at kids and tweens to be sold at Target, Women's Wear Daily reports.
The line, which is dubbed Harajuku Mini, will hit the retailer on November 13 and is set to include the same Japanese-inspired flair as her adult Harajuku Lovers line. Items will be priced between $3.99 and $29.99.

Stefani has several fashion ventures including her upscale L.A.M.B. label which includes clothing and fashion accessories like handbags and a fragrance called "L." Stefani's Harajuku Lovers is a creative extension of her debut solo album "Love.Angel.Music.Baby," and features the Japanese style she used on stage during her tour and in her music videos for the album. The clothing line was developed, in part, to be more accessible to mainstream buyers.

Target sells fragrances from L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers. Spokespeople for Target had no immediate comment on the reports.

The 41-year-old ska and rock singer and her husband Gavin Rossdale, the 45-year-old singer of the rock band Bush, are parents to two boys - Kingston, 4, and Zuma, 2.

Stefani has sometimes brought Kingston to her runway shows. In a previous interview with ELLE magazine, the singer slammed the styles of fellow popular music arists Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

"I don't see myself in those girls," she said. "I usually put pants on. I see these girls as more going for the sex symbol thing. I was more, in the band, like a tomboy. Of course, I think every girl is sexy, so there's going to be a little of that. But I see a lot of younger artists going more toward the sexy thing."

Stefani made headlines in March when it was announced that she donated $1 million to help with relief efforts in Japan following its recent deadly tsunami and earthquake.

This is high time for James Murdoch to take a break from News Corp

James Murdoch should stage his own tactical retreat and resign from News Corporation. The heir apparent to his father Rupert’s media empire has lost authority. That may not be entirely his fault. Underlings seem to have let him down, and his father has undermined him by backing Rebekah Brooks, the head of the group’s scandal-ridden UK newspapers, who reports to James. The best way for Murdoch jnr to regain control of his own destiny is to leave.

Murdoch inherited a hospital pass when he took charge of News Corporation’s European and Asian businesses in December 2007. It seemed that the phone-hacking scandal had been put to bed since a News of the World reporter and a private investigator had already been sent to jail. An internal inquiry had concluded no further action was needed and a law firm had seemingly endorsed that finding.

We now know Murdoch was wrong to rely on that. On multiple occasions over the next three years, News International (the UK newspaper business) brushed aside suggestions that the rot went deeper. Murdoch even agreed to pay hush money to somebody who complained of hacking and the company gave inaccurate information to a parliamentary inquiry. He now says he wasn’t in full possession of the facts at the time. But, at the very least, he seems to have failed to give adequate attention to the affair and grab it by the scruff of the neck.

Even now, Murdoch jnr doesn’t seem in control. One of the most obvious ways of restoring confidence would be to suspend Brooks — who was editor of the News of World when some of the worst alleged practices took place and who is now in charge of all the UK newspapers — until the police investigation is over.

It still isn’t clear why Murdoch hasn’t done a proper job. But every day that goes by, his personal reputation gets tarnished. He would be doing himself a favor by resigning. Who knows: if he then proved himself as an independent media entrepreneur, he might return to News Corp having proved himself, rather than as Daddy’s boy.