Conrad Black's parting words to reporters as he left a Chicago courthouse on Wednesday were "have a very nice summer." Unfortunately for the "fraudster", as a Globe and Mail sub-headline described him, he won't be able to enjoy this country's summery delights.

Judge Amy St. Eve won't let him return to Canada to await his Nov. 30 sentencing date. Ah well: Summerlicious at Scaramouche is over now, so what would be the point?

Oh, and court heard that a controversial PI thinks Conrad may have stashed US$60 million offshore -- something the defence hotly disputes.

PBS broadcast a Great Performances episode Wednesday night on the Stax/Volt record label, the pre-eminent home of deep southern soul.

Otis Redding (the 40th anniversary of his death will be marked on Dec. 10; return to this space at that time), Wicked Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Issac Hayes, The Staples Singers -- all of them recorded for Stax/Volt.

Seems some people are looking in askance at the tight relationship between Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani and Fox News supremo Roger Ailes.

Reporters -- print reporters; ink-stained wretches -- hung out in the lobby of a Charlottetown, PEI hotel where the federal Tories were meeting Wednesday. If that's not bad enough, they actually approached a cabinet minister and asked him questions.

Fortunately, he survived this terrorist attack, but the RCMP recognized the seriousness of the situation and asked the media to leave.