Short takes: George Lucas gives up, Mel Gibson freaks out, Connor Oberst's secret show, affronts to free speech recognized

After 25 years of fighting neighbors over his plans to develop a new Luscasfilm studio on his Marin County. property, George Lucas has given up — and announced plans to build low income housing on the site. (Snort!) He may have another fight on his hands.

Mel Gibson freaks out again...

For the 21st consecutive year, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has awarded “Jefferson Muzzles” to those who in the previous year committed particularly egregious or ridiculous affronts to free expression

Should the US start exporting its natural gas surplus?

Ten notorious Google bombs

Connor Oberst played a secret show in Benson, then announced he is turning a former bookstore into his very own bar, which will be called Pageturners Lounge. The good: AKSARBENT much prefers lounges to bars, as they tend to be darker and quieter. The bad: there will be patio seating outside, a few steps from Dodge Street's traffic. Seriously? We'll pass and hope that no westbound drunk drivers do either, at least on the right

Student paralyzed by bully attack, who underwent 19 operations and almost died, gets $4.2 million