...For The Ride Home: Harper calls it quits, Ashton and Demi don't, and the world loses an R&B icon

We get the whole group together for the second-to-last photo of the season (and yes, I know this is an old image). First and foremost, Roger earned back all the cool points he lost last week. A couple great lines can do that for a dude with awesome white hair. Instead of offering a stream of conscious, all encompassing take, I am going to say this: Something about everything that's going on doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem interesting. What we are boiling down to is almost exactly the way last season ended, and if we end up seeing that they need to start over - AGAIN - when next season starts, I may jump the shark. When is Matthew Wiener going to write around a different plot line than "Oh goodness, what are we going to do as a company?!" Seeing everybody get fired was admittedly sad. But watching Bert leave felt so anti-climactic, you felt as though it was just another day. And that shouldn't happen. His last name is Cooper, for God's sake. Besides, do you really think he's gone for good? Really? Come on, now. Watching Don give away money - or be charitable in any fashion, for that matter - is becoming grating. So what? We get it. You have a ton of money and you don't mind parting with it for people who may need it (though there was no reason to buy that painting, if you ask me). His idea? It was fine. Of course it's going to result in something wonderful for the company, and of course it's going to make sure this season doesn't end on an apocalyptic note. But, blah. Give us something earth-shattering next week, Matt. Please. I'm begging you. Nice to meet you, Week 29.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Jason Whitlock think the Brett Favre story is made up. Really? (Deadspin)

Solomon Burke died over the weekend, and if you fancy yourself a rhythm & blues fan, you should care about this. Rest in peace, big fella. (Rolling Stone)

Goodness. The Huffington Post is going to spend a quarter of a million dollars on shuttle buses for Jon Stewart’s rally. Wow. (The Wrap)

So, has anyone watched “Parker Spitzer” yet? I caught a few minutes and it was…not good. Kathleen Parker needs to really, really hone her television skills. (Wall Street Journal)

Ashton and Demi: Still going strong. (New York Post)

Dame Dash and Jay-Z back together? (All Hip-Hop)

Laura Dern and Ben Harper are getting a divorce. Wait. Laura Dern and Ben Harper were married? (The Daily Mail)

Your weekly “Mad Men” link. (Entertainment Weekly)