Three random quick hits plus one titilating picture–under the general rubric of “women and popular culture”–before I head out for a morning jaunt this sunny Thursday morning:

Over at feministing, Courtney thanks Madonna (left). The queen of self-reinvention launches another album today, as covered in the NYTimes. At Salon, James Hannaham asks “Does Madonna Still Matter?” The article’s tagline reads: “On Hard Candy, the 49-year-old disco queen gracefully walks a tightrope between sex, motherhood and aging.” Um, that matters, to me anyway!

At Purse Pundit, Jacki Zehner muses on teachings from the First Lady of American Magazines, Cathie Black.

And Broadsheet sounds off on “The Hannah Montana Virginity Debate.”

Enjoy!