http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/ny/~3/M0ob2RRR3QM/good-questions-working-with-a-massive-television-088827

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-working-with-a-massive-television-088827

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2009-07-06/trailer-alert-megan-fox-stars-in-juno-2-vampire-weekend/

http://www.bestweekever.tv/?p=37884

The trailer for Megan Fox’s new horror film Jennifer’s Body has hit the internet, and as mentioned, it is “From the mind of Diablo Cody.” For some people, that phrase alone is frightening enough to keep them away from this film, but I say the Juno writer should go ahead and start clearing space on her mantle for another Oscar… not for Best Screenplay, though. The Academy is changing the rules again. Any movie with Megan Fox automatically gets a trophy this year.

(WARNING! This trailer features some coarse language and adult situations.)

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2009-07-06/michael-jacksons-ghost-appears-on-cnn-youtube-commenters-skeptical/

http://www.bestweekever.tv/?p=37881

In case you missed it, the ghost of Michael Jackson appeared at the Neverland Ranch during a Larry King segment on CNN this weekend:

However, a handful of bold Youtube commenters are skeptical, arguing — get this — that the video above is not, in fact, an actual live video of Michael Jackson’s ghost. Here’s a random sampling of these outrageous, nonbelieving Youtube comments:

Whatttt??? Fake??? Did you not see the ghost of Michael Jackson in that red box??? How else can you explain that?

I guess we will never truly know if this was, in fact, live video of the ghost of Michael Jackson.

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/019743.html

Jamaican man: The biggest issue of our society is not terrorism but men lusting after women's butts! If you lust after women's butts you will burn in hell! Women, do not show off your butts for you will burn in hell! Do not wear jeans or tight pants! Make sure you cover up your butts!
Passenger: I love the butts.
Jamaican man: Do you have no soul? The lust of the women's butts will only bring you to the devil! Please save yourself and stop lusting after the butts!
Passenger: Who loves the butts?
All men on train: Yay butts!

--Uptown 4 Train

Overheard by: white girl with a big butt wearing tight pants

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/a1ngULpbf6g/marc-andreessen-aspiring-blog-mogul

Sure, Marc Andreessen is now helming a $300 million investment fund, but where is the Netscape co-founder investing his own money? On that surefire moneymaker, professional blogging.

Barely a month after putting an undisclosed sum into Henry Blodget's Business Insider blog network, Andreessen is leading a $500,000 to $1 million round for TPM Media, the company behind political blog Talking Points Memo.

It seems Andreessen isn't just saying the New York Times will die on his popular blog; he's actually betting on it. (NB to Marc: You can PayPal your Gawker Media investment here.)

(Pic via TechShowNetwork)

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/07/dwell_interviews_furniture_and_design.php

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/-t5xF4V0l5w/unlovable-loser-sells-lovable-losers

The bankrupt Tribune Co. has finally reached a deal to sell the Chicago Cubs, reportedly for close to $900 million. Only, ah, $11 billion more until Sam Zell has that debt knocked out! [Pic: AP]

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=eed9dd3d323c00faadfcf863a67b4b3d

http://gothamist.com/2009/07/06/prospect_park_suffering_from_july_4.php

     

Visitors to Prospect Park this past Sunday may have noticed how their fellow park-goers chose to celebrate American independence—by trashing a few acres of park grounds. Raphael Brion was one of those visitors, and he snapped a few photos of the post-Fourth carnage to share with us on Flickr.

But press director Eugene Patron with Prospect Park Alliance says this kind of trash torrent isn't unusual: "Any holiday weekend, it's always a challenge to clean up, whether that's Memorial Day, Labor Day, or July 4th." Patron explains that trash crews can only safely move collection trucks through the park at night after visitors have left, and because nights are shorter in summer, "We can't clean it all by 7 in the morning...when the dog-walkers are out taking photos of this. You have to give us a few hours to get it all." He adds that some park-goers haven't helped matters by moving trash cans, turning them into barbecue grills, and then not returning them.

Have you been to Prospect Park since Sunday? If so, let us know how the park looks. Is the garbage gone or does it still look like a small circus rolled through?

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=0608ce44ae2d9cfa361192f25ff0790e

http://gothamist.com/2009/07/06/little_people_want_fcc_to_squash_mi.php

Photo via tud5000 on flickr

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/thekitchn/~3/YqxBG0Ev3Oc/how-to-turn-watermelon-into-a-fullblown-dessert-089277

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/summer/how-to-turn-watermelon-into-a-fullblown-dessert-089277

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/la/~3/htx-EN8PARk/good-questions-paint-color-for-new-living-room--089274

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/good-questions/good-questions-paint-color-for-new-living-room--089274

We're moving our current furniture to the new space; it consists of a sofa and a chaise in moss green upholstry, two birch Eames chairs, some dark wood Chinese antiques, an Arco lamp, and a glass and aluminum coffee table We're used to the exposed brick and stained concrete floor of our current place, and I think the paint colors in the new place don't go with the tones of our furniture and will feel too cold.  However, dark, bright, saturated colors are really appealing either. I like the idea of a pale green color, but would it be too monotone with the green upholstered pieces? I've also always liked orange accents, but fear even a very muted orange would be overwhelming on the walls. In photo after photo I look at online, the walls are just white, which make me think maybe we should paint everything white and call it a day. Any ideas or opinions out there? Thank you! Anna

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=49087fcc617c8ec27d49006975b78b1b

http://laist.com/2009/07/06/pencil_this_in_betty_blue_screens_t.php

The On Ensemble teaches DIY drumming at the Ford tonight. / Photo by Ayumi Kameda.

Here are our to-do picks for a post-Fourth Monday in LA:

DIY DRUMMING*
Tonight the On Ensemble, a contemporary taiko quartet, brings D.I.Y. Drumming to the Ford Amphitheater at 7 pm. Bring your drums, percussion instruments or even paint buckets to play along as the Ensemble coaxes Japanese taiko rhythms out of everyday household items. The J.A.M. session is free, so reserve your spot by calling the Ford Box Office: 323.461.3673. Don’t forget to bring a picnic for dinner.

FILM
When released in 1986, Jean-Jacques Beineix’s film Betty Blue captivated art house audiences for its Frenchness: its unabashed sexuality and its themes of obsession, love and madness. At the core of the film are performances by Jean-Hugues Anglade, who plays a wannabe writer/resort handyman, and Béatrice Dalle, the unstable title character. The Nuart’s special screening of The Director's Cut, never released in U.S. theatres before, features an additional hour of footage. The film now runs 3 hrs. and 5 mins. and is presented in French subtitles. Screenings tonight are at 4 and 8 pm.

MORE FILM
Sundance Film Festival-winner Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, screens tonight at the Landmark in West LA at 7 pm as part of the “Reel Talk with Stephen Farber.” It’s being billed as a rom-com with a twist: Girl meets boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. Tonight’s guest speaker is the film’s writer/director Max Mayer. Tickets are $20 each.

BOOK READING
Tonight at 7 pm, Book Soup hosts an author Joanna Smith Rakoff who’ll be reading and signing her new book A Fortunate Age. It’s a post-collegiate look at Oberlin grads who navigate life in NYC during the late ’90s and early 2000s. They start careers and families and watch the world boom and bust before their eyes.

*Pencil pick of the day

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=c371dcae49448ebf7b253099cae3cb13

http://laist.com/2009/07/06/star-studded_list_of_participants_r.php

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=dbad4a888dcd5d6cd6e4a807efe5349e

http://laist.com/2009/07/06/photos_the_chosen_ones_pick_up_thei.php

              

Of the 1.6 million who tried to get a pair of tickets and wristbands for tomorrow's downtown Michael Jackson memorial service, only several thousand were chosen for admittance into either the Staples Center or to the Nokia Theatre to watch a live feed. If you did get a ticket, part of the deal was to head to Dodger Stadium today for pick up. That meant thousands of people descending upon Echo Park and Elysian Valley, many of them during rush hour.

One resident nearby was not thrilled.

"The traffic this caused on surrounding streets, specifically at the intersection of Portia St. and Scott Ave. this morning as I was leaving for work was very dangerous," said resident Jennifer Martinez in an e-mail to LAist. "There was a constant crush of cars, driven by people obviously unfamiliar with the area, swerving around that corner, or making illegal U-turns in the middle of the street, looking for a way out to Sunset Blvd. There was not a single traffic or security person in sight."

Commuters who use the area daily unexpectedly found themselves with a new route this morning.

http://www.metafilter.com/83044/Abraham-Lincoln-the-Short-and-Simple-Annals-of-the-Poor

http://www.metafilter.com/83043/The-acceptable-new-faces-of-the-unacceptable

http://www.metafilter.com/83042/Eternal-Moonwalk

http://www.metafilter.com/83041/John-Keel-RIP

http://www.metafilter.com/83040/The-Years-of-Living-Dangerously

http://www.metafilter.com/83039/Codex-Sinaiticus

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/07/hollywoods_great_gatsby_opens_doors_talks_solar.php

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

With an exterior that's markedly different-looking than anything else in this Hollywood neighborhood, the Gatsby Hollywood, that new 34-unit townhome project at the corner of Wilcox and Fountain, is now showing off its furnished model unit, and this past Sunday, the sales office was surprisingly busy. Hopping on a 4th of July weekend. The development, which is in its first phase--currently they are selling 12 units--has units priced from $669,000 and up. Post recent price cuts, a $939,000 unit is now $789,000, while a $873,000 unit is now $769,000. Notably, there are many energy saving features in the homes, including solar panels. Daniel S. Thompson, CEO of Newport Beach-based MasterCraft Homes, talked to us a bit about getting the city to sign off on the panels, a process that was difficult only because the LAFD wasn't used to working with panels and had to come out and do multiple fire drill exercise drills with the panels (for instance, walking on them). According to the sales sheet, five of the 12 units are in escrow.
· Gatsby Hollywood [Official Site]
· Gatsby Gets Gawkers, Hooray for (Wealthy) Hollywood [Curbed LA]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/MO-RSWMwS-Y/new-york-is-of-course-the-great-american-news-city

The results of our poll to find America's best city for journalism, story-wise, are in. Chicago surged into second place thanks to a characteristic ballot-stuffing campaign, but in the end, good sense prevailed. Full results below!

[Note: Results are from 1592 total votes in two polls; we started a new poll after we added Miami and New Orleans to the list. This placed Miami and New Orleans at a disadvantage, so they can claim moral victory. Although they wouldn't have won anyhow. Results rounded to nearest percentage point.]


New York: 32%
Chicago: 16%
Washington, DC: 16%
Detroit: 9%
Los Angeles: 6%
New Orleans: 6%
San Francisco: 5%
Boston: 5%
Las Vegas: 2%
Miami: 3%

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/ZTvngGHF64M/whittling-down-the-reasons-sarah-palin-quit-governing-alaska

It has been days since Empress Sarah Palin quit Alaska, forever. And no one yet knows why! Her "explanation" lacked, uh, actual coherent reasons. But there are theories.

Mickey Kaus offered 14 theories for Palin's resignation, many of which are now kinda redundant and a bit stale. They can be whittled down to six.

Crime! This is the "theory" that Sarah Palin will sue us for mentioning, so we'll just say that there is no evidence at all that she embezzled anything, from anyone. Or, at least, there is no evidence that she is under federal investigation for embezzlement. So maybe not this one! But...

Some other terrible political thing Like maybe some new and more exciting ethics issue is coming down the pipeline? Maybe something is rotten with the Alaska state finances? But why would one more small-potatoes scandal end her heroic governing adventure?

Sex! Maybe Todd let Greta Van Susteren "handle" him, at the WHCD? Maybe Bristol got knocked up by A-Rod? Maybe Sarah slept with Greta Van Susteren? There are, as far as we know, no new rumors along these lines. Just idle fantasies.

Money Now we enter the realm of "likely but boring." Sarah Palin can make a lot more money writing books and giving speeches and maybe even hosting a TV show of some kind (can you imagine?) as a private citizen than she can as the Governor of Alaska. She did mention legal bills in her rambly speech, though the woman raises a million bucks from crazies every time she stutters, so how bad could things be?

She Just Hates Governing Yeah, has she ever demonstrated any aptitude for the actual business of governing? We realize that's a lot to ask of any leading light of the Republican party these days, but still. Alaska's running out of money, the legislature hates her, and none of that shit is as much fun as appearing on TV to complain about how everyone on TV is unfair to you all the time.

She Is Crazy Maybe the incoherent reasons she gave for quitting—to win the game, for the team—represent her actual thought process? Maybe she decided not to run for reelection, in order to position herself for 2012, and then she was like "you know what, if not running for reelection is how I get ready to be President, quitting altogether right now will have to make me even more ready."

Special bonus non-reason:

She Is Quitting Politics to Focus On Being a Private Citizen and Raising Her Children in Peace Yeah this one is the K-Lo fantasy, in which she's not a relentless ambitious career pol who uses her kids as props when that's convenient and decries their exploitation when anyone else mentions them.

http://curbed.com/archives/2009/07/06/lenox_hill_sizeupper.php

After selling for $2.195 million two years ago, this East 62nd Street apartment grew by 500 square feet and 1.5 rooms and gained nearly $2.7 million in value, if you believe the listings pointed out by one StreetEasy user. A sample of the commentary: "Duh, if you put a wall up it makes another room and TOTALLY adds a few hundred square feet. It's magic! Based on the number of converted jr-4s marketed as 'huge 2-bedrooms' right now, I figured this was standard practice." [StreetEasy]

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=0d4094379124c2b7cddd575b4cc1a530

http://gothamist.com/2009/07/06/eternal_sunshine_4_sale.php

Photo on right, of the current state of 59 Orient Ave, via Flavorwire

The house at 59 Orient Avenue in Brooklyn has seen brighter days. After being featured in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as Kate Winslet's apartment, the 1899 era home quickly turned into a Club Med for meth addicts and squatters alike—which predictably didn't please the neighbors. But the house just went back on the market, and now that Michel Gondry is living on the block, is there hope? Will the director be unable to bare the sight of his Clementine's home getting turned over to the riff raff again? Probably. But just incase, Flavorwire has pleaded with him to purchase it. Here are some interior shots from the last time it was up for grabs—Gondry's imagination may be the only thing that can save this place.

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=04bad88f8e49889b4115aacedff963e8

http://gothamist.com/2009/07/06/buttermilk_channel_felled_by_myster.php

The well-regarded and homey Carroll Gardens restaurant Buttermilk Channel was broken into sometime last night. Owner Doug Crowell was contacted by his security alarm company at 5:30 a.m. and arrived at the scene to find nothing stolen or vandalized. This year has been marked by a spree of overnight restaurant robberies in Manhattan, and post-closure B&Es seem to be on the rise in Brooklyn as well: last month Papacito's in Greenpoint was robbed of $10,000 a few hours after the final enchilada of the night was served. In Carroll Gardens, Ackerman, Buttermilk Channel's mascot goldfish (right), has long left the building (in an All Goldfish Go to Heaven kind of way), so it is thought there are no reliable witnesses to the incident at this time. Buttermilk Channel owner Doug Crowell recently tweeted that he was still "waiting for detectives to come" to take some fingerprints, but in the meantime, has been "eating some Cato Corner cheeses" to pass the time.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/thekitchn/~3/AI9V8QdRmH0/lighter-zucchini-fritti-olive-089272

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/side-dish/lighter-zucchini-fritti-olive-089272

http://la.eater.com/archives/2009/07/06/the_dish_cache_now_serving.php

</a>
Ryan Forbes/avablu.com
Santa Monica: With Hidden doneski, Cache has taken over with its opening last Friday. Josiah Citrin (Melisse) is cooking up a small-plate American menu (down below) using (no shocker) French technique and market-driven ingredients. The wine list includes over 200 bottles with selections from one of the owners' private collections, and as for cocktails, they're going the seasonal fruit route. The dining room aims to embody a laid-back California aesthetic and also serves as a gallery space with rotating art from local craftsmen. The restaurant is open Sun, Tue, and Wed from 6-10p, and Thu, Fri, Sat from 6-11p. Weekend brunch starts in August, and OpenTable reservations are currently accepted! 3110 Main Street, Santa Monica; (310) 399-4800; website
·Menus:

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/hYo4X7dgyqM/author-michael-stack.html

Rather than simply changing the method of delivering stories to readers, Stackpole believes digital formats will change the nature of the stories themselves. At the very least, authors should tailor their work to these new mediums. He cited what he referred to as "the commuter market," people who read two chapters per day on their half hour train ride to work. It's an ideal market for fiction broken into 2,500 word chapters, and could presage a resurgence of serial fiction. "It's kind of like a return to the Penny Dreadfuls," he said. "But the readers today are more sophisticated, so we as writers need to put more work into it."

It was interesting to hear the formulaic way Stackpole approaches writing. He described how the method of writing old pulp stories could easily be adapted for modern audiences by eliminating certain ubiquitous but unecessary subplots and adding a bit of character development. A serial detective story should be, "70 percent case, 30 percent soap opera," with a little more soap in a later story to satisfy readers interested in a character's developing personal life.

Even amidst all this embracing of change, Stackpole reassured his audience that digital formats were not sounding the death knell for paper books. "Cars did not kill off horses. Digital publishing will not kill off books. It _will_ change the way they are written and retailed."

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/YsHSfUO4Phw/photos-of-prison-diy.html

(Above left), Rope Ladder with wooden rungs disguised as chess pieces; found and confiscated in an inmate’s cell in Wolfenbüttel prison, Germany, around 1993.

(Above right), Immersion Heater made from razor blades; found in a cell in ‘Santa Fu’ jail in Hamburg, Germany. Jailbirds use these tools to distil alcoholic beverages forbidden in prisons. Your typical inmate’s moonshine still includes a plastic can containing fermented fruit mash or juice, an immersion coil of some sort, a rubber hose, and a plastic receptacle for the booze.

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=c5a81eac1ae043e58443d83fd94577de

http://laist.com/2009/07/06/tonight_in_rock_japanese_motors_min.php

Miniature Tigers will be playing tonight at Spaceland | Photo by Esther Hyejin Chung via Miniature Tigers' Myspace

Our Pick: Andy Clockwise, The VLA, Globes on Remote, Miniature Tigers @ Spaceland

Tonight Costa Mesa-based rockers Japanese Motors are poised to commence a month-long residency at the Echo with My Pet Saddle in tow. Local experimental rock trio 60-Watt Kid will be performing at Women. And, lastly, Ohioan DJ Pase Rock will be headlining the Roxy in Hollywood. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch LAist favorites Miniature Tigers (LAist Interview, Review).

You can find these listings as well as the rest of the week's in our weekly Week In Rock post, which (generally) goes up every Sunday.

Miniature Tigers - "Mamma Mia (ABBA Cover)"

</form>

Andy Clockwise, The VLA, Globes on Remote, Miniature Tigers @ Spaceland
Japanese Motors, My Pet Saddle, Audacity, Gestapo Khazi @ The Echo
60-Watt Kid, High Castle, Italic Indian, Skull Kiss, Garrett Pierce @ Women (1852 Crenshaw Blvd.)
Kim Divine record release, Amie Miriello, Emy Reynolds, Jackie Tohn @ The Hotel Café
Last American Buffalo, Eastern Conference Champions, Globes @ Silver Lake Lounge
Tommy Santee Klaws, Oh Foot, Marshweed, Elisa Ferrari @ Echo Curio
Weasel Walter/Aram Shelton/Josh Berman Trio, Pigeon Religion, Adrien Barbobott @ The Smell
Pase Rock @ The Roxy

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=a837232c812e9e63b87e2e925b3312c3

http://laist.com/2009/07/06/universal_studios_unveils_the_creat.php

       

Last week Universal Studios unveiled its newest attraction, The Creature from the Black Lagoon: A Raging Rocking Show". The show is a "Broadway-level contemporary musical adaptation" of the original Universal horror film. It features an original score and will be featured exclusively at the Hollywood Universal Studios.

LAist was there at the press event along with Julie Adams, the original "Kay" in the 1954 film to witness the arrival of The Creature. But as the giant aquarium was wheeled out, and the cage was pulled out by a giant crane, the bars of the cage turned out to be bent and the cage was empty! Members of the press jumped as The Creature lept out at them and ran wild before being contained.

The musical attraction runs about 25 minutes and adds romance and humor to the original movie's storyline, but is otherwise pretty faithful to the original. The most impressive update is the underwater effect achieved by the use of hidden wires. The monster is styled differently, with Predator-style dredlocks. The one way the story may stretch a little too far from the original from the original movie is when The Creature mysteriously grows into a giant and eventually swallows the character of Kay.

The show was created by Director and Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Scenic Designer James Youmans, Creature & Puppet Designer Michael Curry, Fly Sequence Designer Paul Rubin, and Producer Marc Routh,

Ron Gough contributed to this post

http://www.metafilter.com/83037/There-are-never-enough-notebooks

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/07/httpmilitantangelenoblogspotcom200907breakingnewsgoogletransitisnowhtml.php

Google launched a public beta version of Google Transit for the Los Angeles metro area this weekend, after a long, hard wait. The partnership will be officially announced soon, following an initial testing period. In March, an anonymous source told LAist that Metro had a beta version ready to go and only needed to sign off on a public launch, which it was hesitant to do. In June, Metro released transit data sets for developers, setting off speculation that Google Transit for LA Metro would go live within the month. Et voila! There are still some kinks to be worked out, as reported by Militant Angeleno, who broke the story this morning, but here we are, catching up with Flagstaff and Fresno.
· BREAKING NEWS: Google Transit Is Now Operational, Angelenos! [Militant Angeleno]
· Still No Google Transit [Curbed LA]
· Los Angeles is Still Not on Google Transit... Well, at Least to the Public [LAist]
· Metro Publishes Google Data: Is Google Transit Finally Happening? [LAist]
· Plan a trip using public transportation [Google Maps]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/75Aa8cnaSUE/the-six-reasons-sarah-palin-quit-governing-alaska

It has been days since Empress Sarah Palin quit Alaska, forever. And no one yet knows why! Her "explanation" lacked, uh, actual coherent reasons. But there are theories.

Mickey Kaus offered 14 theories for Palin's resignation, many of which are now kinda redundant and a bit stale. They can be whittled down to six.

Crime! This is the "theory" that Sarah Palin will sue us for mentioning, so we'll just say that there is no evidence at all that she embezzled anything, from anyone. Or, at least, there is no evidence that she is under federal investigation for embezzlement. So maybe not this one! But...

Some other terrible political thing Like maybe some new and more exciting ethics issue is coming down the pipeline? Maybe something is rotten with the Alaska state finances? But why would one more small-potatoes scandal end her heroic governing adventure?

Sex! Maybe Todd let Greta Van Susteren "handle" him, at the WHCD? Maybe Bristol got knocked up by A-Rod? Maybe Sarah slept with Greta Van Susteren? There are, as far as we know, no new rumors along these lines. Just idle fantasies.

Money Now we enter the realm of "likely but boring." Sarah Palin can make a lot more money writing books and giving speeches and maybe even hosting a TV show of some kind (can you imagine?) as a private citizen than she can as the Governor of Alaska. She did mention legal bills in her rambly speech, though the woman raises a million bucks from crazies every time she stutters, so how bad could things be?

She Just Hates Governing Yeah, has she ever demonstrated any aptitude for the actual business of governing? We realize that's a lot to ask of any leading light of the Republican party these days, but still. Alaska's running out of money, the legislature hates her, and none of that shit is as much fun as appearing on TV to complain about how everyone on TV is unfair to you all the time.

She Is Crazy Maybe the incoherent reasons she gave for quitting—to win the game, for the team—represent her actual thought process? Maybe she decided not to run for reelection, in order to position herself for 2012, and then she was like "you know what, if not running for reelection is how I get ready to be President, quitting altogether right now will have to make me even more ready."

Special bonus non-reason:

She Is Quitting Politics to Focus On Being a Private Citizen and Raising Her Children in Peace Yeah this one is the K-Lo fantasy, in which she's not a relentless ambitious career pol who uses her kids as props when that's convenient and decries their exploitation when anyone else mentions them.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/o9JEi29UVFA/animal+troubled-susan-orlean-nearly-mauled-by-bear

Poor author Susan Orlean is just besieged by animal woes. First it was the wistful tale of the dead chicken, and now she's been attacked by a bear. Well, OK, just her house in Aspen was attacked. Do tell, Twitter:

What drama! And this just after the bombshell revelation that her dearly departed chicken had been ill with some sort of chicken disease. Oh and, Orlean had just, ominously, recommended Bear Claw ice cream to a fellow Twitterer.

Is there some sort of cyclic symbolism gnawing at us here? Some small whistling thing perched on our shoulders, telling us to let ourselves be subsumed by the natural world, to recognize our animal insides? Or is it simply a story of a ski house and a bear that met one green-flecked mountain evening? There's so much potential here!

Get on it, Orlean.