What's on TV (and Other Media)

*"Real Housewives of Atlanta." Well, the season is over now, but it's Bravo, so nothing ever really goes away. The original "Real Housewives," in Orange County, was sort of inspired by "Desperate Housewives." There's also been one in New York. The plot, basically, is a bunch of too-rich women with not much to do besides get breast implants and stab one another in the back. The main variation between the shows, besides location, is how publicly they do it. Interesting look into Bravo programming here, if you want to get all highbrow about it.

*"Paris Hilton's My New BFF." It's a contest! To be Paris's BFF! And you have to, like, go to clubs and pick up boys! One of the contestants says she's Clark Gable's granddaughter. I would say it's a train wreck, but that might make it sound more interesting than it actually is.

*You really should watch Justin Timberlake dance around in high heels and a leotard. It's ... something. He's dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" from her new album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce. (Sasha Fierce is her stage name. It's a two-disc album, and each disc apparently shows a different side of her personality.) I would link to it, but I can't find it on Hulu, which has a variety of shows and a lot of "SNL" stuff on it. It's findable on YouTube, though.

*I'm guessing you watch Stewart & Colbert, so you probably know, but David Alan Grier has a new "news" show called "Chocolate News."

*I've never actually watched "The Hills," but the newest one-word-for-a-couple is "Speidi," which is Spencer and Heidi. I don't know more than that. You know what "The Hills" is, right?

*"Total Request Live" is now off the air.

"We want Hope!"

This is going back to a conversation that's a few weeks old, but I figure better late than never. And besides she's about to become a fairly brief, minor celebrity so it seems somewhat timely.

Anyway, Introducing Hope Solo:

U.S. beats 1-0 Brazil for soccer gold

BEIJING (AP) -- Outplayed and overwhelmed for most of the night, the Americans got the only shot they needed.

Olympic champions, once again.

Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of extra time Thursday night, Hope Solo bailed out her teammates time and again, and the United States beat Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal in women's soccer for a third time in four Olympics. As the final whistle sounded, the Americans charged across the field, hugging anyone in sight. Someone handed out flags, and several players took off, running.

"The team is definitely on a high right now, believing we were going to make a statement in the whole tournament," captain Christie Rampone said. "It didn't start like we wanted to, but we just kept digging and getting better each game. It was a full team effort, and it was so special with everyone doing it together."

The victory was a bit of redemption for the Americans, who went to the World Cup as favorites last fall only to be humbled 4-0 in the semifinals by Brazil. And for no one was it sweeter than Solo, who was banished from the World Cup bronze medal game after criticizing then-coach Greg Ryan for not playing her against Brazil even though she'd allowed only two goals in four World Cup starts, and had a shutout streak of nearly 300 minutes going.

Several minutes after the game ended, Solo sprinted back out onto the field, a gaudy imitation gold medal around her neck, a phone to her ear and a bright smile on her face. She closed her eyes when the American anthem began playing, and bounced proudly and gripped her medal when the team posed for pictures afterward. A few fans in the crowd chanted, "We want Hope! We want Hope!"

. . .

Solo kept them in the game for the first 85 minutes, making at least a half-dozen big saves. The most impressive came in the 72nd minute, when Marta lost the ball behind Heather Mitts and Kate Markgraf and then picked it back up for a close-range shot that looked certain to be in. But Solo leaned out, threw up her right arm and sent the ball flying out of harm's way.

The rest of the Americans picked up the slack in the last five minutes of regulation, nearly scoring three times -- twice in the 86th minute alone.

Then, in extra time, Amy Rodriguez held off two Brazilians and put the ball up for Lloyd who gave it a light touch with her right foot and then left-footed it from a yard outside the area. Barbara dived, but the ball scooted past her and settled in the far bottom corner of the net.

. . .

In the final minutes of the second extra period, she tried to bend in a corner a few minutes later only to watch Solo punch it free. Renata Costa collected the rebound, but her shot banged into the side of the net, drawing groans from the star-studded crowd of 51,612 -- Kobe Bryant, Pele, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge were all in the house -- that clearly favored Brazil.

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So, beyond being seemingly good at soccer, Hope Solo also looks like this:

A Future Episode of "Law & Order"

Either that, or it's a ripoff of an old episode of "L&O." Get ready.

NEW YORK (AP) — A woman was found dead in a rooftop utility shed of a Times Square-area karaoke club that hosted a birthday party for rapper Lil' Kim over the weekend, police said.
A police official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Thursday that police were questioning a club employee in the death of Ingrid Rivera. The 24-year-old's body was found Wednesday at the Spotlight Live club.
...
According to the official, a friend of Rivera's who was with her at the club on Sunday, when the rapper's party was held, says she last saw the victim being escorted out the door. It was unclear why she was kicked out and how she ended up back inside.

UPDATE: The guy got arrested.

Internet Etiquette

This is from the "Things You Can Use Everyday" category:

It is generally poor form to abruptly end an online chat conversation unless you sign off with something like "I have to run" or "I'm leaving I'll see you later" or even a simple "bye."

For example:

THE WRONG WAY (pay particular attention to the length of the gap in the conversation):

5:09 PM Kathleen: whatever

what do you mean?

you think it would be THAT BAD for the country

if stevens wins

me: no, i don't care about the country -- i just meant that you plan on skipping town and not paying

51 minutes

6:00 PM Kathleen: the $5

you crazy

6:01 PM =)

Kathleen is offline. Messages you send will be delivered when Kathleen comes online.

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THE RIGHT WAY:

5:09 PM Kathleen: whatever

what do you mean?

you think it would be THAT BAD for the country

if stevens wins

me: no, i don't care about the country -- i just meant that you plan on skipping town and not paying

51 minutes

6:00 PM Kathleen: the $5

you crazy, but you're also right

6:01 PM I have to go, I will talk to you later.
Bye
Kathleen is offline. Messages you send will be delivered when Kathleen comes online.

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Note: That this last way is better in two ways. (A) Proper internet etiquette. (B) Acknowledges that Alex is right, which he almost always is.

Overall lesson: The etiquette for talking online is essentially the same as talking on the phone. You are allowed to end the conversations suddenly but only if you acknowledge that you are in fact ending the conversation suddenly.

You would not say to a friend, "I want to eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant" and then immediately hang up.

You would say, "I want to eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant .... OH SHIT! My water just broke. I have to go. I'll call you back."

OR

"I want to eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant. But not with you so I'm going to hang up now. Bye, asshole."

Either is acceptable because you provided closure to the conversation.

Mitch & the Bracelet

This is off topic, but worth it.

Obama Who?

This is two months old, and it has some political bent to it, but I'm going to give it a try anyway.
Apparently DMX (he's a rapper) had never heard of Obama.

This came up today when I was relating my desire to tell the kids who earnestly asked me if I had a minute for Obama as I was walking back from getting lunch to say, "Obama who?"

"Beauty and the Geek," Clay Aiken's Baby

So last night you were introduced to the existence of both the CW and "Beauty and the Geek." I sort of think we should watch this season. Want to make it a date?

The big news of today is that Clay Aiken is having a baby. He's having it with a music-producer friend (Jaymes Foster, who is a woman. And 50.). She was artifically inseminated. And it's a boy!
Not something I would have predicted.