Photo by Nikola Tamindzic.

We have no idea if a blog calling itself WASPdate is done with any ounce of sincerity — posts about Palm Beach and snifters strike us as a bit too perfect — but it makes us want to wrap ourselves in a St. John's knit and weep:

[Click to enlarge.]

Eureka!

Oh, yay! More fun with the Opinionista! Step three, by our count, in her carefully orchestrated coming-out — and, Christ, are we the only ones any more who came out chaotically, late one night, after far too many Sapphire-tonics and several hours of a very collegiate meaning-of-life conversation? — was, according to the Observer, when "she posed in a nightgown for a spread on female bloggers for a future issue of Fashion Week Daily."

• WP shuts off comments on a blog, because snooty MSM can't handle real reader's opinions. Or something like that; we haven't yet read the how-bloggers-should-be-dismissive memo. [NYT]
• TV news stars go to NPR to do reporting, get tote bags. [WSJ]
• This week fickle Jon Friedman crushes on Salon's Rebecca Traister. Because nothing's hotter than a chick who writes about chicks. [MW]
• MSLO had a good year, and only very partially because the boss got out of jail. [Folio:]
• Bonnie Fuller to speak to Columbia j-school; j-schoolers to throw themselves into Broadway traffic upon realizing they spent all that money to train for this? [WWD]

Here's one you won't find on Gawker Jobs:

Since Melissa Lafsky "came out" as the woman behind popular lawyer-life blog Opinionistas, we've had a few of her former classmates from Dartmouth contact us. It seems that during their undergraduate days, the big rumor on campus was that Lafsky's step-brother was Jared Leto. Being huge fans of 30 Seconds to Mars, we contacted Lafsky for clarification. With a requisite eye-roll, she writes:

As promised, today's Observer features Melissa Lafsky, the lawyer behind witty anonyblog Opinionistas, complete with a lovely portrait (OK, sweetie, time to replace that Friendster pic) and details as to how Lafsky prepared for this week's reveal by "fluffing the pillows for her landing." We also learn that Lafsky was not, in fact, quite the ginormous legal hot-shot she may have seemed. But that's all in the past now — law firm who? Lafsky has more important things afoot:

Blogstar Andrew Sullivan — who's now posting his blog on Time.com — took his funny accent to The Colbert Report last night, where pressing issues were deftly tackled:

Another day, another formerly anonymous blogger: Tomorrow's Observer will identify the writer behind the irreverent life-as-a-lawyer blog Opinionistas as 27-year-old Melissa Lafsky. Lafsky recently resigned from an associate position at Littler Mendelson to pursue a career as a writer; a November article in the Times about the then-anonymous lawyer said she was planning to pen a novel based on the "characters" featured in her blog (Littler employees will be thrilled).

• Who'd have thunk it? CBS Evening News sees rising ratings, happy staff. [LAT]
• The newsweeklies are cutting their overseas bureaus and — stop the presses! — media do-gooder types think this is bad. [IHT]
• Judy Miller's tough post-Times life: Joining David Brooks on a panel at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
• In honor of the Dr. King, Simon Dumenco confesses his dream: That one day bloggers and newspaper reporters will join hands together and sing "We Shall Overcome." [Ad Age]

• How'd People land the preggers-Angelina scoop? By donating something like $400K to one of the actress's favorite charities. "It is not a pay for access deal," says the mag's new chief. No, not at all. [NYP]
• Brandon Holley's Jane is kicking ass on the newsstand, it turns out. [WWD (second item)]
• Regret The Error's Craig Silverman is nitpicking because he cares. Yeah, us too. [Media Orchard]
• Thought Radar was short-lived? Behold Game Industry Report, which lasted for one day. [Folio:]
• It's not just Abramoff: Turns out the mag biz pay several firms about $500K each year to lobby lawmakers. [Folio:]
• With three jobs instead of his one old one, Ted Koppel really promises he'll be working less now. [WP]
• And Nightline vet Dave Marash signs on as Washington anchor for soon-to-launch Al Jazeera International, presumably only after Koppel decided three "retirement" gigs were enough. [Media Mob/NYO]

• As a semi-anonymous blogger, there are plenty of ways to "out" yourself. Doing so by letting the Post profile you as a Dinner Whore — a single woman who casually goes on expensive dinner dates with anyone who can pay for a gourmet meal — is not, perhaps, the best option. We liked you better when we didn't know who you were and what you were up to. [NYP]
• While we've had some miserable professional duties in our time (latte-fetching and call-rolling come to mind), none compare to that of an intern asked to walk a wintery 25 blocks to deliver a box of knishes to Lizzie Grubman's family on the night of her prison release. [VV]
• Has the Daily News caught our libidinous affliction for Anderson Cooper? In a piece on newsmen with gray hair, they call the "trend" the Anderson Effect. Christ, even we'd just call gray hair "old." [NYDN]
• So does this mean that nasty anonymous commenters can be prosecuted for blog-harassment? [Rational Rants]
• As soon as celebrities start flaunting their 8-balls, maybe fairy dust will become as socially acceptable as leafy greens. [CityRag]
• Speaking of blow, if you were a dealer selling to Lohan, would you write about it on a message board? Actually, we bet you would. [Crewcial]
• Why it's better to be Gay. [Genre]
• Related: Sony launches a Gay record label. So, uh, Liza reissues? Madonna mixes? Terrible techno for your methed up night at the Pines party? [Reuters]

A representative sample from "Eavesdropping on the Public Theater of the Absurd," by Wendell Jamieson, Ink column, page B2, today's Times:

• More cuts at Time Inc.: This time, Time's London bureau! [WWD]
• Angry Simon Dumenco hates pay-per-use media content, and he thinks you do, too. Also, he hates the electronics industry for not being as smart as Tim Berners-Lee. [Ad Age]
• Today was Stern's first day on Sirius. Did you listen? We didn't. [NYT]
• Ah: The Observer listened, and discovered he said "fuck" a lot. [Media Mob/NYO]
• Media's still a man's world, says David Carr. (Though, of course, it wouldn't be nothing without a woman or a girl to buy the shelter celeb mags.) [NYT]
• People like snark, says Jon Friedman, who snags this delightful dek: "Commentary: Accent is on commentaries, not reporting." [MW]
• Big media sometimes doesn't credit blogs, and that makes Greg Lindsay sad. [MB]

• It's been almost 5 years since publicist Lizzie Grubman mowed over 16 people at the Hamptons' Conscience Point Inn, but she's still doing her time in court. Yesterday Grubman answered questions for the only remaining civil suit, filed by a victim who suffered a bruised rib. Rest assured, it was a very expensive, pricey rib. [Page Six]
• Star Jones writes of her "intoxicatingly sexual relationship" with hubby Al Reynolds. You, in the meantime, gouge out your eyes and pray for some dark horsemen to make it all go away. [R&M]
• The reason behind Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson's split? He liked to wear her shoes. Paging Peter Braunstein! [People]
• Online casino BetUs.com offers Lindsay Lohan a nice Costa Rican rehab package if she'll shill for the site. Obviously, their publicist is Ronn [sic] Torossian. [Lowdown (2nd item)]
• Kevin Federline tells Ryan Seacrest that everything is "wonderful" between him and wife Britney Spears. Even better, they're NOT planning to have a second child just yet, so you can sleep soundly tonight. [IMDb]
• Page Six retracts yesterday's story about a bikini clad Sara Moonves (daughter of Les). That's what happens when you source shit through "Perez Hilton." [Page Six]

From the blog of Vanity Fair contributing editor James Wolcott, earnest praise for the latest issue:

• Oh, bad job, Keller and Sulzberger. Finally public editor Barney Calame grows a pair and decides to write about something interesting and relevant — why you chose to hold the domestic-spying store for a year — and you guys promptly snip them off. Now he'll never work up the nerve again, alas. [NYT]
• The Elizabeth-and-Bob show starts at ABC News tonight, and we're pretty sure the senior citizens who still watch the evening newscasts are aquiver with excitement. That, or Parkinson's. One of the two. [USAT]
• Last week Forbes said WashPostCo would be the Journal. Now Jim Cramer says Murdoch will. [NYM]
• Joel Stein and Maureen Dowd are feuding. God knows who to root for. [LAT]
• 2005 was, essentially, Vanity Fair's very bestest year ever. [WWD]
• Rumor has it the Underneath the Robes dude is set to become the new Wonkette. Hmm. Interesting. [WSJ; NYO]
• NYT lurves NY1. [NYT]
• Chung and Povitch have a new show and think they're Hepburn and Tracey. Which is sort of cute, in a deluded way. [NYM]

I'm not entirely sure about the influence of blogs on mainstream media, whether they serve to raise the discourse or dumb it down. Both outcomes have positives and negatives, and while no one scenario can be painted for all, I'm going to place the ball on the 50-yard line with this Washington Post blurb about a woman's tortured tummy. You decide which way to run with it.