This clip of Tom Cruise on David Letterman later tonight, in which he laughs about his fear of psychiatry and his insane, megalomaniacal tendencies, is one piece in a set: Scientology Prince asserts normalcy.

Mexican Playboy denies that cover photo of woman in white posing in church with tagline "Te Adoramos, Maria" is "intended to portray" the Virgin Mary. Others say lying and lust are both sins. [Ad Age]

This past summer we asked if famed photographer Annie Leibovitz was a deadbeat. Now we have an answer. She owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, two lawsuits claim.

Australia is SO MAD at Nicole Kidman right now. And it isn't because she honored her home continent with an eponymous bomb, or even because of her proximity to Fergie's labia.

The most precious (and probably sticky) art relationship of our generation is over! Matthew Barney is no longer listed as in a relationship (according to a Facebook page that might be his).

Fabulously rich people are nothing if not sensitive. Take Kathy Fuld, who still goes on once-a-week $5,000-10,000 shopping sprees at Hermès, but nowadays, so she doesn't offend anyone, she tries to keep quiet about it.

Wandering the set of the Today Show this morning, manic actor Tom Cruise tried to live down his 2005 "glib" outburst and reminds us why live TV is not his friend.

[Update: Now with video!] Hero president George W. Bush placed his own life at risk today by visiting an Iraqi office, where he came under heavy shoe fire:

As teen stars go, High School Musical couple Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are certainly more risque than most. Still, all the shower scenes and cell phone pics were mere prelude to this.

Caroline Kennedy is not qualified to be a Senator, because she is a lady Kennedy. Well, that's the subtext of the new argument against her.

More bloggers getting paycuts! Today, the slasher is BlogHer, a network of ladyblogs which grew out of a conference for ladybloggers. We feel more sorry for the women behind BlogHer than the ladies they're shortchanging.

Gonzo author Hunter S. Thompson committed suicide in 2005, leaving behind his new wife and grown son. Thoughtfully, he left his frozen sperm behind for widow Anita Thompson , as she confessed in Scotland's Sunday Herald.

We've heard from multiple sources that the idea of going online-only is being seriously considered by the leadership of Entertainment Weekly. And it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Corporate "futurist" and salvia-smoking internet surfer Faith Popcorn is back—from the future! And she's brought predictions, for the benefit of the world. Would you like to know what the magical year 2009 will hold, according to a lady who has somehow convinced companies to pay money to her totally made-up "trend consultancy" for an astounding period of time? Behold the "New Rules of Engagement" for 2009, year of wonder:

So far, intern James Frey has brought us doughnuts (some with sprinkles!), fetched coffee and is now out on a beer run. But he completed his first assigned task: a factchecking report on this morning's Gawker posts. While we applaud our intern's effort, James Frey is surprisingly not the most reliable factchecker.

Senate Candidate 5? It's Jesse Jackson, Jr.! Someone connected to the congressman apparently had ROD BLAGOJEVICH convinced that ROD BLAGOJEVICH would make a cool million dollars by appointing Jackson to Barack Obama's Senate seat, against the president-elect's wishes. Jackson says he was told he's "not a target of this investigation," and says he'll cooperate with the investigation. This makes two Obama allies caught seeming a bit corrupt in the Blagojevich filing!

The Wall Street Journal's Thomas Frank, he of the book "What's the Matter with Kansas?," eviscerates in tomorrow's paper that infamous Times rich-people reporter Alex Kuczynski. Kuczynski, herself quite wealthy, published a mostly shameless account of renting a poorer woman's uterus in the Nov. 30 Times Magazine. Frank is unsparing:

Paul Janka—the poor man's Mystery, a super-aggressive Manhattan pickup artist who's been known to get rough with unwilling ladies, may or may not have a new reality show in the works. That's what he claims in his latest newsletter—and he's looking for a wingman! You know, "one intermediate player and a true beginner, a guy who has real difficulty with meeting girls." Hey guys: do you have what it takes to be Janka's wingman? Previous activities include hanging around parks and appearing on Dr. Phil's "sad perv" segment.

The lady pictured with terrifying Jim Henson Creature Workshop creation/popular talk show host Rush Limbaugh up there is Kathryn "Kate" Rogers. Oh, look at that, she's got a ring! Congrats to Rush Limbaugh, for popping the question to this woman (according to what she's been hinting to friends!) who surely loves him for his winning personality (which is the same reason he loves her, obv). Kate, 32, is a party planner and is currently planning the Super Bowl or something. Rush divorced his last wife in 2004. Go ahead and congratulate Katie at her Facebook page!

In anticipation of the pop culture nuclear winter to come, actor/writer/comic/former Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry has begun stockpiling episodes of his new web series Children's Hospital, and lining them like cans of government-issue creamed corn on the shelves of the fallout bunker known as TheWB.com. The first ten episodes of the Grey's Anatomy parody premiered yesterday, and more than delivered on all the taboo-buggering promise of the trailer. Against his handlers' frantic protests, Rob agreed to chat with Defamer, answering all our probing questions about his Daily Show legacy, what it's like being directed by Oliver Stone, and who in the Grey's cast he thinks is a total cunt.