· Times writers obsessively check the 'most emailed' articles list on nytimes.com to bolster their fragile self-esteem. Can't they get their affirmation the old fashioned way: from their mommies? [NYO, fourth item]

· Who is the Hunter Thompson for this generation? The answer is as obvious as the self-loving smirk on his face: Tucker Carlson. [Chicago Tribune]

· Coming soon: In the spirit of Son of Frankenstein—Son of the Murdoch. [TIME]

· Ted Rall on blogs: "Bloggers are ordinary people, many of them uneducated and with nothing interesting to say. They're sitting in their rec rooms, regurgitating and spinning what real journalists have dug up through hard work." This comes from a guy who wrote an essay called "College is for Suckers." [UExpress, Yahoo]