How eBay Surrendered Its 'Religion'

Ryan Tate · 09/25/09 07:59PM

Here's an extraordinary video of eBay CEO John Donahoe bragging about how the company has sidelined what was once a core competency: Online auctions. Why solve a hard business problem when you can run away from it?

The Local Color

Brian Moylan · 09/25/09 05:30PM

[This artful gentlemen attracts plenty of onlookers while parading around during the international London Tattoo Convention, which started today. Image via Getty]

Bloomberg Threatens to Break Out His Bathing Suit

cityfile · 09/25/09 03:38PM

The mayor faced questions from reporters today about his decision to take a helicopter to the U2 concert at the Meadowlands last night (he wanted to "say hello" to his "friend" Bono), since he's been busy pushing environmental awareness the past couple of days. His response: "I suppose you could say that, but you know, there's other ways to get around and there are different ways of—some are more energy efficient. I could have walked and swum across the rivers as well. That would have used less." [NYT]

Mischa Barton's NYC Experiment Ends

cityfile · 09/25/09 03:07PM

If you see Mischa Barton on the street this weekend and she looks a little worse for the wear, and you strongly suspect her "toothache" has returned, go easy on her. The job that brought her to NYC last month—the CW show The Beautiful Life—was canceled today after just two episodes, making it the first victim of the fall television season. Like 10 percent of America, she's now unemployed. But she'll get by somehow, we imagine. [LA Times]

Newsweek Lays a Nuclear Egg

John Cook · 09/25/09 02:34PM

Iran's been amping up its nuclear program at a secret facility, which the U.S. knew about but wasn't saying anything until now. Which makes it awfully unfortunate for Newsweek, which reported "exclusively" last week that Iran's nuke program was dormant.

Heroic 9/12 Mob Chases Off Black People

Pareene · 09/25/09 02:28PM

Seriously, we cannot actually imagine watching this and cheering on the shrieking old white man. Even if we agreed that ACORN was a terrible criminal organization bent on helping all the prostitutes in the world fill out their taxes while registering illegal immigrant cartoon characters to vote, we would still be incredibly uncomfortable watching Tim Jones scream at a couple fucking kids (one of whom he definitely calls "boy" in his charming Boston accent) and their mother.

Tough Times For the Weinsteins; Condé Closures?

cityfile · 09/25/09 02:01PM

• More on the financial difficulty facing Harvey and Bob Weinstein: The studio has blown through $1.2 billion to date and now needs to come up with another $50 million. Or magically produce a string of hits at the box office. [WSJ, LAT]
• Despite rumors to the contrary, Condé Nast may shut down several of its magazines as part of its latest—and steepest—round of budget cuts. [WWD]
• Ebony magazine is struggling and now hunting for a buyer. [Newsweek]
• NBC is "under assault from all sides," opines Jon Friedman. [Marketwatch]
• A series of cast changes are planned for the various Law & Orders. [THR]
• Is the new TV season really buzzy, or it just the Twitter effect? [NYT]
• Warner Music will be putting its music videos back on YouTube. [AdAge]
• Holly Madison of E!'s Girls Next Door is getting her own reality show. And socialite Tinsley Mortimer's CW show is moving ahead. [NYDN, THR]
• Jerry Seinfeld's new reality show is casting neurotic couples in Brooklyn. [DI]
• Jenna Bush's new Today show gig is pretty cushy, apparently. [Page2Live]