"Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past." [WSJ]

Hey, if John McCain, 71, had any hope of becoming the oldest person ever to ascend to the presidency next January, you know what would be important? The identity of the person who would replace the miracle of modern medical technology upon death. But all news outlets everywhere know McCain cannot possibly win this thing, since voters hate Republican candidates right now and besides Barack Obama is a tender angel of love and hope and also Change. This is why even the rabidly conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page just ran an opinion piece (headline pictured above) arguing that it just doesn't matter who McCain selects as his vice presidential candidate. The writer, senior Ronald Reagan adviser Ken Khachigian, concludes that talking about McCain's VP "is about boredom relief for opinion writers, political junkies and the media. It provides an escape from the fatigue of an 18-month nomination race — a new rabbit to chase" that soon "will be a distant memory." Harsh! [WSJ]

The last time we checked in with Lindsay Lohan and her lesbian lady friend Samantha Ronson, the couple was embroiled in a scandalous toe-stepping scandal that culminated in Lohan ditching Ronson and Ronson shouting "Are you leaving," scandalously. Fellow patrons at the Waverly Inn were, well, scandalized. Possibly shocked fans may also have been distraught that the relationship ended mere weeks after its explicitly acknowledgement in the tabloids and a mere year after they started cavorting in public together. Well, prepare to cry more tears of loss, LoRo lovers, because, according to an emailed stalker sighting, the couple are acting like they're just friends — no graphic make-out sessions or whatever we expect celebrity lesbian couples to do when we see them in a public place.

"I spotted Lindsay Lohan & Samantha Ronson in New York Penn Station on July 23 around 6:15 pm. No paparazzi or screaming fans or security. I believe they were trying to catch a train - problem was every train was cancelled due to a power outage. They didn't look like a couple and weren't carrying much luggage but Lohan did have a ticket/boarding pass for something

Boarding pass! Lohan DOES appear to be leaving, and not just the Waverly Inn, people.

First it was young, elegant Carine Roitfeld, making Vogue publishing look slightly effortless and more-than-a-little spunky from her perch in Paris. Then there was Franco Sozzani, reminding everyone with her all-black issue that Italian Vogue "has gained a reputation for being more about art and ideas than commerce." Now, fashion blogger Bryanboy reminds us, Aliona Doletskaya is the latest editor of a baby Vogue to arguably upstage American editor Anna Wintour, having reached her 10th anniversary at the healm of the fashion title's Russian edition. "Month after month after month, she offers original content, she uses models for her covers and her editorials are very bold, strong and in your face," Bryanboy writes. Well, sure, but there's also the fact that she can fly helicopters! Also: In 10 years, she sees herself flying across continents on an airplane. Considered that fair warning, Anna. Click the video icon for excerpts of Russia Today's half-hour profile. [Byranboy]

Here's Rex Sorgatz's video of various people reading from the de-Harvardized copy of tortured soul Keith Gessen's All The Sad Young Literary Men. It was shot largely in the Gawker offices! And it involves such noted internet personalities as Andrew Krucoff, Choire Sicha, Julia Allison, Alex Pareene, Rachel Sklar — the d-list goes on and on. You'll either find it entertaining and funny (I did!) or feel like you need a decoder ring. A cheat sheet to the best moments is after the jump, if you want all the surprises spoiled, along with an update on the status of the modified All The Sad Young Literary Men, now an official literary hot potato.

The cheat sheet, via Sorgatz:

Personal faves include Krucoff stumbling across Emily's name, Julia musing about Google hits, Sklar standing in front of Balthazar, and Choire closing the house. But all of you! All of you have made America (and perhaps Russia) a better place!

Also, we are told that the book copy in this video, the FSU Middlebrow Remix of All The Sad Young Literary Men, has passed from Andrew Krucoff, who bought it from us at $890 (proceeds to the homeless), to the blogger 99, who bought it at $275 (discounted by the bundling of a date) from Krucoff (proceeds to a soup kitchen).

We are all witness to something very special! Don't you already feel more literarified and shit??