Reliable Source columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts were online Wednesday, July 9 to discuss your favorite gossip, what you think about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.

In recent days:What kind of dog should the Obamas get? And can they compete with the McCain menagerie? Army wives love "Army Wives," who visit Walter Reed. Tourists Joan and Melissa Rivers take D.C. by storm. no-sex emotional affair with Madonna? A-Rod, sez his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Disgraced D.C. entrepreneur reinvents herself as upstate Tantric masseuse.

A transcript follows.

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Reliable Source Columns

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Amy Argetsinger: Hey there! We've got a lot of you trapped at your desks this morning, by the looks of it. Thanks for being here. A good time will be had by all.

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Lara Logan: Okay, the info that this CBS reported is pregnant by a married federal contractor is so distasteful, the gossip chat seems the only appropriate place for it. Isn't this just a little more than most of us want to know? I feel bad for the guy's family - how embarrassing!

washingtonpost.com: Back From War, Into Tabloid Territory ( Post, July 8)

Amy Argetsinger: More than most of us want to know? I don't know, I suspect you're a little interested! In fairness, Lara Logan's love life had been smeared all over the New York tabs and the National Enquirer; our paper didn't touch it until Howard Kurtz interviewed her and got her side on the whole thing. But yeah, messy stuff.

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Dumfries, Va.: Seems to me any late-night Madonna visits by A-Rod were probably to discuss philosophy. What was the name of her great philosophy book again? Oh, yeah, "Sex."

Roxanne Roberts: In which we ponder the great questions, like: If Madonna has sex in a forest and no one is around to hear, does it make a sound?

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Cats: RR -- I have four (two of whom I rescued from a dumpster as babies).

Roxanne Roberts: Oooohhhhh. How little? How did you find them?

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Baltimore, Md.: Who's Ryan Gosling? Am I supposed to know or care?

Amy Argetsinger: Major Hollywood "It" boy. Was the second youngest Best Actor nominee in history for his role in "Half Nelson," a drama about a smack-addict middle-school teacher, which I highly recommend. Dated both Sandra Bullock and Rachel McAdams.

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Ryan Gosling: So, he loudly proclaimed he is single. Does that mean he's trolling?

washingtonpost.com: Supporting Roles: Ryan Gosling as Darfur Activist and Humble Star

Amy Argetsinger: Hmmmm, at a convention of college kids no less.... He was probably just being charming.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello ladies -- Do you miss your radio gig? I miss listening to you, not only for a peek at the next day's column, but also because you'd be on the air near the end of my commute. Hearing your voice(s) told me I was almost home! I miss that.

Amy Argetsinger: Aw. Thanks. We miss you too.

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Gossip Girls: What do you think of the Hogan family mess? This kid Nick seems to be an ingrate and mother Linda is nine cents short of a dime. NO ONE seems concerned about the victim.

I think I feel bad for Brooke -- she seems to have her head on straight and is apparently distraught over Bro in prison, parental divorce, etc.

Amy Argetsinger: Full disclosure: I have a vague notion that there's some drama going on with the Hulk Hogan family -- a car accident? some mean voice mails? some weird dating patterns? -- but I'm not really paying attention, and don't know why or if I should be. All I know is that every time I'm flipping channels I see that Nancy Grace is discussing this AGAIN. Rox?

Roxanne Roberts: I know a little more: Son is a self-absorbed whiner, victim had the bad luck to be friends with him, mom is having a mid-like skanky crisis, and dad is trying to help but not doing a very good job. Sis looks like the grown-up. Way too much press for a not very appealing bunch of people.

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Washington, D.C.: Why are all these celebrities going to the Spy Museum? Just to make your job spotting them easier? Maybe you should cage them?

Amy Argetsinger: Truly, we should rig a giant net over the exit from the Spy Museum.

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Washington, D.C.: C'mon, if Madonna had sex in the forest, there'd be at least 6 other people present.

Amy Argetsinger: Ha ha ha!

Meanwhile, true story, in ref. to the Hogan question above: Rox just asked me, "How do you spell 'skanky.'"

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Washington, D.C.: Lara Logan's love life. Say that ten times fast!

Roxanne Roberts: LOL! Or should that be LLLLOL?

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Ryan Gosling: Also amazing in "Lars and the Real Girl" and disarmingly attractive, if you ask me. and not conventional Hollywood pretty boy attractive.

Amy Argetsinger: Or as Marissa text-messaged from the panel yesterday, "He's dreamy."

Looking forward to "Lars and the Real Girl," which should be showing up in my mailbox later this week.

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Wonder Woman: A while back, I saw an article where Lynda Carter (of Wonder Woman fame) found a body in the Potomac. Now she admits to alcoholism. Any correlation?

Amy Argetsinger: Well, that's really not fair. Lynda Carter has been open about her past battles with alcoholism for a long time; she went into rehab and says she's been dry for 10 years. This is nothing new. But she recently gave another interview where she discussed this, and suddenly it's getting picked up and spread all over the Internets like it's brand new information. It's not.

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Random Praise: I loved that you listed Nicole Kidman's two children from her marriage to Tom Cruise in your story about her giving birth. I cringe every time I see "this is her first birth" or "she has two adopted children" stories. I am not adopted or a parent of an adopted child, but somehow this has bothered me throughout the Kidman pregnancy.

Roxanne Roberts: Thanks---it's a tricky subject, more because of the weird relationship she has with Tom than the two kids. Our understanding is that she doesn't get to see them as much as she'd like and Tom spends more time with them, but it's hard to gauge for sure since both families are so busy globe-hopping. Anyway, a new husband and a baby are to be congratulated, but so are the two older kids.

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Brooklyn, N.Y.: Funny how Madonna is still considered the ultimate tart. She's like 60 years old, but any time a man is seen near her it's assumed she's having sex with him. It's like she's considered the world's bar fly.

Amy Argetsinger: Aw, come on. Madge is 49; turns 50 next month.

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Grumpy Republican: Re: Obama pets -- do the lapdog members of the media count?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

Roxanne Roberts: I'm so confused----I thought we were lapdogs for the president.....

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LOL: Speaking of cats, have you ever wasted time at I Can Has Cheezeburger? Some funny, funny stuff.

Roxanne Roberts: Hey boss! In case you're reading the chat: I would never, ever spend work hours drooling over adorable cat pictures and videos. It would be just...wrong. But I urge the rest of you to check out this catastic site right after the chat.

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I'm Not the Collector -- but: didn't I see Amy at last nite's Station 9 "Speakeasy"? and sitting (very chummy) with all the accused collectors? Is, perhaps, the Reliable Source, in fact, the collector and all the artist witch-hunt is but a red herring ruse?

Fess up.

Amy Argetsinger: Now this was a very interesting night. Tim Tate, who was The Collector's original victim last year, was one of the storytellers at last night's SpeakEasy, and when I got the invitation to hear him tell the story about his experiences with "Pepe" the mail-order monkey. I just couldn't resist. And THEN who should make noises about making an appearance there but The Collector! "Damn," I thought. "That means I'm on the clock again tonight."

So I go, and who should happen to be there but no fewer than FOUR of the people we've identified as being Collector suspects. Turns out they're all pals! Hmmmm....

And then you know what happens?... NOTHING! The Collector never made an appearance, never made a spectacle. I almost wonder if the suspects were trying to establish an alibi for themselves. But they were all a lot of fun. And Tim's story truly brought the house down. Turns out ordering a spider monkey through the mail isn't a great idea.

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NYC: John Corbett is in a film that's shooting in my neighborhood right now. You want me to do something about that, or what?

Amy Argetsinger: Yes -- STOP HIM RIGHT NOW!

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Woodbridge, Va.: So, Christie Brinkley has had the following husbands:

(1) some French guy (2) Billy Joel, musician (Alexa Ray) (3) Richard Taubman, RE developer (Jack) (4) Peter Cook, architect and swine (Sailor)

What do Joel and Taubman have to say about all this mess, since they each have a kid in the middle of it?

And why does gorgeous Christie have such difficulties with men?

Amy Argetsinger: I think the exes have been discreet and supportive. As to your latter question... that's part of why it's such a fascinating story.

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Dog for Obama: I really hope they get one from the pound.

Roxanne Roberts: I'm guessing they will. The AKC recommended certain breeds because the girls have allergies and those dogs are much less likely to cause health issues for them. A mixed-breed is harder to predict, fur and sneeze-wise. But there are plenty of shelter dogs they could adopt----about 20 percent are purebreeds---and that would be a popular choice when they get around to picking a dog.

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Dunkirk, Md.: Roxanne, I have a gorgous black and white male cat, I have to find a home for. You interested? He has developed an appetite for my mom's oxygen hose. We love him but I have to keep mom over the cat.

Roxanne Roberts: No adoption for me, alas. Have you tried wrapping the hose in tin foil? Cats hate to chew that stuff. (Yes, you've wandered in Reliable Source's Pet Chat. Next up: McCain's former ferret.)

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Las Vegas, Nev.: I read your column religiously; does this mean I can skip church on Sunday?

Roxanne Roberts: That's between you and your Gossip God.

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Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.: I was so happy to see a reference to Gary Condit and Chandra Levy in the paper. Bringing back flashbacks to the wild and innocent days of 2001. Perhaps tomorrow you can write a follow up to the drama of that summer's shark attacks. My question -- what is Condit doing? Might I suggest a reality TV show where he lives in a house with Bob Packwood, Duke Cunningham, and Tom DeLay?

Amy Argetsinger: Brilliant idea -- I'd watch that show. Condit moved to Arizona, opened some ice-cream parlors.... And I warn you, anytime we have missing girls and sharks dominating the headlines, it means a major catastrophe is about to hit. It happened again in 2005, right before the London subway bombings.

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What do you think about...: the survey in Britain where folks said that if Elvis were alive he'd be a judge on American Idol? That made a little sense to me. Do you agree? Or have a better scenario?

Amy Argetsinger: Haven't seen that survey, but it makes sense to me... Wait, they surveyed people to ask them that question? That's what doesn't make sense. But yes. Elvis would be a guest judge on AI, just like other notables such as Gwen Stefani and Rod Stewart. Why not?

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Capitol Building: I thought Drew Barrymore and Justin Long were soul mates are were planning their wedding. This is disheartening. If those kids can't find happiness, what hope do any of us have?

Roxanne Roberts: None. We're poor and not famous and clearly hopeless. It's amazing we manage to get out of bed every morning.

BTW, I do think he's waay cute---cuter than Drew.

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Olympic celebs: How about some gossip on our local Olympic celebrities? I can't wait to read that column!

Amy Argetsinger: Who do you want to hear about -- besides Michael Phelps?

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Ryan Gosling, Va.: I avoided liking him because he was raved about, and I am contrary that way, but then saw Lars and the Real Girl and was blown away. Went back and rented Half Nelson and Fracture and a few others. He is amazing -- a real chameleon who can seem to physically transform himself into different characters.

Ryan Gosling/IMDb

Amy Argetsinger: Also: He's dreamy.

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Re: found a body in the Potomac. Now she admits to alcoholism. Any correlation?: What? Huh? I don't get it.

Amy Argetsinger: Exactly. Someone's just being snarky.

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I love summer movies: but wonder which ones have the best gossip attached? So far, nothing is as big as the whole "Mr and Mrs Smith"/Brangelina thing that we are STILL following!

Amy Argetsinger: In hindsight, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is like the "Cleopatra" of our day. Has anyone here actually ever seen "Cleopatra"? (The film on which Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton fell in love.) I haven't.

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Anonymous: Grumpy Republican? Is there any other kind?

Roxanne Roberts: No fair---Democrats can be bitter and cranky, too. It's a burden to have to deal with all those clueless folks on the other side of the aisle.

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Reading, Pa.: Have you any thoughts about the Obama family interview? I think it's smart to get the girls used to the press attention but it could lead to some spilled family secrets. What do you think?

Amy Argetsinger:"Access Hollywood" being known for its probing, aggressive, take-no-prisoners line of question, you mean?

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Ryan Gosling: Can you text Marissa and ask how tall he is? I have trouble telling if he is one of those guys who is like 5'2'' (like Ryan from The OC) or disarmingly tall (like Jimmy Stewart).

Amy Argetsinger: Just shouted across the cubicle divider to Marissa, who reports that Gosling is about six foot tall. And dreamy.

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2001 -- Don't forget Lizzie Grubman!: I was living in NYC at the time, so maybe it didn't get as much press here, but Lizzie Grubman ran her SUV into a group of people at a bar in the Hamptons that summer. BIG news!

So, missing girls, shark attacks and celebs plowing down civilians -- oh those innocent pre-9/11 days.

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, good times. Did VH1 get to that in their highly inappropriate "I Love 2001" compilation show?

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Dumfries again, Va.: Madonna has very carefully crafted her image as the ultimate tart. It works for some people (A-Rod, what a name in this context) and not for others. I, for example, didn't find her attractive 20 years ago and still don't. But she seems to be following in the "footsteps of Mae West and Marlene Dietrich, who probably never met a man they didn't like.

Amy Argetsinger: A-Rod. Heh heh.

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Washington, D.C.: I think the tide turned against L.L. (Lara Logan, not Lindsey Lohan) when she started swearing on Jon Stewart; it's hard to be a classy diplomatic correspondent when you talking like you're in the Navy. God help that baby, illegitimate and in media.

Roxanne Roberts: Amy and I never swear, do we?

Amy Argetsinger: Classy all the way, are we.

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Late-comer: What's "The Collector"? This is totally confusing.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, sorry. This is a recurring theme in the actual column we write. Link to follow.

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Dog allergies: I felt so bad for these girls that they have allergies to puppies. Retrievers are just about the best kid-friendly dogs out there. Labs shed like crazy, and Goldens, which would probably make the best pet for younger children, are also not an option. All those allergy- friendly dogs, just not up to par. One of those the AKC recommended is sooooo ugly.

Roxanne Roberts: Hairless Chinese Crested--kind of rat-like, not so cute. But they probably make up for it by being adorable. And Crested owners out there?

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Phelps: I only care about his meals.

Have you ever read what he eats in one day? The man is insane with the appetite. Could take on Chestnut, Eater X and Kkobiashi.

Roxanne Roberts: I care about his size 14 feet.

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washingtonpost.com: Collector Capers, Part II Artomatic Prankster Returns, And So Does an 'Impostor' ( Post, June 11)

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Baby names: So Nicole Kidman names her daughter, who was born on Monday, Sunday. At first I thought this was some My Gal Sunday reference, but Gramps says she named after some swinging bisexual artist's muse. Really? And Matthew McConaughey names his son Levi. Which, in the realm of celebrity names, is pretty normal. Matthew McConaughey, he of the naked bongo drumming, just took the lead in the my kid has the normalist name race. What is going on in this crazy, crazy world?

Amy Argetsinger: Truly, we expected to be stoked and wowed by whatever McConaughey named his kid. But it's kind of unremarkable, somehow.

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Leesburg, Va.: Why do we care what celebs name their babies? And why are we so critical?

Amy Argetsinger: It's part of how they entertain us, giving their babies interesting names, and then we're critical so we have something to talk about with each other.

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Schools for Little Obamas: Where do people think the girls will enroll in school next year (fingers crossed)?

Roxanne Roberts: Depends if the family is living is Washington or Chicago. Getting a little ahead of yourself?

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Updates: You've been providing information on one of your mysteries, the identity of "The Collector." What about some others, like the LV purse, the dog statue and the Venus statue....

Amy Argetsinger: The trail has gone cold on the $52,000 butt-ugly LV frankenpurse -- still no leads on what D.C. woman bought it. And I don't think anyone ever found the dog that vanished from outside of Ann Hand's shop, nor the Venus statue that walked away from Hotel Rouge.

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Swearing on The Daily Show: Oh, come on! She wasn't just spouting swear words everywhere! She was demonstrating how she makes soldiers feel comfortable around her when she's out on the front with them, by talking the way guys talk to each other!

Good grief, context, people. And grow out of the '50s already.

Amy Argetsinger: Thanks.

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Matthew McConaughey: Can someone please tell me what they see in him? He can't act and he doesn't turn me on in the least.

Sigh - give me young Tom Berenger.

Amy Argetsinger: But... but... People named him "Sexiest Man Alive"! And I assume they did scientific tests to determine this, right?

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Penthouse: Any inside scoop on how Obama stays so thin -- is it that dreaded tobacco? Does McCain have any dietary restrictions that might account for his bouts of crankiness?

Roxanne Roberts: By all accounts, Obama has kicked cigarettes and wears the patch now. I think he's just a naturally thin guy. And McCain is just naturally cranky.

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Anonymous: This hour is flying by and not even one mention of Tony Danza yet.

Roxanne Roberts: It's so sad.

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Ryan Gosling: Is one of the stars of the awesome chick-flick tearjerker The Notebook. If you haven't seen it, or him, you really should.

Amy Argetsinger: With a nice performance by James Garner, who certainly would have earned the title of "Sexiest Man Alive" back in the day if only People had developed its groundbreaking scientific tests back then.

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Washington, D.C.: Ryan Gosling is 6 foot and dreamy, but aren't you leaving out an important part. Isn't he dating the lovely Rachel McAdams? Or did her Canadian heritage cause that to end?

Amy Argetsinger: Long over, sad to say. And he's also Canadian, so don't think that was the cause.

You people want more Gosling, huh? Marissa says he also made fun of his role in "The Notebook" at this panel yesterday. He joked that when he goes to Capitol Hill to do the lobbyist thing, that they bring him in a room with the Hill staffers and say, "who here's seen The Notebook"? And that while the staffers are all opening up to him about their own lost loves, all the activists can rifle through papers and get the real work done.

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Nicole Kid-Free: If Nicole Kidman really wanted to be with her two oldest kids, all she has to do is live in the same town with them once in a while. She's the one that moved halfway across the world, not them. She strikes me as the type that only wants kids as chic accessories and the first two are two old now to do her any good.

Roxanne Roberts: I don't think that's fair at all. There's always tension once a couple gets divorce, and the fact that the kids might be religious (i.e. Scientologists)like dad might complicate matters further. We really don't know what's going on, so it's seems unkind to slap such a superficial assessment on Kidman.

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DC/MD: I've just got to share! For 4th of July, my family decided to watch the fireworks from the comfort of our vessel docked at the marina in SW D.C. At the end of the dock, about 3 boats down sat the "60 Sundancer." Beautiful 60-footer. Someone in our party just happened to be wearing an "Obama for President" hat. One of the other revelers came over to our boat and mentioned that the 60-footer belonged to Carly Fiorina, John McCain's economic adviser and ex-CEO of HP. Needless to say we made our presence known to her. But what was funny was that she went to extra lengths not to touch or come too close to anyone of us as she, her husband, and daughter walked from their boat to the entrance of dock. I guess she didn't want any Democrat cuddies rubbing off on her. Too Funny!

Amy Argetsinger: Cuddies? You mean "cooties"? Anyway, can't vouch for the sighting of the alleged Fiorina boat, but thanks for sharing.

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Re Mae West and Marlene Dietrich: Yeah, but at least they were fun. Madonna is just high on her own press.

Roxanne Roberts: I don't know---never did much for me, but she keeps selling records and tickets.

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Nicole Kidman: I would like to give you two a huge thanks for reporting that Nicole has two children with Tom and not stating that she has two adopted children with Tom. I could never understand the reason for the distinction and it always got on my nerves when I saw it. As if adopted children are any different or loved any differently than biological children? Thank you for not falling into that group!

Amy Argetsinger: Well... I will say that people are always interested in hearing about celebrities (or any women) having first-time pregnancies past 40, and that that's probably the reason that some people take note of the fact that the earlier kids were adopted, not to put them in a separate category.

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CBS reporter: This whole thing just strikes me as being so strange. First, serious journalists, particularly those dodging gun fire in war-torn countries, tend to be known, and only known, for their body of work and not their, well, body. I can't help but wonder if this doesn't smack of some sexism. If she wasn't blonde and gorgeous, would we care who she was dating/sleeping with? I imagine male foreign correspondents are just as likely to participate in, shall we say, extra-curricular activities. And second, how the heck did people find out all these details about what was going on between her and a married guy in IRAQ!? We don't even know what their government is doing, and we know about this? So so strange.

Amy Argetsinger: Good points, thanks.

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Madge: One of the things that's always impressed me about Madonna is that she's made herself attractive through sheer force of will. Like the previous poster said, she's really not very attractive, yet she thinks she is, and somehow that convinces us to think she is, too. Same thing with her singing and dancing. Kinda spooky, really.

Roxanne Roberts: She reminds me of the great femme fatales of history---not naturally beautiful, but smart, disciplined, and ambitious. She would have been a king's mistress a few centuries ago.

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Washington, D.C.:"Why are all these celebrities going to the Spy Museum?"

Because it's prohibitively expensive to many. They don't want to go to the many great, free museums so they don't have to be near the rabble.

Amy Argetsinger: Well... celebrities DO go to the Smithsonians; we spot them there all the time.

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Depends if the family is living is Washington or Chicago. Getting a little ahead of yourself? : So, there's a chance the family will stay in Chicago even though Obama is in D.C. living in the White House?

Roxanne Roberts: You crack me up.

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Dumbest baby name?: What's the dumbest celeb-baby name you can think of offhand? I vote for "Apple".

Amy Argetsinger: No, Apple is quite cute compared to Pilot Inspektor or Moxie Crimefighter.

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"She's just a Greek Orthodox lady who has had as much as she can take": Objection, your honor: relevance?

What the heck does A-Rod's wife's religion have to do with ANYthing at all?

Amy Argetsinger: No idea whatsoever. Weird quote, huh?

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Anonymous:"Democrats can be bitter and cranky, too. It's a burden to have to deal with all those clueless folks on the other side of the aisle."

Gee Rox, thanks muchly for insulting the Repulican portion of your readership. Kinda supports the original post's premise, no?

Roxanne Roberts: No, no, no---I meant that BOTH Dems and Republicans are frustrated by the other guys.

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Re the fact that the kids might be religious (i.e. Scientologists) like dad: All the more reason Nicole should be spending a lot more time with her and Tom's kids, to try to deprogram them from the cult.

Roxanne Roberts: Like I said, tricky business.

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Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.: I'm an ancoholic and have never stumbled upon a body -- I'm just writing to point out there is no correlation. Of course, I have large credit card bills and will one day get my picture on the wall at the Palm, but have never found a dead body.

Amy Argetsinger: I'm dreading that day we find your dead body at The Palm. Before then, though, we'll do an intervention where we point out that not being able to spell "alcoholic" is the first sign you have a problem.

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The Collector: Have you noticed that The Collector or the Pseudo Collector always seems to want to be involved when YOU are in the picture. Maybe he wants the publicity or maybe he just likes you!

Amy Argetsinger: All I know is that The Collector has a genius skill for making this All About Us.

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Anonymous: Has that collector creature vanished or just used up their fifteen minutes of fame?

Amy Argetsinger: Vanished for now, it seems...

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The Candidates: Obama is a thin guy, but to me he is looking almost gaunt these days. I hate to sound like his grandmother, but he needs to eat a little better on the campaign trail. What should we send him to help out..I'm thinking peanut brittle to snack on during flights?

Roxanne Roberts: Too sweet. Maybe just the nuts? Healthy and fattening!

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Apple is cute compared to.....:...or Kal-el for that matter.

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, there's a good one.

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Princeton, N.J.: Here is a suggestion for the Obamas: Get two puppies and name them Flip and Flop.

Roxanne Roberts: Better names for seals.

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What's in the Water?: There's a lot of mean-spirited snarking in the chat today -- I blame the humidity...

Amy Argetsinger: You should see some of the comments we're not putting out there.

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Amy is the Smartest Person Ever: James Garner deserved the Sexiest Man Alive for at least every year that The Rockford Files was on. He is still pretty darn attractive.

Amy Argetsinger: And have you ever seen him in that movie with Doris Day where she was on the desert island? He was so adorable. My web browsers are freezing up on me, or I'd look up the name.

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$52K LV pocketbook: Its no secret who bought it, Harriette Walters the former D.C. Tax office manger, that bilked D.C. out of $50,000,000 plus ....

Amy Argetsinger: No, we looked into that -- really thought we might find the LV bag in the evidence room, but after many inquiries, no sign of it.

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Falls Church, Va.: Having dog allergies in my house, we had a poodle growing up (and my parents have another one now) -- as long as you don't get one of the really tiny inbred ones (i.e., get a miniature or above), they're actually great family dogs. They're very smart and love kids. And they do look dignified if you get them cut like normal dogs, as opposed to "show" cuts.

Roxanne Roberts: Yeah, I'm not fond of those topiary dog show buzzes.

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Alexandria, Va.: In retrospect, you think Raffaello Follieri would have done anything different? Three years of living the life of a multimillionaire and going home to Anne Hathaway every day? Not bad living. That has to be worth a few years of your life in jail, right?

Amy Argetsinger: Uh, I don't know -- I think he's facing many years in prison, a pretty steep fine, and the realization that he really blew it with Anne Hathaway.

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Re: Gee Rox, thanks muchly for insulting the Republican portion of your readership. Kinda supports the original post's premise, no? : Wow, who knew Republicans were so...sensitive?

Roxanne Roberts: Everybody calm down.

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Lara Logan:"If she wasn't blonde and gorgeous, would we care who she was dating/sleeping with? I imagine male foreign correspondents are just as likely to participate in, shall we say, extra-curricular activities."

Yeah, I don't hear a whole lot of criticism of Michael Ware for dating her before the current guy, do you?

Amy Argetsinger: Exactly.

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Burton/Taylor: Cleopatra wasn't bad, but very staged like most movies then. Watch The Taming of the Shrew to see the sparks fly -- tons of passion.

Amy Argetsinger: How about "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

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Anonymous: Hey I just noticed Roxanne gets to answer all the easy questions -- what gives ?

Roxanne Roberts: Amy is a lot smarter than I am.

Amy Argetsinger: Duh -- I'm a faster typer.

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A-Rod and infidelity: The stuff with Madonna is ridiculous. Over the past years there have been plenty of photos of A-Rod and strippers, models, etc. The real questions are: What took his wife so long? And why did they have another child together?

Roxanne Roberts: That's the $64,000 question. Or in this case, $6.4 million.

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Baby Levi: I have only read it: so how is it pronounced? Leee-vye (emphasis on the first syllable) or Leh - vee?

Amy Argetsinger: Good question.

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Afternoon eye candy: Important announcement:

On the Comedy Central Web site, you can watch Jon Stewart's interview with James McAvoy.

He is a good looking man but the Scottish accent elevates him to new heights of hotness. Why am I not married to a Scot?

washingtonpost.com: James McAvoy on Comedy Central

Amy Argetsinger: I don't know why you're not married to a Scot.

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Walleyworld: I think Chevy Chase should take his opportunity and marry Brinkley.

Roxanne Roberts: Really, could she do any worse than she has?

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Pre 9/11 News: We were all pissed at Bush for having the firework display for Vicente Fox on Monday 9/10

We were chatting about it that day on these Live Onlines too.

I was awakened out in Ballston by the fireworks at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night with no media announcements of them.

How about the Darva Conger summer news and the Shondra Levy summer gossip?

Amy Argetsinger: Well, yeah, Chandra Levy was what got us into this summer of '01 conversation in the first place.... Sorry to inform you, though, that Darva Conger and "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire" was early 2000. Don't ask me how I remember this.

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Fiorina...:"But what was funny was that she went to extra lengths not to touch or come too close to anyone..." I'm sure that had nothing to do with the charming way you were "making your presence known to her." I'm sure when she planned her 4th of July, having a bunch of drunk Democrats yell obnoxiousness at her was at the top of her list.

Amy Argetsinger: Fair point.

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Hmm...Omen or Coincidence? : The Elvis (not Costello) question comes up just as I'm listening to his version of "Can't help falling in love.". Sappy guy back after long hiatus replenishing office tissue supply.

Amy Argetsinger: I've had "Are You Lonesome Tonight" going through my head for the past week. Or especially that one line that he delivers so beautifully: "But I'd rather go on hearin' your lies, than livin' without you."

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That movie where she was on the desert isle: While I think James Garner is awesome and totally crushed on Doris Day when I was like 7 years old watching her movies on Saturdays, that movie is a remake of a Cary Grant Irene Dunne classic, "My Favorite Wife". Totally Netflix-worthy.

Amy Argetsinger: Annoys me that I can't check to see that you're right. I'm afraid of crashing this web browser as well.

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Anonymous:"Move Over Darling" was the second attempt at "Somethings Got to Give" -- Marilyn Monroe's unfinished last film and actually a remake of an old Cary Grant movie...

Amy Argetsinger: I want my IMDB!

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Madonna: Maybe A-Rod just has a thing for British women. Madonna is British, right?

Roxanne Roberts: Or maybe he just has a thing for....oh, you fill in the blank.

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Ames, Iowa: Can you dish some dirt on that new editor of yours? Is his name really Broccoli?

Amy Argetsinger: Marcus Brauchli, and it's pronounced BROW-klee. I think.

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Spy Musuem and Carbon: While crossing the street from the Woodley Metro I thought I spied Tennis Star Serena Williams leaving Carbon with a bag full of shoes yesterday! Is my hood becoming a stop for stars?

Amy Argetsinger: Cannot vouch for this sighting, but she was in town. reliablesource@washpost.com.

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What took his wife so long? : Those strippers were just sexual affairs. This one with Madonna was more meaningful.

Amy Argetsinger: An "affair of the heart," mind you. No nice Greek Orthodox lady should have to put up with that.

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Raffaello Follieri blew it with Anne Hathaway: I don't know you can say that? He probably would have had no chance with her if he was not claiming to be a multimillionaire businessman.

Amy Argetsinger: Well, now he'll never know.

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Apple, Zippo and Metronome: How long before some celeb gets inspiration from this lyric from "The Dark Canuck" by The Tragically Hip? "If we ever get home/gonna have me three children/Apple, Zippo and Metronome/that's what I'm gonna name them." Apple of course has been used, but I can hope...

Amy Argetsinger: Metronome! That's a great name. Whereas Zippo sounds a lot like Zeppo, and then you might as go ahead and name the others Harpo, Chico and Groucho.

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Is his name really Broccoli?: I'm choppin' broccoli, I'm choppin' broccoli...

Amy Argetsinger: I'd try to find that SNL clip on YouTube if my browsers weren't crashing.

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Scottish Accents: They make any guy about 10 times hotter!

Amy Argetsinger: Really, any guy? We should test this. What about Mike Meyers, when he put on the Scottish accent?

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The Grumpy Republican Again: Dang, sorry I riled everyone up. Having a bad day( and not over the presidential race), all apologies for letting it spill over here. You ladies and your chatters rule, as always.

Roxanne Roberts: No worries. And the fact is, I know Dems and Republicans who are utterly delightful, and some who are brutish thugs who hate the other guys with a passion and are always unpleasant. I've been in Washington long enough not to judge a book by its voter registration card.

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Cleopatra: Actually, it's waiting for me on my DVR right now. (It was recently on TCM, or Retroplex, or something like that.) But it's 3 or 4 hours long, which feels like such a commitment. (Same reason Ben-Hur is sitting there too.) I figure I'll get to it eventually.

Amy Argetsinger: We're never going to watch it, are we?

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She would have been a king's mistress a few centuries ago: Nah, she would have been Anne Bolyen. Madonna wouldn't have settled for anything less than a crown.

Roxanne Roberts: A girl can lose her head that way.

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Do you agree? Or have a better scenario?: I think it's more likely we'd see Elvis on Celebrity Rehab, or maybe Big Brother. After that, maybe a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother.

Amy Argetsinger: We could devote an entire web chat to what Elvis would be doing today. Maybe we should save that for our Elvis Death Anniversary Chat in August. He'd be 73 this year.

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Moon Unit, Dweezil: Remember when everyone thought those were freaky celebrity kid names? Now they seem kind of normal.

Amy Argetsinger: No, they don't.

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Re: Brinkley. : Just goes to show you that being beautiful doens't really guarantee happiness. Doesn't make you a good wife, maybe she's horrible to get along with. Guys go after beautiful and later wish they went with kind. You never know and superficial beauty doesn't add up to much as far as what it takes to have a happy marriage.

Roxanne Roberts: Yeah, but it takes them 20-30 years to figure that out.

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Speaking of Darva Conger...: Doesn't that whole show seem tame, by today's standards? At the time I was horrified and wrote an editorial on how the show was a slap in the face to young feminists.

Now I'm all, "eh." Flavor of Love, anyone?

Amy Argetsinger: I know what you mean. I was completely freaked out by the first season of "The Bachelor." Now it's like, bring on the lions and the gladiators.

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Washington, D.C.: Can we get a round-up of the D.C. party scene on the Fourth? Any salacious details or extravagant tales?

Amy Argetsinger: Didn't everyone leave town?

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Obama-dog-opinion: I agree the Obamas should rescue a dog -- almost every breed has a rescue program for pets that can't live with their owners for whatever reason -- they could rescue a dog (of appropriate breed for the allergic kids) whose owners lost their home due to the mortgage crisis -- a trifecta: new dog for the girls, promote getting pets from shelters, and make a political economic statement all at the same time!

Roxanne Roberts: You're very good at this.

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Alexandria, Va.: Slumming in Schenectady? I guess Miss Farrah really has hit rock bottom.

Amy Argetsinger: Or maybe there's a real untapped market for world-renowned Tantra dakinis in Schenectady.

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Elvis and Movies: Cool, two of my comments on back to back. Here's the proof re My Favorite Wife:

My Favorite Wife ( Wikipedia)

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, both Cary Grant and Randolph Scott in that one together. Interesting. Will have to Netflix that and the remake.

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A-Rod. Heh heh. : People, it was non-sexual affair. Non-sexual!

Amy Argetsinger: Exactly -- an emotional affair!

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Alexandria, Va.: Who is the guy that is on 14th street just after the bridge selling the Washington Post every day? He has been there for years.

Amy Argetsinger: It's a big company, I'm afraid I don't know all the newspaper vendors. Why don't you stop and ask him?

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Arlington, Va.: Does your column ever go on vacation, or are you guys writing this stuff all through the summer when nobody is around? This is meant sincere and not at all sarcastic -- but you guys deserve a vacation after all the hard work heeping us informed/entertained through the year.

Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for asking. We'll shut down the column for a couple of weeks in August.

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Tai Shan's big day: I can't believe you haven't mentioned our favorite area celebrity's birthday! 3 years for Butterstick!

Roxanne Roberts: Awww! I still have his baby picture by my desk.

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My Favorite Wife:"is a reworking of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Enoch Arden"; in tribute, the main characters' last name is Arden." From the Wikipedia page. Wow, who woulda guessed?

Amy Argetsinger: Hmm. Can we believe everything we see on Wikipedia?

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Post Pub: Marcus Brauchli a big fan of your column and chat?

Roxanne Roberts: Loves it! Adores it! First thing he turns to every morning and sets aside his lunch hours Wednesday no matter what!

At least, that's what I dreamt last night.

Chatters, you all have been delightful today. Keep it up, and send in your tips to reliablesource@washpost.com. Stay cool.

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.