The Reliable Source: Michael Jackson, Weird Al, Chris Cooley, Kal Penn, White Castle, Levi Johnston, Congressional Women's Softball Team, More

Washington Post columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts were online Wednesday, July 15, at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, recent celebrity sightings and their recent columns.

In today's Reliable Source: Congressional women's softball team, Jill Biden after surgery, Chris Cooley comments about inappropriate cell phone camera pix and celeb sightings of Serena Williams, Michelle Obama, Jenna Elfman and Jack White.

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I understand Chris Cooley's frustration...: It really bugs me when people are talking on cell phones in public bathrooms. After all, I did not give them permission to broadcast what I am doing to a third party! I usually find Chris Cooley annoying, but I can see his point here. There is definitely an expectation of privacy in bathroom!

washingtonpost.com: Chris Cooley

Roxanne Roberts: Lesson: Famous people? You need to use stalls. All the time. Problem solved.

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Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C.: Any word on which Republican senator had his hand on the inner thigh of David Brooks?

washingtonpost.com: David Brooks (Reliable Source, July 15)

Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone! Looking forward to your questions.

What can I say about this David Brooks matter. Basically, you have an otherwise responsible journalist putting himself at the center of his own blind item. Is he working for Page Six now?

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Chris Cooley Photos: He doesn't want people taking embarrassing pictures of him? Isn't he the guy that posted nude photos of his girlfriend on his Web site when they got engaged?

Roxanne Roberts: She wasn't nude. Not wearing much, but not completely nude, if memory serves.

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Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Why did I think Jenna Elfman was a vegetarian?

Roxanne Roberts: Because she played on on teevee?

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Question: Since I saw that Brad Paisley was playing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, did anybody see Kimberli Williams, his very cute spouse?

Amy Argetsinger: Anyone? .... Anyone?....

Something I learned recently: The bigger the star, the more less likely they need to do an overnight stay when they're here for business -- because they've got a jet to take them straight back home -- rendering the questions of "where'd they stay?" and "did anyone see the spouse?" sort of moot.

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Will you carry something about: Playmate of the Year, Jayde Nicole, celeb-vocating on the Hill today, handing out veggie hot dogs and wearing nothing but lettuce leaves?

Amy Argetsinger: Probably not. Same old PETA stunt. They need to change it up.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: (I can't participate live this week, why I'm writing in ahead. And I apologize for the length.)

Last week, a man from Baltimore wrote of Michael Jackson "...you have to realize his impact on culture and his giving nature was unmatched. He was the first black face on MTV. He was the first black face that Asia, the USSR and Eastern Europe had ever seen. Let's get a little perspective."

I'll give you MTV. But I can't overlook something as ridiculous as saying he was "the first black face" that much of the world ever saw. Even replacing "black" with "African-American" doesn't make the statement any less incorrect. Some of the people who would have been known in those areas: Ralph Bunche received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950; William Henry Thompson received a Congressional Medal of Honor in 1950 for actions during the Korean War; Jesse Owens, Milton Campbell, Althea Gibson, Tommie Smith and John Carlos competed against the USSR, Asia, and Eastern Europe; Edith Spurlock Sampson toured the world in 1949 countering anti-U.S. propaganda and was appointed an alternate delegate to the UN; and Marian Anderson performed in the USSR in 1935 and for Japan's Imperial Court in 1953. I could very easily continue.

Michael Jackson may have been the first hugely popular African-American entertainer in these locations -- he was, after all, hugely popular right as the availability of inexpensive media formats and entertainment coverage exploded and as it became safe to follow U.S. culture in those places -- but he was far from "the first black face that Asia, the USSR and Eastern Europe had ever seen." So yes, please, let's get some perspective and realize there are much better candidates many of us would put forth as our representatives, even if we did try to moonwalk when we were 5.

Roxanne Roberts: I assumed the writer meant as a pop culture figure----but yes, point taken.

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While you're on summer vacation: Can we still chat? Or don't you like to share us?

Amy Argetsinger: You mean, chat amongst yourselves? Probably that's not technologically possible.

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MJ: Of all the facets of Michael Jackson's life that have been turned over and analyzed since his death, one has yet to be broached: no other artist was such a muse to Weird Al Yankovic as Michael was. Michael and his music spurred Weird Al to ever greater creative heights, and this influence should be recognized.

Roxanne Roberts: "Eat It"----a classic for moms worldwide. Genius.

"How come you're always such a fussy young man?

Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran

Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan

So eat it, just eat it."

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Chevy Chase, Md.: Is Charlie Sheen a lock to play this guy in the movie? Marc Dreier Monday's scheduled sentencing of disgraced attorney Marc Dreier for defrauding clients and investors of more than $400 million raises interesting questions regarding how much the amount of the loss should be factored into the punishment of a white collar criminal. The multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff resulted in a 150-year prison term, and in Dreier's case the government is asking for nearly the same sentence, 145 years.

Amy Argetsinger: Hmm. Sort of looks like an older Charlie Sheen. I'm also seeing a lot of Sam Neill.

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Amy Argetsinger: Okay, it's kind of quiet. So I'll share with you a thought I had the other day: After studying photos from the memorial service, I've come to the conclusion that Blanket is almost definitely Michael Jackson's biological son. Something about those big eyes and baleful gaze -- you can see a young MJ.

Thoughts? Discuss.

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Chris Cooley, Seriously?: Um, the Honorable Mr. Cooley posted a picture of his own nether regions on his own blog about two years ago, filming it in public is fair game in my book, since it has already been out there.

Roxanne Roberts: Come on---he didn't intend to, so I'm inclined to give him a break. Plus, I looked at the picture and frankly, could hardly see the offending....um, part. Not the same as having a drunk fan shoot your picture at a urinal.

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Social calendar: Will potential justice Sotomayor lead a livelier Washington social life than the famously reclusive retired Justice Souter?

Amy Argetsinger: Easily. ANYBODY would lead a livelier Washington social life than Justice Souter. And she seems kind of fun.

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did anybody see Kimberli Williams, his very cute spouse?: Didn't she just have another baby?

Amy Argetsinger: Ding ding ding! You are correct. She had their second son in April.

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Souter: but didn't he get mugged while running? That's fairly odd for a public figure, no? Not something Sotomayor would likely want to repeat.

BTW -- will you let her into your alliterative names club?

Amy Argetsinger: Wow... didn't even realize that we were all members of the same alliterative affinity group.

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Takoma Park, Md.: On MJ -- "He was the first black face on MTV."

Umm, I think that J.J. Jackson, one of the original VJs, beat him to it. Probably Stevie Wonder (at least on "Ebony and Ivory") and Donna Summer too.

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, the late great J.J. Jackson (no relation).

What Donna Summer song? And was there a video for "Ebony and Ivory"? I don't know -- I've heard the story about Michael Jackson being the first black artist to be showcased on MTV so many times; I'd think someone would have stepped forward with an alternate claim if there were one. Or maybe it doesn't count if you're costarring in a video with Paul McCartney.

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Participant in Softball Game: I would just like to acknowledge all the participants in the Congressional Women's Softball game last night, both the members and the staff. It was a fun game for a wonderful cause. Though the staffers didn't get to practice as much as the members, there was a unique bipartisan bond formed on both teams. The whole event was very exciting. And I would like to give a shout out to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz, I hope that fractured leg heals quickly, way to take one for the team!

washingtonpost.com: Not Just Another Girls' Night Out (Reliable Source, July 15)

Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for mentioning the story -- it was a surprisingly fun game to watch. Even though it looked like a disastrous rout at the start, the congresswomen had an impressive seventh-inning rally. REALLY impressive was Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who played very well and then would not go off into the ambulance until she'd made all the speeches and thanks.

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Liz Cheney: Does she live in Washington? If so, from where would she launch that political career she is talking about? (She has five children which means she would need a supportive spouse if she is going politico. Shades of you-know-who from the frozen northland.)

Amy Argetsinger: I believe they live in northern Virginia.

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Can we stoop to discussing Jon of Jonandkateplus8: So this week we have photos of the guy in France of all places with a new girlfriend, who ironically is the daughter of the doctor who did his soon-to-be ex-wife's tummy tuck. Does quality as "meeting cute?" But my question: has anyone noticed that the guy doesn't smile in pictures? Is he miserable or what?

washingtonpost.com: Jon Gosselin and New Girlfriend (Daily News, July 15)

Amy Argetsinger: That is totally meeting cute. And yet -- yes, he is miserable. His life is hell. He is a prisoner of his own unwanted fame.

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Shelton, Wash.: That David Brooks thing: did he not remove the offending hand because he wanted future access to this source? Is that the equivalent of having sex with someone to get information? Surely journalists have higher standards than that?

Roxanne Roberts: I assume there's a bit of hyperbole here. Maybe the hand was on his thigh what seemed like the whole dinner but was actually a shorter time, and maybe David was trying to figure out how to remove the hand without offending the senator. I would have moved it once with no problem---but then, that's me. If it crawled back, raised eyebrows and a brush off would have been appropriate. Sometimes you need to separate the guy from the politician.

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Blanket is almost definitely Michael Jackson's biological son: OMG! I thought the same thing.

Amy Argetsinger: Okay, thanks.

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Blanket: I don't think so. And it would make no sense. Michael spent his entire adult life altering the most "Jackson-y" features he had, starting with his nose (like his father's) and moving to his skin color and his chin and jawline (also mostly Joe's). Seriously, look at the family members together, and there are distinctive family features, except for the drastic changes to Michael and LaToya and, to a lesser extent, Janet. Why on earth would he choose to pass his genes, and the very features he obviously despised about himself, to a child? (I'm not at all saying he was right -- I think he looked his best circa "Off the Wall.")

Amy Argetsinger: Just look at photos of him as a little boy. There's a resemblance of some kind there.

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Anonymous: Amy: Funny but I thought the same thing about Blanket Jackson at first but remembered that as a baby he was quite the tow head -- I think it's more likely that Michael Jackson turned him into a "mini me".

Amy Argetsinger: No, wasn't it the older boy who had, like, platinum blonde hair as a baby? Did we ever see Blanket as a baby without the scarf over his face?

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Springfield, Va.: I thought the same thing when I saw Blanket. He does actually look like Michael. And the way he stood in the background, shy...DID remind me of a young MJ. It would be nice to know their parentage, but I suspect we'll never really know the real DNA. I'm happy to accept that by virtue of him raising them, he is their father.

Roxanne Roberts: True---but it's fascinating anyway, isn't it?

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washingtonpost.com: Jackson Kids (Blanket) (Getty Images)

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Foul ball: I think Sen. Collins must be used to playing hardball because I haven't seen women play softball in skirts and high heels since...well never actually.

Amy Argetsinger: In fairness, I don't think she actually played that way; just went out on the field for the introductions that way.

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He can come to my igloo anytime...: I predict Levi Johnson will have a longer career than Sarah ( let's call the whole thing off ) Palin.

Amy Argetsinger: You'll recall that I once thought Levi would be governor of Alaska in 10 years. But that was before he started talking. For the record, I don't think that anymore.

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Falls Church, Va.: From Rollingstone.com:

The first time around I pursued Michael Jackson about a song parody, it was a shot in the dark. We're talking about the most popular and famous person in the known universe, and here I was, this goofy comedy songwriter. He not only returned our phone calls, but he approved it. He thought it was a funny idea. Then when we did the second parody, "Fat," he was nice enough to let us use his subway set for the video, so he's always been very supportive.

AVAILABLE NOW The first time I met him in person was long after I had gotten permission to do "Eat It" back in 1984. There's a contract somewhere that has his signature next to mine, proving that we are the co-writers of "Eat It," which is surrealistic in and of itself. The first time I actually ran into him was backstage at one of his concerts, this was maybe four years later, when Even Worse came out with my second parody, "Fat." I went backstage, and he was seeing a lot of people, but I brought along a gold record of Even Worse to present to him, and he was very gracious and thanked me for it and said some nice things. After the fact, I thought, "That's probably the last thing Michael Jackson needs, another gold record for his storage locker." Seeing him in person was amazing, it was otherworldly. He was and continues to be so iconic, it's hard to even conceive of him as a human being. He always was bigger than life.

Our second meeting was a TV show taping. He was performing "Black or White," and I remember Slash was onstage and I talked to [Michael] briefly afterwards. He told me he would play my movie, UHF, for his friends at Neverland Ranch, and he was very soft-spoken, very quiet, but always very friendly to me.

I considered parodying "Black or White" around that time. Michael wasn't quite so into it, because he thought "Black or White" was more of a message song, and he didn't feel as comfortable with a parody of that one, which I completely understood, and in a way, he did me a huge favor, because I was already getting pegged as the guy who did Michael Jackson parodies, and because he wasn't so into it, I decided to go with Nirvana, which wound up revitalizing my career. I don't know what kind of career I would have today if it hadn't been for Michael Jackson. In a very real sense, he jump-started my career. "Eat It" basically changed me from an unknown into a guy that got recognized at Burger King.

Roxanne Roberts: Weird Al talking.

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Jenna Elfman vegetarian: She's a Scientologist, anyway.

Amy Argetsinger: Vegetarians/Scientologist -- some overlap, I'm sure, but not one and the same.

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Matalin and Carville: Did they ever move to New Orleans? Didn't they announce that last year?

Roxanne Roberts: Yup---although they are back and forth for work.

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Sietsema Feud: Were you chatting anonymously on Tom's chat today? There were a lot of angry cranky people on it today, mostly vegetarians. The poor man could do no right.

Amy Argetsinger: I never join any chats as a chatter. And neither of us are vegetarians. And -- why does the subject ALWAYS come back around to Tom?

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Re: MJ's kids: Not earth-shattering that Blanket looks like MJ. I think Prince and Paris look like Michael. Compare pics of Prince and the young MJ. Very similar face. I'd believe all three of them are his.

Amy Argetsinger: It's arguable. There's so much genetic variation within families -- within my own extended family, there are siblings who have completely different coloring -- and especially when we aren't necessarily sure who the genetic mother is.

At the end of the day, it's kind of a moot point, though. He raised them. And no one else is claiming them as their own.

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Arlington, Va.: I thought "Blanket" looked Latino to me. Are those poor kids going to be allowed to get their hair cut now? Will a Regent be named to rule on behalf of the young "Princes" or does one of them automatically become king? Why did the Jackson family use 20-year- old photos of Michael for the memorial instead of something more recent? Are they trying to cover up his oddity?

Amy Argetsinger: A lot of the memorials -- including the BET Awards tributes -- have mostly used not just pre-1993 images, but pre-Thriller images even. Let's face it: There has not been a lot to celebrate about Michael Jackson in the past 15 years, and his physical appearance during that time made a lot of people ill at ease. There is a sense of mourning not just the life he lost last month, but the loss of the person that many fans first fell in love with in the 1970s.

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Anonymous: Do we know if on his next burger run the POTUS will be taking Kal out to White Castle?

Roxanne Roberts: OMG! Tabloid overload. I don't think we could stand it. Not to mention---but we must---that there's not one around here. Do the restaurants even exist anymore? Chatters?

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Weird Al and MJ: Weird Al's best songs were definitely MJ and Madonna spoofs. NY Magazine's culture blog had an item today about how uninspired WA has become recently. It's sad -- he was so funny and in the moment back in the 80s. I had a phone relationship with him during that period (we were set up by a mutual friend) that culminated in our only in-person meeting, an aborted invitation from him to appear in his show (he was opening for the Monkees) at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. I never got to appear in the show, but I did hang around with him and the band for an evening, including driving back into D.C. for his interview on Larry King's interview show before a live audience at the Jefferson Hotel. Al was very nice, actually kind of quiet in person, and there was no chemistry between us. Later on, he explained an aspect of the music business to me, which was a big help in a paper I had to write for school.

Roxanne Roberts: A blind date with Weird Al? Wow. What was the paper about?

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Silver Spring, Md.: I think we can stop all the discussion about Michael Jackson being the first globally-famous African-American. Two words: Muhammad Ali.

Amy Argetsinger: Did you ever see the documentary "When We Were Kings"? It's amazing. Ali was just incandescent. There are only a few people who had that quality of being lit from within: Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Princess Di, the young MJ, and Muhammed Ali.

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Anonymous: So Robert Redford finally tied the knot with longtime gal pal -- does this ruin Roxanne's plans?

Roxanne Roberts: I had no plans for Redford. Nice, but he's had work. Plus I'm taller than him without heels. never would have worked.

As you know, Tom Stoppard is another story.

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Blanket Biological?!: I'll give you I guess it's possible blanket could be MJ's biological kid. But I don't think so, unless he's having his hair straightened, which is weird and wrong for a kid. I'm more of the kid looks like he could be of Persian ancestry. Would that work for the timeframe MJ was in Bahrain?

Roxanne Roberts: Nope. Blanket is seven. They were in Bahrain just a couple years ago.

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the first hugely popular African-American entertainer?: What about Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Georgetown University's own Pearl Bailey, the Supremes and Stevie Wonder, to name but a few?

Amy Argetsinger: If we're talking about sheer numbers and total mainstream crossover mania-level success -- none of those actually compare to Michael Jackson, with all due respect to their talent.

Armstrong, Charles and Bailey all became beloved national figures well after their prime. The Supremes and Stevie Wonder were indeed sensations in their prime and big crossover successes -- but they didn't quite reach the dimensions of an Elvis.

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Arlington, Va.: Kudos to Lisa Marie Presley, who I think has actually shown some class during the Michael Jackson feeding frenzy. She released an appropriate statement of condolences and then shut up. If only LaToya could take a cue from her.

Amy Argetsinger: I suspect Lisa Marie is saving it for her book. I'm looking forward to that one.

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White Castle: Sadly, they do indeed still exist. All over the country, save D.C. They even have one right here in NYC.

Roxanne Roberts: Do you secretly sneak out and gobble up a few burgers when no one is looking?

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Re: Blanket: I totally agree! He does look a lot like Michael. I think Paris looks a lot like Quincy Jones' daughter, who is also biracial.

One amazing thing about the talk about MJ's kids is that I never realized how many people have never known anyone biracial.

P.S. Am I the only one who wants Janet to take the kids?

Amy Argetsinger: I want Diana Ross to take the kids. None of us really have a vote here, though.

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Blanket: I kind of agree on the resemblance. I googled his name to see a photo and got a story about how Joe Jackson thinks he and Paris have potential to be stars. Hey Joe Jackson, haven't you done enough?! Sheesh, does this man have no shame?

Roxanne Roberts: No. Or much sense. Or capacity to learn from his mistakes. Sad.

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Speaking of Softball...: Did you guy hear about the JoBros playing Softball at AOL the other day? Random.

Amy Argetsinger: Yep. Link to the Post's story to follow. Also a link to David Malitz's review. The softball game was indeed kind of random. The Metro story about the event saw it as a sign of how things have changed for AOL (which once had way more elaborate parties); Malitz saw it as a sign of how things have changed for the JoBros (who last year were hanging at the White House).

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washingtonpost.com: Jonas Brothers Lift Spirits at AOL (Post, July 14) andThe JoBros, Phoning It In At Verizon (Post, July 15)

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Lincoln Park, Washington, D.C.: Even in his mumbles and grunts, Levi Johnston is light years more articulate than his woulda-been mother-in-law.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, come on -- did you SEE Levi's interview on the Today show? You don't have to be a fan of Sarah Palin's -- or to take any side in that ugly family dispute -- to see that the poor boy really has nothing to say. I hope it works out for him, though.

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Washington: I'm thinking of starting a band and calling it Wise Latina. Whaddya think?

Amy Argetsinger: Better do it fast or someone else will.

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White Castle: Sadly, the nearest White Castle, according to their Web site, which I checked months ago, is in New Jersey. Probably the same one that Harold and Kumar sought. The nearest we can get here are the frozen sliders available in some grocery stores. I've had to resort to other inebriation meals since coming back east from college 19 years ago.

Amy Argetsinger: If you see Kalpen Modi, be sure to ask him for directions.

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Frequent Flyer: I saw Ali at O'Hare many, many years ago -- he had a crowd around him and was very charming. He did a strange levitation trick where both heels raised OFF the ground -- still haven't a clue how he did that.

Amy Argetsinger: Wow.

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Beg to differ: with the inestimable Ms. Argetsinger, but, Armstrong was arguably just as widely popular as MJ in his era. Armstrong traveled the world as a headlining star and pops up in media reports and crossovers including radio, movies and early television, and in cartoon form along with Bogey, Gable et al. He was the real deal as was Josephine Baker who was admittedly far larger in France than in the US.

Roxanne Roberts: Fair enough---and yet, it's hard to compare fame in a pre-television/video era to now.

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White Castle again...: Um...no. It's seriously the most disgusting thing ever. Funny story about that though. I went to college in St. Louis, and my sophomore or junior year, my aunt came to visit from Richmond (another city apparently devoid of White Castles). I picked her up from the airport, and along the 15 minute drive to her hotel she spotted a billboard for the esteemed White Castle. She HAD to go there. Immediately. So I agreed, but only on the condition that I wouldn't eat any. She ordered the box of ten of the little nasties. She LOVED it. My little cousin, 5 at the time, nearly spit his first bite out, and refused to eat anymore. Just goes to show, that there are people in the world that love the slimy little nasties.

Roxanne Roberts: Each to his (or her) own.

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Blanket: I see what you are saying and kind of agree, but honestly, I'd kinda come to the conclusion that MJ was physically unable to father a child -- why else would Prince and Paris not be his?

Amy Argetsinger: We don't know that they weren't. We don't know anything, really. Look, he was a weird dude, but we have no reason to believe that he couldn't produce a DNA sample.

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Make It Stop.: Please make the Palin-Johnson-Hatfield-McCoys go away. And have them take Jennifer "I Can't Find a Man" Aniston and JonandKate far, far away.

Roxanne Roberts: They're not going anywhere and you know it. May I suggest a stiff drink, a quiet beach and a very big book? Works wonders.

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Enough with the Jon Gosselin Sympathy: "And yet -- yes, he is miserable. His life is hell. He is a prisoner of his own unwanted fame."

Poor baby. Poor, spineless baby with a huge sense of entitlement and a terrible inferiority complex. If he didn't want 8 kids, why did he consent to fertility treatment? Was he forced? Every time I look at that marshmallow I think that IF his wife is the nag that everyone assumes she is, he probably drove her into it with his pathetic passive aggression.

Whew, rant over. But please, he's a grown man who has dumped his wife and 8 children and run off to France with his bit of fluff, crying rivers about the pain of fame and fortune. Drop dead, buddy.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, don't get me wrong. I think they're all in their own personal hells, Kate too. They wanted kids -- they almost certainly didn't seek to have that many. They signed to do a reality show to help pay the bills -- and the whole fame vortex reeled out of control for them. They're rich and famous and clearly miserable.

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Hollywood, Fla.: I guess summer is a slow time in real estate because you haven't had any items about area houses (that I can't afford) for sale lately. Did Ethel Kennedy ever unload her beautiful spread?

Roxanne Roberts: Nope. You can snap it up for $12 million (or is it down to $10 million now?) In any event, it will cost another fortune to fix it up, so you'd have to REALLY love the Kennedys to buy it.

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How does this work?: The parents of Nevada senator Ensign made a $96K sympathy payment to show their concern for his ex-staffer/mistress, which surely must violate some arcane campaign financing laws (at least he never said she was his soul mate). Now he says he is running for re-election. The bar for career-ending hijinks must be rising to the stratosphere.

Roxanne Roberts: We'll see. Running for re-election and getting re-elected are two different things. Maybe people don't care anymore.

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Jackson-level mania: Amy, you kids are so funny. There was definitely a crossover Supremes mania, and I'll bet there was something similar for Louis Armstrong. He almost single-handedly (Carol Channing helped) made "Hello Dolly" a worldwide phenomenon.

Amy Argetsinger: His best-selling song and first #1 was "Hello Dolly" -- when he was 63. His genius was only really celebrated by the masses, as opposed to jazz fans and cognoscenti, when he was older. Armstrong also came up in an era of segregation and prejudice of a sort that MJ did not have to endure; and the record business was a completely different thing then -- so really to compare their career paths is apples and oranges.

I am second to none when it comes to Supremes fandom -- I'd take them any day over Michael Jackson. ANY day. But they simply were not as big a phenomenon as Michael Jackson ended up becoming.

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Levi Redux: Amy -- I'm not implying that Levi has anything of substance to say, just that is his absence of substance is more comprehensible than Palin's lack thereof. His "Uhs," "Ers," and "Y'knows" are far less offensive assaults on the English language than her tortured speeches and interviews.

Amy Argetsinger: "Absence of substance is more comprehensible than Palin's lack thereof." That's kind of brilliant.

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D.C.: "Ebony and Ivory" was way before MTV's generational time...Music videos did exist before MTV

Amy Argetsinger: No, "Ebony and Ivory" came out in 1982, and MTV started in 1981, but your cable provider might not have offered it yet.

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Jon, Kate and Jen: More please. A new reality show and/or recycled sitcom concept would work just fine.

Roxanne Roberts: Maybe Jen will make a special guest appearance and counsel Kate.

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Vegetarians/Scientologist -- some overlap, I'm sure: As a non-Scientologist vegetarian, I strongly resent that assumption.

Amy Argetsinger: What, you're offended that, odds are, some Scientologists are also vegetarians?

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Weird Al: I've never been a devotee -- like most of us, probably, I only notice when he has a big hit. That said, "White and Nerdy" was hilarious, and a pretty big hit -- possibly on a par with "Fat" and the Nirvana one, at least, though not as huge as "Eat It," don't you think? And (for me) that was in spite of the fact that I wasn't even familiar with "Ridin' Dirty" when the spoof came out!

Roxanne Roberts: He had his moments. I tried to listen to an entire CD and it got old real fast.

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Jackson kids: They are all so attractive, though. I get the woeful eyes on all three, and they have the most beautiful skin tones. I wouldn't be surprised if they were really all his. If I can be 5'7", brown hair, brown eyes, and curvy and my sister can be 5'1", red hair, blue eyes, freckles, and tiny, and we both have the same parents, there's no way to go from just appearances!

Amy Argetsinger: And at the end of the day... it doesn't really matter.

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D.C.: Weird Al uninspired these days? What about "White and Nerdy"? Not only was that quite funny, it was hugely successful...

Amy Argetsinger: Link to follow!

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College in St. Louis: I went to college in St. Louis as well and we nearly always went to White Castle and enjoyed it. Probably the same one the earlier poster stopped in. Admittedly we were under the influence and our taste buds may therefore have been impaired. Nevertheless, between White Castle (also the background for a Sarandon film)and Naugles and the local IHOP, we ate like Kings.

Roxanne Roberts: So glad you feel that way. How's the ticker these days?

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washingtonpost.com: White and Nerdy- Weird Al (YouTube)

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Tampa, Fla.: I thought I read somewhere that the LAPD is now treating MJ's death as a homicide. Is that right? I didn't think the toxicology report had been completed yet, which would help determine homicide or accidental death (OD).

Amy Argetsinger: I think it's more like they're not ruling anything out... they've denied reports that they're already calling this a homicide, though.

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Anonymous: I thought Dakota Fanning did a great job portraying Paris Michael at the memorial bash. Not only do I not think they are Michael Jackson's biological children, I'm not sure they really even exist.

Amy Argetsinger: Ouch! Maybe they're just CGI...

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New York City: Why hasn't the Post gotten smart and put a reality newsroom show together yet? That would make all your wardrobe a tax deduction and probably save the paper at the same time. I know I'd watch.

Roxanne Roberts: So not interesting. Watch Amy type fast. Watch Roxanne type slow. Watch Marissa be freakishly mature. Watch reporters make calls. I like the tax deduction idea, though.

Amy Argetsinger: I could get into this. Flip over some desks, throw some shoes. Give that "I'm not here to make friends!" speech.

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Anonymous: "we have no reason to believe that he couldn't produce a DNA sample."

There's couldn't and there's wouldn't. There's no reason to believe his reproductive system wasn't working. We have every reason to think that he didn't have sex with a woman, or even give a sperm sample. We know that he really, really wanted children of his own. How that happened probably wasn't as important to him.

Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, I think you and I agree. However: I'm getting queasy thinking about this. Sorry I brought it up.

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Cooley: I think he was just upset that the pic wasn't taken with a wide angle lens.

Roxanne Roberts: Glad you got that out of your system.

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New York: Joe Jackson raised Michael Jackson and everybody on planet earth loves Michael Jackson. So logically, shouldn't he raise Michael Jackson's children?

Amy Argetsinger: Hahaha -- uh, no.

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Anonymous: "Absence of substance is more comprehensible than Palin's lack thereof." OK, you got me -- I misedited two sentences. Still, neither Levi nor Palin is an interesting person, but he gets the edge since he's gets to bare both his ignorance and his chest, but she only gets to display the former.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, I wasn't teasing you -- I kind of liked that phrase.

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The Ticker: Fine thanks, though I haven't eaten at White Castle since leaving St. Louis, so these days if anything is going to stop it, it'll likely be the country fried steaks that I eat about 6 times a year. Mmmmmm. That or the next week of sailing and drinking at the big Screwpile Regatta in Solomons. If I see anyone noteworthy, I'll let you know.

Amy Argetsinger: Hmmm, country fried steak. It's about lunch time, isn't it?

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Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Amy Argetsinger: I could get into this. Flip over some desks, throw some shoes. Give that "I'm not here to make friends!" speech.

Sounds like we found Manny Acta's replacement.

Amy Argetsinger: Hahaha.

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I have two words for you: Harry Potter

Amy Argetsinger: Okay... I need to catch up on the last five movies first.

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Anonymous: If they made a TV movie about Sotomayor, I think pre surgery Roseanne Barr should play her.

Roxanne Roberts: I can see that: Body type, hair, big laugh. Can't wait for Saturday Night Live's take on her.

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Anonymous: this Michael Jackson story is just a beast that won't die. It's been over two weeks and every day CNN calls this a breaking story. This story has become like the war on terror or drugs. It will NEVER END!!

Amy Argetsinger: I fear you may be right.

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Anonymous: I'm sensing from some of your answers that you two really, really need that upcoming vacation... when will that be again ?

Roxanne Roberts: Pray tell, why? I thought we were our typical charming selves. Plus, how could we be anything but sweet given this gorgeous summer weather? Really, people.

In any event, we'll be around for the next month or so. You know what that means: Sightings, tips, etc. to reliablesource@washpost.com.

Same time, next week.

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E-mail and bookmark Reliable Source Blog.

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