The Dow is up nearly 5% in early trading this morning. NASDAQ and S&P are also up over 4%. See? The world may not end after all. />...

Beverly Hills Chihuahua, the cinematic tour de force that I gave a rave review is tops at the box office for the second weekend in a row. I'd like to add that you will, at no point, hear anyone on this blog refer to this movie as being "top dog," because we are way too talented to pull that shit. You hear that, AP? Says a Disney studio head: "This is only word-of-mouth coming back to us from theaters. I don't have any statistical proof. But they're telling us we're getting more unaccompanied-by-children adults coming...

The VP candidate and the two of her daughters who haven't managed to get knocked up before marriage got themselves booed pretty bad at a Flyers game this weekend. />...

Stocks in overseas markets saw positive gains on Monday and U.S. futures trading indicates that the market will be positive on Monday. Details of the $700B bailout plan are supposed to be discussed at 8 am EST on Monday. So we'll see how the market takes to that. Lest you get too hopeful, keep in mind that the National Debt Clock on West 44th Street and Sixth Avenue has now run out of digits. America: FUCK YEAH! For a good laugh in the face of all this, please check out my new favorite Tumblr blog, Sad Guys on Trading Floors. />Stocks in overseas markets saw positive gains on Monday and U.S. futures trading indicates that the market will be positive on Monday. Details of the $700B bailout plan are supposed to be discussed at 8 am EST on Monday. So we'll see how the market takes to that. Lest you get too hopeful, keep in mind that the National Debt Clock on West 44th Street and Sixth Avenue has now run out of digits. America: FUCK YEAH! For a good laugh in the face of all this, please check out my new favorite Tumblr blog, Sad Guys on Trading Floors. ...

Yes, it's true, we're entering the THIRD WEEK of the DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge, which means you guys only have two more weeks of being bothered by me about this!!! The bad news: You only have two more weeks to help make a huge difference in the educations (and lives!) of students in high-poverty areas. First off: THANK YOU to those of you who have contributed. In just two weeks, Evil Beet's readers have raised nearly $1500 and helped over 2000 students!!!!! In fact, this blog has seen more reader participation than both TechCrunch and Engadget, and has reached more students than BOTH of those (HUGE) blogs combined. In fact, we're currently ranked #6 in giving among all general blogs -- that's phenomenal. Forget about technology -- GOSSIP can save the world! I am SO proud to have such amazing and open-hearted readers. Secondly: Because your donations have helped complete HALF of our original projects, I've added a ton more as we enter the second half of the contest. I've tried to include more projects focusing on math, physical education, special needs students and arts & music, while some of the original projects, which focused mostly on literacy, still need donors. The new projects include:

• Providing graphing calculators to a high-poverty school's VERY FIRST class of AP Calculus students.
• Providing sports equipment to an inner-city school's after-school program to help keep kids off the street while their parents work long hours.
• Bringing art supplies to a second-grade class of special education students so they can express themselves creatively when they can't find the right words.
• Helping high-poverty elementary school students with parents stationed in Iraq learn math with hands-on tools.
• And many many more!!!

Also, several of the new projects I've added have donor-matching programs, where a large corporation or organization has agreed to MATCH whatever individual donors contribute. So if you donate $10, it's really worth $20 to these students. When you donate, you also have the opportunity to leave a message of encouragement for the students who will be benefiting from your donation, and you'll receive a thank-you from their teacher as well. Please consider digging into your wallet to help out these students, who need our support now more than ever. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GIVING PAGE AND HELP THESE KIDS OUT!!! />Yes, it's true, we're entering the THIRD WEEK of the DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge, which means you guys only have two more weeks of being bothered by me about this!!! The bad news: You only have two more weeks to help make a huge difference in the educations (and lives!) of students in high-poverty areas. First off: THANK YOU to those of you who have contributed. In just two weeks, Evil Beet's readers have raised nearly $1500 and helped over 2000 students!!!!! In fact, this blog has seen mor...

I went out to the bookstore today in search of the new Lennon biography John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman.  First, let me say that if you live in rural America, you better just buy off Amazon.  Because I went to two major shops.  No book.  I am fascinated by biographies.  I cannot get enough of reading the life story of anyone.  Specifically, this book intrigues me because the source for most of the information provided to the author was Yoko Ono.  She has stated that she is unhappy with the final product and called the book "mean".  So, though she disputes the spirit of the book, it seems like the story written is probably true.  And since Yoko granted the interviews, she must have felt that it was a story that needed to be told. Norman paints a portrait of a different Lennon than the peace-making activist.  He claims John was controlling, abusive and a chronic and unflinching cheater.   The book details his cruel demeanor towards those closest to him.  It sounds like he was a tortured soul in many ways. I always struggle with whether stories like these should be left untold once the subject has passed.  I believe people are a compilation of their many stories.  So should the negative chapters be deleted posthumously?  In the name of honesty?  Probably not.  In the name of compassion for their survivors?  Perhaps. Ack...did I just guilt myself out of ordering this book? Edited to add:  Thank you to Kelley who set me straight on the release date.  I read October 8th somewhere which was...you know...four days ago.  I have serious instant gratification issues. />I went out to the bookstore today in search of the new Lennon biography John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman.  First, let me say that if you live in rural America, you better just buy off Amazon.  Because I went to two major shops.  No book.  I am fascinated by biographies.  I cannot get enough of reading the life story of anyone.  Specifically, this book intrigues me because the source for most of the information provided to the author was Yoko Ono.  She has stated th...