Every now and then, we try to watch the national news so we'll get the jokes on the Daily Show the next day. So, even though Comedy Central's fake news outlets are on break this week, we were watching the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer last night and turning away when the Saddam Hussein on the gallows footage was on (like a game of hangman, we keep expecting a half-completed word to appear under his feet,......

C'mon, doesn't anyone want to run for mayor against Gavin Newsom? Isn't there's someone out there who's dying for a chance to answer the Board of Supervisors' questions once a month? So here's everyone's current status: Ross Mirkarimi: Mirkarimi told the Chron (where we got most everyone's quotes), "I'm being encouraged to run, but I don't want to be a sacrificial lamb." He did tell us at yesterday's art show in his office, though, that......

Oooh, we hope Gavin starts jumping up and down on Bruce Pettit's City Desk Newshour couch next! Matier and Ross report that Gavin, a tireless warrior for nookie, eagerly accepted an invitation from his latest conquest, CSI Miami actress Sofia Milos, for a trip to LA. A stay at the Chateau Marmont -- where he could see Jessica Simpson, also canoodling while waiting for her divorce to become final; maybe some strolling down Melrose, and then a benefit dinner for the "Citizens' Commission for Human Rights." Sounds great, right? A little work, a lotta play! Whoot-whoot! Well. It turns out Sofia Milos is a very active Scientologist. And the innocuously-named Citizens Commission for Human Rights? A Scientology-funded organization that advocates against the use of psychiatric drugs. You remember, the group that went after post-partumly depressed Brooke Shields. Oh, we get it now! This'll be great for the mentally ill homeless population -- Care Not Lithium! (what is it with our town and the Scientology medical controversies, anyways?) Aides pointed this out to Newsom. (It's not like they hide it or anything -- their website says that Kurt Cobain died from psychiatric drug use. Funny, we always thought Kurt Cobain died from a gunshot wound to the head.) Newsom was like, whatevs, and went anyway. That guy is desperate for love! Unrelated, but amusing, picture of Globetrotter Gavin at last year's March Gladness tournament....

An anonymous tipster told us to tape this weekend's Comcast City Desk Newshour and to check out the second-half interview with Chris Daly. "You might find it interesting," we were told. We've never actually made it through a whole City Desk Newshour episode yet, but we do find the peppy synthesizer theme song impossible to get out of our head. (Hey Comcast, can we get that as a cellphone ringtone?) Chris Daly? Sure! So we dutifully sat through about 25 minutes of Daly's droning policy voice, as he relentlessly monotoned his way through the murder rate, condo conversions, and the Port Authority (the Port Authority?). And just as we started to punch our sofa cushions in despair that the interview would dear Lord never end, Daly outta nowhere says, "....so yes! I will be running for reelection in District 6!" YES!!!! This is going to be great! Daly went on to say that he's throwing his hat back in the ring after consulting with his wife, family, and after receiving strong encouragement from his supporters -- but we missed about half of the speech, as we were doing a little victory war dance in our living room. (It involved stomping.) This column's just going to write itself next year! Daly also said he expects the race to get "ugly," but says he's going to run a 100% positive campaign. Well, we suppose we can't have everything we want. Our only moment of sadness? Chris, why didn't you let us have the scoop? Just like John Edwards announced his candidacy for the presidency on the Daily Show! You like Bruce Pettit better than SFist or something? We knew you were in with the corporate Comcast overlords! Picture by Darryl Bush from the Chron ...