Two Ellie-Winning Stories [National Magazine Awards]

Here are two Good Reads, officially crowned as such tonight at the National Magazine Awards: Top feature story "You Have Thousands Of Angels Around You," from Atlanta magazine, is about "how one young woman lost her family, survived a war, escaped two continents, and through the kindness of strangers found a lifelong home in Atlanta." It was also endorsed as "pretty fucking amazing" by commenter lizzybennet. There's also "China's Instant Cities," which won the reporting prize for National Geographic, and is about "the entrepreneurial frenzy behind China’s dramatic economic growth." As the Times noted, the award was groundbreaking because the magazine usually wins prizes for its photography. If any of the other winners have thrilled you, feel free to post in the comments (or email tips@gawker.com).

Fox News' Pander Orgy With Dems [Election]

It's obvious why Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to go on Fox News all of a sudden. They're trying to reach white male swing voters, and those voters tend to watch Fox. But why is the conservative cable news network so eager to cede airtime to these bleeding heart lefties? That would be because of ratings. For some strange reason, Fox News viewers are suddenly very interested in the Democratic primaries, even though they shouldn't care because Republican candidate John McCain has already promised to continue many of the glorious Bush Administration policies they've heard so much about on Fox News. This has led to some, uh, changes:

To keep posting a healthy profit, the network realizes it has to stay nimble. After CNN scored some primary night ratings victories in January, Fox modified its election coverage, switching to the moniker “America’s Election HQ” from “You Decide 2008.” The network introduced a new 5 p.m. hour of political coverage starring two youthful anchors, and a weekend show called the “The Strategy Room.”

...Mrs. Clinton has been on Fox 10 times this year, and Mr. Obama has appeared seven times...

[Times]

(Fox images via Times)

Julia Allison Is Chris Anderson's Tail Tonight [The Long Tail]

Wired editor Chris Anderson tonight came face-to-face with the "Long Tail," his oft-cited metaphor for low-grade internet fame, via an encounter after the National Magazine Awards with fameball Julia Allison. Star Editor-At-Large Allison worked Anderson hard, no doubt as part of her relentless effort to take the "proto" out of her protocelebrity — to be more than tail, basically. She reports on her blog that she chatted Anderson up for 20 minutes and ended up "bopping him enthusiastically." Wait, Julia. Didn't you just tell the Times you were going to stop using your "pink-encased loaded weapon" this way?? Anyway, alternate photo captions for the picture above are totally welcome after the jump. Even if you're drunk. Especially if you're drunk. [Julia Allison: 1, 2, 3, 4]

The Inevitable Anderson Cooper Bear-Love Mashup [Adorable]

Speaking of Anderson Cooper, someone has, of course, remixed the CNN anchor's coverage of an adorable bear and posted it to YouTube. Cooper, America's secret boyfriend, did ask people to send in sightings of cute bears to his website, so consider making him aware of this one, if you think it's sufficiently cute. Otherwise, make your own mashup of a bear that might be more to Cooper's liking. (We would, but we're still trying to figure out Cooper's tastes.) Also, NB to Anderson: Though the internet is great for survey work, there are special places you can go to look at bears live and in person.

Multiple Magazine Awards For Geographic And Vanity Fair [Magazines]

Gawker's Hamilton Nolan is at the National Magazine Awards, and notifies us via his Sidekick that Anderson Cooper is there! Someone else emailed us a photo of the adorable silver-haired CNN anchor (left) earlier tonight, looking pretty casual. Oh, also, on a less important note, some awards were given out to various magazines. Hamilton said something about New York's Gawker story, "Everybody Sucks," losing to Atlanta magazine's "You Have Thousands of Angels Around You." Outrage! Everybody sucks!! Anyway, it looks like the full list of winners is up and the only multiple-award winners were National Geographic (three awards) and Vanity Fair (two). Nominated for 12 awards, the New Yorker took home just one, though it was for general excellence, so that's nice. I mean, err, it sucks! Everybody sucks! [National Magazine Awards]

Text Messaging Your Way To Love [Things We Actually Like]

God I hate how-tos that parody 50s educational videos, but this one from the constantly funny Supernews really delivers. Reader Cajun Boy pointed me to this guide to text romance, from drunk hookup to premature escalation to irresistible 80s party (nice touch).

Stephen Colbert Again Confirmed To Be As Cool As You'd Hoped [Stephen Colbert]

I hated having to pick one paragraph to quote from this visitor's story about the Colbert Report writers almost as much as I hate seeing Jon Stewart prematurely stepping out of the spotlight for his protégés. Stephen Colbert is, as everyone already knew, a really cool guy.

He's a great boss, too. When monologues go particularly well, he calls writers to thank them personally. Once, when calling New Zealand "Diet Australia" got a lot of laughs, he gave the author a bottle of wine. Barry was responsible for "The Word" when John Edwards took it over this past Thursday, and the reaction was so good that Colbert said, "What White House correspondents dinner?"

Number 8 [New Words]

"The DVD that is always #8 in your Netflix queue. Ex.: 'An Inconvenient Truth been my #8 since it won the Oscar.'" — Scott Simpson

Happy May Day (And Also Law Day) [Arise Ye Starvelings From Your Slumbers]

It's May Day! International Workers' Day! When we get together and march with our working brothers and sisters in memory of lost comrades. Sometimes there are sing-alongs! And riots! Let's all hold hands and sing The Internationale, then march on Union Square! Of course, we won't—Americans (outside of some hippies in Minneapolis) don't really celebrate May Day anymore (well, some immigrants do too). Have we forgotten the Haymarket affair already? (Yes.) In 1958, by the way, Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 to be both "Loyalty Day" and "Law Day." Subtlety was not particularly prized then (nor now). President Bush's annual Law Day proclamation always brings tears to our loyal eyes. Now we prepare for Cinco de Mayo, the holiday that celebrates when the Mexicans out-drank the French.

Facebook Skits Are Finally Funny (Well, Just This One) [Things We Actually Like]

Skits about the Internet are always about a 7; finally here comes, eh, I'd say a 9. The British comedy troop (troupe?) "Idiots of Ants" presents a "What would Facebook be like in real life" sketch with actual jokes.

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