THE WEEK IN, UM, ME

Just got back tonight from a great week in Cali with the mishpuchah. Turns out that jellyfish aren't fish, there were no birds at Alcatraz, and "Half Dome" isn't particularly dome-like (though it is particularly awesome). "But enough about your vacation," you say, "how about your sprawling media empire?" Funny you should ask. Just kidding. Absence of a sprawling media empire notwithstanding, I am happy to report that Josh Marshall, in a valiant effort to give me something to do this summer that (unlike learning to drive and speak Spanish) doesn't fall under the category of "Finally getting around to what everyone else did in high school," generously asked me last month to be a Research Fellow over at TPMCafe. I've been working with a great group of folks over there on the Auction House, our attempt to keep up with the many-splendored series of scandals surrounding The Hammer and his tools. It's been a blast so far, and I'm sure will continue to be. My first Auction House post, a look at DeLay and Abramoff's sketchiest mutual friends, went up last week. Think of it as (with pretty insincere apologies to fellow Akiba Hebrew Academy alum Mitch Albom) Six People You Don't Meet in Heaven. Check it out.