Not sure of any details yet exactly, but next weekend includes both (a) the Game Show Congress, which I usually enjoy as a wonderfully geeky event akin to a Renaissance Faire with less fashion sense but a better knowledge of history, and (b) a promotional thing for the new GSN (formerly the Game Show Network) program Grand Slam, which I’m not a part of, but have several friends competing in, all of whom I will cheer for.

The Utah Computah himself should be around for at least some of this, and there’s some chatter about a joint book signing or even maybe a quizzy thing happening. Not sure what yet, to be honest. I’m out of town all week and booked up to the neck, so you might also want to watch Ken’s blog or the GSC site for further info. I’ll update here if I get a chance, of course.

Btw, if you liked Prisoner of Trebekistan and haven’t picked up Brainiac yet, do. It’s what Trebekistan might be if written by a guy who actually, um, knew stuff and won a lot more.

Finally, I should add that the UK version of Grand Slam rocks, and I assume the US version will as well when it debuts. Take all the big winners from other quiz shows and pit them in a tournament of single-elimination, one-on-one games requiring math, wordplay, general knowledge, and general balls under pressure. Here’s a clip of the UK version to see what Ken and Bradzilla and some other friends of Trebekistan have just put themselves through for your upcoming basic cable amusement:

Man, that looks like a blast.

WARNING: The following photo contains intense adorability. Observe at your own risk.

On the left, a tiny duiker, the stackable South African ungulate.

In the middle, a trained professional capable of withstanding high levels of cuteness.

On the right, an even tinier baby duiker. Ankle high. The neutron bomb of cute.

Once you regain consciousness, just remember: you were warned.

This picture (and others which are coming shortly) only exists because of the kindness of some nice folks at the Los Angeles Zoo who have recently taken a shine to this site’s weekly pudublogging. In fact, last weekend, the entire puduland braintrust was given a remarkable VIP tour of the whole place, complete with a well-informed docent explaining all sorts of magnificent things about which animal puts what unexpected thing in some unimaginable orifice for unanticipated reasons, making it all sound so utterly cool. I have rarely been so entertained and delighted.

This was an amazingly wonderful day. Many thanks to Suzanne, Nancy, and Joleen.

Incidentally, if you live in SoCal and haven’t been to the zoo lately, go. Take the kids. Want to help save the world? Teach young people to appreciate wildlife and the environment. Plus, it’s fun as heck.

The pudus are sort of in the back to the right. The nursery, where you’ll find baby whoknowswhats, is in the front to the right. The baby duiker is probably still there if you hurry.

PS — I should also add that I’ve had a fabulous run of fortune lately, and there are lots of other people I need to thank profusely — folks with the L.A. Dodgers, in NY publishing, and doing several varieties of Hollywood thingies. I’m traveling and visiting family at the moment, but there will be much gratitude here asap.

In Los Angeles, the Telemundo news anchor reports on the mayor’s admission of the end of his marriage…

… without mentioning that her own ongoing affair with the mayor is a big reason the marriage is breaking up.

Replace the sex and intimacy with the seductions of power and access, and suddenly the massive shortcomings of nearly the entire Washington press corps seem completely understandable.

[LA Weekly graphic.]

Raw Story writes up the new McClatchy poll.

It’s not like she’s still gaining name recognition, as are most of the other candidates. The public have had 15 years to make up their mind. And Hillary’s "favorable" number is only 39 percent.

Um… anyone who lived in the US in the last 15 years should already know this. It’s not exactly a revelation. I explained why on the day she announced. Which in my mind was little more than pointing out, I dunno, the sky is blue. Just the way things are.

How disliked is Clinton (fairly or not)? Every single other major candidate has net-positive name recognition. Giuliani is +28. Thompson is +24. Bloomberg is +22. Obama is +20. Edwards is +18. McCain is +16. Even the Dog Torturer is +8.

Hillary is at -3.

Granted, Clinton’s $27 million in fundraising this quarter will buy her a lot of headway in distracting the media from the her quantifiable unpopularity. The tent won’t fold. But it is what it is.

The Yankees aren’t so good this year even with Clemens, Pixar is pretty good with the animation, Hillary probably can’t win, and puppies are cute.

This baby pudu is determined not to let Mitt Romney and his roof mounts anywhere near:

Vigilance: the eternal price of not being strapped to Mitt Romney’s family car and driven around at high speed for hours until your bladder gives out.