Live Q&As;

Tell me about it. If these two crazy kids can't make it work, just what hope do the rest of us have -- oh, hell, I can't muster the enthusiasm for my own lazy cliches. While I am sad to hear of anyone breaking up, at this point it just feels like another rote plot twist, doesn't it?

Well, the tabloid editors are SO happy that they kind of cancel out your sad. 

Here is the story from the Post when SPLC designated Family Research Council a hate group, which generated its own controversy. Like them or not, they are an influential lobby in Washington; to mention that someone works there hardly seems controversial, considering my National staff colleagues frequently cite FRC's spokespeople for their side of an advocacy issue. Meanwhile, I don't know -- do you WANT reporters blocking out certain voices because you don't agree with them? What if they did that to the voices you agree with?

You make a good point. To me, Ronan looks so much like his mom I have a hard time seeing ANY dad.

Khole and Lamar. An American Tragedy, small screen version.

Living? I'd call it performing, albeit a 21st century version that requires no talent. But they invited the cameras in -- begged, actually -- and don't seem to be throwing them out. So maybe the show had nothing to do with the split. 

Since when is who-gets-jobs-in-Washington a matter of "what's fair"? Of course, his celebrity undoubtedly had a lot to do with it; FRC President Tony Perkins said last spring that beyond whatever he liked about Josh's resume, his group also wanted to tap into the constituencies that love the Duggar family clan on TV. So there you go. You probably don't have much right to complain unless you applied for that job or you gave the group money.

I think "Country Roads" is the big favorite. Chatters? Anyone know more?

Yes, RIP Tom Clancy, one week later -- and thanks to the RIP'ing chatter last week who alerted us to the well-remembered quote from that 1993 story, which gave us much fodder. The one about "if $120,000 a year is the best job you’ve ever had, you haven’t really done very much.” We asked our colleague Peter Carlson about doing that interview. It was pretty funny.

Point well taken.Does that mean we have to make some digs at the new ambassador, just to balance things out?

Yes, and this has been reported extensively -- that brief sentence I gave you was just to provoke you to read further. Cameron Douglas was busted for trying to smuggle drugs behind bars, which got him a longer sentence and some time in solitary, apparently.

Do they do ANYTHING privately? Just asking, because I don't watch the show.

Remember that everyone has different tastes. Some people, for example, love Reliable Source. Others don't -- although, for the life of me, I can't imagine why.   

You're not old. You're...seasoned.

But you haven't answered the question -- should I start watching? I think I once watched a few minutes of KUWTK. I might have been on a treadmill.

Not me. I figure he's missing out on some great stuff.

Now that song will be running through my head ALL DAY. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

Yes, absolutely -- I'm counting on you to suggest some names.

Yes indeed, seventh is the one that lasts.

9 a.m.? Her life's gonna be hard enough as it is without me.

Does that mean I don't do snark?

Did you crib that from the tweet that went viral? All these house fires are making me nervous.

Too late!

TLC is part of Discovery, not part of NBC. . . . And it looks like they weren't on "Today" today; they were on  "Today" a few months ago talking about maybe adopting #20, but there was some Web interview today promoting the new season that suggested "well, maybe."

Not exactly. But a fan of the chat, which is just one of the reasons he's a good guy.

I told everyone I needed to tell, and the Washington Post announced it to the newsroom early last month. It's not really a "story" to be scooped, unless you move in incredibly small and lame circles.

Pfft. The chat is her favorite part of the week. We'll drag her back for guest appearances.

The problem with "Ava" is that those are my initials. Also, "Ava" is way too popular these days.

Congratulations! We both have Jennifer Love Hewitt as our pregnancy spiritual guide this time around.

Here's the beauty of it: You can just make it up yourself!

I don't know -- I mean, at the end of the day, that's just one reader right there. Of course he's influential, but I don't foresee him creating case law that bans readership of the Post. I've been around long enough, to hear enough figures public or obscure complain that the Post is "too liberal" or "too conservative" to get particularly worked up about it. It's something for people to talk about.

If we're Emma Frost, we're not going to tell.....

Oh, please. She didn't have to say a word about having a baby. As for feeling sorry ---well, as we have discussed many, many times, the burdens of her public life must be weighed by the many, many, many opportunities she has received because of her family name.

Richard Dawkins, the prominent British evolutionary biologist, got knocked off this week. His hokey-pokey was really not bad at all -- I'd have put it in the top six, in fact -- but atheists don't do well on this show. On the bright side, that means that Amanda Knox is still in the running.

Ha! Jeff is already married to a lovely woman, or for sure he  would have snapped up Amy. 

I knew him in real life first, but he's spent a lot of time in these chats picking fights with people. Don't think he's here today, though I've tried to lure him in.

Nothing yet, but the official transfer of ownership just happened last week. I expect some changes after he gets a chance to spend some time researching what works and what doesn't for his vision of the future.

Sure, it's just that I've always associated "ava" with my own initials.

I'll be around for a while, so don't panic yet.

I wonder if it has anything to do with protecting him from other prisoners? Just wondering.

Interesting to know. I'm fascinated why some American celebrities become national icons in other countries. It always strikes me as random.

Ooh, I love when minor celebrity news breaks while we're preoccupied with the chat and therefore I hear it from you guys first. . . . Indeed, says here she is engaged to a Ukrainian boxer, which is so hot. I am, no joke, a huge Hayden Panettiere fan, from watching "Nashville." And you know, of course, I've maintained for years that she's the next Jane Fonda.

Oh, god knows -- that's probably him too.

It's hard to say that it was a good dress or a bad dress, but it was a DRESS.

Am I already slipping? Because I don't know who you're talking about. I assume Brittany is Britney -- and her show doesn't open for another 12 weeks, so I doubt it's tanking yet -- but I have no idea who Mia is. But I'm soon about to have all kinds of lovely excuses for being clueless!

Aw, you're making that up. I didn't get into this in the story, but Danoff told me (as he's said in other interviews) that he was inspired by driving around the mountains of western Massachusetts -- see, also four syllables like "West Virginia" -- as well as some scenic down I-81 to Roanoke, when he kind of cluelessly assumed that on the far side of the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge was West Virginia. Like he said, he'd never actually been to the state before he wrote the song.

Then it stays in Vegas, silly.

Trying, but nothing's happening.

There will be a book. There's ALWAYS a book, and then we'll hear another version of the story.

No, just going on leave in a couple months (although getting off this fast-paced beat more immediately) and returning to some other more normal job next year. . . And thanks so much for the nice words! Like I said, I'll probably still hang out in the chat for the next couple weeks, this being the easiest and most enjoyable part of my week, thanks to all of you. 

Right? You don't have to actually Keep Up with the Kardashians, or even read about them or watch them at all -- information about them just seeps into your bloodstream like radon. And thanks for your nice words.

Lila, Reba. Vera, Rebel, Carole, Cari, Les, Belle, Bella, Lee, Verle, Ivie, Sal, Sailor, Couer, Leroi...for a start.

Lerci? Oh, that's Leroi. Still, Lerci could work.

Don't look at me. I watched one episode and didn't get the appeal. My only guess is that it gives hope to people without any real talent that they can be rich and famous, too.

OHHHH. Sorry, got confused there. Thought someone named Mia was raising questions about parentage with Britney.  Dang, you're good. . .

What was Mia's point of bringing up parentage at this time? Obviously Vanity Fair asked the question, but it was prompted by earlier eyebrown raising in a Liz Smith column, and I'm sort of assuming no one would have gone there if she weren't cool with it. . . So my answer to the quetsion of why Mia Farrow is bringing up Ronan's parentage at this time is: Because she is a minx. A world-class rascal/enchantress.

Thanks so much!

Not a gray hair you could see -- that's the real miracle of science.

I don't think that's been claimed by any celebrities, has it?

In hindsight, we should have figured out a way to get married inside the chat. Oh, well -- it's an idea for next time, I guess. Time to tune out here; I'll (probably) be back next week to help draw you out of your shells. Thanks for all your nice words -- and stay in touch all week at reliablesource@washpost.com.