To no one's surprise, Senator-turned- actor-turned- presidential- candidate-wannabe Fred Thompson has dropped out of the hunt for the Republican party nomination. Thompson had not done very well in any of the early caucuses or primaries and his exit may actually mean a bump for Mike Huckabee, who has a similar more-conservative-than-the-others platform. more ›

Fans of Late Night with Conan O'Brien are familiar with the hilarious Pale Force cartoons that feature comedian Jim Gaffigan and O'Brien as very pasty crime fighters. But recently, the series hit a new high with the Law & Order: Pale Face story arc. more ›

Ex-Gawker editor Jesse Oxfeld joins New York just in time for the magazine's big story on where celebs are in the city! Well, he's only quoted (as is current Gawker editor Jessica Coen), but given that yesterday's Post went ga-ga over Brooklyn celebs and where you might see them, forget the locusts, it's the day of the celebs. For the record, Gothamist's favorite star-sighting is not seeing Harrison Ford (with, ugh, that earring!) have dinner at Cafe Luxembourg or Nicole Richie at Balthazar Bakery (so tiny - and with DJ AM!), but it was seeing Elaine Orbach at the Vitamin Shoppe on Broadway and West 72nd Street. It was just the combination of famous, obscure, and Jerry Orbach-related that makes us tick. more ›

- Nicolette Sheridan does not look over-Botoxed with fish lips! more ›

S. Epatha Merkerson, Lieutenant Van Buren on Law & Order, stars in a new play at the Public Theater, "Fucking A." Ben Brantley of the Times feels it's well acted if uneven and another sign of playwright Suzan Lori Parks' talent. (Brantley's review is also amusing for how it tries to explain the full title: "The full title of '. . . A' cannot be printed here. Suffice it to say that 'A' is modified by an obscene word heard regularly on the streets of New York and is the adjective of choice on 'The Sopranos.'") S. Epatha certainly has come a long way from playing Reba the Mail Lady on Pee Wee's Playhouse, but her tough-yet-sympathetic demeanor was apparent even then. more ›