Yes, Virginia, editorial meetings really are boring

The Liverpool Daily Post became the first UK newspaper to broadcast its editorial meeting live on the Web on May 13. I couldn't get through more than two and a half minutes. God, editorial meetings were dire when I had to go to them, and I sure wouldn't want to sit through them without being paid. At least if there are no cameras around, most meetings are slightly spiced up by the possibility of a good argument, chastisements over screw-ups in the previous day's paper, and once in awhile an inappropriate comment that has everyone whispering afterward about how so-and-so should watch what he says 'cause someone could go to HR over that. (That last one probably only happens in the States, because I'm not sure what it would take to be considered inappropriate office behavior in the land of making sexual jokes at the office after having a couple beers at lunch, but it's got to be something heavy duty to get into trouble here from what I've heard).

And could the people at the Liverpool meeting look any more uncomfortable? At least if the cameras weren't on they could doodle, surreptitiously read a paper, or try to doze off with eyes wide open. I can't imagine how much it would suck to have a camera at one of these meetings. Check it out below:

Bea Arthur's 10 Best Moments

VH1's The Best Week Ever celebrated Bea Arthur's 86th birthday with clips of her top 10 moments. Check out No. 1 (below) with her reading about anal sex, and the one where she, Sally Struthers, Mrs. Garrett from "Facts of Life" and Mona from "Who's the Boss" do their version of "Sex and the City". Go on with your bad self, Miss Bea! (And thanks to the folks at pyzam.com for making the Hot Like Bea pic available to all.)

Bag is a poot ... er, I mean hoot

The Oracle Shopping Center in Reading is giving away these "Bags for Life" (which is what reusable shopping bags are called in marketing campaigns here) this weekend. The slogan on it refers to gases emitted by cows, which can cause climate change (my hubby could explain all this better than I; let's just say the pic means that people are affecting the environment, too, and we can all try to be "greener").

If you look closely at the pic, the drawing depicts "wind" coming out of the cow's butt! That's right, I picked up my free bag with a picture of a cow farting. I think a U.S. mall would leave the "wind" off the picture, because we're a bit more delicate about bodily functions in the U.S. (a place where it's considered crass to say you're going to the toilet, as Brits do; we prefer saying we're going to the restroom or bathroom - that's far less graphic, as for all you know we're just going to wash our hands. If you say you need a toilet, well, that's more info than I wanted).