...as losing on Jeopardy! was having Salon ignore me when I pitched an article about my experience. Ah, well!

I got Final Jeopardy right, but my betting strategy was off, and I ended up in second place. The silver lining: It inspired me to take up a new career, and now I'm a genuine game-show host.

Here's how Rolling Stone comes up with these lists:

-- Each of the seven or so members of the music staff comes up with his (almost entirely) own list. No interns or nonedit people are consulted. These guys are smart, but they don't have much more expertise than your average music geek.

-- The seven guys get together and half-heartedly pass around lists. Someone makes a master list.

-- Certain names are cut when they prompt howls from a staffer or two. Others are added in the interest of pleasing Jann Wenner.

-- What's left is cut down to 40 (or whatever number they're shooting for) through an uninteresting process of justification and random gut-trusting.

In other words, don't take it too seriously.

Having seen The Dark Knight, and thoroughly enjoyed it, I disagree with this review. But I respect the reviewer's opinions and the fact that she express them intelligently.

What really fries me is the headline on the home page: "Holy hype, Batman!" Apart from the fact that this exact phrase was used, oh, 73 million times when the first Burton Batman film came out in '89, it's the single most tired journalism cliché in regards to superheroes (not just Batman).

I know, minor point, but if there are two things in media I love, it's superheroes and Salon.com. You can do better.

1. Sebelius. It's time for a woman, and the Clinton people will get over it (they already have).

2. Bayh. Experienced and appealing, though I think it's a myth that a VP candidate can flip a state on his own.

3. Kaine. Kind of an unknown, and again, I don't think he alone can win Virginia. Obama's going to win it regardless.

4. Biden. Too many embarrassing gaffes.