Harold Meyerson of the Washington Post has a clear-eyed take on the political skullduggery that Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have been engaged in, trying to play both sides of their "moderate Republican" position in an increasingly extreme political age. Of course, Phoenix readers know exactly how "moderate" they are, having voted with George W.

Just a couple small thoughts. Lady Gaga's such a superstar that her appearance in Portland left me wanting just a tad more spectacle.

1) I'm bummed she got out of a petroleum-powered vehicle, rather than emerging from the center of the fountain at Deering Oaks Park.

2) She was not wearing an outfit made either of vegetables or other side dishes.

That's right -- as we reported earlier, Lady Gaga has decided to get up on a soapbox about DADT at a Servicemembers Legal Defense Network rally at Deering Oaks Park today, and you can see the whole thing in all its live-streaming glory above. (She goes on around 5; and so does the live stream.) UPDATE: Full video is now here.

Last week, I wrote about the campaign to bring an elected-mayor system to Portland.

Earlier this week, Cheryl Leeman and the Citizens to Retain Responsible Government held a press conference stating their opposition to such a proposal. They cited cost as their primary concern, saying that establishing such an office would cost about $150,000; the Elect Our Mayor; Yes on One campaign said the elected mayor's $60,000 salary would be "very modest."

The methodolgy may be flawed (and at least the numbers suggest that when we do bone, we do so safely), but according to a Men's Health list of "America's Most Sex-Happy Cities," Portlanders need to start having having more sex.

Our favorite quote, from Ray Routhier's article in the Press Herald comes from Maine comedian Karen Morgan: "Who needs sex toys when you've got coffee brandy?"

Here comes winter.

This was just posted on Facebook:

Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today. I have come to the difficult decision to close the doors of North Star. I have so much love for this community and this city. I am sad to say goodbye, but I am grateful for the three years you have embraced me and the North Star as family.

This made me laugh. "Five 'favorite books' that are a warning sign on dating profiles" -- including anything by Ayn Rand or The Notebook ("This is either the kind of dipshit guy who puts Nicholas Sparks on his profile to seem sensitive, or the kind of dipshit girl who falls for it."). My personal list would include On the Road (too many associations with faux-bohemian Boston University boys) and anything by John Updike or Philip Roth (too much old-man-sexist stuff).

Back in March 2009, Portland Phoenix food writer Brian Duff told you about the wonders of Dean's Sweets. A couple months later, we declared the truffle-only Middle Street chocolatier's "The Best Totally-Legal, All-Ages Drug Dealer."

And now, 18 months later, the world has gotten around to noticing what we - and you, savvy Phoenix readers - have known all along.

Every now and again we get a piece of reader mail that bears remarking upon. Yesterday's sampling, bearing only the return address of "poet/artist," was the torn-out first page of "Dumped" by Andrew Steinbeiser.

This one was drawn and written on in ways that appeared to suggest that the sender was blaming the Portland's Dumpster-overload problem on Muslim men who "demand the women haul the trash" and, presumably, drop it in Dumpsters late at night and in the early morning.

Look, we know Maine senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins only appear moderates by contrast with their rabid, attack-dog, mama-grizzly Republican coreligionists (I've reported on that before). But seriously, Olympia and Susan? Opposing Obama's tax plan because it cuts taxes for 95-percent-plus of Americans, but lets tax breaks expire for people making over $250,000 a year?