Cruise's Bruisin'

IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING that Tom Cruise is not running for Congress this fall. His approval numbers stink. A USA Today/Gallup poll puts Cruise's favorability rating at 35 percent. The "Mission Impossible" star's unfavorability rating is 51 percent. To put these numbers in perspective, the general public loves Tom Cruise more than President Bush (a recent Gallup poll put the president's favorability rating at 31 percent), but those numbers would make a challenge to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., (who represents Hollywood, west Los Angeles and Malibu ... we're sure Cruise owns some property there somewhere) quite difficult. So do you think Cruise should run for Congress? He probably wouldn't get any donations from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association.
Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
» "In Public's Eyes, Tom's Less of a Top Gun" [USA Today]

» HE WON'T GO AWAY: David Blaine wants a second shot to prove to the world that he can be deprived of oxygen and live. [Female First]

» COPY CAT: After Ashlee Simpson got a nose job (she won't confirm that officially ... sort of) now Nicole Ritchie is considering a new look for her nose. But it comes in with an added bonus. Ritchie says that she's too thin and should eat more. The world could stand seeing Ritchie eat a little more. [AP via WBAL; All Headline News via Dlisted]

» AN ENDANGERED PLACE: We're sad to see that the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building has been added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's endangered places list. It's a grand, majestic building built between 1879 and 1881 next to the Smithsonian Castle. It's being mothballed because its roof is in bad shape and there's no money right now to restore and strengthen the building. Jacqueline Trescott of The Post has an eye-opening piece. [WaPo]

MISSING OUT: So you're stuck behind your desk, but you'd rather be at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles playing around with video games and such. Check out this video blog from Game Daily to see what you're missing. Also check out Kotaku and The Post's dispatches.