Arianna Huffington has allowed her editors to run ultra-close ups of the aging body of Vogue's Anna Wintour ("what does she really look like?") and now actresses Lindsay Lohan ("unedited" and splotchy) and Elizabeth Hurley (a bit sweaty). It's a case of her unprofitable company's need for monetizable, non-political Web traffic (read: cheap celebrity clicks) running headlong into Huffington's need to suck up to celebs, who write for her site and come to her parties and help her seem very glamorous.

We won't lecture Huffington on her company's too-often-shoddy attempts to make money in the online publishing racket. At least, not in this post. But we will keep her honest: If Huffington is going to run unedited pictures of others, it's only fair there should be some unedited pictures of her out there.

Click any of the images below to pop-up large, hi-res versions. (Warning, this may slow down your web browser and ruin your lunch.) We've played by HuffPo rules: Posed, red carpet pictures with no editing. We've also excerpted a highlight, as Huffington did with Wintour.

UPDATE: Jessica Wakeman at The Frisky notes that the first chapter of Huffington's book On Becoming Fearless is about positive body image. Plastering someone's picture on HuffPo is certainly one way to nudge that person toward becoming "fearless."

Certain, that is, if you judge from recent history. Here's a roundup of tech chauvinism flare-ups from just the last couple of months:

• "Booth babes" were explicitly discouraged at the TechCrunch 50; some people still hired the attractive spokesgirls.
  
• On stage at the same event, Penn Jilette promoted his iPhone magic app by explaining how it helped a stripper increase her tips. Oy, said Twitter
  
• When the fit, female co-founder of the startup TotalTrainer gave a presentation at VentureBeat's Demo conference, some male geeks in the audience got snarky about her body on Twitter, provoking a backlash against their "sexist tweets."
  
• Attendees at TechCrunch had to be warned not to mock the accents of speakers from foreign countries, according to co-organizer Jason Calacanis.

What's more, the girls who danced on stage at this year's Yahoo Hack Day were merely a sequel to the gyrating women who appeared on stage last year, notes Kara Swisher at All Things D. That's despite the fact that an all-woman team won the top prize at Yahoo's first Hack Day, in 2006, and that Yahoo has a tough-as-nails female CEO.

Chalk it up as evidence that, whether a woman calls the shots or not, the tech world remains heavily male dominated. It goes beyond that, though: Human relationships, across the gender divide or not, get severely twisted in Silicon Valley's intense startup culture, where they're all too often pushed aside to make way for technical achievements (think marathon coding sessions) or business success. The Hack Day incident is as much about interpersonal awkwardness as sexism (does this guy look like he's enjoying himself?).

Images from this year's event are below, via simonwillison.net and CocaChou on Flickr. It's a well-stocked gallery, purely so you can fully appreciate how, uh, deplorable this whole scene was.

via CocaChou on Flickr

via CocaChou on Flickr

via CocaChou on Flickr

via CocaChou on Flickr

Oh, sure, Goldberg married Thomas Goldberg while working in Seattle, but the couple were soon looking to skip town, mulling destinations like New York or London. In the meantime, Goldberg kept a buttoned-down look, as illustrated in the first two pictures below.

Then came Goldberg's ejection from Jobster, his creation of the networking site Social Median (later sold), and his eventual relocation to Hamburg — where Goldberg apparently went very, very gay, as seen in the pictures below.

Tech tyrant or not, we don't begrudge Goldberg his sexy partytime. We're just sad he had to fly east to enjoy it. With the rise of the tech startup scene in India and China, it seemed like proud, defiant hedonism was one of the few sectors San Francisco could corner. So much for that theory.

UPDATE: A tipster writes that at least some of these pictures are connected to a gay charter cruise:

.

..for the record, most of those photos — definitely 4, 5, and 6 — were taken on a cruise ship, the Celebrity Solstice. Probably the Atlantis Events gay charter sailing from Rome this late July - early August. I was on that ship, along with 1,500+ other gay guys, Bruce Vilanch, Patty LuPone . . .

If you know more, we'd love to hear from you.

That's interior designer Ken Fulk's good fortune, according to an article by Deborah Schoeneman in this month's C magazine (think W for California — the article is not online but you can always order a subscription). Ridiculously wealthy startup founders just hand Fulk large bundles of money — or even a blank check — and set him loose. Why second guess your designer when your life is spent buried in software subroutines or analyzing internet business models?

Mark Pincus, the Harvard MBA founder of local networking site Tribe.net and social gaming network Zynga, and his wife "never consulted with their decorator on so much as a paint chip or swath of fabric" for their Cole Valley home. Programmer Michael Birch, who with wife Xori sold the social network Bebo to AOL for a ridiculous $850 million, gave Fulk an "elastic budget" for re-doing their $30 million Pacific Heights mansion, specifying only that Michael wanted a full-service pub imported from London.

How did the projects work out? Wonderfully, if you're in love with electric-blue lacquered walls, animal heads, and very loud stripes. zebra-print rugs and muddy-looking busts on your coffee table. Examples of Fulk's handiwork, from C, in the gallery below. The last item includes a description of Fulk's insane closet.

(UPDATE: This post originally contained a picture of Fulk's own place mis-labeled as Pincus' place. We have corrected it.)

Tribe.net founder Pincus' place in Cole Valley.

Bebo founder Michael Birch's mansion in Pacific Heights.

Designer Fulk. According to C, his own loft is decorated with "lots of taxidermy, vintage furniture and portraits. Instead of a closet, his clothes hang on a rack sheathed in black bags to protect them from the sun. Each bag is affixed with a Polaroid of the outfit inside. His name is printed on the bags as if it were a fashion label."

The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center, a "clearinghouse" spawn of the Department of Health and Human Services, earlier this year launched the Twoofus.org, a multimedia campaign it hopes will spark "a national conversation about marriage among 18-30 year-olds" and "increase confidence that marriage is a viable option." Sounds sexy.

So, how can you survive the "daunting" dating game and tie yourself down? Here are some things to remember...

In light of the national conversation of lawmakers' — ie, Joe Wilson's — personal outbursts, the House Rules Committee today weighed in on how Congressional leaders should and should not respond to Presidential or other governmental edicts. Here's a breakdown...

First and foremost, if you disagree with general policies, it's quite alright to refer to our government as "something hated and oppressive." Hoorah!

Looking to insult our elected officials? Well, now you can say that unnamed officials are "our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs." That will come in handy.

<It is, for the record, unacceptable to call a presidential decree "intellectually dishonest." Well, for Congressional leaders, at least. The rest of you, have at it!

Has the Commander-in-Chief been sticking it around town? Well, you better shut your face, because it's inappropriate to refer to the President's "sexual misconduct." Somewhere, someway, Bill Clinton's nodding his head. Which one remains open to debate — but we can't go on...

If you're a Congressional leader and want to insult the President's message, it's totally cool if you refer to said message as a "disgrace to the country." Use said phrase wisely...

Did the President just veto something you support? Well, tough shit, because Congressional leaders cannot describe such legislative shoot-downs as "cowardly."

Do you disagree with the President's policy? Well, that's fine, but don't you dare claim that he's "giving aid and comfort to the enemy." That's just wrong and, we're sure, misguided.
END

Television — and the entertainment world as a whole — require viewers to ignore reality and focus on the flashing images. Obviously no one believes Vampire Bill exists or that an ugly girl like Betty Suarez would get hired into the wild world of fashion. Those premises require a standard amount if disbelief, an amount that's given a little leeway when dealing with soap operas, where the unbelievable becomes a regular occurrence. But Beverly Hills, 90210 and its popular spin-off Melrose Place largely eschewed aliens, evil twins and the like. At least they gave us some wiggle room to pretend the happenings were, well, happening.

Tonight's premiere, however, pushed the envelope and successfully shattered our childlike ability to believe, if only for a moment, that the idiot box speaks the truth. The reality of this remake's quest to dazzle becomes abundantly clear. But we suppose that's the place to which the entertainment world was meant to land.

Since the start of the current election cycle, the Halliburton PAC has donated about $32,500 dollars to multiple lawmakers, most of them Republicans. That's no surprise, of course, for the company has a long history of cuddling up to the GOP. During the last cycle, they gave $147,500 to that party. So, who are they rooting for this season? A lot of people, but, as the Supreme Court again takes a look at corporations and campaign financing, here are the top five.

While certainly many of the Kennedy clan are in no position to keep the dream alive, there are quite a few who could, if given the chance, maintain the imaginary castle. We've picked out six finalists, all of whom have pros and cons. Who, oh who, has the chops, scandal, ambition and all-around gumption to take Teddy's place at the top of the sprawling dynasty?

Now, there are many hospitable ways to receive one's personal hero, but Obama's not simply a celebrity. He's the President, and he deserves to be greeted as the nation's top political god. And MV's isolated masses didn't disappoint with their various signs, shrines and store fronts. Here we take a look at some of the island's cheery well wishing!

First it was that huge knife he pulled out, at random, on a video posted to his Twitter stream. Now he's admitted to keeping his sword from the Conan the Barbarian movies in his office, as well, and even uploaded a picture of the thing. We thought we'd seen it all in California politics but, honestly, who does this? Is it supposed to frighten his political opponents? Awe fans of 1980s muscle flicks?

We shudder to think what other implements of death the governor might be keeping in that office. This is the guy who starred in Predator, after all. We've let our imaginations run wild in the photo gallery below, showing a logical progression in gubernatorial arms.

The knife Schwarzenegger brandished in July. It CUTS fat from the budget, like education funding. Ha ha, get it??

The Conan sword Schwarzenegger just disclosed. He can really take a WHACK at spending with that thing!

Why not a grenade launcher mounted under an assault rifle? The governor could blow holes in the status quo with that thing. "Today, I am here to LAUNCH a new initiative. I think you'll find its potential is EXPLOSIVE."

A Gatling gun would be great for mowing down the naysayers in the press, right Arnold? "I've put a few new issues into the ROTATION, guys. I hope you don't mind if my answers sound a little CANNON-ED."

Sure, both offices offer the self-consciously hip common areas that have been endemic to internet companies since the late 1990s. Witness the pictures of video games, couches and even mattresses in some of the pictures below (via Photography Lounge).

But it's been 20 years since the publication of Peopleware, the popular software productivity bible that showed how quiet, private offices made programmers more productive. Some software entrepreneurs, most notably New York-based Joel Spolsky, have managed to implement this humane, practical idea on a startup's budget. At Twitter in Facebook, the staff are smushed together in crowded, open-plan offices. And one of these pictures makes it look like Twitter has people working in the basement or something? For all the superficial nods to the sensibilities of their workers, neither Facebook nor Twitter appears to have invested much in the spaces where these people spend the lion's share of their days.

Sure, these companies are growing fast. But Facebook just moved into a new HQ and is supposedly doing $500 million per year in revenue. Which just goes to show that while Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are constantly changing their game, like for the Valley's office drones remains all too similar, boom after boom. At least at these two companies some of the staff have a decent shot at earning a windfall off their stock options — and saying goodbye to Valley programmer pens forever.

Some kind of... sitting bed? Sexxxy. At Facebook.

DJ tables! W00t! At Facebook, obviously.

Facebook is not just a social network, it's also your number one Palo Alto destination for INSANELY discounted HiFi components!

The less cool side of Facebook. No view of the outdoors for YOU!

Even more depressing, somehow. At Facebook.

Surely Twitter's cooler, with this arcade game!

And this cool TV room, with the green deer!

(Twitter HQ)

But it can get a little crowded...

(Twitter HQ)

...especially near the precious, sweet sunlight....

(Twitter HQ)

...but also even in the cork dungeon!

You know who else held meetings in little halls? Oh, lone wacky protestors are kind of funny, aren't they?

Less funny is Glenn Beck, crying on Fox News, because Barack Obama is so much like Hitler. Remember when the Republican Party called this sort of thing "vile political hate speech?"

"IF YOU CAN READ THIS SIGN YOU DON'T NEED A GOVERNMENT VISION PLAN." Also, shouldn't that blonde lady with the "Obahmadinejad" sign be in a veil? No Sharia cops out in that part of the country?

Chris Matthews welcomed to Hardball that protester with the 9mm strapped to his leg. The man cited the 2nd Amenment; he didn't bother explaining his sign invoking a quote about "the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Well, at least people don't bring kids to these crazy, weaponized protests...

...unless absolutely necessary to maximize the effectiveness of a sign.

The government provides free health care to prison inmates and members of the military, so you can, in fact, trade freedom for healthcare under the current system. The sign is funny because it's true!

The lady in the hat is not one of those shy, retiring mob participants, moping around all depressed and apologetic, using her indoor voice and making sense.

Firefly honcho Tom Freston's yoga-loving wife Kathy seems to have forgotten to pack a bra. She seems over it; Tom doesn't.

As AOL's Tim Armstrong learned, IAC chief Barry Diller is entirely comfortable meeting in the bushes.

Rupert Murdoch, after being charmed by Haim Saban and News Corp. underling David DeVoe.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt explains to Microsoft's Nathan Myhrvold and Bill Gates how his new Chrome OS will reduce Windows to a "poorly-debugged set of device drivers."

Harvey Weinstein demands to speak with the insensitive hack who called him a "stress eater."

Walking alone, Twitter's Evan Williams remains aloof.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg listens as Microsoft's Myhrvold critiques his Bill Gates impression.

Eric Schmidt explains how Larry Page conned him into launching another operating system.

Former eBay honcho Meg Whitman brought her trophy husband, all the better to ask for gubernatorial campaign donations with.

Today we have a non film festival report for you and your mittens. Some readers may find it offensive to their gestalt. The event was a birthday party for Jason Kim and Louis Sarmiento, who turned 30. JK = promoter, LS = publisher of Fashion Week Daily and other titles.

The locale was Rendez Vous, a restaurant in the meat-packing district, and then later Kiss and Fly, a club right above it. More on Kiss and Fly in a moment.

Do you feel disoriented when you look at this picture? I know I do, and when I feel disoriented, what I like to do is offer to paypal $7.52 to the first person who e-mails me with the definition of the word "pleonasm." Why $7.52? No fucking idea! Why pleonasm? Because it's a great word, and it deserves more play in the media. A LOT more play, so nyaaaaaah!! This is not a joke. Those dollars have your name on them if you are a word nerd or a fast Googler.

No one at Kiss and Fly was more suprised than I was to see my mom there.

Oh I'm juss foolin' with ya. This woman is not my mother, nor is she my accountant, nor is she my driver. She is Sasckya Porto, a former Miss Brazil, model, and a Playboy playmate. Beyond "uffda" I have nothing more to add to the matter.

Speaking of awkward moments, I was totally wearing the same outfit.

These women, including Hayley Collins on the right, felt very "exposed." Get it? Exposed? Ha ha / Step right this way / The halibut is fresh / but that's not what I'm here to discuss. What I'm here to discuss is what a suck-fest the club Kiss and Fly is.

What a shocker, right? A club in the meat-packing district that sucks? But what I'm bringing you from the trenches is some specific information about this club's brand of suckiness.

Ready? OK, let's go!

I ordered two drinks and put them on my Amex and when I looked at the bill, they had added a 20% tip onto the price of the drinks. And the two drinks were I think over $20, so a $5 tip for two drinks. Gaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Did I get angry? No, I turned to art. I went home and composed a ballad, and the title of the ballad is "Kiss and Fly Can Kiss My Half Russian-Jewish Ass."

If my intuition serves, you woke up this morning and the first thought that entered your mind was "How do photographers prepare, mentally and emotionally, to shoot night life?"

Good question! Having received the invitation to the birthday party, I thought that probably the best way to prepare for it, spiritually and emotionally, was to dive into Joel Kraemer's biography of Maimonides, which, as you can imagine, was an invaluable resource.

The woman on the right was bemoaning the status of her job or relationship or something and I was like, "Well, at least you — unlike Maimonedes — have not suffered 'well-known calamities in Egypt'" (P. 255, paragraph 3). Informers trying to get him whacked, penury, sickness, the works.

Sometimes photographers, in their efforts to report on their subjects, are stymied or met with larynx gouges. This subject would not divulge her name, but she did divulge her neck and her home town: Vegas.

She told me what she does for a living too, but then swore me to mumness, and when I swear, I swear sincerely, like this: FUCK SHIT PISS!

You can find more of Stephen's work here.

This is the one time of the year when journalists and the like get to (at some point) mingle in dresses and suits with actual! Real-life! Celebrities! from who they're not having to pick up press lines from (hence the irritatingly apropos nickname and Twitter hashtag it's since managed to earn: nerdprom). While some are bound to get a little trigger happy with their autograph book/iPhone camera, Cox - who recently argued for the demolition of the White House Press Corps - took on celebu-headhunting with nothing short of absolute moxie (balls?).

Interview with the Wham!-pire. As twittered: Tom Cruise "admitted that he was eager to come to meet (Obama)." Bam's people'll get back at you with that, Tom. Dap?

From earlier in the day, Cox with Gossip Girl star Chase Crawford. He makes everyone look that good. Seriously.

The Gossip Girl tour of the WHCD continues. "Mission fucking accomplished," Cox reports.

OMB Director Peter Orszag is not Stephen Colbert, but still looks slightly emaciated by AMC's iPhone.

Cox with Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee, talkin dollah bills.

I'll just leave this one to her. Ana? "ZOMG ZOMG sigh swoon jon Hamm. #nerdprom totally makes me want to smoke." Us too.

"Secret Service agents NOT AMUSED," Cox tweets. Hard to see why. These guys could stuff the entire WHPCA into a single-serving box of Tide, and have probably thought about doing it, too.

The Monday night event was not without controversy: Amid a 15-year schism with gala organizer and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, designer Azzedine Alaïa was shut out of the ball's related Met exhibition. As Cathy Horyn reported in the New York Times, Alaïa asked the seven models for whom he had made Costume Gala dresses not to wear them; some boycotted the event rather than switch to another designer.

Of course, an big ball does not live or die by a handful of models, even one themed "Model as Muse." A selection of red-carpet pictures follows, all from Getty Images.

Co-hosts Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss.

Event overlord Anna Wintour.

Co-host Justin Timberlake with Jessica Biel (and some eyeglasses).

Gisele Bundchen, who came with Tom Brady, in Versace and Finn.

Madonna, naturally.

Madonna again, from behind, for full effect.

Rihanna in a D&G fitted suit.

Anne Hathaway in Marc Jacobs.

Ashley Olsen.

Mary-Kate Olsen.

Kirsten Dunst.

Kate Bosworth.

Tyra Banks.

Ivanka Trump.

Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, pre shriek.

Wintour's daughter Bee Schaffer in Nina Ricci.

Elizabeth Hurley in Elie Saab.

Marion Cotillard and John Galliano.

A very pregnant Heidi Klum in Gilles Mendel.