We were just saying that because of the Paris Hilton drama with her calling out to her mommy and the tears and the live televised trip to the courthouse, that today anyone could announce anything else and no one would care or notice.

And just then we hear that Mayor Tony announced that he and his wife of 20 years are separating.

"Each of us loves our children more than anything in the world, and we are committed to working together for their benefit," [Antionio] Villaraigosa said in a statement. "I ask that the media and the public respect our privacy through this painful period of transition."

A spokesman said that Villaraigosa was taking the weekend off but that he would be temporarily moving out of Getty House, the mayor's official residence in Windsor Square, next week. - LA Times

Update: Emmanuelle Richard writes in to remind us that Luke Ford called this back in January.

The mayor and his wife Corina haven't been seen together in public in about ten months (since the president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, visited in May 2006). Villaraigosa no longer wears his wedding band (not since the first week of September 2006). His wife does not live with him in the mayor's mansion (I don't think she's ever lived there with him).

photo by noeltykay

In the midst of our driest rain season to date, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is urging the people of Los Angeles cut back on water consumption by 10%. Along with the drought here in LA (just 3.21 inches of rain in downtown since July 1 of last year, down 12 inches from the average) eastern Sierra Nevada which supplies Angelenos with about half of our water is also experiencing record low rainfall and an abnormally small snowpack.

Officials say we're in good shape for the summer thanks to last year's snowpack in Sierra Nevada that exceeded the average year by 145% and the addition of a reservoir in Hemet.

The LA Times offers some tips on how to conserve water including:
• Take shorter showers.
• Use a broom, not a hose to clean your driveways and sidewalks.
• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
• Don't use your toilet as a wastebasket.

All good tips, I guess. (Seriously, don't use your toilet as a wastebasket?)

But I also think we need to look into decreasing in the number of photo shoots involving scantily clad females in showers and car washes. As much as I enjoy seeing a beautiful female showing off her goods while soaking wet, like this pic and that pic and oh yeah can't forget about this one either, I think the future of our water supply slightly edges out drenched eye candy. Photographers, I am looking at you on this one. For the good of the planet let's stick to chocolate syrup, baby oil and other liquids that we can live without.

Photo by mikemacadaan via flickr