So, what happens when a magazine and website suddenly fold with very little notice (as in the announcement is made mid-morning and everyone has to be out by 3pm)? Well lot's of things we imagine, including perhaps a quick lesson in assembling card board boxes, followed by some heavy drinking, and later a long generous good-bye. But also? A lot of good and timely writing that now has nowhere to go (this may prove to be a fruitful week for The Daily Beast). What's a writer to do?

Well if you're Ana Marie Cox, (current Swampland contributor, also our sometimes roommate at the Denver convention), who was up until last week Radar's Washington editor, you take matters into your own hands. Or website. To that end Cox has set up a donation system to help fund her travels with John McCain for the next week (there is an election in eight days you may recall!) Did you know it costs over a $1000 a day to travel with a campaign?! Also, Cox apparently has a half-finished article on "The Last Days of the McCain Campaign," which she says is "full of chewy, insidery goodness. Word rate negotiable!" Never fear, like all good pledge drives there will be bonuses. Cox explains.

When we caught up with her over the weekend, Cox told us that she is already coming up on $900 worth of donations and that,

Each and every cent is a miracle that I'm grateful for in these hard economic times. I realize that, in many, many ways blogging is a luxury — for both readers and writers. I hope this little experiment proves that it's not a luxury that's BAD for you (like cigarettes or moonshine), but rather more like heroin or porn. That is to say: bad for you but ultimately worth it. But seriously, I'm incredibly grateful and touched that people are giving what they can.

As for that available half-done article? "It is a behind-the-scenes Mccain piece — like Draper's but funnier; more about characters and personalities, less about the strategy. The Radar version of his piece, if you will!

And for those wonder what's in it for them, Cox has assembled a list of gifts for donations (she's also taking suggestions). For example, for a donation of $250 or more Cox will ask a senior McCain adviser the question of your choosing and send you the MP3 audio of the exchange. However! Her husband would like people to know that he plans chaperoning should anyone actually shell out $1000 for the dinner.