Richard Bloom, the mayor from 2002 to 2004, is back again after the bi-annual dance of the slates on the Santa Monica City Council. You probably have to live there to care, but The Lookout captures the weirdness of the infighting that colors so much of what goes on in Santa Monica politics:

O'Connor made the first move, nominating SMRR member Bloom for two years, with McKeown as a mayor pro-tem.

That proposal was backed only by O'Connor and Bloom in the first round of voting.

Genser then nominated McKeown as mayor for two years, with Herb Katz -- who with Council member Bobby Shriver often sides with Holbrook -- as Mayor pro-tem.

But only Genser and McKeown backed the nomination.

The winning proposal -- forwarded by Holbrook -- captured four necessary votes, after O'Connor changed her vote and backed Bloom and Katz.

Predictably, Holbrook, Katz and Shriver – all SMRR opponents – also backed the motion.

Somehow it all sounds like high school.

Also at the beach: A neighbor emails that fire in Santa Monica Canyon this morning destroyed the former Channel Road home studio of the late artist Sam Francis. The adjacent home, recently on the market for $5 million, survived apparently.