That's the question. The answer: a) I don't know, b) everything? It's all upside down.

For example: The LA Weekly had a mock news story online a few days ago in which Machine Project was tapped to take over MOCA (with the founder declaring WTF when told MOCA was going to be Machine's responsibility). The piece was supposed to be funny, and it was, but the thing is: What's so funny? I think it's a great idea. Of course, Machine's Echo Park storefront gallery is a bit small for MOCA-style exhibitions, but maybe the Downbeat Cafe and Echo Park Film Center would share space. Ha ha. But, really.... So that was "news" offered by the newly cored (read gored) Weekly.

Then there was "real" news about traffic and a guy who was shot several times (just south-east of Echo Park) on the 101 in a Bentley. NOT funny. He died. But shoot me if I didn't think I was reading The Onion when I checked in on the L.A. Times. Seriously.

The headline and a significant portion of the story/post is given to the traffic jam caused by the bullet-ridden Bentley. But more than half is about the initial "incident," which a cop tells a reporter "is a real whodunnit." The following is from the same story that describes the driver slumped over the wheel of the car, which has crashed into the median:

Trina Unzicker was driving her two girls to school when she hit the traffic.

"As soon as I hit the I-5 off of Burbank Boulevard, it was pretty obvious there were problems," Unzicker said. "Traffic was barely moving. And I figured I'd beat the bad freeway traffic, get off on the 2 and then into Echo Park, but no -- it was all a mess."

Unzicker, 40, was making the trip downtown to drop her 2-year-old twins at preschool.

"They kept saying 'school, school' and we were so late we missed their morning snack so we had to dig into their lunches," she said. "I had to listen to this Elmo CD 2 1/2 times in a row and by the time I dropped my girls off I was ready to break that disc."

Normally, the drive from her Burbank home takes about 20 minutes, but "today it took an hour and 20 minutes," Unzicker said. "And I missed a doctor's appointment I had scheduled for two months."

I do happen to know that getting stuck in traffic with a toddler in the backseat is not funny. "Just hang on, sweetie pie," you tell your crying, kicking child. "Just another forty-five minutes and then we'll be home. I promise." I also know about Elmo rage. I remember the Elmo phone we had. For example: Late one night my dog, who can't hear, snuck up on the couch and sat on the Elmo phone, which kept beeping and beeping and saying "Elmo here!" until I came out, woke up my dog, who jumped down from the couch, and I grabbed the damn Elmo phone. And then there was the guy who was shot ten times at 3:15 a.m. and died. ...

The point: One of the (hopefully not completely lost) arts of journalism is in finding the tone of a story. Choosing which details can be left out as well as which ones are most important to a story. Or when one story should be split into two. Call me romantic, but as a reader I am quite attached to reading my news after it has been sorted and edited. Or call me lazy.

In any case, upside down. Machine Project sent out a serious email to supporters the other day. The organization is quite sincere about its mission, but its communications -- and many of its exhibitions and projects -- are blessedly hilarious. Not so this time. The organization is hurting badly along with so many arts organizations (and everything else) in this economy.

Dear Friends, Machine is confronted with a serious challenge and we need your help.

I started Machine five years ago because I wanted a place that was comfortable, friendly, and interested in everything in the universe. Every month, our operations manager Michele and I have to raise almost $9,000 just to keep the doors open. Money above that amount we use to create the free events at Machine (almost 100 in 2008!) and put on shows like our one day takeover of LACMA. To survive we raise money from four sources - grants, workshops, the sale of books, and members – or future members – like yourself.

As the economy goes tragically haywire, everyone faces challenges including the foundations who grant us money. As a result, funding we were counting on to pay Michele's salary and the rent on our space will be significantly less, as in OH SHIT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY THE RENT less.

It doesn't sound like a joke, and it isn't one.