Mainly, she's been working on her Gold Digger Poker site, and it seems it's paying off. Benson has had considerable success at the World Series of Poker, advancing to at least today's round (we haven't heard more word since then; the WSOP is not so good at the live updates).

Personally, as mentioned, we're not too crazy about considering poker a sport; if ESPN didn't broadcast the WSOP, no one would think of it that way at all. But, when you remember that Benson was suspended for 10 minutes during the tournament last year for cursing, we're glad to see she's improving. Though when she eventually does lose, we will be disappointed if she doesn't take a bite out of the person who eliminates her.

Benson Knocks Out That 70s Show's Prepon [Vegas Syndicate]
Anna Benson Will Fight For Her Right For Fur [Deadspin]

(UPDATE: As several commenters have noted, Benson "busted" in glorious fashion late yesterday, as captured by the charming fellows at Wicked Chops.)

MEDIA ALERT

ANNA BENSON DISMISSES DIVORCE PETITION

April 4, 2006 - According to her attorney Jeffrey B. Bogart, Anna Benson today has dismissed her divorce petition filed in Atlanta, Georgia. She expresses her love for her husband and her sincere desire to reconcile their marriage.

Source: 5W Public Relations

Now. OK.

This world is full of scary, scary things, nasty large things, with sharp teeth and pointy claws. These things hold us all the day through, and they make us feel less than well, or, even worse, as if we are something other than we have always told ourselves we were. These things make us scared; they make us dead inside. They make us lose faith in our basic self-trust, as if the world is constantly shifting beneath our feet, as if what we have always thought of as real no longer exists as such.

And then ... as quickly as it had all been pulled away ... our faith is renewed. We look outside, and the sun shines brighter, the grass glistens, the sky is vast, open, endless, beautiful. There's hope out there, kids. There's hope for all of us. Your faith was rewarded.

It all worked out. Sleep easy, everyone: It's all going to be OK.

The Day The Music Died [Deadspin]

Wait. We're not ready. Give us a second.

According to the New York Daily News, Anna caught Kris cheating on her with one of her friends. This, of course, begs the question: Anna Benson has friends? Anyway, Benson's publicist says, "She's completely crushed; she didn't see this coming. She had no choice but to take this action."

Hmm. Far be it from us to cast aspersions on the reputation of a woman with a shitload of guns, but let's look at the facts here. Just after a trade from the largest media market in the country to Baltimore, in the middle of spring training, Kris Benson decided that not only he was going to have sex with a woman who was not his wife, but specify that it be one of her friends? Really? Either Kris Benson is an even bigger moron than any of us could have possibly imagined ... or something's fishy about this tale. Or both, we suppose.

Bensons Kayoed [New York Daily News]
The Day The Music Died [Deadspin]
Do Not Mess With Anna Benson And Her Guns [Deadspin]

Each generation has its cultural touchstones, those moments when everyone remembers where they were, at that specific moment, from that second until the day that they die. Late at night, at a dinner party or social function, someone will mention the event, and the party will hush, and recollections will be shared with whispers, as quiet as possible, so as not to upset the delicate nature of such sacred memories.

This is one of those moments: According to her publicist, Anna Benson has filed for divorce from her husband, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kris Benson. She says the marriage is "irrevocably broken."

You were there. Let's all share this moment. Let us never forget. Only with time will these wounds heal.

Anna Benson Files For Divorce [Mets Blog]

(Photo via AnnaBenson.net)

The conversation will no doubt focus primarily on:

• What to do instead of sitting on your fat ass collecting welfare.
• "Loofa Things." (Or, say, "falafels.")
• "Magniloquent diarrhea."
• "Dorks" who "hug fucking trees."
• Pretty much anything involving ripping the flesh off an animal and letting its blood drip down your chin while its shrieks lessen in volume until, with a final muted gasp, it mercifully meets a timely death.
• New Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

"The O'Reilly Factor" [Fox News]
Dumb, Dumb [AnnaBenson.net]

I think there's a good chance that the interviewer, David Asman, is masturbating under the table. Images of Anna in various whorish poses flash by in the background as Asman refers to Anna's "sexy poses" and "wonderful poses" while seeming as nervous and giddy as a junior high boy at his first school dance. Of course, he might just be excited because he gets to mention Anna's hatred of PETA and Michael Moore, things he likely finds equally as titillating.

You can see the entire interview and read a transcript here. If you want.

Fox's Asman touted Anna Benson's "wonderful," "sexy poses" during interview on Cavuto [MediaMatters.org]

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Anna Benson lent her name, credibility, and dignity to the world of online gambling. Anna has signed a deal to endorse "Golden Spirit Poker."

I've got nothing against online poker. I myself have played the occasional hand. But somehow, online poker rooms now seem kinda... sleazy. I didn't feel that way yesterday. But now that Anna Benson's involved... eh, no thank you. I don't feel like playing anymore. I think it takes someone truly remarkable to make online poker seem sleazy.

The woman frightens me, to be quite honest with you. If I had to choose a roommate, and my choices were Anna Benson and Ron Artest, then I'm about to become real acquainted with the artists on the TruWarier label.

• The clip starts out with Anna saying, "About two hours into the shoot ... well, actually, my husband found out from the media that he had been traded." Kris, with Anna in his lap, immediately contradicts her: "Actually, I found out right after I got off the plane." Aw, he's getting his ass kicked when he gets home for that one.
• Anna has this "Jesus, stop talking, robot" look on her face every time Kris gives some athlete-specific cliche like, "just keep on keepin' on." Honestly, it's so hard to get good help these days.
• Anna chimes in with, "I know a lot of Mets ... a lot," as Kris clears his throat.
• Best part: Anna explains how a part of Kris' contract required $1 million to go to "fighting terrorism and fighting, um, fighting children's issues."

There is no more worthy cause than fighting the issues of children, we assure you. (Hell, at least she's not shooting at them.)

Anna And Kris Traded To Baltimore! [FHM]

Thanks largely, we'd guess, to the newfound Baltimore traffic, AnnaBenson.net is down right now, so we're not able to check and see if there are new rants about guns or eating flesh. But we'll just say that we wouldn't be surprised if The Orioles Bird is looking into jobs with the Ravens. Just in case.

Why I'll Miss Anna [Faith And Fear In Flushing]
Anna Benson Will Fight For Her Right For Fur [Deadspin]

Now it's up to everyone else on Baltimore's roster to do what they can to get Kris Benson to cheat on her... just to see what would happen. Honestly, there is no way to predict how Anna Benson is going to react to this. I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect a Playboy shoot very soon, as well as an update to her website that is ignorant, profane, and frightening.

For infinitely more on the specifics of the deal, see:

News: Mets Trade Benson to O's for Julio [Mets Blog]
Benson-for-Julio talks revisited consummated [Amazin' Avenue]
Mets Deal Kris Benson to Orioles [Shea Faithful]

The two newest updates to the site are most entertaining. First, Anna — whose love for eating animals is well-documented — addresses an open letter to gun "haters", which includes the classic line, "Correct me if I m wrong, but any gun can be used in a crime. Hell, I can turn a pen into a weapon if necessary. Double hell, forget the gun and the pen, I ll mow somebody over with my car ... are you gonna try to take my car away, too?"

And, even more amusing, Benson goes after poor New York Daily News scribe Adam Rubin, whose story about Anna caused a bit of a stir a few weeks ago. Benson calls him "Adam Boobin" and reprints his emails. Careful Adam: She'll mow you down with her car.

AnnaBenson.net [Official Site]

Take your time, Kris Benson. And cross your fingers that somewhere, someplace, somehow, there is somewhere very far from here, where your life is different somehow, where you have a nice wife named Taylor, and she bakes pies and supports your career and doesn't threaten to sleep with all your teammates were you to ever be unfaithful. (Oh, and doesn't always threaten to kill the dog.) That place has to be out there, Kris. Maybe Kansas City.

NY Mets Christmas Party Gallery [Newsday]

We do, however, like what this could inspire in Anna Benson. We imagine devoted bunny murderer Anna encouraging her husband's new team to buy a counter advertisement, in which she's rolling around in a bikini made of bacon in a pool of venison blood, her tongue lapping around a piece of beef jerky suggestively.

Boving Boobs [NY Post] (second item)
Anna Benson Will Fight For Her Right For Fur [Deadspin]

Anyway, apparently Anna is no fan of PETA and their anti-fur protests. To say the least. From her open letter to the organization:

And where did you get the idea that animals should have the same rights as mentally challenged people? Maybe we should let animals compete in the Special Olympics as well? You re suggesting that they have the same mental capabilities, so why not? You are all fucking crazy and idiotic for being so radical and one sided about animals. They have, like, two cells in their little animal heads, but I think natural instinct helps them understand that they are here to eat and be eaten.

And I also think that the animal gods understand that, in the big scheme of things, some animals must give up their fur to keep me warm just like some humans must give up their lives because Mr. Bear didn t like them walking through his woods. Besides, if animals were not killed some, they would take over the earth, multiplying exponentially, and our resources would be jeopardized. Your idiot-based campaigns make me want to go kill some deer.

We're hardly huge PETA boosters, but, for the record, we would very much like to see dogs compete in the Special Olympics.

Letter To PETA [AnnaBenson.net] (bottom of page)
Anna Benson Is MAKING NEWS [Deadspin]

This, of course, makes perfect sense, the Mets trading away someone because of the assuredly wretched publicity it would receive for a players' wife posting nude. We full expect a statement from Anna next week saying that Willie Randolph took Benson out in the sixth inning when he had plenty left because of her upcoming appearance on VH-1's "The Fabulous Life," that Benson shoulder troubles stemmed from her impending fragrance line and that the Mets' late pressing of Benson's uniform on her appearance on the Howard Stern show on "E!" airing at 11 p.m. weeknights, Eastern/Pacific.

Amazin's Hurler's Wife Pitches Fit [NY Daily News]
AnnaBenson.net [Official Site]

(As usual, Newsday's Jon Heyman had this first.)