August 2003

Dude, where's my star? By Heather Havrilesky
As America's celebrity worship becomes increasingly indistinguishable from celebrity loathing, the unreadable Ashton Kutcher is running the best scam of all. (08/29/2003)

MTV's spontaneous night of crazy fun By Neal Pollack
Two hours into the Video Music Awards -- watching Madonna tongue-kiss Britney, Christina ape Cher, Eminem beat up a puppet -- I entertain a dark thought: Could this all just be an excuse for entertainers to shill their products? (08/29/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
The MTV VMA rundown. Plus: Anna Nicole bails on play, a supermodel begins to show, and LeBron James "definitely on Kobe's side." (08/29/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to a review of "The Essential Difference: The Truth About the Male and Female Brain." (08/29/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
George Bush's Moebius strip foreign policy: Follow the arrows until it all makes sense! (08/29/2003)

Dust jacket By Anne Lamott
I once published a novel that totally flopped. Now, 18 years later and sober, I've given it a haircut, scrubbed its face, and decided to reissue it. (08/29/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
It's a myth that Montreal is a great baseball town, but it does deserve a chance to keep the Expos. Plus: Call for NFL predictions. (08/29/2003)

Will Bush save the dying Middle East peace plan? By Aluf Benn
The road map is on life support, and only the U.S. can save it. But as the election looms, a weakened Bush is unlikely to risk confronting Israel and its U.S. supporters. (08/29/2003)

John Ashcroft: Rockin' America Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Coming soon to your hometown, it's the PATRIOT Act summer concert tour! (08/29/2003)

An inside guide to outsider politics By Eric Schnure and Jeff Nussbaum
As Californians prepare to choose among more than 130 candidates, here are some ways to tell if your guy, or porn star, is the outsider he or she claims to be. (08/29/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Some of the Democratic Party's biggest donors have withheld support from the current field, waiting to see what happens. Former NATO commander Wesley Clark could be it. (08/29/2003)

Out of whack By Cary Tennis
Help! My serotonin imbalance makes me horny but depressed. (08/29/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The pilot journeys to the East, an exotic land of spick-and-span metropolises, superb airlines and gibbons that shriek exactly like car alarms. (08/29/2003)

Letters
Don't blame users for Microsoft's sins: Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "Dumb Software for Dumb People." (08/29/2003)

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Freddy, Jason, Megadeth and me By Tom Bissell
I'm a young, cultured New Yorker who reads Gaddis and Ishiguro. But I can't stand indie rock, I love speed metal and slasher movies, and I refuse to be ashamed anymore! (08/28/2003)

The Fix
Arnold brushes off his past, Mort Zuckerman remembers meeting Brando and Spike Lee goes cable. Plus: Straight guys like to watch gay guys! (08/28/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Super-Fun-Pak Comix: The Adventures of Rob Lowe and His Dog Thor, Science Facts for the Immature, and more! (08/28/2003)

Letters
Readers offer support for an anxious foster father, and a defense of social workers. (08/28/2003)

Baghdad's shame By Brandon Sprague and Adam Shemper
Babies die daily of treatable diseases while their doctors search for black-market drugs, because the U.S can't fix Iraq's corrupt, crime-plagued health system. (08/28/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
It's still possible to look past the ugliness in sports and be a fan, but it takes effort. Plus: It was possible to love Pete Sampras too, but it took more effort than most were able to give. (08/28/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Lenny Bruce Died for Our Sins," by Gary Kamiya, and "We're Losing the War in Afghanistan, Too," by John Sifton. (08/28/2003)

DVDs are for losers By Bill Maher
Good movies are like good sex -- and resale-happy Hollywood has long since gone frigid. (08/29/2003)

There is an emptiness By Cary Tennis
I don't know what happened to my marriage. We share a house and a bed and little else. Is it time to call it quits? (08/28/2003)

Superbug to the rescue! By Katharine Mieszkowski
Genetically modified plants and microbes that gobble up pollution sound like a great idea. But who will clean up after the cleaners? (08/28/2003)

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Bollywood's Tarantino and his band of outsiders By Shailaja Neelakantan
Director and producer Ram Gopal Varma (aka "RGV") has revolutionized India's tradition-bound film biz, rejecting classic costume musicals and weepy melodramas for gritty, urban, low-budget realism. (08/27/2003)

The Fix
Arnold tells all in a 1977 interview! Plus: Woody gets neurotic in Venice, Einstein becomes swimsuit cover boy, and Cattrall calls Clinton charismatic. (08/27/2003)

"Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" By Al Franken
An excerpt from Al Franken's new book. (08/27/2003)

Bestsellers
Al Franken's "Lies" and more in this week's bestselling books, courtesy of Powells.com. (08/27/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
To surgery, with love. (08/27/2003)

My bigoted valentine
He was a good-looking pilot and he wanted to fly me to romantic places. Then he began ranting about gays, peaceniks and "p.c. girls." (08/27/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Boston needs to stop whining about Pedro Martinez's faults and be glad to have his arm. Plus: Jim Bouton on foul ballparks. (08/27/2003)

"They can dish it out, but they can't take it" By Laura McClure
Al Franken talks about his big victory over the Fox News bullies, why Bush can be thrown out in 2004, and comedy as a political weapon. (08/27/2003)

They can't go home again By Michelle Goldberg
Hunkered down in a New Mexico Marriott with the 11 Texas Democrats whose heroic stand against Tom DeLay's power grab is going into its second month. (08/28/2003)

The Dean machine rolls through the Big Apple By Nicholas Thompson
His supporters are all young and white, but in Bryant Park Tuesday the former governor's campaign felt like the real thing. (08/27/2003)

Arrogant Arnold or capable Cruz? By Robert Scheer
The giggle factor might propel a Jesse Ventura wannabe into management of the world's sixth-largest economy. (08/27/2003)

Straight eye for the queer gals By Charles Taylor
Why do men love to see women kissing? It's about self-loathing -- and the lusciousness of the female body. (08/27/2003)

Torn apart By Cary Tennis
Should I risk the stability of my marriage to be with my true soul mate? (08/27/2003)

Dumb software for dumb people By Farhad Manjoo
The Windows world is fertile ground for infinite virus plagues, especially when users refuse to take proper care of their computers. (08/27/2003)

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

Graceful exit for an excitable boy By Shannon Zimmerman
Funny, smart and touching, Warren Zevon's "The Wind" -- his latest album and presumably his last -- is also one of his finest. (08/26/2003)

The Fix
Uncle Walter talks about liberals, Chris Rock talks about being a dad, and Whitney Houston yells at the cops. Plus: MTV is missing a "virgin." (08/26/2003)

Letters
Chuck Palahniuk responds to Laura Miller's review of his latest book. Plus: Salon readers on Palahniuk fans. (08/26/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Casualties of Victory," by Stephanie Booth, and "A Plague Grows in Brooklyn," by Christopher Ketcham. (08/26/2003)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
Trick answers (08/26/2003)

Will she be my daughter? An update By Jon Lowry
I'm still in the hands of the court system that will decide the fate of my foster child. (08/26/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"Playmakers," ESPN's first fictional series, is more soap opera than gritty drama, but it's a guilty pleasure. (08/26/2003)

The fall of John Walker Lindh By Mark Kukis
He met bin Laden and carried arms for the Taliban. And when he was finally captured, he faced the fury of Americans -- U.S. soldiers in particular. Part 2 of an exclusive excerpt. (08/26/2003)

The world press on Afghanistan and Iraq Compiled by Laura McClure
A Taliban fighter boasts about how his comrades beat the Afghan TV minister "like a dog." (08/26/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on Fox vs. Franken and Arianna vs. Estrich. Plus: Pundit David Horowitz on why Joe Conason himself is a "Big Liar." (08/26/2003)

Lenny Bruce died for our sins By Gary Kamiya
Thanks to the martyred comedian, American culture is free to be a wild kingdom. But with his new anti-porn crusade, Attorney General Ashcroft wants to turn back the clock. (08/26/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
After we change Fox's slogan, it may be time to change the title of Chris Matthews' show to "Softball." But only for certain guests. (08/26/2003)

Man-dog love By Cary Tennis
I adore my boyfriend, but his obsession with his dog is ruining our relationship. (08/26/2003)

Truncat By Cory Doctorow
What if you could file-share someone's consciousness? Would it be a violation, or the ultimate communication therapy? A short story by Cory Doctorow. (08/26/2003)

Monday, August 25, 2003

The Fix
Arnie looks like a dork, O.J. admits he inhaled, and Janeane Garofalo says Connie Chung drove her to start smoking again! (08/25/2003)

Of math and makeup tips By Amy Reiter
Men are more logical, women more empathetic? So says Simon Baron-Cohen in his new book, "The Essential Difference: The Truth About the Male and Female Brain." (08/25/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
A fair and balanced look at the successes of the Bush administration. (08/25/2003)

A plague grows in Brooklyn By Christopher Ketcham
Swarms of rats are wreaking havoc on my neighborhood -- inhaling garbage, popping up in toilets, killing trees, even skirting up my leg. Still, they enthrall me. (08/25/2003)

John Walker Lindh's long, dark journey By Mark Kukis
How an earnest American student of Islam became a fighter for the Taliban: An exclusive excerpt from the first biography of Lindh. (08/25/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
We can pay tribute to the late Bobby Bonds by really appreciating, for once, the astounding greatness of his son Barry. (08/25/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Chris Matthews accuses me of erring (he's wrong), and my new slogan for Fox News. (08/25/2003)

Last rights By Cary Tennis
Should I marry a woman I'm not sure about just because it's her dying mother's last wish? (08/25/2003)

One nation, united under economic antidepressants By Joyce McGreevy
Feeling unemployed, bankrupt and badly represented in the nation's capital? Four out of five spin doctors recommend Taxium! (08/25/2003)

Sunday, August 24, 2003

Saturday, August 23, 2003

Franken bests Fox By Michelle Goldberg
Judge calls conservative network case against comedian "wholly without merit" -- and says it could lose "fair and balanced" trademark. (08/24/2003)

Friday, August 22, 2003

"The Medallion" By Charles Taylor
Hollywood's latest act of negligence toward its Hong Kong refugees provides a lesson in how not to film Jackie Chan. (08/22/2003)

Two directors in search of a character By Heather Havrilesky
"Project Greenlight" makes for sometimes thrilling TV. But it -- and its resulting film, "The Battle of Shaker Heights" -- shows why some aspiring auteurs really don't deserve the support of a major movie studio. (08/22/2003)

Top Dogg By Baz Dreisinger
Inside Snoop Dogg's growing empire, where the hip-hop mogul enjoys his wine, women and bong. But can he outrun his gangsta past? (08/23/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Oregon has no money for schools, but plenty for an Expos ballpark. Plus: Jets tell fans, "Don't just stand there, pay up!" (08/22/2003)

Who's tougher on terror? By Joe Conason
Conservatives blame 9/11 on Clinton. But it was Bush Republicans who made deals with terrorists -- while Clinton's team took concrete steps to protect Americans. Part 5 of "Big Lies." (08/23/2003)

Arianna's campaign diary By Arianna Huffington
I knew when I ran for governor my critics would throw mud at me, but I never expected to be called a bad mother. What year is this, anyway? (08/22/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Why not build airports on hilltops, so planes can save fuel by taking off or landing at an incline? The pilot gives the idea all the consideration it deserves. (08/22/2003)

Letters
God vs. Darwin: Readers respond to Katharine Mieszkowski's "A Textbook Case of Bad Science." (08/22/2003)

It's never too early for dot-com nostalgia By Katharine Mieszkowski
"Goin' Dot Com!" is a musical devoted to lampooning and celebrating the joys and horrors of the Internet boom, and it's funnier than it has any right to be. (08/22/2003)

Thursday, August 21, 2003

What we're listening to By Salon's staff
The best songs of the summer -- including steamy offerings from Beyonce and Justin, an ode to infidelity and an unlikely antiwar anthem. (08/21/2003)

The Fix
Did Bush come to Jesus in a motel? Will Sharon Stone be in a catfight? And who does Gray Davis look to for guidance? Plus: Kate Moss does White Stripes pole dance! (08/21/2003)

The moralist By Allen Barra
The exciting new translation of "The Red and the Black" blasts Stendhal into the 21st century. (08/21/2003)

Letters
Chuck Palahniuk's fans fight back! (08/21/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Bob's Eye for the Straight Guy: He'll make you even less fabulous! (08/21/2003)

Casualties of victory By Stephanie Booth
The Griffin family talk about their suspicions about the media, devotion to the military and why their son Kyle did not die in vain. (08/21/2003)

Letters
Independent, or antisocial? Readers respond to an excerpt from "Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto," by Anneli Rufus. (08/21/2003)

Divided over "The Passion" By Eric Boehlert
The furor over Mel Gibson's film is threatening the fledgling pro-Israel alliance between evangelical Christians and key Jewish groups. (08/21/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Where have you gone, Lenny Harris? The Neifi Index returns with a new cast of reserves who make their teams worse. (08/21/2003)

We're losing the war in Afghanistan, too By John Sifton
A human rights worker reports from the other front in the U.S. war on terror, where warlords reign supreme, music is once again banned, journalists hide from gunmen, and even the streets of Kabul are filled with fear. (08/21/2003)

Bush Inc. By Joe Conason
Understanding the political dynasty that's made crony capitalism a way of life. Part 4 of "Big Lies." (08/21/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to excerpts from "Big Lies" and to Arianna Huffington's California candidacy. (08/21/2003)

President Bush, action figure Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Warning: Actual figure may not report for duty! (08/21/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
More notes from a media book tour: What it's like to be ducked by Ann Coulter and avoided by Fox. (08/21/2003)

A Paris tryst By Louis Slovinsky
A memoir of an affair that will simmer in my soul forever. (08/21/2003)

Mad about him By Cary Tennis
Our love makes me feel part of something bigger, but his anger scares me. (08/21/2003)

Fragging for fun and dollars By Christopher Stewart
A new wave of gaming sites reward shooters with cash. Gambling regulators are not amused. (08/21/2003)

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

"Thirteen" By Stephanie Zacharek
Director Catherine Hardwicke collaborated with a teenage girl to accurately convey the gritty realities of American youth. The result goes down like medicine. (08/20/2003)

Return of rock's Angry Old Man By Shannon Zimmerman
Neil Young knocks the mass media and consumer culture in his brilliant -- if sometimes incoherent -- new "musical novel." (08/20/2003)

The Fix
Ann Coulter talks about her underwear, Johnny Depp talks about Willy Wonka, and Mo Rocca makes himself look like Nick Nolte. (08/20/2003)

Bestsellers
Wil Wheaton's stories and more in this week's bestselling books, courtesy of Powells.com. (08/20/2003)

"Diary" By Laura Miller
The wildly popular "Fight Club" novelist Chuck Palahniuk is back with more fodder for his army of disenfranchised Everymen, delivered with all the grace and poetry of a blunt object. (08/20/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Snap! There goes my tennis career. (08/20/2003)

He had me at "allo"
My Ukrainian composer spoke no English, had carpetlike back hair, and smelled vaguely of cooked cabbage. What's not to love? (08/20/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Shrink the preseason! We're ready for the NFL season to start now. The league should kill two meaningless affairs and go to an 18-game schedule. (08/20/2003)

Bush's stealth attack on the atmosphere By Glenn Scherer
The same administration that denies global warming now wants to dramatically increase the use of an ozone-eating chemical. Agribusiness is very happy. (08/20/2003)

The "unconscionable" death of Mazen Dana By Laura McClure
Are journalists being targeted in Middle East war zones? To a colleague of the slain Reuters cameraman, it sure seems that way. (08/21/2003)

Male cheerleaders and chicken hawks By Joe Conason
While Republicans smear Democrats as unpatriotic, a look at the war record of many GOP leaders -- including President Bush -- shows a remarkable aversion to the front lines. Part 3 of "Big Lies." (08/21/2003)

Your daughter's a ho! By Bill Maher
Now that MTV has made pimping a cool lifestyle, is it surprising that suburban teenagers are turning tricks for mall cash? (08/20/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Notes from a media book tour. Plus: Remembering a great man senselessly killed. (08/20/2003)

A higher tax on all your houses By Robert Scheer
Property taxes in California are ridiculously low, but only Warren Buffett has the courage to admit it. (08/20/2003)

Blissful agony By Cary Tennis
What's more insane: Saying no to the man of my dreams or saying "I do" twice in one year? (08/20/2003)

Play ball By Joe Lavin
I'm a hardcore baseball guy not usually into mushy stuff, but this Harlequin romance really put cork in my bat. (08/20/2003)

A textbook case of bad science By Katharine Mieszkowski
Defenders of evolutionary theory in Texas say creation scientists are getting sneakier -- and more successful -- in getting their views into public school educational materials. (08/20/2003)

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Blockbuster brains By Elizabeth Segal
As Hollywood scours film and TV history for that next "Charlie's Angels" or "S.W.A.T.," studios have begun to lavish attention on an underappreciated expert: The video-store clerk. (08/19/2003)

The Fix
Jane Fonda remembers the magic, Carmen Electra is always thinking about sex, and Rob Lowe switches sides. Plus: Dubya with a halo? (08/19/2003)

"You, as a reader, are a dope"
"Fresh Air" book critic Maureen Corrigan weighs in on Vivian Gornick's essay about using composite characters in memoir writing. (08/19/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
So, who you going to vote for? (08/19/2003)

One is (not) the loneliest number By Anneli Rufus
In an excerpt from "Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto," Anneli Rufus explains why it is indeed better to be far from the madding crowd. (08/19/2003)

The war over the National Guard By Eric Boehlert
More Guard members are fighting and dying in Iraq than in any war since Korea. But Rumsfeld's plan to keep the Guard out of combat is drawing fire. (08/19/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The readers write: Maurice Clarett and other college stars don't play for free. They get a chance at an education, and that's worth something. (08/19/2003)

Terrorist threat or political hype? By Paul J. Caffera
Top Bush administration officials called the bust of arms dealer Hemant Lakhani last week a major blow against terrorism. Security experts are skeptical. (08/20/2003)

Limousine liberals and corporate-jet conservatives By Joe Conason
George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter bash elitist lefties, but their faux populism masks a slavish devotion to the interests and indulgences of the wealthy. Part 2 of "Big Lies." (08/19/2003)

"Letter From a Birmingham Jail" By Joan Walsh
The power of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights call-to-arms comes from watching a great man grapple with the possibility that he's wrong. (08/20/2003)

Online-love confusion By Cary Tennis
It was long-distance magic. But look! It's fading! And he won't say what happened! (08/19/2003)

Down on the pharm By Michelle Nijhuis
Genetically modified crops that produce drugs are the latest rage. But American farmers are lighting a prairie fire of revolt. (08/19/2003)

Monday, August 18, 2003

Those amazing animals! By Heather Havrilesky
CBS's "Amazing Race" proves that nothing brings out the beast within couples like dealing with traffic, layovers and illegible maps. (08/18/2003)

The Fix
The Boss nominates Clarence for governor, Gwyneth bugs her boyfriend, and Aaron Sorkin may do for "SNL" what he did for the White House. Plus: Another boy toy romance heats up! (08/18/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Does "The Kid From Left Field" have a chance? (08/18/2003)

The true fans fight back!
Readers defend Duran Duran -- and themselves. Plus, Hilary Liftin's "Candy and Me." (08/18/2003)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
Summer Love. (08/18/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Maurice Clarett, the suspended Ohio State star, isn't evil. He's just trying to take what he can from an evil enterprise he can't yet escape. (08/18/2003)

Big lies By Joe Conason
How the right-wing propaganda machine demonizes liberals and distorts the common-sense politics of America: First in a week of excerpts from Joe Conason's new book. (08/18/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The wingers are starting to whine defensively, and it's no accident that the loudest would be Bill O'Reilly. (08/18/2003)

Babe, I'm leavin' By Cary Tennis
Vow, what vow? I want out. (08/18/2003)

Fear, uncertainty and Linux By Farhad Manjoo
SCO claims IBM and Linux have ripped off its old program code. Linux advocates say that's bunk. Nothing will become clear until SCO shows its hand in court. (08/18/2003)

Sunday, August 17, 2003

Saturday, August 16, 2003

Portrait of an Iraqi rebel By Ferry Biedermann
He is a handball player. He hated life under Saddam. But now, as a foot soldier in an enigmatic resistance movement, he wants the U.S. out of Iraq. (08/16/2003)

Contender, or spoiler? By Tim Grieve
Democrats insist Arianna Huffington can't be the next governor. She says she can beat Schwarzenegger -- and Gray Davis, too. If she gets close, watch things get ugly. (08/16/2003)

Friday, August 15, 2003

"Passionada" By Charles Taylor
She may be a grieving widow, but her rapturous singing -- and voluptuous curves -- suggest she won't be for long, in this sunny summer idyll. (08/15/2003)

"Open Range" By Charles Taylor
Kevin Costner tries to become John Ford with his new western, but the real victims of the lethargic shoot'em-up are his actors. (08/15/2003)

"American Splendor" By Stephanie Zacharek
Cult comic-book writer Harvey Pekar -- crank and peculiar optimist -- is brought to life in a remarkable narrative film that's also part animation and documentary. (08/15/2003)

"Uptown Girls" By Stephanie Zacharek
In this flat comedy, a rock heiress loses her fab pad and must take work as a nanny to support herself. (08/16/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
The lights go out in the Northeast, Russell Crowe gets misunderstood, Al Franken gets high visibility, and Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz frolic. (08/15/2003)

Bestsellers
"Life of Pi" and more in this week's bestselling books, courtesy of Powells.com. (08/15/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to recent articles about hip-hop trio Northern State. Plus: Why women love to pick their men's zits. (08/15/2003)

The sweetest thing By Hilary Liftin
An excerpt from the book "Candy and Me: A Love Story," a romance with all things sugary. (08/15/2003)

The toxic fallout of 9/11 By Abrahm Lustgarten
Despite early assurances from the Bush administration, new studies show alarming health problems and risks related to the cloud of debris that enveloped lower Manhattan. (08/15/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Little League World Series: It's good, clean fun for kids, but it's also hard to watch without feeling like something's amiss. (08/15/2003)

The right wing's summer of hate By Sidney Blumenthal
Sure, Michael Savage lost his MSNBC show for going too far, but Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Coulter show bullying and humiliation are still a big business. (08/15/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
In honor of Al Franken, Aug. 15 has been declared Fair and Balanced Day by freedom-loving bloggers everywhere. (08/15/2003)

Vamps and villains By Charles Taylor
Pulp art does not reach the "nice" areas of our brain. It is spicy and violent and aims for the gut, the groin and our deepest fantasies. (08/15/2003)

Moving on By Cary Tennis
How do you let go of an old love to let a new love grow? (08/15/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
2002: A year to forget. The pilot surveys the wreckage of one of the worst years ever for the airline industry. (08/15/2003)

Thursday, August 14, 2003

Mel Gibson vs. "The Jews" By Christopher Orlet
The "Mad Max" and "Braveheart" star says his new Jesus biopic "The Passion" could never be anti-Semitic because it's historically correct -- a dumb, and dangerous, claim to make. (08/14/2003)

The Fix
Jay Leno invites all the candidates on his show, Wesley Clark tells everyone he hasn't yet decided to run and Renee Zellweger eats everything in sight. Plus: Brad Pitt to challenge James Dean? (08/14/2003)

Letters
What is a memoir anyway? Readers respond to Vivian Gornick's defense of her work. (08/14/2003)

Tomorrow's news, today! By Suzy Hansen
The man behind the masked penguin explains what turned him into an avidly political cartoonist, and the "inherent optimism" behind those blistering comic strips. (08/14/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Terminated! (08/14/2003)

I heart Duran Duran By Sheerly Avni
Twenty years ago, they were the kings of prepubescent pop. And the Duranettes were the queens of our ghetto junior high. Now, on the first night of the Fabulous Five's U.S. comeback tour, I've come to pay my respects. (08/14/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Ted Williams has been decapitated, and I'm not feeling so well myself. Plus: Bill Clinton can't keep his mind on baseball. And: The jock translator. (08/14/2003)

Fox vs. Franken Compiled by Mark Follman
A fair and balanced set of excerpts from the Fox News lawsuit against Al Franken over alleged trademark theft. Plus: Outraged replies from Franken and others. (08/15/2003)

Larry Flynt, a smut peddler who cares By Michelle Goldberg
He's a pornographer and First Amendment fighter, a zealot in the war on hypocrisy. Now that he's running for California governor, he says a certain movie star should be very, very nervous. (08/14/2003)

The big wedding By R. William Harvey
This week should mark my second anniversary, but my wife died in the Sept. 11 attacks. When will the Bush administration tell the truth about what happened? (08/14/2003)

Arnold and the boys By Tina Brown
A strange new convergence: Terminator candidates in a "Queer Eye" culture. (08/14/2003)

"Recall Island" Cartoon by Mark Fiore
TV's newest reality show contains adult themes and extreme political insanity. Voter discretion is advised! (08/14/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The GOP strategists behind the California recall include some fairly unsavory characters. No doubt they'll be eager to help Arnold "clean house" if he wins. (08/14/2003)

Never a spark By Cary Tennis
My wife and I saved each other's life, but I've never been sexually attracted to her. (08/14/2003)

Faking out Friendster By Katharine Mieszkowski
A booming online service for connecting people takes up arms against a sea of "fakesters" who'd rather role-play than network. (08/14/2003)

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

One is the toniest number By Heather Havrilesky
New books by two women behind Carrie Bradshaw and her "Sex and the City" cohorts offer more tales of the upscale single girl in the big city. Have they captured an American archetype -- or created an annoying cartoon? (08/13/2003)

The Fix
Jerry says Mick is sick, Kate Hudson says being pregnant is a turn-on and fashionistas say Madonna is a sellout. Plus: Nader eats pie and Kerry eats cheese steak! (08/13/2003)

Two isn't company By Stephanie Zacharek
In "Against Love," Laura Kipnis considers why the institution of marriage compels us to stray -- for good reason. (08/13/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Midsummer Knight's BBQ! (08/13/2003)

Make me sound like I don't suck By Juliet Gabriel
When my friends ask me for help with their personal ads, I edit them the way I do writers at my magazine, with a firm but gentle hand. (08/13/2003)

"Are you desperate yet?"
That was his opening line. And I still went home with him on our first date. (08/13/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Readers write: Anna Kournikova is too a champion! Plus: Tigers fans on free tickets. And: Why are our most iconic athletes ciphers? (08/13/2003)

Ariel Sharon's toughest battle? By Aluf Benn
With the Israeli prime minister facing tough criminal investigations, the Mideast cease-fire serves his political needs very well -- for now. (08/13/2003)

The California shell game By Robert Scheer
However you feel about Gray Davis, if you're a small "d" democrat, a no vote on the recall is an obligation. (08/13/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
While Arnold avoids interviews, Arianna roars. Plus, a preview of her attack on Arnold's pals in the White House. (08/13/2003)

Burning loves By Cary Tennis
I'm with an old flame who is getting over his old flame, but I'm not sure I have the stamina to wait for him to stop pining. (08/13/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to Katharine Mieszkowski's "Triumph of Fringe Science." (08/13/2003)

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Big-time loser By Amy Kroin
Paul Giamatti talks about his breakout performance playing Harvey Pekar in the much hyped "American Splendor" and about portraying schmucks in movies like "Big Momma's House." (08/12/2003)

The Fix
California recall a game show? Sharon Stone kisses a woman for money, and "Sex and the City" hunk lets his hair down. Plus: Elvis' daughter rocks with Chris Isaak. (08/12/2003)

A memoirist defends her words By Vivian Gornick
A response to critics who object to the use of composite characters in my writing. (08/12/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Beware! This material may not be suitable for adults. (08/12/2003)

No bitches, no hos By Lynn Harris
The hyper-literate women of New York-based hip-hop trio Northern State represent for the sisterhood. Just don't ask them about Fannypack. (08/12/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Report: Pete Rose reinstated. A talk with one of the writers who broke the story. Plus: Jeremy Shockey's latest homophobic episode. (08/12/2003)

George Bush's Terminator problem By Tim Grieve
Arnold Schwarzenegger may be the GOP's best shot yet at a California comeback. But his playboy ways and pro-choice politics make him anathema to the president's allies on the Christian right. (08/12/2003)

"On Liberty" By Scott Rosenberg
John Stuart Mill's classic is all over the Web, because it reminded us that freedom requires reckoning with "heretical opinions" -- a message we need now more than ever. (08/13/2003)

The world press on Liberia Compiled by Laura McClure
Two months ago Moses Blah was under arrest for attempting to mount a coup against Liberian President Charles Taylor. Now he is to succeed him. (08/12/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why is Fox giving Al Franken valuable publicity for his new book? Maybe someone should ask Bill O'Reilly. (08/12/2003)

What do women want? By Jason Feifer
Most everything, according to a new study that shows women are more aroused by more forms of erotica than men. (08/12/2003)

Is it cold feet? By Cary Tennis
My Martha Stewart mom is helping plan my wedding. I'm starting to wish my beloved were taller. Could there be a connection? (08/12/2003)

Keeping the Net neutral By Farhad Manjoo
A coalition of big-name tech companies -- Microsoft, Amazon, eBay and others -- wants the feds to make sure that cable companies don't ruin the broadband Internet. (08/12/2003)

Monday, August 11, 2003

The Fix
Kidman canoodles with Kravitz, Hamptonians raided by cops and Gwyneth hates Bonnie Fuller! Plus: Nader says he would have prevented 9/11. (08/11/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
George Bush's top five sources of pre-war intelligence. (08/11/2003)

In grossness and in health By Anna Holmes
Psycho-dermatology, female gorillas, and why women love to pick their boyfriends' zits. (08/11/2003)

My big fat mea culpa By Joan Walsh
I haven't decided to vote for Howard Dean, but after 10 days watching his campaign, I promise never to say he's unelectable again. (08/11/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Free Detroit fans! The toothless Tigers should take variable pricing seriously and give away the rest of their tickets. (08/11/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
When Arnold Schwarzenegger gets around to attacking Gov. Gray Davis for the state's energy fiasco, someone should ask why he appointed Pete Wilson his campaign chairman. (08/11/2003)

Emotional artists By Cary Tennis
We saved each other, but all of this struggling to make things work has made me so tired! (08/11/2003)

Less teaching, more testing By Joyce McGreevy
Rhetoric to the rescue: Underfunded schools to benefit from federal increase in lip service. (08/11/2003)

Sunday, August 10, 2003

Israeli warplanes blast Hezbollah areas By Peter Enav
(08/10/2003)

Saturday, August 09, 2003

The mash-up revolution By Roberta Cruger
Destiny's Child vs. Nirvana! Britney vs. Chic! The Ramones vs. ABBA! How pop's hottest DJs are creating those wild bootleg remixes -- and why they're so hard to find. (08/09/2003)

A love song to bastard pop By Charles Taylor
In the bizarre and wonderful world of mash-ups, bootlegs and remixes, racial and musical boundaries disappear -- and the joy that's missing from so much of today's pop is back. (08/09/2003)

Friday, August 08, 2003

Crystal blue persuasion By Heather Havrilesky
This summer's crush of surfer stories -- on MTV, the WB and in the new "Step Into Liquid" -- have their dorky moments, but they evaporate when we watch someone ride a big blue wall of water. (08/08/2003)

"Freaky Friday" By Stephanie Zacharek
The mother-daughter switcheroo gets a fresh update, in a rare Disney movie that doesn't scream "wholesome family entertainment." (08/08/2003)

"S.W.A.T." By Charles Taylor
Noisy cartoon fascism for the couch potato who can't get enough of "Cops." (08/08/2003)

"Le Divorce" By Charles Taylor
Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts star in another of Merchant-Ivory's mangled and dumbed down literary illustrations. (08/08/2003)

Perot gears up By Micah L. Sifry
According to a book proposal he's circulating, the former Bush spoiler is positioning himself as a voice to reckon with in 2004 -- and maybe more. (08/08/2003)

A huge and terrible mess
In a speech to MoveOn.org, former Vice President Al Gore admonishes Bush and says "something basic has gone wrong in our country." (08/08/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Conan the Liberal gets blasted by Rush and others on the far right. What will Karl Rove do now? (08/08/2003)

Thursday, August 07, 2003

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
What the defense of "traditional" marriage really means. (08/07/2003)

Thin Lizzie By Lynn Harris
Work hard! Be a people person! Use Google! And other useful tips from Ms. Grubman's new seminar for suckers. (08/07/2003)

You go, girlfriend By Tina Brown
One minute she's vacationing with a friend in rainswept Ireland. The next minute -- with Warren Beatty, a claque of consultants and her fans urging her on -- she's running for governor of California. (08/07/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Sports Stars, Sex and Stalkers" by Dan McGraw. (08/07/2003)

Nature services, Inc. Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Let the wonders of the free market staff your parks economically and efficiently! (08/07/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why are Republicans happy about Arnold -- but cry treason when lefty celebs get political? (08/07/2003)

The triumph of fringe science By Katharine Mieszkowski
Global warming naysayers argue that we don't need to do anything to stop rising temperatures. Mainstream scientists used to be able to ignore them, but now they make White House policy. (08/07/2003)

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
What happens when a white guy invites five black men into his house for a complete fashion and lifestyle overhaul? (08/06/2003)

Letters
Readers respond Ecstatically -- and not -- to Larry Smith's article on MDMA. (08/06/2003)

Sports stars, sex and stalkers By Dan McGraw
You are young, rich and chiseled, and life offers sexual opportunities that few can imagine. But increasingly, pro-spor insiders say, the risks are harrowing. (08/06/2003)

A terrible precedent
In a statement denouncing the gubernatorial recall in California, Sen. Dianne Feinstein warns of "dark repercussions sure to follow." (08/06/2003)

It's Arnold vs. Arianna after all By Tim Grieve
Dianne Feinstein tells Democrats she won't run, Schwarzenegger tells Jay Leno he will -- and Huffington jumps in, too. (08/06/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Authoritarian Ashcroft rankles judges -- even Rehnquist. (08/06/2003)

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Letters
Robert Scheer denies he talked to James Woods about President Bush. (08/05/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
California dreamin': Total recall. (08/05/2003)

Queer eye for the queer mom By Christopher Healy
What can Bravo's hit makeover show do for a straight man who already drinks Gewurztraminer -- or his lesbian mother who worships "The Nanny"? (08/05/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Arianna's in. And nobody should be surprised. (08/05/2003)

Monday, August 04, 2003

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
What if the president of the United States always had to be a member of the Bush family? (08/04/2003)

The war according to David Hackworth By Jonathan Franklin
The retired colonel calls Donald Rumsfeld an "asshole" whose bad planning mired U.S. troops in an ugly guerrilla conflict in Iraq. His sources? Defiant soldiers sending dispatches from the front. (08/04/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
U.S. casualties in Iraq are worse than you probably think. Plus: Will Clark enter or not? (08/04/2003)

Sunday, August 03, 2003

Saturday, August 02, 2003

Strangers in paradise By Heather Havrilesky
At Fox's "Paradise Hotel," dimwitted booze hounds check in ... but they don't check out! And it might be the best reality show disaster on TV. (08/02/2003)

"The Friendly Young Ladies" by Mary Renault By Charles Taylor
In this 1944 social comedy, recently reissued in a Vintage paperback edition, Mary Renault writes about lesbianism and bisexuality without fussing over identity politics. (08/02/2003)

What to read
Amanda Craig's romantic Tuscan romp, a creepy coming-of-age debut and a list of our summer favorites. (08/02/2003)

The sexual bomb thrower By Charles Taylor
It's been called pornographic, adolescent, racist and xenophobic, but Michel Houllebecq's "Platform" is a brilliant study of the sexual condition of the Western world. (08/02/2003)

A summer reading list
Recent books praised by Salon's critics. (08/02/2003)

"Nina: Adolescence" by Amy Hassinger By Suzy Hansen
A family torn apart by tragedy dissolves into abuse and neglect in this creepy, beguiling debut. (08/02/2003)

California Democrats' days of chaos By Tim Grieve
Top state and national Democrats have insisted they will back Gov. Gray Davis against the recall. But their unity is quickly dissolving. (08/02/2003)

Letters
Readers sound off on Dems targeting Bush as a "phony," and why the DLC is looking like a disaster in '04. (08/02/2003)

Friday, August 01, 2003

"Hotel" By Andrew O'Hehir
Mike Figgis' star-packed project on the Hollywoodization of the world is either brilliant or a mess. Regardless, he's one of the signature filmmakers of our era. (08/01/2003)

"The Magdalene Sisters" By Andrew O'Hehir
This classic crowd-pleaser about innocents incarcerated in a convent laundry will surprise anyone unfamiliar with Ireland's hostility to women. (08/01/2003)

"American Wedding" By Stephanie Zacharek
The latest in the "American Pie" franchise is exactly the kind of movie that gives sequels a bad name. (08/01/2003)

The Fix
Jayson Blair inspires "Law and Order," governor's job inspires Larry Flynt, and bar threatens to sue "Sex and the City." Plus: Hitler's privates for sale! (08/01/2003)

Confessions of a memoirist By Terry Greene Sterling
Acclaimed writer Vivian Gornick admits fudging the facts to a roomful of journalists. Did she exercise creative license -- or betray her readers? (08/01/2003)

Mothers who rock By Joe Heim
Liz Phair, Kelly Willis, Linda Thompson and Corin Tucker talk about washing bottles after shows, writing songs that won't freak out their kids, and how ambition changes once you become a parent. (08/01/2003)

Scattering the present By Anne Lamott
As we tossed my mother's ashes into the wind, my heart was heavy with hopelessness, and with missing her. Even as I felt the old familiar despair that she had been my mother. (08/01/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Anna Kournikova: "Celebrity Boxing" for you on Line 2. Plus: Where next for A-Rod? And: Go behind the scenes of this column! (08/01/2003)

Terror in the Saudi kingdom By Mark Follman
CIA veteran Bob Baer talks about the censored 9/11 report, why al-Qaida is still cozy in the house of Saud -- and why Osama is winning. (08/01/2003)

Fence? Security barrier? Apartheid wall? By Eric Boehlert
Israel is spending $1 billion on a structure to seal itself off from the West Bank. But the question of what to call it provokes an explosive debate. (08/01/2003)

The poseur in chief By Jeremy Heimans and Tim Dixon
Democrats can't win in '04 by fighting Bush on the issues alone. They have to convince Americans that their warrior president is a phony in a flyboy suit. (08/01/2003)

I am bear, hear me roar! By Andrew Sullivan
The feminized men of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Queer as Folk" do not represent the maturing gay male culture. The truth is much hairier (08/01/2003)

The do-it-yourself democracy kit Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Fun for every voter -- by California Co! (08/01/2003)

No bullshit, please! By Cary Tennis
Guys: If you're breaking up with me, don't say, "Let's keep in touch." (08/01/2003)

Traci talks By David Bowman
Former underage porn queen Traci Lords chats about how Ronald Reagan saved her life, dressing like a pony for a Japanese spanking party, and how she's helping teen girls out of the kind of life she led. (08/01/2003)