January 2004

The blue-collar bowl By King Kaufman
The matchup of great defenses and no-name offenses won't make New England vs. Carolina a snooze. In fact, Patriots fans will probably be calling for Valium before their team pulls it out. (01/31/2004)

The John Edwards Experience By Peter Dizikes
The North Carolina senator is more than just an optimist with great hair -- in fact, he might be exactly what Democrats need in November. But can the party's most personable candidate reach enough voters before it's too late? (01/31/2004)

"The Perfect Score" By Stephanie Zacharek
Scarlett Johansson's cherry-printed underpants and Leonardo Nam's bedroom eyes are the only sexy things in this tepid teen movie. (01/30/2004)

"The Big Bounce" By Charles Taylor
Despite Owen Wilson's best efforts and a tiki-lounge-inspired Hawaiian setting, George Armitage's take on this Elmore Leonard crime story lacks sizzle. (01/30/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman head to the U.N., Jay-Z and Beyonce may marry, and Dennis Quaid says Russell Crowe did him a big, fat favor. Plus: The wild evolution of the Super Bowl halftime show. (01/30/2004)

"An End to Evil" by David Frum and Richard Perle By Gary Kamiya
Undaunted by the Iraq debacle, uber-hawks David Frum and Richard Perle air their fevered wet dream of a national-security superstate that slaps down uppity Muslims, bombs North Korea, slices and dices civil liberties and scatters the Palestinians like birdseed. (01/30/2004)

The Unforbidden Is Compulsory
Or, Optimism By Dave Eggers
Episode 3: "Here we take over," said Sergei, who was now wearing an aviator's scarf. "Here we end this thing. Here we win." (01/30/2004)

Knowing glances By Cary Tennis
I've fallen for a girl in my social group and I think she likes me, but she has a long-distance boyfriend. Should I go for it? (01/30/2004)

Enter the ayatollahs By Jen Banbury
Will Iraq turn into an Iranian-style theocracy or a more tolerant Muslim state? As zero hour for America's grand experiment approaches, Shiite leaders hold the key. (01/30/2004)

Chasing Kerry By Tim Grieve
Howard Dean goes after the Massachusetts senator, but a South Carolina debate is more coronation than confrontation. (01/30/2004)

Letters
Three parents who lost children in the 2001 terrorist attacks denounce Bush's stonewalling of the 9/11 commission. Plus: Readers discuss the Bush dynasty and the CIA revolt against the White House. (01/30/2004)

Friday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

Joe Trippi's tears Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

You must play to win Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

Out of work, out of luck Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

Dean's deceiving delegate count Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

The Dean legacy Geraldine Sealey
(01/30/2004)

Argue with us! By Scott Rosenberg
(01/30/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Why is commercial piloting the third most dangerous profession? Plus, visions of icebergs in the North Atlantic and the aurora borealis in full bloom. (01/30/2004)

"I'm still in shock" By Brian Libby
"City of God" director Fernando Meirelles talks about how his little-seen but critically lauded film from Brazil rose up from the slums and art houses to snag three major Oscar nods. (01/29/2004)

The devil in Miss Zellweger By Molly Norton
Ever since I faced off against Renee Zellweger over a Lactaid commercial, I knew there was something different about her. (01/29/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Sean Penn to attend Oscars; David Hasselhoff feels excluded; and Donald Trump pens book. Plus: Charlize Theron isn't the first one to get Oscar's attention with a new look. (01/29/2004)

Bestsellers
Dan Brown's reign of dominance continues, with three books in the top 10. Plus, classics from Ray Bradbury and Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Kevin Phillips' new Bush book -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (01/29/2004)

Letters
Israeli whitewash or Arab propaganda? Readers weigh in on Christopher Farah's interview with Israeli historian Benny Morris and the wounds of 1948. (01/29/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
When God-Man shifts his weight ... (01/29/2004)

Teenage spinster By Cary Tennis
I'm turning 18 and about to enter college but I've never dated. How will I know what's going on? (01/29/2004)

Why I love Laura Bush By Curtis Sittenfeld
I'm a staunch liberal who hates George W. And yet I think his wife is sincere, down-to-earth, smart -- and a role model for all Americans. (01/29/2004)

Dean goes bust By Josh Benson
The $40 million war chest is gone -- and so is campaign manager Joe Trippi. What happened? (01/29/2004)

Show me a winner By King Kaufman
Looking for the man to beat Bush, polite and curious Missourians check out the goods on John Kerry. (01/29/2004)

The Democrats find their voice against Bush By Sidney Blumenthal
The amateur Clark and the scold Lieberman falter as the party gets serious about criticizing the administration. (01/29/2004)

Duck season Cartoon by Mark Fiore
When you work for the highest court in the land, it's important to stay vewwy, vewwy quiet. (01/29/2004)

"Live MTBE-free or die" By Amanda Griscom
Kerry's recent campaign emphasis on the gasoline additive MTBE may have puzzled New Hampshire outsiders, but it certainly helped in the primary. (01/29/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Americans are now supposed to entrust Republican Sen. Pat Roberts with determining why we were misled to war. That would be easier if he weren't a pliable partisan hack whose tether to reality seems rather badly frayed. (01/29/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/29/2004)

Imminent? Did we say imminent? Geraldine Sealey
(01/29/2004)

The screams we didn't hear Geraldine Sealey
(01/29/2004)

The Bush deficit: $500 billion and growing Mark Follman
(01/29/2004)

Drug money By Andrew Leonard
ImClone's Sam Waksal hawked his cancer drug at the intersection of Big Pharma and Wall Street. A new book tallies the cost of his deceit. (01/29/2004)

Letters
"Thank God for free speech and democracy!" "Mel Gibson must be stopped!" Readers weigh in on Cintra Wilson's "Inside Mel Gibson's 'Passion'" (01/28/2004)

Harvey: Happy? By Rebecca Traister
The day Oscar gave "Cold Mountain" the cold shoulder, Harvey Weinstein claims victory, with Miramax getting the most nominations -- and his famous temper newly in check. (01/28/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
John Kerry has "never heard of" Botox, Britney Spears has "face like thunder," and the Smoking Gun gets face time with Katie Couric. Plus: Martha "a liar" and Jacko child-free? (01/28/2004)

The Unforbidden Is Compulsory
Or, Optimism By Dave Eggers
Episode 2: The balloon battle heats up, and Bill Bennett enters the picture. (01/28/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Introducing ... the Marginal Prophets! (01/28/2004)

Boys leave By Cary Tennis
Why was I the cat's meow on the fifth date and a sex buddy by the sixth? (01/28/2004)

The state of your unions
Dealing with a life-threatening illness, resisting the urge to call off the wedding, searching for the desire to have children, and other tales from the front lines of marriage. (01/28/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Do NFL refs sit on their penalty flags in the playoffs? A former zebra says they shouldn't and don't, but that they've missed some calls this year. (01/28/2004)

Kerry wins again By Josh Benson
Meanwhile, Dean spins second as a moral victory -- but will he ever come in first? -- Edwards' backers say his fourth-place finish beats Clark's third, and Lieberman vows to fight on. (01/29/2004)

Clearing Tony Blair By Simon Jeffery
A Guardian special report: In a scathing indictment of the BBC, Lord Hutton clears Tony Blair of any wrongdoing in the David Kelly affair. (01/28/2004)

A grim day for the BBC By Owen Gibson, Ciar Byrne and Claire Cozens
A Guardian special report update: BBC chairman Gavyn Davies resigns following Lord Hutton's critique of the corporation's "defective" journalistic practices. (01/28/2004)

The blue dress of Baghdad By Robert Scheer
As David Kay's admission makes clear, the president misled Congress into approving his preemptive war. So why is there no talk of impeachment? (01/28/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Dissecting the Dems: John Kerry's "floppo karaoke" may be no match for John Edwards, the "happy populist." Plus: Bush's new "compassionate counter-proliferation," and martyring Mel Gibson. (01/28/2004)

The land mines awaiting John Kerry By Joe Conason
The Democratic front-runner can maintain his post-New Hampshire momentum, but only if he avoids these four risks, temptations and deficits of campaign style. (01/28/2004)

Can Judy Dean give our "thing culture" an extreme makeover? By Arianna Huffington
She obviously doesn't give much thought to her hair, wardrobe or makeup. And because she doesn't, neither do we. (01/28/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

Edwards, Clark in virtual tie Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

Trippi's out Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

CBS gets heat Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

DLC bites back at Dean Geraldine Sealey
(01/28/2004)

Blaming Dean's slide on Trippi's ads Farhad Manjoo
(01/28/2004)

Wendy Gramm has no regrets By Gary LaMoshi
The former Enron board member cashed out early after rigging the system to let the company run wild. Now she's arguing against changes in the rules that might prevent future corporate disasters. (01/28/2004)

Inside Mel Gibson's "Passion" By Cintra Wilson
A clergyman infiltrates the grass-roots campaign for Gibson's new Gospel film to catch a screening and reports that Jews, Arabs -- and Christians -- should be worried. (01/27/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Jerry Lewis says "so long" to the steroids, Martha jurors get briefed, and are Tom and Nicole fighting again? Plus: Dennis Miller debuts, thousands scratch their heads. (01/27/2004)

Rise of a ruling-class family By Kevin Phillips
How generations of high finance and Ivy League breeding led to a presidency handed from father to son. An excerpt from "American Dynasty." (01/27/2004)

"I couldn't stand to support this dynasty of deceit" By Joan Walsh
Kevin Phillips talks about his big Bush book, all the rumors surrounding George W. (some of them true), and how the Democrats can stop sabotaging themselves. (01/27/2004)

The Bush dynasty's dark magic By Joan Walsh
One-time Republican hero Kevin Phillips dares to speak up against the Walker-Bush oligarchy that rules the American state through oil, intelligence, big money and the power of the Christian right. (01/27/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Would you be more or less likely to vote for Clark if you knew he wore pantyhose under his khakis? (01/27/2004)

This is your brain in love By Carlene Bauer
In a fascinating new book, evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher examines the chemistry responsible for the giddiness, fixations and overarching lunacy associated with romantic love. (01/27/2004)

Going crazy By Cary Tennis
I loved her and tried to heal her, but she destroyed our relationship. Why? (01/27/2004)

Letters
"Judy Dean is adorable and unabashedly normal." Plus: Readers lambaste Ann Coulter. (01/27/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
A plan that would have fans lining up to loan the NFL money, interest free. Plus: The last word on the women's sports debate. (01/27/2004)

The conservatives are outraged -- about Bush By Michelle Goldberg
At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, foot soldiers of the right rail against the big-government, free-spending ways of the White House. (01/27/2004)

Cheney's favorite leak By Eric Boehlert
The vice president hails an "inaccurate" leak and provokes a new battle in the White House war with the intelligence community. (01/27/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Dick Cheney and Tony Blair can spin all they want, but David Kay's conclusion is clear: Weapons inspection worked in Iraq, and the war was unnecessary. (01/27/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Bush's first attempt to answer the damning findings of David Kay did not go well -- although the White House press corps pretended not to notice. (01/27/2004)

Tuesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Moore's "apology" Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Sneak peek at the N.H. vote Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Al Franken's heckler smackdown Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Health care beats war at polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Bush's pledge Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

What they were thinking Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Kerry leads in N.H. Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Kerry wins Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

Three tickets out of N.H.? Geraldine Sealey
(01/27/2004)

"Bush is in deep trouble" Mark Follman
(01/28/2004)

What's labor going to do about offshoring? By Katharine Mieszkowski
The increasing move of white-collar jobs overseas is inevitable, says one longtime Silicon Valley activist. So the fight for workers' rights has to go global. (01/27/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Will Gary Coleman be deep fried by Vanilla Ice? Are The Donald's apprentices out to lunch? Who really cares, when Janice Dickinson is back in all her gory glory? (01/26/2004)

Lord of the bling-bling By Heather Havrilesky
Hobbitses and half-naked starlets dominate the proceedings at Hollywoods classiest affair, the Golden Globes. A color commentary. (01/26/2004)

The Unforbidden Is Compulsory
Or, Optimism By Dave Eggers
Introducing Episode 1 of Salon's new political serial. (01/26/2004)

Introducing (again) Dave Eggers
Once a poorly paid Salon editor, he left and climbed to mighty literary heights. Now he's back with a bitingly funny tale about the American political circus. (01/26/2004)

Letters
Carnal Gnowledge: Gnostics, agnostics, Christians and one of the book's editors take on Donna Minkowitz's review of "The Gnostic Bible." (01/26/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Be happy: Scientists declare reality an illusion! (01/26/2004)

Cognitive dissonance By Cary Tennis
How can I relax and get the jury in my head to shut up about this new relationship? (01/26/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The readers write: Yes! More coverage of women's sports is the kind of thing Salon is all about. No! Coverage is scarce for a good reason. (01/26/2004)

A strange sort of optimism in New Hampshire By Josh Benson
With the exception of front-runner John Kerry, the Democratic contenders believe that even a third- or fourth-place finish can be a springboard to the big prize. (01/27/2004)

Monday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/26/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/26/2004)

Kerry's anti-Southern strategy Geraldine Sealey
(01/26/2004)

You say deserter, I say AWOL Geraldine Sealey
(01/26/2004)

State of the blogs Geraldine Sealey
(01/26/2004)

Security meltdown at the Bush White House? Mark Follman
(01/26/2004)

Straight up the union By Joyce McGreevy
President vows to increase security against a sudden attack of humanitarianism. (01/26/2004)

Letters
"The mix tape is dead. Long live the mix tape." Readers respond to Joel Keller's "PCs Killed the Mix-Tape Star" and Andrew Leonard's "Praise Be to the CD Burner." (01/26/2004)

Independents' day By Heather Havrilesky
The Sundance winners that will be coming to a theater near you soon -- and the ones that won't but should. (01/24/2004)

Playing politics with the 9/11 commission By Eric Boehlert
After months of stonewalling the panel's requests for information about the terror attacks, the White House is signaling that it opposes extra time to complete the probe. (01/24/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Watch for a few cameos in the "Hunting of the President" debut at Sundance -- and a remarkable clip of Paula Jones. (01/24/2004)

Last words on the Dean speech Joan Walsh
(01/24/2004)

Kerry leads Bush in new poll Joan Walsh
(01/24/2004)

"Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" By Stephanie Zacharek
Tad may be dreamy, but there's little to swoon over in this too-gentle -- and alarmingly chaste -- teen-crush movie. (01/23/2004)

"The Butterfly Effect" By Charles Taylor
Children and small animals are mercilessly tortured -- and so is the audience -- in this thoroughly repulsive Ashton Kutcher time-travel flick. (01/23/2004)

Everybody's got something to plug, except for me and my monkey By Heather Havrilesky
Networking overload at Sundance: Searching for Paris Hilton and finding the real-life Dude from "The Big Lebowski." (01/23/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Berlusconi banishes the bags, Prince Charles will be grilled and who's going to judge Martha? Plus: What is Harvey Weinstein afraid of? (01/23/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Britannia rules TV comedy at the Globes, Frodo and Gollum both get rings, and Bush has groupies? Plus: RIP, King of Kink. (01/23/2004)

"The Arabs are after our blood" By Christopher Farah
Israeli historian and onetime peacenik Benny Morris now says Palestinians don't want peace -- and that all the Arabs should have been driven out of Israel in 1948. (01/23/2004)

Strange bedfellows By Rebecca Traister
One loves Bush, the other gags at the very sight of him -- and yet they sleep together every night! Inside the peculiar world of mixed-politics couples. (01/23/2004)

Psychologically speaking By Cary Tennis
He gave me The Speech on New Year's Eve. He wasn't drunk. He's not gay. So why won't he shut up and kiss me? (01/23/2004)

Stand by your man '04 By Rebecca Traister
Judy Dean's TV moment: She loves her work and her husband and doesn't love the spotlight. What could be more normal? (01/23/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Rush Limbaugh was right: Letting Lawyer Milloy go didn't hurt the Patriots after all, and the erstwhile ESPN "expert" was one of the few who called it. (01/23/2004)

The Democrats' civil union By Josh Benson
After Iowa's wild ride, a subdued panel of candidates focus on President Bush in a final push before New Hampshire. (01/23/2004)

The CIA revolt against the White House By Mark Follman
Former intelligence official Larry C. Johnson blasts the Bush administration's "outright pattern of bullying." (01/23/2004)

"An unprecedented and shameful event in American history"
Decorated CIA veterans demand that Congress hold the Bush White House accountable for exposing undercover agent Valerie Plame. (01/23/2004)

Friday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

Debunking Ed Gillespie Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

Kerry brings on the scrutiny Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

Keene not keen on Bush spending Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

This hunt is a dog Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

Norquist sees Nazis Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

You knew it was coming Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

The man needs some ribs Geraldine Sealey
(01/23/2004)

Corsets, threesomes and fleshy French thighs By David Bowman
A Kinsey Institute exhibition shows that female desires burn just as brightly as men's. (01/23/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The view from the window seat: Readers share their own flight stories, and the pilot explains why the aisle is anathema. (01/23/2004)

Silence of the blogs By Wagner James Au
Why did the New York Times ignore Baghdad blogger announcements and accounts of a big pro-democracy demonstration? (01/23/2004)

"Sesame Street" vs. the Arab street By Christopher Farah
Public television's attempt to bring Big Bird and friends to Arab-Americans has been curbed by reluctant corporate sponsors -- and a wary immigrant community. (01/22/2004)

"The Gnostic Bible," edited by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer By Donna Minkowitz
Behind the Gnosticism craze: A freedom-loving, feminist, gay-friendly anarcho Creator, or just another pompous ass telling us what to do? This massive collection has it both ways. (01/22/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Thrilling Space Stories, starring President Bush. This week: To the moon! (01/22/2004)

Drug buster By Larry Smith
A powerful new book details how a pharmaceutical company's billion dollar "wonder drug" became "hillbilly heroin" for thousands of OxyContin abusers. (01/22/2004)

Epistolary anxiety By Cary Tennis
I'm a writer, so is it OK to write my girlfriend a letter telling her we're through? (01/22/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
ESPN's Page 3 brings much-needed relief to the Jay-Z and Beyonce drivel-deprived. Plus: New A-Rod trade rumors denied so fiercely they must be true. (01/22/2004)

Bad news By Eric Boehlert
White House errand boy Robert Novak and credulous New York Times reporters were burned by their sources. Should they be forced to name them? (01/22/2004)

Don't call it a comeback By Josh Benson
John Kerry may be the new front-runner, but he knows how dangerous that can be. Case in point: The retooling Howard Dean. (01/22/2004)

Letters
Readers defend a wobbly Howard Dean and wonder if John Kerry -- like a previous Massachusetts Dem -- will steer the party down "a very dark alley." (01/22/2004)

Manufacturing the environment By Amanda Griscom
When industry flacks need to learn how to spin not-so-eco-friendly election issues, they go to an environmental conference. (01/22/2004)

The long march to New Hampshire By Sidney Blumenthal
Edwards and Kerry may have passed Iowa unscathed, but the new king of Democrats is not yet crowned. (01/22/2004)

Bush 3.0 Cartoon by Mark Fiore
It's time, once again, for the State of the Union Updater! (01/22/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Thursday's Boston Globe reports on another brewing Republican scandal involving leaked documents -- and once again conservative columnist Bob Novak is involved. (01/22/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

Handy guide to WMD lingo Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

GOP staffers spy on Dems, steal files Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

You can dance to it Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

Cheney contradicts DOD on al Qaeda connection Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

A different side of Dean Josh Benson
(01/22/2004)

Duck-hunting on the docket Geraldine Sealey
(01/22/2004)

Bush visits Roswell Andrew O'Hehir
(01/22/2004)

PCs killed the mix-tape star By Joel Keller
Putting together a home-brewed compilation of songs used to be an act of love and art. Now it's just too damn easy to be worth caring about. (01/22/2004)

Praise be to the CD burner By Andrew Leonard
Now is the golden age of compilations and mixes, thanks to computer technology. We should all be grateful. (01/22/2004)

Letters
The Internet strikes back! Readers critique Farhad Manjoo's "Dean's Fatal System Error." (01/22/2004)

Look, Ma -- no mechanical shark! By Heather Havrilesky
With its shocking realism, "Open Water" may be the perfect cross between "The Blair Witch Project" and "Jaws." (01/21/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft
What Bonnie Fuller wants, Bonnie gets; Victoria Gotti gets what she wants too; and what astrology can tell you about sex! (01/21/2004)

Letters
Could it be ... Satan? Readers debate the influence of the Dark Lord on Bush, Saddam, Osama and the rest of contemporary culture. (01/21/2004)

100 years of solitude -- on crack By Rachel Aviv
Latin America's McOndo literary movement drags the butterflies of magical realism into Burger King. With Jorge Franco's narco-saga "Rosario Tijeras," it may have found its first masterpiece. (01/21/2004)

Bestsellers
Dan Brown remains at No. 1 with "The Da Vinci Code," but gets knocked from Nos. 2 and 3 by some familiar favorites. Plus, two new Bush-bashing books -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (01/21/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's little victories. (01/21/2004)

The state of your unions
Coming to terms with racist family members, dealing with the fact that you're the "other" woman, and other tales from the frontlines of marriage. (01/21/2004)

Different stages By Cary Tennis
He gives me rings for my ears, but I want one on my finger. (01/21/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
For football fans, wisdom comes with age -- not to mention hindsight. Plus: Panthers props, instant replay gripes and more. (01/21/2004)

Defining "democracy" down By Robert Scheer
What right does the United States have to tell the Iraqi people that they cannot be allowed to rule themselves? (01/21/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
State of the Bush doctrine: Iraq-war hawks wonder whether administration distortions of prewar intelligence now cast an "ugly shadow" on U.S. foreign policy. Plus: "Dean Loses It." (01/21/2004)

Bush loses his aura of invincibility By Gary Kamiya
In his State of the Union address, the president posed once again as the indomitable wartime leader -- but it didn't play as well this time. (01/21/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
"Weapons of mass destruction-related program activities?" Bush's curious wording, in its own way, sounds as desperate as Dean's caucus-night war whoop. (01/21/2004)

Bush leaves no bride behind By Arianna Huffington
We have 12 million uninsured children and record-breaking deficits -- and the president's boldest domestic initiative is the promotion of matrimonial bliss? (01/21/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

How to handle hecklers Eric Boehlert
(01/21/2004)

Democrats gone wild Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

Concerned Kucitizens question strategy Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

Armchair reaction to State of the Union Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

Some perspective Geraldine Sealey
(01/21/2004)

Howard Dean's fatal system error By Farhad Manjoo
The Democratic candidate generated waves of money and enthusiasm via the Net, but his dot-com boom went bust in Iowa. (01/21/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Clark starts comparing war records, Martha perp walks in style, and Johnny Rotten may get his own reality show. Plus: Is the world ready for Paris Hilton Boulevard? (01/20/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
"Lord of the Rings" wins in the Windy City, Sean Connery likes scotch, and AOL lets you watch movies now! Plus: Ben Affleck talks about his big head. (01/20/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Aren't little Lexus and Infinity darling? (01/20/2004)

"I miss the entertainment of the streets" By Leslie R. Guttman
After a stint in prison, a young man struggles to stay straight -- but recalls the high of having "a few hundred in your pocket, a quarter-ounce of green, $100 bottle of Hennessy." (01/20/2004)

Self-education By Cary Tennis
I grew up in an abusive household, but I'm determined to be happy. Am I capable of it? (01/20/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Let it snow on the Super Bowl. This week's hopeless cause is to get rid of neutral sites and bring the big game home. (01/20/2004)

Big win for Kerry, big loss for Dean By Josh Benson
The stunning results of Monday's Iowa caucuses will reorder the Democratic presidential contest. The biggest question: Can Howard Dean recover? (01/21/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
John Kerry might be Bush's toughest challenger, but he needs to cut his speeches short to keep us -- and his wife -- awake. (01/20/2004)

Tuesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

The curse of the orange hats Edward W. Lempinen
(01/20/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

Barkley the party-switcher? Andrew Leonard
(01/20/2004)

Mad How Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

More polls: State of the Union, New Hampshire Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

'The state of my reelection campaign is strong' Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

The gamer of Baghdad By Wagner James Au
While missiles crashed around him, Zeyad struggled to keep Crash Bandicoot alive. Today, he continues to play, even as Baathist holdouts rage on and his frustrated countrymen demand a better future. (01/20/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Finalists in the "Fix 24 Contest" offer up a head-spinning range of brilliant alternatives, from vengeful orangutans to nanobots. (01/19/2004)

Sundancing cheek to cheek By Heather Havrilesky
Opening weekend at Sundance brings a flurry of packed screenings and parties, and a handful of early successes. But all eyes are on Robert Redford, golden boy under the gun. (01/19/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Karl Rove: Renaissance man! (01/19/2004)

In Iowa, a race too close to call By Josh Benson
The candidates have blitzed through towns and cornfields and spent millions on ads. But in the final hours before Monday night's caucus, Democrats here remain stubbornly undecided. (01/20/2004)

The no jobs president By James K. Galbraith
Don't believe the Bush administration's hand-wringing over its pathetic record on employment. The president's backers want a stagnant job market -- it keeps the help from getting uppity. (01/19/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
The Bush administration continues to do whatever it can to hinder a thorough independent report on the 9/11 attacks. (01/19/2004)

Monday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Ombudding the ombudsman Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

State of the Union sideshow Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Miller time, indeed Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Kerry and the BSD's Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Punching Judy Joan Walsh
(01/19/2004)

Edwards and Kucinich's 'secret plan' Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Bush's sugar daddies Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Clark's spirit of bipartisanship Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

Ed Gillespie admits: Bill Clinton "didn't murder anyone" Joan Walsh
(01/19/2004)

Track Iowa results online Geraldine Sealey
(01/19/2004)

CNN calls it for Kerry Geraldine Sealey
(01/20/2004)

Tomorrow's questions today Joan Walsh
(01/20/2004)

Gephardt bows out Joan Walsh
(01/20/2004)

Pickering news gets buried Eric Boehlert
(01/18/2004)

How Satan is propping up Bush's war on terror By Andrew O'Hehir
An obsession with the devil, born out of personal experience, explains why so many fundamentalist Christians believe that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were working together. (01/17/2004)

"A legal black hole"
In an extraordinary Supreme Court filing, five military lawyers equate Bush's denial of legal rights to the Guantanamo Bay detainees to King George's oppression of the American colonists. (01/17/2004)

The ground war in Iowa By Josh Benson
Campaign troops are swarming the frosty countryside and attack ads fill the air. With the Iowa caucus just hours away, it's life-and-death time for Democrats. (01/17/2004)

The latest White House script for reporters By Rich Procter
Howard Dean is so angry! He has no credibility on foreign policy! He wants to take away your grenade launcher! (01/17/2004)

"Torque" By Stephanie Zacharek
Ice Cube rides a rad motorbike, but there's little excitement to be found in this torpid knockoff of "The Fast and the Furious." (01/16/2004)

"Along Came Polly" By Charles Taylor
Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston have absolutely no chemistry in this romantic comedy about an uptight germophobe who falls for a peasant-blouse-wearing ditz. (01/16/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Baldwin to play Halston? The Beatles still rule, and Tom Cruise plays cupid in Spain. Plus: Jacko invites everyone back to his place! (01/16/2004)

A letter from the editor
Rolling Stone, Dave Eggers and Sidney Blumenthal join forces with Salon to cover the 2004 election. Time to subscribe! (01/16/2004)

I've got the Ph.D. application panic blues By Cary Tennis
If I don't get into the program of my choice, what will become of life on earth? (01/16/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL conference championship preview: Football wisdom says bet on the loser in a rematch and the home team in the playoffs, so you're out of luck. (01/16/2004)

MoveOn knocked out of Super Bowl By Michelle Goldberg
The upstart political organization learns that there's no right to free speech on network TV -- even for those who can pay for it. (01/16/2004)

"Don't be an asshole, vote Democratic" By Mark Spittle
The creator of the MoveOn parody ad "Bush in 41.2 Seconds" discusses the Republican reaction to his accidental meme. (01/16/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
There's no doubt that Halliburton considers Mars to be a potential moneymaker -- it's profited from the space program from the very beginning. (01/16/2004)

U.S. intelligence under Bush is a "mess"
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee calls for reform of the system -- and wants answers from the White House about Iraq's missing WMD. (01/16/2004)

Behind the image of strength, Bush is a moral coward
Al Gore: "In almost every policy area, the administration's consistent goal has been to eliminate any constraints on their exercise of raw power." (01/16/2004)

Friday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Networks meanest to Dean, light on coverage Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

They won't be ignored Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Reading the Iowa tea leaves Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Bushs not-so-modest space proposal Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Forget the spinach, eat a doughnut Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Kerry's joint appearance Geraldine Sealey
(01/16/2004)

Pickering makes it to the bench Michelle Goldberg
(01/16/2004)

The blog before the storm Scott Rosenberg
(01/16/2004)

The Bill O'Reilly Bad Sex Writing Contest
And the winner is ... the Starr Report! Why? Because it has a bigger ick factor than any of the other submissions (pun intended). (01/16/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Why did Tom Ridge ask Qantas to stop letting passengers gather in the aisles? And what airline shone above all the rest in 2003? (01/16/2004)

Letters
Salon's readers can't stop sharing their opinions on the future of outsourcing: Responses to Jeff Taylor's "Poisoning the Roots of the Techno-boom." (01/16/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Howard Dean likes dirty jokes, Robert Redford doesn't care about fashion, and Salman Rushdie likes 'em young. Plus: J.Lo goon grabs wrong camera! (01/15/2004)

Video games, dragsters and death By Chalmers Johnson
How the military's new recruiting tools lure kids unprepared for the real dangers of war -- an excerpt from "The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic." (01/15/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Did gambling ruin your life? Try Charlie Hustle's 12-Step Program for Compulsive Gamblers. (01/15/2004)

Letters
"Yeah, I've got hair on my back, but I can fix my own car." Readers chastise Abby Ellin for her characterization of Jewish men -- and her views on intermarriage. (01/15/2004)

A romantic friendship By Cary Tennis
He gives me the space I need, but sometimes he gives me too much! (01/15/2004)

Great balls of fire! By Rebecca Traister
According to Newsweek, straight men are getting the equivalent of the Brazilian bikini wax. But will hairless crotches turn women on -- or repulse them? (01/15/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
When nitpickers go bad: How could Frank Deford forget the Watson sisters in 1884? Plus: 48 words about hockey. And: LSU vs. USC? Nah! (01/15/2004)

"The yellow light is flashing"
Matt Drudge says Wesley Clark's statements to Congress in September 2002 made the case for war in Iraq, but the transcript proves otherwise. (01/15/2004)

He cannot tell a lie By Sidney Blumenthal
When Democrats charged that President Bush was unfit for his job, Bush's defenders dismissed it. But now Paul O'Neill, a classic GOP insider, says the same thing -- and it's even worse than you've heard. (01/15/2004)

The green elephant in the room By Amanda Griscom
A growing chasm divides moderate and right-wing Republicans over a broad range of issues -- environmental policy chief among them. (01/15/2004)

The Rovers Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Watch them square off in a race across the most challenging environment in the solar system: Iowa! (01/15/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Al Gore's remarkable speech Thursday is a stark reminder that a lesser man took what this man had won. (01/15/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

Decisions, decisions Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

Let's count the differences between Bosnia and Iraq Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

State of the Union public opinion primer Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

Diagnosing Judy Dean Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

Cold day, hot speech: Gore's global warning Joe Conason
(01/15/2004)

The general under attack Geraldine Sealey
(01/15/2004)

A thaw in Iowa? Josh Benson
(01/15/2004)

Mauling MoveOn.org Mark Follman
(01/15/2004)

Punk-rocking the Iowa vote Mark Follman
(01/15/2004)

The Bill O'Reilly Bad Sex Writing Contest
Second place goes to a slice of pulp that shimmers with sleaze. (01/15/2004)

Is the war on file sharing over? By Farhad Manjoo
The music biz is declaring success, citing lawsuits and Apple's iTunes. But to music fans who recall the glory days of Napster, the fight goes on. (01/15/2004)

Meet the Donald By Heather Havrilesky
Like ripped sweat shirts and leg warmers, Donald Trump has never really left us. On "The Apprentice," fawning hopefuls happily enslave themselves to this icon of cheesy excess. (01/14/2004)

Will Jake and Heath shatter Hollywood's taboo against gay sex? By Rebecca Traister
Director Ang Lee is set to cast Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain," a story of two cowboys in love. But are studios -- and audiences -- ready for a passionate big-screen kiss between men? (01/14/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
Sean Penn reports from Baghdad, Jennifer Aniston won't talk to her mom, and Moby calls Bush a liar. Plus: Howard Dean was once a hunk! (01/14/2004)

Bestsellers
It's a Dan Brown trifecta! Nos. 1, 2 and 3, with No. 20 thrown in for good measure. Angels, demons, digital fortresses, deceptions and a pack of political playing cards (not by Dan Brown) -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (01/14/2004)

"The Beast in the Garden" by David Baron By Katharine Mieszkowski
It's no illusion -- mountain lions are attacking more humans than they used to. And why not? After all, we lured the big cats into our suburbs and taught them to view us as food. (01/14/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Dreaming of a Dean-Clark ticket. (01/14/2004)

The state of your unions
Salon's female readers tell tales of extramarital temptation, emotional and physical abuse, and cowboy dreams that went awry. (01/14/2004)

Bad things By Cary Tennis
I looked at my girlfriend's text messages and found out she was in touch with an ex. Can we ever trust each other? (01/14/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Risk-averse NFL coaches have to learn that playing it too safe is the most dangerous move of all. (01/14/2004)

Balancing California's budget on the backs of the poor By Robert Scheer
If you have a few Schwarzenegger-branded Hummers in your garage, you've just received a tidy windfall at the expense of those who can least afford it. (01/14/2004)

Letters
Washington Post's Evelyn Nieves says she called Dean "angry" because he said he was angry, while readers lament Bush's apparent "Get Out of Gaffe Free" card. (01/14/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Conservatives attack Paul O'Neill's "overblown" revelations about the Bush-Cheney war plan. Plus: Norquist hammers Bush for the huge budget deficit; Buchanan greets the president's immigration plan by calling for "Operation Wetback." (01/14/2004)

America's final wakeup call By Arianna Huffington
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's damning book may finally clue Americans in to the deadly consequences of being governed by a disengaged dolt in the hands of a fanatical cabal. (01/14/2004)

The Axis of War: Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz
Sen. Ted Kennedy: "We cannot simply walk away from the wreckage of a war we never should have fought so that President Bush can wage a political campaign based on dubious boasts of success." (01/14/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Wednesday's New York Times story disproving Saddam's link to al-Qaida looks like yet another CIA leak designed to embarrass the White House. (01/14/2004)

The Polls: Young'uns for Dean, Geriatrics for Clark Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

Ad tracker Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

Dirty tricks in N.H.? Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

Dean on getting off foreign oil, why diabetics can't support Bush plus.. Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

Dean's D.C. win Geraldine Sealey
(01/14/2004)

The Bill O'Reilly Bad Sex Writing Contest
Third place goes to a passage from a classic text about honey, citadels and threaded needles. (01/14/2004)

Poisoning the roots of the techno-boom By Jeff Taylor
An engineer's perspective: Outsourcing jobs to India doesn't just hurt workers but also threatens the health of the entire American technology sector. (01/14/2004)

Toni, queen of the desert By Amy Reiter
Actress Toni Collette talks about her "intense" desert-romance flick "Japanese Story" -- and why she likes weddings almost as much as Muriel Helsop. (01/13/2004)

The Fix By Karen Croft and Amy Reiter
No Super Bowl for Bono, and does Renee think she's really British? Plus: Bertolucci film to be released as an NC-17. (01/13/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The making of young Karl Rove (01/13/2004)

Mix and match By Abby Ellin
Why am I a strong believer in intermarriage? Because too much Jewish angst, WASPY stoicism or Catholic repression in one household isn't healthy. (01/13/2004)

Daughter dilemma By Cary Tennis
My girls are grown but they are still acting like children who demand everything of their dad. (01/13/2004)

The media vs. Howard Dean By Eric Boehlert
Democrats haven't voted yet, but reporters have got the story: The former Vermont governor is angry, gaffe-prone and unelectable. How do they know? Republicans, and anonymous Democrats, told them so. (01/13/2004)

The race that nobody's talking about -- yet By Josh Benson
Does Sunday's sharp exchange between the Rev. Al Sharpton and Democratic front-runner Howard Dean hold a deeper message about the mood of black voters? (01/13/2004)

A simple, poetic indictment By Michelle Goldberg
The winner of MoveOn.org's "Bush in 30 Seconds" contest is a subtle ad with the power to sway even some of his defenders. Now the ad may be headed for the Super Bowl. (01/13/2004)

Bush's "unsustainable" war on terror
A military scholar says that conflating al-Qaida and Iraq, and setting the impossible goal of ending terrorism, "violates fundamental strategic principles" -- and could strain the U.S. military to the breaking point. (01/13/2004)

The world press on Islamophobia Compiled by Laura McClure
Al-Ahram: "Arabs and Muslims vehemently claim in Europe the very civil and democratic rights they firmly believe should be trampled at home." (01/13/2004)

Newsweek's grand inquisitor By Aaron Kinney
When Howard Fineman asked Dean if he believes Jesus Christ is the son of God and the route to eternal life, campaign reporting reached a brand-new low. (01/13/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's assertions have stung the White House, but no one there says he's lying. (01/13/2004)

yet another test by max max garrone
(01/13/2004)

Overtime? We don't pay no stinkin' overtime! By Joyce McGreevy
The "U.S. Department of Labor," aka Tony "The Enforcer" Scroogissima, makes American workers an offer they can't refuse. (01/13/2004)

Letters
"We live in the age of the electronic sweatshop" -- readers respond to Gilbert Neal's "The Phones Don't Stop." (01/13/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
The Fix "24" Contest: Submit your plotlines to put the punch back into what used to be one of TV's best shows. Plus: Wasn't it a coup that "60 Minutes" got that interview with the sweet Martian boy? (01/12/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Madonna's love for Wes Clark prompts a short history of celeb campaign endorsements -- featuring gratuitous sex and drug references and the use of "dialogue" as a verb! (01/12/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Reference sources of terror: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! (01/12/2004)

Can I love my Berkeley alterna-boy and my frat boy too? By Cary Tennis
Just what kind of multitudes can one girl contain? (01/12/2004)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
Little thing (01/12/2004)

Heifer madness By Eliza McCarthy
A panel of experts weigh in on the dangers of mad cow disease -- and come clean about whether they've given up sausage. (01/12/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Expanding space exploration is a fine aspiration for America and humanity -- and also quite promising for Halliburton. (01/12/2004)

test8 test8
(01/12/2004)

What French girls know By Debra Ollivier
Young girls in France learn early in life that happiness is not as important as passion. (01/12/2004)

No safety net for programmers By Katharine Mieszkowski
When manufacturing jobs go overseas, laid-off workers are eligible for a host of benefits. But if you're one of the tens of thousands of software producers whose jobs have been outsourced, you're out of luck. (01/12/2004)

Best fiction of 2003 By Laura Miller
Salon's picks for the year's finest novels include off-center tales of the '70s, the slavery era and the Lewis and Clark expedition, a battle with troublesome software code, and the purgatory of boarding school. (01/10/2004)

Always in fashion By Stephanie Zacharek
Two French documentaries about Yves Saint Laurent showcase the legendary designer's love of clothes and the women who wear them. (01/09/2004)

"Chasing Liberty" By Charles Taylor
Mandy Moore plays a presidential daughter itching for freedom. Why won't Hollywood give the talented Moore a little bit of her own? (01/09/2004)

"I killed people. I did it for my country" By Christopher Farah
A former revolutionary and star of the newly rereleased "The Battle of Algiers" talks to Salon about that film's influence on the Pentagon -- and says he supports Iraqis who attack GIs. (01/09/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
"Cold Mountain," antiwar movie? Plus, morning briefing: Did the Donald discriminate? And TV show wants to pick the next president. (01/09/2004)

Ugly duckling By Cary Tennis
I can't seem to get over the fact that my sister is a raving beauty and I'm not. (01/09/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Playoffs: OK, Colts, you've convinced me. But the mystical run of the supernaturally aided Packers? Not so much. (01/09/2004)

Why did Ashcroft remove himself from the Valerie Plame Wilson inquiry? By John W. Dean
Signs suggest a key witness may have come forward in the leaking of a CIA agent's identity. (01/09/2004)

Homeland insecurity By Bruce Schneier
The fact that U.S. intelligence agencies can't tell terrorists from children on passenger jets does little to inspire confidence. (01/09/2004)

Winning the battle against terror, losing the war of ideas By Ferry Biedermann
The Bush administration is good at bombing terrorists back to the Stone Age, but terrible at bringing Arabs and Muslims into the modern age. (01/09/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Poor neo-comedian David Brooks. So few people understood that when he suggested all neocon critics are anti-Semitic crazies, he was only kidding! (01/09/2004)

test7 test7
test7 (01/09/2004)

recent
(01/09/2004)

ackbar ackbar
(01/09/2004)

The phones don't stop By Gilbert Neal
I can barely bring myself to do my job, the reprimands are getting serious, my co-workers are getting fired. How did I get here? More important, how do I get out? (01/09/2004)

Dean: Ninja power? By John Gorenfeld
For months, a rumor that Howard Dean played a minor role in a 1980s slasher flick has captivated supporters and political junkies. Here's a clip of the movie -- and the back story. (01/08/2004)

"Millennium Mambo" By Charles Taylor
Legendary director Hou Hsiao Hsien's 2001 film finally makes it stateside, and glows with old-movie glamour. (01/08/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
When celebrity family members want in on the action. Plus, morning briefing: Bush twins, Britney and David Gest. And the Madonna Primary closes. (01/08/2004)

"In the Name of Science" by Andrew Goliszek By Farhad Manjoo
From the Tuskegee study to Josef Mengele, from soldiers forced to march into A-bomb clouds to the CIA's secret LSD trials, a biologist provides a frightening tour of the 20th century's most evil experiments. (01/08/2004)

Bestsellers
Guess who's No. 1 this week? Not to mention No. 2 and 5? That's right, Dan Brown. Plus, "Reading Lolita in Tehran" cracks the top 20 -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (01/08/2004)

Letters
Yes, detective novels are lousy -- if you're too lazy to search out the good ones! Mystery readers (and quite a few mystery writers) strike back at Ben Yagoda. (01/08/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The cold, hard, fun facts about Ben & J.Lo! (01/08/2004)

Can love be willed? By Cary Tennis
I'd like to feel the way I think I'm supposed to feel, but I don't seem to be able to. (01/08/2004)

Dr. Derriere By Rebecca Traister
Women, are you dissatisfied with your rear end? Do you dream of having a mighty J.Lo butt? Call New York's leading augmenter of backsides, Dr. Lefkovits. (01/08/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Women's sports get short shrift from the media because they're not popular enough. Or is it the other way around? (01/08/2004)

Why Dean needs to win big now By Josh Benson
If the former Vermont governor doesn't overwhelm his opponents in Iowa and New Hampshire, some analysts say, he may face a long, draining campaign fight. (01/08/2004)

Letters
Readers weigh in on the MoveOn ad controversy and the financing of fundamentalism. (01/08/2004)

Jumping ship at the EPA By Amanda Griscom
The Bush administration has a plan to get rid of the senior career staff at EPA -- and it's working. (01/08/2004)

Colin Powell's "Fog of War" By Sidney Blumenthal
Colin Powell is more isolated than ever in the Bush administration -- and almost certainly preparing for his retirement. (01/08/2004)

The White House that never sleeps Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Ever wonder what happens on holidays and weekends when no one is paying attention? (01/08/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
There's nothing Middle American about the wealthy ideologues who financed the attack ad against Howard Dean and his "latte-drinking, sushi-eating, left-wing freak show." (01/08/2004)

Art as turn-on By Glen Helfand
A new book, coauthored by John Waters, is like looking behind the scenes at a perverted gallery opening. (01/08/2004)

Letters
"Welcome to the dawning of a new age of air travel!" Readers respond to Andrew Leonard's "Five O'Clock Shadow? You're a Marked Man!" (01/08/2004)

The phones don't stop By Gilbert Neal
Trapped in a dead-end job at a customer-service call center, a man in his mid-30s hears the ringing and just doesn't care. (01/08/2004)

Ads that scare Karl Rove By Charles Taylor
MoveOn's contest to come up with the best Beat Bush ad campaign produces some fire-breathing doozies -- and the Democrats should pay attention. (01/07/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
"I'm looking forward to my next opportunity": A survey of the best recent exit lines, from network execs, politicos and sports leaders. Plus, Morning Briefing: Gwyneth, Courtney and Britney. (01/07/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Mama, I found this out back. Can I keep him as a pet? (01/07/2004)

Starvation vacation By Jessie Graham
As I vomited before taking yet another coffee enema, I realized that my quest for enlightenment at the feet of a colon-obsessed guru might be misguided. (01/07/2004)

Fear and loving By Cary Tennis
I pushed away a man I love because I'm afraid of being hurt again. (01/07/2004)

A year without hope By Aluf Benn
With Israeli and Palestinian leaders hobbled and Bush fearful of intervening in an election year, there will be no progress toward Middle East peace until at least 2005. (01/07/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
College football's national champion is revealed at last! Plus: A sleeper in Seattle? And: No one mentions it, but O.J. Simpson still had the best rushing season ever. (01/07/2004)

God to America: Don't reelect Bush! By Robert Scheer
Pat Robertson says that God is calling a Bush blowout. My own pipeline to the Almighty says it's not a prediction, it's a warning. (01/07/2004)

Ad blusters By Joan Walsh
Two online entries out of hundreds in MoveOn's TV-spot contest compared Bush to Hitler, and Republicans cry "hate speech." But they're the ones who are twisting the truth. (01/07/2004)

Dean, Bobby and the ghost of landslides past By Arianna Huffington
Far from not being able to "compete" with Bush, Dean is the one viable Democrat who isn't trying to compete on the playing field that Bush and Karl Rove have laid out. (01/07/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
A must-read article in the Washington Post reveals why Saddam's weapons of mass destruction will almost certainly never be found: They haven't existed since the end of the last Gulf War. (01/07/2004)

Building a better mosquito By Steven Kotler
Bioengineered insects could help defeat malaria -- or they could turn out to be Frankenbugs, wreaking havoc on our ecosystem. (01/07/2004)

Peeking under the tutu By Amy Reiter
Director Robert Altman discusses getting attacked by the far right, working outside of Hollywood, and exposing the naked virtues of ballet in "The Company." (01/06/2004)

The case of the overrated mystery novel By Ben Yagoda
Robert Parker, Dennis Lehane, Lawrence Block, Michael Connelly -- I've read them all. Amid the logrolling and endless hype, one thing gets obscured: Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald did it first, and did it a lot better. (01/06/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Watch out for the new year! (01/06/2004)

The state of your unions
Salon's male readers weigh in on their marriages with revealing tales of broken hearts, cheating, cheating and more cheating. (01/06/2004)

He won't marry me and he won't say why By Cary Tennis
We own real estate jointly and now we've got a son, but he won't give me the security I need. (01/06/2004)

Avenging angel of the religious right By Max Blumenthal
Quirky millionaire Howard Ahmanson Jr. is on a mission from God to stop gay marriage, fight evolution, defeat "liberal" churches -- and reelect George W. Bush. (01/06/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Pete Rose: Now he says he did bet on baseball, but being Charlie Hustle means never having to say you're sorry. (01/06/2004)

The world press on American news Compiled by Laura McClure
International papers react to U.S. flight delays and the coverage of Saddam Hussein's capture. (01/06/2004)

Better sex through yoga By Dave Hill
Our intrepid reporter visits a yoga class that promises to awaken the parts "down there" and finds that it helps if your teachers are hotties. (01/06/2004)

Letters
What do women want from gaming? A few suggestions from Salon readers responding to Jane Pinckard's "Video Gaming and Its Discontents." (01/06/2004)

Five o'clock shadow? You're a marked man! By Andrew Leonard
In times of terror alert, international travel turns into an endurance marathon -- and a financial train wreck. (01/06/2004)

MetroDaddy speaks! By Mark Simpson
In an interview (with himself) the man who introduced us to the term "metrosexual" explains why it conquered the culture, bemoans his own "lesbosexual" style, and critiques "Queer Eye," Howard Dean and Schwarzenegger. (01/05/2004)

Letters
Haven't white Southerners suffered enough? Anyway, slavery is irrelevant to the plot (and geography) of "Cold Mountain." Readers respond to Stephanie Zacharek's review. (01/05/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Morning briefing: How Britney the bride stacks up against Lisa Marie, Carmen Electra and Helen Hunt. (01/05/2004)

"A great country is being propelled by the wrong forces" By Laura Miller
John le Carre talks about his new war-on-terror novel, the "medieval stupidity" of the Bush administration's misuse of intelligence, and why he wound up marching against the war in Iraq. (01/05/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Howard Dean, the prickly prophet of pessimism, on the couch. (01/05/2004)

Is therapy dead? By Fred Branfman
A new book argues that the decline in long-term psychotherapy -- along with our reliance on medication and quick fixes -- is a public health tragedy. (01/05/2004)

Too late? By Cary Tennis
I moved away from my true love to be with another and now I regret it. Can I go back? (01/05/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
LSU's BCS title game win over Oklahoma would have looked a lot better if it hadn't followed the NFL's superior act. (01/05/2004)

"Thanks be to God and the Christian terrorist"
A supporter of the Army of God responds to "The Quiet Fall of an American Terrorist," by Frederick Clarkson. (01/05/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
Aside from ethical sleaziness, the disintegration of Conrad Black's newspaper empire offers yet another example of right-wing hypocrisy. (01/05/2004)

Mad Cap Disease Cartoon by Mark Fiore
The scourge of the nation! (01/05/2004)

Osama bin Laden: Caught by Friendster! By Farhad Manjoo and Katharine Mieszkowski
Google takes over the universe and spam rids the world of porn: Salon's technology predictions for 2004. (01/05/2004)

Music 2003: Rock is dead (once more with feeling) By Thomas Bartlett
Forget those boring white boys with guitars. Thanks to Missy, OutKast and Timbaland, for the first time since the Beatles, the most vital forms of pop are found at the top of the charts. (01/02/2004)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Odds go up on the Bennifer wedding (and their divorce); Britney bites back at Christina. Plus: So, is Ethan lonely without Uma or not? (01/02/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Playoff predictions guaranteed to be just as bad as regular-season picks: Packers win, all other home teams lose. (01/02/2004)

Reinventing triangulation By Sidney Blumenthal
Every time Dean makes an artless comment his opponents see blood in the water. Paradoxically, their attacks only bolster his campaign. (01/02/2004)

The monster we helped create By Robert Scheer
For the White House, a complete investigation into those who abetted Saddam's crimes against humanity would prove an embarrassing two-edged sword. (01/02/2004)

Joe Conason's Journal
This year's election might turn out just as our journalistic soothsayers predict. But the unknowable and unforeseeable almost always intervene. (01/02/2004)