August 2004

The Fix
Michael Moore takes the high road, gets stopped along the way; Dave Matthews Band feels awful about sewage drop. Plus: Shy girls Paris and Christina seen "making out." (08/31/2004)

Letters
J.T. Walsh is worth remembering! "Hero" must be taken in context! Readers respond to recent articles by Cintra Wilson and Charles Taylor. (08/31/2004)

When animals go to school By Katharine Mieszkowski
Maybe we can save endangered species, but can we teach animals to be wild? Salon contributor Susan McCarthy talks about her new book, "Becoming a Tiger" -- and debunks the 100th monkey theory along the way. (08/31/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Madame Mayor and the Brainburg Jailer. (08/31/2004)

It girl gone wild By Whitney Joiner
Abigail Vona's stealing and lying led to a stint in a teen delinquent boot camp. Now 20, she's written a memoir about her experience -- and landed in the gossip pages. (08/31/2004)

I'm an independent woman and I'd like to stay that way By Cary Tennis
I like guys for friendly, casual sex, but when it gets heavy, I'm outta here. (08/31/2004)

The passion of the Rudy By Tim Grieve
The GOP's Monday night moderates try to fire up the convention's far-right true believers. But Michael Moore is more successful. (08/31/2004)

Poor and proud By Michelle Goldberg
Cheri Honkala's diverse group of anti-Bush marchers arrives in New York, declaring that homelessness is a societal, not a personal, failing. (08/31/2004)

Simmering disagreements By Simon Tisdall
Tony Blair is unlikely to be Bush's best buddy in a second term -- unless the president changes course on foreign policy and other sticky issues. (08/31/2004)

Social Security scare campaign By James K. Galbraith
Lending his voice to the privatization lobby, Alan Greenspan warns that the U.S. can no longer care for its elderly. (08/31/2004)

Distortion of things past By Sidney Blumenthal
Avoiding any mention of domestic issues, convention speakers instead rewrite history, and seal the demise of the Republican Party's moderate wing. (08/31/2004)

Furio: "Being Italian, of course I love women!" Lori Leibovich and Rebecca Traister
(08/31/2004)

Comic moments at Stand Up for Choice show Rebecca Traister
(08/31/2004)

Playing "Telephone" with Swift Boat Veterans Tim Grieve
(08/31/2004)

ABC News' oddball election analysis Eric Boehlert
(08/31/2004)

A presidential flop Geraldine Sealey
(08/31/2004)

Mega-dittos, Mr. President Geraldine Sealey
(08/31/2004)

We want our Fox TV Tim Grieve
(09/01/2004)

RNC: The minority report Tim Grieve
(09/01/2004)

The religious right dance in NYC Tim Grieve
(09/01/2004)

Reality left behind Geraldine Sealey
(09/01/2004)

The Terminator's G-rated GOP lovefest Tim Grieve
(09/01/2004)

Look who came to the pro-choice Republican party Rebecca Traister
(09/01/2004)

Our questions for Laura Bush Geraldine Sealey
(09/01/2004)

The Republican Matrix David Talbot
(09/01/2004)

Letters
Fear and loathing on the paper trail: Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "Downloading of the Presidency '04." (08/31/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
"Gilmore Girls" womanly good! "Rescue Me" manly bad! Plus: Screaming under the sea with "Sealab 2021"! And even more screaming at MTV's Video Music Awards! (08/30/2004)

The Fix
Russell Crowe explains why he attacked his bodyguard, and his bodyguard explains exactly where the star bit him. Plus: Laura Bush on what is and is not unfair -- and Stephen Baldwin thinks Bush has been "led by God." (08/30/2004)

MTV awards tamer than past shows Adrian Sainz
(08/30/2004)

Island of the cannibal Republicans By David Womack
One New York writer welcomes GOP delegates with a self-published Swiftian satire -- recipes included! (08/30/2004)

Letters
Readers respond to Charles Taylor's review of "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star": Um, no, some of us don't watch porn and don't know who Jenna Jameson is. And don't call us prudes! (08/30/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
The Republican conventioneer's guide to New York City! (08/30/2004)

Who's that woman I saw my father with? By Cary Tennis
I'm afraid she's a gold digger. Besides, it's too soon after Mom's death for Dad to have a girlfriend. (08/30/2004)

"We the people say no to Bush" By Michelle Goldberg
Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled the New York streets Sunday. Clash songs blasted, anarchists taunted "Aida"-goers, and moms, queers and Wall Street bankers told the Bush administration it must go. (08/30/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: And so it ends. Now we begin filing the memories: Let's see, Phelps, hoops, drugs, two Hamms, empty seats and a nutcase at the marathon. Plus: Dee-fense! (08/30/2004)

Grand, joyous finale By Gary Kamiya
At the closing of the Olympics, the spirit of human striving -- impervious to time and its losses -- burns strong on athletes' faces. (08/30/2004)

The Ben Barnes blackout By Eric Boehlert
Even with new video of the Texas pol saying he's "ashamed" of helping President Bush get his National Guard slot, the story gets little play from the media. (08/30/2004)

Neocon vs. neocon By Martin Sieff
It's every ideologue for himself as even the most hardcore Republicans try to distance themselves from the disaster in Iraq. (08/30/2004)

The Trojan dragon Corrie Pikul
(08/30/2004)

In New York, two Americas Tim Grieve
(08/30/2004)

Meanwhile, in Florida Geraldine Sealey
(08/30/2004)

Call of GOP moderates: "Come back to the mainstream" Geraldine Sealey
(08/30/2004)

Baby steps from the Log Cabin Republicans Tim Grieve
(08/30/2004)

Orwell turns in his grave Mark Follman
(08/30/2004)

In the polls Jeff Horwitz
(08/30/2004)

Hammer time at the RNC Tim Grieve
(08/30/2004)

Freedom fries with that speech? Tim Grieve
(08/30/2004)

Newt: "There is a party of narrow-minded bigotry" Geraldine Sealey
(08/30/2004)

The lonely right-wingers book club Charles Taylor
(08/30/2004)

W is for women? Rebecca Traister
(08/30/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Middle Eastern radicals hold no monopoly on the long history of terror in the air. (08/30/2004)

Smear artist By James Moore
The coauthor of "Bush's Brain" examines the rise of Karl Rove as the dark genius behind the president's dirty campaigns. (08/28/2004)

Uneasy truce By Phillip Robertson
As peaceful demonstrators poured into Najaf and the Mahdi fighters finally agreed to lay down their arms, Iraqi police incited an ominous new wave of violence. (08/28/2004)

Confessions of a liberal By Thomas Geoghegan
I'm running out of excuses for why I can't go door-to-door to help elect John Kerry. (08/28/2004)

Sailing buddies By Joe Conason
A flotilla of new reports shows that the Swift Boat Veterans group is helmed by longtime cronies of the Bush family. (08/28/2004)

"More tits, less Bush" Rebecca Traister and Corrie Pikul
(08/28/2004)

"Suspect Zero" By Stephanie Zacharek
Ben Kingsley plays a mad killer in this cheap thriller for the expensively educated. (08/27/2004)

"Hero" By Charles Taylor
It took the slow boat from China, but Zhang Yimou's dazzling martial-arts epic has finally come to American movie theaters. It was well worth the wait. (08/27/2004)

The Fix
The reviews are in for Vince Gallo's notorious "The Brown Bunny"; Mike Wallace accepts TLC apology for handcuffing; and Maureen Dowd's huge book advance, revealed. (08/27/2004)

"Borges: A Life" by Edwin Williamson By Allen Barra
Jorge Luis Borges went from being an unknown middle-aged librarian to one of the 20th century's most influential writers. So why do so few people read him now? (08/27/2004)

How long should I wait? By Cary Tennis
My British lover is waffling. Should I put the hammer down? (08/27/2004)

Letters
Britney: Manipulated doll or dedicated young professional? Readers discuss Rebecca Traister's article about the soon-to-be Mrs. Federline. (08/27/2004)

The unwelcome wagon By Rebecca Traister
Mrs. Tony Soprano, Bebe Neuwirth and a horde of other New York women tell Bush to take a hike. (08/27/2004)

Got guilt? By Rebecca Clarren
Dairy workers grub for minimum wage in sickening manure pits -- so American consumers can have cheap milk and cheese. (08/27/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: Americans shouldn't feel guilty about rooting for the USA. Plus: More announcers, good and bad. And: Weird women's water polo coverage. (08/27/2004)

Ready to flee By Andrew Meldrum, Jamie Wilson and David Pallister
Police say the family of alleged coup plotter Sir Mark Thatcher had put their house on the market and booked flights to the U.S. (08/27/2004)

The serious buzz in Athens By Gary Kamiya
American sprinters are booed. Greek runner Fania Halkia comes out of nowhere to win the 400-meter hurdles. Don't look now -- but doping scandals are beginning to color the Games. (08/27/2004)

"I'm very ashamed" By Jeff Horwitz
The former Texas official who got George Bush into the National Guard apologizes for making sure that young men with important "family names" did not have to fight in Vietnam. (08/28/2004)

What a shock! By James P. Pinkerton
The Pentagon high command clears the Pentagon high command of any wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. (08/27/2004)

Four more years? Compiled by Salon staff
William Kristol, Dick Armey, Paul Weyrich and others tell the president how he can retake the White House. (08/27/2004)

"Just get mummy to have a word with them" By John O'Farrell
We should be grateful that Thatcher Jr., unlike Bush Jr., hasn't followed his parent into office. (08/27/2004)

Please, not again By Jonathan Steele
U.S. claims about Iran's nuclear program sound eerily familiar, but Britain should refuse to go to war this time. (08/27/2004)

It takes real courage to desert your post and then attack a wounded vet
An open letter from Michael Moore to President George W. Bush. (08/27/2004)

Friday's must-reads Farhad Manjoo
(08/27/2004)

NYC protests begin smoothly Michelle Goldberg
(08/27/2004)

Swift Boat ad nauseam Mark Follman
(08/27/2004)

Gone fishing for publicity Katharine Mieszkowski
(08/27/2004)

The most ancient militants on earth Mark Follman
(08/27/2004)

Arab Americans sour on Bush Kevin Berger
(08/27/2004)

The U.S. economy around Bush's corner Farhad Manjoo
(08/27/2004)

From nest to grave
What Table Talkers are saying this week about a veteran's odyssey, "Goodnight Moon," and what the stork really brings. (08/27/2004)

"Let's turn a corner, any corner" By Joyce McGreevy
An exclusive look at George W. Bush's nomination speech. (08/27/2004)

Oh, that guy By Cintra Wilson
So you never knew his name. But surely you remember the face of J.T. Walsh, whose angry, cowardly, inwardly wrecked characters scowled their way into our collective memory. (08/26/2004)

The Fix
Tommy Hilfiger is reality TV's next victim, Todd Oldham stands up for Cindy Crawford's "integrity," and did Paris Hilton really lose Tinkerbelle to begin with? (08/26/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling
The Republican Guide to New York City! (08/26/2004)

Lynda Barry
A pupa's garden of verses, by Jeff the Fly (08/26/2004)

Asian greenery By John Willoughby
Bok choy and its leafy brethren are inspiring -- if you know how to use them. (08/26/2004)

My brilliant but depressed ex-lover
How can I keep him at a distance but still be kind? (08/26/2004)

Madame Cheney's cultural revolution By Mary Jacoby
How the vice president's powerful wife makes sure that historians and other scholars follow the right path. (08/26/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: The best and worst at the microphone. Plus: The sartorial report. And: The injuries are mounting. (08/26/2004)

In shadow of sacred mosque, defiant uprising nears climax By Luke Harding
The Mahdi army in Najaf is making its last stand. (08/26/2004)

Thatcher and a very African coup By Jamie Wilson, David Pallister and Paul Lashmar
Mercenaries' dreams of riches fell apart at Harare airport--then links to British establishment figures emerged. (08/26/2004)

Mark Thatcher faces court showdown over coup plot By Andrew Meldrum, Jamie Wilson and David Pallister
Former PM's son protests innocence after arrest in pyjamas. (08/26/2004)

Letters
Had enough of Swift boat fog of war? Salon readers come out swinging. Plus: Debating Bill Cosby's tough-love lectures. (08/26/2004)

Not too Swift By Arianna Huffington
Kerry shouldn't dumb down his campaign to win over undecided voters. (08/26/2004)

A view from the Green Zone By Sidney Blumenthal
A top U.S. occupation official reveals how "hubris and ideology" led to catastrophe in Iraq. (08/26/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/26/2004)

No gold for George Tim Grieve
(08/26/2004)

Dems: Let Ralph speak! Geraldine Sealey
(08/26/2004)

"Turning the corner" Geraldine Sealey
(08/26/2004)

Lipstick on the pig Tim Grieve
(08/26/2004)

Will the balloons drop on time? Tim Grieve
(08/26/2004)

George Bush's Kerry act Tim Grieve
(08/26/2004)

Swift boat vets will likely be "shadowy" at RNC Geraldine Sealey
(08/26/2004)

Staples of virtuosity By Thomas Bartlett
Exclusive free download: A new song by a member of the legendary Staples Singers. Plus: More from the musician who has inspired the most appreciative e-mail in the history of this column. (08/25/2004)

The Fix
Dave Matthews accused of dumping human waste on tourists, and Blair, from "Facts of Life," wants to tell you how to punish your children. Plus: Did Russell Crowe bite another guy's ear during a scuffle? (08/25/2004)

"How to Make Love Like a Porn Star" by Jenna Jameson By Charles Taylor
World's biggest porn star tells all: Bad childhood, bad men, bad drugs -- but don't shed any tears for Jenna Jameson. (08/25/2004)

Bestsellers
Dan Brown is down to just three books in the top 20 -- but one of them's back at the top. New travel paperbacks from J. Maarten Troost and Sarah Erdman crack the list, and so does the brand new "Dune" hardcover. All this and more, courtesy of Powell's. (08/25/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Baby? Baby?? Please ... (08/25/2004)

My boss makes me sniff her rotten food ... and it kinda turns me on! By Cary Tennis
Is she being flirtatious or just toying with me? (08/25/2004)

Confessions of a dangerous mind By Sheerly Avni
Joe Loya has a successful career as a journalist and performer in San Francisco, but in his new memoir, he comes clean about his first career path -- robbing banks. (08/25/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: Fast-forward. No, faster! The gymnastics exhibition is on! Plus: Don't mess with the insane judging, please. (08/25/2004)

When Republicans attack By Tim Grieve
The Swift boat ads have been exposed by the press as blatantly false, but that hasn't stopped the Bush machine from pushing them. Has Kerry figured out how to fight back against the lies and the lying liars who tell them? (08/26/2004)

Pentagon trail to Abu Ghraib "sadism" By Julian Borger
Former defense secretary: "Animal House on the night shift". (08/25/2004)

Which way for small-town America hard hit by recession? By Suzanne Goldenberg
Factory closures are dumping life-long workers into poverty in the election year. (08/25/2004)

Over the top By Gary Kamiya
On the night when the greatest middle-distance runner in the world wept tears of joy after finally winning gold, two Russian women staged a pole vault battle for the ages. (08/25/2004)

And you thought his first term was a nightmare By Charles Tiefer
What Bush has planned for America if he wins. (08/25/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Bernadette Malone rips New York Mayor Bloomberg for coddling "mice-releasing, AIDS-spreading junior terrorists." Mark Steyn deems Elton John and Hollywood Dems "deranged." Plus: Why Buchanan loves Nader. (08/25/2004)

Ariel Sharon--The Great Gambler By Jonathan Freedland
Sharon knows it's time to cash in his chips and claim the prize of Greater Israel, but his party is fighting him. (08/25/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/25/2004)

Hiding behind the 527 fig leaf Geraldine Sealey
(08/25/2004)

Is the press exaggerating the Swift boat effect? Eric Boehlert
(08/25/2004)

Cleland in Crawford Tim Grieve
(08/25/2004)

Deja vu: "Rumsfeld should resign" Geraldine Sealey
(08/25/2004)

Donald Rumsfeld and the dogs of Abu Ghraib Tim Grieve
(08/25/2004)

How's the fishing in Crawford? Katharine Mieszkowski
(08/25/2004)

The Fix
Laura Bush disses Diddy, Janet Jackson regrets apology, and Vincent Gallo says Brad Pitt has the lips of a "homoerotic icon." Plus: Did Amber Frey know about Scott Peterson's nickname, "Horny Bastard"? (08/24/2004)

Cliff's notes By Thomas Bartlett
Reggae master Jimmy Cliff discusses his new album, his eternal optimism, and the challenges of making music during wartime. (08/24/2004)

All Kobe, all the time By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Why don't environmental stories get covered? Because the giant media conglomerates -- with the help of the Bush administration -- have abandoned any notion of civic responsibility. (08/24/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The Brainburg Jailer woos Miss Taken. (08/24/2004)

Letters
Readers debate author Laura Walters decision to terminate her pregnancy during the breakup of her marriage. (08/24/2004)

Allergies can be deadly By Cary Tennis
My husband keeps poisoning our son ... and then he says, Whoops, I forgot! (08/24/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Gymnastics gets interesting in a loud, hooting hurry. Plus: A white American sprint champion? Shh! And: More. (08/24/2004)

Blair breaks with Bush on West Bank settlements By Conal Urquhart and Ewen MacAskill
Britain opposes Ariel Sharon's plan, supported by the Bush administration, to build new housing in West Bank towns, a move signaling the end of the "road map." (08/24/2004)

UK to take tough line against US over Kyoto By Michael White
Blair prepares to split with Bush over climate change treaty as he assumes presidency of the European Union. (08/24/2004)

Hunted by death squads, a people without hope By Jeevan Vasagar
In Darfur more than 1 million people have been displaced by fighting, many of them fleeing after attacks on villages by the Janjaweed, a militia armed by the Sudanese government and supported by its army and air force. (08/24/2004)

Great white runner By Gary Kamiya
In the land of the gods, the Acropolis towering above, Jeremy Wariner sprints into history -- and racial stereotypes vanish in a flash. (08/24/2004)

Ghost war By Todd Gitlin
The Swift Boat Vets say John Kerry's testimony about American atrocities in Vietnam is offensive. But they don't say it's false, because the record backs Kerry's account. (08/24/2004)

Tuesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/24/2004)

Bob Dole defends lying about Kerry's record Geraldine Sealey
(08/24/2004)

Swift boat ad watch Geraldine Sealey
(08/24/2004)

Christmas in Cambodia? Geraldine Sealey
(08/24/2004)

In the polls Jeff Horwitz
(08/24/2004)

Vets want Swift Boat D.A. to resign Geraldine Sealey
(08/24/2004)

Cost of war ticker to greet GOP in NYC Michelle Goldberg
(08/24/2004)

The downloading of the president '04 By Farhad Manjoo
Will fears about the new voting machines keep voters away from the polls? And what's going on in Florida, anyway? (08/24/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
From cooking shows to sci-fi, your fine suggestions are clogging up my TiVo, damn it! Plus: Olympic coverage, the perils of semi-scripted farce, and Grubman gets her own show for bad behavior. (08/23/2004)

The Fix
What does Janet Jackson's exposed breast have to do with Iraq? Jewish groups worried some won't get "Da Ali G Show" joke. Plus: Schwarzenegger's hair guy dismisses weekly touch-up talk and Julia Roberts holds forth on pregnancy. (08/23/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
What's troubling the undecided voter? (08/23/2004)

Don't do it, Britney! By Rebecca Traister
Some day her prince will come, but it's not sleazy fiance Kevin Federline. The virginal pop tart is finally making her own decisions -- and it ain't pretty. (08/23/2004)

The Bull's-eye state By Lisa Chamberlain
Susan Sarandon, Bruce Springsteen and an army of lesser-known door-knockers converge on Ohio to swing it Democratic blue. (08/23/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
U.S. men go to hoops medal round playing a game of "Where's LeBron?" Plus: Drugs, NBC's high-def follies, Al Trautwig and more. (08/23/2004)

Al-Sadr Winning Battle of Najaf Luke Harding
Iraqi government claims that police had arrested hundreds of the radical cleric's fighters and taken over his headquarters in Najaf could have come from Saddam's Comical Ali. (08/23/2004)

Father knows best By Karin L. Stanford
Bill Cosby's tough-love attack on blacks who neglect education is still causing shock waves. And it might even help the kids who need it. (08/23/2004)

Is it the economy, stupid? Ashley Seager
Bush's economic record is shadowed by comparison to Herbert Hoover's. (08/23/2004)

Monday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/23/2004)

Must-reads bonus, Swift boat edition Geraldine Sealey
(08/23/2004)

Not so fast, Rodney Alexander Geraldine Sealey
(08/23/2004)

Beetle on the wing By Barbara Card Atkinson
Ernest Rogers' aerodynamic Volkswagen is a conservationist's dream. But people don't seem to care about that -- they like it because it's sexy. (08/23/2004)

Prairie fire By David Talbot
Garrison Keillor talks about why he is flamingly anti-Bush and pro-Democrat. (08/21/2004)

The Fix
Jane Pauley reveals struggle with bipolar disorder, Al Gore "very polite" to officer who pulled him over for speeding, and Tom Brokaw has a conniption. Plus: Lil' Kim says breast implants are "too much fun." (08/20/2004)

"End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones" By Stephanie Zacharek
A heartfelt look at the four misfits from Queens who saved post-'60s American culture. (08/20/2004)

"Bright Young Things" By Stephanie Zacharek
Stephen Fry takes a few liberties, but ultimately does Evelyn Waugh justice with this deliciously dazzling adaptation of the gleefully naughty "Vile Bodies." (08/20/2004)

Shadows of late summer By Charles Taylor
Out of the past come the noir-ish entries for our latest mystery roundup: A "fallen woman" solves crime in Regency England, a French Resistance fighter hides out in Manhattan, and a respectable bourgeois ditches it all. (08/20/2004)

Thanks, members!
With your support, Salon is on top of the biggest political stories of the season. (08/20/2004)

This week in Salon
From Najaf to Washington, we were in the thick of the weeks big stories. (08/21/2004)

Lynda Barry
Household Fred: O! toilet. Mute and magnificent! (08/20/2004)

Hot, wet goobers By Shane Mitchell
Southern bliss is a bag of boiled peanuts. (08/20/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: NBC's coverage isn't golden, but it's been a huge improvement over recent years. Plus: Teddy Atlas rocks the boxing. And: Badminton! And also: More. (08/20/2004)

Triumph of the W. By Joe Conason
Trying to counter the success of Michael Moore, Karl Rove's men in Hollywood are rushing to release a pro-Bush epic, "The Big Picture." But are they violating federal campaign law? (08/21/2004)

Abu Ghraib doctors accused of complicity By John Carvel
U.S. Army doctors at Iraqi prison knew about and covered up torture, according to British medical journal. (08/20/2004)

Balancing the risks in holy Najaf By Michael Howard
Iraqi PM indicates he is wary of potential fallout from desecrating Imam Ali shrine and 'martyring' rebel cleric. (08/20/2004)

Vogue photo-shoot puts Spain's new women ministers in spotlight By Ben Sills
By posing for Vogue Espana the female cabinet members have set off a controversy on the left. (08/20/2004)

November surprise? By James K. Galbraith
George W. Bush is haunted by the ghost of Jimmy Carter in 1980. (08/20/2004)

Green with envy By Amanda Griscom
Bush has little prospect of greenwashing his abysmal environmental record -- so his campaign is desperately attacking Kerry on the issue. (08/20/2004)

Friday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/20/2004)

In the polls Geraldine Sealey
(08/20/2004)

Swift Boat Vets owe much to cable TV, talk radio Geraldine Sealey
(08/20/2004)

Booksellers asked to reconsider "Unfit" Eric Boehlert
(08/20/2004)

Bush "Victory" ad infringes on reality, if not law Mary Jacoby
(08/20/2004)

Little girls and old broads
TTers' thoughts on women's gymnastics and growing older. Plus: What to do when you hear the tone. (08/20/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Apparently no one can stop Annie Jacobsen from pandering to people's crudest fears. It's time to say bye-bye to the hysterical flier. (08/20/2004)

Female trouble By Rebecca Walker
Spike Lee talks about porn, sperm donors, baby-hungry lesbians, and how male sex fantasies can become nightmares. (08/19/2004)

The Fix
Oprah hands out snacks, finds man guilty of murder; Michael Moore set to release two -- count 'em, two -- new books; and Paris Hilton gets her dog back. Plus: Joe Piscopo for governor? (08/19/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
God-Man, the superhero with omnipotent powers, makes a house call! (08/19/2004)

Stolen words By Cary Tennis
My boss uses what I write in e-mails as his own. What should I do about it? (08/19/2004)

Aborting my marriage By Laura Walters
My big fear was we wouldn't be biologically able to have a child. It turned out we were emotionally unable to do so. (08/19/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: Paul Hamm makes history and gets Roy Jones Jr.'s revenge. Plus: LeBron James' learning curve. And: Beach volleyballers and shot-putters. (08/19/2004)

Unfit for bookstores By Eric Boehlert
The Kerry campaign calls on a conservative publisher to withdraw book after the Washington Post torpedoes the veracity of a Swift boat veteran. (08/19/2004)

How I got out of the shrine alive By Mark Follman
Salon's Phillip Robertson talks about his harrowing ordeal inside the Imam Ali shrine in war-ravaged Najaf. (08/19/2004)

The new Caesars By Gary Hart
The Bush administration's empire building is trampling on who we are and were always meant to be -- a republic. (08/19/2004)

"Isnt this a democracy?" By Sidney Blumenthal
At staged "Ask President Bush" events, audience members have to pledge their allegiance to his reelection to gain admission. Bush has forgotten whos sovereign in America. (08/19/2004)

Letters
Are little-girl gymnasts at the Olympics a measure of glory or sick exploitation? Readers respond to King Kaufman's "Women's Gymnastics Should Grow Up." (08/19/2004)

Kerry fights fire with fire
In a flaming speech to a firefighters convention, the Democratic candidate finally lashes back at the "lies" and "dirty work" of the Bush campaign. (08/19/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

GOP rolls out Zig Zag Zell for keynote Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

Softball with Bush Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

Iraqi soccer team to Bush: Get another mascot Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

Meet Bob Perry, Friend of George Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

Raw Deal Geraldine Sealey
(08/19/2004)

Amish out of water By Heather Havrilesky
Can reality TV shows be documentaries for the masses? Producer Jon Kroll certainly thinks so and claims that "Amish in the City" is only the beginning. (08/18/2004)

Stars of tomorrow ... and beyond By Thomas Bartlett
Free music from the next Suzanne Vega and from a European cult figure that every Beck fan should know about. Plus: What's wrong with borrowing a soul vocal trick or two from Kanye West, anyway? (08/18/2004)

The Fix
Reality TV honchos take gloves off, Jacko lawyer gets slapped with whopping fine, Paris pleas for pooch's return, and a Kerry ex kisses and tells. Plus: What's all this about the Bush twins attending a gay wedding? (08/18/2004)

Elusive Osama By Laura Miller
Bush can't find him. Pundits can't define him. Now a new book tries to pin down America's most wanted. (08/18/2004)

Bestsellers
Dan Brown finally loses the top spot -- to the nonfiction smash hit of the season. (It has lots of villains but no heroes.) Also, new paperbacks from Jhumpa Lahiri and some fantasy writer named Rowling make this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (08/18/2004)

The secret passion of Italo Calvino By John Hooper
The wife of one of Italy's greatest writers seeks a court ruling to suppress his love letters to his lover. (08/18/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
If the oldest living fig tree could talk. (08/18/2004)

At a crossroads By Cary Tennis
I've been waiting for his ship to come in so he'll stop being depressed and be with me. Will it ever happen? (08/18/2004)

Letters
Is living on the "down low" just an excuse to not come out of the closet? (08/18/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: It's time for women's gymnastics to grow up. Plus: LeBron James shows that the NBA way takes your breath away. And: More. (08/18/2004)

Guess who's coming to dinner? By Michael White
Britain's Labor Party is in an uproar over the rumor that Tony Blair might invite Iraqi leader Iyad Allawi to its party conference. (08/18/2004)

Future population explosion in poor countries By John Vidal
The U.S. will expand to 450 million by 2050, India will surpass China, Europe and Japan will stagnate, and Africa will explode. (08/18/2004)

Sharon loses crucial party vote By Conal Urquhart
Blow to prime minister's plan to withdraw from Gaza Strip. (08/18/2004)

'Butcher of Beijing' tries to clear his name By Jonathan Watts
Former Chinese prime minister points the finger of blame for Tiananmen massacre at late leader. (08/18/2004)

RSVP not required By Michael White
Tony Blair's planned invitation to Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi to Labour conference is dropped. (08/18/2004)

Letters
If RNC protests turn violent in New York will it boost Bush? Activist and protest organizer Jason Flores-Williams, author Ayelet Waldman and others debate "The Whole World Is Watching," by Michelle Goldberg. (08/18/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Is Iran next? Pundits are long on hawkish bluster, but short on a plan. Plus: Even Bill O'Reilly blasts Swift Boat Vets' "bitter personal attacks" on John Kerry -- and defends Kerry's war record. (08/19/2004)

Wednesday's must reads Jeff Horwitz
(08/18/2004)

"Doe" vs. Rumsfeld Jeff Horwitz
(08/18/2004)

Move over, Harvard law: Now enrolling for right wingers Mark Follman
(08/18/2004)

Mission not accomplished in Pennsylvania Jeff Horwitz
(08/18/2004)

Exposing Bush Mark Follman
(08/18/2004)

Kerry moves on the high road Michelle Goldberg
(08/18/2004)

We own what you think By Jeff Nachtigal
For seven years, programmer Evan Brown has been fighting his former employer for ownership of an idea he came up with. (08/18/2004)

The Fix
Jacko clan wears white to court, Oprah wears sarcasm on her sleeve, and the Kobe case may be all worn out. Plus: Is J.K. Rowling set to kill off Harry? (08/17/2004)

"Homophobic" lyrics By Tania Branigan
British authorities weigh free-speech issues in deciding whether to charge reggae star Beenie Man with inciting violence against gays. (08/17/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Do clothes make the man? (08/17/2004)

The search for self By Cary Tennis
I'm on my second marriage and I've fallen for someone else. What is this all about? (08/17/2004)

When gay Americans marry By Dan Savage
What the partnership of Gov. and Mrs. McGreevey says about the absurdity of banning gay marriage. (08/17/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: Lisa Leslie is the big sister the U.S. men need. Plus: A gold and two bronzes for Michael Phelps? What a failure! And: Take your best shot. (08/17/2004)

Subcontracting the hunt for bin Laden By Husain Haqqani
The twisted relationship between the Bush administration and Pakistan's military regime, driven by a mutual desire for survival, is undermining the war on terror. (08/17/2004)

The whole world is watching By Michelle Goldberg
If militants violently disrupt the GOP convention, it could be Chicago 1968 redux -- and Christmas in August for the Bush campaign. (08/17/2004)

"The will of the people" By Dan Glaister
Venezuelan President Chávez survives the recall referendum, which international observers say was fraud-free. (08/17/2004)

Propaganda vs. profit By Jonathan Watts
China opens up one of its last closed markets as newspapers multiply -- piquing the interest of media tycoons like Rupert Murdoch. (08/17/2004)

When the personal is political By Arianna Huffington
Jim McGreevey's hiring his lover was the height of recklessness, but his plummet from political grace is also a profound indictment of America's culture wars. (08/17/2004)

Tuesday's must reads Tim Grieve
(08/17/2004)

Recycling the media haircut charade Eric Boehlert
(08/17/2004)

Protesting the president's Web sites Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/17/2004)

Bush's slippery spin on Kerry's Iraq views Tim Grieve
(08/17/2004)

Keyes: Abortion, terrorism are "same evil" Tim Grieve
(08/17/2004)

In Colorado, an Electoral College shake-up Tim Grieve
(08/17/2004)

Where computers go to die By Katharine Mieszkowski
California's new electronics recycling program will treat monitors and flat screens like bottles and cans. But is that the best way to keep high-tech toxins out of the local landfill? (08/17/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Does dropping a bad reality show make you feel like a quitter? Plus: It's a mixed-up, upside-down world, as Cinemax explores schizophrenia, Bill Clinton shows up on "The Daily Show," and Andy Dick dates one of his former assistants! (08/16/2004)

Some lesbians hate "She Hate Me" By Gary Younge
Spike Lee's film is criticized for pandering to male fantasies rather than revealing the real complexities of gay women's lives. (08/16/2004)

The Fix
Hilton sister gets hitched in quickie Vegas wedding, Jacko invites Sunday school kids to Neverland, and the Times whips Tom Wolfe's a-- into shape. (08/16/2004)

"Checkpoint" by Nicholson Baker By Charles Taylor
This hot-button novel isn't bad because it's about a plot to kill Bush. It's bad because it can't face the real, understandable rage that can drive rational people to think the unthinkable. (08/16/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Sparky has some catching up to do. (08/16/2004)

Trying to be adult By Cary Tennis
I'm a woman involved with a woman, but I'm infatuated with a married man. (08/16/2004)

Sex, lies and the "down low" By Whitney Joiner
Bestselling author J.L. King is the new public face of a not-so-new phenomenon -- "straight" black men who secretly sleep with men. Is he a savior to black women worried about HIV -- or a self-promoter fanning fears of a bisexual black bogeyman? (08/16/2004)

Down low blues By Adam Phillips
All I want is a boyfriend. But as a black gay man, I keep hooking up with men who not only shun commitment -- they don't even want to come out of the closet. (08/16/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: The Dream Team that couldn't shoot straight. Plus: Ginobili can! And: NBC holds the syrup and shows actual events. (08/16/2004)

Words, not bullets By Michael Howard
The long-awaited national conference begins in Baghdad despite a dangerous security situation. (08/16/2004)

"Responsible citizens" By Dan Glaister
Venezuelans show up at the polls in massive numbers to vote on the recall of President Hugo Chávez. (08/16/2004)

America's Achilles' heel By Robert Bryce
The insurgents in Iraq know that keeping its oil flowing is crucial to U.S. success in the war -- and they're doing all they can to muck things up. (08/16/2004)

Showdown in Najaf Mark Follman
(08/16/2004)

Democrats preparing to push McGreevey out Tim Grieve
(08/16/2004)

John Kerry, a little too GQ Tim Grieve
(08/16/2004)

Poll report Tim Grieve
(08/16/2004)

"Boycott the Boss" Mark Follman
(08/16/2004)

Don't worry, take Prozac By Joyce McGreevy
Concerned about meaningless gibberish from the president? Agitated about the imminent loss of overtime benefits? Have no fear, Ms. Management is here. (08/16/2004)

Kerry's Iowa problem By Farhad Manjoo
No bounce for the Democratic candidate in the Iowa Electronic Markets. So what do the gamblers know that the rest of the country doesn't? (08/16/2004)

Monday's Must Reads Tim Grieve
(08/16/2004)

G.I. Joe is a fake By Dan Kois
Veterans group says military hero lied about his record; claims evil villains escaped his clutches during war against Cobra. (08/14/2004)

"We Don't Live Here Anymore" By Stephanie Zacharek
Two couples, one illicit affair, and all the guilt and recrimination that are sure to follow. (08/13/2004)

King of the bootlegs By Charles Taylor
The great director Zhang Yimou made the highest grossing Chinese film -- and possibly most-bootlegged DVD -- in history, "Hero." He spoke to Salon as it was finally about to be released in theaters. (08/13/2004)

Hitting up hipsters By Rebecca Traister
The draws at this political fundraiser were a novelist, a cable show comedian and an indie New Jersey band. And -- oh yeah -- the broad-shouldered son of John Kerry. (08/13/2004)

Indebted By Cary Tennis
My friend insists on paying for expensive lunches and then asks me to do favors for her. What's going on? (08/13/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Olympics: What else but a huge sports upset could make Iraq go silly with joy? Plus: Shame on ESPN. (08/13/2004)

Risky business By Eric Boehlert
The legal maneuvering to determine which Bush administration officials leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to Bob Novak, Matthew Cooper and other reporters has just begun. (08/13/2004)

Inside Najaf's Imam Ali mosque By Rory McCarthy
"We will do anything to stop the Americans. They have sex and drinking and other things, and we don't want this." (08/13/2004)

Loyal company man? By Suzanne Goldenberg
It remains unclear not only how far CIA nominee Porter Goss would go in restructuring the agency but how long his new job would even exist. (08/13/2004)

Six days of fierce battle By Phillip Robertson
Al-Mahdi fighters blame the U.S. for violating the cease-fire, and fighting rages in the streets of Najaf and Sadr City. As the Black Hawk swooped down to provide cover for U.S. fighters, I could see the laces on the gunner's boots. (08/13/2004)

Letter From Ramallah By Walid Batrawi
As life in the occupied territories becomes ever more hellish, Palestinians are openly expressing anger at their incompetent leadership. (08/13/2004)

Logging to protect the homeland By Amanda Griscom
New Bush administration rules would allow logging, hazardous materials and pesticide use on land under Department of Homeland Security control -- with no environmental reviews. (08/13/2004)

Red alert By Dale Davis
The Bush administration has a dangerous pattern of exposing intelligence operations for political gain, and that's undermining its war on terrorism. (08/13/2004)

Friday's Must Reads Tim Grieve
(08/13/2004)

Out and about with Jim McGreevey Tim Grieve
(08/13/2004)

The president's loose grip Tim Grieve
(08/13/2004)

Schwarzenegger and Bush: Will he or won't he? Tim Grieve
(08/13/2004)

The other side of the McGreevey affair? Tim Grieve
(08/14/2004)

Homeland security
A mayor, a child, a piece of cloth: What makes you feel safe? (08/13/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
A bogus "federal air marshal" group joins Annie Jacobsen's crusade against Syrian musicians. (08/13/2004)

Letters
We want our Buffy shows! Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "Must-Download TV." (08/13/2004)

Pretenders to the throne By Stephanie Zacharek
Which of our recent Cinderellas -- including Hilary Duff, Anne Hathaway and Julia Stiles -- really deserves to wear the glass slippers? (08/12/2004)

The Fix
The verdict's in: Peterson and mistress are really dumb. Plus: Screw publisher living behind a Boston Market, and Andy Dick freaks out, again. (08/12/2004)

Beyond Bridget Jones By Barbara O'Dair
These four new novels by and about women (and one not-so-new one) may be riding the chick-lit publishing craze. But they're also good enough to bust that dismissive genre label wide open. (08/12/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Hollywood Tales: Tom Cruise in "What a Day for a Walk" (08/12/2004)

Is it healthy? By Cary Tennis
Our sex has morphed into creepy addiction. What happened to the love part? (08/12/2004)

Letters
Readers weigh in on growing up with non-English-speaking parents. (08/12/2004)

Lynda Barry
Summer workshops: sign up before they fill up! (08/12/2004)

Eat your spinach By Stephanie Pierson
Sure, it's good for you -- but it also tastes great. (08/12/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
American athletes really do need to learn how to behave at the Olympics: The readers write. (08/12/2004)

War? What war? By Eric Boehlert
Until the recent flare-up in Najaf, Iraq had faded from the front pages -- despite continued carnage and chaos. Team Bush couldn't be happier. (08/12/2004)

Victory for stem cell research By David Adam
Scientists in Britain get the go-ahead to create embryos for their work in therapeutic cloning. (08/12/2004)

Ready to fight for Islam in Najaf By Rory McCarthy
Beside the ruined Valley of Peace, Muqtada al-Sadr's militants wait for martyrdom. (08/12/2004)

Ahmed Chalabi goes home By Michael Howard
The political chameleon returns to Iraq to face charges and "help the government and stop the violence." (08/12/2004)

Letters
Are raucous protesters at the Republican Convention playing right into Karl Rove's hands? Readers write about the planned protests, Kerry's military record and more. (08/12/2004)

Too tightknit to be accountable By Janine R. Wedel
The outsourcing of crucial government functions to private individuals and companies is an alarming trend. (08/12/2004)

Hang Kerry's DJ By Cynthia Barnes
Love your campaign, John. But can we talk about Free, '80s synth-pop and a whole T-bird full of moldy oldies? (08/12/2004)

The fall of the house of Nixon By Sidney Blumenthal
The conservative Republican Party that Richard Nixon created in the '60s is now coming apart at the seams under George W. Bush. Could that spell the end of his presidency? (08/13/2004)

Thursday's must reads Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

Bush backers play the race card Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/12/2004)

Turning the corner on "turning the corner" Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/12/2004)

Picking the wrong fight over Iraq Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

Gay marriage: What the court didn't do Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

Driving the wedge in Washington Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

Poll round-up Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/12/2004)

'There are no liberal Republicans anymore' Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/12/2004)

NJ governor: I'm gay and I quit Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

"I am a gay American" Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

Did lawsuit force McGreevey's coming out? Tim Grieve
(08/12/2004)

When machines breed By Sam Williams
Evolvable hardware -- gadgets that design themselves -- can get the job done, even if humans have no idea how they do it. (08/12/2004)

Never meta girl like you before By Thomas Bartlett
Two exclusive free downloads from two of the year's most acclaimed records -- and don't take my word for it. Plus: A blissful, b-side Bjork. (08/11/2004)

The Fix
"Buffy," "Will & Grace" and the "dry hump" survive FCC scrutiny. Reporters gush over Amber Frey. Plus: Hoover, Nixon were keeping their eyes on that long-haired hipster Joe Namath. (08/11/2004)

Bestsellers
How many weeks at No. 1 for "Angels & Demons"? More than we can count. But there's lots of change lower down, with new titles from Jim Hightower, Tom Clancy, Elizabeth George, the "Dune" franchise and ubergeek Wil Wheaton, all courtesy of Powell's. (08/11/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Portrait of a flip-flopper. (08/11/2004)

What next? By Cary Tennis
How do you know when is it time to move a relationship to another level, and how do you bring it up? (08/11/2004)

Babymaking By Amie Klempnauer
Jane and I spent 10 years discussing whether to have a child. Like many straight couples, we finally decided to leave it to the fates. But in our case the fates held a speculum, a catheter and a vial of sperm. (08/11/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Olympics haven't officially started, but they've started. Plus: Everybody out of the stadium! And: An interstate home run. (08/11/2004)

New York lockdown By Michelle Goldberg
Cops plan zero tolerance for violent protests at the GOP Convention. Militant groups plan to disrupt the city like never before. Welcome, delegates! (08/11/2004)

"Defending their country" By Rory McCarthy
Two Britons born in Iraq explain their reasons for joining the insurgents loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr. (08/11/2004)

Racial hatred in France By Amelia Gentleman
Attacks on Jewish, Muslim and Christian cemeteries have local residents demanding action -- not just expressions of disgust -- from police and other officials. (08/11/2004)

Today Iraq, tomorrow Iran By Martin Sieff
Neocons were dead wrong about Iraq in at least 21 (count 'em) ways. Yet Wolfowitz, Krauthammer et al. are nevertheless pushing for "preemption" in Iran. (08/11/2004)

Playing make-believe By Jonathan Freedland
A TV station ban, 160,000 foreign troops, trumped-up charges: Is this the free society Iraqis were promised? (08/11/2004)

A call for President Bush to denounce "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth"
(08/11/2004)

Living large in New York City Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Stephen W. Stromberg and Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

Porter Goss and that blue dress Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

The comic genius of Jerome Corsi -- Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

Do terror alerts reveal too much? Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

Taking a bite out of terror Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/11/2004)

Litigation looms over Louisiana party switch Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/11/2004)

Porter Goss: I'm not worthy Tim Grieve
(08/11/2004)

Must-download TV By Farhad Manjoo
The latest developments in TV-show-trading technology mean you don't need TiVo to watch what you want, when you want. (08/11/2004)

Lost at the movies By Charles Taylor
An unsettled age has given birth to a rootless cinema -- "Lost in Translation," "Before Sunrise" and the new "Code 46" among its films -- that shows confused characters moving through a comfortless world. (08/10/2004)

The Fix
"Sinewy," "fiery" supermodel beats on the help -- again. GOP entertainment guru pledges to alienate youth vote at convention. Plus: Is your phone company killing puppies? (08/10/2004)

Just how gay is "Death in Venice"? By Andrew O'Hehir
A homoerotic "master text" or a cryptic parable of art, arrogance and self-deception? A fresh translation helps pry Thomas Mann's classic from too-literal interpretation. (08/10/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Sound off. (08/10/2004)

Secret love By Cary Tennis
I've been crazy about this guy for years. How do I tell him? (08/10/2004)

John Kerry, senator By Tim Grieve
The Democrat campaigns as a war hero, but barely mentions his two decades as a legislator, allowing the GOP to paint him as a flip-flopping ultra-liberal. What has he actually achieved? (08/10/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Greg Maddux is a 300-game winner and a wonderful role model. Our Olympians are being asked to act more like him. Too bad. (08/10/2004)

October surprise in Iran? By Simon Tisdall
The Bush administration is set to take a tougher line with Tehran despite a lack of consensus among its allies. (08/10/2004)

Reestablishing the rule of law By Michael Howard
An Iraqi judge threatens to seek extradition of Ahmed Chalabi and his nephew on charges of counterfeiting and murder. (08/10/2004)

"The ghost of the left" By Suzanne Goldenberg
Not willing to take any chances on losing the presidential race, Democrats in Pennsylvania file lawsuits against Ralph Nader. (08/10/2004)

Our sinking ship By James K. Galbraith
President Bush says "we have turned the corner" -- but with him at the helm, the American economy is headed straight to Davy Jones' locker. (08/10/2004)

Tuesday's must-reads Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/10/2004)

No Powell at RNC: Tradition or politics? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/10/2004)

Staff today, gone tomorrow Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/10/2004)

Hindering the "war on terror," cont. Geraldine Sealey
(08/10/2004)

Wrong question, wrong answer Tim Grieve
(08/10/2004)

New election, same old Keyes Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/10/2004)

Chief executive, commander-in-chief, talk-show host Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/10/2004)

What's that hissing sound? By Jeff Nachtigal
Worried about oil running out? Don't look now, but natural gas is next on the endangered hydrocarbons list. (08/10/2004)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Palestinian boys craft homemade hand grenades in HBO's "Death in Gaza," and hapless victims of Fox's latest trashy joy ride meet their new mommies. Plus: Who's weirder, the Amish or the Angelenos? (08/09/2004)

Letters
An actor only a mother could love and only Ben Stiller could impersonate? Salon readers weigh in on Charles Taylor's "How does Tom Cruise rate?" (08/09/2004)

The Fix
No Cruise control: Worrisome box office and more gay-baiting rumors. For a few Olympians, the road to Athens leads first to a Playboy shoot. Plus: Ebay auctions a bid for celebrity (08/09/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Republicans say John Kerry is out of touch ... (08/09/2004)

I'm stalling By Cary Tennis
My boyfriend wants to marry me but I won't say yes. What can he do to make me marry him? (08/09/2004)

Bugaboo, beware! By Rebecca Traister
Come this October, the Bugaboo Frog won't be the only designer stroller option for hip (and wealthy) parents. Meet the new stroller on the block: The $750 alien-like Stokke Xplory. (08/09/2004)

Contract to torture By Osha Gray Davidson
A rare look at the entire Abu Ghraib report reveals that inexperienced, under-supervised private-sector employees actively took part in horrifying prisoner abuse. (08/09/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Rockin' it old school with ESPN, in case you forgot how annoying Craig Kilborn was before he got really annoying. Plus: Football? Now? (08/09/2004)

Nixon's tar baby By Stanley I. Kutler
No matter how hard revisionists try to rewrite the history of the 37th president 30 years after Watergate, the shame of that scandal is what people will remember most of all. (08/09/2004)

Monday's must-reads Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/09/2004)

'Without Nader, Bush would not be president' Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/09/2004)

Garden State no battleground Eric Boehlert
(08/09/2004)

Good in a fight Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/09/2004)

The big picture: Hindering the "war on terror" Geraldine Sealey
(08/09/2004)

A beacon of freedom? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/09/2004)

A hint from the publishing world: Anyone but Bush Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/09/2004)

Blogging grows up By Farhad Manjoo
Mena and Ben Trott thrilled the world of bloggers with their Movable Type software. Then their company, Six Apart, received venture financing and they decided it was time to get serious. (08/09/2004)

Washington lockdown By John Moyers
The extreme perimeter around the symbols of power in the nation's capital demonstrates the impossibility of barricading and random-searching our way to national security. (08/07/2004)

Court of public opinion By Stephen W. Stromberg
Political polls proliferate in an election year, and junkies just can't get enough -- but not all surveys are created equal. Salon rates the pollsters. (08/07/2004)

Whose is bigger? By Alessandro Camon
Bush and the GOP are trying to paint Kerry as a Euro-wimp and girlie man. But the Dems have a chance to show America that it's Bush who's the real 97-lb. weakling. (08/07/2004)

"Open Water" By Stephanie Zacharek
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the movie theater ... along comes a flick that uses real-life shark footage instead of special effects to spread its caul of terror. (08/06/2004)

"Little Black Book" By Stephanie Zacharek
Why has Brittany Murphy traded in a perfectly respectable, promising career to appear in dopey movies like this? (08/06/2004)

"Collateral" By Stephanie Zacharek
Tom Cruise is simply no match for Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith in this thriller from "The Insider" director Michael Mann. (08/06/2004)

"Last Life in the Universe" By Charles Taylor
Stepping off the hot summer street to watch this seamless film from Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is like stepping into a dream. (08/06/2004)

Ruff! Ruff! By Heather Havrilesky
Mark Ruffalo's raw vulnerability has made him a breakout star -- and helped him become the thinking woman's sex symbol. (08/06/2004)

The Fix
The Vatican is upset by naked, pregnant Monica Belluci photo; Rivers calls Crowe "arrogant" and unsexy; and Clinton turns down SNL but says "yes" to Jon Stewart. (08/06/2004)

Was I a dupe? By Cary Tennis
Why did he dump me? And why does it still hurt so much? (08/06/2004)

Food nuts By Lucian K. Truscott IV
We came to France to affirm that in at least one other place on the planet, people were as crazy about cooking and eating and drinking and talking as we are. (08/06/2004)

Protection -- or paranoia? By Justin Rood
Why is the Secret Service treating harmless professors and pacifist homeless advocates like they're members of al-Qaida? (08/06/2004)

Another swift lie By Martin Lewis
Swift Boat Veteran John O'Neill has been trying to discredit John Kerry for three decades. He'd be more believable if he'd stop telling bald-faced lies on national TV. (08/06/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
On chemistry in baseball clubhouses and track and field labs, plus USA basketball, Miami football and editing misteaks: The readers write. (08/06/2004)

War is hot! Diplomacy, so uncool By Jonathan Steele
In both Sudan and Sri Lanka, the route to peace is through negotiation. (08/06/2004)

Sudan accepts UN plan By Jeevan Vasagar
Government halts military action against villages, allows humanitarian work to continue. (08/06/2004)

Timing is everything By Brian Whitaker
The arrest of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani on July 25, days before the Democratic convention, was Pakistan's biggest terrorist collar since last year. Coincidence? Perhaps not. (08/06/2004)

World bank of ideas By Eric Weiner
While the U.S. is busy exporting democracy to Iraq, it should be importing some best democratic practices from the rest of the world, too. (08/06/2004)

Muckraker By Amanda Griscom
Is Barack Obama too good to be true? Not judging by his stellar environmental record. (08/06/2004)

Republicans' Dishonorable Charge By Joe Conason
Now even John McCain has condemned the Swift Boat Veterans' outrageous attack on John Kerry's Vietnam record. (08/07/2004)

Friday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/06/2004)

Speaking too fast? E-mail me... Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/06/2004)

"I knew it was wrong" Geraldine Sealey
(08/06/2004)

The war on...falling approval rates? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/06/2004)

Still in a "soft patch" Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/06/2004)

Quite a legacy Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/06/2004)

A bounce in all but name Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/06/2004)

Finding redemption
What Table Talkers are saying this week about terror alerts, education, faith and forgiveness. (08/06/2004)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
If Annie Jacobsen won't stop her fearmongering about terrorists, then I won't stop exposing the harm she's doing to us all, either. (08/06/2004)

Letters
We don't want bio-engineered food, but we do want our privacy: Readers respond to Alan Goldstein's "Bio-stupid" and David Brin's "Three Cheers for the Surveillance Society." (08/06/2004)

The Fix
David Foster Wallace feels lobsters' pain, Peggy Noonan takes leave to work for Bush campaign, and Robert De Niro becomes an honorary Italian citizen. (08/05/2004)

How does Tom Cruise rate? By Charles Taylor
After three decades on-screen, who should we compare him to? Redford, Cooper or Johnny Depp? My choice: Troy Donahue. (08/05/2004)

A master's flash By Jon Henley
Henri Cartier-Bresson, the man who turned photography into an art form, was "determined to trap life, to preserve life in the act of living." (08/05/2004)

Letters
Believers and atheists take potshots at each other and at Laura Miller's "God Wars." (08/05/2004)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The noble history of the Free Speech Zone. (08/05/2004)

He does the dumbest things! By Cary Tennis
I thought my husband was stupid, but he's just got attention deficit disorder. (08/05/2004)

Lynda Barry
Pixelated Lady: Roll on, thou midsummer madness! (08/05/2004)

Beyond Harvard and the SATs By Katy Read
In "Seeing Past Z," Beth Kephart argues that ambitious parents are smothering their kids' creativity with lessons, activities and schedules. (08/05/2004)

Down and out and on the move By Michelle Goldberg
Leading a feisty army of homeless people, fiery activist Cheri Honkala is about to descend on the Republican Convention. (08/05/2004)

Sudan throws anti-UN rally By Jeevan Vasagar
Tens of thousands show up at a government-sponsored protest against increased troop presence. (08/05/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The sacking of Quincy Carter: It makes sense, but it's deeply strange. Plus: Big Ten football will try instant replay. And: A great read -- about cycling! (08/05/2004)

Letters
Are U.S. airports still vulnerable to terrorism? Has the Washington Post editorial page turned blatantly pro-war? Readers weigh in. (08/05/2004)

Katherine Harris strikes again Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/05/2004)

Thursday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/05/2004)

Iowa, turning a corner Geraldine Sealey
(08/05/2004)

Swiftboat Veterans for "Truth" Stephen W. Stromerg
(08/05/2004)

Different decade, same dirty tricks Geraldine Sealey
(08/05/2004)

The prince who keeps on giving Geraldine Sealey
(08/05/2004)

Durbin: "I trust Tom Ridge" Mary Jacoby
(08/05/2004)

Cheney opposed intelligence reform in 1992 Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/05/2004)

Kerry on the pet goat dilemma Geraldine Sealey
(08/05/2004)

Loyalty Oaths in New Mexico here to stay Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/05/2004)

A counterrevolution? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/05/2004)

The end of the world is here By Katharine Mieszkowski
Disasters spawned by global warming are no longer science fiction, Ross Gelbspan argues in "Boiling Point" -- they're already here. (08/05/2004)

Letters
Saving forest communities is a bipartisan job: Don't blame George W. Bush for the problem. A response to Jeff Nachtigal's "They're Lumberjacks and They're Not OK." (08/05/2004)

Wilco she, or won't she? By Thomas Bartlett
The Fiona Apple album Sony isn't letting you hear, William Shatner's inept poetry-slam version of Pulp's brilliant "Common People" -- and free downloads from Badly Drawn Boy, Spoon and more! (08/04/2004)

First lady fights back! By Tony Kushner
In this exclusive new scene by Tony Kushner he is confronted by Laura Bush, who claims Dostoevsky for conservatives, defends her husband's poetry and extols his "vividness." (08/04/2004)

The Fix
Springsteen to take part in MoveOn.org mega-concert, John Sayles hops on the Bush-bashing bandwagon, and "Growing Up Gotti" is a certifiable hit. (08/04/2004)

Writing in the Margins By Scott Thill
What's hot in indie publishing, from Greg Palast's anti-Dubya card deck to a coffee-table book of antiwar art and a photographic study of NYC's back-in-the-day graffiti writers. Plus: The '80s punk hero who's been forgotten but shouldn't be. (08/04/2004)

Bestsellers
"The Da Vinci Code" falls all the way to No. 10! But there are two other Dan Brown titles above it, along with the 9/11 report, David Sedaris and Al Franken's new paperback. All on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (08/04/2004)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Return of the Chicken Man! (08/04/2004)

Odd duck By Cary Tennis
I'm getting married and I can't decide whether to keep my name or change it. (08/04/2004)

Innocence lost in translation By Cara Nissman
From the doctor's office to the courtroom, immigrants often rely on their bilingual children to interpret for them. Are these kids learning valuable life skills -- or shouldering too much family responsibility? (08/04/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The U.S. basketball team gets smoked by Italy. Italy?! Good. At last the Dream Team era is over and Olympic hoops will be worth watching. (08/04/2004)

Persecuted for their faith -- and ignored by the U.S. By Judd Legum
If Bush truly believes religion is the "first freedom of the human soul," why isn't his administration pressuring countries that persecute people for their beliefs? (08/04/2004)

Tales of torture By Vikram Dodd and Tania Branigan
Questioned at gunpoint, shackled, forced to pose naked. British detainees tell their stories of Guantanamo Bay. (08/04/2004)

"It was just for fun" By Suzanne Goldenberg
Private Lynndie England is said to have shown no alarm when confronted with pictures of her gloating over naked and cowering Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. (08/04/2004)

The Washington Post's creeping hawkishness By James P. Pinkerton
Once it challenged Nixon. Now the supposedly liberal paper is attacking Kerry for not fully embracing Bush's Iraq war. (08/04/2004)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Mark Steyn says a "deluded" John Kerry is "frozen in the '60s," while Trent Lott tags the Boston native "a French-speaking socialist." Plus: Defending dubious terror alerts. And: Drudge rips off Tom Tomorrow. (08/05/2004)

Betrayal of trust By Sidney Blumenthal
The Bush administration's disgraceful history of lies and distortions explains why so many Americans are dismissing the latest terror alerts as a political stunt. (08/04/2004)

Wednesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

What he knew Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

More August ads Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/04/2004)

Freed Gitmo prisoners speaking out Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

Laura Bush enters the No-Spin Zone Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

Bruce: "Its just too big a battle to lay out of" Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

One town, two candidates, three bank robberies Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

Halliburton accounting "out of the shadows" Geraldine Sealey
(08/04/2004)

Still a uniter? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/04/2004)

Three cheers for the Surveillance Society! By David Brin
In the brave new future, Big Brother will watch our every move. But that's OK, because we'll be watching him too. (08/04/2004)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
A great Japanese sword fable that does everything Tarantino tried to do in "Kill Bill." Plus: The summer's runaway indie hit, and Damon joins the Zinn crowd. (08/03/2004)

The Fix
Michael Moore gets sued for a million bucks -- and possibly disqualified from Oscar contention. Plus: Monica Lewinsky tackles the ethics of checkbook journalism. (08/03/2004)

Laura Bush hits Broadway By Rebecca Traister
A fight breaks out at a new Tony Kushner play as celebrity, political activism and the first lady collide at an antiwar benefit. (08/03/2004)

New Hampshire Is for Lovers By Dave Eggers
The candidate looked down at his chest and another face, just like his, was looking up at him, grinning like a knife salesman. (08/03/2004)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Excessorizing! (08/03/2004)

Over-40 blues By Cary Tennis
Men my age seem to be fixated on breeders who are under 40. (08/03/2004)

The last line of defense By Kevin Berger
The 9/11 commission report and aviation security experts paint a damning picture of how America's airline security failed -- and is still failing. (08/03/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The death of track and field: Why watch a sport where the only results that mean anything come from a lab? Plus: Tyson's finished! We mean it! (Please forget this by his next fight.) (08/03/2004)

Brave talk -- no action By Simon Tisdall
The U.S. and England rattle their sabers at the Sudan -- where civil unrest has led to 30,000 deaths -- and still nothing has happened. (08/03/2004)

Unchecked anti-semitism By Jon Henley
France's adherence to its republican ideals has left it blind it to its most pressing problems. (08/03/2004)

Tuesday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/03/2004)

Latest Illinois scenario: Obama vs. Keyes? Geraldine Sealey
(08/03/2004)

"Four more years of hell" Geraldine Sealey
(08/03/2004)

Sandy Berger cleared. But shhh! It's a media secret Eric Boehlert
(08/03/2004)

In Pennsylvania, an unholy alliance Tim Grieve
(08/03/2004)

Some candidates talk economics, he talks eugenics Geraldine Sealey
(08/03/2004)

Cheney's "lost years" in Congress Geraldine Sealey
(08/03/2004)

Preaching to the choir Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/03/2004)

The blitz begins Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/03/2004)

Bio-stupid By Alan Goldstein
The protesters at a San Francisco biotech summit were scientifically illiterate and politically irrelevant. But they were also right. (08/03/2004)

Get a life By James Meek
Online fantasy games are booming worldwide, but as their popularity has grown, a strange new economy has emerged, in which a good player in South Korea can sell his 'avatar' for big bucks to a less skillful player clear across the globe. (08/03/2004)

A blue note for Bush By John Fordham
After 35 years together, the Liberation Music Orchestra returns again to challenge another foe. (08/02/2004)

Bart's big mouth By Emma Brockes
For 17 years, this wholesome Scientologist has played the naughtiest boy on TV. (08/02/2004)

God wars By Laura Miller
Is the upsurge of faith in America and the West a glorious spiritual reawakening, or a barbaric superstition that must be stamped out? Two opposing new books turn religion into a heavyweight brawl. (08/02/2004)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
The very nice Democratic Convention. (08/02/2004)

Image problem By Cary Tennis
I'm a strait-laced progressive. Why do people think I'm a Republican? (08/02/2004)

Arafat "ruining his people" says protege By Conal Urquhart
Former interior minister warns of "massive demonstrations" in Gaza without reforms. (08/02/2004)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Better living through chemistry: Does trading away your team's heart and soul really mean anything? The next two months will offer some clues. (08/02/2004)

Monday's must-reads Geraldine Sealey
(08/02/2004)

Fun with Dick Geraldine Sealey
(08/02/2004)

Ron Reagan on George W. Bush Geraldine Sealey
(08/02/2004)

To bounce or not to bounce Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/02/2004)

Are blacks really for Bush? Eric Boehlert
(08/02/2004)

Not your grandfather's Democratic press secretaries Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/02/2004)

Running against Neville Chamberlain Tim Grieve
(08/02/2004)

Senator Affleck? Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/02/2004)

Massachusetts conservative Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/02/2004)

MO on the gay marriage debate Stephen W. Stromberg
(08/02/2004)

What, me angry? By Joyce McGreevy
The right wing accuses me and my fellow Dems of being negative. Hell, we'd be smirking like W. himself if he hadn't trashed our country! (08/02/2004)

Letters
Penetrating analysis or pointy-headed intellectual garbage? Readers respond to Solon Simmons' "Class Politics -- JibJab style." (08/02/2004)

I Like To Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Will the American Candidate outshine the actual candidates? Between "Big Brother 5" and "Celebrity Poker Showdown," who has time to shower and eat? Plus: What do we find when we follow punk rocker Ashlee Simpson back to her roots? (08/01/2004)