September 2003

The Fix
Ed Meese loses his cool with Katie, Denzel says he wants to stop acting, and Jack Black says rock is in the heart. Plus: Who will be the next 007? (09/30/2003)

Boo Who? By Stephanie Zacharek
At a New York Film Festival screening of the classic "The Kids Are Alright," rock 'n' roll again manages to infuriate the squares. (09/30/2003)

Henry Kissinger: The sequel By Stanley I. Kutler
Heroic statesman or war criminal? America's most legendary living foreign-policy wonk takes another stab at molding his legacy. (09/30/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
On the path o' logical with Ann Coulter. (09/30/2003)

Letters
"This nightmare economy can't last forever." Some readers feel Barbara Card Atkinson's pain -- others tell her to stop whining. (09/30/2003)

War is peace! By Jennifer L. Buckendorff
How the Bush administration's propaganda machine -- with the help of Roger Ailes' Fox News -- distorts the truth in the Middle East and at home. (10/01/2003)

Arnold's body issues By David Gilson
Should California voters worry about Schwarzenegger's past steroid use? Depends on whether you believe scientists -- or tales of 'roid rage. (09/30/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Playoff preview: The Cubs are this year's Yankees, the rock stars of baseball. But the Yankees are still the Yankees. (09/30/2003)

The world press on democracy in America
The Lebanese Daily Star: "Death interrupted Edward Said; despite his great achievements, his job was not done yet." (09/30/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Now that liberals are finally pushing back on the playground, the Bush bullies are running to tell the teacher. (09/30/2003)

Am I gay? By Cary Tennis
I met a great gal at the ballpark who turned out to be a transsexual. I pitched, she caught. Bases loaded! (09/30/2003)

Invasion of the high-tech body snatchers By Alan H. Goldstein
Ready for infrared vision, and hearts that work better than the original? While bioethicists obsess over cloning, bioengineers will soon be able to replace every part of our bodies. (09/30/2003)

Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands By David Bowman
English singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore, at just 23, is the genuine heiress to the Bob Dylan-Leonard Cohen-Tom Waits legacy of dark, brilliant indie folk-rock. (09/29/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
New gossip column hits NYC. Is Letterman married? Does Woody Allen have bad taste? Ted Turner is a real downer. Plus: Uma eats ice cream and loses weight! (09/29/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
The world according to Rumsfeld. (09/29/2003)

"Throwing mud at His Holiness"
Readers lash out at Christopher Farah for his report on the Dalai Lama's talk in Central Park. (09/29/2003)

Dean and Clark's civil union By Michelle Goldberg
For now, at least, supporters of the two Democratic rivals are surprisingly cuddly. (09/29/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why hasn't a single Washington journalist stepped forward to reveal the source of the Valerie Plame leak? (09/29/2003)

I'm forlorn and flailing By Cary Tennis
He was sent to Kuwait; I was sent to Kosovo. Now we're back in the States, he's gone, and I'm lost. What are my orders? (09/29/2003)

Another case of electronic vote-tampering? By Farhad Manjoo
Representatives of the computer vote-counting industry are unfairly dominating the standard-setting process, say critics. (09/29/2003)

Planet autism By Scot Sea
Last summer, a man in California shot his 27-year-old autistic son to death and then shot himself. I understand why. (09/27/2003)

Bush abandons troop-protection plan By Paul J. Caffera
A decision by the White House and a GOP-dominated Congress would leave troop-transport jets vulnerable to missile attack. (09/27/2003)

"My Life Without Me" By Charles Taylor
Sarah Polley shines in this soggy hankie of a movie about a young mother given two months to live. (09/26/2003)

"Under the Tuscan Sun" By Stephanie Zacharek
For a movie about moving to Italy and bedding a hot Italian stallion, this sterile fantasy is about as sexy as a rusty olive oil can. (09/26/2003)

"To Be and to Have" By Charles Taylor
This heart-wrenching documentary about a French village schoolteacher at work offers the comedy and pathos of great drama and the visual magnificence of painting. (09/26/2003)

"Duplex" By Stephanie Zacharek
In Danny DeVito's delicious dark comedy, Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore are trapped in a to-kill-for Brooklyn brownstone, with an old lady neighbor from hell. (09/26/2003)

"The Rundown" By Andrew O'Hehir
Schwarzenegger passes a figurative torch to The Rock, and another majorly mediocre buddy action comedy is born. (09/26/2003)

The Fix
Who really snapped that steamy "Mapplethorpe" photo that disappeared from Drudge's Web site? Plus: Kidman and Kravitz swear they're just friends, and Wenner confiscates cellphones at Britney party. (09/26/2003)

Loving Bush: Day 2 By Anne Lamott
Even though I'm addicted to hating the president, I'm trying to forgive him -- as Jesus would. It's not easy. (09/26/2003)

Falling down By Barbara Card Atkinson
We were both professionals. Now I'm sweeping up popcorn, my husband is selling motorcycles, and our house is on the block. There are a lot of us these days. (09/26/2003)

Democratic rivals target Bush -- and Dean By Eric Boehlert
Bush's tax cuts for the rich have to go, Democrats agreed at Thursday's debate. But when the Vermont doctor took some barbs, he flashed his famous temper. (09/27/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 4: Who will win? All of us -- because with the Bucs taking a break, we'll be spared Warren Sapp's booty-dance tribute to Beyonce. (09/26/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The 2001 videotape of Colin Powell's remarks about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction is damning. So why isn't it getting more airtime? (09/26/2003)

I'm shy By Cary Tennis
I like this guy and we're friends, but how do I ask him out on a date? (09/26/2003)

A naked woman is never ironic By David Bowman
Historian Jessica Glasscock chats about the first striptease, pasties, pubic landing strips, and the nude-friendly hippies who raised her. (09/26/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Are there nations without airlines? What happened to Nigeria Airways? How safe is Syrianair? The pilot knows all. (09/26/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
"Survivor" and Rob Lowe return -- as does the late, great "Dynasty." Jessica Simpson stumped by "Buffalo wings." Plus: The hopelessly ethical "West Wing" staff finally gets its comeuppance. (09/25/2003)

The Fix
"The West Wing" goes bonkers, Dave Matthews rocks New York, and "K Street" just confuses things. Plus: Can someone stop Madonna before she acts again? (09/25/2003)

The enchanter By Laura Miller
With his comic book masterpiece "The Sandman" and his instant-classic children's horror tale, "Coraline," Neil Gaiman has established himself as today's master of fantasy. (09/25/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Kids to RIAA: Liar, liar pants on fire! (09/25/2003)

Tammy Faye says I'm going to hell By Amy Reiter
The famous ex-preacher's wife talks about her new self-help book, kicking Ativan, forgiving Jerry Falwell, and why she's a gay icon. (09/25/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
On the uplifting nature of sports and the cluelessness of sports media, including a certain columnist: The readers write. (09/25/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "The Crisis of the Pro-War Liberals," by Michelle Goldberg, and "Iraq Is Not Vietnam," by Edward W. Lempinen. (09/25/2003)

"Bushwhacked!" By Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose
A new book excerpt traces President Bush's rise from failed oil baron to wealthy Texas governor, courtesy of Daddy's friends. (09/25/2003)

Suffering from electoral dysfunction? Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Don't despair -- recall fatigue is perfectly normal! (09/25/2003)

Kerry's appeal to Howard Dean
Sen. John Kerry urges his rival presidential candidate to rethink tax cuts and Medicare, for the good of the country -- and the Democratic Party. (09/25/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Rush "a boil on my butt kept me out of Vietnam" Limbaugh tries to dirty Clark's uniform; but Col. David Hackworth salutes him. (09/26/2003)

Acting weird By Cary Tennis
I lost my wife to another man and I want to know how to get her back! (09/25/2003)

We are all paparazzi now By Katharine Mieszkowski
In an age of increasing corporate and government surveillance, publicly accessible webcams give us a chance to do some watching of our own. (09/25/2003)

Letters
Democracy in danger: Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "An Open Invitation to Election Fraud." (09/25/2003)

Hip-hop's odd couple gets odder By Baz Dreisinger
OutKast's new double album is a critic's dream -- a self-indulgent but thrilling mixture of Southern funk, indie rock and art music. (09/24/2003)

The Fix
Iraq war stops next "Mad Max" movie, Gen. Shelton won't vote for Gen. Clark, and Elton John to sell off all his stuff! Plus: All about Russell Crowe's bonk ban. (09/24/2003)

"Just another flavor of meat" By Katharine Mieszkowski
Author David Quammen talks about what the human race will lose if we don't allow the big alpha predators -- tigers, bears and crocodiles -- to survive. And OK, maybe they need to eat one of us once in a while. (09/24/2003)

Bestsellers
Franken stays at No. 1; "Middlesex" arrives in paperback. Plus: "Fast Food Nation" and the rest of the week's list, courtesy of Powells.com. (09/24/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
W. addresses the U.N. (09/24/2003)

Sure, you can play Kenny G. Just don't ever call me again By Michael Kessler
You've done it to someone. And somebody's done it to you. It's the deal breaker, and it's the pettiest way to weed people out. (09/24/2003)

Bad Moon on the rise By John Gorenfeld
Overcoming his church's bizarre reputation and his own criminal record, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon has cemented ties with the Bush administration, while his disciples have even gained government funding. (09/24/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
A-Rod has a chance to win the MVP at last. But it should go to Manny Ramirez, bad attitude and all. (09/24/2003)

California recall smackdown By Tim Grieve
With the vote to oust Gov. Gray Davis less than two weeks away, Arianna uses a prime-time debate to stage a relentless attack on the Terminator. (09/25/2003)

Family values, down the toilet By Robert Scheer
Republican women rationalize that Arnold Schwarzenegger "supports family." Mark that endorsement the death knell of GOP claims to represent traditional family values. (09/24/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
New York Post's Ralph Peters tags Wesley Clark a softy on terror, while Coulter sees a devious Hillary plot. (09/24/2003)

Dean declares war on "King George"
Presidential candidate Howard Dean calls upon today's Sons of Liberty to overthrow a government that is "of, by and for the special interests." (09/24/2003)

Bathroom confidential By Saara Dutton
I went to a strip club with my boyfriend, but I got more of a thrill hanging with the girls in the ladies' room than he did out front. (09/24/2003)

There are no poets left By Cary Tennis
I've looked all over the Internet and can't find out what it means to be "in love." (09/24/2003)

Going for baroque By Andrew Leonard
Neal Stephenson's new "Quicksilver" takes a fantastical, circuitous tour of the 17th century in search of the roots of science and the nature of the universe. (09/24/2003)

The Coppola clan's best director? By Brian Libby
Sofia Coppola talks about her crazy childhood, the "Dolce Vita" energy of Tokyo, and casting Bill Murray as a romantic lead in "Lost in Translation." (09/23/2003)

The Fix
Bush and Brit play footsie, Heather McCartney likes Vladimir Putin, and Scorsese films Van, Mick and Eric. Plus: Naomi Campbell wants you to hire her to plan your party! (09/23/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The importance of hand gestures to our leader's public image. (09/23/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The out-of-touch media: How can the sports commentariat be so removed they don't realize central facts about the experience of being a fan? (09/23/2003)

Bush, Chirac clash at U.N. By Eric Boehlert
The president asks the world body to "move forward" to rebuild Iraq even though it didn't OK the war. The French say not so fast. (09/23/2003)

Howard Dean's Israel problem By Michelle Goldberg
When he said the U.S. must be "evenhanded" in the Middle East, rivals and critics accused him of selling out the Jewish state -- even though his position is similar to Bush's and his campaign co-chair used to run AIPAC. (09/23/2003)

The world press on the U.N. in Iraq Compiled by Laura McClure
Should the U.N. bail out the U.S. in Iraq? A Guardian writer says not if it helps Bush win reelection. (09/23/2003)

Black helicopters over 43rd Street! By Charles Taylor
The New York Times' chief conspiracy theorist unloads a corker: Wes Clark as pawn of Hillary. (09/23/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Quite a few supporters of the candidates I urged to drop out have written in to protest. But if Iowa were America, Gephardt would have been president long ago. (09/24/2003)

Unwanted gifts By Cary Tennis
Opposites attracted, conceived -- and now I'm with wife and child and don't know what to do! (09/23/2003)

An open invitation to election fraud By Farhad Manjoo
Not only is the country's leading touch-screen voting system so badly designed that votes can be easily changed, but its manufacturer is run by a die-hard GOP donor who vowed to deliver his state for Bush next year. (09/23/2003)

The Fix
Stylist to the stars behind bars, Jon Stewart tells it like it is -- once again -- and Cameron Diaz gets zits! Plus: Will Baryshnikov replace Big? (09/22/2003)

The Rundown: The Emmys By Heather Havrilesky
"Queer Eye" jokes, J.Lo cracks, and yucks about actresses over 50 -- recounting the memorable moments of television's annual feel-good extravaganza. (09/22/2003)

Patriotic gore By Charles Taylor
In Paul Fussell's newest World War II chronicle, the GIs who defeated the Nazis fought an ugly, dirty, bloody war that brutalized them all and ennobled no one. That doesn't mean it was pointless. (09/22/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
The absolutely true story of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq! (09/22/2003)

Cashing in on cord blood By Anna Holmes
Private companies are charging thousands of dollars to collect newborns' stem cells. (09/22/2003)

Dharma in the park By Christopher Farah
Sixty-five thousand people -- students, professionals, hippies and the just plain curious -- flocked to New York to hear the Dalai Lama. But did they find anything meaningful beyond a sunny day, a picnic lunch, and a guest appearance by Richard Gere? (09/22/2003)

The crisis of the pro-war liberals By Michelle Goldberg
As Iraq deteriorates, some born-again hawks like Christopher Hitchens are still waving their sabers -- but others are skulking toward the rear. (09/22/2003)

Trent Lott, populist hero By Eric Boehlert
Once a GOP ultra-partisan, the deposed Senate leader is now leading the charge against the FCC and media giantism. Is it his revenge against the Bush White House? (09/22/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
September is a month for talking baseball. A baseball guy explains why he hasn't been inspired to do so. (09/22/2003)

Iraq is not Vietnam By Edward W. Lempinen
The antiwar left shows a troubling indifference to the plight of Iraqis -- and flirts with irrelevance -- by demanding that President Bush bring the troops home now. (09/22/2003)

"Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President" By Max Cleland
In a scathing critique of the Iraq war, former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland compares President Bush to Lyndon Johnson -- and blasts his lack of service in Vietnam. (09/22/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
A new poll shows that in the matchups between Bush and the top-tier Democrats, all are within striking distance -- and Clark is actually a couple of points ahead. (09/22/2003)

I've had it with fake guy friends! By Cary Tennis
Sure, we're "just friends" -- until the beer starts talking! (09/22/2003)

No free lunch By Joyce McGreevy
Americans who can't afford to eat are harming the vital raw food and low-carb grocery industries -- and giving high-class dieters a bad name. (09/22/2003)

Letters
To self-checkout or not to self-checkout? Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "Welcome to the Machine?" (09/22/2003)

Will the real Feminem please stand up By Baz Dreisinger
Is Sarai the music industry's eagerly awaited lady Slim Shady? (09/20/2003)

Searching for Saddam's sarin By Ferry Biedermann
A purloined videotape leads to a wild tale of smuggling, greed, intrigue, thuggery, sex and Iraq's elusive weapons of mass destruction. (09/20/2003)

Plane heads to South Pole to rescue worker
(09/20/2003)

"Cold Creek Manor" By Stephanie Zacharek
In this predictable Mike Figgis thriller, Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid buy a cute old country house. Then the creepy guy with the bed-head 'do shows up! (09/19/2003)

"demonlover" By Charles Taylor
Olivier Assayas' unclassifiable porn-capitalism thriller is a theory-addled nightmare -- but it's also a profound and troubling movie about contemporary life. (09/19/2003)

Why can't we be "Friends"? By Heather Havrilesky
Among the new fall TV sitcoms are predictably miserable rip-offs ("Coupling"), dubious star vehicles (Kelly Ripa, anyone?) and cartoon families -- and a few that seem to get the tricky comedy formula just right. (09/19/2003)

"Underworld" By Andrew O'Hehir
By any reasonable standard, this dark vampire epic -- all massive overacting, cologne-commercial design and sexy cat suits -- sucks. But at least it gives a crap. (09/19/2003)

"Anything Else" By Stephanie Zacharek
In Woody Allen's incredible shrinking career, this mean "romantic" comedy with Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci is his tiniest movie yet. (09/19/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Dixie Chicks' wings clipped -- literally. Paul McCartney in a tussle, and Dave Matthews no "American Idol" fan. Plus: A hip-hop star trades props with Howard Dean. (09/19/2003)

Night flight to Tashkent By Tom Bissell
I'm smuggling $6,300 into Uzbekistan -- and I have no experience with this sort of thing. The first chapter from a Salon contributor's travel memoir, "Chasing the Sea." (09/19/2003)

Reruns on the runway By Adrienne Crew
New York's Fashion Week is once again giving us something old and something borrowed. For once, how about something new? (09/19/2003)

Can John Kerry turn it around? By David Kusnet
His campaign's in disarray, his message is muddled, and the media has narrowed its focus to Wesley Clark vs. Howard Dean. But backers insist the combat veteran is ready for a long battle. (09/19/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Week 3: Whatever you think about this season so far, you're right. And so is everybody else, except maybe Bears fans. (09/19/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Wesley Clark: The New Howard Dean?" by Eric Boehlert, and Salon's new roundup of conservative commentary, "Right Hook," by Mark Follman. (09/19/2003)

Wes Clark's bad day By Joan Walsh
He mangled his position on the congressional Iraq resolution, and when the going got tough, he summoned a press aide with a cry of "Mary, help!" Tell me again why this guy should make Howard Dean and John Kerry quake in their boots? (09/19/2003)

I'm nearly 50 and having great sex By Cary Tennis
Will menopause ruin everything? (09/19/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The pilot confesses his many sins and explains the strange aviation mystery of Gardner, Mass. (09/19/2003)

Letters
Scott Matthews responds to critics of his piece on file sharing, "Why Copying Isn't Cool." (09/19/2003)

Letters
Entrapment is never justified, no matter what the thought crime: Readers respond to Katharine Mieszkowski's "Mob Justice." (09/19/2003)

Funkenstein's monster By Scott Thill
George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic are a hugely groove-alicious influence on contemporary pop culture. But could anything like Clinton's grand artistic vision -- and inclusive politics -- thrive in today's shallow realm of bling? (09/18/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Oprah a warmonger? Heidi's out, Daryl's in at Playboy. Plus: Tony and Meadow, throwing down shots? (09/18/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
A presidential message, from postwar Wilkes Land, Antarctica. (09/18/2003)

"You gotta write from the heart, got it?" By Mark Salzman
An excerpt from Mark Salzman's new memoir, "True Notebooks." (09/18/2003)

Life sentences By Sheerly Avni
Novelist Mark Salzman, who spent four years teaching locked-up young hoods in L.A., talks about his students, their writing and how they inspired him to have a child of his own. (09/18/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
You're not going to believe this: The NCAA is all about money. And you're really not going to believe this: Someone has admitted it! (09/18/2003)

Rumsfeld's McArmy goes to war By David Morse
The Pentagon's new public-private military was supposed to be a lean, mean fighting machine. It isn't working. (09/18/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Anyone who reads the Washington Post should have strongly suspected that false premises underpinned the war. (09/18/2003)

Econo-eyes Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Now you can experience the thrill and excitement of the American economy firsthand! (09/18/2003)

We're talking more than doing By Cary Tennis
The sex is boring and we're not even married yet! (09/18/2003)

Welcome to the machine? By Farhad Manjoo
Consumers love ATMs, self-checkout machines and airport boarding-pass kiosks. But what about the workers who get automated out of existence? (09/18/2003)

Letters
Readers debate "Enterprise" and mourn the Man in Black. And female horror fans say yes to nudity -- but wonder what's so sacred about the penis! (09/17/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Russell vs. Mel! Said one Aussie heartthrob of the other: "I think he's got to get off the glue." Plus: One "Queer Eye" unhappy with Donald Trump. (09/17/2003)

"Loser Goes First" by Dan Kennedy By Heather Havrilesky
This hilarious memoir by a McSweeney's contributor chronicles a lifetime of false starts and big mistakes with honesty, wit and lots of appalling details. (09/17/2003)

Bestsellers
Al Franken reclaims the top spot, Chuck Palahniuk has three entries (count 'em!) and Anne Lamott makes this week's list, courtesy of Powells.com. (09/17/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Don't blame the file sharers! (09/17/2003)

Dearjohn.com
The night before El Wimpo broke up with me by e-mail, we were steaming up the bedroom windows with our passion. (09/17/2003)

Sunset for the golden boy? By Alexander Bolton
As John Edwards kicks off his presidential campaign, some wonder if it's over before it began. (09/17/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Jim Fassel's coaching mistakes, errors that are as common as they are stupid, cost the Giants a Monday night win. Plus: Please, people -- no wagering! (09/17/2003)

Wesley Clark: The new Howard Dean? By Eric Boehlert
The former Vermont governor is the front-runner, but some Democratic insiders wonder if the retired general has a better chance of beating Bush. (09/18/2003)

When corrections need correcting By Robert Scheer
The Bush team has a clever ploy: Tell politically useful lies VERY LOUDLY, then whisper a correction. (09/17/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
O'Reilly helps Bush explain the Arab street, and the Spectator's Mark Steyn insists bin Laden is dead. Plus: Buchanan says Gray Davis' recall strategy will cause traffic fatalities to skyrocket. (09/17/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The more Republicans attack Clark now, the more obvious it will become that he is the nominee of their nightmares. (09/17/2003)

Michael Moore gives Wesley Clark a 21-gun salute
"The General vs. the Texas Air National Guard deserter! I want to see that debate." (09/17/2003)

Girlfriend, cover thyself! By Cary Tennis
My roommate dresses like a whore when my boyfriend visits. (09/17/2003)

Letters
Much ado about copying: Readers respond to Scott Matthews' "Copying Isn't Cool" and other recent Salon stories on file sharing. (09/17/2003)

Thanks, VeriSign, for breaking the Internet By Andrew Leonard
The Internet registrar's decision to appropriate all the Net's misspelled domain names for itself is a bogus, greedy power grab. (09/17/2003)

Out of the aeroplane into the sea By Jesse Jarnow
It's been five years since Neutral Milk Hotel released their masterpiece and disbanded. With the arrival of the Decemberists, have indie-rock obsessives (like me) found a new mannered, quirky band to love? (09/16/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Suzanne Somers and other John Ritter former costars mourn; California granny suing Slim Shady. Plus: Kevin Smith says his Bennifer pals don't look broken up to him! (09/16/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The Amazing Recall Circus: A Darrell Issa Republican Party Production! (09/16/2003)

Subscribe and get Krugman for free
Subscribe to Salon Premium today and get a free copy of Paul Krugman's "The Great Unraveling." (09/16/2003)

E-fer madness By Larry Smith
In one of the more embarrassing moments in drug research history, a study that "proved" how dangerous Ecstasy is was retracted after its authors realized they actually gave monkeys speed. (09/16/2003)

Barbie is a shiksa! By Bill Maher
Displaying the same keen acumen that has enabled them to crack down on homegrown terrorists, Saudi Arabian police declared America's favorite doll "Jewish" and "offensive to Islam." (09/16/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Free Matt Bryant! The kicker is being blamed for a Giants loss that was really caused by coach Jim Fassel's mistakes, errors that are as common as they are stupid. Plus: De La Hoya-Mosley wasn't fixed, but Bob Arum retiring sounds like a great idea. (09/16/2003)

Florida all over again? By Tim Grieve
Partisan infighting, a crucial election, dubious voting machines -- now it's California, and the Rehnquist gang may decide this one, too. (09/16/2003)

The world press on Israel Compiled by Laura McClure
Former speaker of Israel's Knesset Avraham Burg: "There may yet be a Jewish state here, but it will be a different sort, strange and ugly." (09/16/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
While Wesley Clark may discombobulate the Democrats, his ambitions will scarcely be pleasing to the president and Karl Rove -- especially in light of their own recent lousy polling. (09/16/2003)

Starting over By Cary Tennis
I wasted my youth on the wrong man and now I want a second chance. (09/16/2003)

Desperately seeking capitalism's soul By Andrew Leonard
William Greider has faith that we can inject morality into the free market. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but still, ya gotta believe. (09/16/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Arnold to Oprah: I said a lot of strange things back in the 1970s. Plus: The lowdown on the Jen-Ben breakup. (09/15/2003)

Instant "K Street" cred By Heather Havrilesky
On the new Clooney-Soderbergh HBO series, Hollywood and Capitol Hill are in bed together, nervously prepping for their big love scene. Is this supposed to turn us on, or turn our stomachs? (09/15/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Clear-eyed conservative realists: Right every time! (09/15/2003)

Repo man By Ann M. Bauer
My husband left me and our children at least a dozen times. He was never around for the middle-of-the-night fevers or Christmas concerts. But when I needed him the most, he materialized -- with a bolt cutter. (09/15/2003)

Letters
"It's the parenting, stupid!" Readers respond to "From G.I. Joe to Tora Bora Ted," by Petra Bartosiewicz. (09/15/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
New, improved theories on football bloggers, Rush Limbaugh's racism and the power of insults: The readers write. (09/15/2003)

California GOP -- slow-mo implosion By Max Blumenthal
Purists say Schwarzenegger is too liberal. Moderates say a conservative can't win. It's meltdown time for the Republican Party. (09/15/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Former Whitewater crank L. Jean Lewis will soon be in charge of preventing Pentagon corruption, and Democrats should be raising hell. (09/15/2003)

Timing is everything By Cary Tennis
I found my soul mate, but perhaps it's not for this lifetime. (09/15/2003)

Mob justice By Katharine Mieszkowski
Watch what you say to that 13-year-old in a chat room. It could be a vigilante looking to do some tar-and-feathering. (09/15/2003)

"You burn out fast when you demagogue" By Kerry Lauerman
Tucker Carlson on why he doesn't like Karen Hughes, what makes Bill O'Reilly "dangerous" and the reasons he prefers CNN to Fox. (09/14/2003)

Your biggest fan! By Tucker Carlson
I had just left the CNN set when I was handed a letter from a lawyer saying his client would soon be charging me with rape. My life, and assumptions about sex scandals, would change forever. (09/13/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "G.I. George, Action President!" by David Hyde, and "The Not-So-Great Debate" by Joan Walsh. (09/13/2003)

"Matchstick Men" By Stephanie Zacharek
In Ridley Scott's latest, starring Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell as a pair of con men, the director proves that he doesn't count on his audience to be intelligent. (09/12/2003)

"Lost in Translation" By Stephanie Zacharek
Sofia Coppola's stealthy romance about two Americans stranded in Tokyo is a work of marvelous delicacy -- and offers the performance of Bill Murray's career. (09/12/2003)

"Once Upon a Time in Mexico" By Andrew O'Hehir
Robert Rodriguez's gun-slingin', car-chasin' joyous mess of a movie -- featuring Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and more -- is also a political allegory on an epic scale. (09/12/2003)

"So Close" By Charles Taylor
Luscious superstar Shu Qi and action expert Corey Yuen prove that Hong Kong movies can still deliver the goods Hollywood can't. (09/12/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Johnny Cash and John Ritter, RIP. Plus: Halle and Nicole are among "best dressed"; Britney and Mariah are not. (09/12/2003)

Johnny Cash, 1932-2003 By Stephanie Zacharek
He was the Man in Black and the man with the voice that sounded like black coffee. America's greatest protest singer, a seminal figure in both rock and country, is dead at 71. (09/12/2003)

"A Window Across the River" by Brian Morton By Laura Miller
An unsentimental, carefully layered story about two reunited lovers and their struggle to understand and respect each other's art. (09/12/2003)

What to read
From Pulitzer-winner Jhumpa Lahiri's first novel to the thrilling psychic odyssey of an American militant, our critics pick September's best books. (09/12/2003)

"Brick Lane" by Monica Ali By Stephanie Zacharek
An 18-year-old Bangladeshi woman, a devout Muslim, moves to London and finds unlikely joys in her new life in this heartfelt first book. (09/12/2003)

"Who Sleeps With Katz" by Todd McEwen By Charles Taylor
A Joycean classic about two best friends and their love of all things New York. (09/12/2003)

"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri By Amy Reiter
The first novel from the Pulitzer-winning author of "Interpreter of Maladies" about a second-generation Indian-American immigrant who begins to feel the strong pull of his heritage and destiny. (09/12/2003)

The dreamer of Brooklyn By Peter Kurth
Jonathan Lethem's astonishing "The Fortress of Solitude" places him in the first rank of American novelists. (09/12/2003)

Adam wants his Eve By Christopher Farah
Trying to save the endangered American Catholic priest, a "middle-of-the-road" Milwaukee pastor is asking his church to make celibacy optional. (09/12/2003)

"Joe Jones" By Anne Lamott
An excerpt from Anne Lamott's recently re-released novel about a rundown riverfront cafe and the funny, broken people who congregate there. (09/12/2003)

"These stories should be required reading for the blowhard in chief!"
Letters of sympathy for the grieving family of an American soldier; less sympathy for the offended residents of "The O.C." (09/12/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 2 picks: Don't believe the hype about special teams, but do believe the hype about the Buccaneers. (09/12/2003)

G.I. George, action president! By David Hyde
The forthcoming President Bush aviator doll is a satirist's dream. But are Americans still too frightened to laugh at their leader? (09/12/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
A source close to Wesley Clark rates the probability that Clark will run for president at "90 percent." (09/12/2003)

A girl in every port By Glen Helfand
A search for cultural roots takes photographer Reagan Louie into Asia's sex industry. (09/12/2003)

An American in Paris By Cary Tennis
I moved to France to be with my boyfriend, but how do I exist in a place where I'll never fully assimilate? (09/12/2003)

Copying isn't cool By Scott Matthews
File sharing isn't just a problem for the music industry. It's a threat to anyone who depends upon intellectual property for a living. (09/12/2003)

File sharing must be made legal By Jason Schultz
Suing 12-year-olds and grandmothers isn't the answer. There's got to be a better way. (09/12/2003)

"Blood, guts, death, mayhem and nudity" By Daniel Kraus
Eli Roth on the atrocious state of horror movies, actresses who won't get naked, his pal David Lynch, and the flesh-eating inspiration of his new film, "Cabin Fever." (09/11/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Jen-and-Ben's wedding delay only sparks more rumors; Arnold gets a Kennedy endorsement and will appear on "Oprah." Plus: 50 Cent avoids bullet No. 10. (09/11/2003)

Fall books preview By Laura Miller
The hot new titles to look for in the coming months, from fiction to biography to politics. (09/11/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
An asteroid is coming that could DOOM the earth! Quick -- invade Iraq! (09/11/2003)

From G.I. Joe to Tora Bora Ted By Petra Bartosiewicz
Since 9/11, a new generation of war toys has emerged -- action figures and accessories pegged to U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Are they harmless patriotic playthings, or a shameless attempt to market combat to kids? (09/11/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Where are the football bloggers? Though the gridiron seems perfectly suited for blogland, it's baseball that reigns. (09/11/2003)

Ground zero, 2004 By Eric Boehlert
Next year's Republican Convention will convene blocks from the WTC site, just days before the anniversary of 9/11. The reception from New Yorkers, though, might not be what the White House has in mind. (09/11/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Canada's Safe Haven for Junkies" by Mark Follman, and "Black Copters Over Oregon" by Bill Donahue. (09/11/2003)

"A Nation Remembers" Cartoon by Mark Fiore
In memory of 9/11, the truth. (09/11/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Leaked Republican poll: Voters think America's on the wrong track, worried about jobs. (09/11/2003)

About men By Cary Tennis
I'm in my mid-30s and I have five key questions concerning love, life and the opposite sex. (09/11/2003)

Look away, Dildo Land By Suzi Parker
The author of "Sex in the South" whoops it up at a sex-toy sales meeting in Arkansas. (09/11/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Remembering the Corridor: Mohammed Atta and I both made the world's greatest flight, through the heart of New York City. But I turned upriver. (09/11/2003)

"Star Trek's" new moral frontier By Sumana Harihareswara
UPN's "Enterprise," back for its third season, has saved the Trek franchise with messy, moving and ambiguous story lines torn from the 21st century. (09/10/2003)

The Fix
Vatican says Mel's movie OK by them, FCC says Howard Stern is news to them, Britney says she's not getting any. Plus: Meg's costar was worried about Russell Crowe (09/10/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight By Keith Knight
My wife has been beating me ... (09/10/2003)

"I know God will hate me for this, but God is unfair" By Stephanie Booth
On May 18, 21-year-old Rasheed Sahib, a U.S. G.I. and a Muslim, was fatally shot in the chest by a member of his unit in Iraq. The army says it was an accident. His family isn't so sure. (09/10/2003)

Mixed signals
"If you lay a hand on me," she said,"I'll break every bone in it." Then she told me to lick the tuna fish off her finger. (09/10/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Ohio State appears ready to rid itself of Maurice Clarett, which would give him something few big-time college athletes have: Options. (09/10/2003)

PATRIOT missile By Michelle Goldberg
Attorney General John Ashcroft takes his weird "we must save the USA PATRIOT Act" roadshow to New York. He's finding it a much tougher sell now than it was six weeks after 9/11. (09/10/2003)

Cracks in the base By Alexander Bolton
As Lieberman smacks Dean on Israel and Sharpton says Democrats neglect blacks, the party could wind up squabbling over how to maintain its dominance with Jews and African-Americans. (09/10/2003)

Bush's big lies, continued By Robert Scheer
In claiming that Iraq is now the central front in the war on terror, Bush is heralding a self-fulfilling prophecy: He claimed Iraq was a hotbed of terrorism, and he turned it into one. (09/10/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Bill Kristol applauds President Bush for "dropping the pretense" that everything's under control; Andrew Sullivan says that more terrorist violence in Iraq might not be a bad thing. Plus: Cato's Stephen Moore says Howard Dean is tougher than the GOP thinks. (09/10/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
I respect Spinsanity enough to praise and cite it in "Big Lies." But this time they stretched to find enough "mistakes" in my book to cobble together an article. (09/10/2003)

She wants to start over By Cary Tennis
Now that I have a girlfriend, my ex-wife wants to get back together! (09/10/2003)

Not just another "nerdy white guy" By Katharine Mieszkowski
At the memorial service for Anita Borg, her colleagues and friends vow to continue her life's work, carving out room for women in the world of computer science. (09/10/2003)

Can this marriage be saved? By Heather Havrilesky
MTV's "Newlyweds" serves up a riveting spectacle of jealousy, cluelessness and raw onions with its running battle between popster Jessica Simpson and boy-band hubby Nick Lachey. (09/09/2003)

The Fix
Bill raves about Hill and Wesley, Jen says if Ben cheats she'll take his money and Justin raps for McDonald's. Plus: Dixie Chick disses Arnold! (09/09/2003)

"Shipwreck" by Louis Begley By Heather Havrilesky
An unlikable seductress, an angelic wife and a rambling egomaniac who tells the story of his meaningless adultery to a stranger in a bar for no discernible reason -- how could the author of "About Schmidt" have written this mess? (09/09/2003)

Come party with Salon and Joe Conason
Just 4 days remaining for your chance to attend. (09/09/2003)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
Class schedule (09/09/2003)

Dissed by "The O.C." By Susan Straight
Fox's popular new teen drama wants to put me -- and everyone else in my town -- in the white trash bin. (09/09/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Can a dumb insult really inspire an NFL team to victory? Plus: An epidemic of wasted timeouts. And: Head injury? No problem! (09/09/2003)

The world press on the legacy of 9/11 Compiled by Laura McClure
The Guardian: Did U.S. authorities purposely fail to avert the attacks in 2001? (09/09/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "The Wes Wing?" by Eric Boehlert; "The Not-So-Great Debate," by Joan Walsh; and "All Together Now," by Julia Goldberg. (09/09/2003)

Different habits By Cary Tennis
I was raised to value my independence, my boyfriend to rely on his family's advice -- and now our opposing styles are clashing. (09/09/2003)

Dean's army goes offline By Farhad Manjoo
Aware that the computer-geek vote will not be enough to elect Howard Dean, the front-runner's supporters are fanning out to organize minorities, blue-collar workers and retirees. (09/09/2003)

We don't need your stinkin' amnesty! By Farhad Manjoo
File sharers scoff at the recording industry's offer of forgiveness for repentant downloaders. (09/09/2003)

The Fix
Bush looks anxious, Nicole feels guilty, Ewan feels effeminate, and Jayson writes for Jane. Plus: Will Bonnie Fuller buy a respectable masthead? (09/08/2003)

A "mind-numbingly boring" propaganda film By Kristen Breitweiser
A 9/11 widow reviews last night's Showtime film about President Bush's actions on and after that fateful morning. (09/08/2003)

Why the N.Y. Times ruins Bush's breakfast By Scott Rosenberg
Columnist Paul Krugman is W's worst nightmare -- a brilliant economist who meticulously exposes the White House's rigged numbers and lies. (09/08/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Sneak preview of an upcoming Bush campaign ad -- Axis of Innuendo: Terror and the Democrats! (09/08/2003)

Party with Salon, Joe Conason and Tom Tomorrow
Just 4 days left to sign up for a chance to attend our big San Francisco bash. (09/09/2003)

Borderline medicine By Daniel Costello
A California company is convincing hospitalized illegal immigrants to move to Mexico for cheaper healthcare. Their plan is saving U.S. hospitals millions -- but critics say it's immoral. (09/08/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to recent articles on vulvodynia and the movie "Thirteen." (09/08/2003)

Canada's safe haven for junkies By Mark Follman
Vancouver hopes to save hundreds of lives by opening street clinics where heroin addicts can shoot up safely. But the White House is accusing Canada of going AWOL from its war on drugs. (09/08/2003)

Black copters over Oregon By Bill Donahue
When President Bush visited rural Oregon to tout his Healthy Forest Initiative, huge fires suddenly broke out -- and a lot of people in the small town of Sisters think he dropped the match. (09/08/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Rush Limbaugh debates a trio of ex-jocks and gets smoked. Who said he'd be no fun as a football commentator? (09/08/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
With his Mideast "road map" abruptly reaching a dead end yesterday, last night wasn't the most auspicious time for Bush to promote the long-term benefits of his war. (09/08/2003)

I've got religion By Cary Tennis
I'm madly in love with theology, but lonely for human relationships. (09/08/2003)

One earth, one owner: Help keep the environment open for business By Joyce McGreevy
Don't let the federal government torture poor, innocent energy company weasels! (09/08/2003)

Israel: "all-out war" against Hamas By Aluf Benn
With the resignation of Palestinian moderate Mahmoud Abbas and the U.S. caught in an Iraqi quagmire, hopes fade for Middle East peace. (09/07/2003)

All hail the ice queen By Thomas Bartlett
As Bjork releases an extraordinary career retrospective, it's time to crown her as the most important pop musician of her generation. (09/06/2003)

"Party Monster" By Charles Taylor
This lazy, lurid saga starring Macaulay Culkin as '90s club kid-turned-killer Michael Alig is horrible, all right. But not for the reasons its creators think. (09/05/2003)

"Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" By Stephanie Zacharek
David Spade stars as a washed-up '70s sitcom actor who grows up all over again in this pleasantly dumb comedy. (09/05/2003)

"Carnage" By Andrew O'Hehir
This daring, sprawling debut feature from 30-year-old French director Delphine Gleize, about life, death and a slain bull that touches the lives of a dozen people, is unlike anything you'll see this year. (09/05/2003)

The Fix
Charlize Theron tells the truth about her feet, J.Lo gets angry at her wedding planners, and Antonio Banderas plays a bandit. Plus: George Clooney hires James Carville! (09/05/2003)

"Melodramatic representations of teenagers always bother me" By Whitney Joiner
Three girls talk about the riveting, angsty movie "Thirteen" -- how they related to it, what seemed realistic, and what made them mad. (09/05/2003)

"Doonesbury": Jerked off the funny pages By Sheerly Avni
Hundreds of papers might be pulling this Sunday's strip for referring to the health benefits of masturbation. Garry Trudeau talks to Salon about his comic's 32-year history of controversy. (09/05/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NFL season opens, Britney Spears' tiny shorts conquer the children of all nations, and a new holiday is born. (09/05/2003)

Clark's Web warriors By Garance Franke-Ruta
The Draft Clark movement started on the Internet, and could challenge Dean's machine for online dominance -- if its rival factions can stop fighting. (09/05/2003)

The Wes wing? By Eric Boehlert
Supporters say Wesley Clark can do to Bush what he did to Milosevic. But first the telegenic military hero has to take on Howard Dean. (09/05/2003)

All together now By Julia Goldberg
The Democratic presidential candidates take turns bashing Bush -- and pay little attention to each other. (09/05/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on David Talbot's "Why Dean and Franken Are So Hot Right Now" and Gary Kamiya's "Would You Like Some Freedom Fries With Your Crow, Mr. President?" (09/05/2003)

The not-so-great debate By Joan Walsh
Democrats who gave Bush a blank check on Iraq in Congress but attacked him in Albuquerque might have to step aside for the good of the party, and the world. (09/05/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Political prediction: The Bush White House will succeed in leading Americans in uniform away from the Republican Party. (09/05/2003)

Endless grief By Cary Tennis
I've been in a relationship for more than two years with a serial dater who is now showing me the "serial" part and it's driving me crazy. (09/05/2003)

Sanitized for our protection By Charles Taylor
Teenage movie fans can watch the stars of the execrable "Bad Boys II" leer over a corpse's breasts, but the all-powerful movie ratings board probably won't allow Americans to see the Italian master Bertolucci's new film intact. (09/05/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Why is the CNN News I watch overseas so much better than the watery slobber they show in America? (09/05/2003)

The Fix
Elvis Costello goes all mushy, Nigella ties the knot, and "Queer Eye" reject sues for big bucks. Plus: "Boy Meets Boy's" Franklin did it for Middle America! (09/04/2003)

Bestsellers
"Thieves in High Places" and more in this week's bestselling books, courtesy of Powells.com. (09/04/2003)

Too young, too pretty, too successful By Curtis Sittenfeld
Hating Nell Freudenberger -- the 28-year-old writer celebrated in Vogue and Elle -- is a virtual cottage industry among ambitious literati. And I was ready to hate her too -- until I read her book. (09/04/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Brain in a Beaker: "Wild Weekend" (09/04/2003)

Trouble down there By Lynn Harris
It can keep you from having sex, wearing jeans, even riding a bicycle -- and 16 percent of all women will have it at some point in their lives. So why is there no cure for vulvodynia? (09/04/2003)

Bark if you love Howard Dean! By Michael Kessler
They can't vote, debate or even read. But that isn't stopping political Fidos from endorsing The Doctor for president. (09/04/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Football season is finally here, and as Britney Spears lines up for the kickoff, readers and national experts make their predictions. (09/04/2003)

Would you like some freedom fries with your crow, Mr. President? By Gary Kamiya
Six months after spitting in the face of the world, the Bush administration is crawling on its belly before the U.N. If the world doesn't rush to help it, the White House has only itself to blame. (09/04/2003)

"Pumping Irony" Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Recall Pictures presents a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a top bodybuilder candidate. (09/04/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The truth about how the White House helped the bin Laden family flee the U.S. finally comes out. Will the "liberal" press pay attention? (09/04/2003)

I messed up By Cary Tennis
I got drunk and slept with my friend's husband-to-be, and she found out about it. What should I do? (09/04/2003)

Brave new skies By Farhad Manjoo
Soon, the government and the travel industry may be able to find out everything naughty and nice about you before you board your flight. (09/04/2003)

The big Bangs By Roberta Cruger
A former Creem magazine colleague of Lester Bangs remembers -- and members of the Doors, the MC5, Blondie and the Mekons respond to -- the late, great rock critic's bracing vitriol. (09/03/2003)

The Fix
Arnold loves Nixon, Ed Norton loves Arnold, and George Clooney doesn't love the paparazzi. Plus: Will we see the uncut version of Bertolucci's latest film? (09/03/2003)

"Some sliver of authenticity from the truckloads of stinking garbage" By Andrew Leonard
After reading Lester Bangs' collection, you have to wonder: What would the legendary critic, who believed that music mattered, make of today's Britney and P.Diddy ludicrousness? (09/03/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
This one's for the men and women serving overseas! (09/03/2003)

Laying Las Vegas
He's a bad boy, a croupier. I'm a bad girl: I've done threesomes, I've done videotapes, and I did another guy last night. We should be the perfect couple. (09/03/2003)

The exterminator By Nicholas Thompson
Tom DeLay -- a former pest killer who has turned his ire on Democrats -- has helped build a huge Republican money juggernaut. But did his engineering of a Texas GOP landslide break the law? (09/03/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
AFC preview: Anyone can win this thing except the Bengals, the Texans, and teams whose stars get shot in the butt. (09/03/2003)

The Texas stalemate: It's all about race By Michelle Goldberg
Few are saying it openly, but the DeLay-Rove power grab in Austin is all about keeping white control of an increasingly Hispanic state. (09/03/2003)

Lying in exile By Robert Scheer
Bush took the unsubstantiated word of Iraqi renegades about WMD over intelligence experts in every branch of the U.S. government. (09/03/2003)

Letters
Arnold for governor: Readers respond to "Would You Let Your Sister Vote for This Man?" by Tim Grieve. (09/03/2003)

Why Dean and Franken are so hot right now By David Talbot
After years of being kicked in the teeth by GOP bullies, Democrats have finally found two brawlers who know how to give it back. (09/03/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Remember Bush's promise never to undertake a foreign intervention without an exit strategy? That boast isn't holding up so well anymore. (09/03/2003)

Low-brow lover By Cary Tennis
I have been with a man for 10 years who is a controlling anti-intellectual. (09/03/2003)

Adultery as an act of cultural rebellion By David Bowman
Laura Kipnis, author of "Against Love," talks about Newt Gingrich's wanderings and the absurd dream of monogamy. (09/03/2003)

Crime and punishment, Putin-style By Kim Iskyan
A government attack on Russia's premier businessman threatens to derail years of economic progress. (09/03/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Matt & Ben examined: The dynamic duo's long and winding road, from "Good Will" to bad will, from "Ripley" to "Gigli." (09/02/2003)

"Lift" and the failure of indie cinema By Charles Taylor
Why did one of the smartest American movies of recent years go straight to Showtime? (09/02/2003)

Letters
I hate indie rock, too! Readers respond to Tom Bissell's essay "Freddy, Jason, Megadeth and me." (09/02/2003)

Bad "Boy" By Louis Bayard
As the serialized gay bashing of "Boy Meets Boy" winds to a close, will the gay hero be duped by the straight guy? Or will viewers get duped into thinking this is really edgy new cultural ground? (09/02/2003)

Garrison Keillor feels your pain By Amy Reiter
Salon's former Mr. Blue talks about his new novel, the old New Yorker, romantic regrets, broken dreams, and this crazy thing called life. (09/02/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Furry Math. (09/02/2003)

The people's choice By the editors
Who is your favorite presidential candidate? Send us your thoughts. (09/02/2003)

Get out of our kitchen! By Sheerly Avni
They cook better, dress better and decorate better than we do. Death to all metrosexuals! (09/02/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFC preview: Only a fool would pick a repeat champ in the NFL. This fool says watch out for the Buccaneers. (09/02/2003)

"I shall not burn my press and melt my letters" By David Talbot
Newspaper publishing in the days of Ben Franklin and his grandson was a filthy, grinding business. Fighting for freedom of the press was an even more wretched a task. (09/02/2003)

"A crisis in democracy"
Gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington tells voters that "Big Money is calling the tune in California." (09/02/2003)

"If Americans aren't working, America's not working"
In a speech officially announcing his presidential candidacy, Sen. John Kerry vows to create 3 million jobs if elected president -- and cut the budget deficit in half in four years. (09/02/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
More U.S. troops have died in Iraq since President Bush declared victory than during the war. And -- finally -- critics from the left and right are beginning to sound off. (09/02/2003)

Crazy in New York By Cary Tennis
I went online looking for casual sex and ended up falling for the guy. But I already have a boyfriend. Now what? (09/02/2003)

Nano Inc. vs. Nano Think By Jack Mason
Nanotechnology, long a favorite of science fiction writers, is now real enough for government money. So let the squabbling begin! (09/02/2003)