October 2003

"The Human Stain" By Charles Taylor
Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman team up for a decent, sincere big-screen fable -- but the scourging fury of Philip Roth's novel is nowhere in sight. (10/31/2003)

"Shattered Glass" By Stephanie Zacharek
A superbly creepy Hayden Christensen portrays Stephen Glass as a journalistic miscreant who doesn't just soil his profession, but leaves us feeling dirty, too. (10/31/2003)

Did Bonnie Fuller really betray women? By Rebecca Traister
Female editors condemn the Globe for running a tawdry photograph of Kobe Bryant's accuser. (10/31/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 9 picks: The bad news is that ignorance isn't bliss after all. (10/31/2003)

Left Coast brawl By Joan Walsh
In San Francisco, America's most liberal city, a gay progressive, a Green, a Clinton liberal and a labor favorite are battling to succeed legendary Mayor Willie Brown. (10/31/2003)

Fox News: The inside story By Tim Grieve
A former Fox producer describes the ways -- both subtle and blunt -- that top executives impose a right-wing ideology on the newsroom. (10/31/2003)

Rummy's Writing Course Cartoon by Mark Fiore
A must for everyone, from presidents to terrorists. It can help you, too! (10/31/2003)

The seductress By David Bowman
The author of a new book says if women want to seduce powerful men, their best weapon is brains, not boobs. (10/31/2003)

Faraway places By Cary Tennis
I'm going to a foreign country to meet a woman I've corresponded with. What should we do to get to know each other? (10/31/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Was Nathaniel Heatwole's box-cutter stunt a brilliant hack demonstrating major flaws in airline security, or a foolhardy act proving nothing? (10/31/2003)

Letters
Don't you dare compare Apple to Microsoft! Readers respond to Andrew Leonard's "Musical Snares." (10/31/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Apocalyptic visions in Los Angeles -- but what's scarier, the "fog" out my window or the new "24"? Plus: The reality finale that will make you weep. (10/30/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
It's Shannen vs. Paris, Koch vs. Krugman, and Spike Lee vs. soft, fluffy kitties! Plus: A Beatle has a baby. (10/30/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
J.Lo's horror film history, Fab Five get a raise, and P.Diddy runs for the kids. Plus: Weight Watchers wants Renee's big butt! (10/31/2003)

Bestsellers
"Bushwhacked" climbs up to No. 1. Michael Moore stays put at 2, and Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee cracks the top 20 -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (10/30/2003)

"There are leftists, but there is no left" By Joan Walsh
In These Times founder James Weinstein on the American left's "long detour" with communism, its current crisis, and the hope he sees in Howard Dean. (10/30/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Super-Fun-Pak Comix: Chaos Butterfly, Man Walks Into a Bar, and more. (10/30/2003)

The state of your unions
Salon readers share wrenching tales of divorce, infidelity -- and second chances. (10/30/2003)

Hey, pal, I said I wanted friggin' fuchsias! By Rebecca Traister
You thought only brides obsessed about flowers, caterers and invitations? Wake up and smell the floral centerpieces on the latest Web craze: Grooms' blogs. (10/30/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Readers keep their eyes on the cliche prize as they cowboy up and invade the House That Jeanne Built for the first Write Like Zelasko Contest. (10/30/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
An Iraq critic is consulting the White House. Will the administration listen? (10/30/2003)

Emotional seduction By Cary Tennis
My boyfriend let a needy girl crash in his hotel room, and it bothers me. Am I being unreasonable? (10/30/2003)

Hackers on Atkins By Katharine Mieszkowski
Geeks who go low-carb see it as more than just taking off pounds -- they're reengineering the human organism, overclocking their own bodies. (10/30/2003)

Psst? Wanna get a look at some vote-counting software? By Farhad Manjoo
A computer programmer discovers a widely used computerized voting program on a publicly accessible Internet server. (10/30/2003)

Is this play illegal? By Michelle Goldberg
The writer, director and actors of the hilarious New York play "I'm Going to Kill the President" are all anonymous, and getting in is like taking an espionage assignment in East Berlin. (10/29/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Howard Dean a metrosexual? Did the brothers Miramax say an actress was too fat to be hired? And Michael Douglas' ex knows why girls marry for money. (10/29/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
The Dying Game -- with Boy George! (10/29/2003)

Letters
Readers are just as skeptical as Joan Walsh about the so-called "Opt-Out Revolution." (10/29/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
ESPN's "Cold Pizza": It's a little bit morning show, a little bit sports show, and a whole lotta bad TV. (10/29/2003)

The severed foot By Jen Banbury
Yesterday's bombings left Iraqis scared, pissed off and just plain freaked out. They also left a grisly souvenir, which some giggling kids showed me in the tall grass. (10/29/2003)

Letters
Readers continue to debate whether the American political left is "Dazed and Confused About Iraq." (10/29/2003)

Sealing the Wal-Mart borders By Robert Scheer
No longer will our homeland's security be threatened by mop-wielding undocumented workers! (10/29/2003)

Camille speaks! By Kerry Lauerman
Paglia returns to cast a withering eye on Clark ("what a phony!"), Kerry ("the hair!"), Madonna ("a monster"), bloggers -- and the "delusional narcissists" in the White House who led an out-of-his-depth president into a disastrous war. (10/29/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Pipes and Krauthammer warn of a second Holocaust; Taranto accuses Red Cross of coddling terrorists; WorldNetDaily claims al-Qaida may have set California fires. (10/29/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Even though the White House designed and purchased the "Mission Accomplished" banner, it was only because the Navy asked them to, they say. (10/29/2003)

Bush's desperate spin By Eric Boehlert
With each passing day, the administration's claims that the Iraq attacks are signs of "desperation" sound increasingly, well ... (10/29/2003)

Men who love women By Cary Tennis
We have great sex and we love each other, but he won't go down on me. Is he gay? (10/29/2003)

Twilight of the dorks? By Ian R. Williams
Geeks and nerds produced the art and science that define the modern age. But now that everybody's climbing on the dork bandwagon, where's the rage and resentment that fueled their creativity going to come from? (10/29/2003)

His body (of work) is a wonderland By Keith Harris
Sure, critics make fun of him. But sensitive-guy singer-songwriter John Mayer has put the soul back in folk and the sex back in vanilla. (10/28/2003)

"I've had a great deal of therapy" By Kerry Lauerman
With a movie about his stunning journalistic misdeeds coming out, Stephen Glass talks about writing, forgiveness, why he's not a sociopath and having to look away from scenes in "Shattered Glass." (10/28/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Michael Jackson 9/11 benefit proceeds go to Scientology group? Is Jackman the next Bond? Plus: Shirley MacLaine on co-writing a novel with her dog, Terry: "I know she enters my dreams." (10/28/2003)

What to Read
Toni Morrison's devastating new novel, Edmund White's Dickensian romp, a new novella from Steve Martin and the rest of October's best fiction. (10/28/2003)

"Our Lady of the Forest" by David Guterson
From the author of "Snow Falling on Cedars," a tale of a traumatized girl who meets the Virgin Mary in the woods -- and then meets a man who says he's the Devil. (10/28/2003)

"Fanny: A Fiction" by Edmund White
In this entertaining and large-spirited "fictional memoir," Anthony Trollope's mother visits a utopian community in Tennessee and becomes an all-American huckster. (10/28/2003)

"The Great Fire" by Shirley Hazzard
After 23 years, the author of "The Transit of Venus" returns with a passionate and moving love story set right after the horrors of Hiroshima. (10/28/2003)

"The Pleasure of My Company" by Steve Martin
The hero of this tender novella hates curbs and worships a Realtor he's never spoken to. But in his universe of light bulbs and Rite-Aid stores, wonderful things happen. (10/28/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Dissent into Hell (10/28/2003)

No sex, please -- or we'll audit you By Christopher Healy
Why are some nonprofit organizations that don't agree with the Bush administration's "abstinence only" philosophy repeatedly investigated by the government, while faith-based groups get a free pass? (10/28/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NBA opens its season dominated by two men in different acts of the same play: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. (10/28/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Dazed and Confused About Iraq," by Michelle Goldberg. (10/28/2003)

The world press on the Ramadan bombings Compiled by Laura McClure
Sgt. Scott Blow in the Asia Times: "Nobody knows who the enemy is here until they shoot at you." (10/28/2003)

Where's the fire? By Eric Boehlert
For the cable news networks, a coordinated bombing campaign in Iraq isn't as easy to cover as a rash of West Coast fires. But shouldn't they try? (10/28/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Bush's latest lie, blaming the USS Lincoln crew for that embarrassing "Mission Accomplished" banner that was stage-managed by his aides, isn't surprising. The entitled always blame the enlisted. (10/28/2003)

Scoring a husband By Cole Kazdin
The author of a new book says that branding is as important as romance in finding a mate. Part 2 of "I'm Refreshingly Approachable! I'm a Two-in-One Shampoo! Marry Me!" (10/28/2003)

Musical snares By Andrew Leonard
Is Apple's iTunes service nirvana for music fans -- or just the start of a file-format nightmare that will drive us all nuts? (10/28/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Britney still can't stop talking about Justin, Carrie Fisher prepares Hollywood tell-all, and Ashton brushes up on John Edwards. (10/27/2003)

"A Season in Bethlehem" by Joshua Hammer By Christopher Farah
April 2002, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Palestinians inside, Israelis outside. It was a gripping 39-day standoff that seemed to symbolize the entire Middle East conflict. (10/27/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Want to be something truly terrifying on Halloween? (10/27/2003)

"All my friends are gay and I feel responsible" By Zoe Trope
An excerpt from "Please Don't Kill the Freshman: A Memoir." (10/27/2003)

My pseu-called life By Whitney Joiner
"Zoe Trope," the 17-year-old author of "Please Don't Kill the Freshman," received a huge advance to write a diary of her angsty and erotically charged high school days. (10/27/2003)

Clueless in Manhattan By Joan Walsh
The New York Times magazine finds a few rich white women to "prove" that working moms are starting their own "Opt-Out Revolution." Oy, not again. (10/27/2003)

Dazed and confused about Iraq By Michelle Goldberg
ANSWER supports "the Iraqi anti-colonial resistance." Military Families Against the War wants to bring their loved ones home safely. Others who rallied Saturday just hate Bush. Can this antiwar movement be saved? (10/27/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Thanks to Josh Beckett, the Yankees are not the champions, and thanks to the Boss, they might stay that way a while. Plus: One last Zelasko cliche watch. (10/27/2003)

Who's the meanest of them all? By Tim Grieve
Howard Dean's Democratic rivals cry foul when he criticizes their policies. His sin? Doing so openly, on TV, rather than behind their backs (10/27/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why aren't Republicans more disturbed by the threat of computer cheating? (10/27/2003)

I'm refreshingly approachable! I'm a two-in-one shampoo! Marry me! By Cole Kazdin
In which the hapless author slavishly obeys a new bestseller that instructs husband-hunting women over 35 to market themselves like a brand. (10/27/2003)

Hollywood to the computer industry: We don't need no stinking Napsters! By Farhad Manjoo
Fearful of piracy, the studios want the federal government to legislate how computers are made. Critics say such interference signals the end of the line for digital innovation. (10/27/2003)

No exorcist required By Amy Reiter
Linda Blair talks about her new Hallmark Channel horror spoof, her love of animals and, yeah, that movie from the '70s with the pea soup and the crucifix. (10/25/2003)

Rhymes with "bitch" By Heather Havrilesky
The economy's tanking, so Hollywood responds with three shows that test our feelings about the privileged world of Prada, ponies and prenups. (10/25/2003)

Letters
John Sundman responds to critics of his articles "How I Decoded the Human Genome" and "One Vote for the New Eugenics." (10/25/2003)

"Elephant" By Charles Taylor
Gus Van Sant's vapid high-school-shooting film is part Columbine art project, part exploitation flick. (10/24/2003)

The man who would be king By Scott Thill
In an exclusive interview, Viggo Mortensen, who plays Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings," talks about his photography, his indie publishing house, and why Bush will go down in history as the Sauron of American presidents. (10/24/2003)

"Beyond Borders" By Stephanie Zacharek
Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen make goo-goo eyes from Cambodia to Chechnya, as the world's suffering children become romantic props. (10/24/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Has Ben Affleck become box-office poison? P.Diddy disses Democrats. Plus: Do visits to "men only" adult bookstores automatically make David Gest gay? (10/24/2003)

Letter to a pregnant friend By Anne Lamott
What advice do I have for new parents? Assemble a pit crew, don't expect to take showers, and beware of noxious orange poop. (10/25/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to articles about same-sex marriage and the Army's use of hip-hop as a recruitment tool. (10/24/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Marlins go to New York with a 3-2 lead, but we know by now that they'll never get an easy win in this World Series. Plus: More Zelasko cliches. And: NFL Week 8 picks. (10/24/2003)

In Israel, the doves awaken By Aluf Benn
Since Camp David failed, most Israelis have accepted the slogan "We have no one to talk to." A bold peace initiative has changed that -- and given rise to that rarest of commodities, hope. (10/24/2003)

Own globally, act locally? By Eric Boehlert
The FCC's Michael Powell says a shortage of local and community affairs programming has nothing to do with media conglomeration. But at a North Carolina hearing, he heard from his critics. (10/24/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
There's no crying in the cockpit! The life of a baseball player and a pilot are closer than you think. (10/24/2003)

Letters
"This nut job would be thrilled to be the last of her kind": Readers respond to John Sundman's "How I Decoded the Human Genome" and "One Vote for the New Eugenics." (10/24/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
When nostalgia turns toxic: Mariah Carey prattling on about "Hungry, Hungry Hippo" in VH1's "I Love the 80's." Plus: The breakout star of the current reality shows. (10/23/2003)

Just a regular It girl By Amy Reiter
Goofball "Scary Movie" siren Anna Faris chats about her rapid rise, her rabid Internet fans and her plans to do indie drama. Oh, and she's not spoofing Cameron Diaz in "Lost in Translation"! (10/23/2003)

The Fix By Amy Reiter
Mellencamp goes ape! Does Matt Lauer have a Limbaugh problem? Did Adrien and Orlando battle over Charlize? Plus: Does anyone really care if Carrot Top is gay? (10/23/2003)

The left's answer to the Osbournes By Donna Minkowitz
A new book dishes the dirt on recently paroled Brinks robber Kathy Boudin and her high-powered -- and completely dysfunctional -- family. (10/23/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
What you never knew about the World Series -- or ever even thought to ask. (10/23/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
World Series: Roger Clemens goes out a hero, but not a winner. Plus: The Jeanne Zelasko cliche watch. (10/23/2003)

The general and his ground troops By Michelle Goldberg
Howard Dean is not the only Democratic candidate who has inspired an army of followers. Wes Clark's ranks are growing, and they include Bush deserters. (10/23/2003)

Frankenbill Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Part gas, part nuclear, the energy bill is nearly alive! (10/23/2003)

The suffering buzzocracy By Tina Brown
For movie execs used to sending beribboned boxes of the latest Christmas movies to 500 of their closest Botox artists, dog walkers and Kabbalah gurus, the pre-Oscar "screener ban" is torture. (10/23/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Rumsfeld's private candor provides a revealing contrast to the administration's public bluster. (10/23/2003)

Hollywood goes down By Rebecca Traister
A spate of new films -- one with girl-next-door Meg Ryan -- depict graphic oral sex scenes. Is the film industry's portrayal of sexuality finally beginning to get real? (10/23/2003)

Hydrogen, ahoy! By Katharine Mieszkowski
Diesel-powered boats are big-time polluters, pumping out more noxious fumes per passenger than cars or buses. Is it time to clear the decks for fuel-cell-powered watercraft? (10/23/2003)

"Morning Sun" By Charles Taylor
The bizarre and colorful nightmare world of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution comes alive in an extraordinary new documentary. Smash the Old World! (10/22/2003)

"In the Cut" By Stephanie Zacharek
Severed heads! Kinky sex! Meg Ryan reading poetry! Jane Campion's adaptation of Susanna Moore's novel is full of horrors but lacks a point. (10/22/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Elton John brings glitz back to Vegas, Streisand's husband brings Reagan to the small screen, and Dick Wolfe talks about why he wrote the slogan "Fly Me!" (10/22/2003)

Elliott Smith, 1969-2003 By Sarah Schmelling
Despite his success, the fragile and brilliant alt-troubadour never seemed comfortable with his career -- or his life. (10/22/2003)

Bestsellers
Franken retakes No. 1. Yes, again! Moore holds steady at 2, but Madam Albright takes a nose dive, landing somewhere below "Eragon" -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (10/22/2003)

Big whoppers By Michael Moore
President Bush sold the Iraq war with lies -- and Americans are paying with their lives. An excerpt from "Dude, Where's My Country?" (10/22/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Those damn Yankees! (By a bitter Red Sox fan.) (10/22/2003)

The state of your unions
Salon readers share tales of romance and grit from the front lines of the institution of marriage. (10/22/2003)

"Men can't speak in our names" By Christopher Farah
The founder of one of the only shelters for battered women in the Arab world talks about her battle to make female voices heard in the Middle East. (10/22/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Yankees turn up the heat, the Marlins have their backs against the wall, and Fox's Jeanne Zelasko cranks out more cliches than you can shake a stick at. (10/22/2003)

Who really killed Danny Pearl? By Asra Q. Nomani
U.S officials now say the killer is the mastermind behind 9/11. But, says the reporter Pearl was staying with, certain American allies need to be investigated as well. (10/22/2003)

Just "frat-boy behavior"? By Robert Scheer
In choosing to excuse Schwarzenegger's past conduct, California's highest law-enforcement official has sent an incredible signal of disrespect to women. (10/22/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
The global spread of nukes keeps conservatives awake at night. Plus: Religion for Kobe, and Howard Dean's "pro-homosexual" agenda. (10/22/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
If Karl Rove's 2004 media strategy is anything like the Pentagon's was earlier this year, you may want to get used to the term "President Dean." (10/22/2003)

One vote for the new eugenics By John Sundman
Yes, genetics research can alleviate suffering. But in our consumerist, narcissistic society, it's ultimately about producing perfect people. Part 2 of "How I Decoded the Human Genome." (10/22/2003)

Death and glory By Shannon Zimmerman
Punk legend Joe Strummer bows out with "Streetcore," a hit-and-miss farewell studded with a handful of gems. (10/21/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Joan Didion talks politics with Dave Eggers, Esquire loses fashion editor to Times, and Russell Crowe says he doesn't trust online journalists. Plus: George Clooney has had sex with more than one person! (10/21/2003)

Letters
"No wonder people hate Americans -- we're vultures." Readers leap to the defense of Sylvia Plath's daughter. (10/21/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
What was I thinking? (10/21/2003)

Navel-gazing their way through parenthood By Katie Allison Granju
Why do Gen X moms and dads have an insatiable appetite for reading and writing about the experience of raising kids? (10/21/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
ESPN's firing of football columnist Gregg Easterbrook for anti-Semitism only looks honorable if you don't look too closely. Plus: Fox ignores the Jeffrey Loria story. (10/21/2003)

The betrayal of the whistle-blowers By Eric Boehlert
Thanks to a glaring legal loophole and a hostile Justice Department, a federal employee who revealed that U.S. nuclear facilities were unsafe found his career and life ruined. And many other whistle-blowers share his fate. (10/21/2003)

The world press on the Muslim-bashing U.S. general Compiled by Laura McClure
Guardian: "Scratch a neo-con and you find an Arabophobe." (10/21/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why hasn't the president criticized Gen. Boykin for his gross insults to Islam? (10/21/2003)

Watching my marriage end on the big screen By Jane Smiley
The first time I watched "The Secret Lives of Dentists," based on a novella I wrote about my divorce from the father of my daughters, I laughed all the way through it. The second time I didn't. (10/21/2003)

How I decoded the human genome By John Sundman
We are becoming the masters of our own DNA. But does that give us the right to decide that my children should never have been born? (10/21/2003)

Suds and duds By Heather Havrilesky
High rollers, high fashion and high teenagers are back with the return of the nighttime soap in "Skin," "Nip/Tuck" and "The OC." But only one proves truly bubblicious. (10/20/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Ozzy Osbourne is cured of his tremors, George Bush Sr. cries on TV, and Angelina says she wants casual sex. Plus: Did Princess Di know she was going to be killed? (10/20/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Interesting things we have learned from Republicans lately. (10/20/2003)

Same-sex family values By Laura McClure
Toby and Jean Adams moved to Auburn, Calif., to raise their daughter in a close-knit community with good schools. The reaction of their neighbors and fellow churchgoers -- from anger to acceptance to confusion -- mirrors Middle America's evolving attitudes toward gays and gay marriage. (10/20/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
World Series: The Marlins win one their way, the Yankees win one their way, and the ratings are up but still low, meaning people are missing good baseball. (10/20/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Is Rush Limbaugh the newest member of the GOP Rat Pack? (10/20/2003)

Hanging out By Cary Tennis
I've been casual with him for two years, but I think we'd be great together. Should I go for more? (10/20/2003)

White House's bold new P.R. offensive: Making stuff up By Joyce McGreevy
Worried citizens welcome Bush's all-out assault on reality. (10/20/2003)

Golden State of hypocrisy By Andrew O'Hehir
Joan Didion talks about Arnold and Reagan, the triumph of Wal-Mart ugliness, dot-com insanity, and the betrayal at the heart of the California dream. (10/18/2003)

The great left hope? By David Moberg
Many progressives are praising Dennis Kucinich for saying all the right things -- and then they're backing other Democrats. But the Cleveland populist says he's running to win. (10/18/2003)

Did the Saudis know about 9/11? By Mark Follman
A new book claims that Saudi princes and a Pakistani official knew Osama bin Laden would strike America that day. But some critics say the whole story could be a neoconservative fabrication. (10/18/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Keeping Dissent Invisible," by Dave Lindorff. (10/19/2003)

"Runaway Jury" By Charles Taylor
Here's a real mystery: How can John Cusack, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, acting in a John Grisham thriller, be so dull? (10/17/2003)

"Pieces of April" By Stephanie Zacharek
In this charming, unsentimental Thanksgiving comedy, Katie Holmes must enlist her Manhattan neighbors to help roast the turkey for her dying mom. (10/17/2003)

"Veronica Guerin" By Charles Taylor
Cate Blanchett's portrayal of the murdered Irish journalist is a blatant Oscar bid. But Joel Schumacher's crude bio-drama never comes close to asking the real questions. (10/17/2003)

"Sylvia" By Stephanie Zacharek
Gwyneth Paltrow and director Christine Jeffs create a complex portrait of the legendary poet/suicide/heroine -- but this Lifetime-esque movie is too pretty and plays too safe. (10/17/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Pamela Anderson says no to KFC, Demi says yes to Ashton, Brad and Jennifer will produce the Danny Pearl story, and Hugh Jackman wows 'em on Broadway. Plus: Red Sox beat Yankees -- according to the Post! (10/17/2003)

Whose Plath is it anyway? By Kate Moses
England's longest-running literary soap opera enters a new chapter, as Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes' daughter wages war against ghouls, obsessives and the makers of "Sylvia" (as well as novelists like me). (10/17/2003)

Letters
Responding to "Mrs. Feminist," women and men weigh in on the merits of wives taking their husbands' last names. (10/17/2003)

The Army be thuggin' it By Whitney Joiner
The military is teaming up with hip-hop bible the Source to recruit black urban kids with pimped-out Hummers and off-da-hook merchandise. (10/17/2003)

The ultimate punishment By Tim Grieve
Scott Turow tried -- and failed -- to build a better death penalty. Now he wants it abolished. (10/18/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Aaron Boone brings down the curtain on the Red Sox's magic act, and the Yanks return to the World Series. Plus: NFL Week 7 picks. (10/17/2003)

Sinners in the hands of an angry dad By Dave Gilson
The latest product from O'Reilly's factory is, God help us, a self-help book. (10/17/2003)

With God on their side By Barry Lando
The Malaysian prime minister's anti-Semitic remarks draw outrage, as they should. But the Bush administration stands by the religious-fanatic general it has appointed to head up the war on terrorism's intelligence effort. (10/17/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
As military analysts reveal, the officer now in charge of finding Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein is a Christian extremist who receives intel from God. (10/17/2003)

If I could do it over ... By Cary Tennis
I've been with one woman for my adult life, but now I feel closer to someone else. (10/17/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Does lavatory refuse ever fall from the sky? And there can't really be an airline called Aerobanana, can there? (10/17/2003)

Letters
Dave Crocker remembers Internet e-mail creator Ray Tomlinson in a response to Katharine Mieszkowski's "E-mail Is Broken." (10/17/2003)

Steve Jobs leads Microsoft users to the promised land By Farhad Manjoo
The iTunes music store is open for business on Windows. Let the rejoicing begin. (10/17/2003)

The soccer mom's sex symbol By Laura Sinagra
It's encouraging that Sting seems to have chugged a Red Bull-Viagra smoothie on some tracks of his new "Sacred Love" LP, but his didactic, smugly penitent music still seems designed to be played by an adulterer returning to Westchester in his Jag. (10/16/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Competing for our scorn: The "Survivor" hippie, MTV's evil cheerleading coach and the Fox programmers who scammed baseball fans. (10/16/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Molly Ivins says Arnold is like a jackrabbit with antlers, Bush says he and the gov both married well and talk bad. Plus: Who is Top Gun in Hollywood? (10/16/2003)

Bestsellers
Madeleine Albright takes the top slot, with Michael Moore in hot pursuit. And "Captain Underpants" keeps flying higher -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (10/16/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
At the Humane Foie Gras Farm ... (10/16/2003)

Mrs. Feminist By Lynn Harris
Ninety percent of married women choose to take their husband's name. But don't call them traditional. (10/16/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The mystique of Cubs fans' loyalty to their lovable losers is safe. Plus: A classic Game 7 pitching matchup presages what should be a classic World Series. (10/16/2003)

Keeping dissent invisible By Dave Lindorff
How the Secret Service and the White House keep protesters safely out of Bush's sight -- and off TV. (10/16/2003)

Is the 9/11 commission getting tough? By Eric Boehlert
Subpoena against FAA suggests signs of life -- and victims' families are suddenly hopeful. (10/16/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to recent articles on Joseph Wilson, Bill O'Reilly and Arnold Schwarzenegger. (10/16/2003)

A tale of two trials By Tina Brown
While former Tyco fat cat Dennis Kozlowski is tormented by an assistant D.A. in an off-the-rack suit, Kobe Bryant faces his ordeal without many friends in the sports world. (10/16/2003)

"Commander George's Traveling Road Show" Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Amazing oddities! Baffling policies! Only $87 billion! (10/16/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
If Rush can play golf day after day, readers suggest, perhaps he was more of a "recreational" drug user than he's acknowledged. (10/16/2003)

Birthing pains By Cary Tennis
After trying every way possible to get pregnant, we finally have the baby we wanted. So why do I feel guilty for not adopting or remaining childless? (10/16/2003)

An economist for all seasons By Andrew Leonard
Joseph Stiglitz's new book explains what went right, and wrong, with "The Roaring Nineties." (10/16/2003)

Is Halliburton guilty of Iraqi gas gouging? By Farhad Manjoo
A study released Wednesday by two Democratic congressmen accuses the energy services company of "highway robbery." (10/16/2003)

Other people's stuff By Su Ciampa
With the new PBS series "Second Hand Stories" and the rise of Found magazine, garage-sale and Dumpster-diver culture finds its art form. (10/15/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Will the dead come alive on "The Sopranos"? Will George Plimpton write about dying? More proof that the Kennedys will never die. Plus: Mother Teresa -- the musical! (10/15/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
What is it about Quentin Tarantino movies? (10/15/2003)

What broke the deal?
A photo of Oliver North, wildly untamed pubic hair, a guy who kept pronouncing "phallic" as "fay-lic" ... and other discoveries that ended the date. (10/15/2003)

Anxious in Orange County By Ron Reagan
I went to the heart of Reagan country to see how George Bush is faring politically. I found it's still a GOP stronghold, but even Bush loyalists are worried about Iraq. (10/15/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Free the fan down the line! The Cubs' monumental pratfall wasn't his fault, and you'd have reached for that ball too. Plus: Yanks play second fiddle. (10/15/2003)

How Bush could save his presidency -- and why he won't By Mark Hertsgaard
The president needs to apologize for Iraq -- but he's constitutionally incapable of admitting he was wrong. (10/15/2003)

Rush to revenge? By Robert Scheer
Rush Limbaugh is obviously a hypocrite, but that's no reason to punish him for a victimless crime. (10/15/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
O'Reilly gets medieval on NPR's Terry Gross, and David "don't-hate-Bush" Brooks celebrates the Northeast's hate-filled baseball fans. Plus: Arnold makes the GOP "hip." (10/15/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Polls show that Bush is still in trouble, but you'd never know that by reading today's Washington Post. (10/15/2003)

It's time for Karl Rove to go By Rep. John Conyers Jr.
The president needs to ask for a special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame case. (10/15/2003)

Patriarchal paradigm By Cary Tennis
What is a postmodern definition of love and is it really the opiate of women? (10/15/2003)

Letters
Readers share their own tales of happy marriages. (10/15/2003)

Letters
Don't blame the children for deadbeat, bankrupt parents: Readers respond to Katharine Mieszkowski's "Americans Are Not Going Broke Over Lattes!" (10/15/2003)

Bad grades for a voting-machine exam By Farhad Manjoo
Riverside County, Calif., invited citizens to observe a test of its computerized voting systems. One participant was not impressed. (10/15/2003)

Donny Osmond won't go away By Amy Reiter
He broke teen hearts in the '70s -- then became a punch line for years to come. Now he's a game-show host, and happy he didn't turn out like some of his child-star peers. (10/14/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Robert Downey Jr. says he's clean; is that a halo on George Bush? and Catherine Zeta-Jones says she mates for life. Plus: Jade Jagger has a mouth like a sailor! (10/14/2003)

Mates: A literary history By Gary Kamiya
Matching sock, erotic target or fellow damned soul chained to your wrist? From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Kundera, a guided tour of the Big Two. (10/14/2003)

Waylay By Carol Lay
When palm trees go bad. (10/14/2003)

Letters
Stalking victims respond to Kristin Ohlson's article "Somebody's Watching You." (10/14/2003)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
After the sausage of summer is gone (10/14/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Fox's tight close-ups reveal players' nostril-hair trimming habits, and a series-tying win for the Red Sox. Plus: Zimmer vs Martinez, the readers write. (10/14/2003)

The decline and fall of the Enron empire By Tim Grieve
The company's e-mail archive captures everything: Ken Lay's livin'-large heyday, the political schemes of his minions, and hate mail that employees sent their CEO when the company collapsed. (10/14/2003)

Betraying the Kurds again? By Michelle Goldberg
The U.S. plan to send 10,000 Turkish troops to Iraq has Kurdish leaders outraged -- and analysts of all stripes incredulous at its folly. (10/14/2003)

The world press on Iraq Compiled by Laura McClure
Guardian: "For centuries, pillage by invading armies was a normal part of warfare. Now we call it economic development." (10/14/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Propagandizing soldiers for partisan gain is typical of armies in banana republics. In the U.S. military, it's a disgrace. (10/14/2003)

An antique institution By Benjamin Cheever
When my first marriage ended, I thought I'd figured one thing out: Don't ever get married. Not if you enjoy sex. And then I met Janet. (10/14/2003)

How does bonding happen? By Cary Tennis
I don't understand how the "we" unit evolves because I never saw it happen with my parents. (10/14/2003)

State of the Union By Karen Croft and Lori Leibovich
A new Salon series examines marriage from all angles -- who does it and why and what happens before, during and after the promises. (10/14/2003)

Bush's greens: Too extinct to show up By Katharine Mieszkowski
A California law school held a symposium on Bush's environmental policies -- and the feds stayed home. (10/14/2003)

Smells like teen spirituality By Heather Havrilesky
Why have the networks brought us four -- count 'em! -- new shows about rebellious young heroines in touch with the supernatural world? God only knows. (10/13/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Martha confesses to Barbara Walters, Julia Roberts thwarts a tell-all, and Jerry Hall shares her secrets. Plus: Will Steve Martin be the next Inspector Clouseau? (10/13/2003)

God's five-star resort By Laura Miller
Welcome to heaven, where you'll learn Important Lessons -- and look fabulous! Eat all you want without getting fat! But watch out for dinosaur crap, and leave that bong at home. (10/13/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Holy false rationale for war, Batman! (10/13/2003)

In your tribe By Sheerly Avni
Young people are staying single longer because they are so fulfilled by their network of friends, says journalist Ethan Watters in a new book. Has he touched on a generational phenomenon, or did he just write a book about his Burning Man crew? (10/13/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Don't make those World Series plans yet, Cubs fans. Plus: How long does it take an angry slugger to walk 60 feet? And: Beat up an old guy for the team! (10/13/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Who was behind the effort to get soldiers to sign form letters from Iraq? (10/13/2003)

Permission to stray By Cary Tennis
Can I sow my last wild oat before I settle down with my boyfriend? (10/13/2003)

"Americans are not going broke over lattes!" By Katharine Mieszkowski
Home mortgages, insurance and, above all, children are driving middle-class parents into bankruptcy, says Harvard law professor and author Elizabeth Warren. (10/13/2003)

Letters
Why should I buy into an anti-branding brand? Readers respond to Linda Baker's "Are You Ready for Some 'Unswooshing'?" (10/13/2003)

All this useless beauty By Shannon Zimmerman
Thanks to the pristine, prettified and precious new album "North," a longtime Elvis Costello die-hard finally dies. Hard. (10/11/2003)

"Kill Bill: Vol. 1" By Stephanie Zacharek
Quentin Tarantino supposedly loves movies. So why is this ultraviolent, style-crazed revenge fantasy so empty? (10/10/2003)

"Intolerable Cruelty" By Charles Taylor
George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones square off deliciously, but this '30s-style battle of the sexes from the Coen brothers never catches fire. (10/10/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Troops to get Shakespeared, Arnold and Hillary to get biopic-ed, Nic and Lisa-Marie to get remarried? Plus: New York gets a new daily paper. (10/10/2003)

What a Rush By Christopher Farah
America's favorite bully admits his tragic weakness. (10/10/2003)

Digging for grace By Anne Lamott
Even though Schwarzenegger -- with his groping and weenie issues -- is the new governor of California, I haven't felt this hopeful in a long time. (10/10/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Kobe Bryant goes to court, and once again we all become legal experts. Plus: NFL Week 6 picks. (10/10/2003)

"A true American hero" By David Talbot
Joseph Wilson stood up to Saddam -- then to the Bush administration. The man who exposed the president's bogus uranium claim talks about why he spoke out and the White House's ugly "revenge" against him and his wife. (10/10/2003)

Is the 9/11 commission too soft? By Eric Boehlert
Family members of those who died on Sept. 11 are beginning to worry about the gentle treatment the outside commission is giving the White House. (10/10/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on the ascent of Governor Arnold, America's divided pro-Palestinian movement, and Tom DeLay's tele-harassment campaign. (10/10/2003)

Special justice for right-wing columnists By Mark Dowie
Robert Novak irresponsibly outed an undercover CIA agent, possibly in violation of U.S. law. Under Ashcroft's Justice Department, he'll get away with it -- unlike so many journalists who have rotted in jail. (10/11/2003)

"I am addicted to prescription pain medication"
Rush Limbaugh tells his listeners that he's taking a leave of absence, and entering a treatment facility. (10/10/2003)

When big media gets bigger By Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers: "The effort to reverse the FCC is dead in the water, sinking the democratic process with it." (10/10/2003)

Yellow porn By Harry Mok
In the U.S. adult film industry, Asian women are a sexual fetish and Asian men are almost completely absent. Prof. Darrell Hamamoto wants to change that -- by producing skin flicks with Asian male stars. (10/10/2003)

Pillow talk By Cary Tennis
Should I tell my girlfriend I had a dream about sleeping with another woman? (10/10/2003)

Letters
The pilot's readers profess love for his 9/11 memorial but condemn his ill-considered criticism of The The. (10/10/2003)

Neil Postman: A civilized man in a century of barbarism By Jay Rosen
A former student remembers a teacher who never stopped raking the worlds of Big Media and technology with his savage wit. (10/10/2003)

Letters
Readers spar over the sexy stars of the '80s: Bring back the golden age of Karen Allen! Lay off Cameron and Brad already! (10/09/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
"The Real World" kids grow tiresome, while the older ladies of "Starting Over" are mind-blowingly melodramatic. Plus: A chat with reality TV's big winner. (10/09/2003)

The Fix
Is Jay Leno Arnold's secret campaign manager? Russell Crowe threatens to stay home, and Britney Spears gets a death threat. Plus: Will Woody tell all for the right price? (10/09/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Journalism Ethics 101: A handy guide to the protection of confidential sources. (10/09/2003)

Jesus is my crush By Carlene Bauer
A popular new Bible for teen girls dresses up the New Testament to look and read exactly like a fashion magazine. (10/09/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Which must-see game did you watch? Baseball fans shouldn't have to choose in the playoffs. Plus: NFL picks and NHL Armageddon. (10/09/2003)

The hacky sac intifada By Christopher Farah
The most popular movement on college campuses is divided between moderate Arab students and radical lefty white kids who have adopted the Palestinian cause as their own. (10/09/2003)

Clare Short: The U.S. needs the world's help -- now By Michelle Goldberg
The former British cabinet member blasts the "arrogant" Pentagon for its bungled postwar planning and calls Tony Blair's decision to prop up Bush's war "tragic." (10/09/2003)

The Dems want a War Admiral, while the GOP longs for a Terminator By Tina Brown
If Bush keeps evaporating in the polls, look for Karl to play the Rudy card. (10/09/2003)

"Recall Island": The conclusion Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Now that the voters have spoken, let's see what's in store for the winner! (10/09/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The same Republicans who excoriated Clinton for his consensual misconduct have excused or ignored Schwarzenegger's undenied assaults. (10/09/2003)

Who's counting? By Cary Tennis
I'm in my 20s, seeing an older guy. What should I know about dating a divorced man in his 40s? (10/09/2003)

To the cronies go the spoils By Farhad Manjoo
Having trouble keeping track of all the Bush-Cheney pals who have their snouts in Iraq's trough? Here's a handy clip 'n' save guide! (10/09/2003)

Blame it on Rio By David Ng
Brazilian director Jose Padilha talks about "Bus 174," his shocking documentary about the Rio street kid who hijacked a bus -- and forced a nation to confront its epidemic of violence. (10/08/2003)

"Mystic River" By Stephanie Zacharek
Clint Eastwood brings Dennis Lehane's Boston revenge saga to the screen as a mournful, masculine noir that's also the strongest film of his long career. (10/08/2003)

The Fix
Arnold starting to look like a Kennedy, Gwyneth says Ben makes life tough and does Meg Ryan have a new face? Plus: Clint Eastwood has something to say. (10/08/2003)

Bestsellers
"The Secret Life of Bees" goes to No. 1. But Al Franken's going nowhere and Chuck Palahniuk keeps coming back for more -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (10/08/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Is it the Percocet, or does daytime TV really suck? (10/08/2003)

Dating deal breakers revealed!
Dentures, skid marks, knit ties and other things to avoid if you want to hook up. (10/09/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Marlins beat the Cubs in extra innings, but the real upset is that a Fox announcer has some incisive things to say. (10/08/2003)

Arnold manhandles California! By Tim Grieve
Schwarzenegger wins a new role in a landslide. But who will he play: Jesse Ventura? Pete Wilson? Playboy predator? Or tough independent who stands up to his GOP friends? (10/08/2003)

Right-wing crank yankers By Michelle Goldberg
Texas bug-man Tom DeLay and the New York Post's Bob McManus are harassing MoveOn.org with silly phone tricks. (10/08/2003)

Painting the town Gray By Heather Havrilesky
Recipe for a bad time: Spend your Tuesday night at the official Gray Davis Election Night Victory Party. (10/08/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Did Dems conspire to take down both Arnold and Rush? The right gropes for the moral high ground on the recall, bemoans Limbaugh's worst week, and dissects Bush's woes. (10/08/2003)

The moviegoing voter By Cary Tennis
Millions chose Arnold Schwarzenegger in the hopes of finding a happy ending for California's woes. But I won't be sleeping any better. (10/08/2003)

A warrior for peace By Robert Scheer
Why Wesley Clark could be an Eisenhower for our time. (10/08/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Should California Demos try to recall Arnold Schwarzenegger? (10/08/2003)

"I was a middle-aged virgin" By Michael Castleman
Roger is 49 years old and has only had intercourse once -- with a surrogate. He's not alone. (10/08/2003)

London calling By Cary Tennis
I'm in New York and my girlfriend's in the U.K. How do I hold on to her for the eight months she's away? (10/08/2003)

Are you ready for some "unswooshing"? By Linda Baker
Adbusters founder Kalle Lasn aims to beat Nike at its own game, by selling "Black Spot" sneakers to consumers tired of shelling out for megabrands. (10/08/2003)

"Songwriting saved my life" By Thomas Bartlett
Baroque pop auteur Rufus Wainwright on his folkie parents, his years of dissipation, his new "Want One," and his not-so-secret desire to compose 19th century Romantic opera. (10/07/2003)

The Fix
Michael Moore tells Jon Stewart about being recalled, Gray Davis' wife says he's dull, and Bono gets away with using the F-word! Plus: Rob Lowe says he didn't get enough love (10/07/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Wise words on ratting from the Godfather. (10/07/2003)

Nursing my fears By Katherine Ozment
When the world is asleep and I am feeding him with my body, I want to protect my boy from everything that could hurt him. But my memories keep getting in the way. (10/07/2003)

Letters
Readers chastise Andrew Perzo for complaining about a war his wife volunteered to be in, and for sharing his burden with his daughter. (10/07/2003)

Did popping painkillers make Rush lose his hearing? By Tim Grieve
The drugs Limbaugh is rumored to have abused are known to cause sudden hearing loss. But his doctors insist there's a different diagnosis. (10/07/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Why can't the Red Sox and A's just play forever? Instead a head-banging finale leads to a Sox-Yankees showdown. (10/07/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on Arnold and Rush. Plus: Moon's influence in the White House, and the problem with "ranting" progressives. (10/07/2003)

The world press on the Haifa bombing Compiled by Laura McClure
From the BBC, the biography of a female suicide bomber. (10/07/2003)

Arnold's New York Times admirer By Joan Walsh
Columnist Maureen Dowd led the charge to pillory President Clinton. So why is she panting after the serial groper? (10/07/2003)

Bush's sinking feeling By Eric Boehlert
One month ago, the president gave the nation an $87 billion bill for Iraq. His numbers have been sliding ever since. (10/07/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The best evidence of the "imminent threat" of Iraqi WMD turns out to be a test tube in somebody's icebox. (10/07/2003)

Self-image sabotage By Cary Tennis
I'm a single mother and I want love, but I hate the way my body looks. (10/07/2003)

Playing with dollz By Mitch Borgeson
This isn't your mother's Barbie: Welcome to a Web subculture where pixelated gothic Lolitas, preps and weirdos are good wholesome fun. (10/07/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Arnold says the women never told him to stop, Macaulay buys butts for Marilyn Manson, and "Lord of the Rings" fans pay a lot for movie seats. (10/06/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
The S.S. Oval Office sets sail! (10/06/2003)

Somebody's watching you By Kristin Ohlson
Eight million American women -- or one in 12 -- will be a victim of stalking at some point in their lives. So why are law enforcement agencies so inept at handling their cases? (10/06/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Cubs win! Marlins win! Yanks? Well, of course. And the A's and Red Sox fight for their right to party. (10/06/2003)

The Teflon groper By Tim Grieve
Arnold's army says his sordid sexual history doesn't matter -- and GOP honchos just want to close their eyes and win. (10/07/2003)

Hollywood's battle of the sexes over Arnold By Kathleen Sharp
Movie industry women are working to expose the actor's sexual misbehavior, while men are protecting him. Their efforts have led at least some of his victims to come forward, but will voters care? (10/07/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Arnold goes from apologizing, to claiming some of the women are lying and blaming it all on Gray Davis. (10/06/2003)

My boyfriend lied about his debts and now he's couch surfing By Cary Tennis
But he's an artist. Should I boot him? (10/06/2003)

Nancy News and the Mystery of the Old Crock By Joyce McGreevy
What's a Bush-Cheney campaign manager doing in Iraq? Our favorite adorable teenage detective could not care less. (10/06/2003)

The kids are alright By Scott Thill
Indie godhead Richard Linklater on teaching fifth-graders to shred for "School of Rock," the amazing Jack Black and moving from the margins to the mainstream -- and back again. (10/04/2003)

Secretary Rumsfeld resigns after Kay report, citing pledge to grandson By Fred Branfman
Jutting-jaw authority figure says viewing of "Liar, Liar" catalyzed shocking decision. (10/04/2003)

"The Event" By Stephanie Zacharek
In a potent dark comedy that never flinches and never smirks, Parker Posey must investigate an assisted suicide case that turned into a fabulous party. (10/03/2003)

"Wonderland" By Stephanie Zacharek
This sordid, violent and thoroughly unpleasant flick about the decline and fall of super-endowed porn star John Holmes must exist for some reason. But what is it? (10/03/2003)

"Out of Time" By Charles Taylor
With the sensational Denzel Washington surrounded by beautiful women and sweaty Florida heat, director Carl Franklin delivers a sexy screwball-noir packed with pop and sizzle. (10/03/2003)

"School of Rock" By Andrew O'Hehir
When an aging wannabe guitar god somehow becomes the fifth-grade teacher at a ritzy private school, he rocks their world -- and, improbably, ours. (10/03/2003)

"I'm confused and hurt" By Heather Havrilesky
Reality TV's big loser -- Dave -- talks back about being betrayed on "Paradise Hotel." (10/03/2003)

The Fix
Meg and Alicia want to get married, Charlie Sheen to be a dad, and Bollywood star gets Ravi and Norah mad at him. Plus: You really can meet the love of your life at an airport! (10/03/2003)

The outsider By Andrew O'Hehir
J.M. Coetzee is a teller of mysterious and universal tales in the tradition of Kafka. (10/03/2003)

Not all sluts and playas By Elinor Burkett
A surprising new book finds that despite their R-rated vocabulary and hormonally induced moodiness, most middle schoolers are pretty innocent -- if a little sex-obsessed. (10/03/2003)

Letters
Parents of disabled children commiserate with Scot Sea; others thank him for helping them understand a foreign world. (10/03/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 5: Could this be the year Priest Holmes' running-back warranty expires? Can the Bengals improve on their best-in-years one-game win streak? Read here for incorrect answers. (10/03/2003)

"The plumbers are back" By Michelle Goldberg
The man who sparked Watergate, Daniel Ellsberg, has deja vu watching the Bush administration try to spin the Plame leak. (10/03/2003)

Suspicion centers on Lewis Libby By Eric Boehlert
Dick Cheney's chief of staff helped hype the Iraq threat and discredit Joe Wilson. But while the White House has denied Karl Rove is the leaker, so far it's left Libby twisting slowly in the wind. (10/03/2003)

More vicious than Tricky Dick By John W. Dean
John Dean says the Bush team's leaks are even viler than his former boss's -- and that Plame and Wilson should file a civil suit. (10/03/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Rush Limbaugh may have been overmedicating himself for pain. That's no excuse, but it's hard not to feel sorry for anyone whose suffering causes them to hustle narcotics. (10/03/2003)

Long-distance marriage By Cary Tennis
I live in Paris, my husband in the U.S. Should we divorce over champagne or stay as we are? (10/03/2003)

Erotic by nature By Michael Castleman
David Steinberg talks about the sexually frank photographs he's collected and how he thinks they can change the culture. (10/03/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
What happened to the "u" in Qantas? Who came up with the immortal "British West Indian Airways West Indies Airways"? And other strange tales of airline names. (10/03/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
This week's tweaked TV featured metrosexuals, matchmakers, and Jen and Brad decorating tips. Plus: The devastating finale of the mind-melting "Paradise Hotel"! (10/02/2003)

The Fix
Arnold apologizes for being rowdy, Jamie Lee says she loves Maria Shriver, and a guy named John loves Martha Stewart. Plus: Sharon Osbourne offers to buy J.Lo's pink ring! (10/02/2003)

Remembrance of naked chicks past By Charles Taylor
Helmut Newton's "Autobiography" offers a surprisingly touching reminiscence of a childhood in pre-Nazi Germany -- and the life of erotic pleasure that followed. (10/02/2003)

Bestsellers
Franken makes way for Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver." Plus: Lemony Snicket, Jonathan Lethem and the rest of the week's list, courtesy of Powells.com. (10/02/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Morality in a God-man-less universe. (10/02/2003)

"Do you know what 'powerless' means?" By Andrew Perzo
My wife was deployed to the Middle East six months ago. Now it's up to me to explain to our 9-year-old daughter why our family is being sacrificed for a war I don't believe in. (10/02/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Does Rush Limbaugh hate Donovan McNabb because he's black? Nah, there's a bogeyman far scarier to ESPN's expert analyst: The liberal media. Plus: It's two outs, dummy! (10/02/2003)

Robert Novak's desperate damage control By Eric Boehlert
The conservative columnist's attempts to downplay the Valerie Plame scandal are raising more questions than they answer. (10/02/2003)

Rank and bile By Eric Boehlert
G.I.'s speaking out, angry vets signing petitions, generals attacking him. George Bush's once-rosy relationship with the military is turning sour. (10/02/2003)

Rush Limbaugh is still a big fat idiot By King Kaufman
The blowhard is gone, but sports fans shouldn't forget how ESPN cynically sold them out for a few bucks. (10/02/2003)

North Korea says it is making nuclear bombs by Sang-Hun Choe
(10/02/2003)

Why black America distrusts conservatives By Robert A. George
Rush Limbaugh proved what many African-Americans fear: Even if right-wingers aren't racist, they'll kick blacks to score political points. (10/02/2003)

The do-not-call list -- expanded version Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Put an end to those pesky political calls! (10/02/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The only thing surprising about Rush Limbaugh's comment is that he couldn't restrain his bigotry for longer than four weeks. (10/02/2003)

Midlife crisis By Cary Tennis
He's working all hours and wants "time out" from the marriage. I feel like I've lost him. (10/02/2003)

Letters
Ann Marlowe's "No Intercourse, Please -- We're Enlightened!" hits some raw nerves with readers. (10/02/2003)

Letters
"We must leave our monkey bodies behind": Readers respond to Alan H. Goldstein's "Invasion of the High-Tech Body Snatchers." (10/02/2003)

E-mail is broken By Katharine Mieszkowski
Four Internet pioneers discuss the sorry state of online communication today. The consensus: It's a real mess. (10/02/2003)

Desperately seeking Susan By Laura Warrell
Susan Sarandon, that is. And Sigourney Weaver and Jessica Lange and Debra Winger and the rest of the '80s Hollywood stars who are so much sexier than the bottle-blond Sarahs and Gwyneths and Camerons of today. (10/01/2003)

The Fix
Diane Sawyer and Madonna talk about kissing, Gwyneth worries about the sex scenes, and Dr. Laura and 50 Cent disagree about women. Plus: The Farrelly Brothers meet the Three Stooges! (10/01/2003)

Lord of the "hotel" flies By Heather Havrilesky
Dave -- the normal guy on the rancidly brilliant "Paradise Hotel" -- talks to Salon about giving up three months of his life to be another test rat in Fox's reality show experiment. (10/01/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's little victories -- on crutches! (10/01/2003)

Dating deal breakers
"Would you like to hear some of my poetry?" And other things you shouldn't say if you want to score. (10/01/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The first day of the playoffs gives us tense, thrilling baseball, stupid poll questions and evidence of iron in the Yankees' gloves. (10/01/2003)

Arianna terminates her candidacy By Tim Grieve
With Arnold the Barbarian at the gates of Sacramento, Huffington ends her campaign in hopes of derailing the Gubernator. (10/01/2003)

Matt Drudge, GOP scourge? By Noah Shachtman
The online enemy of the Clinton White House has found a new target: The bumbling Bush administration. (10/01/2003)

Posing for governor By Robert Scheer
We're all familiar with Arnold the actor, but who writes the script if he wins? (10/01/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
National Review pundits go on the defensive over CIA-gate, Krauthammer sizes up the Bush haters, and Suzanne Fields hopes macho Arnold can halt the "homosexualizing" of America. (10/01/2003)

No intercourse, please -- we're enlightened By Ann Marlowe
Sensitive, feminized and resentful, today's young men no longer have the sexual authority to please a woman -- no matter how much oral sex they perform. (10/01/2003)

Queer eye for the wrong guy By Cary Tennis
I'm gay, but the love of my life says he's straight. Can we still be friends? (10/01/2003)

A laptop in every knapsack By Andrew Leonard
Computers can spark a learning revolution, says the author of a new study of technology and education. But how will we pay for it? (10/01/2003)