November 2003

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
"Survivor" predictably drops its best character. Plus: I've only seen him on a TV promo, but I think I've seen the next great child star. (11/27/2003)

America's storyteller By Andrew O'Hehir
Legendary oral historian Studs Terkel, still going strong at 91, sings the praises of rebels with a cause. (11/27/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Billy Dare, Boy Adventurer, in ... "Smugglers' Cape." (11/27/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on JFK conspiracy theories and America's obsession with "faux news." (11/27/2003)

"Fanatics, Fools and Alpha Males" By Arianna Huffington
The secret resignation letters of fed-up Bush officials. (11/27/2003)

Bush's new frontier By Sidney Blumenthal
Ask not what the U.S. can do for Tony Blair -- or for the sick and elderly. (11/27/2003)

Strange bedfellows Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Massachusetts' gay marriage ruling has put a spotlight on all kinds of special relationships! (11/27/2003)

A reason to give thanks By Charles Taylor
Jim Sheridan's miraculous "In America," a generous but never sentimental fable of Irish immigrants in '80s New York, may be the great movie of 2003. (11/26/2003)

"The Barbarian Invasions" By Stephanie Zacharek
French-Canadian director Denys Arcand revisits the aging intellectuals from "The Decline of the American Empire" -- and they might be interesting, if they'd ever shut up. (11/26/2003)

"The Triplets of Belleville" By Stephanie Zacharek
Animator Sylvain Chomet provides one of the season's most eccentric delights with this charmingly old-fashioned tale of an old lady, a bicycle race and a big fat dog. (11/26/2003)

"The Missing" By Charles Taylor
Ron Howard's latest Oscar bid is a gruesome and thoroughly unpleasant western that can't decide whether it's racist or overly p.c. Guess what? It's both. (11/26/2003)

"The Cooler" By Stephanie Zacharek
William H. Macy and Maria Bello shine in a terrific -- and surprisingly sexy -- tale of a Vegas loser whose luck begins to turn. (11/26/2003)

"Bad Santa" By Stephanie Zacharek
With Billy Bob Thornton as an irredeemable scumbag Kris Kringle, this willfully tasteless comedy might just save Christmas. (11/26/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Madonna to try another movie, Bush mispronounces "Nevada" and -- finally -- the results of our "Who would you want to have dinner with?" poll! (11/26/2003)

"The Encyclopedia of Surfing" By Heather Havrilesky
Matt Warshaw's comprehensive volume of surfing lore offers an obsessive -- and engrossing -- ode to serious beach culture. (11/26/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's Little Victories! (11/26/2003)

Turkey tales
How will Salon readers celebrate Thanksgiving? By jetting off to Paris, camping in the woods, tucking into buckets of KFC, and eating -- gulp -- tuna and cheese grits. (11/26/2003)

Lynda Barry By Lynda Barry
Give thanks. (11/26/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Thanksgiving? Why, that's poetry to a sports fan's ears. Plus: NFL Week 13 picks. (11/26/2003)

The gathering storm around Richard Perle By Eric Boehlert
D.C.'s "Prince of Darkness" has prospered in the shadows between the Beltway and big business -- but the latest scandal threatens to bring him down. (11/26/2003)

The Republican Party's patriotism By Robert Scheer
Equating criticism with cowardice is dirty politics at its absolute lowest. (11/26/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
David Frum says Bush "surrendered to the radicals" by hiding behind security in London; Gen. Franks predicts another terror attack could dissolve U.S. Constitution; Coulter bashes "pandering" Dems who just discovered their Jewishness. (11/26/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The fascinating details of Neil Bush's business affairs evoke memories of the "China scandals" that once plagued the Clintons. (11/26/2003)

Have yourself a horny little Christmas By Cole Kazdin
Looking at the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog makes me want to buy their clothes, but I'm too exhausted from self-abuse. (11/26/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Before a holiday on which more people fly than any other, the pilot remembers why he loves commercial airlines and solicits readers for Thanskgiving aviation memories. (11/26/2003)

Not quite the end of the world as we know it By Shannon Zimmerman
R.E.M.'s new career retrospective reminds you of the extraordinary cultural moment the band forged in the '80s -- and leaves you hungry for more. (11/25/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Showtime boss rips CBS boss over Reagan movie, Ned Beatty damns Jason and Ashley with faint praise, and Dixie Chicks win award for what they said about Bush. Plus: John Kerry's wife calls it as she sees it! (11/25/2003)

Founding sinners By Laura Miller
While Thomas Jefferson never freed his slaves, George Washington did, despite his wife's wishes. Historians are finally coming to terms with America's oldest wound. (11/25/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The G.W. Bush School of Preemptive Self-Defense. (11/25/2003)

Off the rag By Jennifer Fried
A new FDA-approved birth control pill will give women just four periods per year. But is it safe to stanch the flow? (11/25/2003)

"Straight people have made a mockery of marriage"
Readers respond to Dan Savage. Plus: Letters on the Michael Jackson affair. (11/25/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Keyshawn Johnson is a whiny moron. Plus: A-Rod will either stay or go. And: Big Ten boys in tight, tight shorts! (11/25/2003)

More attacks on Dean By Josh Benson
The latest Democratic debate featured increased fire toward the front-runner, and an unusually animated Wesley Clark. (11/25/2003)

The world press on American politics Compiled by Laura McClure
Outlook India recalls the queen's first appalled impression of George W. Bush; plus, Al-Jazeera wonders why there aren't any Muslims in Congress. (11/25/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
"Freedom is beautiful," Bush tells soldiers. Unless it involves the freedom to talk to the press. (11/25/2003)

Ask Tracy
Have a question about sex? Ask a woman who's a former prostitute, a novelist and wise about the ways of the flesh. (11/25/2003)

From each according to his junk, to each according to her need By Katharine Mieszkowski
Need a pile of dirt? Got a pile of dirt? It's Christmas every day in the new world of freecycling. (11/25/2003)

Who's your daddy? By Heather Havrilesky
Dr. Phil -- Oprah protege, talk-show host, bestselling author -- has millions devoted to his fatherly brand of tough love. But could scandal knock "America's Favorite Therapist" off his pedestal? (11/24/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Does Sean Penn want a Pulitzer as well as an Oscar? How would you like Pamela Anderson teaching in your kid's Sunday school? And how President Bush made the queen's gardener cry. (11/24/2003)

Republican "Reality" By Charles Taylor
New pro-Bush TV ad targets Dean and other Dem critics -- but has the whiff of desperation. (11/24/2003)

The horse pamperer By Sally Eckhoff
When the editor in chief of Simon & Schuster decides to write a book about the horsey lifestyles of the super-rich, nobody's powerful enough to stop him. (11/24/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Life in the bubble: Don't you worry your pretty little head about a thing! (11/24/2003)

Lots to offer By Cary Tennis
I'm talented and have many friends, but women don't seem attracted to me. How can I make them like me? (11/24/2003)

A taste of Thanksgiving
Salon readers share scrumptious holiday recipes for butternut bisque, sweet potato casserole, an Atkins-approved pumpkin pie, and much more! (11/24/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
GMAC Bowl? I'll take New Orleans, Vegas or San Francisco, thanks, as long as Notre Dame stays home. And other rivalry weekend thoughts. (11/24/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Turning healthcare over to the private sector will cost taxpayers more, not less. (11/24/2003)

Lunch with my husband's hooker By Roberta Johnson
I bonded with the woman he cheated on me with. Then I started weeping. (11/24/2003)

Suzhou: City of canals, semiconductors and hidden radios By Linda Baker
Why is the garden city of China a hotbed of amateur radio direction finders? (11/24/2003)

Notes from an activist: After Miami, what next? By Marisa Handler
Direct action offers a thrill at once addictive and searing, but this movement needs to grow, or we will only be speaking to ourselves. (11/24/2003)

Kennedy, Vietnam and Iraq By James K. Galbraith
The evidence is clear: JFK decided to withdraw from Vietnam a month before he was assassinated. Setting the record straight is crucial as Baghdad continues to explode. (11/22/2003)

The man who solved the Kennedy assassination By David Talbot
It wasn't Earl Warren -- or Oliver Stone. His name is G. Robert Blakey. (11/22/2003)

Letters
Readers weigh in on the Massachusetts gay marriage decision, Josh Benson's coverage of Howard Dean, and David Horowitz's defense of Restoration Weekend. (11/22/2003)

Notes from an activist: Militant response By Marisa Handler
In Miami, our exercising of our constitutional rights became an invitation to an indiscriminate crackdown. (11/22/2003)

"The Cat in the Hat" By Charles Taylor
It's not worth your money. Not even one look. Mike Myers has butchered a great children's book. (11/21/2003)

"Gothika" By Stephanie Zacharek
What happened to Halle Berry's memory? Why is her wardrobe so bad? Is this a ghost movie or a women's-prison movie? Open the flower of your boredom and find out. (11/21/2003)

"21 Grams" By Andrew O'Hehir
This dark meditation on death and fate by the director of "Amores Perros" is admirable despite its flaws -- and Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts deliver knockout performances. (11/21/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Who's sexier -- Chad or Benjamin? Who took topless shots of Jennifer and Cameron? What did Bush eat with Blair? Plus: Memories of JFK (11/21/2003)

Love amid the Terror By Charles Taylor
Alexandre Dumas' "The Knight of Maison-Rouge," just published in English for the first time in 100 years, is a thrilling historical romance by the all-time master. (11/21/2003)

Reading, writing, resistance By Anne Lamott
Conquering small challenges, like programming the VCR, can lead to small miracles, restoration and taking our country back from the infidels. (11/21/2003)

What were they thinking? By King Kaufman
Even if the allegations against him are "a big lie," what kind of parents would let their kid near Wacko Jacko? (11/21/2003)

"The president ought to be ashamed" By Eric Boehlert
Former Sen. Max Cleland blasts Bush's "Nixonian" stonewalling of the 9/11 commission, his "lies" about Iraq, and his flight-suit photo op on the USS Lincoln after "hiding out" during Vietnam. (11/21/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
You think 14-year-old soccer phenom Freddy Adu is young? Wait till you meet the NFL's latest bonus baby. Plus: Week 12 picks. (11/21/2003)

Operation Iron Hammer: Make noise, kill cows By Jen Banbury
If the U.S. wants to capture or kill Iraqi insurgents, local residents ask, why is it providing advance notice of its attacks? (11/21/2003)

The chaos of war spreads to Saudi Arabia, Turkey By Mark Follman
Author Jessica Stern says the recent bombings in Istanbul and Riyadh show that the U.S. war on terror is deeply flawed. (11/21/2003)

The media octopus loses a tentacle By Eric Boehlert
Congress has dealt Bush a stinging defeat on the FCC's relaxed new ownership rules -- and is threatening to strike a fatal blow. (11/21/2003)

Convincing New Hampshire By Josh Benson
Dean's getting his message across to the state's media -- but are voters paying attention? (11/21/2003)

Cheering Bush down By Graham Joyce
In contrast to the icy-cold pomp of the president's royal "state visit," an exuberant protest march draws 150,000, who march through London and bring a gold-painted Bush puppet to its knees. (11/21/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The AARP is backing the Medicare "prescription drug benefit" bill when it should be backing its members. (11/21/2003)

Chivalrous to a fault By Cary Tennis
He is too much of a man to ask for my hand while he's out of work. (11/21/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The pilot loses his patience with ignorant reporters who blame airline bankruptcies on useless, overpaid captains. (11/21/2003)

Notes from an activist: Running with the Black Bloc By Marisa Handler
On a day of chaos and confrontation between riot police and protesters in Miami, stereotypes are broken and solidarity is forged. (11/21/2003)

The penguin is mightier than the sword By Jesse Jarnow
"Bloom County" cartoonist Berkeley Breathed talks about bringing Opus back to the nation's comics page to rip Garfield (and maybe George Bush) a new one. (11/20/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Bachelor Bobs grow on trees, "The West Wing" rolls into flashy "ER" territory and the average Joes go head-to-head with a bevy of Adonises. Plus: Why Ethiopians need therapy, not used mattresses. (11/20/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Jacko's lawyer has been on the case for months, Monica can't get a date and what do ZZ Top and George Harrison have in common? Plus: Are Stephen King and Shakespeare mutually exclusive? (11/20/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Presidential Revisionist Comics: Did I say, Bring 'em on? I meant, Be prepared for a long, hard fight! (11/20/2003)

Happy 8th birthday to Salon
Gary Kamiya remembers a tiny office, a vast Web void, and bragging rights for anyone who got 100 readers. (11/20/2003)

I don't By Dan Savage
I'd love to satisfy my mother and annoy Rick Santorum by getting married to my boyfriend. But I care for him -- and our son -- too much to risk it. (11/20/2003)

Who wants to get married? By Peter Kurth
I'd hoped that the gay-marriage fight might lead to a reassessment of an institution that's plainly failing masses of people. But that doesn't seem to be on anyone's agenda. (11/20/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"We have become revenue addicts." An interview with Tulane president Scott Cowen, who says reforming college sports is a pipe dream worth chasing. (11/20/2003)

Dean, sunny-side up By Josh Benson
Dogged by criticism that he is "too angry," Howard Dean rolls out a new, positive message on his rapidly expanding road show. (11/20/2003)

Letters
The Lion replies: David Horowitz responds to Michelle Goldberg's account of his conservative Restoration Weekend. (11/20/2003)

Wetlands' end By Amanda Griscom
The EPA's draft revisions of the Clean Water Act have a lot of people up in arms. Interestingly, they're Republicans. (11/20/2003)

What's playing at the Capitol Cineplex? Cartoon by Mark Fiore
"Kindergarten Cop" -- rated L for Extreme Legislative Dysfunction -- and more! (11/20/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
If the "secret" intelligence memo leaked to the Weekly Standard was meant to prove a link between Iraq and al-Qaida, it failed. (11/20/2003)

Confessions of a virgin marriage By Beth Heaton
I loved and was attracted to my husband, but I didn't want to have sex with him. (11/20/2003)

Anxiety attacks By Cary Tennis
I'm in love with a man who takes a year to decide which sport coat to buy and I'm waiting for a decision about our relationship. Help! (11/20/2003)

Green China? By Katharine Mieszkowski
While the U.S. sells out its own environment to the highest bidder, China is getting serious about energy conservation. Two scientists explain how and why. (11/20/2003)

Notes from an activist: Preparing for the showdown By Marisa Handler
On Day 2, tension starts to rise as thousands of protesters plan for a collision with thousands of police. (11/20/2003)

"No matter what, life is bigger than death" By Amy Reiter
Hot director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu talks about "21 Grams," his wrenching new film about three strangers linked by death, hope and destiny. (11/19/2003)

Ents storm Grand Central! By Rebecca Traister
And Gollum rides the Times Square shuttle, as New Line's publicity machine brings Middle-earth to America's city of myth. (11/19/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Arnie announces he's in Prada, Hugh Grant's gal pal announces he's a good kisser, and who served President Bush his British breakfast, anyway? (11/19/2003)

Bestsellers
Mitch Albom takes both No. 1 and 20, "The Da Vinci Code" slips to No. 2, and eight newcomers taste glory for the first time -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (11/19/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Die K Kronik: With the in-laws in Germany. (11/19/2003)

Turkey tales
Salon wants to know: What will you be chowing down on this Thanksgiving? (11/19/2003)

The state of your unions
Salon readers react to the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision and share their dreams of walking down the aisle with their same-sex partners. (11/19/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The MVP voters get it right at last: How valuable! Plus: The readers write about baseball and steroids. (11/19/2003)

How Massachusetts changed marriage
"We are mindful that our decision marks a change in the history of our marriage law." (11/19/2003)

Lining up to fight "the forces of evil" By Tim Grieve
The religious right will mount a scorched-earth battle against the Massachusetts decision to permit same-sex marriage. And the White House may join in. (11/19/2003)

Dean tries to broaden appeal By Josh Benson
Call them Deanheads: Supporters turn out by the thousands, ready to chant along to their favorite lines. But from the stump, the candidate is trying to expand his playlist. (11/19/2003)

Save the Earth -- dump Bush By David Talbot
In a slashing interview, environmental leader Bobby Kennedy Jr. denounces the administration's "crimes against nature" and discusses the Democratic presidential pack, the dawn of Arnold's California reign -- and his own political future. (11/19/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "'Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President'," by Jessica Kowal, and "Why the Antiwar Left Must Confront Terrorism," by Mark Follman. (11/20/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
As Sullivan celebrates, Free Republic bloggers savage Massachusetts' "gay judges" and abnormal "homos"; Lowry finally agrees to fight Franken! (11/19/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Yesterday's anti-Semitic screed against billionaire George Soros was nauseating -- but it won't be the last coming from the "old" far right. (11/19/2003)

Heard the one about Prince Charles and the valet? By Mark Simpson
Regardless of the truth of the allegations that no one in Britain has heard, the truly shocking thing would be if a royal, public schoolboy or military man here had never enjoyed a spot of buggery in his youth. (11/19/2003)

In pain By Cary Tennis
She broke off our wonderful relationship with no warning. How do I get her back? (11/19/2003)

Letters
Who says starvation is unnatural? Readers respond to Katharine Mieszkowski's "Hackers on Atkins." (11/19/2003)

Notes from an activist: Welcome to Miami By Marisa Handler
On my first day in South Florida, here to conduct direct action protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas conference, obstacles loom, but the spirit surges. (11/19/2003)

Trapped between "Two Towers" By Laura Miller
Crime-fighting Ents, the Iggy Pop-Gollum connection, Aragorn's love for a transvestite, and other delights lurk within this ragged, messy extended-edition DVD. (11/18/2003)

Rush returns By Neal Pollack
The right-wing king is back, and his targets -- liberals, black quarterbacks, liberals, soup kitchens, liberals -- suggest he may be rehabbed, but he hasn't changed. (11/18/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Bush bashing in London, Clinton wooing in China, and tennis playing by grandma Navratilova! Plus: How many pairs of shoes does Mariah Carey need? (11/18/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The Capitol Hill Joke Shop: Be the life of your party! (11/18/2003)

"If we haven't found anyone else by 40, let's get hitched!" By Curtis Sittenfeld
Are "marriage pacts" a mature, open-eyed approach to love -- or the ultimate in cowardly bet-hedging? (11/18/2003)

Letters
Readers praise Laurie Wagner's decision to let her kids "go crazy" but tell children's books' author Madonna to keep her day job. (11/18/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Baseball's steroid debate: Whoever's talking, I couldn't disagree more. (11/18/2003)

Arnold straddles California By Tim Grieve
On inauguration day the new governor made nice with Democrats, but feminists still want a sexual-assault investigation and the right remains suspicious. (11/18/2003)

Dean's momentum builds By Josh Benson
The front-runner goes to Washington, and instead of excoriating congressional "cockroaches," gets some big endorsements. (11/18/2003)

The world press on the Istanbul Jews Compiled by Laura McClure
Guardian: "Theirs is one of the great anomalies of Jewish history -- a happy story." (11/18/2003)

In the lion's den By Michelle Goldberg
America's highest-powered conservatives invited me to their posh weekend retreat, expecting me to bash the left. I'm afraid I wasn't a very good guest. (11/18/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Days after neocon hawk Richard Perle is cleared in one scandal, his name pops up in another. Plus: CIA wants probe into leaked Iraq memo. (11/18/2003)

I'm confused By Cary Tennis
He says he loves me, but he doesn't act like it and he rejects my sexual advances. What's going on? (11/18/2003)

How much is that doggie in the browser window? By Katharine Mieszkowski
Pets.com and its deluded ilk have gone the way of used kitty litter, but online animal rescue and adoption centers are thriving. (11/18/2003)

Soul survivor By Thomas Bartlett
Al Green has never matched the nuanced, whispered restraint of his early-'70s classics. But a long-awaited reunion album with producer Willie Mitchell reminds us of his greatness. (11/17/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Arnold quotes JFK and Reagan on first day in office, Disney aghast at "Bad Santa," and Alec Baldwin gets doused in blue gunk. Plus: Which damsel is in more distress, Rosie or Martha? (11/17/2003)

The hypocrite of Kabul By Ann Marlowe
Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad parachuted into Afghanistan and told the West exactly what it wanted to hear about that nation's women. The truth, as usual, is more complicated. (11/17/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Ripped from the headlines: The Homosexual Menace! (11/17/2003)

"My life is just beginning" By Ashley Nelson
Far from being lazy and unmotivated, teen mothers are anxious to succeed. They just need the opportunities. (11/17/2003)

"Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President" By Jessica Kowal
As White House denials grow insistent, some of the sharpest thinkers of the Vietnam generation see stark parallels with the war in Iraq. (11/17/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
College athletics reform: Everyone agrees it's needed. But is making the BCS a little more fair really "it"? (11/17/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The neoconservatives, once billed as foreign-policy "grown-ups," have turned out to be as discreet as a clique of teenage girls. (11/17/2003)

Letters
Is hiring a housekeeper the answer for the couple quarreling about division of labor in the home? The readers don't think so. (11/17/2003)

Married men By Cary Tennis
I'm a divorced woman and have a lot to offer, but I keep getting involved with unavailable men. (11/17/2003)

Look, ma, no hands! By Joyce McGreevy
Economy "not dead yet," says treasury secretary, announcing next big stunt. (11/17/2003)

"Freedom is the Almighty's gift"
In an interview with the BBC's David Frost, President Bush expounds upon democracy, Palestine -- and the future of the Iraq war. (11/17/2003)

Selling Pvt. Lynch By Eric Boehlert
From the White House to Random House, the plucky ex-POW has been badly used. But even as the right turned on her, she handled her week in the spotlight like a hero. (11/15/2003)

Why the antiwar left must confront terrorism By Mark Follman
The director of Amnesty International USA warns that the left must confront terror with the same zeal that it battles Bush -- or risk irrelevance. (11/15/2003)

Clark's down -- but touts new support By Josh Benson
He's had an erratic showing, but some important political -- and Hollywood -- players see him as the only alternative to Dean. (11/15/2003)

Letters
Dean supporters respond to "Is Dean Too Hot?" by David Kusnet. (11/15/2003)

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" By Charles Taylor
Bugs and Daffy invade the real Hollywood in this manic farce from director Joe Dante -- but the result is an exhausting mess. (11/14/2003)

"The Station Agent" By Charles Taylor
Writer-director Tom McCarthy's indie sleeper hit captures a forgotten corner of New Jersey, a few eccentric characters and the unmistakable flavor of real life. (11/14/2003)

"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" By Stephanie Zacharek
Russell Crowe and director Peter Weir bring Patrick O'Brian's seafaring adventures to the screen in this glorious and heartfelt action movie for grown-ups. (11/14/2003)

"Tupac: Resurrection" By Stephanie Zacharek
Yes, the world needs a documentary that somehow makes sense of the charismatic, contradictory pioneer of gangsta rap. This isn't it. (11/14/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Britney cries for Diane, De Niro invests in New York, and Joey Ramone gets his own corner. Plus: Who is your fantasy dinner partner? (11/14/2003)

A delicious voice speaks of abominable things By Laura Miller
Tim Curry's hambone audio recordings of the Lemony Snicket books make these classics of mock-serious children's literature even more delightful. (11/14/2003)

Madonna the conformist By Emily Jenkins
Her second awful children's book, "Mr. Peabody's Apples," is a finger-wagging, moralistic tale that condemns a kid to permanent guilt for a very minor sin. (11/14/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 11: Vacations must end, just as bye weeks have. But the Titans juggernaut rolls on, making this column's readers look really smart. (11/14/2003)

Is Dean too hot? By David Kusnet
The Democratic front-runner has ignited a blaze of Bush hatred. But will it burn up the party's chances in 2004? (11/14/2003)

They blinded me with pseudo science By Amanda Griscom
The Bush administration is jettisoning real scientists in favor of yes men. (11/14/2003)

How Bush betrayed Blair By Sidney Blumenthal
The British P.M. thought he had a deal: He'd support the war and Bush would stand up to Ariel Sharon. But administration neoconservatives, led by Elliott Abrams, killed the deal. (11/14/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Did Fox help choreograph the Republican House performance? Plus: It's time to ask Howard Dean about whether he supports an amendment to protect the flag. (11/14/2003)

"Her Husband" By Kamy Wicoff
Diane Middlebrook talks about why the marriage of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes was a soaring success despite his infidelity and her suicide -- and why promising to be sexually faithful is folly. (11/14/2003)

What's fair? By Cary Tennis
Is it wrong to expect the person who works fewer hours at a job to do more at home? (11/14/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Remembrance of air flights past: The pilot's most memorable moments that don't involve explosive floods of blue toilet fluid. (11/14/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
More evidence that Brits and Canadians are funny -- and "Saturday Night Live" is not. Plus: Confessions of a two-TiVo girl. (11/13/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Hugh Grant talks politics, dashing Dennis Kucinich wants a first lady, and J.Lo is going to peddle underwear. Plus: Why is Leo DiCaprio worried about lost photos? (11/13/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Brain in a beaker. (11/13/2003)

Classic American food fights By Rebecca Traister
The author of "Cookoff" discusses the intense -- and thoroughly modern -- world of competitive cooking. (11/13/2003)

From Baghdad to Brooklyn and back: A deportee's strange, sad tale By Jen Banbury
All Iraq-born Anas wanted to do was raise his family in New York. But the U.S. kicked him out, and now he's a lost soul in a broken city. (11/13/2003)

Why did Democrats risk the GOP's wrath? By Tim Grieve
Because the Republicans' court nominees are to the right of Genghis Khan. (11/13/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to articles on Hitchens vs. Danner, the Democrats' campaign blues, and CBS' decision to yank "The Reagans." (11/13/2003)

Three cheers for the Democrats' filibuster By John W. Dean
It's time to depoliticize the judicial appointment process. (11/13/2003)

Bunker Buster, the friendly nuke Cartoon by Mark Fiore
Making nuclear proliferation fun again! (11/13/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The CIA's latest assessment of Iraq is not quite the happy news Bush likes to hear. (11/13/2003)

I met HIM By Cary Tennis
I've met the man of my dreams, but we had a serious talk and he freaked and hasn't called in two days! (11/13/2003)

Dirty business By Phillip Babich
How Bush and his coal industry cronies are covering up one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. (11/13/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Madonna nags Letterman to get married, already, Britney shares her pain with Diane Sawyer and Justin Timberlake opens a restaurant. Plus: What is the top "guy movie"? (11/12/2003)

Bestsellers
"The Da Vinci Code" moves to the top, while Stephen King makes a strong entrance at No. 6 and Captain Underpants makes his triumphant return -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (11/12/2003)

What's bigger than a kazillion? By Polly Shulman
David Foster Wallace provides an entertaining tour of the mind-blowingly big numbers -- and establishes that some infinities are larger than others. (11/12/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
How 'bout we replace Groundhog Day with Dick Cheney Day? (11/12/2003)

The state of your unions
Salon readers share tales of ugly divorces, same-sex relationships, and love born from tragedy. (11/12/2003)

Burying brutal truths about war By Eric Boehlert
The Toledo Blade exposed a shocking massacre by U.S. troops in Vietnam that was covered up for three decades, but the media has largely ignored the story. Is the press more timid during wartime? (11/12/2003)

How George Bush will ban abortion By Michelle Goldberg
Republicans and the religious right are working to outlaw abortion -- one small step at a time. (11/12/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Coulter says Bush didn't need an Iraq plan; O'Reilly blasts the liberal Reagan trashers at CBS; the Weekly Standard gloats at the impotent rage of the "urban and urbane, with-it, refined" Bush haters. (11/12/2003)

The dangers of democracy By Robert Scheer
When people in fledgling democracies vote against U.S. interests, the CIA steps in. (11/12/2003)

Streets of fear By Samer Shehata
A Georgetown professor goes to Baghdad to assess post-war conditions and finds terror spreading by the day -- and the U.S. unable to stop it. (11/12/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Are so many American flags being incinerated in this country that Wesley Clark believes we must tamper with the Bill of Rights? (11/12/2003)

Warning signs By Cary Tennis
I'm in love with her, she's in love with him, and I feel like a confused, heartbroken sucker. (11/12/2003)

When C-listers copulate By Rebecca Traister
The grainy, night-vision sex video circulating the Internet will satisfy people wanting to see Paris Hilton debased. (Is that redundant?) But Pamela and Tommy Lee have nothing to fear. (11/12/2003)

Don't look now, but the dean is watching By Annalee Newitz
Pressured by the double whammy of feds looking for terrorists and the music industry chasing file sharers, universities are keeping a close eye on student Internet use. (11/12/2003)

Don't try to take him to a disco By Andrew Beaujon
In a new greatest-hits time capsule, Michigan's monumentally unhip Bob Seger stays true to his vision of a now-extinct America -- and makes you nostalgic for nostalgia. (11/11/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
The Rolling Stones get what they want, Robert Downey Jr. gets engaged? And will Michael Jackson have more children than his father did? Plus: Kylie Minogue says there's too much sex! (11/11/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Is it time to bring back the draft? (11/11/2003)

Investigate Bush! Subscribe to Salon
A letter from editor David Talbot (11/11/2003)

Queer lit for the gay teen By Sarah Wildman
More and more young-adult novels are featuring well-adjusted characters who are "out" -- and aren't tortured about it. (11/11/2003)

Kerry's last hurrah? By Josh Benson
On the road with Sen. John Kerry in must-win New Hampshire, as he fires his campaign manager, punches up his stump speech, and slashes harder at Howard Dean. But he's still trailing badly, and time is running out. (11/11/2003)

The great debate, reloaded By Gary Kamiya
Has the Iraq war made Americans safer? Nine months after their first encounter, Christopher Hitchens and Mark Danner cross swords once more. (11/11/2003)

The world press on the Riyadh bombings Compiled by Laura McClure
Arab News: "We put the men of religion above fault, and made them unaccountable. We gave them special privilege -- and this is the result." (11/11/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The White House decision to nab money destined for tortured POWs shows yet more evidence of its tender concern for enlisted Americans. (11/11/2003)

Lost in translation By Cary Tennis
We were two lonely souls who gave each other brief happiness. Now he's freaked and is ignoring me. (11/11/2003)

Where is the real Matrix? By Shy Shoham and Sam Hall
Neural implant devices are now a reality. But misguided federal policies are keeping them from the people who need them. (11/11/2003)

He can play honky-tonk just like anything By Bob Calhoun
Dire Straits founder David Knopfler talks about his DIY solo career, Bush and Clear Channel's deals with the devil and why he hates "Sultans of Swing." (11/10/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Camilla stands by her man, Elizabeth Smart beats Jessica Lynch -- by a nose -- and Arnold is going to investigate himself! Plus: Why would a queer guy need a straight eye, anyway? (11/10/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Chicken hawk down! (11/10/2003)

Letting my kids go crazy By Laurie Wagner
Moms who say no too much stop having sex and drive their cars off the bridge. So I let my kids have a rice fight. (11/10/2003)

The Democrats' campaign blues By Tim Grieve
Americans are turning against Bush's disastrous Iraq policy. So why aren't they embracing his presidential rivals? (11/10/2003)

Gore vs. Bush, Part 2
Former Vice President Al Gore says the Bush administration's assault on civil liberties and its invasion of Iraq threaten American freedom and security like never before. (11/10/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
If they're smart, Democrats will reach out to more military communities -- Republican strongholds or not. (11/10/2003)

Feeling lost By Cary Tennis
My husband left me after 20 years, I'm disabled, and my dog is dying. How do I go on? (11/10/2003)

Strong medicine By William Shunn
In the nanotech future, hunger may be a thing of the past, but there will always be a place for a good man with a knife. (11/10/2003)

Letters
"Your jobs have been Walmarted, baybee" -- readers respond to recent Salon articles on outsourcing. (11/10/2003)

The White House war with the CIA By Mark Follman
Author Thomas Powers, an expert on U.S. spy agencies, wonders who will take the rap for 9/11 and the "horrific, calamitous" mistake in Iraq. (11/08/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to articles on Middle East studies, Howard Dean's Confederate flag remark, President Bush's macho strut, and reinstating the military draft. (11/08/2003)

Old times there are not forgotten By Sidney Blumenthal
Howard Dean, Ronald Reagan, CBS and the politics of apology. (11/08/2003)

"The Singing Detective" By Charles Taylor
Fans of the classic Dennis Potter BBC miniseries: Stay far, far away from this pale, Americanized imitation. (11/07/2003)

"Love Actually" By Stephanie Zacharek
An overcrowded Anglo romantic comedy from the "Bridget's Four Notting Hill Weddings" guy leaves the actors, and the audience, no room to breathe. (11/07/2003)

"Elf" By Stephanie Zacharek
In Jon Favreau's irresistibly goofy Christmas comedy, Will Ferrell is raised by Santa's elves but must find his real family in Manhattan. (11/07/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Was Princess Di a groupie? Did Prince Charles do something that could bring down the monarchy? And what does Hugh Grant have to say about puke? Plus: J.D. Salinger is mad at the BBC! (11/07/2003)

Keef's guide to life By Stephanie Zacharek
If the Rolling Stones weren't already staid and ancient, then their new coffee-table book might make them look that way. Its saving grace: Keith Richards. (11/07/2003)

This dog's life By Anne Lamott
Having a good pet is the closest some of us ever come to knowing the direct love of a mother, or God. (11/07/2003)

More war on the cheap By Eric Boehlert
Using Marines as peacekeepers and mobilizing new Reserve troops spotlights the military's holes in Iraq -- as well as the White House's zeal to bring soldiers home in an election year. (11/07/2003)

"The Reagans" uncensored By the editors of Salon
Read the script for the movie that was too hot for CBS to handle. (11/07/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 10: Is there a pattern to the Bucs season? Could the Panthers beat the Roman legions? Would visiting Jersey solve the Raiders' problems? And what is the FBI looking for? (11/07/2003)

The case of the last-minute offer By Gary Kamiya
Did a war-obsessed Bush administration ignore urgent peace feelers from Saddam's regime? (11/07/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Greens debate: Should Ralph Nader run in 2004? (11/07/2003)

Education of a call girl By Tracy Quan
What I learned about marriage while working as a Manhattan prostitute. (11/07/2003)

In-law anxiety By Cary Tennis
I'm engaged, but I think my future mother-in-law may ruin my life. What should I do? (11/07/2003)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Where have all the Swiss Army Knives gone? The pilot pursues the mystery of the confiscated "sharps." (11/07/2003)

"Farmed and dangerous" By Katharine Mieszkowski
In front of a Whole Foods grocery store in San Francisco, environmentalists and fishermen agree: Salmon raised on fish farms are pallid, polluting affronts to nature! (11/07/2003)

Send lawyers, guns and money By Eric Boehlert
CD sales have rebounded ever since the music biz started suing file-sharers. The industry is convinced there's a connection. (11/06/2003)

Letters
Spike was an abused sex toy -- and Gunn is no Oreo! Enraged "Buffy" and "Angel" fans fight back. (11/06/2003)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
"8 Simple Rules" why sitcoms shouldn't try to grapple with death. Plus: The thrill of watching a pampered rich boy cry. (11/06/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Will the Jayson Blair story ever make it to the screen? Will Gwyneth Paltrow leave Hollywood for Spain? Will the Dixie Chicks ever win another CMA award? Plus: Keanu Reeves, Man of Mystery! (11/06/2003)

Furriners go nuts for gun-totin' Yanks! By Laura Miller
As DBC Pierre's phony-baloney novel and Gus Van Sant's empty "Elephant" make clear, there's one sure way to snag a glittery European prize: Shoot up the high school. (11/06/2003)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Lucky Ducky in "Rush to Judgment"! (11/06/2003)

The feminine antiques By Rebecca Traister
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Fear of Flying," feminists Erica Jong, Susan Cheever, Wendy Wasserstein and Sarah Jessica Parker discuss "Sex: Then and Now." Yawn. (11/06/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony: This rivalry won't save the NBA, but fortunately, it won't have to. (11/06/2003)

Osama University? By Michelle Goldberg
Neoconservative critics have long charged Middle Eastern studies departments with anti-American bias. Now they've enlisted Congress in their crusade. (11/06/2003)

Play the "Find the Terrorist" game Cartoon by Mark Fiore
The PATRIOT Act: It's not just for terrorists anymore! (11/06/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
The self-styled super-patriots in the GOP praised veterans -- then cut their healthcare funding. (11/06/2003)

Why liberals shouldn't own chickens By Madeleine DeAndreis
Moving to the country seemed like a great idea, then we actually did it. (11/06/2003)

Trouble creek By Linda Button
(11/06/2003)

Waning passion By Cary Tennis
I love him, but sometimes I'd rather read than make love. (11/06/2003)

Want to stop your job from being outsourced? Join a union. By Joel Keller
At least one systems administrator has had enough: It's time to hit the picket line. (11/06/2003)

Craven Broadcasting System By Rebecca Traister
TV big shots and politicians blast CBS for its cowardly decision to yank the Ronald Reagan miniseries. (11/05/2003)

Methadone for "Buffy" addicts By Laura Miller
Martyred vampire Spike is back (sort of!) on the new season of "Angel," which has recaptured at least some of the Buffyverse's magic. (11/05/2003)

"The Matrix Revolutions" By Andrew O'Hehir
Apocalypse now and Zen: The trilogy's gloomy finale ties up the plot's loose ends but leaves the imagination hungry. (11/05/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Republican heat moves from CBS to Showtime, Martha and Rosie lose some of their brand power, and Liz Taylor shows real class. Plus: Michael Stipe is being John Malkovich. (11/05/2003)

Bestsellers
"Middlesex" rises to the top, while "The Da Vinci Code" takes the No. 2 slot. Meanwhile, Berkeley Breathed's new opus enters at No. 7 -- all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (11/05/2003)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Celebrating 10 years -- let's party! (11/05/2003)

The state of your unions
Salon readers share secrets for marital longevity. Hint: Staying faithful, and having nothing in common, help a lot. (11/05/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Are steroids harmful? Do fans care if athletes are doped? The readers write about drugs and chime in on ESPN's "Playmakers." (11/05/2003)

They ban textbooks, don't they? By Frederick Clarkson
Texas school officials rejected a widely used environmental textbook, claiming it was filled with errors. The author says they're censoring him because they didn't like his green views -- and he's suing. (11/05/2003)

Waiting for the command to start killing Americans By Jen Banbury
In Sadr City, a friendly young Shiite shopkeeper buys me a 7 Up, then says he wants his ayatollah to call for jihad. And he's not alone. (11/05/2003)

Piling up the body bags By Robert Scheer
Unless we are willing to trade more lives for the obsessions of empire, we must end the occupation now. (11/05/2003)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
The New York Post dismisses the rising U.S. body count; Oliver North says let the CIA play dirty. Plus: David Brooks says kill the evil scum; Canadian pundit Barbara Amiel gushes over Bush's "stern cowboy looks." (11/05/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Reagan's real record on domestic issues was bad enough. So why script a cheap shot involving gays and AIDS? (11/05/2003)

Driving me crazy By Cary Tennis
I love my wife, but it bothers me that she doesn't want to work outside the home. (11/05/2003)

Gone in the blink of an eye By Katharine Mieszkowski
Berkeley researchers declare 14 million U.S. jobs are at risk of being outsourced. (11/05/2003)

Don't call him Brandon By Amy Reiter
Jason Priestley talks about playing a bisexual rogue in "Die Mommie Die," the car crash that nearly cost him his life and the mixed blessing of his "90210" fame. (11/04/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
Sting writes his story, Jude Law and wife leave each other for younger playmates, and Madonna writes another kids book. Plus: Will we get Michael Jackson for Thanksgiving? (11/04/2003)

"Passing" and the American dream By Baz Dreisinger
These days we're supposed to think race doesn't matter. But as "The Human Stain" and a raft of recent writing makes clear, we're just as fascinated by its slippery boundaries as ever. (11/04/2003)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Give up hair care? Just do it. (11/04/2003)

The wedding boyfriend By Curtis Sittenfeld
It's a peculiar phenomenon. You hook up with someone at the rehearsal dinner and by Sunday brunch you've enacted all of the stages of courtship -- speeded up. (11/04/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NFL is worried that "Playmakers" will tarnish its image. Yet the tuck rule remains. Plus: The Neifi Awards! (11/04/2003)

Mission demolished By Eric Boehlert
Bush and Co.'s Iraq adventure grows bloodier by the day -- thanks to the delusional hawks who planned only for a victory parade. (11/04/2003)

A predictable tragedy By Paul J. Caffera
The government knows that Iraqi insurgents have a cache of shoulder-launched missiles. So why are troops still ferried in unprotected aircraft? (11/04/2003)

Rocking Dean By Josh Benson
At what was supposed to be a friendly chat with the "youth vote," the Democratic candidates ganged up on the front-runner about his Confederate flag comments. (11/05/2003)

The world press on the downing of a U.S. Chinook Compiled by Laura McClure
Newspapers across the world ask: Who's leading the attacks in Iraq? (11/04/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Blaming the media won't bail out the Bushies this time. (11/04/2003)

Clark blasts the poseur in chief
Wesley Clark says Bush "pranced around in a flight suit" with no long-term strategy for Iraq -- and as U.S. soldiers die daily, there's still no plan. (11/04/2003)

Confederacy of dunces By Joan Walsh
Howard Dean's Democratic rivals are willfully misrepresenting the candidate's reference to the Stars and Bars -- and writing off the pickup-truck vote. (11/04/2003)

Joe Conason's Journal
Why did the Pentagon pay off Linda Tripp? (11/04/2003)

Love letters By Karen Croft
The author of "A Venetian Affair" says we can learn much from the story of 18th century passion between his ancestor and the woman he wasn't allowed to marry. (11/04/2003)

Doctor in love By Cary Tennis
I had a crush on a colleague, and now she wants to be friends, but I don't. How do I get rid of her? (11/04/2003)

Making the U.S. safe for spam By Matthew Honan
By a vote of 97-0, the Senate passed a bill to stop junk e-mail. Too bad it won't do anything of the sort. (11/04/2003)

The Fix By Karen Croft
ABC gets into married Jesus controversy, Kurt Andersen shows his Colors, and Heidi Klum wants a room of her own. Plus: Cheerleader fooled by Average Joes! (11/04/2003)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
It's the zaniest sitcom on TV! President Baby! (11/03/2003)

These are your kids on drugs By Sheerly Avni
Journalist Meredith Maran spent two years searching for answers to America's epidemic of teenage addiction, while her son Jesse found his own answers -- and got clean -- through the Bible and the Baptist Church. (11/03/2003)

Oiling up the draft machine? By Dave Lindorff
The Pentagon is quietly moving to fill draft board vacancies nationwide. While officials say there's no cause to worry, some experts aren't so sure. (11/03/2003)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The growing scandal involving the new designer steroid THG gives sports fans one more thing other than sports to worry over. (11/03/2003)

Condom conundrum By Cary Tennis
My girlfriend is afraid of birth control but I can't enjoy sex with a rubber. What should we do? (11/03/2003)

Congress to Big Business: Oooooh, hurt me again! By Joyce McGreevy
No matter how badly corporate America screws the nation, politicians keep begging for more. (11/03/2003)

Letters
Responding to Ian R. Williams' "Twilight of the Dork?" readers say: The fires of dork creativity will never be quenched! (11/03/2003)

"Parents screw up -- just about every day" By Meredith Maran
An excerpt from "Dirty: A Search for Answers Inside America's Teenage Drug Epidemic." (11/03/2003)

The horror, the horror By Andrew O'Hehir
The new director's cut of "Alien" reminds us the film is a powerful purveyor of existential dread, not just haunted-house thrills. (11/01/2003)

Gutsy -- or just gusty? By Heather Havrilesky
The billowing dust bowl of HBO's "Carnivale" may offer an unprecedented exploration of despair. But how much can viewers take? (11/01/2003)

Letters
Salon readers say that it's Kobe Bryant -- not his accuser -- who is being unfairly punished by the media. (11/01/2003)

Letters
Readers respond to "Camille Speaks!" by Kerry Lauerman, and "Sealing the Wal-Mart Borders," by Robert Scheer. (11/01/2003)

The intelligence war By Sidney Blumenthal
How can Bush feign shock at the carnage in Baghdad when he signed off on reports that predicted it? (11/01/2003)