October 2005

Daily Download: "Magnolia," Apollo Sunshine
(10/31/2005)

The Fix
Wallace vs. Rather! Bono vs. Eminem! Plus: The unbearably racy fiction of Scooter Libby. (10/31/2005)

Longer listens: Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita," 50 years and 50 million copies later
(10/31/2005)

Weird science By Andrew O'Hehir
Are we descendants of clay? Is rock slime related to Grandpa? A fantastic new book tours the competing theories of how life on Earth began 4 billion years ago. (10/31/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
How the news works now: Another cartoon sequel years in the making. (10/31/2005)

If our species dies out, my kids may have no future By Cary Tennis
How do I raise my children in the face of humankind's possible extinction? (10/31/2005)

Planned Parenthood slams Alito Rebecca Traister
The president of the organization calls his possible confirmation "a direct threat to the health and safety of American women." (10/31/2005)

Alito's way Rebecca Traister
The language the judge used while supporting spousal notification. (10/31/2005)

Conservative women's groups react to Alito Rebecca Traister
Optimistic, satisfied, but still prickly about Miers. (10/31/2005)

Last two days to tell the FDA: Emergency contraception is a no-brainer! Lynn Harris
"Public comment" period on making Plan B over the counter ends Nov. 1. (10/31/2005)

The Furies Rebecca Traister
Feminist bloggers are angry about the nomination of Samuel Alito. (10/31/2005)

Alito's family trouble Farhad Manjoo
Judge Alito loves his own family. It's just everyone else's he has a problem with. (10/31/2005)

Sex and candy Sarah Karnasiewicz
Whats scarier? Zombies or 10-year-old hos? (10/31/2005)

Maureen Dowd: Fire starter Rebecca Traister
An excerpt from her new book "Are Men Necessary?" riles up the blogosphere. (10/31/2005)

A Catholic court? Rebecca Traister
Eleanor Smeal raises the issue of religion and the Supreme Court. (10/31/2005)

Oprah on Rosa: "We shall not be moved" Rebecca Traister
Oprah Winfrey eulogizes Rosa Parks. (10/31/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Giants give Wellington Mara a 36-0 send-off, but is the NFL pioneer's greatest legacy in peril? (10/31/2005)

Bench brawl Compiled by Aaron Kinney and Juliana Bunim
Grover Norquist: Alito is a "Bo Derek 10." Ralph Neas: "Radical" nominee could "turn back the clock decades." Court watchers react to Alito. (10/31/2005)

Bush nominates Alito for O'Connor's seat Tim Grieve
"Scalito" is no Harriet Miers, but he's no Sandra Day O'Connor, either. (10/31/2005)

Alito on abortion: No need to guess Tim Grieve
In a 1991 opinion, Bush's latest nominee put himself to the right of the sitting Supreme Court. (10/31/2005)

Alito on race: Statistics are misleading Tim Grieve
In a 1991 case, Bush's Supreme Court nominee equated discrimination against African-Americans with the country's tendency to elect left-handed presidents. (10/31/2005)

Samuel Alito: The reaction from the left Tim Grieve
Harry Reid is looking forward to meeting Alito -- if only to find out why the right is so excited. (10/31/2005)

Samuel Alito: The reaction from the right Tim Grieve
Bush needed to win back his base. He just did. (10/31/2005)

An up-or-down vote for Alito? Sometimes, even elephants forget Tim Grieve
The nuclear option, revisited. (10/31/2005)

The Replacements: Maybe Miers and Libby weren't so bad after all Tim Grieve
As the press focuses on Alito, Cheney names two men to take the place of his indicted chief of staff. (10/31/2005)

Alito is the news, but questions about Plame persist Tim Grieve
Scott McClellan, pressed to explain how he was "wrong" two years ago, says he still can't talk about the case. (10/31/2005)

Teach a man to replicate By Cory Doctorow
In the midst of death and mayhem, Perry thinks up the ultimate killer app. Chapter 8 of "Themepunks." (10/31/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
This Halloween, what scares you the most? Sea monsters, drug-resistant diseases or rolled-up lunch meat? (10/30/2005)

Is there a "reset button" on the Bush presidency? Farhad Manjoo
After its worst week in office, the Bush administration tries to regroup. (10/30/2005)

Bush tees up the next Scalia Farhad Manjoo
News accounts suggest the president is set to announce a very conservative replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor's Supreme Court seat. (10/30/2005)

A helpful e-mail for Karl Rove Farhad Manjoo
Does an e-mail message get Rove off the hook in the Plame case? (10/30/2005)

Exposing Scooter's crimes By Michael Scherer and Mark Benjamin
Fitzgerald nailed the vice president's chief of staff for perjury. But with the just-the-facts prosecutor saying the case isn't closed, the White House can hardly be relieved. (10/30/2005)

The right take on Libby? By Aaron Kinney
Conservatives defend and criticize Vice President Cheney's indicted chief of staff. (10/30/2005)

"More than a body blow" Compiled by J.J. Helland and Juliana Bunim
Will the Bush team be able to shake off the Libby indictment? Experts measure the impact of the case. (10/29/2005)

Libby takes the fall By Joe Conason
But Bush still needs to come clean on the White House's role in abusing classified information for partisan purposes. (10/29/2005)

"Official A" and the mystery of Karl Rove Tim Grieve
Sources say that Rove is "Official A." Why won't Patrick Fitzgerald? (10/29/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "Animals," Gravenhurst
(10/28/2005)

"The Weather Man" By Stephanie Zacharek
Nicolas Cage's sad-sack family man is both pitiable and exasperating, but eventually his incessant martyrdom is just boring. (10/28/2005)

"Prime" By Stephanie Zacharek
Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman charm in this flawed but intelligent comedy. (10/28/2005)

"The Legend of Zorro" By Stephanie Zacharek
Once again, Antonio Banderas gives us the perfect Saturday-afternoon folk hero. (10/28/2005)

The Fix
Depp's odd present to Kate Moss. Marilyn vs. Tolkien: Which dead celebrities are worth more. Plus, Star Trek alert: Sulu comes out of the closet. (10/28/2005)

I'm a light-skinned African-American, OK? By Cary Tennis
Why do strangers think it's permissible to grill me about my skin color? (10/28/2005)

Sheryl Swoopes shoots, scores Katharine Mieszkowski
Coming out may only make the superstar athlete more marketable. (10/28/2005)

EC Easy Katharine Mieszkowski
More women in Britain are getting emergency contraception at the drugstore (10/28/2005)

Pretty baby Rebecca Traister
Brooke Shields risks postpartum depression for a second time. (10/28/2005)

First lady Page Rockwell
Rosa Parks will be the first woman ever to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. (10/28/2005)

Pussy saves broad! Rebecca Traister
A kitty crusader saves a life (10/28/2005)

Broadsheet vs. Cockpit Rebecca Traister
Bigger than "Alien" vs. "Predator"? (10/28/2005)

Baby boom Page Rockwell
Births to unmarried women hit an all-time high. (10/28/2005)

All the vice president's men By Juan Cole
The ideologues in Cheney's inner circle drummed up a war. Now their zealotry is blowing up in their faces. (10/28/2005)

Will the Bush administration implode? By Tom Engelhardt
And if it does, will it take us down with it? (10/28/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 8: If ignorance really is bliss, these picks are positively euphoric. (10/28/2005)

No Rove indictment today -- but the investigation continues Tim Grieve
A day of reckoning may come for Bush's top political advisor, but it isn't here yet. (10/28/2005)

Meanwhile, the president talks about 9/11 Tim Grieve
As the grand jury meets, Bush wraps himself in the flag for another speech about terrorism. (10/28/2005)

Indictments, non-indictments and the fallout for the White House Tim Grieve
Are today's developments good news or bad news for George W. Bush? (10/28/2005)

Indictment news? Tim Grieve
It's coming any minute now. (10/28/2005)

Novak's source? Still a mystery Tim Grieve
Fitzgerald identifies him as "Official A." (10/28/2005)

Libby resigns Tim Grieve
Resignation comes in letter to Andy Card. (10/28/2005)

Was Libby obsessed with Wilson? Fitzgerald seems to think so Tim Grieve
The prosecutor's press release details a long string of episodes in which the vice president's aide gathered -- and shared -- information about the former ambassador. (10/28/2005)

The president speaks, then leaves Tim Grieve
Bush calls Fitzgerald's investigation "serious" before heading off for a weekend at Camp David. (10/28/2005)

What comes next for Karl Rove? Tim Grieve
He hasn't been indicted, but he's not necessarily out of danger yet. (10/28/2005)

Libby indicted on charges of lying in Plame case Tim Grieve
Charges include perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements. (10/28/2005)

Fitzgerald's press conference: Many questions, few answers Tim Grieve
The prosecutor won't say what will become of Karl Rove, who first leaked Plame's name to Robert Novak or whether Dick Cheney encouraged Libby to leak or lie. (10/28/2005)

The indictment: Libby lied to investigators and to the grand jury Tim Grieve
Patrick Fitzgerald says that Libby repeatedly mischaracterized his conversations with reporters. (10/28/2005)

An indictment for Libby? More time for Rove? And why? Tim Grieve
An announcement by Fitzgerald is expected today. Here's the latest speculation -- and a few questions to ponder -- while we wait. (10/28/2005)

Fitzgerald will answer questions today. What about Bush? Tim Grieve
Rove may not be indicted today, but he and Libby were plainly "involved" in outing Plame. When will the White House come clean? (10/28/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
If an airline declares bankruptcy and its mechanics go on strike, is it safe to fly? (10/28/2005)

Daily Download: "The Dark of Garage," South San Gabriel
(10/27/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
It's Ambiguity Week! Plus: Orthodox Hasidim, Palestinian suicide bombers and the weirdest good film of the year. (10/27/2005)

The Fix
Janet Jackson rumors swirl -- so Michael gets in on the act. What's a Katie Holmes costume look like? Plus: A "Desperate Housewife" single again. (10/27/2005)

Top 10 List: Theoretical dance floor moves sent in by a member of an engimatic Bay Area band
(10/27/2005)

Soul man By Charles Taylor
In a vast new biography, Peter Guralnick takes on the late, great, silky-smooth crooner Sam Cooke. (10/27/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Super-Fun-Pak Comix: "Small Children Talking Like Philosophical Adults," "Oh, That Matthew Modine!" and more. (10/27/2005)

An update on our redesign
Issues we're working out, changes we're making, and an introduction to the new look. (10/27/2005)

Please, Mom, please: Not another dress shirt! By Cary Tennis
Every year for 30 years she sends me the same thing for Christmas. Will it ever end? (10/27/2005)

You're fired! Sarah Karnasiewicz
A Michigan soldiers wife gets the sack after sending her husband off to Iraq. (10/27/2005)

Rated "F" for feminist Rebecca Traister
Movies promoting feminism and nihilism get two thumbs down in Iran. (10/27/2005)

Back to square one for pro-choice groups Sarah Karnasiewicz
The Miers resignation has feminist organizations crying conspiracy. (10/27/2005)

Breast test Sarah Karnasiewicz
A new study says mammograms are still essential to fighting cancer. (10/27/2005)

The trouble with Harry Joan Walsh
She served her president well and went away quietly, like the good girl she's always been (10/27/2005)

Black mark on the red dot? Lynn Harris
Please, Target, dont make us have to boycott! (10/27/2005)

Fetuses and Flipper: Water on the brain? Lori Leibovich
The lastest prenatal must-do: Swimming with dolphins. (10/27/2005)

And now for something completely different Rebecca Traister
Feminist Majority's Ellie Smeal weighs in on the Harriet Miers withdrawal. (10/27/2005)

Pink? Blue? Take your pick Katharine Mieszkowski
200 couples choose the gender of their babies in a study of why they'd want to. (10/28/2005)

Bush is so over the woman thing Katharine Mieszkowski
This New York Times headline is not a joke. (10/28/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
White Sox win World Series! The Astros, and the 2005 season, go out with a whimper. (10/27/2005)

Can the GOP make lemonade out of Miers? By Michael Scherer
The radical right's veto of Bush's lawyer has left the GOP scarred. But if the president pushes through a reactionary, the real losers may be the Democrats. (10/27/2005)

Shipwrecked By Sidney Blumenthal
Bush has so thoroughly destroyed the Republican establishment that no one, not even his dad, can rescue him now. (10/27/2005)

Waiting on Fitzgerald -- and wondering why he might need office space Tim Grieve
One report says an announcement will come Friday. Have indictments already been handed down? (10/27/2005)

Bush withdraws Miers nomination Tim Grieve
She says her nomination had become a "burden" on the White House. (10/27/2005)

A document dispute forced Miers' withdrawal? Don't believe it Tim Grieve
The right forced Bush's hand on the nominee. A dispute over documents gave him cover for getting out. (10/27/2005)

Miers is gone. Who's up next -- and when? Tim Grieve
Bush needs to appease his base and keep the focus on something other than the Valerie Plame case. (10/27/2005)

A coincidence of timing -- or a dog well wagged? Tim Grieve
Like night follows day, Supreme Court news keeps coming from the White House just when it's needed most. (10/27/2005)

The cost -- to the right -- of Miers' scalp Tim Grieve
O'Connor may get a vote after all in abortion cases looming on the Supreme Court's docket (10/27/2005)

A replacement for Miers this week? Tim Grieve
The Hotline says Bush will act quickly -- and that Michael McConnell may be the name on his lips. (10/27/2005)

Meanwhile, from the Valerie Plame desk ... Tim Grieve
The latest from that other Washington story. (10/27/2005)

Bush's line on Miers: Is anyone buying it? Tim Grieve
The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee isn't. (10/27/2005)

If the shoes look right, you must indict Tim Grieve
Breaking news from Plamegate. (10/27/2005)

What really happened to Harriet Miers? Tim Grieve
Did she fall -- or was she pushed? (10/27/2005)

NYT: Libby indictment likely, Rove indictment not -- maybe Tim Grieve
The special prosecutor in the Plame case is expected to make his decision known Friday. (10/28/2005)

Another coverup from the vice president's office? Tim Grieve
Murray Waas says that Cheney and Libby withheld documents from the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into pre-war intelligence. (10/27/2005)

When outfits attack
In honor of Table Talk's 10th anniversary, we're remembering our favorite posts and exchanges of all time. This week: The legendary spandex anaconda. (10/27/2005)

Daily Download: "Poster of a Girl," Metric
(10/27/2005)

Not your father's Ramadan By Larry Blumenfeld
Sengalese superstar Youssou N'Dour, who protested the Iraq war, talks about the beauty of Africa, Sufism and his fight against fundamentalism. (10/26/2005)

The Fix
Prank: Star Jones will work for food -- and $125,000. Angelina, Nicole scorned. Plus: Tonya Harding's latest woe. (10/26/2005)

Web videos: New George Michael, a George Harrison classic and more scary Halloween videos
(10/26/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Chicago! Detroit! Cincinnati! On tour in the great Midwest. (10/26/2005)

Rock 'n' roll rebellion, redux By Joyce Millman
At a Green Day concert, shouting and smiling next to my 13-year-old son, I watched the generation gap disappear. (10/26/2005)

And you thought Miers was scary? Lynn Harris
Ellen Sauerbrey is a humanitarian crisis of her own. (10/26/2005)

Sex sells Sarah Karnasiewicz
Is the coverage of sex slavery about more than human dignity? (10/26/2005)

Afghan feminist journo jailed L.H.
The editor of an Afghan women's rights magazine is thrown in jail -- and he's not even a woman! (10/26/2005)

Take your dad to school month L.H.
PTA makes an effort to recruit men. (10/26/2005)

Finally, with flowers! Lynn Harris
Kotexs maxipad makeover. (10/26/2005)

Remembering Rosa
A poem by Rita Dove honors the late civil rights legend. (10/26/2005)

Rice Squad Rebecca Traister
Condoleezza Rice fans try to draft her for president (10/26/2005)

Shout-out from the Cockpit! R.T.
We have fans at the New York Observer. (10/26/2005)

Sheryl Swoopes comes out Farhad Manjoo
The basketball superstar tells ESPN why she decided to be honest with the world about who she really is. (10/26/2005)

The V.A.'s bad review By Mark Benjamin
Early this month, a vet in New Mexico took his life. At his side was the agency's plan to question benefits for mental trauma. (10/26/2005)

The strange saga of Cheney and the "nuclear threat" By Jim Lobe
Why did the veep suddenly lose interest in the evidence? (10/26/2005)

Secrets and lies By Michael Scherer
Fitzgerald's indictments, if he brings them, could do more than convulse Washington -- they could reveal the hidden history of how we went to war. (10/26/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
World Series: White Sox take commanding lead as Astros pick lousy time to abandon smallball. (10/26/2005)

Off-the-record with Patrick Fitzgerald By Michael Scherer
The press chases the prosecutor down courthouse halls, panting like dogs after the meaningless scraps of information he tosses us. (10/26/2005)

This year, the special prosecutor costume By Garrison Keillor
Halloween is our chance to slip out of the stereotypes assigned to us, and find truth and beauty in caricature. (10/26/2005)

Plame indictments: Is today the day? Tim Grieve
A renewed focus on Rove? A chance that Fitzgerald will ask for more time? And what about Niger? (10/26/2005)

Game on? Fitzgerald arrives at the courthouse Tim Grieve
The special prosecutor declines to say whether indictments are coming today. (10/26/2005)

More troubles for Miers. Is the end near? Tim Grieve
As a Republican senator questions her "intellectual capacity," a newly unearthed speech raises more questions about her abortion views. (10/26/2005)

Is Judy Miller done at the Times? Tim Grieve
The Wall Street Journal says that the reporter is discussing her options -- among them, a severance package. (10/26/2005)

On Plame, the waiting game could continue Tim Grieve
Indictments could come today -- but they could remain under seal, too. (10/26/2005)

CNN: No announcement from Fitzgerald today Tim Grieve
But that doesn't mean indictments aren't coming. (10/26/2005)

Why isn't this man laughing? Tim Grieve
The White House cracks down on the Onion. (10/26/2005)

Explaining the delay: Could Fitzgerald be looking to deal? Tim Grieve
Is the prosecutor buying time while working out a plea agreement with one of his targets? (10/26/2005)

The waiting is the hardest part Tim Grieve
If you can't bear hitting "refresh" one more time, there are other things to do while waiting for news from the Plame prosecutor. (10/26/2005)

Hutchison digs herself out -- or in a little deeper Tim Grieve
The senator's office tries to explain how perjury was a serious matter when Bill Clinton was involved but is only a "technicality" now. (10/26/2005)

As Washington waits for Fitzgerald, rumors fill the void Tim Grieve
It's Rove! It's Libby! It's the leak! It's the cover-up! It's Wilson! It's . . nothing yet. (10/26/2005)

Fitzgerald meets with the judge: A sign of an extension? Tim Grieve
With no announcement, the speculation continues. (10/26/2005)

Conflicting clues: Fitzgerald met with judge; has he notified targets? Tim Grieve
More tea leaves on the Plame probe. (10/26/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "Instant Lady," Nervous Cabaret
(10/25/2005)

The Fix
Britney threatens suit over baby photos, while Janet Jackson's alleged daughter makes headlines. Plus: Betting on TomKat. (10/25/2005)

Reviewed: Martina McBride, the Fiery Furnaces and Marty Stuart all pay tribute to their elders
(10/25/2005)

"The Truth (With Jokes)" By Lynn Harris
Al Franken pukes into his wastebasket in Chapter 4 of his new book, then spends Chapter 5 in "Rove-induced septic shock." (10/25/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Sabotage! (10/25/2005)

Rockettes refused maternity leave Farhad Manjoo
Cablevision forces members of the world-famous dance troupe to sign a restrictive new labor contract. (10/25/2005)

Painted ladies R.T.
The new cosmetics line that makes you look like ... an abused geisha! (10/25/2005)

Catfighting your way to the top R.T.
News flash: Women don't always support and nurture each other in the office. (10/25/2005)

The psychic soccer mom we love Hillary Frey
The most supernatural thing about "Medium" is how Allison DuBois manages work and family. (10/25/2005)

Always a bride Rebecca Traister
A polygamy-centered religious sect in Utah and Arizona forces women to marry against their will. Why isn't anyone doing anything about it? (10/25/2005)

Taking it off on the New York Times Op-Ed page Lori Leibovich
Stripper to businessmen: Pay your damn bills! (10/25/2005)

The unmanning of Joe Wilson Joan Walsh
The sexist subtext of the Plame scandal. (10/25/2005)

Women walk off the job, normal life stops Katharine Mieszkowski
Why did 60,000 women in Iceland quit working in the middle of the afternoon on Monday? (10/25/2005)

Reporting for duty By Bill Frogameni
Iraq war vet Paul Hackett is aiming for a Senate seat -- and a progressive revival of the Democratic Party. (10/25/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Texas tops USC in rankings. Don't worry, others still have no chance. Plus: Minuscule Series ratings. (10/25/2005)

The real meaning of the Plame scandal By Joan Walsh
It isn't about indictments or Washington gossip. It's about the 2,000 Americans who have died in a deeply dishonest war. (10/25/2005)

The triumph and tragedy of Rosa Parks By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
She sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, and was attacked by a young black man 40 years later. Her fortunes echo those of the civil rights movement. (10/25/2005)

U.S. death toll hits 2,000 Tim Grieve
A reliable estimate of Iraqi deaths is hard to come by. (10/25/2005)

What they did, what they said, why it matters Tim Grieve
The timeline in the Plame investigation stretches on for years. Here are the dates that may matter most. (10/25/2005)

Could Cheney be indicted? Tim Grieve
It's an academic question, probably. Here's the academic answer. (10/25/2005)

As Fitzgerald nears the end, are the Niger forgeries on his radar? Tim Grieve
An Italian newspaper says the trumped-up tale of a uranium deal landed in the hands of Stephen Hadley. (10/25/2005)

Whom will Fitzgerald charge? It's everyone's guess Tim Grieve
The workday's just about over in Washington, and no indictments have been issued. (10/25/2005)

Cheney and Libby, a little vague on the details Tim Grieve
For a man said to be obsessed with Joseph Wilson, the vice president's chief of staff sure seems to have a hard time remembering how it all started. (10/25/2005)

Daily Download: "All That I Know to Have Changed in You," Castanets
(10/24/2005)

The Fix
Studying Tom DeLay's mug shot. Plus: Book identifies the man who shot 50 Cent nine times. (10/24/2005)

Longer listens: Ted Koppel and the decline of broadcast news
(10/24/2005)

Chicks with guns By Debra Dickerson
28-year-old Kayla Williams did an Army tour in Iraq, and all we got was this insufferably self-absorbed memoir. (10/24/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Conservative Jones, boy detective, and the mystery of the missing mystery. (10/24/2005)

Sweet valley hate Rebecca Traister
Mary-Hate and Ashley? White supremacist girl pop takes aim. (10/24/2005)

Martha Stewart spazzing Omnimedia Rebecca Traister
What happened to the domestic diva this weekend? (10/24/2005)

Celebrity chef burns women Katharine Mieszkowski
Britain's Gordon Ramsay says women can't cook to save their lives. Don't tell his wife. (10/24/2005)

Sexist piglets Rebecca Traister
And the woman who called them out. (10/24/2005)

Sixteen kids, and still time for a Web site Lynn Harris
Arkansas über-mom's parenting tips revealed! (10/24/2005)

Girls on Plame Rebecca Traister
A battle of the columnists, in which metaphoric variations of the term "catfight" get thoroughly explored (10/24/2005)

Introducing Salon's cheeky new women's blog The editors
(10/25/2005)

The Ellen watch Rebecca Traister
Hang 10, Babs (10/24/2005)

Rubber match By Andrew Leonard
What do you get when you design a condom that men want to use? Sued. Inside the twisted patent battle over prophylactics. (10/24/2005)

Hurricane horror stories By Aaron Kinney
Why did false tales of rape, shootings and murder flood out of New Orleans in the wake of Katrina? (10/24/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
World Series: White Sox win two, umps blow another one. Get a second opinion, Blue! (10/24/2005)

Plame games By Michael Scherer
The GOP spin: Smear Wilson (again), belittle the charges. The Dems' spin: Bush and his enforcers lied us into war. (10/24/2005)

One slick budget maneuver By Amanda Griscom Little
Congress is closer than ever to allowing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (10/24/2005)

Was blind, but now I see Tim Grieve
Just how blind were Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's trusts? (10/24/2005)

Miers, Libby or Rove -- who bails first? Tim Grieve
Asked whether the White House is making contingency plans for Miers' withdrawal, the president answers a different question instead. (10/24/2005)

How far will Fitzgerald go? Tim Grieve
UPI says the Plame prosecutor has shown an interest in forged documents that purported to show Saddam Hussein was buying uranium from Niger. (10/24/2005)

Is Miers on her way out? Tim Grieve
Columnist Charles Krauthammer laid out a face-saving exit strategy last week. Is Bush following it? (10/24/2005)

Report: Libby first learned about Plame from Cheney Tim Grieve
Libby's notes implicate his boss and appear to contradict his own testimony. (10/25/2005)

On Plame, the pre-response begins Tim Grieve
Would charges be "technicalities" or an indictment of the way Bush went to war? (10/24/2005)

Remixing the shantytown By Cory Doctorow
Can Kodacell save the homeless? Chapter 7 of "Themepunks." (10/24/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
You think it's easy being a critic? Why, yes -- apparently you do! And you weigh in with some strong pronouncements of your own. (10/23/2005)

Homework hell By Ayelet Waldman
Today's 7-year-olds must do interviews, look through thousands of words, and answer 60 math questions in four minutes. This homework mania doesn't teach kids anything except that life is full of pain. (10/22/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw," Xiu Xiu Larsen
(10/21/2005)

"Stay" By Andrew O'Hehir
More puzzling than the plot of this post-"Sixth Sense" supernatural thriller is what's wrong with Ewan McGregor's pants. (10/21/2005)

"Shopgirl" By Andrew O'Hehir
Is there anything more torturous than watching a waxwork Steve Martin woo Claire Danes? (10/21/2005)

The Fix
People's big photo mistake. Britney's baby photo freakout. Plus: Updates on TomKat, Brangelina and a Village Person. (10/21/2005)

Around the Web: Bono and Madonna talk about their dads. Plus: The new leaky Strokes and rhymin' with "Bacardi"
(10/21/2005)

We see dead people? By Priya Jain
In a follow-up to her bestselling "Stiff," Mary Roach searches for proof of the afterlife -- and finds some startling (and scary) evidence. (10/21/2005)

Our couples therapist wants to know too much By Cary Tennis
She wants a sexual history from each of us -- but I don't want my boyfriend to know everything. (10/21/2005)

The Big Idea By Sarah Karnasiewicz and Salon staff
Bodyguards for sheep, plug-in hybrids, edible yards and other environmental innovations worth celebrating. (10/21/2005)

The Big Idea: Accelerated Bioremediation By Katharine Mieszkowski
Genetically engineering bacteria to eat our most toxic Superfund sites for dinner. (10/21/2005)

I, Ramush By Ginanne Brownell
Former Kosovar rebel and prime minister Ramush Haradinaj is a local hero. He also faces war crime charges. (10/21/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The case of the unloved White Sox. Until now: Chicago in 7. Plus: NFL Week 7. (10/21/2005)

Fitzgerald is no Ken Starr By Joe Conason
The same pundits who are absurdly smearing Fitzgerald as a partisan zealot were notably silent during the Whitewater disgrace. (10/21/2005)

The Miers nomination: A "political blunder of the first order"? Tim Grieve
The nominee's not-so-excellent adventure just keeps getting more embarrassing. (10/21/2005)

Praying for Wilma's wrath Tim Grieve
The antiabortion group that celebrated Katrina's toll on New Orleans is begging God to punish Florida next. (10/21/2005)

The U.S. death toll in Iraq: 1,992 and counting Tim Grieve
If American troops continue to die at the current pace, the death toll will reach 2,000 this weekend. (10/21/2005)

National Review: Withdraw Miers or damage the movement Tim Grieve
The editors deliver the ultimate insult: When it comes to Supreme Court nominees, Bill Clinton did it better. (10/21/2005)

Now, why would Patrick Fitzgerald want a Web site? Tim Grieve
The special prosecutor in the Plame case goes online. Think he might have something to say? (10/21/2005)

Times editor: Miller may have misled us, but we made mistakes, too Tim Grieve
Bill Keller issues an interim report on lessons learned from the paper's involvement in the Valerie Plame case. (10/21/2005)

As the end draws near, Plame theories diverge Tim Grieve
The coverup? The crime? Cheney? Rove? Libby? Nobody knows but Patrick Fitzgerald, and he's not talking -- yet. (10/21/2005)

The parent trap
Memories of childhood, and the eternal challenges of parenting, this week in Table Talk. (10/21/2005)

Daily Download: "Jump Up," Jason Moran
(10/20/2005)

"North Country" By Andrew O'Hehir
This well-acted moral melodrama can't quite outrun the grinding wheel of formula. (10/20/2005)

The Fix
Set your DVRs: Right-wing group announces list of naughty TV shows. Plus: Donald dumps on Martha. (10/20/2005)

Pass the mike By Mark Hatch-Miller
Def Jam went from a dorm room to a music empire. Its famous founders are gone -- is the label still good? (10/20/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The Education of Louis: "Last Halloween" (10/20/2005)

My wife's job is ruining our lives By Cary Tennis
She's overworked, she's exploited, and I've had it! (10/20/2005)

Intelligent designer By Gordy Slack
The chief defender of intelligent design in the Dover evolution trial insists he has science and God on his side. (10/20/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Astros win the pennant. So much for momentum. Plus: Blown call? Ump asks player. (10/20/2005)

No longer the "Right Man" By Sidney Blumenthal
Conservatives are raging against Bush to hide the utter failure of their ideology. (10/20/2005)

Rove and Libby talked to each other; who's talking to Fitzgerald? Tim Grieve
Once he's reminded by a prosecutor, Rove admits that he and Libby discussed Plame's identity before Robert Novak outed her. (10/20/2005)

Scott McClellan's selective -- and successful -- silence Tim Grieve
Did Bush know about Rove's role or didn't he? It depends on the time of day that you ask. (10/20/2005)

The Cheney-Rumsfeld "cabal" Tim Grieve
Colin Powell's former chief of staff says that Bush's lack of interest in foreign affairs has let others take control in secret. (10/20/2005)

We may be traitors, but you're helping child molesters Tim Grieve
Hillary Clinton's challenger says Democrats want to let sex offenders molest children and kill women. (10/20/2005)

A War Room caption contest Tim Grieve
It's not exactly Elvis and Nixon, but ... (10/20/2005)

FEMA: Let them eat brownies Tim Grieve
As a FEMA supervisor on the ground warned of impending deaths in New Orleans, Michael Brown's staff saw to his dinner plans. (10/20/2005)

Harriet Miers talking points: Are there any left? Tim Grieve
Remember how she was meticulous, detail-oriented and unchanging? Never mind. (10/20/2005)

Outside it's America: Bush meets Bono Tim Grieve
And you wrote the captions. (10/20/2005)

The (really scary) soldier of the future By Alan H. Goldstein
Thanks to nanotechnology, he'll be a lethal superman who can heal himself. (10/20/2005)

Everything you always wanted to know about nanotechnology... By Alan H. Goldstein
But were too afraid of quantum spookiness to ask. (10/20/2005)

Daily Download: "Your Move," Blackalicious
(10/19/2005)

The Fix
Stewart squares off with O'Reilly. Nick and Jess, not together again. Plus: Who ranked first among intellectuals? (10/19/2005)

Videos around the Web: An all-star spook-tacular, new Depeche Mode and Kate Bush with the King's castoffs
(10/19/2005)

Homo confidential By Laura Miller
From blackmail to fake marriages, Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson led strange double lives as '50s heartthrobs who were secretly gay. (10/19/2005)

The K Chronicles Keith Knight
A shout out to Great Uncle Owen... (10/19/2005)

I'm finished with my family -- but am I free of them? By Cary Tennis
Is this resolution or abandonment? (10/19/2005)

Judgment day for Saddam By Georg Mascolo, Erich Wiedemann and Bernhard Zand
The trial of the former dictator could be cathartic -- but it could also plunge Iraq deeper into chaos. (10/19/2005)

Will Miers help topple Roe v. Wade? By Emily Schmall
Her record in Texas confirms that Harriet Miers resolutely opposes abortion. (10/19/2005)

Rebuilding the Big Easy By Roberto Lovato
Latinos confront strained resources and tense race relations as they help clean up New Orleans and other hurricane-ravaged cities. (10/19/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Fox's baseball announcers: Lyons improves, Brennaman doesn't, Piniella makes a nice guest. Jeanne Zelasko Watch? So 2004. (10/19/2005)

The land of Republican perfection By Garrison Keillor
Where the only mistake you can ever make is to confess your sins. (10/19/2005)

Harriet Miers and Valerie Plame, or not Tim Grieve
Somebody thought it was worth asking. (10/19/2005)

What Bush really knew about Harriet Miers Tim Grieve
Earlier this month, the president tried to suggest that he didn't know his nominee's views on abortion. He did. (10/19/2005)

Here we go again: What did the president know, and when did he know it? Tim Grieve
The AP's sources say Rove assured Bush that he wasn't involved. The New York Daily News says the president knew all along. (10/19/2005)

Scott McClellan breaks his silence on Plamegate -- but only for a minute Tim Grieve
The president's press secretary challenges a report saying that Bush knew about Rove's role, then retreats immediately to "no comment" land. (10/19/2005)

The Republicans' other legal problems Tim Grieve
On any other day, an arrest warrant for the House majority leader might be considered big news. (10/19/2005)

Now in War Room: You Tim Grieve
An introduction to our new comments feature. (10/19/2005)

Did Bush lie about Rove -- or did Rove lie to him? Tim Grieve
When it comes to Plamegate, those seem to be the only choices. (10/19/2005)

Plame speculation: It's Libby. It's Rove. It's Hadley. It's later Tim Grieve
There may not be any real news today, but everyone's got a theory about what comes next. (10/19/2005)

TT's Posts of the Decade
To celebrate 10 years of Table Talking, we're looking back at our best posts and favorite exchanges. First, a classic conundrum from 1999, and one simple phrase: Dogs in elk. (10/19/2005)

Daily Download: "The Sun Comes Through," Kelley Stoltz
(10/18/2005)

All-spin zone By Heather Havrilesky
Stephen Colbert celebrates the era of ignorance, taking his bloviating journalist to a glorious new high with his "Daily Show" spinoff. (10/18/2005)

The Fix
Dream feud: Olsens vs. Hiltons. Yoko and Paul, still swiping at each other. Plus: Richard Lewis on sex after 50 (10/18/2005)

Reviewed: Don't call them comebacks -- new Depeche Mode, Stevie Wonder and Ashlee Simpson
(10/18/2005)

The long goodbye By Andrew O'Hehir
In her extraordinary memoir, Joan Didion grieves for her family and connects with her past -- and us. (10/18/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Devil in disguise. (10/18/2005)

We need divorce counseling! No, we don't! Yes, we do! By Cary Tennis
We're separating. I say we need help. My wife disagrees. (10/18/2005)

Cheers for tears By Cecelie S. Berry
Why women should feel free to cry in the workplace -- and anywhere else they damn well please. (10/18/2005)

Biological alarm in Washington By Mark Benjamin
Did terrorists attack Washington with a deadly pathogen? (10/18/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Shot Heard Over the Crawford Boxes: Titanic Pujols blast beats Astros, keeps Cardinals alive. (10/18/2005)

Plamegate: The civil war By Michael Scherer
Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson are considering a civil suit against administration officials. If they do sue, they'd better be ready for a vicious attack by White House proxies. (10/18/2005)

"Building like maniacs" By Chris McGreal
Israel is redrawing its borders inside Palestinian territories to secure all of Jerusalem and put the issue beyond negotiation. (10/18/2005)

As Plame probe winds down, Cheney's office is a focus Tim Grieve
Was Scooter Libby really acting on his own? Has Patrick Fitzgerald flipped an insider? (10/18/2005)

Gallup hands Bush his worst numbers yet Tim Grieve
Only 39 percent of the public approves of the job the president is doing. (10/18/2005)

Harriet Miers, meet Clarence Thomas Tim Grieve
She claims she has never discussed Roe v. Wade with anyone -- and that if Arlen Specter thought she said that privacy cases were "rightly decided," he must have misunderstood her. (10/18/2005)

On Plamegate, the Times is silent again -- almost Tim Grieve
No news here, but a Times columnist says the case isn't all that important anyway. (10/18/2005)

Harriet Miers: Outlaw abortion except to prevent the death of the mother Tim Grieve
The Supreme Court nominee staked out an extreme position in a 1989 questionnaire. (10/18/2005)

Report: Cheney aide is cooperating with Plame prosecutor Tim Grieve
Raw Story says that John Hannah is working with Patrick Fitzgerald to avoid prosecution himself. (10/18/2005)

A tale of two nominees Tim Grieve
Harriet Miers' abortion views will get all the attention, but her qualifications -- or lack thereof -- are important, too. (10/18/2005)

Dick Cheney and Valerie Plame: Speculation, rumor and spin Tim Grieve
U.S. News cites rumors of a Cheney resignation. Is the White House playing the expectations game? (10/18/2005)

Free American broadband! By S. Derek Turner
In France, you can get super-fast DSL, unlimited phone service and 100 TV channels for a mere $38 a month. Why does the same thing cost so much more in the U.S.? (10/18/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "There Goes the Sun," Pernice Brothers
(10/17/2005)

The Fix
Scotty's strange, final frontier. The latest "celebrity" sex tape. Tune in: "The Colbert Report" debut. (10/17/2005)

Longer listens: Revisiting the poetry of Robert Frost
(10/17/2005)

He lost his mind By Oliver Broudy
Jonathan Cott forgot 15 years of his life after electroshock for depression. Now he's picking up the pieces. (10/17/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Once upon a time the leader of a great big nation had a very bad idea ... (10/17/2005)

Talk back to Salon!
Editors, step aside. Now Salon lets readers post letters about stories themselves. Here's how it works. (10/17/2005)

Her ex had the wedding they had planned to have! By Cary Tennis
Who owns the ideas a couple comes up with? (10/17/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Appreciating USC-Notre Dame the old-fashioned way. Plus: White Sox win pennant. How's the weather in Hades? (10/17/2005)

Boosting oil refineries is a slippery slope By Amanda Griscom Little
Will a "moderate" bill act as a vehicle for looser environmental standards? (10/17/2005)

What did the vice president know, and when did he know it? Tim Grieve
Patrick Fitzgerald wants to know what role the vice president played in the outing of Valerie Plame. (10/17/2005)

The Gray Lady doth protest too much Tim Grieve
Remember when jail was never going to make Judy Miller change her mind? (10/17/2005)

Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and Roe v. Wade Tim Grieve
The Wall Street Journal says that Rove may have arranged for Miers' friends to assure the right that she'd overturn Roe. (10/17/2005)

Plamegate: The winners and the losers Tim Grieve
An interim report card. (10/17/2005)

Scooter Libby, turning aspens and the obstruction of justice Tim Grieve
Libby's letter to Miller was cryptic. Her explanation isn't much clearer. (10/17/2005)

The blogger as starmaker By Cory Doctorow
Never mind the inventors -- Andrea's posts make things happen. Chapter 6 of "Themepunks." (10/17/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Fiendish fun for the whole family, from "The Amazing Race" to "Arrested Development" to "Everybody Hates Chris." (10/16/2005)

Judy Miller and the damage done By Farhad Manjoo
The long-awaited New York Times report uncovered an internal mess that's "bigger than Jayson Blair." And it looks even worse for Scooter Libby. (10/16/2005)

A lost house, a lost life By Ann Bauer
A blogger's words took me back to that rainy day when everything began to fall apart. (10/15/2005)

Miers must go By Joe Conason
Bush's blatant cronyism, and his outrageous appeal to religion, cross lines the founders held sacred. (10/15/2005)

The Times finally delivers on Judy Miller, but major questions remain Farhad Manjoo
Good news: The Times comes clean. Bad news: Miller cant remember key details -- and management didnt ask for them. (10/16/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "Hide & Seek," Imogen Heap
An exclusive download from a star of the "Garden State" and "O.C." soundtracks (10/14/2005)

"Elizabethtown" By Stephanie Zacharek
Cameron Crowe's latest isn't as bad as you've heard, but it's still a desperate mess of a movie. (10/14/2005)

"Domino" By Stephanie Zacharek
A shamelessly violent, exploitative biopic about a beautiful bounty hunter. (10/14/2005)

The Fix
Has "Emily Rose" inspired more exorcisms? Kirstie Alley and Al Pacino, together? Plus: TomKat marriage rumors. (10/14/2005)

Around the Web: New documentaries from Madonna and Hanson, Danny Elfman mourns his ears, and the coming iBoob
(10/14/2005)

We're haunted by an abortion from 10 years ago By Cary Tennis
It was the right thing to do, but we never really dealt with it. (10/14/2005)

Disaster tourism By Mark Childress
I sold my house in the French Quarter three weeks before Katrina hit. I just went back to New Orleans to see what I missed. (10/14/2005)

Judy Miller and the neocons By Juan Cole
Arrogance, poor editing, and getting too close to her sources -- not ideology -- led to her fall. (10/14/2005)

Hard Times By Farhad Manjoo
Under fire from all sides, will the paper of record finally come clean on Judy Miller's role in Plamegate? (10/14/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NFL Week 6: Vikings hope to draw inspiration from team orgy. Plus: Fox hates baseball, exhibit 3,442. (10/14/2005)

Bush's fake photo op with U.S. soldiers J.J. Helland
The Bush administration scripted what was supposed to be a live video conference with soldiers in Iraq via satellite. (10/14/2005)

Harriet Miers, closet liberal? J.J. Helland
Supreme Court nominee Miers' written record includes some liberal opinions. (10/14/2005)

Leaking Plame's name is no big deal? Aaron Kinney
The Post's Richard Cohen comes under fire for downplaying the seriousness of the Plame affair. (10/14/2005)

Is there anyone left to subpoena? J.J. Helland
Two top Republicans must deal with additional ethics inquiries. (10/14/2005)

The White House stumbles into the weekend Aaron Kinney
Karl Rove's grand jury appearance and more news on Bush's fake powwow with U.S. soldiers top off a bad week for the administration. (10/14/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Exploding tires and bad math; the pilot exposes his darkest secrets. (10/14/2005)

Daily Download: "Ain't No Easy Way," Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Drugged-out blues rock from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (10/13/2005)

Dub masters By Sumana Harihareswara
In an obscure corner of the cable TV universe, "Uncle Morty's Dub Shack" is giving Asian B movies a hilarious new life. (10/13/2005)

The Fix
Will Vinnifer usurp Brangelina? Paris -- canceled! Plus: Comparing O'Reilly with McCarthy. (10/13/2005)

Videos on the Web: Alicia Keys, a buff Ricky Martin and what A-ha hath wrought
(10/13/2005)

The blogger who loathed me By Steve Almond
My cyber-nemesis had been trashing me for months. Then we met, and I had a chance to take a terrible revenge. (10/13/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Billy Dare, Boy Adventurer: A particularly poorly written episode. (10/13/2005)

Is there a future? If so, when does it start? By Cary Tennis
My sister died at 50-- how can I plan for anything if life is so capricious? (10/13/2005)

Letters
Symbols of misogyny or simple sex toys? Readers respond to Meghan Laslocky's article about Real Dolls. (10/13/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
White Sox beat Angels on ump's screwup. And catcher's. And pitcher's. Does baseball need replay? No! (10/13/2005)

As Karl goes ... By Michael Scherer
If Rove goes down, will the White House completely fall apart? (10/13/2005)

Bush to Miers: Keep the faith J.J. Helland
Bush takes some heat for using religion in support of his Supreme Court nominee. (10/13/2005)

Waiting to hear Judy Miller's story J.J. Helland
When will we learn about her latest grand jury testimony? (10/13/2005)

Memo to Ken Mehlman J.J. Helland and Aaron Kinney
An eye-opening NBC/Wall Street Journal poll reveals that President Bush has alienated African-Americans. (10/13/2005)

If these broads could talk Rebecca Traister
A new study finds that men make up 86 percent of the guests on Sunday morning politics shows. (10/13/2005)

Did Miers "slip through"? J.J. Helland
The Wall Street Journal says that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers wasn't vetted enough. (10/13/2005)

Choices and memories
Why have a baby? And do you remember being one? This and more, this week in TT. (10/13/2005)

Daily Download: "Stay in the Shade," José González
A Swedish-born, Argentine-parented, Nick Drake-inspired songwriter (10/12/2005)

America's new jazz museum! (No poor black people allowed) By Larry Blumenfeld
Jazz musicians warn against the Disney-fication of New Orleans. (10/12/2005)

The Fix
Rush Limbaugh's campaign against Bono. Is Katie Holmes in a "'Rosemarys Baby' situation"? Plus: The new Bond. (10/12/2005)

Recipe for success By Sarah Karnasiewicz
Julie Powell was a depressed temp whose life changed forever after she embarked on a year-long Julia Child cook-a-thon. (10/12/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Hitting the greens with Tiger Woods -- the son my dad always wanted! (10/12/2005)

My terrific online friend is terrible in person! By Cary Tennis
How can someone so special on the Internet be such a drag in real life? (10/12/2005)

Quag-Miers By Michael Scherer
As conservative opposition to his Supreme Court nominee stiffens, Bush faces the prospect of a humiliating defeat. (10/12/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"Smallball": Overused word, overused strategy, as White Sox show again in Game 1 loss to Angels. (10/12/2005)

I'm at your service, Mr. DeLay By Garrison Keillor
A word of advice from a friend: If your GOP pals turn on you, take them down with you. (10/12/2005)

The one and three-quarter-state solution? By Jonathan Freedland
So much for those who thought Israel's withdrawal from Gaza would trigger rapid progress toward peace. (10/12/2005)

Who will be indicted, and when? By Sidney Blumenthal
As dread descends on the White House, all of Washington waits for the Valerie Plame endgame. (10/12/2005)

Judith Miller testifies, again J.J. Helland
The New York Times reporter goes back to the grand jury in the CIA leak case. (10/12/2005)

Poll: Lying on Iraq is an impeachable offense Katharine Mieszkowski
Half of Americans think that Congress should consider ousting the president if he lied to justify the war in Iraq. (10/12/2005)

Dobson reveals all J.J. Helland
James Dobson clarifies his statements about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. (10/12/2005)

DeLay, the comeback kid? J.J. Helland
It seems corruption charges have only emboldened Rep. Tom Delay. (10/12/2005)

Bush fidgets, Miers nomination burns Katharine Mieszkowski
More questions from the right on Supreme Court choice Harriet Miers. (10/12/2005)

Daily Download: "The Barker of Dupes," Skeleton Key
Carnival barking madness from Skeleton Key (10/11/2005)

The Fix
Paris keeps $5 million insult, while Britney removes $60,000 bra. Plus: More Jude and Sienna. (10/11/2005)

Reviewed: New music from Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton and Ricky Martin
(10/11/2005)

Oprah's book flub By Hillary Frey
Her latest pick -- James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" -- is bad news for her viewers and her show. (10/11/2005)

Letters
George Packer and other readers respond to Gary Kamiya's essay "The Road to Hell." (10/11/2005)

WayLay Carol Lay
Double-D and Doubledum get their mitts on the ultimate hangover cure. (10/11/2005)

I'm 38 and want kids, but the men I'm dating don't By Cary Tennis
Since divorce, life has been pretty swell, but now I want to settle down and be a mom. (10/11/2005)

Just like a woman By Meghan Laslocky
Thousands of men are shelling out $6,500 for hyper-realistic dolls that answer all their needs -- and don't talk back. (10/11/2005)

Fueling our pain By Robert Bryce
Already reeling from record gas prices, American consumers could soon face soaring costs caused by a diesel shortage. (10/11/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Angels KO Yankees, slog to Chicago for ALCS vs. rested ChiSox. Give them a break, baseball. (10/11/2005)

Muckraker By Amanda Griscom Little
Environmentalists grow anxious as the Senate gears up to reform the Endangered Species Act. (10/11/2005)

Harriet hearts George Farhad Manjoo
George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominee thinks the president is too cool for school. (10/11/2005)

Dobson promises to tell all on Miers Farhad Manjoo
On a very special James Dobson radio hour, the conservative leader will reveal what he knows about Harriet Miers. (10/11/2005)

Is it sexist to oppose the Miers nomination? Farhad Manjoo
Laura Bush says people who criticize Harriet Miers just can't stand that she's a lady lawyer. (10/11/2005)

Did Scooter Libby try to hide his meeting with Judith Miller? Farhad Manjoo
Investigative reporter Murray Waas says that Libby tried to keep the special prosecutor in the dark about a June 2003 meeting he held with Miller. (10/11/2005)

The NYT promises full disclosure on the Judith Miller saga Farhad Manjoo
Executive editor Bill Keller tells staff that the Times will investigate its reporter's role in the Plame case. (10/12/2005)

Exclusive Daily Download: "No More," Cowboy Junkies
An exclusive download from the Cowboy Junkies. (10/10/2005)

The Fix
Guess which "woman brings great sin on kabbalah"? Plus: Ashlee really sings, Boy George flees. (10/10/2005)

Longer listens: Joan Didion in her own words
(10/10/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Scandal overload! (10/10/2005)

A redesign update
A quick note about the status of our redesign. (10/10/2005)

I'm a guy in love with a lesbian By Cary Tennis
I know it'll never work out romantically, but right now she's falling apart and maybe I can help. (10/10/2005)

Pink is the new black By Ayelet Waldman
Does "shopping for the cure" cheapen the reality of breast cancer? (10/10/2005)

Why the U.S. must leave Iraq By Michael Scherer
Sen. Russ Feingold says it's time to admit the war was a disaster -- and accuses his fellow Democrats of going along with Bush out of fear. (10/10/2005)

2,000 dead? Who cares? By Mark Benjamin
Why is the country so oblivious to the Iraq war's casualties? (10/10/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Braves linger for 18 thrilling innings before Astros hand them this year's inevitable playoff loss. (10/10/2005)

Specter turns up the heat J.J. Helland
What exactly did Rove tell James Dobson? (10/10/2005)

Katrina cronyism J.J. Helland
Lobbyists are crafting hurricane relief efforts. (10/10/2005)

The Brooksian insurrection Aaron Kinney
New York Times columnist David Brooks reacts to the bad news in Washington with a string of clichés. (10/10/2005)

She's not worthy J.J. Helland
Republican senators express their doubts about whether Harriet Miers is worthy to sit on the Supreme Court bench. (10/10/2005)

It's Miller time Aaron Kinney
The Judy Miller story keeps getting juicier. (10/10/2005)

NYT public editor: Not so public about Judith Miller Farhad Manjoo
The paper of record keeps mum on its record in the Plame case. (10/11/2005)

Making the panopticon user-friendly By Cory Doctorow
Lester solves messiness! Chapter 5 of "Themepunks." (10/10/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
TV warns us of the dangers of drunk dialing, sleeping in a lacy slip, and electing a ruby-red-lipped president. Plus: Why the challenged kids of "Laguna Beach" are people, too. (10/09/2005)

Fantastic friends By Laura Miller
Bestselling writers Neil Gaiman and Susanna Clarke talk with Salon about fairies, folk tales and fighting the tyranny of realism. (10/08/2005)

Daily Download: "Sick Days Are Upon Us," Kill the Vultures
Dark, unsettling and fascinating underground hip-hop. (10/07/2005)

"The Squid and the Whale" By Stephanie Zacharek
Noah Baumbach returns with this intelligent, but ultimately detached, picture of a family falling apart. (10/07/2005)

"In Her Shoes" By Stephanie Zacharek
The pretty sister is dumb; the smart sister is plain and resentful. How original. (10/07/2005)

The Fix
Did Nick Lachey cruise a high school football game? Will baby TomKat get the silent treatment? (10/07/2005)

Around the Web: New t.A.T.u., RIAA strikes back
(10/07/2005)

The road to hell By Gary Kamiya
In the definitive book about the Iraq war, liberal hawk George Packer tells the whole story of America's worst foreign-policy debacle -- and reveals how good intentions can go terribly wrong. (10/07/2005)

Letters
To pole dance, or not to pole dance: Is that the question? Readers respond to Christine Smallwood's "Girls Gone Wild." (10/07/2005)

Turn down that stereo, lest I lose all faith in humanity! By Cary Tennis
I'm optimistic by nature, but I can't believe people can be so uncaring. (10/07/2005)

"A crisis of biblical proportions" By Amanda Griscom Little
A pro-Bush but eco-conscious evangelical launches a crusade against global warming. (10/07/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"Mind Game" author Steven Goldman on how the Red Sox got smart. Plus: NFL Week 5. (10/07/2005)

Rove's nightmare By Joe Conason
If Karl Rove told federal officials in 2003 he wasn't involved in outing Valerie Plame, he could face charges. (10/07/2005)

Rescuing Jesus By Alessandro Camon
Bush & Co. have hijacked Jesus, using him as the poster child for their callous worldview. It's time to rescue Christ from his kidnappers. (10/07/2005)

Rove's return to the grand jury: Whatever it means, "it can't be good" Tim Grieve
Everyone has a source, and everyone has an opinion. (10/07/2005)

Harriet Miers, constitutional chameleon? Tim Grieve
In the shadow of Bush v. Gore, Miers led a legal team advancing a not-so-conservative view of the U.S. Constitution. (10/07/2005)

Bush's poll numbers: How low can he go? Tim Grieve
The president's job approval ratings hit new lows, both overall and on Iraq. (10/07/2005)

Ask Harriet Miers: Which "Warren" did you have in mind? Tim Grieve
Patrick Leahy asks the Supreme Court nominee to name her favorite justices. Did she have an answer? (10/07/2005)

The New York terror alert: Questions where there shouldn't be Tim Grieve
Has anyone ever read about the boy who cried wolf? (10/07/2005)

Another legal problem for Karl Rove? Tim Grieve
It's not exactly Plamegate, but a Texas resident wants a local district attorney to investigate Rove's voting status. (10/07/2005)

A Bush nominee withdraws -- and it isn't that one Tim Grieve
The president's pick for the No. 2 spot at the Justice Department pulls out amid questions about Jack Abramoff. (10/07/2005)

Iraq in autumn Aaron Kinney
Coalition forces press ahead in two of Iraq's most volatile regions. (10/07/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Don't blame outsourcing for JetBlue's mishap. (10/07/2005)

Daily Download: "Lighten Up," Morcheeba
Shiny, happy pop from revamped down-tempo stars Morcheeba. (10/06/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
Distressing box office results for brilliant indies and docs. Plus: Zombies, Hitler and maybe the best 9/11 film yet. (10/06/2005)

The Fix
TomKat to spawn and Simpsons un-splitsville. Plus: From cat walk to perp walk? (10/06/2005)

Notes from a famous nobody By Douglas Wolk
Harvey Pekar remembers high school football, street fighting, and life before "American Splendor." (10/06/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Besides "March of the Penguins," what other nature documentaries confirm the rightness of conservative, Republican values? (10/06/2005)

I want vengeance on my narcissistic mother By Cary Tennis
She didn't pull the trigger, but I blame her for my brother's suicide. (10/06/2005)

Harriet Miers is all business By Dan Noyes
Bush's Supreme Court nominee does have a paper trail -- leading to major corporations. (10/07/2005)

Saving Ohio By Bill Frogameni
Did a reporter with GOP ties suppress a story that could have cost Bush the White House? (10/06/2005)

Toxic gumbo By Katharine Mieszkowski and Mark Benjamin
The EPA is failing to protect the Gulf Coast's homebound citizens from Katrina's poisons. (10/07/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Red Sox Blame Game: Graffanino's the new Buckner. Plus: NHL returns. Where's the clutching? (10/06/2005)

Miers: Not the first evangelical justice By Amy Sullivan
Born-again Christians say they're unrepresented. But Clarence Thomas was an evangelical when he joined the court. (10/07/2005)

Fall of the Rovean empire? By Sidney Blumenthal
Drunk on power, the Republican oligarchs overreached. Now their entire project could be doomed. (10/06/2005)

The White House on Miers' critics: Sexist, elitist or both? Tim Grieve
Is it wrong to expect that a Supreme Court nominee would come from the ranks of America's most accomplished legal minds? (10/06/2005)

As Washington awaits Plame indictments, Bush talks terror -- again Tim Grieve
Who can be bothered with scandals back home when an enemy is trying to "enslave whole nations and intimidate the world"? (10/06/2005)

When it comes to Harriet Miers, Ann Coulter is right Tim Grieve
We never thought we'd say the words. (10/06/2005)

Bush: Sometimes leaders "hear voices" Tim Grieve
Are they sweet nothings from Karen Hughes or words from a higher power? (10/06/2005)

Rove to offer "11th hour" testimony on Plame. Can he save himself? Tim Grieve
He'll appear before the grand jury without any assurance that he won't be prosecuted. (10/06/2005)

Rove's return to the grand jury: A "stunning" and "ominous" sign Tim Grieve
Legal experts say that you don't go back to the grand jury unless you think you're in serious trouble already. (10/06/2005)

See Ed spin Tim Grieve
Critics of the Miers nomination are sexists and elitists? Ed Gillespie takes it all back, sort of. (10/06/2005)

Report: Rove to testify Friday about inconsistencies, contacts Tim Grieve
Sources say he'll be asked about interactions with Stephen Hadley and Scooter Libby the week before Valerie Plame was outed. (10/06/2005)

Daily Download: "It Dawned on Me," Calla
Dark, brooding rock from underrated Brooklyn band Calla. (10/05/2005)

"Three Times" By Stephanie Zacharek
Hou Hsiao-hsien's lyrical new film captures the mystical quality of time when you're deeply in love. (10/05/2005)

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" By Stephanie Zacharek
Clay animation's most famous cheese lover and his dog sidekick get the big-screen treatment -- and it's warm to the touch. (10/05/2005)

The Fix
Newlyweds no more: Nick and Jessica split up. Plus: Lohan totals car and Judy Miller takes a bow. (10/05/2005)

Videos around the Web
(10/05/2005)

Girls gone wild By Christine Smallwood
In "Female Chauvinist Pigs," Ariel Levy asks why so many young women today have embraced a raunchy, porn-drenched sexuality (10/05/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Cross-cultural banter with the visiting in-laws! (10/05/2005)

A new design for a new decade
In honor of Salon's 10th birthday, we're treating our readers to a new look. A letter from editor in chief Joan Walsh. (10/05/2005)

Why him? Why me? By Cary Tennis
OK, so maybe there's no real answer. Still, I'm haunted by the question. (10/05/2005)

Cheap = Good By Karrie Jacobs
Affordable housing -- more necessary now, post-Katrina -- is not just better than it used to be, it can be more stylish than any garden-variety McMansion. (10/05/2005)

Making it new By Karrie Jacobs
From affordable housing to beautiful highways and computer-monitor gargoyles, the Big Idea looks at architecture and design ideas to build a future around. (10/05/2005)

Letters
To school or not to school: Readers sound off on the subject of unschooling. (10/05/2005)

"Whatever the price, I had to tell the truth" By Ed Vulliamy
A Saudi woman talks about what happened when she dared to challenge the society's culture of violence against women. (10/06/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Playoffs: Underdog Padres done in by celebratory dog pile. White Sox pound Red. Yanks win. Plus: Hockey? (10/05/2005)

Letters
Is Harriet Miers a political "pawn," or someone who can restore a "different sort of balance" to the Supreme Court? Readers consider Bush's nominee. (10/05/2005)

Keillor's Law By Garrison Keillor
There is almost no marital problem that can't be helped enormously by taking off your clothes. (And other autumnal advice.) (10/05/2005)

Harriet the meek By Joan Walsh
Why is Bush selling Miers as a lady, not a lawyer? (10/05/2005)

What does James Dobson know that you don't? Tim Grieve
The Focus on the Family leader says he's backing Harriet Miers -- but that he's "not at liberty" to disclose some of the reasons why. (10/05/2005)

On Miers, the White House takes the right to church Tim Grieve
Stories about the nominee's faith -- and her antiabortion views -- are suddenly everywhere. (10/05/2005)

Hearings for Miers: Are they worth the time? Tim Grieve
She has no record and she's probably not going to answer any questions. Is it time to rethink the Senate charade? (10/05/2005)

Was it worth it? Tim Grieve
Judy Miller says indictments in the Valerie Plame case might make her time in jail seem worthwhile. (10/05/2005)

For Bush on Iraq, the glass is always half full Tim Grieve
News about the war and assessments from the field notwithstanding, the president says progress is being made. (10/05/2005)

Miers "most qualified"? Even Trent Lott says no Tim Grieve
Lott says he's "not comfortable" with Bush's Supreme Court nominee. (10/05/2005)

As the end draws near, is Karl Rove targeted for indictment? Tim Grieve
His lawyer used to say he wasn't a target. Now he won't say anything at all. (10/06/2005)

Daily Download: "Paddy's Gone," Antony & the Johnsons
An exclusive download from fast-rising star Antony. (10/04/2005)

The Fix
Paris now with Olsen ex? Miller scores book deal. Plus: Bono for the Nobel? (10/04/2005)

Reviewed
(10/04/2005)

The man who knew too much By Allen Barra
Edmund Wilson had four wives, dozens of affairs, a drinking problem -- and the sharpest critical mind of his generation. (10/04/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
One "id" in "idiot." (10/04/2005)

I wish I was ready to settle down, but I'm not By Cary Tennis
My girlfriend may be the perfect match for me, but I need to get more experience. (10/04/2005)

Jump on the veggie express! By Sumana Harihareswara
I used to hate schlepping around the city for groceries. But now I have a bounty of beautiful, organic produce brought right to my door. (10/04/2005)

Spoiling the party By Michael Scherer
Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers, a loyalist with a mediocre résumé and no legal track record, leaves the left cautious -- and the right furious. (10/04/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
New, improved baseball playoff preview. Now with random factoids! Can Red Sox repeat? (10/04/2005)

Letters
"Bennett's statements were crude. But the left doesn't help itself when it twists meaning to suit its own ends." Readers have their say about Cecelie Berry's response to William Bennett. (10/04/2005)

The Katrina-Iraq link Tim Grieve
Donald Rumsfeld insisted that the war didn't hamper relief and rescue efforts back home. A new report says he was wrong. (10/04/2005)

Doubling down on Tom DeLay Tim Grieve
The displaced House majority leader faces a second indictment in Texas and evidence of an investigation back in Washington. (10/04/2005)

Download this Tim Grieve
Faced with its worst recruiting shortfall in decades, the Army lowers its standards. Get three free iTunes songs if you sign up now! (10/04/2005)

Miers: On the "extreme end of the anti-choice movement"? Tim Grieve
The woman who ran Miers' City Council campaign says her views on abortion are probably in line with Bush's. (10/04/2005)

Bush: "I picked the best person I could find" Tim Grieve
Echoing his father's comments about Clarence Thomas, the president says that his Supreme Court nominee is "plenty bright" and the most qualified person for the job. (10/04/2005)

On Plamegate, the president slips and slides Tim Grieve
Over the summer, he backtracked on whether he'd fire anyone involved in outing Plame. Now he won't address the question at all. (10/04/2005)

Harriet Miers and that bin Laden warning Tim Grieve
The president's Supreme Court nominee is the one who handed him the infamous Aug. 6 PDB. (10/04/2005)

Miers: A "top lawyer" or just an "influential" one? Tim Grieve
The president trumpets Miers' rankings, but are they just a reflection of her ties to him? (10/04/2005)

Harriet Miers, Michael Brown and the crony connection Tim Grieve
It's Joe Allbaugh's world. We just live in it. (10/04/2005)

A conservative senator on Miers: "Trust, but verify" Tim Grieve
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback says the president's assurances about the nominee's "heart" aren't enough to satisfy him. (10/04/2005)

Daily Download: "Do It Again," Nada Surf
Catchy pop with an ineffable air of melancholy. (10/03/2005)

Concert review: Keith Jarrett solo
Still breaking artistic ground at 60, Keith Jarrett performs his first U.S. solo concert in a decade (10/04/2005)

The Fix
Paris and Paris, Brad and Jenn, officially over. (10/03/2005)

Longer listens: Neil Gaiman, plus the Prize Winner's daughter.
(10/03/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Fluffy the Preparedness Bunny and Happy the Readiness Mouse present Homeland Security's evacuation plans! (10/03/2005)

Endless summer By Sarah Karnasiewicz
Unschooling is a radical branch of home-schooling where kids control what and when they learn -- free of teachers, schedules and tests. Unschoolers say it's intellectually empowering. Critics call it irresponsible. (10/03/2005)

Can I have the stroller I want? Can I? Can I? By Cary Tennis
Dare I buy the gleaming baby carriage that dazzles the eye of all who behold it? (10/03/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
David Ortiz or Alex Rodriguez? Big Papi or A-Rod? Your choice for A.L. MVP may speak volumes about you. Plus: Other awards. (10/03/2005)

Organic no more By Amanda Griscom Little
Will more stringent organic standards improve the quality of our food, or doom well-meaning green businesses? (10/03/2005)

Rome's latest witch hunt won't stop with gays By Sara Miles
Under cover of the sex-abuse scandal, the Vatican is scapegoating homosexuals in order to purge all "wrong thinkers" from the American Catholic Church. (10/04/2005)

Bush's Supreme Court pick: Harriet Miers Tim Grieve
The president selects a loyalist with no prior judicial experience. (10/03/2005)

Harriet Miers, meet Valerie Plame Tim Grieve
Did Bush rush his announcement to counter new revelations and worries about the White House's role in the outing of a CIA agent? (10/03/2005)

Who is Harriet Miers? Tim Grieve
The left doesn't know her. The right asks, "Where's our Scalia/Thomas"? (10/03/2005)

Can she be confirmed? Tim Grieve
With neither a "built-in fan base" nor a court-ready résumé, will Harriet Miers make it through the Senate? (10/03/2005)

Specter: What have you done, anyway? Tim Grieve
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he'll need to talk with Miers to find out how much she's said and written before. (10/03/2005)

The Republicans react, unhappily Tim Grieve
Outside the Senate and the president's public relations team, it's hard to find conservatives who are excited about the nomination of Harriet Miers. (10/03/2005)

Harry Reid, bobbing and weaving Tim Grieve
Did the Senate minority leader urge Bush to nominate Harriet Miers? It's a yes or no question, or so it would seem. (10/03/2005)

Harriet Miers on Bush, Ashcroft, 9/11 and Barney Tim Grieve
She may not have much of a legal paper trail, but Miers has had lots to say in "Ask the White House." (10/03/2005)

As the right thunders, its favorite senators are silent Tim Grieve
Bush's base doesn't like his Supreme Court pick, and the Senate's most conservative Republicans don't have much to say at all. (10/03/2005)

The last frontier: Roommate ware By Cory Doctorow
Andrea abandons Silicon Valley, knockoff kitchen gnomes from Eastern Europe flood the market, and Lester and Perry get their first business plan. Chapter 4 of "Themepunks." (10/03/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Pretty Gene, Twiggy and others star with Tyra Banks in "What were they smoking?" television. But we're higher than ever on "Weeds." (10/02/2005)

"Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman By Laura Miller
A hybrid of folklore and farce, the latest from the author of "American Gods" unfurls the story of Fat Charlie, a pitiful working bloke who's the son of a trickster god. (10/01/2005)

"Strange Itineraries" by Tim Powers By Andrew O'Hehir
The combination of Powers' noir-existentialist worldview with elements of SF, fantasy and literary fiction makes these nine stories truly unique. (10/01/2005)

"Pigtopia" by Kitty Fitzgerald By Andrew O'Hehir
A misshapen boy-man with a secret "Pig Palace" befriends a lonely teenage girl in this fantastic fable that never fully departs from the possible. (10/01/2005)

"Slow Man" by J.M. Coetzee By Hillary Frey
Nobel laureate Coetzee takes a simple plot -- an aging, injured man falls for his nurse -- and spins it into a postmodern meditation on desire and humanity. (10/01/2005)

"Wickett's Remedy" by Myla Goldberg By Ira Boudway
The author of "Bee Season" ventures into new territory with the story of an Irish Catholic girl in Boston widowed by the influenza epidemic of 1918. (10/01/2005)

"On Beauty" by Zadie Smith By Laura Miller
From the author of "White Teeth" and "The Autograph Man" comes an extraordinary academic comic novel in the tradition of "Howards End" that bursts with imagination. (10/01/2005)

"The March" by E.L. Doctorow By Laura Miller
In this kaleidoscopic rendering of Gen. Sherman's famous March to the Sea, the characters and metaphors come and go with all the tumult of the Union Army. (10/01/2005)

What to read By Salon's critics
New novels from Zadie Smith, Neil Gaiman, Myla Goldberg and E.L. Doctorow stand out in fall's first wave of fiction. (10/01/2005)

Atoning for Abu Ghraib By Marian Blasberg and Anita Blasberg
The lives of two men -- an Iraqi prisoner and an American guard involved in his torture -- were destroyed in the prison. Nine U.S. soldiers have been sentenced in the scandal, but both men say that's not nearly enough. (10/01/2005)

Still an angel? By Mark Follman
Ashley Smith was sainted by conservatives for reading "The Purpose-Driven Life" to her captor. Now she admits to also giving him crystal meth. (10/01/2005)

What's the story with Judy? By Farhad Manjoo
The New York Times has a lot of explaining to do about Judith Miller, now that she's been released from jail. So what's the hang-up? (10/02/2005)