March 2005

Daily Download: "Summer Wine," Evan Dando and Sabrina Brooke
Evan Dando covers a song written by Lee Hazlewood for Nancy Sinatra. (03/31/2005)

The Fix
Tapes that prove Jackson is straight? Fire in Ozzyland. Britney lashes out. (03/31/2005)

Dialing it down By Heather Havrilesky
HBO's documentary "Left of the Dial" chronicles the blunders, bounced checks, insults and lies behind Air America Radio's troubled launch a year ago today. (03/31/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
The hottest European film of the year; Rebecca Miller's visually luxuriant "Ballad of Jack and Rose"; and a grade-Z video thriller about a male appendage featuring a real-life porn star. (03/31/2005)

Banned anti-Bush music video
Norwegian rap group takes aim at President Bush. (03/31/2005)

The angels cheer: "They killed Kenny!" By Andrew Leonard
In a brilliant episode, "South Park" mocks the surreal Schiavo train wreck -- and takes its first explicit shot at Republicans. (03/31/2005)

Rapper's delight By Peter L'Official
Jeff Chang's remarkable history tells the story of hip-hop, the most important music (and youth) movement of our time. (03/31/2005)

Bestsellers
Readers pay tribute to Hunter S. Thompson, snatch up Shel Silverstein's posthumous children's book, and ponder the post-9/11 world with Ian McEwan. All on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (03/31/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Justice Scalia walks a lonely path across the American states, meting out justice to local townsfolk. But now, he's not alone. (03/31/2005)

Letters
"As a gay man, I found the column condescending, out of touch, and insulting." Salon readers react to Ayelet Waldman's latest essay. (03/31/2005)

My wife has suddenly turned on me By Cary Tennis
After 22 years of marriage, for no apparent reason, she just doesn't like me anymore. (03/31/2005)

How Merck stacked the Vioxx deck By Robert Burton, M.D.
The pharmaceutical giant knew there were heart risks associated with its painkiller -- but its own studies were designed to avoid finding out how serious they were. (03/31/2005)

Finding fault By Julian Borger
A presidential commission's report on WMD blames the CIA for intelligence failures in Iraq, and warns they could be repeated in Iran and North Korea. (03/31/2005)

Determined to be counted By Jeevan Vasagar and Andrew Meldrum
As Mugabe predicts victory, one Zimbabwean voter says, "Remember the American elections between Bush and Gore? It came down to just a handful of votes." (03/31/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
National League preview: Now that the Red Sox have won a World Series, how about the Cubs at least getting to one? (03/31/2005)

A tale told by an idiot By Eric Boehlert
Wildly overplaying the Schiavo protesters, ignoring facts and giving Bush a free ride, the press was full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (03/31/2005)

Terri's last message By Farhad Manjoo
As the media circus leaves town, protesters are left wondering what Terri Schiavo's death will say to the nation. (03/31/2005)

Political crackup By Sidney Blumenthal
By intervening in the Schiavo case, Bush moved the religious right into the heart of the GOP. Now there will be hell to pay. (03/31/2005)

Will the GOP need life support? By Glenn Harlan Reynolds
A prominent conservative blogger says Republican leaders have abandoned the traditional principles of small government and federalism -- and warns they may soon come to regret it. (03/31/2005)

"Demonstrably at odds" with the Constitution Tim Grieve
As Schiavo's parents run out of legal options, a Republican appellate judge says Congress and the president exceeded their powers in adopting legislation to "save" Terri Schiavo. (03/31/2005)

"Dead wrong" on WMDs Tim Grieve
George W. Bush resisted calls for a commission to investigate intelligence failures that led to the Iraq war. With the report out today, it's easy to see why. (03/31/2005)

The death of Terri Schiavo Tim Grieve
The fight to save her is over. The political repercussions have just begun. (03/31/2005)

A threat from Tom DeLay Tim Grieve
The House majority leader says that "the men responsible" for Terri Schiavo's death will pay, and his allies on the religious right plot their revenge. (03/31/2005)

The president moves on Tim Grieve
The public isn't happy about your involvement in the Terri Schiavo case? It must be time to talk about 9/11. (03/31/2005)

A special kind of eulogy Mark Follman
Ann Coulter shares her thoughts on what Terri Schiavo's demise might mean for the land of liberal Hollywood. (03/31/2005)

Bringing down the House Julia Scott
Two PACs are running ads attacking Tom DeLay for his actions in the Terri Schiavo case and alleged ethics violations. (03/31/2005)

And now, a word from Mel Gibson Page Rockwell
Fox News digs deep for expert commentary on the Schiavo case (03/31/2005)

Southern discomfort for DeLay Julia Scott
Tom DeLay may have endangered his re-election chances with his stance on the Schiavo affair and his ongoing ethics imbroglios. (03/31/2005)

Beyond "Please fondle my buttocks" By Lauren Aaronson
As more Arabic speakers take up blogging, better translation programs could promote cross-cultural understanding -- and avoid Monty Python-like misunderstandings. (03/31/2005)

"I just want to be able to scratch my nose" By Ian Sample
With brain implants and other new techniques, paralyzed people are learning how to control artificial limbs by thought alone. (03/31/2005)

Daily Download: "Sunday Bell," Audible
Sunny, carefree indie-pop. (03/30/2005)

The Fix
Lisa Marie Presley says Jackson used her. Mary Cheney to tell all? (03/30/2005)

American Idol
A yelping J.Lo Hewitt covers a helpless Billy Idol. (03/30/2005)

Radio David Byrne
A streaming mix tape curated by David Byrne. (03/30/2005)

"Under the Glacier" by Halldór Laxness By Andrew O'Hehir
A young theology student investigates the strange goings-on around a mountain in western Iceland in this fantastic and ironic novel. (03/30/2005)

"Paradise" by A.L. Kennedy By Laura Miller
A remarkably eloquent tale of alcoholism makes chronic drinking understandable to those who don't. (03/30/2005)

"Snobs" by Julian Fellowes By Priya Jain
An entertaining first novel unravels the mores and manners of old-money England. (03/30/2005)

"A Changed Man" by Francine Prose By Andrew O'Hehir
In a throwback to the 19th century social novel, the drama centers on an improbable romance between a skinhead and a soccer mom who works for a Holocaust survivor. (03/30/2005)

What to Read By Salon's critics
Spring's first crop of fiction brings eccentric characters -- from poetic alcoholics to compassionate neo-Nazis -- and takes us to the remote mountain terrain of western Iceland and the genteel English countryside. (03/30/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
The corner is turned! (03/30/2005)

Terrible hunger By Judith Moore
In plain and poignant language, Judith Moore's new memoir, "Fat Girl," chronicles her youth as an obese child starved of love. (03/30/2005)

Is my 2-year-old a racist? By Cary Tennis
He says "No, no, no" to his Japanese-American teacher, he refuses to learn Spanish, and he doesn't like the pictures of blacks in his storybooks. (03/30/2005)

Afghaniscam By Susanne Koebl
The international community's need for a fast success story -- and lots of available money -- has led to an invasion of gold-digging consultants and aid workers. (03/30/2005)

After Arafat By Jennifer Miller
Fighting corruption, rebuilding institutions and trying to bring militants into the political system, Palestinians have moved on after the death of their leader. But how long will their new hopes last? (03/30/2005)

Undermining success By Sarah Boseley
Is a U.S.-funded abstinence-only program a threat to Uganda's model fight against AIDS? (03/30/2005)

Mixed report By Ewen MacAskill
Kofi Annan, cleared in a contract scandal involving his son but still under fire, says he won't resign as head of the U.N. (03/30/2005)

Living on borrowed time By Tim Radford
A new report warns that humans have already used up two-thirds of the Earth's natural resources. (03/30/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Three cheers for Illinois not bringing its outdated, racist mascot to the Final Four. Plus: Barry Bonds, crooked refs and slacking at Tournament time. The readers write. (03/30/2005)

Letters
Readers decry -- and defend -- America's gun laws. (03/30/2005)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Invoking bin Laden, Nazism and beheading by chainsaw, right-wingers pulled out all the stops to make their case for "saving" Terri Schiavo. (03/30/2005)

Is "success" a failure for Bush? Tim Grieve
With the war in Iraq off the front page, Americans are less enthusiastic about their "war-time president." (03/30/2005)

One more chance for Schiavo's parents Tim Grieve
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit says it will hear a late appeal, but it does not order the re-insertion of Schiavo's feeding tube in the meantime. (03/30/2005)

Dissent will not be tolerated Tim Grieve
In the latest version of a familiar story, three Denver residents say they were thrown out of a Bush event because they disagreed with the president. (03/30/2005)

Danforth asks: What happened to my party? Tim Grieve
Former Sen. John Danforth says the GOP has become the political extension of the religious right. (03/30/2005)

"The U.S. needs to come clean" Mark Follman
There's more evidence corroborating the use of secret U.S. flights to the Middle East, where detainees in the war on terrorism say they were tortured. (03/30/2005)

The small state of big politics Mark Follman
Vermont has an idea or three about how to deal with life in the time of George W. Bush. (03/30/2005)

Rudy's not-so-money politics Julia Scott
The former New York mayor seems to have the money thing down, but does he have the right political instincts for a serious shot at the White House? (03/30/2005)

The growing American gulag Mark Follman
A new report says the number of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq has doubled since October -- many of them held in nothing more than "trailers surrounded by barbed wire." (03/30/2005)

Music rules By Andrew Leonard
A Supreme Court ruling against peer-to-peer network Grokster would do more than punish music pirates. It would affect the future of the Internet. (03/30/2005)

Daily Download: "Suit of Fire," Parker and Lily
A Magnetic Fields-ish song of bitter, vicious melancholy. (03/29/2005)

The Fix
More Jackson accusers to testify. Catholic leader calls Madonna a "witch." (03/29/2005)

The man behind Veronica By Heather Havrilesky
Rob Thomas, creator of "Veronica Mars," talks about how he created his teen noir -- and its future. (03/29/2005)

Album review: Beck's "Guero"
Is Beck's new record his best yet? (03/29/2005)

Mars attacks! By Heather Havrilesky
Stop rewinding your "Buffy" tapes. "Veronica Mars" gives us an unflappable girl heroine, complex characters and a darkly realistic vision of high school -- and no wooden stakes. (03/29/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Feel like you're banging your head against a stone wall? (03/29/2005)

I'm bipolar and my boyfriend is a "working alcoholic" By Cary Tennis
When he drinks, it gets weird and ugly. (03/29/2005)

How they learned to love the bomb By Leigh Flayton
Bush is talking tough about nukes in Iran and North Korea. But critics say by illegally testing and building nuclear weapons, the U.S. is fueling a new arms race. (03/30/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
A match-fixing scandal centering on referees has stunned German soccer. That sort of thing has never happened in the U.S. Why not? And could it? (03/29/2005)

Setback for Michael Jackson By Julian Borger
The judge allows the prosecution to present testimony on prior abuse claims, including an "alleged pattern of grooming." (03/29/2005)

Tsunami panic By John Aglionby et al.
Thousands flee to higher ground after a massive earthquake hits the region of December's disaster. (03/29/2005)

Apprehension in Alaska By Julian Borger
Congress' vote to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling has one local village worried about the impact on its traditional way of life. (03/29/2005)

Starving for leadership By Arianna Huffington
Democrats missed a golden opportunity to reclaim the "moral values" debate in the Terri Schiavo case. (03/29/2005)

Death, dignity and Terri Schiavo Tim Grieve
Whatever she wanted, it couldn't have been this. (03/29/2005)

The threat that wasn't Tim Grieve
The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction has harsh words for the CIA -- and for the White House. (03/29/2005)

The undiplomatic diplomat Tim Grieve
Fifty-nine former diplomats say John Bolton is the "wrong man" to represent the United States before the United Nations. (03/29/2005)

Jesse Jackson to the rescue -- but whose? Tim Grieve
With his star turn in the Schiavo circus, Jackson provides political cover for Tom DeLay and the religious right. (03/29/2005)

About that budding democracy Mark Follman
Conservatives want to know why the mainstream media hasn't been more sanguine on Iraq. Here's one reason. (03/29/2005)

A widening pool of nuclear worries Page Rockwell
According to a classified report, storage pools containing spent-fuel rods from the nation's 103 electricity-generating nuclear reactors are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. (03/29/2005)

Federal intervention on the down low? Page Rockwell
Laura Bush shares some public (or are they private?) thoughts on Terri Schiavo. (03/29/2005)

Daily Download: "Your Ever Changing Moods," Summer at Shatter Creek
Atmospheric, baroque bedroom pop (03/28/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
How can you survive in a world where Farrah Fawcett and Lizzie Grubman have their own TV shows? Here's one quick, easy, do-at-home step to solve any existential crisis! (03/28/2005)

Concert Review: The Emerson String Quartet
America's preeminent string quartet performs -- disappointingly -- at Carnegie Hall. (03/28/2005)

The Fix
Rosie begs Kirstie's forgiveness. More Jackson accusers? Plus: Kimora Lee Simmons, sticky-fingered doughnut licker? (03/28/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Americans ignore truth about alien brain-sucker. (03/28/2005)

My dysfunctional thoughts have returned! By Cary Tennis
Cognitive therapy helped me greatly, but I fell in love and now I'm falling to pieces. (03/28/2005)

Letters
Has Martha Stout been watching too much "Buffy"? Salon readers sound off about speed and sociopaths. (03/28/2005)

"You're supposed to marry the person you love, Mom" By Ayelet Waldman
My 7-year-old son's best friend is a lesbian and he says he wants to be gay. I hope he is. (03/28/2005)

Tough on terror, weak on guns By Mark Benjamin
Politicians in Washington are poised to give unprecedented freedom to the gun industry -- and they're so beholden to the NRA they're allowing potential terrorists to buy weapons over the counter. (03/28/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament: In an incredible, indescribable, dazzling couple of days, Louisville, Illinois, North Carolina and Michigan State reach the Final Four. (03/28/2005)

Trial by television By Rory Carroll
A once dull government mouthpiece in Mosul becomes a popular reality show -- "Terrorism in the Grip of Justice" -- in which captured insurgents confess live on-air. (03/28/2005)

A hypocrite in the House? Tim Grieve
Tom DeLay says that withholding life support from Terri Schiavo is "murder." But DeLay "went along" in 1988 when life support was withheld from his own father. (03/28/2005)

Fleeing from the scene Tim Grieve
The president celebrates Easter with the troops, putting some distance between himself and the right-wing culture warriors in Florida. (03/28/2005)

Terri Schiavo and the intensity gap Eric Boehlert
Pundits on the right say public opposition doesn't matter because the people who feel strongest about the Schiavo case agree with them. They're wrong. (03/28/2005)

A valentine for Karl Rove Tim Grieve
Never mind the polls. The New York Times says that Rove is running a "sophisticated" campaign for Bush's Social Security plan. (03/28/2005)

The good news or the bad news Mark Follman
Is the media missing the big picture in Iraq? TNR's Lawrence Kaplan says today's press corps may be dogged by a "reverse" Vietnam effect. (03/28/2005)

Power to the people Page Rockwell
Is vigilante justice in Iraq a good thing? (03/28/2005)

How Paul Wolfowitz can save the world By Farhad Manjoo
Hardheaded, passionate and conservative in the old-fashioned sense, Jeffrey Sachs' new book could -- but probably won't -- show the next head of the World Bank how to end global poverty. (03/27/2005)

"Welcome to Red Lake" By Emily Schmall
A muckraking Chippewa journalist says tribal press constraints keep details of the recent school shooting murky -- and hide systemic problems on the reservation where he grew up. (03/26/2005)

Reinventing "we the peoples" By Ian Williams
Kofi Annan proposes the first major reforms of the U.N. since it was created 60 years ago, and he knows they won't please everyone. (03/26/2005)

The man in America's mirror By Farhad Manjoo
Believe it or not, the Michael Jackson trial is more than a freak show. Yes, it's a celebrity-sex wallow -- but it's also a crucible for our unresolved questions about crime, fame, race and punishment. (03/26/2005)

The Fix
Imus rips Journal. Abdul gets probation. And Gallo insists it was all him in "Brown Bunny" oral sex scene. (03/25/2005)

Daily Download: "Something," Sam Prekop
Salon exclusive download of a sparkling song from the Sea and Cake's singer. (03/25/2005)

Thunder out of Korea By Stephanie Zacharek
Anguished, beautiful and desperately alive, "Oldboy" is a dazzling work of pop-culture artistry. (03/25/2005)

"Guess Who" By Stephanie Zacharek
Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac try to bridge color lines in this reverse take on "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (03/25/2005)

In the name of the daughter By Rebecca Traister
Rebecca Miller talks about her new movie "The Ballad of Jack and Rose," directing her famous husband, and the inevitable questions about her legendary father. (03/25/2005)

Sam Prekop's Top Five
The Sea and Cake singer tells us about some music he's loving right now (03/25/2005)

Letters
Readers share their own pain at facing end-of-life decisions for people they love, and reflect on the Terri Schiavo case. (03/25/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament: The first night of the Sweet 16 is cruel to higher seeds -- except Illinois -- as Washington, Oklahoma and Bob Knight's Red Raiders are sent home. (03/25/2005)

Where the Iraqis really do throw flowers By David Axe
The Kurds love American GIs. But will the good feelings continue if the U.S. has to rein in Kurdish ambitions? (03/25/2005)

Rabbi with a cause By Chris McGreal
Committed to "saving the soul of Judaism," Arik Ascherman has long blocked bulldozers in support of Palestinians in the West Bank. Now he has been convicted for that resistance. (03/25/2005)

U.N. misconduct By Owen Bowcott
An internal report finds repeated sexual abuse by peacekeepers in several countries and recommends steps for punishment and prevention. (03/25/2005)

Down with the judicial tyrants who are killing Terri Schiavo! By Joe Conason
Oops -- most of them are Republican. Never mind. (03/25/2005)

We incite, you decide Tim Grieve
The Schiavo case is almost over -- unless Fox News has its way. (03/25/2005)

Peggy Noonan's Schiavo mess Eric Boehlert
The conservative columnist advised Republicans that the Schiavo case was a no-lose proposition for them. Now she says that Americans who oppose her are headed toward the "low road that twists past Columbine and leads toward Auschwitz." (03/25/2005)

Gallup: Bush's lowest grade ever Tim Grieve
The president's approval rating drops seven points in a week. Is it Schiavo? The Republicans say no. (03/25/2005)

Trashing the law to save Schiavo Tim Grieve
In arguing that Jeb Bush should ignore the courts and seize Terri Schiavo, the religious right turns its back on two centuries of American law. (03/25/2005)

On Good Friday, is Jeb Bush Pontius Pilate? Tim Grieve
The religious right steps up its demand that the Florida governor save Terri Schiavo by seizing her. (03/25/2005)

Payback for America's closest "allies" Mark Follman
Washington to Islamabad: No idea where bin Laden is? Hosting the global black market for nukes? Paying off terrorists? No problem. Oh, and want to buy a bunch of F-16s? (03/25/2005)

Terri? Terri who? Tim Grieve
Republicans in Congress thought the Schiavo case offered them a no-lose political opportunity. Are they finally figuring out that they were wrong? (03/25/2005)

Fact-checking the Schiavo "experts" Julia Scott
This week Fox News pundits showcased an "expert" doctor who supports keeping Terri alive. Never mind that they falsely awarded him a Nobel Prize nomination. (03/25/2005)

Life and death and men and women
TTers weigh in on the Terri Schiavo case, and ponder whether the problem with feminism is masculinism. (03/25/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The pilot has problems with Gwen Stefani but learns the fate of Men Without Hats. Also: Exactly how much fuel does a plane need to get from point A to point B? (03/25/2005)

The new Johnny Appleseed: Ronald McDonald By Gary Younge
Trying to overcome its junk food image, McDonald's is buying more apples than any other U.S. restaurant chain. This could fundamentally change the apple industry -- and not necessarily for the better. (03/25/2005)

The Fix
Whitney's back in rehab. Plus: Jury eyes Jackson's porn stash, Macaulay Culkin shrine. (03/24/2005)

Daily Download: "Trial of the Century," the French Kicks
Music like bright white sunlight on a perfectly clear autumn morning. (03/24/2005)

Art's brand-new bag By Michael Agovino
Freitag's recycled, Dadaist bags are a word-of-mouth phenomenon that spread through Europe, reached the cool class here, and even hang in the MoMA. (03/24/2005)

Scene stealer By Brian Libby
He stole "Love Actually" and "Dirty Pretty Things" and is Woody Allen's first black lead. But don't expect Chiwetel Ejiofor to play the race card. (03/24/2005)

Unreleased Ryan Adams record leaks
Ryan Adams' fabled "Destroyer Sessions" find their way online. (03/24/2005)

Thom who? By Jonathan Glancey
A little-known architect named Mayne, who designs "prickly and provocative" buildings, many of them for the U.S. government, wins the Pritzker Prize. (03/24/2005)

Letters
Can postmodernism and science peacefully coexist? Salon readers sound off on "Waiting for Gödel." (03/24/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Is the system finally failing Lucky Ducky? (03/24/2005)

Letting my brother die By Lori Leibovich
Like Terri Schiavo, Phil was never going to recover. Removing his feeding tube was a devastating decision. But at least my family got to make it privately. (03/24/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Sweet 16: Cinderella stories do still happen this late in the Tournament, but Wisconsin-Milwaukee over Illinois would be an upset for the ages. Plus: Three toss-ups. (03/24/2005)

Death penalty for I.V. drug users By Maia Szalavitz
The Bush administration is considering imposing a gag rule on U.S.-funded groups that provide clean needles to addicts, despite their huge success in preventing the spread of HIV. (03/24/2005)

Schiavo's parents appeal to Supreme Court By Jill Barton
(03/24/2005)

Echoes of Columbine By Gary Younge
As investigators look for answers, experts say the troubled teenager in Minnesota fits the profile of other school shooters. (03/24/2005)

Confederacy of shamans By Sidney Blumenthal
The GOP policymakers who have intervened in the Schiavo case pose as Christian moralists, but they more closely resemble tribal medicine men conducting necrophiliac rites. (03/24/2005)

Paying the price for Bush's retro energy policy By Arianna Huffington
President Bush's energy policies are a throwback to the age of the dinosaurs. (03/24/2005)

Spinning Schiavo Eric Boehlert
Polls show that the GOP's actions are at odds with the views of mainstream Americans. The right-wing response? Criticize the polls. (03/24/2005)

Terri Schiavo and the fight over Bush's judges Tim Grieve
If the solution to an "out of control" federal judiciary is the appointment of more Republican judges, the Schiavo case doesn't provide much evidence of it. (03/24/2005)

Is this the end? Tim Grieve
The Supreme Court denies a request for an order to re-insert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. The political repercussions of the case have just begun. (03/24/2005)

Meanwhile, in other news . . . Tim Grieve
As Washington focused on the fight over Terri Schiavo, there was news on Abu Ghraib, Osama bin Laden and the war in Iraq. (03/24/2005)

Rummy's version of Democracy 101 Page Rockwell
Concerned that schoolyard rules might trump democratic ones in Iraq, Rumsfeld gives the nation's new parliamentarians a talking to. (03/24/2005)

Bush's nuclear problem Page Rockwell
One of several, actually: A scandal-plagued plan for "safe" storage of the nation's nuclear waste. (03/24/2005)

The Republican Party's Terri Schiavo "meltdown"? Mark Follman
Numerous bloggers, many of them conservatives, continue to blast the Bush administration over the Schiavo case -- and see a Republican Party in big trouble. (03/24/2005)

The economics of abundance By Jack Schofield
Because of the low cost of doing business on the Internet, misses can be as profitable as hits, which is good news for consumers. (03/24/2005)

The Fix
"Insider" host, serial sexual harasser? Plus: Macaulay Culkin's dad: "My kids never slept with Michael." (03/23/2005)

Daily Download: "All Afternoon Part 2 (Dawn of the Dead)," Bird Show
Pseudo-enthno-musicological drone music from Town and Country's guitarist. (03/23/2005)

Letters
An "honest look at a real problem" or "one of the ultimate acts of consumer nihilism"? Salon readers weigh in on "Intervention." (03/23/2005)

Fiona's "Extraordinary Machine"
Fiona Apple's leaked record is exhausting to listen to. (03/23/2005)

Kanye + Jon Brion?
The Fader blog reports on an unlikely but potentially brilliant collaboration. (03/23/2005)

Waiting for Gödel By Laura Miller
A new book rescues one of the 20th century's greatest minds from the postmodern relativists who have claimed him -- and his pal Einstein -- as their own. (03/23/2005)

Bestsellers
Anne Lamott hits the top spot (Salon readers say, We knew her when). Plus: Inspiring stories from a long-distance swimmer, meditations on politics, and thrillers galore, all on this week's list, courtesy of Powell's. (03/23/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Let the soothing voice of Mr. Chopra cleanse the self. (03/23/2005)

Letters
"There is now, officially, nothing new left for women to complain about." Salon readers of both sexes sound off about Rebecca Traister's article on wife shopping. (03/23/2005)

Letter from Paris By Cary Tennis
Cary Tennis visits the city of light -- and finds that art can make people come to blows. (03/23/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Barry Bonds blames the media. Yeah, we got him good this time. Plus: Pat Summitt breaks Dean Smith's record. Can we compare them? Of course. (03/23/2005)

Twisted "Cedar" By Mitchell Prothero
As crucial elections approach, the Lebanese opposition is divided about its next move. Are these differences merely tactical -- or could they plunge Lebanon back into chaos? (03/23/2005)

"The darkest hour in the history of our tribe" By Gary Younge and Suzanne Goldenberg
Police look for clues on neo-Nazi Web sites visited by the teenage shooter at a school on the Red Lake Chippewa reservation. (03/23/2005)

Fear rules in Nepal By Simon Tisdall
Analysts worry that the continuing turmoil in the Himalayan kingdom could have spillover effects throughout the region. (03/23/2005)

The court of appeals and what Congress meant Tim Grieve
Applying the law Congress passed rather than the one Tom DeLay wanted, judges on the 11th Circuit reject a request to order the re-insertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. (03/23/2005)

The softer side of Dick Cheney Tim Grieve
The vice president used to attack John Kerry for suggesting that the war on terror required more than military might. Is Cheney coming around? (03/23/2005)

Will the Schiavo case hurt Republicans? Tim Grieve
While religious conservatives do whatever they can to save Terri Schiavo, others in their party worry that voters may be scared away. (03/23/2005)

Anthony Kennedy, meet Terri Schiavo Tim Grieve
The Republican justice vilified by the religious right for decisions on abortion and homosexuality may have the first vote on Schiavo's fate. (03/23/2005)

So much for the separation of powers Tim Grieve
An anti-abortion judge never confirmed by the U.S. Senate could cast the deciding vote in the Schiavo case. (03/23/2005)

When left is right Mark Follman
From the Terri Schiavo case to expanded government powers in the war on terrorism, conservative libertarians are palling around an awful lot these days with the political left. (03/23/2005)

Appeals court won't rehear Schiavo case Tim Grieve
Next stop: The U.S. Supreme Court. (03/23/2005)

Leaders chat, border vigilantes mobilize Julia Scott
As Bush meets with Vicente Fox and Paul Martin, is the illegal-immigration issue about to boil over? (03/23/2005)

Backing into cleaner cars? Katharine Mieszkowski
And now, for some good news about the fight against global warming. No, really. (03/23/2005)

It's in the hands of the Supreme Court now Tim Grieve
The parents of Terri Schiavo ask for help from the highest court in the land. It appears to be their last chance -- and it's a long shot. (03/24/2005)

Daily Download: "Hideyaface," Prefuse 73
Ghostface guests on a track from indie hip-hop king Prefuse 73 -- A Salon exclusive. (03/22/2005)

SXSW: Off the beaten path
Thailand's biggest rock star and an exciting hip-hop crew from Senegal. (03/22/2005)

Child soldier turned rap star By Vanessa Thorpe
Saved from waging war at age 13 by an aid worker, Emmanuel Jal is now busy with other projects -- promoting peace in Africa and helping with a film, starring Nicole Kidman, about his rescuer. (03/22/2005)

TV on crack By Heather Havrilesky
Is A&E;'s "Intervention" the most exploitative reality show ever, or a necessarily brutal snapshot of the perils of addiction? (03/22/2005)

The Fix
David Spade's penis schnozz? Queen Camilla? "Insider" host's attempted three-way? (03/22/2005)

SXSW: The Robot Ate Me
An utterly bizarre and memorable show that cut through the SXSW industry facade. (03/22/2005)

Tom Waits picks his favorites
20 most cherished albums with characteristically surreal commentary (03/22/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Rapunzel's hair club for men. (03/22/2005)

The devil wore J. Crew By Sara Eckel
A new book says that sociopaths aren't just Scott Peterson and BTK. They are your neighbors, bosses -- even therapists. (03/22/2005)

Letters
Jane Smiley and others defend Ayelet Waldman from "overheated" readers. (03/22/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Your March Madness slacking is costing your boss $889.6 million, a figure as shocking as it is bogus. Plus: Pool o' Experts devastated as usual by upsets. (03/22/2005)

"This has nothing to do with the sanctity of life" By Andrew Leonard
The Rev. John Paris, professor of bioethics, says Terri Schiavo has the moral and legal right to die, and only the Christian right is keeping her alive. (03/22/2005)

Who killed Hariri? By Brian Whitaker
As the U.N. prepares to present its findings on the assassination of Lebanon's former P.M., evidence increasingly points to a pro-Syrian group. (03/22/2005)

Reconstructing justice By Duncan Campbell
A group of Western lawyers eager for adventure is introducing legal aid to Afghanistan, where a trial for murder can take less than an hour. (03/22/2005)

Letters
Salon readers weigh in on the Terri Schiavo controversy. (03/22/2005)

Schiavo: The readers vent
Salon readers express outrage at this "appalling" and "grotesque" case of "political opportunism" -- with a few dissenters. (03/22/2005)

Judge rebuffs Congress, Schiavo parents Tim Grieve
Parents plan an immediate appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. (03/22/2005)

DeLay and Schiavo: Who's saving whom? Tim Grieve
The House majority leader says that Terri Schiavo is God's gift to the religious right -- and to him. (03/22/2005)

The Schiavo ruling Tim Grieve
The judge acknowledges questions about what Congress has done but rejects the pleas of Schiavo's parents based on the merits of their case. (03/22/2005)

Scrubbing mercury data at the EPA Katharine Mieszkowski
Here's one way to deal with analysts who disagree with your policies: Pretend they don't exist. (03/22/2005)

The press, the polls and Terri Schiavo Eric Boehlert
By a wide margin, the American public disapproves of congressional intervention in the Schiavo case. (03/22/2005)

Fudging the facts on Bush's end-of-life record Tim Grieve
Under a law signed by Gov. George W. Bush, doctors in Texas can cease life support for a patient regardless of the family's wishes. Scott McClellan just won't admit it. (03/22/2005)

Tom DeLay puts the Hammer down Tim Grieve
Forget all that talk about giving Schiavo's parents one last day in court. The House majority leader says Congress demanded a TRO. (03/22/2005)

The good news from Iraq Mark Follman
It may well have gotten buried under all the Schiavo madness, but there was news yesterday of positive developments in one of Baghdad's most dangerous sectors. (03/22/2005)

Playing ball with the CIA Mark Follman
Buy yourself a Gulfstream IV jet and maybe you, too, could be a team player in the Bush administration's war on terror. (03/22/2005)

The right-wing holy war Mark Follman
The ever-tasteful Family Research Council uses Osama bin Laden to elucidate its position on Terri Schiavo. (03/22/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Hummers, hungry sharks, copycats and corsets! Little red-headed girls and cow-eyed boys! Plus: Enduring the atrocities of the War Channel. (03/21/2005)

Audiofile Interview: Britt Daniel of Spoon
Britt Daniel loves the Beatles, Prince, the Cure -- and his new record. (03/21/2005)

Beatle Bob: Funky man, kingmaker
A wacky SXSW fixture whose spastic dance is considered a good omen by some -- and a terrible nuisance by others. (03/21/2005)

The Fix
Jackson case to wrap? Demi fails to thwart pregnancy rumors. Plus: Chelsea meets Monica. (03/21/2005)

Correction
The word that Dinosaur Jr. was scheduled to perform at SXSW was just a persistent and widespread rumor. (03/21/2005)

Entire Fiona Apple record leaks
All of the feverishly anticipated "Extraordinary Machine" is available for download. (03/21/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Welcome to the official Bush News Network! (03/21/2005)

Speed demon By James Maier
Steroids aren't the only drug that help you on the job. As a 28-year-old freelancer, I had a special friend that helped me crank out stories: Meth. (03/21/2005)

No child left unrecruited By Aimee Molloy
To get federal money, schools have to give students' names and numbers to military recruiters. But some schools, claiming invasion of privacy, are fighting back. (03/21/2005)

The Democrats' Middle East dilemma By Page Rockwell
Savaged by right-wingers for a "Daily Show" appearance in which she seemed to root for U.S. failure, former Clinton advisor Nancy Soderberg talks about what Bush does and doesn't deserve credit for. (03/21/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament: Everybody out of the office pool. The second round blows a nation's brackets sky high. Plus: No sideline reporters! Yes! (03/21/2005)

The dreaded E-word By Robin McKie
Afraid of offending proponents of creationism, some cinemas in the South decline to screen IMAX films that refer to evolution. (03/21/2005)

On the verge of collapse By Euan Ferguson
Voting out Robert Mugabe would help prevent growing hunger, but as repression tightens, Zimbabweans see little hope for regime change. (03/21/2005)

When public opinion doesn't matter By Eric Boehlert
Polls show Americans overwhelmingly support Michael Schiavo's case. Why is the media ignoring them? (03/21/2005)

The deficit trap By James K. Galbraith
Instead of accepting Greenspan's false argument that deficits will undermine Social Security, Democrats should actually call for more federal borrowing -- and spend the money on rebuilding America. (03/21/2005)

The panderers By Alan Wolfe
Abandoning principle and reason, DeLay, Bush and their ilk are trafficking in cheap emotions -- and debasing our civic ideals. (03/21/2005)

Unhappy anniversary Tim Grieve
Dick Cheney said the war in Iraq would last "weeks rather than months." Year three just began. (03/21/2005)

Serious questions and substantial doubts Tim Grieve
George W. Bush says the government should be careful when considering end-of-life decisions -- or at least this one. (03/21/2005)

Where were the Senate Democrats? Tim Grieve
Many Democrats in Senate opposed congressional intervention in the Schiavo case. In the end, not one of them stepped up to stop it. (03/21/2005)

The Texas case Bush won't mention Tim Grieve
Wanda Hudson's baby died last week after doctors removed his breathing tube. Gov. George W. Bush signed the law that made it possible. (03/21/2005)

"Republicans are torturing Terri Schiavo's soul" Mark Follman
Even syndicated radio host Neal Boortz, typically a fierce defender of President Bush, is furious over Republicans' "shameless grandstanding" on the issue. (03/21/2005)

Cashing in on Terry Schiavo Tim Grieve
As a federal wrestles with the Schavio case, a marketing firm tries to sell the names of those who contributed money to help keep her alive. (03/21/2005)

George W. Bush, man of action Tim Grieve
For a man who has been slow to react to real emergencies, the president was a veritable Johnny-on-the-spot when it came time to sign the Schiavo bill. (03/21/2005)

Tom DeLay knows all, tells all Tim Grieve
Sanctity of life vs. sanctity of marriage? The world's most powerful exterminator has all the answers. (03/21/2005)

Forget about evidence: Bring on the "experts" Julia Scott
One "media psychiatrist" says Michael Schiavo is no different than "O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson." (03/21/2005)

The Money-Driven Life? Mark Follman
In honor of Ashley Smith, the ministry backing Rick Warren's Evangelical bestseller offers a special non-exploitation deal -- for a limited time only. (03/21/2005)

Dude, where's your research? Mark Follman
In "Fahrenheit 9/11" Michael Moore depicted a U.S. military scheming to send poor blacks off to die in Iraq; a new report from the Center for American Progress tells a different story. (03/21/2005)

Daily Download: "Virginia," Vic Chesnutt
Spitting out ragged poetry in a voice full of warmth and bile (03/20/2005)

"Windows on the World" by Frederic Beigbeder By Laura Miller
For a Frenchman, Sept. 11 spawns an epic bout of self-laceration, reflections on fatherhood, and a moment-by-moment imagining of what it's like to spend the end of your life at the top of a skyscraper. (03/20/2005)

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer By Priya Jain
A precocious child who dresses in white, a mute and tattooed grandfather, and pages and pages of pictures of doorknobs all come together to make a surprisingly consoling novel. (03/20/2005)

"Saturday" by Ian McEwan By Allen Barra
The story of a middle-aged man seeking his moral compass in the post-9/11 world, isn't about fear or dread but the attainment of joy. (03/20/2005)

What to Read: The 9/11 novels By Salon's critics
Three years later, the attacks have finally seeped down into fiction. A Frenchman, a Brit and an American wunderkind tackle the signature event of our time. (03/20/2005)

The Schiavo vote: Forget federalism, again Tim Grieve
Bill Frist says congressional intervention in a "unique" case shouldn't be considered precedent for the future. Where have we heard that before? (03/21/2005)

Attack of the celebrity blogs By Stephanie Zacharek
From Rosie's ramblings to Melanie Griffith's cringe-inducing memos to herself, the rich and famous are increasingly exposing themselves online. Why? (03/19/2005)

Letters
Readers debate the legacy of the Bush administration's actions in the Middle East. Plus: Will the oil from ANWR be worth the damage to the environment? (03/19/2005)

Daily Download: "All the Wine," the National, from "Cherry Tree" EP.
A free download from Audiofile's favorite record of 2004. (03/18/2005)

The Fix
Letterman's toddler target of foiled kidnap plot. Janet Jackson "stalker" thwarted. Monty Python takes Broadway. (03/18/2005)

"The Ring Two" By Stephanie Zacharek
Naomi Watts returns in this sequel to the horror hit "The Ring" -- and don't look now, but that skinny, well-dwelling urchin is back, too. (03/18/2005)

"Melinda and Melinda" By Stephanie Zacharek
Woody Allen has cast Will Ferrell, Chloe Sevigny and Wallace Shawn in his latest flick, and none of them are any the better for it. (03/18/2005)

A "Trading Spouses" casting call! By Kerry Lauerman
Bring us your wealthy, your lesbian, your tattooed masses! You'll go on TV, win a lot of money, and lose only a small sliver of your soul. (03/18/2005)

SXSW Day 2: Spoon rocks "Austin City Limits"
Britt Daniel takes the stage, and the legendary Dinosaur Jr. teases hopeful fans. (03/18/2005)

Letters
"Just because society has always had violence, does this mean the present level of violence is acceptable?" Readers respond to "The Myth of Media Violence." (03/18/2005)

What spiritual practice will get me to that warm, safe place? By Cary Tennis
I was raised Catholic. Hinduism and Buddhism attract me. I like meditation. What is my path? (03/18/2005)

Wife shop! By Rebecca Traister
They're the men who ask about your family's disease history, whether you'd live on the Upper West Side and if you'd be willing to convert -- on the first date. Did their biological clocks all go off at once? (03/18/2005)

Letters
"I'm not insensitive to the agonies of mental illness, but I was tremendously disturbed by this display of self-justifying narcissism." Salon readers sound off on Ayelet Waldman's debut column. (03/18/2005)

Jose's last blast By Kevin Berger
Bumbling, arrogant, bloodshot-eyed but utterly endearing, Jose Canseco transformed the sanctimonious steroid hearings into a theater of unpleasant truths. (03/18/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament Day 2: Underdogs hang around, hang around and, finally, a couple of them break through. (03/18/2005)

Mutual distrust By Simon Tisdall
Unless somebody gives ground soon, the talks next week between Iran and the E.U. could mark the end of negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program. (03/18/2005)

Head scratcher By Joe Conason
Bush cites Wolfowitz's Pentagon experience in choosing him to head the World Bank. Considering his atrocious track record at Defense, the Bank should get ready for an epidemic of waste, fraud and corruption. (03/18/2005)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Evangelicals in awe of hostage hero Ashley Smith fire up the family-values campaign, while Limbaugh and Coulter bash feminists. (03/18/2005)

Another pass for Gannon Tim Grieve
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee block an investigation into how Gannon/Guckert got daily access to the White House. (03/18/2005)

Wolfowitz reaches out to Bono Tim Grieve
If the World Bank nominee was hoping for an endorsement, he still hasn't found what he's looking for. (03/18/2005)

So much for Joementum Tim Grieve
Under seige from the liberal blogs, Joe Lieberman may soon face a primary challenge from a "real" Democrat. (03/18/2005)

Divided Republicans, getting snippy Tim Grieve
Tensions flare as Republicans fight Republicans over budget priorities. (03/18/2005)

A macabre move in the Senate Tim Grieve
Terry Schiavo's feeding tube has been removed. What will Republicans do next to keep her alive? (03/18/2005)

More hardball in the Republican House Julia Scott
Forget about protecting American war veterans or victims of identity theft: House Republicans have no intention of modifying the hardline bankruptcy bill. (03/18/2005)

How about a whole mountain of phony data? Page Rockwell
Bush's Interior Department reportedly cooked the books on whether nuclear waste can be stored safely at Nevada's Yucca Mountain site. (03/18/2005)

Obituaries, real and imagined
TTers remember a science fiction legend and create their own epitaphs, this week in Table Talk. (03/18/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Crying "fire" at 35,000 feet. How the pilot missed his Brussels buffet. (03/18/2005)

Daily Download: "Take Off Your Clothes," Morningwood, demo
A brash rock band that aims for the genitals. (03/17/2005)

The Fix
Intriguing details in the Jackson, Blake and Peterson cases. Plus: Was Jane Fonda forced into three-way sex? (03/17/2005)

Wives' tales By Michelle Orange
The trumped-up stories of "Wife Swap" and "Trading Spouses" have less to do with reality than with red mom vs. blue mom culture wars. (03/17/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
A Kazakh "Rebel Without a Cause"; a ruthless mockumentary about a mail-order bride; and the sleeper documentary hit "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill." (03/17/2005)

SXSW Day 1: Elvis Costello rules the day
Costello gives an extraordinary two-hour performance and reveals his equally extraordinary ego. (03/17/2005)

Better than green beer By Allen Barra
Flann O'Brien was a curmudgeonly alcoholic failure, Ireland's best kept literary secret, and the perfect way to celebrate the luck o' the Irish. (03/17/2005)

The myth of media violence By Andrew O'Hehir
Contrary to the moralistic claims of Hillary Clinton and others, bloody video games and movies are not a major cause of crime. But they are a powerful drug we don't understand. (03/17/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Charley the Australopithecine learns the rules of the guys. (03/17/2005)

My boyfriend lives on cheese, flour and salt By Cary Tennis
I'm trying to expand my food horizons, but my boyfriend only eats five things. (03/17/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament Day 1 is a little light on upsets, though Alabama and LSU would disagree. And Illinois looks vulnerable but wins. (03/17/2005)

Why Wolfowitz? By Farhad Manjoo
Experts say the Bush administration's top neocon war strategist doesn't know anything about global development. (03/17/2005)

Washington snub By Julian Borger
Kennedy cancels his usual St. Patrick's Day meeting with Gerry Adams and, joining other senators, voices support for the McCartney family and impatience with Sinn Fein. (03/17/2005)

Tsunami warnings By David Adam
Scientists studying the region struck in December say a second major earthquake could occur in the Indian Ocean within a year. (03/17/2005)

Long on symbolism By Chris McGreal
Palestinians take control of Jericho's security, but some complain that with Israeli troops still in place, not much has changed. (03/17/2005)

The Washington establishment fails Logic 101 By Arianna Huffington
Politicians and pundits who attribute changes in the Middle East to the American invasion are living in a fairy tale. (03/17/2005)

Unending troubles By Sidney Blumenthal
Despite calls from the right for "spiritual warfare" in defending the House majority leader against ethics charges, the fate of DeLay Inc. looks grim. (03/17/2005)

Letters
Readers weigh in on peak oil production, Ari Fleischer's book and MoveOn's non-response to the bankruptcy bill. (03/17/2005)

Muckraker By Amanda Griscom Little
Reeling from the Senate's vote on drilling in the Arctic Refuge, enviros hope Republican infighting will save the day. (03/17/2005)

Mr. Magoo goes to the World Bank By Michael Lind
The problem with Paul Wolfowitz isn't that he's an evil genius. It's that he has been consistently, astonishingly, unswervingly wrong about foreign policy for 30 years. (03/17/2005)

Faux news is good news -- to Bush Eric Boehlert
The president defends the administration's use of video news releases without disclaimers so long as they contain just "the facts" (03/17/2005)

A different kind of color-coded alert? Page Rockwell
An accidental disclosure from the Homeland Security Department reveals just how unprepared we still are for another terrorist attack. (03/17/2005)

Announcing the "natural family" Julia Scott
After California's ruling in defense of same-sex marriage, religious conservatives launch a new line of attack in the morality wars. (03/17/2005)

Our delightful commander in chief! Eric Boehlert
How the D.C. press corps goes ga-ga for the president -- or for the current one, at least. (03/17/2005)

More faux news Eric Boehlert
Two video "news" releases produced by Bush's Interior Department were posted on the Web today. (03/17/2005)

Daily Download: "Like Eating Glass," Bloc Party, from "Silent Alarm"
A brilliant adrenaline rush of a song from one of SXSW's most heavily hyped bands. (03/16/2005)

The Fix
Billy Joel's back in rehab. SpongeBob's latest scandal. Plus: "The Lord of the Rings," the musical? (03/16/2005)

Iceboy cometh By Dana Vachon
Call him talented, call him Tinkerbell, just don't call him Esther: Skater Johnny Weir talks about training, Kabbala and Michelle Kwan's dowdy look. (03/16/2005)

Thompson on Kenny G -- and Janet Jackson's breast
An English troubador offers advice for Janet Jackson, mockery for Kenny G and a lovely new guitar piece for Werner Herzog. (03/16/2005)

Bestsellers
Anne Lamott reaches for the stars, Tracy Kidder makes a comeback and Matt Love tells a far-out story from the '70s. (03/16/2005)

A woman's battle for the soul of Islam By Sarah Karnasiewicz
Horrified by the murder of her friend Daniel Pearl, journalist Asra Nomani made the hajj to Mecca. Now she's fighting to reclaim her faith from the men of darkness. (03/16/2005)

Letters
"Yes, they use you in other industries, but in other industries the consequences are less severe." A former porn model responds to our review of "The Other Hollywood" and her fellow readers' reactions. (03/16/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
What's up with every other commercial on TV these days being a pharmaceutical ad? (03/16/2005)

A jerk in my law office is driving me crazy By Cary Tennis
He's like Jack Nichoson in "As Good As It Gets" -- only more unfair! (03/16/2005)

The benefits of staying home longer By Lucy Ward
A study in 18 nations finds that a year of paid leave for new mothers not only improves babies' health but significantly reduces infant mortality rates. (03/16/2005)

Justice: Propaganda is A-OK By Eric Boehlert
Must the U.S. government reveal when it has produced "news" broadcasts? In a stunning rebuke of the GAO, the Justice Department says no. (03/16/2005)

Rising death toll in Sudan By Jeevan Vasagar and Ewen MacAskill
Nearly a year after the U.N. described Darfur as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, starvation and disease are growing, and the deadlock on sanctions continues. (03/16/2005)

Accounting for $108 million in overcharges By Suzanne Goldenberg
Rep. Waxman accuses the Bush administration of deliberately withholding U.N. auditors' findings on Halliburton contracts. (03/16/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament preview: Upsets are sure to abound as this column gets conservative in filling out its bracket. (03/16/2005)

Democracy -- by George? By Juan Cole
President Bush and his supporters are taking credit for spreading freedom across the Middle East. Here's why they're wrong. (03/16/2005)

Funding the war, and the border war Page Rockwell
House Republicans are exploiting Iraq to play hardball on immigration reform. (03/16/2005)

From the Pentagon to the World Bank Geraldine Sealey
The international community, especially countries that opposed the Iraq invasion, must wonder what it means that the top Bush administration neocon has been named to head the world's largest development agency. (03/16/2005)

Request denied Julia Scott
Freedom of Information Act requests have spiked since 9/11 -- and the Bush White House has increasingly spiked them. (03/16/2005)

Counting on the AWOLs Mark Follman
A new GAO report exposes the Pentagon's fuzzy math regarding Iraq's new security forces. (03/16/2005)

The Bush effect Page Rockwell
Developments in the Mideast may have the global community warming up to Bush -- but he's lost support for the war at home. (03/16/2005)

Drilling ANWR through with the budget Katharine Mieszkowski
Sen. John Kerry: "It's a sad day when the voices of the American people are ignored and the Senate sells off America's public lands to the highest bidder." (03/16/2005)

The FCC's new "decency" chief Eric Boehlert
Kevin Martin has close ties to the Bush White House, and an agenda to the right of Michael Powell's when it comes to "crude" programming. (03/16/2005)

Daily Download: "Want Me," Aloe Blacc, single
An idiosyncratic through-composed R&B; song with a mesmerizing keyboard part (03/15/2005)

The Fix
Martha discusses "rigid rubber and wire band" on her ankle with fans. FCC says Nicollette Sheridan towel drop was perfectly decent. (03/15/2005)

Singing the praises of an unsung folk/blues great
Vera Hall was the voice on one of Moby's hits, but remains largely unknown. (03/15/2005)

Idiots in the boardroom By Andrew Leonard
Kurt Eichenwald's absorbing new book offers us a look inside Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling's thoughts and private conversations as Enron sank. But it doesn't tell us if they were sinners or just fools -- or what the Enron saga says about American business. (03/15/2005)

Letters
Is porn just a business like every other business? Salon readers weigh in. (03/15/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Rapunzel's bad hair day. (03/15/2005)

My parents raised me in a commune By Cary Tennis
Now I seem to date the same two types of men over and over again -- why can't I break out of this? (03/15/2005)

All democracy, all the time By John Feffer
A new bill proposes to rid the world of dictators by 2025. But critics deride it as a pie-in-the-sky cover for Bush's failures. (03/15/2005)

Running on empty By Robert Bryce
The leading energy analysts who foretold Enron's demise have an alarming new claim: The world's major oil companies are almost tapped out. (03/15/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"The Contender" is just like real boxing: It's real, but with healthy doses of fiction, and it's better as a TV show than it is as a sport. (03/15/2005)

Rumblings in Russia By Simon Tisdall
Chess player Gary Kasparov announces his run for president in 2008, and another politician expected to challenge Putin calls for a return to democratic values. (03/15/2005)

"I've had a really long day" By Suzanne Goldenberg
The suspect in the Atlanta murders opens up to a kind and courageous woman who serves him eggs and pancakes, then surrenders peacefully to police. (03/15/2005)

Battle of the street protests By Brian Whitaker
The scale of the anti- and pro-Syria demonstrations in Lebanon raises fears about how long they will stay peaceful. (03/15/2005)

Bush administration: Fake news is A-OK Tim Grieve
The Office of Legal Counsel defined torture out of existence. Now it's doing the same to propaganda. (03/15/2005)

Another Republican for gay marriage Tim Grieve
The religious right is up in arms about California's gay marriage decision. But once again, it's a Republican judge who has done the deciding. (03/15/2005)

Bringing the war home Mark Follman
The horrors of combat are increasingly being made available by American soldiers armed to the teeth with today's digital technology. (03/15/2005)

Cashing in on 9/11 Tim Grieve
The families of some victims are outraged that a Virginia man has used 9/11 to sell a flag. But when George W. Bush used 9/11 to sell a war, they were right there with him. (03/15/2005)

State of discontent Julia Scott
There's a growing movement in states across the country to bring the Army Reserves home from Iraq. (03/15/2005)

The Bush-Kerry tundra turf war Katharine Mieszkowski
There's a Bush vs. Kerry rematch this week over the tundra turf of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (03/15/2005)

Daily Download: "I Close My Eyes," Shivaree, from "Who's Got Trouble"
An exclusive free download of torchy Tom Waits-style pop (03/14/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Pill-popping sociopaths, bad actors in bad wigs, and Faye Dunaway snuffing out the hopes of young hopefuls. Have I died and gone to heaven? (03/14/2005)

Wasilewski, Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz in concert and on record
Young Polish jazz piano trio with an exquisite Bjvrk cover. (03/14/2005)

The Fix
Britney takes vow of silence. Jackson broke, not bankrupt. (03/14/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Congress to consumers: "Bwah ha ha ha." (03/14/2005)

How do I find purpose in life? By Cary Tennis
I can sit in the tub and brood for hours, but never reach a firm decision. (03/14/2005)

Living out loud -- online By Ayelet Waldman
When I started blogging, I discovered a compulsive need to open the tattered edges of my emotional raincoat and expose the nasty parts beneath. But at what cost to my kids? (03/14/2005)

Ari Fleischer: Still saying nothing after all these years By Eric Boehlert
The former Bush White House press secretary's memoir is long on praise for his boss and criticism of the "liberal" media, and short on revelations. (03/14/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NCAA Tournament: Now that we know whose bubble was burst, we can stop saying "bubble" and pick a winner. So: Carolina. No! Illinois. No, wait. Plus: Women. (03/14/2005)

P.R. fiasco on Guantanamo By Suzanne Goldenberg
A judge rules prisoners cannot be transferred to Yemen as the Pentagon confirms allegations that four female interrogators sexually humiliated detainees at the base. (03/14/2005)

Has the war on terror hurt the war on drugs? By Jason Burke
New reports reveal that global demand for illegal substances is higher than ever despite actions to curb supply. (03/14/2005)

Former feminist for 2008? By Paul Harris
Republicans and Democrats ponder a presidential run by Hillary Clinton as she reaches out to moderates of both parties. (03/14/2005)

Rice in 2008: Will she or won't she? Tim Grieve
After equivocating in the Washington Times, the secretary of state tells ABC that she won't run. (03/14/2005)

Bush, race and Social Security Tim Grieve
The president suggests that privatization opponents think a "certain race" lacks the capacity to invest. (03/14/2005)

Questions for Karen Hughes Tim Grieve
Bush's advisor is returning to Washington and may soon face a Senate confirmation hearing. We've got a few things to ask. (03/14/2005)

Keep talking, Mr. President Tim Grieve
Support for Bush's Social Security plan keeps falling -- and the more people know, the more they say they're inclined to oppose it. (03/14/2005)

Are we safe yet? Tim Grieve
George W. Bush sold the war in Iraq as necessary for keeping Americans safe. Has it helped? (03/14/2005)

Fair and balanced, at least 27 percent of the time! Mark Follman
A new study crowns Fox News Channel the king of biased reporting. (03/14/2005)

Terrorists out on "good behavior" Mark Follman
France and Britain are letting some very scary people out of jail -- is the Bush-led war on terrorism partly to blame? (03/14/2005)

Drilling "under the radar" Page Rockwell
A new twist in California's longtime fight with the federal government over offshore drilling rights. (03/14/2005)

Halliburton's RIO Grande of overcharges Page Rockwell
A Defense Department audit reveals more than $100 million in Halliburton overcharges -- and there are still nine audits to go. (03/15/2005)

Microsoft's new project: Building a better high school By Christine Smallwood
A partnership between the software giant and the Philadelphia School District is an innovative solution to an urban crisis. But can public education survive private management? (03/13/2005)

Adventures in the skin trade By Priya Jain
Whether you love porn or think it's an abomination, "The Other Hollywood" will shake up everything you think you know about the sex film industry. (03/12/2005)

Window-dressing the EPA By Amanda Griscom Little
New EPA chief Stephen Johnson has enviro-group cred. But skeptics say he won't confront the White House's agenda. (03/12/2005)

Uncle Sam's extreme makeover By Joyce McGreevy
There's a bold new spirit in America: Downtrodden workers slaving harder than ever to build a better life for members of the investor class! (03/12/2005)

Use your illusion
Musical dissonance, a song for a fake reporter and a memory of when Santa was still real -- this week in TT. (03/12/2005)

Daily Download: "A Taste of You," Lee Hazlewood, from "For Every Solution There's a Problem"
A deep, somehow noble sense of melancholy. (03/11/2005)

The Fix
New "Star Wars" unfit for the kiddies. Martha's a billionaire. Plus: The real reason for Jackson's back pain? (03/11/2005)

"In My Country" By Stephanie Zacharek
John Boorman's film about post-apartheid reconciliation in South Africa embraces forgiveness. But is it really that black and white? (03/11/2005)

"Millions" By Stephanie Zacharek
Saints smoke and big bags of cash fall from the sky in Danny Boyle's sweet-tempered, fun family film. (03/11/2005)

50 Cent, the Game and Al Sharpton
Making sense of the violence and the backlash (03/11/2005)

The author's daughter By Meg Wolitzer
Most parents try to shield their children from adult thoughts and desires. But for children of novelists, whose desires are available for public viewing, there's no protection. (03/11/2005)

I'm more ambitious than my boyfriend -- should I still marry him? By Cary Tennis
I'm out to beat the world, but he longs for the simple life. (03/11/2005)

Letters
"Fugliness transcends ugliness. Experiencing it is physical, emotional, spiritual and ontological devastation." Salon readers speak out about the pleasures and the provenance of the word "fugly." (03/11/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Congress and steroids, Bill James and the religion of clutch: The readers write. (03/11/2005)

Sister act By Angelique Chrisafis
The five siblings of Robert McCartney vow to keep fighting for justice in Belfast, and force the IRA to change its ways, so that their brother will not have died in vain. (03/11/2005)

"Nothing like this should ever happen" By Duncan Campbell
A year after the train bombings, pain is still etched on the streets of Madrid. (03/11/2005)

Defining terrorism By Jonathan Steele
Alluding to the actions of the U.S. and Britain in Iraq, Kofi Annan attacks the erosion of human rights in the war on terror. (03/11/2005)

Not the "people power" Bush had in mind By Mitchell Prothero
Sending hordes of supporters into the Beirut streets, Hezbollah upstaged the opposition. But can the militant group decide what part it wants to play? (03/11/2005)

Why not cooperate? By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Blacks have much to gain by removing their racial blinders and considering a vote for the progressive Latino candidate in L.A.'s mayoral election. (03/11/2005)

Letters
Salon readers debate the religious left's place in politics. (03/11/2005)

The gospel of the rich and powerful By Joe Conason
Backed by the religious right, Republican lawmakers are now officially giving hell to the average American. (03/11/2005)

Don't like Guantanamo? How about Saudi Arabia? Tim Grieve
The Pentagon plans rendition on a massive scale. (03/11/2005)

The middle fights backs Tim Grieve
Howard Dean may be runnning the DNC, but the Democratic Leadership Council isn't going away. (03/11/2005)

Eighteen Democrats make a choice Tim Grieve
The credit card companies may thank the Democrats who voted for the bankruptcy bill. What will voters think? (03/11/2005)

Judge orders USANext to stop using photo Tim Grieve
Round one in a $25 million lawsuit goes to the plaintiffs. (03/11/2005)

The hybrid-huggers vs. Big Auto Page Rockwell
A growing generation of eco-conscious drivers may have to battle the auto lobby for the carpool lane. (03/11/2005)

The money shots Mark Follman
Congress' anti-porn crusaders take the low road; a new report exposes the dirty funding of the "skin caucus" (03/11/2005)

The right to buy life? Julia Scott
In a last-ditch effort to "save" Terry Schiavo, a San Diego millionaire has offered Schiavo's husband $1 million to keep her alive. (03/11/2005)

Why MoveOn didn't move on bankruptcy Julia Scott
Eighteen Democratic senators backed the bankruptcy bill in Thursday's vote. Could MoveOn.org have made a difference? (03/11/2005)

Save TiVo! By Farhad Manjoo
Just when it's on the verge of creating the Perfect Machine -- streaming TV, music, movies and the Web through one stylish box -- TiVo is facing doom. Unless a certain company decides to think different. (03/11/2005)

Building my own Perfect Machine By Farhad Manjoo
With $450 and some eBay savvy, I tried to give TiVo a run for its money. (03/11/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Four engines are better than three. Really. The pilot revisits the eyebrow-raising journey of British Airways Flight 268. (03/11/2005)

Daily Download: "Goodnight Goodnight," Hot Hot Heat, from "Elevator"
A snappy two-minute kiss-off (03/10/2005)

The Fix
Anderson Cooper, outed? Dave Matthews' bus driver: guilty. Plus: Make Martha's poncho! (03/10/2005)

Courage becomes him By Heather Havrilesky
Dan Rather signs off, his critics and peers cheer. But what, exactly, do they think will come next? (03/10/2005)

Some answers on public domain
The convoluted world of copyright law (03/10/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Judge Scalia goes 18th century on your butt! (03/10/2005)

My girlfriend's ex has cancer By Cary Tennis
I know he's sick, but shouldn't she tell him about us anyway? (03/10/2005)

A "virtuous pagan" looks at the priesthood By Benedicta Cipolla
Minna Proctor had always thought of religious people as fanatics. Then her father told her he wanted to become a priest -- and she decided to find out why. (03/10/2005)

What would Falwell do? By Amy Sullivan
After years of near-invisibility, religious progressives want to regain their vanished political clout. But with conservatives claiming a monopoly on godliness, it's going to be a struggle of biblical proportions. (03/10/2005)

Casualty of war By Chris McGreal
After decades of Mideast conflict, the once mighty Jordan River is now little more than a drainage ditch -- and there's no solution in sight. (03/10/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Bill James rocks bar stools across the land by changing his stance on a central question of sabermetrics: Is clutch hitting a skill? (03/10/2005)

Fair-weather friend By Dan Glaister
The accuser in the Michael Jackson trial testifies that the pop star dropped him after initially showing concern about the boy's cancer. (03/10/2005)

In the dark, again By Julian Borger
A presidential commission finds that, as in Iraq, a shortage of human agents and an overreliance on electronic surveillance are hampering intelligence gathering on Iran's nuclear program. (03/10/2005)

The empire strikes back By Sidney Blumenthal
John Bolton, a man who doesn't believe in diplomacy and thinks the U.S. should be the only permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, gets yet another chance to wield his stick. (03/10/2005)

Letters
The founder of Rathergate.com clarifies his role in the CBS scandal, and other readers join the debate. (03/10/2005)

The Senate's moral bankruptcy By Arianna Huffington
The pending bankruptcy bill reads like a wish list for the credit card industry -- and couldn't be nastier to the average American consumer. (03/10/2005)

CBS producer sues over Rathergate response Tim Grieve
With Rather gone, the lawsuits begin. (03/10/2005)

Building a bigger tent Tim Grieve
The Republicans hatch a plan for reaching out to African-American voters. (03/10/2005)

Is the noose tightening on Tom DeLay? Tim Grieve
As new ethics problems arise in Washington, a criminal case in Texas gets a little hotter. (03/10/2005)

Abuse in the House, but does anyone care? Tim Grieve
House Democrats have issued a massive report on Republican abuses. You probably haven't heard of it. (03/10/2005)

Criticize Fox? Not on ABC Julia Scott
ABC has mysteriously "scrubbed" an upcoming episode of "Boston Legal" of all pejorative references to Fox News and O'Reilly. (03/10/2005)

The bankruptcy bill: It brings people together! Tim Grieve
It's a rare moment of political unity: Nobody likes the bankruptcy bill -- except for the credit card companies and the politicians who need their money. (03/10/2005)

Your tax dollars at work Julia Scott
It's been more than a month since news of Bush's pundit payola broke. Rep. Waxman and others update War Room on their investigation. (03/10/2005)

Daily Download: "At Her Open Door," Dead Meadow, from "Feathers"
Very heavy, very loud and with a refreshing lack of irony. (03/09/2005)

The Fix
Cosby slapped with civil sex suit. Crowe says he was al-Qaida target. Amy Fisher lets fire at Martha Stewart. (03/09/2005)

And the winner is...
Results of an informal poll to determine (definitively, of course) the most important band in the world (03/09/2005)

Bestsellers
Readers banish the bad weather with crime fiction -- from corporate thrillers to Japanese noir -- and get spiritually centered with Anne Lamott. (03/09/2005)

The believer By David Amsden
Dave Eggers talks about production by procrastination, how understanding book-selling can empower a writer, and what it's like to be the head of a publishing empire that everyone has an opinion about. (03/09/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
One of the gods of the comix scene passes on: Will Eisner, R.I.P. (03/09/2005)

It's getting really hard to be just friends with my ex By Cary Tennis
I keep thinking things will change, but I fear they never will. (03/09/2005)

Letters
"Farhad! Stephanie! Andrew! Rebecca! Back to your desks! There are real stories out there to deal with!" Readers sound off on Salon's coverage of Martha Stewart's release from prison. (03/09/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Congress wants the truth about steroids in baseball. But it will settle for some grandstanding and C-Span face time. (03/09/2005)

Ready to shoot By Angelique Chrisafis
In the wake of Bush's invitation to a murdered man's family to visit America, the Irish Republican Army makes a macabre offer of revenge. (03/09/2005)

Regime change next door? By Simon Tisdall
The U.S. is expected to increase pressure on Cuba at next week's human rights meeting in Geneva, but Castro's new friends in Latin America may provide some protection. (03/09/2005)

Letters
Readers weigh in on trans fats. Plus: Are Army night flights for wounded soldiers a practical measure or a P.R. tactic? (03/09/2005)

Who killed Dan Rather? By Joan Walsh
Bloggers are claiming their first scalp. But the old media isn't dead yet -- and the new media can never replace it. (03/09/2005)

Global gorilla By Ian Williams
Bush's jaw-dropping nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the U.N. is a slap in the world's face. (03/09/2005)

Next time, buy a Mac Tim Grieve
Three years and $170 million later, the FBI gives up on an anti-terrorism technology project that never worked. (03/09/2005)

The politics of bankruptcy Tim Grieve
The credit card industry has pumped millions into Congress. Here's the payback. (03/09/2005)

The blog scare Tim Grieve
There's panic over the prospect that the FEC will regulate blogs, but is it just a scare tactic? (03/09/2005)

Lawsuit over USANext's AARP ad Tim Grieve
The Oregon couple whose picture was used in an anti-gay Social Security smear files a $25 million suit. (03/09/2005)

Spooked about terrorists on the inside Mark Follman
U.S. counterintelligence officials are worried that al-Qaida operatives have infiltrated the nation's spy agencies. (03/09/2005)

Lucy Ramirez, where are you? Eric Boehlert
On the night of Dan Rathers retirement as the CBS news anchor, that question carries particular resonance. (03/09/2005)

The Fix
Boxers/briefs confusion in Jackson case. Durst files sex-tape suit. Rather pile-on continues. (03/08/2005)

Daily Download: "Que N'ai-Je?," Keren Ann, from "Nolita"
Suzanne Vega-style whispered, hazily evocative nostalgia ... in French (03/08/2005)

The Mafia and the disappearing father By Alessandro Camon
From Michael Corleone to Tony Soprano, mob dads have been increasingly embattled -- and our national obsession with their fall reflects our culture's crisis of fatherhood. (03/08/2005)

The whisper song
Crunk duo the Ying Yang Twins whisper through their new single. (03/08/2005)

Knockout punch By Heather Havrilesky
You don't have to be a boxing fan to get knocked out by the brutal, heartbreaking thrills of "The Contender." (03/08/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Other people's laundry. (03/08/2005)

Can I still be sober if I get drunk just once a week? By Cary Tennis
I'd like to stop drinking, but does that mean completely? All week long? (03/08/2005)

Letters
"Let's stop hand-wringing over these self-obsessed, destructive, navel-gazing suburban punks ..." Salon readers sound off on Elliott Currie's book about the crisis of middle-class adolescence. (03/08/2005)

The good, the bad and the fugly By Melena Z. Ryzik
A new fashion buzzword denotes monstrous sartorial sins -- like guys with curly hair who wear mullets. Are we in the golden age of bad looks? (03/08/2005)

The invisible wounded By Mark Benjamin
Injured soldiers evacuated to the U.S. never arrive in the light of day -- and the Pentagon has yet to offer a satisfactory explanation why. (03/08/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
I will not whine about conference tournaments. I will not whine about ... Plus: Big East whizzing match! And: What's a team have to do to lose a top ranking? (03/08/2005)

Blow to multilateralism By Julian Borger
Bush nominates John Bolton, a man who has criticized arms control and other international treaties, as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. (03/08/2005)

Disturbing pattern By Suzanne Goldenberg
An Army investigation of abuse by U.S. soldiers -- involving alleged rape of Iraqi women -- ends for lack of evidence. (03/08/2005)

Falling short By Brian Whitaker
As pro- and anti-Syrian demonstrators take to the streets of Beirut, Damascus equivocates on its withdrawal from Lebanon. (03/08/2005)

A lawyerly defense for outsourcing torture Tim Grieve
Alberto Gonzales promised he'd change his ways when he became attorney general. He hasn't. (03/08/2005)

So much for the working poor Tim Grieve
The Senate defeats two measures -- one real, one fake -- to raise the minimum wage. (03/08/2005)

Money talks Tim Grieve
Howard Dean's Democrats are raking in cash -- but not as quckly as the Republicans. (03/08/2005)

The Clinton report Tim Grieve
There's good news and bad news for the once and maybe future first couple. (03/08/2005)

Tell it to the slaves Tim Grieve
A Republican senator says his home state hasn't quite gotten "over" Abraham Lincoln yet. (03/08/2005)

Tainted reporting at Bush's EPA Julia Scott
Did the agency bury pollution data to accommodate Bush's industry-friendly Clear Skies bill? (03/08/2005)

Faith in federal funding Page Rockwell
The House moves to fund faith-based groups that hire and fire based on religious discrimination. (03/08/2005)

Terrorists' right to bear arms Mark Follman
How the pro-gun lobby has helped terrorist suspects inside the U.S. get their hands on assault rifles. (03/08/2005)

Daily Download: "I Predict a Riot," the Kaiser Chiefs, single
(03/07/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
It's Comeback Week! Starring "Fat Actress" Kirstie Alley, "Bachelorette" Jen, Jennifer Love's Hewitts and "Top Model" rejects. Plus: The joyless evil of "Stars Without Makeup." (03/07/2005)

Who rules supreme?
A poll: Which is the most important band in the world? (03/07/2005)

The Fix
Rather says barbs hurt. Boy George lashes out at Madonna. Martha says freedom tastes "very, very good." (03/07/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Has the world ever felt less safe? (03/07/2005)

I'm a widower dating again -- how do I signal if I'm not interested? By Cary Tennis
I want to find the right woman, but I hesitate to reject anyone. (03/07/2005)

Now serving no trans fat! By Katharine Mieszkowski
The food industry and the USDA's ballyhooed war on trans fat distracts Americans from their real problem: They eat too much of the wrong food. (03/07/2005)

What the tsunami dragged in By Jeff Greenwald
Still sorting through the debris in Sri Lanka, officials are uncovering the explosive legacy of a wartorn area: Land mines. (03/07/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
On a wild day of college basketball upsets and near upsets, unbeaten Illinois finally takes the advice of the superstitious and loses. (03/07/2005)

In the spotlight again By Gary Younge
An election in Topeka pitting supporters of gay rights against avowed homophobes recalls the city's civil rights struggles of 50 years ago. (03/07/2005)

Stepping into the fray By Brian Whitaker
As Damascus plans its troop withdrawal, Hezbollah calls for pro-Syrian protests in Lebanon. (03/07/2005)

A watershed year for Sinn Fein By Henry McDonald
The world has turned a blind eye to Irish Republican Army violence as long as it stayed within Ireland. Now the game is up. (03/07/2005)

The abortion fight back home Tim Grieve
When the Bush administration pushed for an international resolution on abortion rights, was it acting out of concern for women in foreign lands or judges in the United States? (03/07/2005)

Failing the troops Tim Grieve
Despite all the bumper sticker politics about "supporting the troops," a new report shows that the Bush administration's bumbling left U.S. soldiers in Iraq without the body armor they needed. (03/07/2005)

First Social Security, then taxes Tim Grieve
Even some Republicans say the time isn't right for extending the president's tax cuts. (03/07/2005)

Rick Santorum's phony wage hike Tim Grieve
The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 since 1997. It looks like it's going to stay there. (03/07/2005)

Show us the money Julia Scott
New poll: If Americans had their say on the Bush budget, domestic spending would top the list. (03/07/2005)

Will Chertoff ditch the "rainbow of doom"? Mark Follman
Some serious recommendations for Bush's new Homeland Security chief. (03/07/2005)

Bolton doesn't change his U.N. tune Page Rockwell
Bush picks John Bolton for U.N. ambassador. Isn't he the guy who said "The United Nations does not exist"? (03/07/2005)

A Bush-backing Houstonian goes green? Katharine Mieszkowski
Former Secretary of State James Baker now says the U.S. should actually do something about global warming. (03/07/2005)

The man behind "Deadwood" By Heather Havrilesky
David Milch talks about turning the sanitized Hollywood western on its head with foul-mouthed misfits and miscreants who, no matter how vile, are touched by the divine. (03/05/2005)

The "Cedar Revolution" meets Hezbollah By Mitchell Prothero
The powerful Shiite militia flexes its muscles, warning the Lebanese opposition not to do the bidding of Israel or the United States. (03/05/2005)

Bush's Social Security mess By Joe Conason
President Bush is smearing lipstick on his Social Security pig, but the public still isn't buying it. Now it's time for Democrats to step up with their own plan. (03/05/2005)

Daily Download: "Kanon," Enon, from "Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence"
Daily Download: "Kanon," Enon, from "Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence" (03/04/2005)

Martha-hater, heal thyself By Stephanie Zacharek
The perfection-obsession she inspires says more about the people it afflicts than it does about Stewart herself, who's simply answering a primal American need: To make pretty stuff. (03/04/2005)

"Be Cool" By Stephanie Zacharek
Thurman, Travolta and the rest of the star-studded cast do indeed look cool. But where's the heat? (03/04/2005)

Inside "Gunner Palace" By Mark Follman
Soldiers in the new documentary, and Iraq war veterans, discuss how filmmaker Michael Tucker captures the real terror and craziness of their lives and service in Iraq. (03/04/2005)

The nightmare in Iraq By Andrew O'Hehir
"Gunner Palace" takes the viewer as close to the actual experience of the Iraq war as anyone will ever want to get. (03/04/2005)

Interpol at Radio City
(03/04/2005)

"Me" culture By James Westcott
We are what we buy at the mall, see at the multiplex, and hear on our iPods. And that's a good thing. Author Thomas De Zengotita discusses our new "Mediated" life. (03/04/2005)

Three cheers for America's tastemaker By Farhad Manjoo
By bringing beauty and style to Middle America, Martha Stewart has changed the way we live for the better. (03/04/2005)

Rumors of Martha's redemption are greatly exaggerated By Rebecca Traister
America wants her saga to have a sweet and noble conclusion. It shouldn't hold its violet-scented breath. (03/04/2005)

Martha's irremovable stains By Andrew Leonard
She's a cutthroat, greedy, boorish mogul who became a zillionaire by peddling a luxury lifestyle fantasy. She got off easy. (03/04/2005)

Do I love my wife enough? By Cary Tennis
I'm a middle child, abandoned by my eldest brother. Did I marry just for security? (03/04/2005)

Letters
Who's out of whose league? The black woman who's being hit on by "inferior" men gets some feedback. (03/04/2005)

Down on divorce By Jonathan Watts
Chinese authorities are concerned that the first generation to grow up in one-child families was so spoiled that it cannot make the sacrifices required by marriage. (03/04/2005)

How do you really feel, Harry? Tim Grieve
The Senate minority leader opines on the Federal Reserve chairman. (03/04/2005)

For Bush, a real Social Security "crisis" Tim Grieve
Democrats are united against the president's plan, and the White House can't keep Republicans onboard. (03/04/2005)

Where's Osama? Tim Grieve
Bush says the United States is on the hunt, but did the Pentagon shift troops to Iraq for the elections instead? (03/04/2005)

A quiet choice for the EPA Tim Grieve
In naming a long-time employee to lead the agency, is Bush choosing a leader or a lapdog? (03/04/2005)

Getting on the good side of history Mark Follman
Is it time to declare the bright dawn of democracy in the Middle East? (03/04/2005)

Battling against abortion rights at the U.N. Julia Scott
(03/04/2005)

Power to the Iranian people? Mark Follman
(03/04/2005)

The wild, wild West Leigh Flayton
(03/04/2005)

Carly or Bono for World Bank prez? Page Rockwell
(03/04/2005)

Aiming to become a household verb By Gary Younge
James Dyson describes his bestselling vacuum cleaner as Britain's most successful export since the Beatles. And it's hard to argue with that. (03/04/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
The Great Circle Mapper hypnotizes the pilot. Also, how far can a plane go after losing an engine? (03/04/2005)

Daily Download: "To a Black Boy," Danger Mouse and Murs, from "The Free Design Redesigned: Vol. 2"
Daily Download: "To a Black Boy," Danger Mouse and Murs, from "The Free Design Redesigned: Vol. 2" (03/03/2005)

German MP3 site
(03/03/2005)

"The Best of Youth" By Stephanie Zacharek
This six-hour, two-part movie about an Italian family spans 30 years, and stays with you for a long, long time. (03/03/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Billy Dare, boy adventurer: Quentin's Tale. (03/03/2005)

Diamond heart By Anne Lamott
In an exclusive excerpt from her new book, "Plan B," Anne Lamott writes about the difficulty and beauty of mothering a teenager. (03/04/2005)

A "friend" tried to assault me when I was drunk By Cary Tennis
I woke up and found him taking off my bra -- but nobody seems to think it's such a big deal! (03/03/2005)

"We are people too" By Paul Harris
Homosexual activists in Spokane plan a gay business district, hoping it will inspire other conservative cities in America's heartland. (03/03/2005)

Recycled rhetoric By Sidney Blumenthal
Bush's huge gamble on dismantling the cornerstone of the New Deal will fail. And if the Democrats remain disciplined, his defeat will be profound. (03/03/2005)

A tale of two leadership styles By Arianna Huffington
I've seen the future of progressive leadership in America, and his name is Andy Stern. (03/03/2005)

Letters
Readers weigh in on the differences between men and women. Plus: Liberal bias and the future of journalism. (03/03/2005)

Can Porter Goss do his job? Tim Grieve
The new CIA chief says he's overwhelmed. (03/03/2005)

Hey, who voted for this guy? Tim Grieve
Bush may have won the election, but a new CBS/New York Times poll shows he doesn't have a mandate. (03/03/2005)

Jeff Gannon on what a woman needs Tim Grieve
What the "old Jeff Gannon" might have done for Maureen Dowd. (03/03/2005)

Another milestone in Iraq Tim Grieve
The U.S. death toll hits 1,500 -- and keeps climbing. (03/03/2005)

Children are our future Julia Scott
Alcohol, drugs and violence are rampant in public schools. Bush's solution: install more guards. (03/03/2005)

Gannons everywhere Julia Scott
A Comedy Central correspondent spoofs Jeff Gannon at a New York press conference. (03/03/2005)

The new Cold War Page Rockwell
Russia and the U.S. remain friendly, but are engaged in a Cold War-style arms race. (03/03/2005)

Regulating the blogosphere? Page Rockwell
The extension of the McCain-Feingold act to Internet activities could require political campaigns to count online activism as a contribution. (03/03/2005)

Daily Download: "Wait," Aaron Siegel, live performance
Daily Download: "Wait," Aaron Siegel, live performance (03/02/2005)

Zombies, smack addicts and Starbucks By Brian Libby
Director Danny Boyle explains the real monsters lurking in his movies, from "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later" to his latest, "Millions." (03/02/2005)

The Frames in concert
(03/02/2005)

Bestsellers
Readers get zen, learn the secrets of French women, and try not to think of elephants while blinking. (03/02/2005)

Letters
Acadians and Louisianians say, We have not forgotten! Plus: Readers on both sides of the border complain about our use of "America," and Andrew O'Hehir responds. (03/02/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
The Red Sox meet the president! (03/02/2005)

My boyfriend's sons are strangely housebound. Should I worry? By Cary Tennis
My two sons are outgoing and athletic; my boyfriend's sons never leave the house. Isn't that kind of odd? (03/02/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
When all the results from the NFL scouting combine are tabulated, there's one stat worth remembering: Ryan Leaf was once the second-highest pick. (03/02/2005)

Tearing down the press By Eric Boehlert
The Bush administration has been at war with the media from Day One. Is its real goal to undermine the press itself -- and thereby eliminate inconvenient truths? (03/02/2005)

"The sense of expectation is palpable" By Ewen MacAskill
Palestinian leader Abbas warns at a meeting in London that without direct talks with Israel the fragile peace could be broken. (03/02/2005)

Racial holy war? By Gary Younge
Suspicion falls on white supremacist organizations in the execution of a federal judge's husband and mother in Chicago. (03/02/2005)

Joining the rest of civilization By Julian Borger
The Supreme Court brings the U.S. out from the cold, ruling that juvenile execution constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. (03/02/2005)

Just like a woman By Lorraine Dusky
Lawrence Summers was right about one thing: There are innate differences between males and females. And if we want everyone to succeed, we shouldn't dismiss them. (03/02/2005)

Cheney for president in 2008? Tim Grieve
He says he won't do it. The Weekly Standard says he should think again. (03/02/2005)

Republicans jump ship on Social Security Tim Grieve
Bill Frist says a vote may have to wait until next year -- and even then it might not include private accounts. (03/02/2005)

Poor Ari Tim Grieve
The former White House press secretary has written a book, and the New York Times isn't very nice about it. (03/02/2005)

A bit of backbone on Bush nominees Tim Grieve
(03/02/2005)

The Kennedy backlash begins Tim Grieve
Smarting from the Supreme Court's death penalty decision, Gary Bauer warns the right that Anthony Kennedy is fixing to turn over the United States to foreigners -- including the French! (03/02/2005)

Rumsfeld's legal troubles Julia Scott
The Defense Secretary is sued for his part in promoting torture abroad. (03/02/2005)

America's propaganda war Julia Scott
The battle for hearts and minds goes on in earnest in Iraq, Iran and Pakistan, and television is the official weapon of choice. (03/02/2005)

Daily Download: "It Never Changes to Stop," the Books, from "Lost and Safe"
Daily Download: "It Never Changes to Stop," the Books, from "Lost and Safe" (03/01/2005)

Help save Y100
(03/01/2005)

The Fix
Did Jackson's accuser target Leno? Plus: J.Lo's fur-trimmed SS trooper look. (03/01/2005)

America's forgotten atrocity By Andrew O'Hehir
A unique hybrid people, the Acadians offered a wiser, kinder vision of settling the continent. Instead, they became the victims of North America's first ethnic cleansing campaign. (03/01/2005)

The boxer By Allen Barra
F.X. Toole never lived to see his best story, "Million Dollar Baby," made into a movie by Clint Eastwood. Wouldn't it have been nice if someone had thought to thank him on Oscar night? (03/01/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
The power of red and the coldness of blue. (03/01/2005)

Letters
A source in a Salon story accuses the author of fanning flames of panic about the sexual practices of gay men. (03/01/2005)

The whatever culture By Corrie Pikul
A new book says uncaring, punitive adults -- parents and professionals alike -- are responsible for an epidemic of checked-out, drug-taking middle-class teens. (03/01/2005)

Don't these guys ever look in a mirror? By Cary Tennis
Why can't the black men who hit on me see I'm out of their league? (03/01/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Temple basketball coach John Chaney has handled himself admirably in the wake of a terrible act. But he still should go. (03/01/2005)

Big biz battles for Bush's bench By Dan Noyes
Last year the Senate rejected former mining and cattle lobbyist William Myers for the Court of Appeals. Now Bush is trying again -- and this time Myers' business pals are waging a multimillion-dollar campaign for him. (03/01/2005)

Democracy's birth pangs By Simon Tisdall
The response to a paternity suit in Egypt is one sign that Mubarak's iron grip may be loosening. (03/01/2005)

Rocking Jackson's world By Dan Glaister
The prosecution opens its case by focusing on a documentary about the pop star's life at Neverland. (03/01/2005)

Eroding equality By Suzanne Goldenberg
The Bush administration declines to ratify an international treaty on women, saying the U.N. must first renounce abortion rights. (03/01/2005)

All about DeLay By Lou Dubose
The House majority leader's handprints figure prominently in a trial in Austin alleging the illegal use of soft money in Texas' 2002 election. (03/01/2005)

Keep talking, George
The more the president says about Social Security, the less voters like his privatization plan. (03/01/2005)

Well, that's that Tim Grieve
The Bush tapes are now in the hands of the president's lawyer -- never to be heard again. (03/01/2005)

Staying out of Gannongate Tim Grieve
White House reporters aren't happy that Jeff Gannon was in their midst, but they don't want to do anything to prevent the next Jeff Gannon from coming along. (03/01/2005)

Kerry in 2008? Tim Grieve
Just weeks after saying it's "too early" to talk about next time, John Kerry launches a political action committee. (03/01/2005)

The death knell for Anthony Kennedy? Tim Grieve
Voting to prohibit the death penalty for juvenile killers, Anthony Kennedy comes full circle. But did he kill any chance of becoming chief justice? (03/01/2005)

South Africa's weak battle against AIDS Julia Scott
South Africa's progress in the fight against AIDS has been weak, despite government assurances to the contrary. (03/01/2005)

God, truth, Howard Dean and Robert Novak Tim Grieve
Robert Novak can't get the facts right on Social Security, but at least he's doing God's work. (03/01/2005)

Iran's nuclear smokescreen Page Rockwell
Iran forks over evidence of its nuclear technology acquisitions, but won't let the IAEA inspect certain sites or agree to stop enriching uranium. (03/01/2005)