February 2005

Daily Download: "Late Blues," Ida, from "Heart Like a River"
Daily Download: "Late Blues," Ida, from "Heart Like a River" (02/28/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Yow! Avalanche of reality TV, heading this way! A new batch of fame-seeking mutants, strutting hotties and whining losers. Plus: Simon, please keep your sexual fantasies to yourself. (02/28/2005)

Oscar on life support By Cintra Wilson
Welcome to wartime Academy Awards: Cheap, tense and cobbled together from graphics rations donated by the E! Channel. Not even Chris Rock or Beyoncé -- or the travesty that is Antonio Banderas -- can save it. (03/01/2005)

Phoning it in
(02/28/2005)

The Fix
How Rock kept it clean -- and Blanchett didn't. Plus: Ellen and Portia's exes bond, and Rather gets dissed. (02/28/2005)

From "Red Harvest" to "Deadwood" By Allen Barra
How Dashiell Hammett's first and most important novel eluded film adaptation and still managed to find its way onto the big -- and small -- screen. (02/28/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
What's the big deal about a conservative reporter asking a few questions at White House press briefings? (02/28/2005)

I'm an unappreciated mom in a Franken-family of six! By Cary Tennis
I take care of everything, but who takes care of me? (02/28/2005)

Letters
Readers debate Judith Warner's book "Perfect Madness" and take issue with her characterization of fathers. Also: Attachment parents defend their philosophy. (02/28/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Sports night at the Oscars: A boxing flick wins big as jock pix -- Jose Canseco's "Super Size Me," etc. -- dominate, and the producers want the whole thing finished, pronto. (02/28/2005)

Off to a quick start By Dan Glaister
The People of California vs. Michael Joseph Jackson finally begins with opening statements by the defense and prosecution. (02/28/2005)

From pub brawl to national crisis By Angelique Chrisafis
Supporters turn against the Irish Republican Army, saying it has intimidated witnesses to a murder during the commemoration of Bloody Sunday. (02/28/2005)

Bringing light into the darkness of prisons By Antony Barnett
Peter Benenson, the founder of Amnesty International, dies at age 83. (02/28/2005)

Right Hook by Mark Follman
Why have conservatives been silent about new evidence that the Bush administration sanctioned torture? Victor Davis Hanson and Jonah Goldberg tell us. (02/28/2005)

Oh, that crazy Vladimir Tim Grieve
As the fallout from "Rathergate" continues, two CBS staffers resign -- and Russia's leader suggests that George Bush is to blame. (02/28/2005)

Talon News stands down Tim Grieve
The former journalism home of Jeff Gannon says it's time for a "top to bottom" review of its contributors. (02/28/2005)

Iraq's bloody Monday Tim Grieve
Iraq suffers its deadliest attack since the fall of Saddam Hussein, and Ayad Allawi says the Bush administration bears some of the blame for his country's problems. (02/28/2005)

Arnold's new project: fake news Tim Grieve
Taking a page from the Bush administration sales manual, Arnold Schwarzenegger pitches his plans with a pre-packaged fake news story. (02/28/2005)

Tonic benefits: Jim O'Rouke; Sean Lennon and Vincent Gallo
Tonic benefits: Jim O'Rouke; Sean Lennon and Vincent Gallo (02/26/2005)

K-Os Loves Canada
K-Os Loves Canada (02/26/2005)

Heavy-metal madness By Amanda Griscom Little
A report by two congressmen downplays the connection between toxic mercury emissions and human health. (02/26/2005)

Letters
U.S. Rep. Christopher Cox says he was misquoted; Salon's Michelle Goldberg responds. (02/26/2005)

Daily Download: "Montefiore," Robbers on High Street, from "Tree City"
Daily Download: "Montefiore," Robbers on High Street, from "Tree City" (02/25/2005)

The Fix
Hunter S. Thompson's wife: Family drank to -- and with -- his corpse. Lohan's parents continue messy battle. (02/25/2005)

Bite-size blockbusters
A special Salon screening of five Oscar-nominated shorts -- featuring an irascible guard dog, a little terrorist, a sleep-deprived Romeo and more. (02/25/2005)

"Little Terrorist"
A director quits -- and gets ahead. (02/25/2005)

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" By Stephanie Zacharek
Will Tyler Perry's religion-infused comedy spawn a completely new genre: Churchotainment? (02/25/2005)

"Guard Dog"
Grown-up animation finally has its day. (02/25/2005)

"7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Manana)"
Making the mundane intriguing. (02/25/2005)

"Gopher Broke"
Shorts that can go long. (02/25/2005)

"Ryan"
Seeing through a troubled "legend." (02/25/2005)

The academic unleashed
The academic unleashed (02/25/2005)

What ever happened to safe sex? By Alysia Abbott
Spurred by fears of a deadly new strain of HIV, the gay community is searching its soul over its dangerous new complacency about AIDS. (02/25/2005)

My fiance can't say no to women! By Cary Tennis
He lets ex-girlfriends ignore me, he lends money to female friends and lets his mother boss him around. (02/25/2005)

See no Gannon, hear no Gannon, speak no Gannon By Eric Boehlert
Why has the mainstream media ignored the White House media access scandal? (02/25/2005)

Bush's bait and switch By Farhad Manjoo
Liberal author Thomas Frank and conservative opinion maker Richard Viguerie agree that Bush roped in voters with moral issues, only to sell them out with his Social Security plan. (02/25/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NBA deadline day: Everyone gets traded! And other shocking developments, including the historic discovery of long-lost lousy players. (02/25/2005)

The high costs of occupation By Chris McGreal
A new report shows that Israel's conflict with the Palestinians has severely undermined its economy and greatly increased poverty. (02/25/2005)

The challenges of nation building By Simon Tisdall
The U.N. warns that though its civil war is over, Afghanistan could easily slip back into chaos. (02/25/2005)

Schism over sexuality By Stephen Bates
A worldwide Anglican body asks member churches in the U.S. and Canada to temporarily withdraw because of their more liberal stances on gays and same-sex marriage. (02/25/2005)

Beware the coming propaganda juggernaut By Joe Conason
The public's money is already being spent to sell privatization -- one P.R. firm is being paid $1.8 million by the Social Security Administration. (02/25/2005)

The high cost of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Tim Grieve
(02/25/2005)

Jeff Gannon: Hot or not? Tim Grieve
(02/25/2005)

A new kind of orange alert Jeff Horwitz
(02/25/2005)

Joe Biden in 2008? Tim Grieve
(02/25/2005)

Condi's uber-sexy European tour Mark Follman
(02/25/2005)

Backdoor bid to drill in ANWR Julia Scott
(02/25/2005)

Canada's missile crisis Julia Scott
(02/26/2005)

Bush and Putin's theater of the absurd Page Rockwell
(02/26/2005)

Remembering Hunter ... and lunch
Paying homage to the gonzo great, and recalling the stuff you shouldn't forget. (02/25/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Regional airlines, small jets -- why is the airline industry in such a hurry to downsize? (02/25/2005)

Daily Download: "For Brian," Jacob Danziger, from "Naming Distances"
Daily Download: "For Brian," Jacob Danziger, from "Naming Distances" (02/24/2005)

The Fix
Lindsay Lohan's father allegedly threatened to pull an O.J. Rather "muzzled." Plus: Bob Dylan, mathematician? (02/24/2005)

Dirty Harry or p.c. wimp? By Christopher Orr
Left-wing critics attacked Clint Eastwood's early work as violently fascistic. Now conservatives blast him as a p.c. apologist and moral relativist. They're both wrong. (02/24/2005)

A big risk? By Gary Younge
Some foodies turn up their noses at the news that France's Michelin Guide plans to start rating restaurants in New York. (02/24/2005)

SXSW showcase schedule posted
SXSW showcase schedule posted (02/24/2005)

Bestsellers
Gladwell and Diamond play leapfrog, and readers ask: What kind of fabric makes up the cosmos? And why do French women never get fat? (02/24/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
News flash: Dinkle's real identity exposed! (02/24/2005)

Who's your baby daddy? By Lynn Harris
A Brooklyn author is sponsoring a contest that offers 10 lucky black couples with children free weddings. But is this really going to strengthen the black family? (02/24/2005)

Help -- I can't seem to leave my Dallas motel room! By Cary Tennis
I was supposed to be in Mexico days ago, but something is holding me back. (02/24/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Chris Webber and Randy Moss get traded. Addition by subtraction should work in one of those cases. Plus: When the Harlem Globetrotters were serious business. (02/24/2005)

"Sacrificial lambs" By Audrey Gillan
British soldiers convicted of abuse of Iraqi detainees say they were singled out to shield their superiors. (02/24/2005)

Containing Bush By Sidney Blumenthal
The president doesn't seem to realize it, but the Europeans still don't buy his neocon vision -- and they've backed him into a corner on Iran. (02/24/2005)

Coming to a flat screen near you: The Pentagon Channel By Arianna Huffington
If you hate the truth, you'll love DoD TV! (02/24/2005)

Remember federalism? Tim Grieve
(02/24/2005)

Gay marriage and Social Security reform Tim Grieve
(02/24/2005)

We don't even want to think about it Tim Grieve
(02/24/2005)

Do they give a Purple Heart for smears? Tim Grieve
(02/24/2005)

Jackson trial already a real thriller Mark Follman
(02/24/2005)

Will the U.S. attack Iran this June? Julia Scott
(02/24/2005)

The real new Iraqi army? Page Rockwell
(02/24/2005)

Letters
Games don't kill, people do -- and guns. Readers respond to David Kushner's "Grand Death Auto." (02/24/2005)

Confessions of a Hollywood sellout By Lisa Lutz
There is no self-help group out there for a screenwriter who wasted a decade of her life rewriting a straight-to-video mob farce. (02/23/2005)

Daily Download: "Woman King," Iron & Wine, from "Woman King EP"
Daily Download: "Woman King," Iron & Wine, from "Woman King EP" (02/23/2005)

The Fix
Queen to skip Charles' wedding. Rushdie makes threats. Paris Hilton: "I don't know why this stuff always happens to me." (02/23/2005)

Calling Paris' pals By Laura Barton
After hackers posted the contents of Hilton's star-filled phone book on the Net, I decided to try to make some new friends. (02/23/2005)

Experimental music venue needs help
Experimental music venue needs help (02/23/2005)

"Enchantments" by Linda Ferri By Priya Jain
A little novel brims with the wonders and sorrows of growing up. (02/23/2005)

"How to Fall" by Edith Pearlman By Andrew O'Hehir
Through sharp, honest storytelling, a collection of tales about suburban women becomes irresistibly fascinating. (02/23/2005)

"A Thread of Grace" by Mary Doria Russell By Laura Miller
A dense and absorbing account of Italian resistance to the German genocide machine in World War II. (02/23/2005)

"Johnny Too Bad" by John Dufresne By Andrew O'Hehir
A brilliant short story collection deliberately blurs the lines between fiction and fact. (02/23/2005)

"The Manhattan Beach Project" by Peter Lefcourt By Stephanie Zacharek
Reality TV takes an insane and resolutely un-p.c. turn, with hilarious results. (02/23/2005)

What to Read By Salon's critics
Gray and dreary February packs pleasant and colorful fictional surprises from Italy, Britain and the U.S. (02/23/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
The passion of the Keef (02/23/2005)

Mommy madness By Katy Read
The latest buzzy book about motherhood claims that in an effort to orchestrate an ideal upbringing for their children, women are messing up their marriages, spoiling their kids, and losing their minds. (02/23/2005)

My husband won't touch me -- what can I do? By Cary Tennis
I want desperately to have a child, and so does he. (02/23/2005)

Gannongate: It's worse than you think By Eric Boehlert
Bush's press office gave Jim Guckert access, even knowing his only credentials were from the blatantly partisan group GOPUSA. (02/23/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NBA's playoff formula means winning is a bad thing for some teams, and that's a bad thing. Plus: Drinking at 200 mph with F1. And: "Slap Shot" lives in the UHL. (02/23/2005)

Ayatollah in a suit? By Rory Carroll
Shiites nominate a former doctor with strong religious beliefs after Chalabi pulls out of the race for prime minister of Iraq. (02/23/2005)

A familiar tale By Richard Norton-Taylor
New details about Britain's rush to war reveal the political pressure the attorney general faced in trying to provide legal justification for the invasion of Iraq. (02/23/2005)

Letters
Veterans respond to Mark Benjamin's article on Walter Reed and share their own frustrations with the Army's medical bureaucracy. (02/23/2005)

Kill the messenger Tim Grieve
(02/23/2005)

A musical interlude Tim Grieve
(02/23/2005)

The return of Jeff Gannon Tim Grieve
(02/23/2005)

How far is too far? Tim Grieve
(02/23/2005)

Sanitized for your protection Tim Grieve
(02/23/2005)

Pop-up ads invade Department of Homeland Security Katharine Mieszkowski
(02/23/2005)

More for the torture file Mark Follman
A federal judge acknowledges "circumstantial evidence" of U.S. complicity in torture conducted by foreign allies in the war against terrorism. (02/23/2005)

Daily Download: "Field Work (The Ethnographer's Daughter)," Mike Ladd, from "Negrophilia: The Album"
Daily Download: "Field Work (The Ethnographer's Daughter)," Mike Ladd, from "Negrophilia: The Album" (02/22/2005)

Richard Goode at Carnegie Hall
Richard Goode at Carnegie Hall (02/22/2005)

The Fix
Paris hacking rocks Eminem, Ashley Olsen, Anna Kournikova. Plus: Hunter S. Thompson's last request? (02/22/2005)

Letters
"Too weird to live, and too rare to die." Salon readers reflect on Hunter S. Thompson's life, death and legacy. (02/22/2005)

Blogroll
(02/22/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Nobody here but us sphinxes. (02/22/2005)

My husband is entranced with a woman who is manic-depressive By Cary Tennis
We're great friends with this couple, but my husband seems a little too taken with the unstable wife. (02/22/2005)

Bill Burkett fights back By Eric Boehlert
A key player in the Dan Rather Memogate saga sends a letter to CBS, charging that its independent investigation destroyed his reputation and ignored the network's own culpability. (02/22/2005)

Iraqi women on the verge of a revolution By Mitchell Prothero
The election holds both danger and hope for women -- but some Iraqi women's advocates fear the worst. (02/22/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Steroids have been great for baseball's business, but steroid revelations may be even better. (02/22/2005)

Paying for girls By Helena Smith
Turkey, where half of young females get no education, tries bribery to drag its citizens into the civilized world. (02/22/2005)

Transatlantic trip By Nicholas Watts
On his first day in Europe, Bush offers soothing words but no substantive policy changes. (02/22/2005)

Desperately seeking gays By Patrick Barkham
The British navy joins forces with an advocacy group to recruit and retain more homosexual sailors. (02/22/2005)

If you don't write me a blank check, the terrorists have won By Joyce McGreevy
In asking for $82 billion more for the Iraq war, Bush shows his strong commitment to sacrifice, for both Americans and Iraqis! (02/22/2005)

A Swift Boat smear for Social Security Tim Grieve
(02/22/2005)

Bush tapes: More where those came from? Tim Grieve
(02/22/2005)

Thompson's lawyer: It wasn't about Bush Tim Grieve
(02/22/2005)

The Supreme Court short list Tim Grieve
(02/22/2005)

Setting an example for the kids Leigh Flayton
(02/22/2005)

"Insult to Injury" update Mark Benjamin
(02/22/2005)

A U.S. fleet for outsourcing torture? Mark Follman
More evidence of aircraft used in the Bush administration's secretive program for rendering terrorist suspects to foreign countries. (02/22/2005)

Grand Death Auto By David Kushner
Two kids, 13 and 15, killed an innocent highway motorist. Was a violent computer game responsible -- or their sad lives? (02/22/2005)

Hitler's bodyguard By Ida Hattemer-Higgins
An acclaimed new film dares to present the Fuhrer as more than a cardboard monster. The last man in the bunker, Rochus Misch, talks about the Hitler he knew. (02/21/2005)

Daily Download: "Women to Control," AK-Momo, from "Return to N.Y."
(02/21/2005)

"Downfall" By Andrew O'Hehir
This German film about Hitler's last days is so powerful and compelling, you may actually find yourself feeling sorry for Der Fuhrer. (02/21/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
The Southland's Doppler 7000 chases raindrops, "The Bachelorette" chases ambivalent pretty boys, and "Jonny Zero" fights crime with more crime. Plus: What's more fun than a barrel of super-rich, whiny teenagers? (02/21/2005)

Gonzo gone By Dana Cook
Sonny Barger, Rosalynn Carter, Ben Fong-Torres and others remember the wild life and times of Hunter S. Thompson. (02/21/2005)

The Duke of Hazard By Cintra Wilson
Hunter S. Thompson blasted through the world like a big-finned rocket of defiance and revulsion. He leaves a big burned hole and a safer, duller world. (02/21/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Further ways to argue like a conservative (a sadly ongoing series). (02/21/2005)

Hunter S. Thompson and George W. Bush Tim Grieve
(02/21/2005)

Scene stealer By Kerry Lauerman
Maybe you don't know his name, but you know Bobby Cannavale's face. And get ready to see a whole lot more of it. (02/20/2005)

Among the believers By Michelle Goldberg
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, where rabid Bush-worshippers learn that liberals hate America and that we really did find WMD in Iraq. (02/19/2005)

A wimpier shade of green By Amanda Griscom Little
Why aren't environmental groups taking to the streets to protest the U.S.'s snubbing of the Kyoto Protocol? (02/19/2005)

Letters
Readers respond to reports of mistreated Iraq war vets. Plus: Were Lawrence Summers' comments justified? (02/19/2005)

The Fix
Jackson's secret phone line, "barber's pole" penis. Plus: Cosby's off the hook. (02/18/2005)

"Constantine" By Andrew O'Hehir
Movie from hell? Nope, this Keanu Reeves action flick actually rocks -- and so does its star. (02/18/2005)

M. Ward extras
(02/18/2005)

Tolkien's cosmological vision By Peter L'Official
Before Frodo and Sam, there were Beren and Luthien. A case for revisiting "The Silmarillion." (02/18/2005)

How do I get through this? By Cary Tennis
I'm doing OK now, but I have flashbacks of my scary, painful past. (02/18/2005)

Behind the walls of Ward 54 By Mark Benjamin
They're overmedicated, forced to talk about their mothers instead of Iraq, and have to fight for disability pay. Traumatized combat vets say the Army is failing them, and after a year following more than a dozen soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, I believe them. (02/18/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NBA preseason reaches the 13/20ths mark and the All-Star break with lots of excitement at the bottom of the standings. Plus: Free the Stanley Cup! (02/18/2005)

Top spy By Julian Borger
Recalling his years as ambassdor to Honduras, some worry that DNI nominee John Negroponte will only worsen the trend toward politicized intelligence. (02/18/2005)

New claims of detainee torture By Suzanne Goldenberg and James Meek
Documents obtained by the ACLU indicate that the U.S. used interrogation methods in Afghanistan as harsh as those employed at Abu Ghraib. (02/18/2005)

Summers' simplistic stereotyping By Kirsten Powers
Women fail or succeed just as men do, for all sorts of reasons. Why not leave it at that until science proves otherwise? (02/18/2005)

Gannon: The early years By Joe Conason
Before he was buttering up Bush at White House press conferences, "Jeff Gannon" was doing the GOP's dirty work in attacking Tom Daschle. (02/18/2005)

Button my lip Tim Grieve
(02/18/2005)

Hollywood and Hillary Tim Grieve
(02/18/2005)

Ari Fleischer's doubts about Gannon Tim Grieve
(02/18/2005)

There but for the grace of God . . . Tim Grieve
(02/18/2005)

Dissent among the ranks Mark Follman
(02/18/2005)

Unhitched
Table Talkers remember the one that got away -- and why it was for the best. (02/18/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
What are the safest airlines? Why is that a dumb question? (02/18/2005)

The Fix
Michael Jackson, serial dangler; George Michael announces retirement. Plus: Crowe threatened by Kidman? (02/17/2005)

A radio miss and a hit
audiofile deck (02/17/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
A powerful Czech drama with comic flourishes; three strange, mesmerizing short films by French legend Agnes Varda; and the first feature made in Iraq since Saddam's fall. (02/17/2005)

Daily Download: "Sovay" and "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left," Andrew Bird, from "The Mysterious Production of Eggs"
audiofile deck (02/18/2005)

Daily Download: "The Music Lovers," Destroyer, from "Notorious Lightning
Daily Download: "The Music Lovers," Destroyer, from "Notorious Lightning and Other Works" (02/17/2005)

George Michael retires
audiofile deck (02/17/2005)

The future perfect By Andrew Leonard
Famed Scottish novelist Iain Banks talks about how science fiction has turned anti-American, and why there'll be no WMD in outer space. (02/17/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Did you know? This week: Oscars 2005! (02/17/2005)

Ten weeks after our first kid was born, my husband asked for a divorce By Cary Tennis
Now he's banging a 23-year-old who works at the motel where he's staying! (02/17/2005)

Ball and chain By Rebecca Traister
In the new anthology "Committed," male writers from Jay McInerney to Colin Harrison explain their decision to finally settle down. Salon asked their partners for the other side of the story. (02/17/2005)

Treating agony with ecstasy By David Adam
Drugs dismissed as merely recreational, such as MDMA and psilocybin, are getting a second look for medicinal use in trials underway at several universities. (02/17/2005)

"They are Arabs and you can't trust them" By Ferry Biedermann
The Kurdish fighters who dominate Mosul, the mixed city that may provide a preview of Iraq's future, call local Sunnis "dogs" and "terrorists" -- and they don't like the Shiites, either. (02/17/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Jose Canseco, steroids and NHL doomsday: The readers write. (02/17/2005)

AIDS scare is overblown By Katharine Mieszkowski
Medical experts say the "super strain" of HIV found in a New York man is probably not so super after all. (02/17/2005)

Academic revolt By Suzanne Goldenberg
Remarks last month by Harvard's president about why women lag in the sciences prompt intense criticism of his leadership style by faculty. (02/17/2005)

Shorting relief By Owen Bowcott
Many charities are ending their appeals for tsunami aid, even though less than half of what is needed for reconstruction has been raised. (02/17/2005)

"Jeff Gannon's" incredible access By Eric Boehlert
There's evidence he got into White House briefings before he was a "reporter." (02/17/2005)

True lies By Arianna Huffington
Why Michael Eisner is the Disneyland doppelganger of the deceptive Arnold Schwarzenegger. (02/17/2005)

Letters
The "Jeff Gannon" debate rolls on: Readers say the fake reporter's "secret life" is fair game. (02/17/2005)

Midnight cowboy in the garden of Bush and evil By Sidney Blumenthal
The phony journalist in the White House is the most bizarre example yet of the administration's efforts to thwart an independent press. (02/17/2005)

Bush's backslide Tim Grieve
(02/17/2005)

Defense? Don't ask me Tim Grieve
(02/17/2005)

The slow road to John Negroponte Tim Grieve
(02/17/2005)

How Tom Ridge didn't do politics Tim Grieve
(02/17/2005)

Gale Norton's Yellowstone snow job Katharine Mieszkowski
(02/17/2005)

Republican hardball in the House Julia Scott
(02/17/2005)

The axis of oil Mark Follman
(02/17/2005)

Election reform on the way? Farhad Manjoo
(02/17/2005)

The Fix
Sick Jackson dubbed "King of Plop." P. Diddy sued by publisher. Plus: Britney's honeymoon pix! (02/16/2005)

Daily Download: "Louis Collins," Mississippi John Hurt, from the 1928 Ok
"Louis Collins" (02/16/2005)

Letters
Green Day better than Zeppelin? Salon readers are outraged at the very idea -- and Neal Pollack responds. (02/16/2005)

Questions About Public Domain Law
(02/16/2005)

Dog is my copilot By Heather Havrilesky
"The Dog Whisperer" trains problem pooches and their wayward owners. But could he get my dog, Potus, and me to behave? (02/16/2005)

Bestsellers
Khaled Hosseini overtakes the top spot. Plus, readers opt for a kinder, gentler world by learning how to make kind choices and understanding the fabric of the cosmos. (02/16/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
What the hell were we thinking? (02/16/2005)

I got derailed somehow! By Cary Tennis
I feel like I've failed at everything. How do I get back on track? (02/16/2005)

Letters
Readers tell Cary Tennis: That adulterous wife's husband should rat her out! (02/16/2005)

Dog show! By Rebecca Traister
Hipster revelers cheer their favorite pooches downtown, while uptown at Westminster, Carlee the German shorthaired pointer gets the gold. (02/16/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
NHL owners and players started negotiating frantically just as the season was about to go down the drain. It was too late and they were too dumb, so down it went. (02/16/2005)

A blow for corporate censorship By John Vidal
Two penniless protestors sued for libel by McDonald's emerge victorious after a 20-year struggle. (02/16/2005)

The Internet as blabbermouth By Gary Younge
Is the downfall of CNN's Eason Jordan after a blogger reported his off-the-record remarks a sign that the blogosphere is surpassing the mainstream media? (02/16/2005)

Hope amid tragedy By Andrew Exum
A huge crowd mourns Lebanon's assassinated former leader, while a few dare to wonder whether his death will somehow lead to long-awaited independence from Syria. (02/16/2005)

Letters
Readers wonder whether "Jeff Gannon's" sexuality merits Salon's attention. Plus: Is Social Security privatization in the public interest? (02/16/2005)

The aristocracy of consultants Tim Grieve
(02/16/2005)

Stuck with the detainees Tim Grieve
(02/16/2005)

Don't ask, don't tell Tim Grieve
(02/16/2005)

Who's watching you now? Mark Schapiro
(02/16/2005)

Bush 'fesses up on Social Security Tim Grieve
(02/16/2005)

Alberto Gonzales' hot pursuit of porn Farhad Manjoo
(02/17/2005)

The Fix
Drudge vs. Rock -- settling an old score? Reality show contestant commits suicide. Plus: Kobe to take the stand for Michael? (02/15/2005)

Daily Download: "Seventeen," Keren Ann, from "Not Going Anywhere"
"Seventeen" (02/15/2005)

MP34U
(02/15/2005)

New on iTunes
(02/15/2005)

Letters
Fans, detractors and Lovecraft-inspired writers respond to Laura Miller's "Master of Disgust." (02/15/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Creation myth. (02/15/2005)

My wife's having an affair with a married man. Should I tell his wife? By Cary Tennis
My friends and my therapist disagree. Who do you side with? (02/15/2005)

The truth about Arnold By Peter Byrne
The movie star poses as a corruption-fighting moderate. But since taking office, he's pursued a blatantly right-wing agenda while raking in big bucks from special interests -- and ignoring his own financial conflicts. (02/15/2005)

"Jeff Gannon's" secret life By Eric Boehlert
Revelations that the bogus reporter worked as a gay escort are the latest twist in the affair that has the White House squirming -- and Democrats demanding explanations. (02/15/2005)

Cautious optimism in the Middle East By Aluf Benn
We've heard all the promises before. But this time, maybe peace really will break out. (02/15/2005)

And the winner is ... Iran? By Mitchell Prothero
Initial election results suggest that Iran could wield major power in newly democratic Iraq -- not exactly what the U.S. hoped for. (02/15/2005)

Turks and Kirkuk By Simon Tisdall
Ankara worries that sooner or later Kurds will seek the freedom and self-determination that Bush has declared a universal right. (02/15/2005)

Shattered calm By Carolynne Wheeler and Julian Borger
The assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister, for which many blame Syria, raises fears of a return to civil war. (02/15/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Jose Canseco's "Juiced": Believe it or not, it's a pretty good read. And when it comes to the steroid charges, believing's not a bad bet. (02/15/2005)

A dispatch from the culture war By Michelle Goldberg
Gay Arkansans protest Gov. Mike Huckabee's hetero-only "Celebration of Marriage." (02/15/2005)

Still clueless after all these years By Karin L. Stanford
If President Bush wants to lure blacks into the GOP, he'd better show he actually knows something about issues that matter to them. (02/15/2005)

Breaking faith Tim Grieve
(02/15/2005)

At Justice, echoes and cries Tim Grieve
(02/15/2005)

Where did the money go? Tim Grieve
(02/15/2005)

Punishing the leakers -- and the press Tim Grieve
(02/15/2005)

Iraq's own battle for democracy Page Rockwell
(02/15/2005)

Wal-Mart's anti-labor woes Julia Scott
(02/15/2005)

Grammy whammy! By Neal Pollack
Yes, we had to endure J.Lo and Tim McGraw. But the Grammys offered one of the most entertaining musical events in TV history. (02/14/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Torment and torture hit the small screen, from "24" to "Taxicab Confessions" to the finale of "The Amazing Race." Plus: Find out what artistic integrity and chunky eyeliner have in common! (02/14/2005)

Daily Download: "Pissing," Low, from "The Great Destroyer"
"Pissing" (02/14/2005)

The Fix
Is Chris Rock upsetting the Academy? Plus: Britney and Paris in dog fight, and Corey Feldman explains Jackson rift. (02/14/2005)

Happy housewife By Dan Glaister
Teri Hatcher has not enjoyed the smoothest of careers, but the realization that she'll never be Meg Ryan has its consolations. (02/14/2005)

Mickey Madden's Top 5 Songs
(02/14/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
You're about to enter a world where logic holds no sway and numbers have no meaning. You're entering ... the Republican Zone! (02/14/2005)

Hail and farewell By David Talbot
A message from David Talbot. (02/14/2005)

I finally found a job I love By Cary Tennis
Now that it's ending, I'm going a little crazy. (02/14/2005)

The one who got away
Curtis Sittenfeld, Rebecca Traister, Geraldine Sealey, Andrew Leonard and others reflect on their lost loves. (02/14/2005)

Letters
"I'm a liberal and proud to call myself that, and I'm also pro-life." Readers respond to Rebecca Traiser's article about abortion. (02/14/2005)

The battle over Social Security By Farhad Manjoo
Bush's Social Security plan is in deep trouble. But if he's slick enough to change course, Democrats could be the big losers. (02/14/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
A valentine to sports: In spite of everything -- and that's really saying something -- this love is real. (02/14/2005)

An outdated alliance? By Richard Norton-Taylor
Germany's chancellor, amid U.S.-European tensions over how to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons, calls for an overhaul of NATO. (02/14/2005)

Working the phones By Rory Carroll
The three leading Shiite candidates for prime minister, including the infamous Ahmed Chalabi, begin their bids for the most powerful job in Iraq. (02/14/2005)

Letters
You've changed my life, Salon. Readers respond to Joan Walsh's "A New Day at Salon." (02/14/2005)

Real peace in the Middle East? Mark Follman
(02/14/2005)

The torturous road to justice Mark Follman
Is the U.S. Congress finally stirring from slumber over the Bush administration's use of extraordinary rendition? (02/14/2005)

"Extremely serious questions" about Condi Mark Follman
(02/14/2005)

Back by unpopular demand Eric Boehlert
(02/14/2005)

"No court shall have jurisdiction" Julia Scott
(02/14/2005)

The righty blogger "revolution" Mark Follman
(02/14/2005)

Letters
Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Readers shed few tears for Carly Fiorina. (02/14/2005)

Master of disgust By Laura Miller
H.P. Lovecraft built his reputation as America's greatest bad writer on a loathsome edifice of unspeakable, hideous filth whose nauseating tendrils reach into the nightmarish depths of hyperbole. (02/12/2005)

Letters
"How dare anyone presume to judge me or any other woman who has experienced this?" Readers respond to Ayelet Waldman's essay about her second-term abortion. (02/12/2005)

Hiding behind false outrage By Michael Soussan
Long before the U.S. occupation, the U.N. Security Council closed its eyes to Saddam's misuse of humanitarian funds, increasing Iraqis' suffering. It's time for its members to apologize. (02/12/2005)

Erin Brockovich, drop dead By Amanda Griscom Little
Enviromentalists and others are outraged, but a bill hobbling class action lawsuits, pushed by Bush and his corporate backers, is sailing through Congress. (02/12/2005)

Electing a "boob" and other grim realities Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

Embracing the "netroots," more or less Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

Out of office with money in the bank Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

The Howard Dean era begins Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

Howard Dean, reaching out Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

The chairman's quiet campaign Tim Grieve
(02/12/2005)

"Masculine Feminine" By Stephanie Zacharek
This rereleased 1966 Godard film about young people consumed with love, sex, politics and pop culture speaks to the teenager in all of us. (02/11/2005)

"Hitch" By Stephanie Zacharek
Despite this romantic comedy's considerable flaws, Will Smith wins our hearts as a "date doctor" who counsels men in the ways of love. (02/11/2005)

"Inside Deep Throat" By Andrew O'Hehir
This documentary about the ludicrously bad ur-porno film will test your gag reflex. (02/11/2005)

The Fix
Feldman says Jackson showed him genitalia pix. More Cosby accusers emerge. Plus: IKEA riot! (02/11/2005)

The Miller I knew By Dana Cook
How friends, peers and acquaintances remembered Arthur Miller, America's greatest contemporary playwright. (02/11/2005)

Playlist: Where The Weather Suits My Clothes
(02/11/2005)

Pay attention! By Christopher Dreher
Dr. Edward Hallowell talks about adult ADD and why the neurochemical imbalance that causes you to space out may actually be a blessing in disguise. (02/11/2005)

An Arthur Miller reader
Read up on the playwright's life and work. Get excerpts and essays. Listen to scenes from "The Crucible." (02/11/2005)

I got involved with a married alcoholic and now I'm all messed up By Cary Tennis
I always get over relationships quickly, but this one has left me shattered and angry and baffled. (02/11/2005)

Giving "Gannon" a pass By Eric Boehlert
Questions remain about how a fake reporter working for a fake news operation got White House press credentials without a background check. (02/11/2005)

How do you translate "death"? By Mitchell Prothero
A group of Iraqi translators say their American employer won't protect them from deadly insurgents -- who they say have infiltrated the company. (02/11/2005)

Kim ups the ante By Simon Tisdall
Despite North Korea's latest claims, nobody knows exactly what nuclear weapons it has -- or how best to proceed now. (02/11/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
For Jason Giambi, sorry means never having to say you're sorry. Plus: Did baseball superstars really used to stick with one team? (02/11/2005)

Neo-Nazis in the Bundestag? By Luke Harding
Not if the mayor of Loenigstein, a far-right stronghold in eastern Germany, has any say about it. (02/11/2005)

Letters
A vast right-wing media conspiracy? Readers weigh in on fake newsman Jeff Gannon, the Foxification of NBC and more. (02/11/2005)

"Compassionate conservatism," R.I.P. By Joe Conason
Bush's budget barely cuts his vast deficit -- and the people it hurts worst are the poorest Americans. (02/11/2005)

Thank God they're finally getting hitched! By Catherine Bennett
And Camilla is the perfect wife for Charles, with great qualifications for the job as top female royal after the queen. (02/11/2005)

When science becomes fiction Katharine Mieszkowski
(02/11/2005)

War Room at the DNC Winter Meeting Tim Grieve
(02/11/2005)

Condi's "historical" statements on 9/11 Mark Follman
(02/11/2005)

Making amends with Howard Dean Tim Grieve
(02/11/2005)

America's extraordinary tolerance for torture Mark Follman
By now shouldn't liberals and conservatives alike be aghast over the Bush administration's secret, systematic policy of outsourcing torture? (02/11/2005)

Chipping away at reproductive rights Julia Scott
(02/11/2005)

Howard Dean, still campaigning Tim Grieve
(02/11/2005)

The fight for the Democratic base Tim Grieve
(02/11/2005)

Smoke 'em out, or pay 'em off Mark Follman
(02/11/2005)

Howard Dean's biblical adventures Tim Grieve
(02/11/2005)

Lust, looks, and libraries
A conservative bodice-ripper, the downside of mirrors and the upside of libraries -- all this week in Table Talk. (02/11/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
Direct flights between Taiwan and China raise, once again, the specter of the airline that never was. (02/11/2005)

I was a Bollywood stuntwoman By Cara Anna
Working as an extra in the world's biggest film industry has become a tourist attraction. No wonder -- it allowed a nobody like me to instantly rub shoulders with a star who makes millions of Indian women swoon. (02/10/2005)

The biggest star you've never seen By Charles Taylor
Aishwarya Rai is among the planet's biggest box-office draws. So why doesn't Hollywood know what to do with her? (02/10/2005)

The Fix
Charles and Camilla to marry. "Desperate Housewife" not a lesbian. Quadriplegic lawyer sues "The Apprentice." (02/10/2005)

Welcome!
(02/10/2005)

Daily Download: "Fuel For Fire," M. Ward, from "Transistor Radio"
"Fuel For Fire" (02/11/2005)

Jimmy Smith, R.I.P.
(02/10/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Girls gone mild! (02/10/2005)

A new day at Salon
Founder and editor David Talbot is moving on, and so is Salon. A letter to our readers from new editor Joan Walsh. (02/10/2005)

Letters
"I am happy I never spawned." Readers sound off on vasectomies and the reproductive rights of men. (02/10/2005)

My family is living in a pigsty! By Cary Tennis
My mom's a slob, my sister's a loser. What is wrong with these people? (02/10/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The NHL means it this time. The season you knew was doomed months ago is almost officially doomed. Plus: North Carolina-Duke. And: McNabb's health and that onside kick. (02/10/2005)

Fake news, fake reporter By Eric Boehlert
Why was a partisan hack, using an alias and with no journalism background, given repeated access to daily White House press briefings? (02/10/2005)

Virginia is for lovers, but not underpants By Suzanne Goldenberg
In a crusade against the "coarsening" of culture, the state's House of Delegates passes a bill that would levy a $50 fine for exposing one's undergarments in an offensive manner. (02/10/2005)

The morning after By Simon Tisdall
Rice's charm offensive may have made European officials feel appreciated again, but many do not see anything new in the Bush agenda she presented. (02/10/2005)

The threat to Bush By Sidney Blumenthal
The fear the president invoked to marshal support for the Iraq war is failing him in his war on the New Deal. (02/10/2005)

The buck stops where? By Arianna Huffington
Only 27 cents of every dollar spent on rebuilding Iraq actually reaches Iraqis. It's time for Congress to investigate the corruption that's pouring billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers' money down the drain -- or into Halliburton's pockets. (02/10/2005)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
Secret memo reveals NBC's Brian Williams is GOP's new "go-to anchor." Tony Blankley's plan to make L.A. liberals spew their lattes. Plus: Still brooding over Janet Jackson's boob, Brent Bozell now discovers shocking depravity of MTV! (02/10/2005)

Gannon's gone, but Talon will soar again Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

A 9/11 question for Condoleezza Rice Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

Back to Ohio, but without Kenneth Blackwell Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

Condi for president? Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

Al Franken is a big fat . . . senator? Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

Jeff Gannon speaks: It could happen to you Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

Franken is out, but maybe not for long Tim Grieve
(02/10/2005)

The fallout from North Korea Page Rockwell
(02/10/2005)

The fight for immigration "reform" Julia Scott
(02/10/2005)

Beyond toys for boys By Jack Schofield
Consumer electronics companies, now that more women than men buy their gadgets, are starting to cater to everyone. (02/10/2005)

End of a hatchet woman By Lawrence M. Fisher
Hewlett-Packard's ousted CEO Carly Fiorina destroyed a great company's creative soul and trashed its business. (02/10/2005)

Hot couture By Bruce Stone
How the aspiring designers and models on "Project Runway" are giving fashion -- and reality TV -- a brand new look. (02/09/2005)

The Fix
Another woman says Cosby drugged and groped her. Plus: Reality TV takes on torture, and Regan thanks son for Jenna Jameson tip. (02/09/2005)

Bestsellers
Readers say: We will never tire of bad cats! Plus: Alexander McCall Smith joins the list; politics, spirituality and cooking continue to dominate readers' obsessions. (02/09/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
How the hell did Social Security become Problemo Numero Uno? (02/09/2005)

Looking abortion in the face By Ayelet Waldman
My second-trimester baby had a genetic abnormality, and I decided to terminate my pregnancy. I know exactly what I did, I wept for the fetus I killed -- and I have no regrets. (02/09/2005)

Morality play By Rebecca Traister
By acknowledging painful emotional truths about abortion, pro-choice activists have reenergized their movement. But is all the talk about fetuses overshadowing women's rights? (02/09/2005)

My boyfriend is wonderful but it's just not working By Cary Tennis
We're living together, but I think the relationship has died. (02/09/2005)

Bush's lean and mean new budget By Julia Scott
For low-income Americans, who will have less money to pay for child care, heating bills, housing and public parks, it will be mostly mean. (02/09/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Jose Canseco is an attention whore, but that doesn't have to mean his steroid accusations are all lies. Plus: The Go Daddy Girl and the rest of the Super Bowl ad crop. (02/09/2005)

Just for show? By Brian Whitaker
Saudi Arabia's upcoming municipal elections are unlikely to change the status quo -- for one thing, women won't be voting. (02/09/2005)

Wooing Europe By Jon Henley
In a speech in Paris, Condi Rice tries to fix a broken relationship: "When we do work together, there is a great deal we can achieve." (02/09/2005)

Peace in the Middle East: Now it's up to Bush By Gary Kamiya
A solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is possible -- but only if the president is willing to confront Ariel Sharon. If history is a guide, he won't. (02/09/2005)

The Return of "Deep Throat" Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

Follow the money Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

Jeff Gannon calls it quits Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

How they love Hillary Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

Fertilizer Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

George Bush's Social Security Snow job Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

Did Hillary lie about her Purple Heart? Tim Grieve
(02/09/2005)

Green Mountain Boys gone to war Mark Follman
(02/09/2005)

"I would have moved mountains" Mark Follman
(02/10/2005)

The Fix
Corey Feldman goes public with "sickening" Jackson realization. Plus: Jiggly ad is TiVo hit. Cosby's accuser's dad speaks out. (02/08/2005)

Letters
"Ann Marlowe is a fine example of the problems we face." Readers inveigh against "The Ideas That Conquered the World." Plus: The editor of "The Intimate Life of Abraham Lincoln" responds to Andrew O'Hehir's review. (02/08/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Moonhead (02/08/2005)

My family ate my life -- now what do I do? By Cary Tennis
I spent decades being the dutiful daughter, and I'm grieving for what I missed. (02/08/2005)

United and divided By Jill Carroll
Newly empowered Shiites are wrangling over religion and politics as ayatollahs, and the U.S., seek to shape Iraq's new government. (02/08/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Super Bowl predictions: The ugly aftermath. Plus: Did the Eagles boot away their chances with that onside kick in the final minutes? (02/08/2005)

"These are the first days" By Julian Borger
The cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is a positive sign, but the real challenge now is to maintain it. (02/08/2005)

Migration squeeze By Alan Travis and Michael White
Under Britain's proposed immigration scheme, only skilled workers who speak and write English are welcome to settle permanently. (02/08/2005)

Letters
"I can't believe you left out Donald Duck!" Readers respond to Liz Larocca's "More Gay Cartoon Characters Revealed!" (02/08/2005)

David Brooks, champion of the people? By Theda Skocpol
The right-wing columnist used my work to bash Dean and MoveOn as elitists -- conveniently ignoring the big-money interests that pull the GOP's strings. (02/08/2005)

Howard Dean's revolution Tim Grieve
(02/08/2005)

Spitballs Tim Grieve
(02/08/2005)

It's not exactly the Lingerie Bowl, but . . . Tim Grieve
(02/08/2005)

Money for nothing Tim Grieve
(02/08/2005)

To the victors go the spoils Tim Grieve
(02/08/2005)

Steal this bookmark! By Katharine Mieszkowski
Tagging, the Web's newest game, lets you see what other people are reading and thinking. Welcome to the key-worded universe. (02/08/2005)

Amazon's 43 secrets By Katharine Mieszkowski
Why does the Web's biggest retailer want you to confide your hopes, dreams and aspirations to a Web site called 43 Things? It's not telling. (02/08/2005)

I Like to Watch By Heather Havrilesky
Escandalo! Hot lesbian teens on "The O.C."! Kelly and Ashlee lip-sync pop and pop pills on MTV! Plus: Fonzie thrills and monkey meat ills! (02/07/2005)

The Fix
Bush a Wolfe fan. Koppel rumors swirl. Did Cosby call his accuser? (02/07/2005)

Madison Avenue fumbles By Matt Taibbi
What $2.4 million bought Super Bowl advertisers: A unicorn, talking birds, lots of chimpanzees and one overextended boob joke. (02/07/2005)

Shilling for Hitler By Charles Taylor
Eminent historians defended Holocaust denier David Irving in the name of free speech and scholarship. Deborah Lipstadt's account of her libel trial with Irving proves how colossally wrong they were. (02/07/2005)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
We're turning the corner in Iraq! (02/07/2005)

Is it hip to snip? By Dana Hudepohl
Most men who have vasectomies are middle-aged, married, with children. But some are young men who have simply decided they don't want children -- ever. Is society ready for them? (02/07/2005)

My ex-boyfriend's getting married to a woman I can't stand By Cary Tennis
I don't even want him as a boyfriend anymore, but I sure don't want her to have him! (02/07/2005)

Relentless champions By King Kaufman
The Patriots are their spectacularly unspectacular selves as they wear down the Eagles to win their third Super Bowl title in four years. (02/07/2005)

A new center of political gravity By Peter Beaumont
With Shiites dominating the vote count, Iraq now faces the challenge of including the poorer, less educated and more religious south in forming its new government. (02/07/2005)

War of words By Julian Borger
The U.S. sends mixed signals to Tehran on its suspected nuclear activities as a new IAEA report finds evidence that Iran is secretly maintaining a uranium-enrichment plant. (02/07/2005)

Therapeutic possibilities By Ben Sills and Jo Revill
Spain is to conduct a large study of the effectiveness of cannabis in the treatment of several medical conditions, and patients outside the country who meet the criteria may apply. (02/07/2005)

If I elected, I will not serve Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

Been down so long it looks like up to me Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

The work ahead for Howard Dean Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

What the Times didn't say Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

George W. Bush explains it all for you Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

We'd go fishing, too Tim Grieve
(02/07/2005)

Poisonous "compromise" at Bush's EPA Katharine Mieszkowski
(02/07/2005)

What's really going on in Afghanistan? Mark Follman
(02/07/2005)

How Bill Gates cured my PMS By L.J. Williamson
My Irrational Bitch side was wreaking havoc with my life -- until I told my computer to remind me that it was that time of month. (02/07/2005)

Clump of cells or "microscopic American"? By Lynn Harris
The U.S. government says embryos aren't "donated" to infertile couples -- they're "adopted." How language has become a front line in the abortion wars. (02/05/2005)

Voting doesn't mean democracy By Mitchell Prothero
The election impressed the world, but now the Iraqis have to learn to share power. And there's still a savage firefight every night in my Baghdad neighborhood. (02/05/2005)

More gay cartoon characters revealed! By Liz Larocca
Crazed right-wing moralists, take note: Before SpongeBob, there was Snagglepuss ... and Huckleberry Hound ... and even Popeye. (02/06/2005)

Letters
Either you're with the bunny, or you're with us: Readers weigh in on PBS, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and the "Postcards From Buster" crisis. (02/05/2005)

On the right track By Amanda Griscom Little
New Republican leaders emerge in the battle against climate change. (02/05/2005)

"Nobody Knows" By Charles Taylor
This deceptively simple Japanese film about four children abandoned by their mother evokes the work of Vittorio De Sica and Satyajit Ray. (02/04/2005)

"The Wedding Date" By Stephanie Zacharek
Dermot Mulroney single-handedly scoops up this movie -- in which Debra Messing plays a woman who hires an escort to take her to her sister's wedding -- and carries it across the threshold. (02/04/2005)

The Fix
Jackson calls Eminem dig "painful" and "sad"; Lohan's lawyers threaten the press; Gandolfini gets dumped. (02/04/2005)

The ideas that conquered the world By Ann Marlowe
"The Neocon Reader" is must reading for liberal losers who want to get their mojo back. (02/05/2005)

I went West and now I'm lost By Cary Tennis
L.A.'s got me all confused -- can I go home again? (02/04/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
The Patriots will beat the Eagles, Terrell Owens won't be a big factor, no wardrobes will malfunction and XIV other predictions about Super Bowl 39. (02/04/2005)

Paralyzed Broadcasting System By Eric Boehlert
When Bush's education secretary objected to a lesbian couple in a children's cartoon, PBS instantly caved in. Is the network becoming the White House's lap dog? (02/04/2005)

Does Social Security shortchange blacks? By Farhad Manjoo
Bush says it does -- but the facts show that he's dealing this race card off the bottom of the deck. (02/04/2005)

Standing up to the State of the Union By Julian Borger
Iran and Syria, cited as "sponsors of terrorism" by the president, strike back: Tehran calls the U.S. one of the heads of a seven-headed dragon, and Damascus chides Bush for being selective in his definition. (02/04/2005)

The making of an Iraqi cop By Rory Carroll
Cadets being trained to take over the battle against insurgents have to take a midterm exam (one question: "Which of the following could be a suicide bomber?"), but it's nothing next to the daunting job ahead. (02/04/2005)

Integrity at risk By Suzanne Goldenberg and Ewen MacAskill
The head of the U.N.'s oil-for-food program faces disciplinary action for allegedly accepting bribes from Saddam Hussein's regime. (02/04/2005)

Letters
Salon readers weigh in on the State of the Union, the Iraqi elections and the battle over Social Security. (02/04/2005)

Blacklisted from seeing Bush Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

New York court says yes to gay marriage Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

"While causing harm to no one" Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

The Wall Street Journal's fog of war Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

Fair and buxom Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

The Republican gospel on gay marriage Julia Scott
(02/04/2005)

The war of words with Iran Mark Follman
(02/04/2005)

Social Security: This loan is your loan Tim Grieve
(02/04/2005)

Yesterday, today and tomorrow
Table Talkers share distant and recent memories, and ponder the future of Social Security. (02/04/2005)

Ask the pilot By Patrick Smith
From the farthest north to the deepest south, no degree of latitude is left unexplored. Also, the pilot seeks a showdown with one of the world's most fearless journalists. (02/04/2005)

Beyond the Multiplex By Andrew O'Hehir
A haunting French film about a temp worker, a Swedish portrait of modern anomie, and the Kingdom of Bhutan's first feature film. Plus: The Oscar-nominated film about the children of sex workers in Calcutta. (02/03/2005)

The Fix
Schieffer to warm Rather's chair. Regan denies peddling flick about Kerik affair. Plus: It's official ... "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." (02/03/2005)

Letters
Yes, the neighbors were mean, but the church still deserves blame. Readers respond to Laura Miller's "Who Burned the Witches?" (02/03/2005)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Super-Fun-Pak Comix: Red-blooded Heterosexual Americans, Deathkiller and more! (02/03/2005)

I'm in love with my son's high school friend By Cary Tennis
And I told him about my feelings. Now what should I do? (02/03/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
Sammy Sosa dons an Orioles uniform, and for reasons unrelated to Sosa, the Cubs, the Orioles or anything else, a flood of memories begins. (02/03/2005)

Meeting on peaceful grounds By Chris McGreal
Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas plan to attend a summit in Egypt next week in an effort to make "tangible progress on the Palestinian track." (02/03/2005)

Talking hope, selling fear By Tim Grieve
Bush appealed to the better angels of our nature in his speech. But his entire presidency has been based on invoking fear. (02/03/2005)

Bush's dirty little secret By Jeff Madrick
Here's what the president didn't tell you in his State of the Union address: His plan to privatize Social Security will be hugely expensive and will make the average worker worse off. (02/03/2005)

No time for euphoria By Sidney Blumenthal
If Bush believes what he said Wednesday night -- that we must stand with our allies to prevent tyranny -- he should stop his incoherent saber rattling over Iran's nuclear plans and join Europe in real negotiations. (02/03/2005)

Power to the people By Joyce McGreevy
In a gutsy move, the president proposes to privatize the federal deficit by creating a debt ownership society, one "that will allow the have-nots to fully have naught." (02/03/2005)

The truth hurts By Joe Conason
Bush used windy rhetoric and outright deception to sell his privatization plan. What else is new? (02/03/2005)

Fact-checking the State of the Union Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

All over but the screaming Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

Try to restart it and see if that works Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

Focus on the funding Mark Follman
(02/03/2005)

Alberto Gonzales gets Joementum Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

Letters
Can't we all just get along? Not bloody likely, say readers responding to the latest round of Mac-Windows wars. (02/03/2005)

Owning a piece of our brains By Oliver Burkeman and Bobbie Johnson
With the launch of MSN Search, Microsoft hopes to dominate the market for a simple tool that has become essential to our lives. (02/03/2005)

Buh-bye, WMD. Hello ...? By Thomas Bartlett
The demise of one column, the birth of another. Plus, an exclusive free download of a strange and beautiful song by a soon-to-be star. (02/02/2005)

The Fix
Yogi Berra objects to "Sex" ad. Jackson's ex-wife to testify. PTC counts 3,056 flashes of nudity on MTV in one week. (02/02/2005)

The most liberal president of the 20th century By Charles Taylor
Nick Kotz's new book about the civil right years argues convincingly that the true hero of the American left is LBJ. (02/02/2005)

Bestsellers
Diamond and Gladwell maintain their reign, Stewart and Murakami fall, and America finally tires of the antics of bad cats. (02/02/2005)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's little victories. (02/02/2005)

Should I tell my daughter her dad is gay? By Cary Tennis
His homosexuality would explain why we divorced, but is it my place to tell? (02/02/2005)

Making the case for Social Insecurity By Farhad Manjoo
The struggle over Social Security will be the defining political battle of Bush's second term. His game plan: The same one he used to successfully sell the Iraq war. (02/02/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
If money talks, it's yet another advantage for the Patriots. Plus: Crazy idea for college basketball teams. Play all of your league foes! (02/02/2005)

Power vacuum By Rory McCarthy
A major Shiite coalition claims an unofficial victory, pledges to reach out to minorities and says it will ask the U.S. to set a timetable for leaving. But other Iraqis think a quick withdrawal is nonsense. (02/02/2005)

Royal coup By Randeep Ramesh
The king of Nepal dismisses the nation's government, promising to restore democracy "in the next three years." (02/02/2005)

Right Hook By Mark Follman
After the vote: Podhoretz rips Democrats, Kerry for not celebrating "Bush's colossal vindication"; Steyn gloats that Iran is next. But a leading neocon acknowledges huge blunders. (02/02/2005)

Another "Mission Accomplished" moment? By Arianna Huffington
The White House waxes triumphant over Sunday's elections and the media play along -- but Iraq is still a debacle. (02/02/2005)

The Iraqi elections and Howard Dean Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

A crisis, no; real solutions, yes Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

Rosenberg to Fowler: I'm not dead yet Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

Be careful what you ask for Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

The state of the union is _______ Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

A SOTU flip-flop on military benefits Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

Drink one for the president Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

The Democrats stand up Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

The state of the union is . . . Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

Uniters not dividers Mark Follman
(02/02/2005)

A "candid review" of Bush's Social Security remarks Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

And now a message from John Kerry Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

It's truly Groundhog Day Tim Grieve
(02/03/2005)

"Grand Theft Auto: Myst" By Jason Roeder
In the most gorgeously conceived AND ultraviolent video game in history, you can open fire on passing cars with a bazooka while exploring universal archetypes! (02/02/2005)

Letters
"It's always decent to say 'penis.'" "Give Scorsese the benefit of the doubt." Salon readers weigh in on TV decency and movie sequels. (02/01/2005)

The Fix
Snoop Dogg accused of rape. DiCaprio gets "lifetime achievement" award. Did Lara Flynn Boyle flash her way through first class? (02/01/2005)

Who burned the witches? By Laura Miller
For years, feminist scholars have argued that witch hunts were inspired by a reactionary, misogynistic church. But new scholarship, like Lyndal Roper's "Witch Craze," reveals that the real villains were the neighbors. (02/01/2005)

WayLay By Carol Lay
Love struck. (02/01/2005)

The mystery of a feminist icon By Priya Jain
Nancy Drew taught me everything I needed to know about being a tough, independent woman. Too bad today's girls don't have the same role model. (02/01/2005)

Me minus Zoloft equals what? By Cary Tennis
After seven years on meds, my therapist says I'm stable. Does that mean I'm cured? (02/01/2005)

King Kaufman's Sports Daily
A Web site puts the beatdown on a sports columnist, and since it's not this columnist, great fun is had. Plus: Terrell's ankle and other Super hype yawners. (02/01/2005)

Fair and balanced? By Eric Boehlert
Some Democrats are using Bush's pay-for-say media scandals to push for a new Fairness Doctrine for broadcasting. (02/01/2005)

A war's terrible legacy By Rory Carroll
Sexual violence continues in the Congo -- according to Amnesty International, at least 40,000 women in the country have been raped in the past six years. (02/01/2005)

The Shiite earthquake By Juan Cole
With non-Sunni Muslims poised to take power for the first time, a new Iraq is being born. Will it survive its infancy? (02/01/2005)

Righting wrongs for Guantanamo detainees By Suzanne Goldenberg
A federal judge rules that the war on terror "cannot negate the existence of the most basic fundamental rights for which the people of this country have fought and died for well over 200 years." (02/01/2005)

Stopping short By Ewen MacAskill
A U.N. report says that the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, constitutes "crimes against humanity," but not genocide. (02/01/2005)

On the Sunni side By David Axe
From the besieged Sunni triangle, the glowing portrait of the Iraqi election doesn't hold. (02/01/2005)

Letters
Readers ponder the Iraqi election and disagree over Terri Schiavo's right to life. Plus: Extorting lunch money from vets. And: Will NBC go the way of Fox? (02/01/2005)

The vote on Alberto Gonzales Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

Budgeting for death Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

What George Bush learned from the Democrats Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

Abstinence? No thanks, we'll have sex Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

Bill Clinton: The boogeyman is back Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

A test for the Gonzales plan Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

No news is good news for Dean Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

The tortured life of a Republican senator Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

Hawkish on Gonzales Mark Follman
(02/01/2005)

With Frost out, is Dean unbeatable? Tim Grieve
(02/01/2005)

Did Donnie Fowler jump the gun? Tim Grieve
(02/02/2005)

Letters
A nation of Windows users is sick and tired of slobbery Mac love: Readers respond to Farhad Manjoo's "Hallelujah, the Mac Is Back." (02/01/2005)