by Bill Simmons
Editor's note: This column appears in the March 14 issue of ESPN The Magazine.
Ever play the musician/athlete game? You just pick a band or singer and then decide which sports star they'd be. For instance, Springsteen is Larry Bird, the workingman's hero. Guns N' Roses are Doc Gooden, the prodigy who flamed out too fast. The Stones are Ali, the greatest until they hung around too long. The Police are John McEnroe -- gifted, tortured, ultimately unable to keep it together.
You can easily kill an eight-hour car ride this way ... as long as you keep U2 out of it. Trying to find a match for that band will make you crazy. Kareem and Roger Clemens had similar longevity, but nobody liked them. Ditto for Barry Bonds, although Bonds' head and Bono's both have grown exponentially over the years. Nolan Ryan was breathtaking in moments, but never transcendent. Gretzky and MJ didn't dominate long enough. The closest comparison? Jack Nicklaus. Big splash in the '60s, superduperstar in the '70s, stunning revival in the '80s -- it's a similar arc, right down to the success of "Vertigo" and the 1986 Masters. But can you compare U2 to a golfer? Of course not.
Here's the point: bands just don't do what U2 have done. They don't stay together for 26 years without even a token separation (or 20). They don't continue to pump out quality albums and concert tours (sorry, I don't count the Dead, who haven't been nearly as popular). And they don't resonate with three different generations.
There hasn't been nearly enough made of these guys. Unlike what we do with our sports heroes, few of us consider the overall body of work of musicians. It always comes down to what they did most recently, or who died at the optimal time, or whose music aged best. Fact is, there is no black-and-white way to judge them. How can you prove Jimmy Page was a better guitar player than Eric Clapton? Instead of statistics and awards, we rely on emotions and memories, on what a particular band meant to us. It leads to some deceiving outcomes -- like how everyone forgets that, when Kurt Cobain killed himself, Nirvana had been eclipsed by Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins. Had he lived, there's a 90 percent chance Cobain and Courtney Love would be starring in a reality show on VH-1 right now. You just never know. That's why people rarely argue about music ... well, unless they're stoned.
With sports, there is nothing to do but argue about this stuff. If music were sports, Kornheiser and Wilbon would be fighting to the death over "Who's better: Franz Ferdinand or The Killers?" But we don't approach music this way, and so U2 never get their due. Take everything you ever read or heard about MJ, then double it -- that's what we'd have if U2 had played ball. What would their rookie card be worth? How many covers would they have graced? What formula would Rob Neyer have concocted to legitimize their run?
Maybe I'm biased. Some people have photo albums; I have U2. When I listened to them as a kid they were belting out angry diatribes about growing up in Ireland, so who could have imagined they'd provide a soundtrack for my life? There was "The Unforgettable Fire" for my moody years, and "The Joshua Tree" for when I began to put it all together. When "Rattle and Hum" came out, I was also taking myself a little too seriously. "Achtung Baby"? We were both running on all cylinders. "Zooropa" and "Pop"? We were both figuring out where to go next. We finally crossed paths with "All That You Can't Leave Behind." I was covering my first Super Bowl and U2 was singing at halftime of the eventual Pats upset, and yes, it was a "Beautiful Day." With their most recent, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," I'm in a good place, and so are they. They're E.T. to my Elliott.
Throw in the unintentional comedy and general weirdness -- how Bono doesn't age (much like David Robinson); how you can't call "The Edge" just "Edge"; every delightfully absurd minute of the Rattle and Hum documentary (my favorites: The Edge's extended mullet, the Graceland trip and every conversation between Bono and B.B. King); Bono's pompous concert speeches; even Adam Carolla's idea that we should deport Bono so he can annoy Ireland instead of us -- and there has never been another band like this. At the recent Grammys, they were still as strong on stage as anyone else, even though I'm pretty sure The Edge died about three years ago and they're just propping him up. Against all odds, they keep plugging away.
They have no peers in the business, and no sports equivalent. So if you ever play the musician/athlete game, save some time -- skip U2 and go right to a band like Van Halen. (They were Sugar Ray Leonard, but that's a whole other story.)
Bill Simmons is a columnist for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine. His Sports Guy's World site is updated every day Monday through Friday.
Friday, March 04, 2005
articles 3/4
Was George Bush Right About Freedom and Democracy?
Maybe. Maybe Not.
By Fred Kaplan
Newsweek
Soft Power, Hard Choices
Commentary
What Became of the CIA
Commentary
Will the Real Shakespeare Please Stand Up
Free Speech for Terrorists?
by Andrew C. McCarthy
Real Clear Politics
Softball & Kerry's Form 180
And That's the Way It Was
How to revive CBS News.
by Peggy Noonan
Neocons May Get the Last Laugh
by Max Boot
Term of Endearment, Term of Abuse
What is a "neocon," anyway? A new book offers some clues.
by Sol Schindler
Social Security blues
by Robert Novak
George W. Bush, who is not prone to confessing mistakes, has confided to close associates that he committed a whopper on Social Security.
Calling the kettle gay
by Ann Coulter
It's been a tough year for Democrats. They lost the presidential election, their favorite news outlets have been abjectly humiliated, they had to sit through a smashingly successful election in Iraq, and most painfully, they had to endure unwarranted attacks on a cartoon sponge. So I understand liberals are upset.
Francis Schaeffer's political legacy
by Marvin Olasky
Who's the major figure behind the election and re-election of George W. Bush? On one level, the visionary Karl Rove. At a deeper level, a theologian most Americans have never heard of:
On following ideas over a cliff
by Paul Greenberg
A day-long conference here in Little Rock the other day on school reform should have been entitled: Education and Its Discontents.
We have no more need for PBS
by George Will
Public television is akin to the body politic's appendix: It is vestigial, purposeless and occasionally troublesome.
Fort Worth Weekly
Police reporter's life was more bizarre than any of his stories
John Makeig was obsessed with the possibility that a rash of suspect cattle mutilations might be the work of space aliens. When his editors urged him to steer clear of the livestock abduction stories and stick to news on the night police beat, he continued to chase down strange theories during the day. He also collected weird names he encountered covering the news: an anesthesiologist named Gasser, a banker named Ernest Deal, the Boxwell funeral home, a burglar named Lawless, a man in a sex case named Orji, and a prostitute named Flesher.
Rocky Mountain News
Doors Reopen
Patient U2 fans bid on tickets below face value
Evening Standard
Sit Back and Relax? Bono's Wife Can't.
'But as an American . . .
'We hardly ever watch Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," but our TV happened to be tuned to it last night when erstwhile Clinton aide Nancy Soderberg, author of "The Superpower Myth: The Use and Misuse of American Might" (foreword by Bill Clinton, blurb by Madeleine Albright) came on. We're not sure what possessed us to turn on the sound and watch, but we're glad we did, for it was a fascinating interview. Here's a TiVo-assisted transcript of most of it:
Stewart: This book--it talks about the superpower myth of the United States. There is this idea, the United States is the sole superpower, and I guess the premise of the book is we cannot misuse that power--have to use it wisely, and not just punitively. Is that--
Soderberg: That's right. What I argue is that the Bush administration fell hostage to the superpower myth, believing that because we're the most powerful nation on earth, we were all-powerful, could bend the world to our will and not have to worry about the rest of the world. I think what they're finding in the second term is, it's a little bit harder than that, and reality has an annoying way of intruding.
Stewart: But what do you make of--here's my dilemma, if you will. I don't care for the way these guys conduct themselves--and this is just you and I talking, no cameras here [audience laughter]. But boy, when you see the Lebanese take to the streets and all that, and you go, "Oh my God, this is working," and I begin to wonder, is it--is the way that they handled it really--it's sort of like, "Uh, OK, my daddy hits me, but look how tough I'm getting." You know what I mean? Like, you don't like the method, but maybe--wrong analogy, is that, uh--?
Soderberg: Well, I think, you know, as a Democrat, you don't want anything nice to happen to the Republicans, and you don't want them to have progress. But as an American, you hope good things would happen. I think the way to look at it is, they can't credit for every good thing that happens, but they need to be able to manage it. I think what's happening in Lebanon is great, but it's not necessarily directly related to the fact that we went into Iraq militarily.
Stewart: Do you think that the people of Lebanon would have had, sort of, the courage of their conviction, having not seen--not only the invasion but the election which followed? It's almost as though that the Iraqi election has emboldened this crazy--something's going on over there. I'm smelling something.
Soderberg: I think partly what's going on is the country next door, Syria, has been controlling them for decades, and they [the Syrians] were dumb enough to blow up the former prime minister of Lebanon in Beirut, and they're--people are sort of sick of that, and saying, "Wait a minute, that's a stretch too far." So part of what's going on is they're just protesting that. But I think there is a wave of change going on, and if we can help ride it though the second term of the Bush administration, more power to them.
Stewart: Do you think they're the guys to--do they understand what they've unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, "Here's my plan: I'm going to invade Iraq. We'll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp"--if they hadn't done the whole "nuclear cloud," you know, if they hadn't scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I'd almost--I'd have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings.
Soderberg: The truth always helps in these things, I have to say. But I think that there is also going on in the Middle East peace process--they may well have a chance to do a historic deal with the Palestinians and the Israelis. These guys could really pull off a whole--
Stewart: This could be unbelievable!
Soderberg:---series of Nobel Peace Prizes here, which--it may well work. I think that, um, it's--
Stewart: [buries head in hands] Oh my God! [audience laughter] He's got, you know, here's--
Soderberg: It's scary for Democrats, I have to say.
Stewart: He's gonna be a great--pretty soon, Republicans are gonna be like, "Reagan was nothing compared to this guy." Like, my kid's gonna go to a high school named after him, I just know it.
Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us.
Stewart: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter].
No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region.
Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had--
Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow!
Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work. No, but I think, um, it's--you know, you have changes going on in Egypt; Saudi Arabia finally had a few votes, although women couldn't participate. What's going on here in--you know, Syria's been living in the 1960s since the 1960s--it's, part of this is--
Stewart: You mean free love and that kind of stuff? [audience laughter] Like, free love, drugs?
Soderberg: If you're a terrorist, yeah.
Stewart: They are Baathists, are they--it looks like, I gotta say, it's almost like we're not going to have to invade Iran and Syria. They're gonna invade themselves at a certain point, no? Or is that completely naive?
Soderberg: I think it's moving in the right direction. I'll have to give them credit for that. We'll see.
Stewart: Really? Hummus for everybody, for God's sakes.
We've long been skeptical of Jon Stewart, but color us impressed. He managed to ambush this poor woman brutally, in a friendly interview. She was supposed to be promoting her book, and instead he got her to spend the entire interview debunking it (at least if we understood the book's thesis correctly from the very brief discussion of it up top).
She also admitted repeatedly that Democrats are hoping for American failure in the Middle East. To be sure, this is not true of all Democrats, Soderberg speaks only for herself, and she says she is ambivalent ("But as an American . . ."). But we do not question her expertise in assessing the prevailing mentality of her own party. No wonder Dems get so defensive about their patriotism.
Interesting too is Stewart's acknowledgment of his own "cognitive dissonance" and "mixed feelings" over the Iraq liberation. It's a version of an argument we've been hearing a lot lately: As our Brendan Miniter puts it, "The president's critics never seem to tire of claiming that the war in Iraq began over weapons of mass destruction and only later morphed into a war of liberation."
Miniter correctly notes that "this criticism isn't entirely right," but for the sake of argument let's assume it is. What does it mean? President Bush has altered his arguments to conform to reality, while his critics remain fixated on obsolete disputes. This would seem utterly to refute the liberal media stereotype. Bush, it turns out, is a supple-minded empiricist, while his opponents are rigid ideologues.
Maybe. Maybe Not.
By Fred Kaplan
Newsweek
Soft Power, Hard Choices
Commentary
What Became of the CIA
Commentary
Will the Real Shakespeare Please Stand Up
Free Speech for Terrorists?
by Andrew C. McCarthy
Real Clear Politics
Softball & Kerry's Form 180
And That's the Way It Was
How to revive CBS News.
by Peggy Noonan
Neocons May Get the Last Laugh
by Max Boot
Term of Endearment, Term of Abuse
What is a "neocon," anyway? A new book offers some clues.
by Sol Schindler
Social Security blues
by Robert Novak
George W. Bush, who is not prone to confessing mistakes, has confided to close associates that he committed a whopper on Social Security.
Calling the kettle gay
by Ann Coulter
It's been a tough year for Democrats. They lost the presidential election, their favorite news outlets have been abjectly humiliated, they had to sit through a smashingly successful election in Iraq, and most painfully, they had to endure unwarranted attacks on a cartoon sponge. So I understand liberals are upset.
Francis Schaeffer's political legacy
by Marvin Olasky
Who's the major figure behind the election and re-election of George W. Bush? On one level, the visionary Karl Rove. At a deeper level, a theologian most Americans have never heard of:
On following ideas over a cliff
by Paul Greenberg
A day-long conference here in Little Rock the other day on school reform should have been entitled: Education and Its Discontents.
We have no more need for PBS
by George Will
Public television is akin to the body politic's appendix: It is vestigial, purposeless and occasionally troublesome.
Fort Worth Weekly
Police reporter's life was more bizarre than any of his stories
John Makeig was obsessed with the possibility that a rash of suspect cattle mutilations might be the work of space aliens. When his editors urged him to steer clear of the livestock abduction stories and stick to news on the night police beat, he continued to chase down strange theories during the day. He also collected weird names he encountered covering the news: an anesthesiologist named Gasser, a banker named Ernest Deal, the Boxwell funeral home, a burglar named Lawless, a man in a sex case named Orji, and a prostitute named Flesher.
Rocky Mountain News
Doors Reopen
Patient U2 fans bid on tickets below face value
Evening Standard
Sit Back and Relax? Bono's Wife Can't.
'But as an American . . .
'We hardly ever watch Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," but our TV happened to be tuned to it last night when erstwhile Clinton aide Nancy Soderberg, author of "The Superpower Myth: The Use and Misuse of American Might" (foreword by Bill Clinton, blurb by Madeleine Albright) came on. We're not sure what possessed us to turn on the sound and watch, but we're glad we did, for it was a fascinating interview. Here's a TiVo-assisted transcript of most of it:
Stewart: This book--it talks about the superpower myth of the United States. There is this idea, the United States is the sole superpower, and I guess the premise of the book is we cannot misuse that power--have to use it wisely, and not just punitively. Is that--
Soderberg: That's right. What I argue is that the Bush administration fell hostage to the superpower myth, believing that because we're the most powerful nation on earth, we were all-powerful, could bend the world to our will and not have to worry about the rest of the world. I think what they're finding in the second term is, it's a little bit harder than that, and reality has an annoying way of intruding.
Stewart: But what do you make of--here's my dilemma, if you will. I don't care for the way these guys conduct themselves--and this is just you and I talking, no cameras here [audience laughter]. But boy, when you see the Lebanese take to the streets and all that, and you go, "Oh my God, this is working," and I begin to wonder, is it--is the way that they handled it really--it's sort of like, "Uh, OK, my daddy hits me, but look how tough I'm getting." You know what I mean? Like, you don't like the method, but maybe--wrong analogy, is that, uh--?
Soderberg: Well, I think, you know, as a Democrat, you don't want anything nice to happen to the Republicans, and you don't want them to have progress. But as an American, you hope good things would happen. I think the way to look at it is, they can't credit for every good thing that happens, but they need to be able to manage it. I think what's happening in Lebanon is great, but it's not necessarily directly related to the fact that we went into Iraq militarily.
Stewart: Do you think that the people of Lebanon would have had, sort of, the courage of their conviction, having not seen--not only the invasion but the election which followed? It's almost as though that the Iraqi election has emboldened this crazy--something's going on over there. I'm smelling something.
Soderberg: I think partly what's going on is the country next door, Syria, has been controlling them for decades, and they [the Syrians] were dumb enough to blow up the former prime minister of Lebanon in Beirut, and they're--people are sort of sick of that, and saying, "Wait a minute, that's a stretch too far." So part of what's going on is they're just protesting that. But I think there is a wave of change going on, and if we can help ride it though the second term of the Bush administration, more power to them.
Stewart: Do you think they're the guys to--do they understand what they've unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, "Here's my plan: I'm going to invade Iraq. We'll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp"--if they hadn't done the whole "nuclear cloud," you know, if they hadn't scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I'd almost--I'd have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings.
Soderberg: The truth always helps in these things, I have to say. But I think that there is also going on in the Middle East peace process--they may well have a chance to do a historic deal with the Palestinians and the Israelis. These guys could really pull off a whole--
Stewart: This could be unbelievable!
Soderberg:---series of Nobel Peace Prizes here, which--it may well work. I think that, um, it's--
Stewart: [buries head in hands] Oh my God! [audience laughter] He's got, you know, here's--
Soderberg: It's scary for Democrats, I have to say.
Stewart: He's gonna be a great--pretty soon, Republicans are gonna be like, "Reagan was nothing compared to this guy." Like, my kid's gonna go to a high school named after him, I just know it.
Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us.
Stewart: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter].
No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region.
Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had--
Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow!
Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work. No, but I think, um, it's--you know, you have changes going on in Egypt; Saudi Arabia finally had a few votes, although women couldn't participate. What's going on here in--you know, Syria's been living in the 1960s since the 1960s--it's, part of this is--
Stewart: You mean free love and that kind of stuff? [audience laughter] Like, free love, drugs?
Soderberg: If you're a terrorist, yeah.
Stewart: They are Baathists, are they--it looks like, I gotta say, it's almost like we're not going to have to invade Iran and Syria. They're gonna invade themselves at a certain point, no? Or is that completely naive?
Soderberg: I think it's moving in the right direction. I'll have to give them credit for that. We'll see.
Stewart: Really? Hummus for everybody, for God's sakes.
We've long been skeptical of Jon Stewart, but color us impressed. He managed to ambush this poor woman brutally, in a friendly interview. She was supposed to be promoting her book, and instead he got her to spend the entire interview debunking it (at least if we understood the book's thesis correctly from the very brief discussion of it up top).
She also admitted repeatedly that Democrats are hoping for American failure in the Middle East. To be sure, this is not true of all Democrats, Soderberg speaks only for herself, and she says she is ambivalent ("But as an American . . ."). But we do not question her expertise in assessing the prevailing mentality of her own party. No wonder Dems get so defensive about their patriotism.
Interesting too is Stewart's acknowledgment of his own "cognitive dissonance" and "mixed feelings" over the Iraq liberation. It's a version of an argument we've been hearing a lot lately: As our Brendan Miniter puts it, "The president's critics never seem to tire of claiming that the war in Iraq began over weapons of mass destruction and only later morphed into a war of liberation."
Miniter correctly notes that "this criticism isn't entirely right," but for the sake of argument let's assume it is. What does it mean? President Bush has altered his arguments to conform to reality, while his critics remain fixated on obsolete disputes. This would seem utterly to refute the liberal media stereotype. Bush, it turns out, is a supple-minded empiricist, while his opponents are rigid ideologues.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
articles 3/1
Kofi Annan’s critical role in the genocide in Rwanda
by Joel Mowbray
If you watch this powerful film — and you should — what you won’t see is the even more incredibly true story of the man with direct culpability for the deaths of 800,000 Tutsis: now-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Rocky Mountain News
Cops taser man accused of pilfering salad at Chuck E. Cheese
An angry mom says: "They had no regard for the effect this would have on the kids. This is Chuck E. Cheese, you know."
River Bend Telegraph
Police chief defends cops who Tasered, then fatally shot cat
It all started when officers were called to a home to deal with a cat fight. Now fur is flying all over town.
Boston Globe
Man accused of headbutting parent after "squirt" hockey game
Quit the AARP
Meet the Conservative Republican Seniors Against Bush.
by Rich Lowry
Read My Lips: The Sequel?
Bush opens the door to a big tax increase.by Stephen Moore
Wake-up call for my fellow Muslims
by Kamal Nawash
Muslim-bashing. That’s the accusation many of my fellow Muslims now hurl at the various news outlets for their news stories about a Freedom House investigation that found extremist Islamic literature in some leading American mosques.
Some suggestions for the Harvard faculty
by Star Parker
The sad truth about a society that becomes increasingly politicized by the day is that the principal victim is integrity. Thoughtfulness and honesty count for less and less and appearances count for more and more.
Believing the true believers
by Thomas Sowell
While the media have been focusing on the flap at Harvard growing out of its president's statement about the reasons for the under-representation of women in the sciences, a much worse and more revealing scandal has unfolded at the University of Seattle.
The flat tax in the old Soviet bloc
by Bruce Bartlett
On his trip to Slovakia last week, President Bush praised Prime Minister Dzurinda for the flat tax system he instituted last year.
Rodney Dangerfield at Harvard
by Suzanne Fields
Larry Summers, the president of Harvard, aspires to be the Rodney Dangerfield of academe: He don't get no respect.
The Arabs' Berlin Wall Has Crumbled
by Mark Steyn
What's Wrong With American High Schools
by Bill Gates
Sport of Kings (and Queens)
Why so few women chess masters? America's top female player ponders the question.
by Barbara D. Phillips
The 'Hotel' Lobby
After Rwanda and Iraq, Americans may demand more humanitarian interventions.
by Brendan Miniter
WSJ Editorial
Carrots for the Mullahs
A surefire path to a nuclear Iran.
Trackback to Freedom
by Joshua Livestro
Bloggers should do all they can to support the revolution in the Arab streets.
To Have and to Hold, for Richer for Poorer
by David Brooks
We Need More Speech Codes
by Douglas Kern
Perhaps a liberal society requires illiberal education.
by Joel Mowbray
If you watch this powerful film — and you should — what you won’t see is the even more incredibly true story of the man with direct culpability for the deaths of 800,000 Tutsis: now-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Rocky Mountain News
Cops taser man accused of pilfering salad at Chuck E. Cheese
An angry mom says: "They had no regard for the effect this would have on the kids. This is Chuck E. Cheese, you know."
River Bend Telegraph
Police chief defends cops who Tasered, then fatally shot cat
It all started when officers were called to a home to deal with a cat fight. Now fur is flying all over town.
Boston Globe
Man accused of headbutting parent after "squirt" hockey game
Quit the AARP
Meet the Conservative Republican Seniors Against Bush.
by Rich Lowry
Read My Lips: The Sequel?
Bush opens the door to a big tax increase.by Stephen Moore
Wake-up call for my fellow Muslims
by Kamal Nawash
Muslim-bashing. That’s the accusation many of my fellow Muslims now hurl at the various news outlets for their news stories about a Freedom House investigation that found extremist Islamic literature in some leading American mosques.
Some suggestions for the Harvard faculty
by Star Parker
The sad truth about a society that becomes increasingly politicized by the day is that the principal victim is integrity. Thoughtfulness and honesty count for less and less and appearances count for more and more.
Believing the true believers
by Thomas Sowell
While the media have been focusing on the flap at Harvard growing out of its president's statement about the reasons for the under-representation of women in the sciences, a much worse and more revealing scandal has unfolded at the University of Seattle.
The flat tax in the old Soviet bloc
by Bruce Bartlett
On his trip to Slovakia last week, President Bush praised Prime Minister Dzurinda for the flat tax system he instituted last year.
Rodney Dangerfield at Harvard
by Suzanne Fields
Larry Summers, the president of Harvard, aspires to be the Rodney Dangerfield of academe: He don't get no respect.
The Arabs' Berlin Wall Has Crumbled
by Mark Steyn
What's Wrong With American High Schools
by Bill Gates
Sport of Kings (and Queens)
Why so few women chess masters? America's top female player ponders the question.
by Barbara D. Phillips
The 'Hotel' Lobby
After Rwanda and Iraq, Americans may demand more humanitarian interventions.
by Brendan Miniter
WSJ Editorial
Carrots for the Mullahs
A surefire path to a nuclear Iran.
Trackback to Freedom
by Joshua Livestro
Bloggers should do all they can to support the revolution in the Arab streets.
To Have and to Hold, for Richer for Poorer
by David Brooks
We Need More Speech Codes
by Douglas Kern
Perhaps a liberal society requires illiberal education.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Sign Up For Fantasy Baseball
For the fourth straight year, the Playing For Keeps league is up and running. If you'd like to play this season, sign up here. You'll need two things, the league ID # (9516) and the league password (canseco). The live draft is set for 9:30 p.m. ET, Friday, April 1.
articles 2/28
The Tipping Points
by Tom Friedman
'Delightful for Its Ordinariness'
A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq.
by Arthur Chrenkoff
High Taxes Wither Away
Former communist countries lead the way in abandoning progressivity.
Lebanese ministers resign office
Mr Karami denies any involvement in the attack on Mr HaririLebanon's Prime Minister Omar Karami has announced he and his government are resigning, two weeks after the murder of former PM Rafik Hariri.
The Peculiar Institution: Understanding Why Palestinian Terror Is Different
by Lee Harris
Terrorism is the Palestinians' peculiar institution, the way slavery was the peculiar institution of the American South in the nineteenth century. And like American slavery, Palestinian terrorism has its defenders. Lee Harris explains why those who continue to apologize or palliate Palestinian terror in any way are betraying the very people that they are claiming to support.
Are We All Happy Yet?
by Robert McHenry
Happiness surveys don't tell us anything intelligible. But even if they did, there is a deeper problem with them....
Father Knows Best?
by Sandy Szwarc
Part One of why you want your government out of your healthcare.
A Mideast Makeover?
by Jackson Diehl
NY Sun
Clinton Says Wife Would Be Good President
Minds Are Changing
by Michael Barone
The hinge of history
by Robert Novak
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's stand against embryonic stem cell research not only changes the long-range picture for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Rolling back the tide of tyranny
by Mike S. Adams
Last semester, the faculty senate at the University of Alabama (UA) passed an Orwellian speech code designed to restrict 'any behavior that demeans or reduces an individual based on group affiliation or personal traits, or which promotes hate or discrimination.'
What's next for liberalism?
by John Leo
Question for the day: if liberalism isn’t dead, then why are autopsies performed so regularly?
Time’s up for Syria
by Peter Brookes
It should now be widely recognized that the President’s unwavering push for Muslim democracy has reaped significant results.
All wet
by George Will
In this city of histrionic architecture, the building that matters most may be the bland, low-slung headquarters of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
NY Times
Alternate Reality Video Games Blur Many Lines
\Alternate-reality gaming blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community -- and may be one of the most powerful guerrilla marketing mechanisms ever invented.
Online Retailers Pursue Teenagers
Companies like Macy’s are trying to get teenagers to shop on their Web sites, using techniques that, they hope, reflect the shifting and sometimes contradictory signals of this group.
Now We Need the Media's Help in Iraq
by Iyad Allawi
Natan Sharansky: A Scorned Idealist
by Aluf Benn
Admiral Steers Support for Gays in Military
by Deb Price
The Arab Street
A vanquished cliché.
By Christopher Hitchens
Mac's Original Designer Dies
Jef Raskin, who died Saturday at 61, believed that computers should be user-friendly and affordable. Those ideas helped get Apple off the ground and changed the nature of computing forever.
Known Hole Aided T-Mobile Breach
Looks like a hacker was able to break into the wireless giant's customer records and private e-mail last year because the company neglected to patch a security hole in a commercial software package.
Wired
Mind Control
Matt Nagle is paralyzed. He's also a pioneer in the new science of brain implants.
by Tom Friedman
'Delightful for Its Ordinariness'
A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq.
by Arthur Chrenkoff
High Taxes Wither Away
Former communist countries lead the way in abandoning progressivity.
Lebanese ministers resign office
Mr Karami denies any involvement in the attack on Mr HaririLebanon's Prime Minister Omar Karami has announced he and his government are resigning, two weeks after the murder of former PM Rafik Hariri.
The Peculiar Institution: Understanding Why Palestinian Terror Is Different
by Lee Harris
Terrorism is the Palestinians' peculiar institution, the way slavery was the peculiar institution of the American South in the nineteenth century. And like American slavery, Palestinian terrorism has its defenders. Lee Harris explains why those who continue to apologize or palliate Palestinian terror in any way are betraying the very people that they are claiming to support.
Are We All Happy Yet?
by Robert McHenry
Happiness surveys don't tell us anything intelligible. But even if they did, there is a deeper problem with them....
Father Knows Best?
by Sandy Szwarc
Part One of why you want your government out of your healthcare.
A Mideast Makeover?
by Jackson Diehl
NY Sun
Clinton Says Wife Would Be Good President
Minds Are Changing
by Michael Barone
The hinge of history
by Robert Novak
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's stand against embryonic stem cell research not only changes the long-range picture for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Rolling back the tide of tyranny
by Mike S. Adams
Last semester, the faculty senate at the University of Alabama (UA) passed an Orwellian speech code designed to restrict 'any behavior that demeans or reduces an individual based on group affiliation or personal traits, or which promotes hate or discrimination.'
What's next for liberalism?
by John Leo
Question for the day: if liberalism isn’t dead, then why are autopsies performed so regularly?
Time’s up for Syria
by Peter Brookes
It should now be widely recognized that the President’s unwavering push for Muslim democracy has reaped significant results.
All wet
by George Will
In this city of histrionic architecture, the building that matters most may be the bland, low-slung headquarters of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
NY Times
Alternate Reality Video Games Blur Many Lines
\Alternate-reality gaming blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community -- and may be one of the most powerful guerrilla marketing mechanisms ever invented.
Online Retailers Pursue Teenagers
Companies like Macy’s are trying to get teenagers to shop on their Web sites, using techniques that, they hope, reflect the shifting and sometimes contradictory signals of this group.
Now We Need the Media's Help in Iraq
by Iyad Allawi
Natan Sharansky: A Scorned Idealist
by Aluf Benn
Admiral Steers Support for Gays in Military
by Deb Price
The Arab Street
A vanquished cliché.
By Christopher Hitchens
Mac's Original Designer Dies
Jef Raskin, who died Saturday at 61, believed that computers should be user-friendly and affordable. Those ideas helped get Apple off the ground and changed the nature of computing forever.
Known Hole Aided T-Mobile Breach
Looks like a hacker was able to break into the wireless giant's customer records and private e-mail last year because the company neglected to patch a security hole in a commercial software package.
Wired
Mind Control
Matt Nagle is paralyzed. He's also a pioneer in the new science of brain implants.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
articles 2/27
NY Times Magazine
Tex Macs
McDonald's is creating its own worst enemy: a healthy burrito.
The New Wave
Why I Write
by David Warren
Time
Who Says A Woman Can't Be Einstein?
Yes, men's and women's brains are different. But new research upends the old myths about who's good at what. A tour of the ever changing brain
Newsweek
Martha Breaks Out
After five months in prison, Martha's primed and ready for her next act: two TV shows and a marketing blitz stage-managed by a new A-list team. Inside the Martha Makeover Machine
Newsweek
The True Believers
Why would anyone still be devoted to Michael Jackson? He's on trial for child molestation. He hasn't had a No. 1 hit for a decade. Look at the face. Look at the life. These hard-core fans people call Jacko's Wackos—what are they thinking? They told us.
World Magazine
Free societies vs. fear societies
Natan Sharansky discusses the prospects for democracy in the Middle East and Russia and how in President Bush he has "found another dissident"
U.S. News & World Report
Condi vs. Hillary?
Condi Rice has so wowed Washington and the world that there's new buzz she is blazing a trail to the presidency.
NY Times Magazine
The Lost Soldiers of Stalag IX-B
On the European front in the last months of World War II, the Nazis sent 350 U.S. Army prisoners of war to work in a concentration camp in eastern Germany. First on the list were all the American Jews they could find.
LA Times
Looking for the Why of Buy
Researchers scan for insight into how marketing may brand the brain's preference for products.
What Dean Means
by Matt Baih
He's a centrist, leftist, healer, divider. How fitting for today's Democratic Party.
Soft Power, Hard Truths For Europe
by Victor Davis Hanson
The War On Terror Began With Salman Rushdie
by J. Rauch
A Specter is Haunting Arabia
by Uriah Kriegel
Fear and practice have been undermined by recent events in the Middle East.
Among the Fellow Travelers
by Radley Balko
Is there still a chance for an alliance between libertarians and limited-government conservatives?
Coffee Causes Cancer! Oops, This Just In! Coffee Prevents Cancer!
by Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan
Consumers must be constantly skeptical of studies linking variable A with disease B.
President Cheney?
by Fred Barnes
Reuters
WiMax May Pose Fresh Challenge to Broadband
The Washington Doctrine
by Michael M. Rosen
What Charles Krauthammer has elegantly characterized as "democratic realism," or the solemn American obligation to...
The Sorry Fiscal Record of a "Conservative" Administration
by David Broder
NY Warms to Hillary. Is America Next?
by Andrew Sullivan
NY Times Magazine
Training Brand
A lingerie line that appeals to girls emulating women who dress like children.
Iran Nuke Program Traced to '87
New evidence shows Iran bought some equipment then, but Tehran says it was for energy generation.
Business 2.o
Luring 'Em In
Who cares about prices? Bass Pro Shops hooks customers with tuna and taxidermy.
Business 2.o
The Grocery Store of the Future
Smart shelves. Fingerprint payment systems. The store of the future is here.
Business 2.o
Executive-in-Chief
Love what George W. Bush has to say or hate it, corporate leaders can learn a lot from how he says it.
LA Times Magazine
Rock, On
Chris Rock steps onto entertainment's grandest stage tonight as host of the Academy Awards telecast. Can a gig that big turn a rebel comedian outside in?
Barry Bonds Press Conference
Transcript
Watch it
Bono's Three TED Wishes
As one of the recipients of this year's TED prize, given this week at the annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design conference, Bono was given three wishes which TED will spend $100,000 to help fulfill. Bono's wishes, as you could've guessed, were directed at getting more Americans involved in the campaign to help Africa via the ONE Campaign and specifically at connecting hospitals and schools in Ethiopia to the Internet.
Tex Macs
McDonald's is creating its own worst enemy: a healthy burrito.
The New Wave
Why I Write
by David Warren
Time
Who Says A Woman Can't Be Einstein?
Yes, men's and women's brains are different. But new research upends the old myths about who's good at what. A tour of the ever changing brain
Newsweek
Martha Breaks Out
After five months in prison, Martha's primed and ready for her next act: two TV shows and a marketing blitz stage-managed by a new A-list team. Inside the Martha Makeover Machine
Newsweek
The True Believers
Why would anyone still be devoted to Michael Jackson? He's on trial for child molestation. He hasn't had a No. 1 hit for a decade. Look at the face. Look at the life. These hard-core fans people call Jacko's Wackos—what are they thinking? They told us.
World Magazine
Free societies vs. fear societies
Natan Sharansky discusses the prospects for democracy in the Middle East and Russia and how in President Bush he has "found another dissident"
U.S. News & World Report
Condi vs. Hillary?
Condi Rice has so wowed Washington and the world that there's new buzz she is blazing a trail to the presidency.
NY Times Magazine
The Lost Soldiers of Stalag IX-B
On the European front in the last months of World War II, the Nazis sent 350 U.S. Army prisoners of war to work in a concentration camp in eastern Germany. First on the list were all the American Jews they could find.
LA Times
Looking for the Why of Buy
Researchers scan for insight into how marketing may brand the brain's preference for products.
What Dean Means
by Matt Baih
He's a centrist, leftist, healer, divider. How fitting for today's Democratic Party.
Soft Power, Hard Truths For Europe
by Victor Davis Hanson
The War On Terror Began With Salman Rushdie
by J. Rauch
A Specter is Haunting Arabia
by Uriah Kriegel
Fear and practice have been undermined by recent events in the Middle East.
Among the Fellow Travelers
by Radley Balko
Is there still a chance for an alliance between libertarians and limited-government conservatives?
Coffee Causes Cancer! Oops, This Just In! Coffee Prevents Cancer!
by Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan
Consumers must be constantly skeptical of studies linking variable A with disease B.
President Cheney?
by Fred Barnes
Reuters
WiMax May Pose Fresh Challenge to Broadband
The Washington Doctrine
by Michael M. Rosen
What Charles Krauthammer has elegantly characterized as "democratic realism," or the solemn American obligation to...
The Sorry Fiscal Record of a "Conservative" Administration
by David Broder
NY Warms to Hillary. Is America Next?
by Andrew Sullivan
NY Times Magazine
Training Brand
A lingerie line that appeals to girls emulating women who dress like children.
Iran Nuke Program Traced to '87
New evidence shows Iran bought some equipment then, but Tehran says it was for energy generation.
Business 2.o
Luring 'Em In
Who cares about prices? Bass Pro Shops hooks customers with tuna and taxidermy.
Business 2.o
The Grocery Store of the Future
Smart shelves. Fingerprint payment systems. The store of the future is here.
Business 2.o
Executive-in-Chief
Love what George W. Bush has to say or hate it, corporate leaders can learn a lot from how he says it.
LA Times Magazine
Rock, On
Chris Rock steps onto entertainment's grandest stage tonight as host of the Academy Awards telecast. Can a gig that big turn a rebel comedian outside in?
Barry Bonds Press Conference
Transcript
Watch it
Bono's Three TED Wishes
As one of the recipients of this year's TED prize, given this week at the annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design conference, Bono was given three wishes which TED will spend $100,000 to help fulfill. Bono's wishes, as you could've guessed, were directed at getting more Americans involved in the campaign to help Africa via the ONE Campaign and specifically at connecting hospitals and schools in Ethiopia to the Internet.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
articles 2/26
Why Not Here?
by David Brooks
Rule of (International) Law
Can foreign courts tell American ones how to do their job?
Telegraph
Powell criticises Iraq troop levels and rift with Europe
NY Times
Amid Uproar, Harvard's President Ponders His Style
W. Post
Frist, Hastert Differ in Style
Divergent personalities of the GOP odd couple reflect the political realities of Senate, House.
White House 2008: The Democrats
by Larry Sabato
Big Bush Thoughts in Europe
by Lawrence Kudlow
Chicago Sun-Times
Put a guy in a dentist's chair and he turns into a wimp
In a new survey of 171 Chicago area dentists, 49 percent said males are more anxious when it comes to dental appointments, while only 15 percent thought females were the scaredy-cats. "The bigger they are, the more they fear," says dentist Alice Boghosian.
WSJ
This Exclusive Club Has One Requirement: 110 Birthday Candles
Gerontology Sleuths SearchFor 'Supercentenarians';Disproving False Claims
PR Week
2005 Annual Trust Barometer.
LA Times Editorial
Bono for the World Bank
Red Carpet Blues
How Oscar fashion got so boring.
By Julia Turner
Best AL lineups: Red Sox relentless top to bottom
Best NL lineups: Cardinals 2-through-5 devasting
by Jayson Stark
Wired
Howard Stern and the Satellite Wars
He's obscene, and obscenely popular, and he's taking his smut to Sirius. Foul-mouthed blogger Wonkette (aka Ana Marie Cox) explains why the shock jock is paving the way to the on-demand media future.Plus: Your guide to satellite, HD, on-demand radio, and podcasting.
Wired
The Resurrection of Indie Radio
FM never sounded so good. How the coming digital boom is driving the new golden age of multichannel, microniche broadcasting.
Wired
Adam Curry Wants to Make You an iPod Radio Star
MTV refugee Adam Curry is leading a grassroots revolt called podcasting. Why amateurs may soon rule the airwaves (begin download now).
by David Brooks
Rule of (International) Law
Can foreign courts tell American ones how to do their job?
Telegraph
Powell criticises Iraq troop levels and rift with Europe
NY Times
Amid Uproar, Harvard's President Ponders His Style
W. Post
Frist, Hastert Differ in Style
Divergent personalities of the GOP odd couple reflect the political realities of Senate, House.
White House 2008: The Democrats
by Larry Sabato
Big Bush Thoughts in Europe
by Lawrence Kudlow
Chicago Sun-Times
Put a guy in a dentist's chair and he turns into a wimp
In a new survey of 171 Chicago area dentists, 49 percent said males are more anxious when it comes to dental appointments, while only 15 percent thought females were the scaredy-cats. "The bigger they are, the more they fear," says dentist Alice Boghosian.
WSJ
This Exclusive Club Has One Requirement: 110 Birthday Candles
Gerontology Sleuths SearchFor 'Supercentenarians';Disproving False Claims
PR Week
2005 Annual Trust Barometer.
LA Times Editorial
Bono for the World Bank
Red Carpet Blues
How Oscar fashion got so boring.
By Julia Turner
Best AL lineups: Red Sox relentless top to bottom
Best NL lineups: Cardinals 2-through-5 devasting
by Jayson Stark
Wired
Howard Stern and the Satellite Wars
He's obscene, and obscenely popular, and he's taking his smut to Sirius. Foul-mouthed blogger Wonkette (aka Ana Marie Cox) explains why the shock jock is paving the way to the on-demand media future.Plus: Your guide to satellite, HD, on-demand radio, and podcasting.
Wired
The Resurrection of Indie Radio
FM never sounded so good. How the coming digital boom is driving the new golden age of multichannel, microniche broadcasting.
Wired
Adam Curry Wants to Make You an iPod Radio Star
MTV refugee Adam Curry is leading a grassroots revolt called podcasting. Why amateurs may soon rule the airwaves (begin download now).
Friday, February 25, 2005
articles 2/25
Der Spiegel
Could George W. Bush Be Right?
By Claus Christian Malzahn in Berlin
Germany loves to criticize US President George W. Bush's Middle East policies -- just like Germany loved to criticize former President Ronald Reagan. But Reagan, when he demanded that Gorbachev remove the Berlin Wall, turned out to be right. Could history repeat itself?
AP
U.S. Economy Grew Better Than Expected in 4th Quarter
The economy grew at a solid 3.8 percent annual rate in the final quarter of 2004 — stronger than previously estimated.
The War on the War on Poverty
Bush's theory of domestic policy is more profound than "compassionate conservatism."
by Myron Magnet
Facing Evil
"Hotel Rwanda" forces a look at mass murder.
by Daniel Henninger
Chris Rock
The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up.
By John Swansburg
Comeback Kid
Newt Gingrich's new book has much pretension, few details, and 2008 written all over it.
by Alexander Barnes Dryer
Leaving Gaza
by Charles Krauthammer
On Sunday, Feb. 20, Israel crossed two Rubicons. The Cabinet decided once and for all to withdraw from Gaza and dismantle 25 settlements -- 21 in Gaza and 4 in the upper West Bank.
Hillary the Chameleon
by David Limbaugh
I have always considered Hillary Clinton a formidable politician, but I haven't really feared a Hillary presidency because I haven't thought she was electable. I'm not quite as sure anymore.
All cowboys now
by Austin Bay
For democracies that shirked the showdown in Iraq, George Bush's remarks are gentle acid, but it is medicine Old Europe knows it has to swallow.
American Politics In The Networking Era
by Michael Barone
Wired.com
Watchdogs Sniff Out Terror Sites
Internet Haganah is taking the fight against terrorism online, and it's been able to shut down -- at least temporarily -- hundreds of sites through pressure on ISPs.
By John Lasker.
AP
Anglican Leaders Seek Split Over Gay Issue
Anglican leaders struggling to resolve explosive differences over homosexuality have asked the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to temporarily withdraw from a key council of their global communion because of the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions there and in Canada.
Is the Marine Corps P.C.?
by Mona Charen
Second Lt. Ilario Pantano was making a six-figure income as an energy trader with Goldman Sachs in New York when the World Trade Center was attacked.
Merchants of Despair
Sort of for the war, sort of
by Victor Davis Hanson
Snake Charmer
Note to GWB: All them vipers are deaf.
Hate Slime
The Orwellian new law that wasn't.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Fortune
You're a CEO, Baby!
A baby speaks nonsense, but its handlers don't seem to notice. Sound like anyone you know?
NY Times
For a Start-Up, Visions of Profit in Podcasting
The primarily amateur Internet audio medium known as podcasting will take a small, hopeful step on Friday toward becoming the commercial Web's next big thing.
New power at shortstop shouldn't devalue Larkin's achievements
by Ken Rosenthal
Barry Larkin's career statistics are better than Alan Trammell's, but not dramatically better. Both belong in the Hall of Fame -- baseball historian Bill James rates Larkin sixth all-time among major league shortstops and Trammell ninth. It will be a shame if the recent emergence of several top sluggers at the position reduces the chances of either reaching Cooperstown.
Even with testing, offenses will be pumped up
by Ken Rosenthal
The silliest assumption I've heard in spring training is that offense will decline because Major League Baseball is adopting tougher steroid testing.
Could George W. Bush Be Right?
By Claus Christian Malzahn in Berlin
Germany loves to criticize US President George W. Bush's Middle East policies -- just like Germany loved to criticize former President Ronald Reagan. But Reagan, when he demanded that Gorbachev remove the Berlin Wall, turned out to be right. Could history repeat itself?
AP
U.S. Economy Grew Better Than Expected in 4th Quarter
The economy grew at a solid 3.8 percent annual rate in the final quarter of 2004 — stronger than previously estimated.
The War on the War on Poverty
Bush's theory of domestic policy is more profound than "compassionate conservatism."
by Myron Magnet
Facing Evil
"Hotel Rwanda" forces a look at mass murder.
by Daniel Henninger
Chris Rock
The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up.
By John Swansburg
Comeback Kid
Newt Gingrich's new book has much pretension, few details, and 2008 written all over it.
by Alexander Barnes Dryer
Leaving Gaza
by Charles Krauthammer
On Sunday, Feb. 20, Israel crossed two Rubicons. The Cabinet decided once and for all to withdraw from Gaza and dismantle 25 settlements -- 21 in Gaza and 4 in the upper West Bank.
Hillary the Chameleon
by David Limbaugh
I have always considered Hillary Clinton a formidable politician, but I haven't really feared a Hillary presidency because I haven't thought she was electable. I'm not quite as sure anymore.
All cowboys now
by Austin Bay
For democracies that shirked the showdown in Iraq, George Bush's remarks are gentle acid, but it is medicine Old Europe knows it has to swallow.
American Politics In The Networking Era
by Michael Barone
Wired.com
Watchdogs Sniff Out Terror Sites
Internet Haganah is taking the fight against terrorism online, and it's been able to shut down -- at least temporarily -- hundreds of sites through pressure on ISPs.
By John Lasker.
AP
Anglican Leaders Seek Split Over Gay Issue
Anglican leaders struggling to resolve explosive differences over homosexuality have asked the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to temporarily withdraw from a key council of their global communion because of the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions there and in Canada.
Is the Marine Corps P.C.?
by Mona Charen
Second Lt. Ilario Pantano was making a six-figure income as an energy trader with Goldman Sachs in New York when the World Trade Center was attacked.
Merchants of Despair
Sort of for the war, sort of
by Victor Davis Hanson
Snake Charmer
Note to GWB: All them vipers are deaf.
Hate Slime
The Orwellian new law that wasn't.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Fortune
You're a CEO, Baby!
A baby speaks nonsense, but its handlers don't seem to notice. Sound like anyone you know?
NY Times
For a Start-Up, Visions of Profit in Podcasting
The primarily amateur Internet audio medium known as podcasting will take a small, hopeful step on Friday toward becoming the commercial Web's next big thing.
New power at shortstop shouldn't devalue Larkin's achievements
by Ken Rosenthal
Barry Larkin's career statistics are better than Alan Trammell's, but not dramatically better. Both belong in the Hall of Fame -- baseball historian Bill James rates Larkin sixth all-time among major league shortstops and Trammell ninth. It will be a shame if the recent emergence of several top sluggers at the position reduces the chances of either reaching Cooperstown.
Even with testing, offenses will be pumped up
by Ken Rosenthal
The silliest assumption I've heard in spring training is that offense will decline because Major League Baseball is adopting tougher steroid testing.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
articles 2/24
NY Times
Sad, Lonely? For a Good Time, Call Vivienne*
Men, are you tired of the time and trouble of having a girlfriend? Software maker Artificial Life Inc. has the answer: a virtual girlfriend named Vivienne.
Rappers and Bloggers
Separated at birth!
By Josh Levin
WSJ Editorial
The Good Intifada
How to pressure Syria to get out of Lebanon.
The Honorable Newt Gingrich
(Video of February 19 Speech to CPAC)
I'll Link to That
Hunter Thompson, Larry Summers, Hillary, Condi and the Internet's patron saint.
by Peggy Noonan
Allies and Allies
It's worth remembering that America has important friends outside of Europe.
by Tom Donnelly
Beirut's Berlin Wall
by David Ignatius
Dumb and Dumber: Revisiting Conservatives as the Stupid Party
by Orrin C. Judd
The tactical and strategic blunders of the Democratic Party over the last few years have been so spectacular that it may be time to reconsider the intellectual wattage of the respective parties.
NY Times
From Psst to Oops: Secret Taper of Bush Says History Can Wait
Doug Wead pledged to turn over to President Bush the tapes on which he secretly recorded some of their phone calls.
Origins of the Post-Democratic Democrats
by Carroll Andrew Morse
How did one of history's original democratic political parties become so indifferent to the cause of democracy?
The Ward Churchill money trail
by Joel Mowbray
The Center that honored 'little Eichmanns' book from Colorado professor is sponsored by mainstays of the American left.
'60 Minutes' wacky piece on black/white adoptions
by Larry Elder
'60 Minutes' strikes again. Earlier this month, the program broadcast a segment on international, 'transracial' (black/white) adoptions involving American-born babies.
Latin America's infection
by Robert Novak
When Gen. Omar Halleslevens was installed Monday in Managua as chief of the Nicaraguan army, the U.S. government was represented by a mere major at the change-of-command ceremony.
Taking the streets back
by George Will
In an American city, as in Baghdad, which is about the size of Chicago, the key to policing against violence is intelligence and other cooperation from a population that trusts the police.
Social Security deceit
by Walter E. Williams
President Bush's call to allow Americans to take a portion of the money they pay as Social Security taxes to set up private retirement accounts has to be a good idea. Why?
Bob and Carl's imaginary friend
by Jonah Goldberg
I have a request to make of William Rehnquist, Bob Dole, Henry Kissinger, Robert Bork, George Bush Sr., Al Haig and a host of other Washington graybeards.
Ward Churchill, Lawrence Summers, and the hypocrisy of the academics
by Ben Shapiro
Quick quiz: which of these two statements do you find more offensive?
Fides et Internetum
Pope John Paul II takes on media, Old and New.
by Hugh Hewitt
Bush's Mad Cap Idea
by Lawrence Kudlow
L.A. Confidential
Edward Jay Epstein's new book, The Big Picture, uncovers Hollywood's dirtiest secret: the real economics of moviemaking.
by Jonathan V. Last
Wilmington News-Journal
Chase execs upbeat about Del. division
Credit card business expected to grow
Give a Little
By Bono
Religion News Service
Calvin College on U2
College class on U2 explores religious influence of a rock band.
The New Paper
He Brought U2 to the Joshua Tree
Sad, Lonely? For a Good Time, Call Vivienne*
Men, are you tired of the time and trouble of having a girlfriend? Software maker Artificial Life Inc. has the answer: a virtual girlfriend named Vivienne.
Rappers and Bloggers
Separated at birth!
By Josh Levin
WSJ Editorial
The Good Intifada
How to pressure Syria to get out of Lebanon.
The Honorable Newt Gingrich
(Video of February 19 Speech to CPAC)
I'll Link to That
Hunter Thompson, Larry Summers, Hillary, Condi and the Internet's patron saint.
by Peggy Noonan
Allies and Allies
It's worth remembering that America has important friends outside of Europe.
by Tom Donnelly
Beirut's Berlin Wall
by David Ignatius
Dumb and Dumber: Revisiting Conservatives as the Stupid Party
by Orrin C. Judd
The tactical and strategic blunders of the Democratic Party over the last few years have been so spectacular that it may be time to reconsider the intellectual wattage of the respective parties.
NY Times
From Psst to Oops: Secret Taper of Bush Says History Can Wait
Doug Wead pledged to turn over to President Bush the tapes on which he secretly recorded some of their phone calls.
Origins of the Post-Democratic Democrats
by Carroll Andrew Morse
How did one of history's original democratic political parties become so indifferent to the cause of democracy?
The Ward Churchill money trail
by Joel Mowbray
The Center that honored 'little Eichmanns' book from Colorado professor is sponsored by mainstays of the American left.
'60 Minutes' wacky piece on black/white adoptions
by Larry Elder
'60 Minutes' strikes again. Earlier this month, the program broadcast a segment on international, 'transracial' (black/white) adoptions involving American-born babies.
Latin America's infection
by Robert Novak
When Gen. Omar Halleslevens was installed Monday in Managua as chief of the Nicaraguan army, the U.S. government was represented by a mere major at the change-of-command ceremony.
Taking the streets back
by George Will
In an American city, as in Baghdad, which is about the size of Chicago, the key to policing against violence is intelligence and other cooperation from a population that trusts the police.
Social Security deceit
by Walter E. Williams
President Bush's call to allow Americans to take a portion of the money they pay as Social Security taxes to set up private retirement accounts has to be a good idea. Why?
Bob and Carl's imaginary friend
by Jonah Goldberg
I have a request to make of William Rehnquist, Bob Dole, Henry Kissinger, Robert Bork, George Bush Sr., Al Haig and a host of other Washington graybeards.
Ward Churchill, Lawrence Summers, and the hypocrisy of the academics
by Ben Shapiro
Quick quiz: which of these two statements do you find more offensive?
Fides et Internetum
Pope John Paul II takes on media, Old and New.
by Hugh Hewitt
Bush's Mad Cap Idea
by Lawrence Kudlow
L.A. Confidential
Edward Jay Epstein's new book, The Big Picture, uncovers Hollywood's dirtiest secret: the real economics of moviemaking.
by Jonathan V. Last
Wilmington News-Journal
Chase execs upbeat about Del. division
Credit card business expected to grow
Give a Little
By Bono
Religion News Service
Calvin College on U2
College class on U2 explores religious influence of a rock band.
The New Paper
He Brought U2 to the Joshua Tree
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
articles 2/22
NY Sun
Harvard President Faces New Round Of Criticism Over Speech on Gender
NY Sun Editorial
The Soul of Harvard
Summers' School
What the Harvard president learned from his critics.
By Meghan O'Rourke
The Girls of Summers
hat Harvard's president and his critics got wrong.
By William Saletan
Piss Off
A Belgian novelty shows what the good people of Brussels really think about George W. Bush.
by Paul Belien
The End of the Counter-Culture
Hunter S. Thompson, 1939 - 2005.
by Stephen Schwartz
Fear and Loathing
My night with Hunter Thompson.
By Austin Ruse
As Gonzo in Life as in His Work
Hunter S. Thompson died as he lived.
by Tom Wolfe
QVC, Here I Come!
Can I get my brilliant new product—Hairmuffs—on home shopping television?
By Emily Yoffe
Kyoto and the End of Hot Air
The Kyoto Protocols have gone into effect which is, believe it or not, good for everybody.
by Irwin M. Stelzer
Law and Borders
The conservative case for Bush's immigration plan.
by Tamar Jacoby
AP
JPMorgan Keeps Visa, MasterCard Logos
JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Continue Issuing Visa, MasterCard Cards, Retains Seats on Visa's Board
Reuters
JPMorgan to stay with both Visa, MasterCard
AP
Starbucks To Offer Different Kind Of Kick
Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
It's Time For All To Come Clean
If it leads to some straight answers, give players who speak about steriods immunity.
by Buster Olney
LA Times
He Will Do It His Way
New Dodger 'cornerstone' J.D. Drew is eager to bring his deliberate approach to Los Angeles.
Harvard President Faces New Round Of Criticism Over Speech on Gender
NY Sun Editorial
The Soul of Harvard
Summers' School
What the Harvard president learned from his critics.
By Meghan O'Rourke
The Girls of Summers
hat Harvard's president and his critics got wrong.
By William Saletan
Piss Off
A Belgian novelty shows what the good people of Brussels really think about George W. Bush.
by Paul Belien
The End of the Counter-Culture
Hunter S. Thompson, 1939 - 2005.
by Stephen Schwartz
Fear and Loathing
My night with Hunter Thompson.
By Austin Ruse
As Gonzo in Life as in His Work
Hunter S. Thompson died as he lived.
by Tom Wolfe
QVC, Here I Come!
Can I get my brilliant new product—Hairmuffs—on home shopping television?
By Emily Yoffe
Kyoto and the End of Hot Air
The Kyoto Protocols have gone into effect which is, believe it or not, good for everybody.
by Irwin M. Stelzer
Law and Borders
The conservative case for Bush's immigration plan.
by Tamar Jacoby
AP
JPMorgan Keeps Visa, MasterCard Logos
JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Continue Issuing Visa, MasterCard Cards, Retains Seats on Visa's Board
Reuters
JPMorgan to stay with both Visa, MasterCard
AP
Starbucks To Offer Different Kind Of Kick
Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
It's Time For All To Come Clean
If it leads to some straight answers, give players who speak about steriods immunity.
by Buster Olney
LA Times
He Will Do It His Way
New Dodger 'cornerstone' J.D. Drew is eager to bring his deliberate approach to Los Angeles.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins are Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Avarice, and Gluttony, traditionally remembered with the aid of the acronym PEWSLAG. Well, goodbye PEWSLAG, hello CABDHGS. A polling organization in Britain asked a thousand citizens to modernize the list. The new deadlies are, in descending order of sinfulness: Cruelty, Adultery, Bigotry, Dishonesty, Hypocrisy, Greed, and Selfishness. Note the interesting shift of emphasis visible here. Formerly the essence of sin lay in offending God by failing to curb one’s lower nature. Nowadays sin means causing pain or mental distress to other people. To put it another way, virtue used to consist in moral cultivation of the self; now it consists in being nice. Something has been lost here, surely. -- FEBRUARY 28, 2005 VOL. LVII, NO. 3, National Review
Sunday, February 20, 2005
articles 2/20
NY Times
In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President
U.S. News & World Report
Mysteries of the mind
Your unconscious is making your everyday decisions
Making those choices about right and wrong
Books & Culture
The Real Life of an At-Home Mother
Desperate housewives.
U.S. News & World Report
Tying a tight knot
the Marshalls had entered a covenant marriage, a more restrictive contract that Arkansas began offering in 2001. Learning that the marriage could be dissolved only after couples counseling and a two-year separation, LaRon remembers his initial reaction: "Looks like I'm kind of locked up in this . . . for life." Through six months of counseling with a Full Council pastor, the couple learned "to stop acting separately and to start doing things as a family," says Faranda, who's now pregnant with the couple's second child.
LA Times
W. Post
CIA to Cede President's Brief to Negroponte
White House Decision Seen as Signal to Intelligence Community on New Post
San Diego Union-Tribune
Q&A With Richard Perle
AP
Iran readies for feared attack by U.S.
Iran has begun preparing for a possible U.S. attack, announcing efforts to bolster and mobilize recruits in citizens' militias and making plans to engage in the type of "asymmetrical" warfare used against American troops in neighboring Iraq.
NY Times
Fighting Words
Defiant, resentful, scared, soldiers in Iraq are turning to a powerful new weapon: rap.
In the Midst of Budget Decadence, a Leader Will Arise
by David Brooks
Now Dean Has the Power. What Will He Do?
by John Nichols, The Nation
Unsung Victories
by Victor Davis Hanson
The Millionaire Next Door vs. the Politician in Washington
by Arnold Kling
The values war: between a group whose core values are thrift and self-reliance and a group whose core values are paternalism and redistribution.
'The Duty of the Opposition Is...'
by Pejman Yousefzadeh
What makes a creditable opposition party?
Not Much Left
by Martin Peretz
Liberals have a problem: They have run out of big ideas.
NY Times
Tired of TiVo? Beyond Blogs? Podcasts Are Here
Enthusiasts of all sorts are creating their own broadcasts, or "podcasts" on computers and then posting them to a Web site.
A Bono-fied religion
By Geoff Boucher
VH-1
Grammys, Shmammys
U2's Bono Scores Another Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
The Juice and I
Jose Canseco and steroids, a love story.
By Bryan Curtis
Wild Winter Induces Spring Fever
by Jayson Stark
Marriage Partnership
The Best Sex (Survey) Ever!
Ever wondered how your sex life compares to that of other readers? Sure, you have! So read on.
Marriage Partnership
Exposed!
How marriage uncovers the sin in our lives—and why that's a good thing.
In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President
U.S. News & World Report
Mysteries of the mind
Your unconscious is making your everyday decisions
Making those choices about right and wrong
Books & Culture
The Real Life of an At-Home Mother
Desperate housewives.
U.S. News & World Report
Tying a tight knot
the Marshalls had entered a covenant marriage, a more restrictive contract that Arkansas began offering in 2001. Learning that the marriage could be dissolved only after couples counseling and a two-year separation, LaRon remembers his initial reaction: "Looks like I'm kind of locked up in this . . . for life." Through six months of counseling with a Full Council pastor, the couple learned "to stop acting separately and to start doing things as a family," says Faranda, who's now pregnant with the couple's second child.
LA Times
Sen. Kerry goes against precedent, getting back in the political spotlight in a leadership role.
W. Post
CIA to Cede President's Brief to Negroponte
White House Decision Seen as Signal to Intelligence Community on New Post
San Diego Union-Tribune
Q&A With Richard Perle
AP
Iran readies for feared attack by U.S.
Iran has begun preparing for a possible U.S. attack, announcing efforts to bolster and mobilize recruits in citizens' militias and making plans to engage in the type of "asymmetrical" warfare used against American troops in neighboring Iraq.
NY Times
Fighting Words
Defiant, resentful, scared, soldiers in Iraq are turning to a powerful new weapon: rap.
In the Midst of Budget Decadence, a Leader Will Arise
by David Brooks
Now Dean Has the Power. What Will He Do?
by John Nichols, The Nation
Unsung Victories
by Victor Davis Hanson
The Millionaire Next Door vs. the Politician in Washington
by Arnold Kling
The values war: between a group whose core values are thrift and self-reliance and a group whose core values are paternalism and redistribution.
'The Duty of the Opposition Is...'
by Pejman Yousefzadeh
What makes a creditable opposition party?
Not Much Left
by Martin Peretz
Liberals have a problem: They have run out of big ideas.
NY Times
Tired of TiVo? Beyond Blogs? Podcasts Are Here
Enthusiasts of all sorts are creating their own broadcasts, or "podcasts" on computers and then posting them to a Web site.
A Bono-fied religion
By Geoff Boucher
VH-1
Grammys, Shmammys
U2's Bono Scores Another Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
The Juice and I
Jose Canseco and steroids, a love story.
By Bryan Curtis
Wild Winter Induces Spring Fever
by Jayson Stark
Marriage Partnership
The Best Sex (Survey) Ever!
Ever wondered how your sex life compares to that of other readers? Sure, you have! So read on.
Marriage Partnership
Exposed!
How marriage uncovers the sin in our lives—and why that's a good thing.
Friday, February 18, 2005
articles 2/18
The Money Is In the Long Tail
by Tim Worstall
Two cherished objectives of the left are actually in conflict with each other. The 'long tail' is the reason.
Negroponte is a Smart Intel Pick
by Ralph Peters, New York Post
Bush's Bold Choice for National Intelligence Director?
by Fred Kaplan, Slate
Dems Were Lemmings, Greenspan the Cliff
by Robert Robb
Bush's Budget Battle
byGeorge Will
It's Hard to Have a Crisis 37 Years Out
by Charles Krauthammer
Michael Kinsley's Days Are Numbered
by Susan Estrich
Bush, FDR and Social Security
by Nick Schultz
The debate over private accounts, Al Franken and me.
The Fight Over Cyber Oversight
Would government enforcement improve cybersecurity? Some say yes, others say the market will take care of it. Experts clash at the RSA Conference.
A Living Boob Job
Stem cells have been touted as a potential cure for the most devastating diseases, but a more near-term application could be cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
No Protection for Bloggers
Do bloggers, the self-described citizen journalists, deserve the same protections under the law that mainstream reporters do? The question is probably moot, but it's not because blogging is relatively new.
by Adam L. Penenberg
Stars Take a Shine to Apple
Celebrities are a fixture in Apple's Los Angeles retail stores. Apple forbids sales associates from talking to the press, but a couple of associates have broken ranks to dish some Tinseltown dirt.
Just How Exciting Is It?
A British designer is working on a system to measure excitement. The data he's gathering could be used to modify games in real time to enhance players' experiences.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
by Steve Gardner
Dealing with Putin
How Bush can stand up for what he believes without disengaging from Russia on nuclear arms reduction, nonproliferation, or fighting terrorism.
by James M. Goldgeier & Michael McFaul
Unsung Victories
The effects of American policy throughout the Middle East are gradually being felt.
by Victor Davis Hanson
WSJ Editorial
Hockey Stick on Ice
Politicizing the science of global warming.
Democracy in Russia
Based on testimony delivered before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
by Bruce P. Jackson
Canseco Refreshingly Candid on Race
by Tim Marchman
MLB, teams, even media share blame
Despite steroid rumors, too many turned away
by Hal Bodley
Spy Chief Faces Immense Burdens, Meager Authority
By Bob Drogin
Negroponte would have to create strategies to overhaul policies and planning for 15 agencies. Access to the president should help.
FDR's 'Forgotten Man' at Risk
By Jonathan Alter
No Pain, No Gain in the Mideast
by Jonathan Chait
NY Times
Interactive Viral Campaigns Ask Consumers to Spread the Word
As more Americans become comfortable with the Web, agencies are increasingly producing interactive online campaigns, even for goods that hardly anyone buys online.
LA Times
Priests Sign Up for Exorcism 101
Faced with a shortage of skilled clerics, Vatican is offering a course on demonic possession.
On Thursday about 100 priests stood, prayed for protection, then sat down to begin an eight-week study of how to distinguish and fight demonic possession.
Books & Culture
The Gospel According to ……
Charlie Brown, Tony Soprano, and other unlikely spiritual guides.
USA Today
Five actresses face down the big 4-oh
Nicole, Naomi, Catherine, Halle and Julia could force Hollywood to grow up
Two actresses after 40: One struggles, one succeeds
‘Girlishness' got Ryan into trouble
Meg Ryan, 43, once ruled as the perky princess of Hollywood's hottest romantic comedies.
Versatility and sex appeal keep Sarandon on screen
Forty doesn't have to be fatal. Look at Susan Sarandon.
The Transcript
The Smoking Gun obtains 1903-page record of panel that indicted Michael Jackson on molestation and conspiracy charges
Say Jacko bugged, boozed up guests
USA Today
10 Worst Jobs in Sports
Series introduction
No. 10: Mascot
No. 9: Soigneur
No. 8: NFL special teams player
No. 7: Yankees general manager
No. 6: Clubhouse attendant
by Tim Worstall
Two cherished objectives of the left are actually in conflict with each other. The 'long tail' is the reason.
Negroponte is a Smart Intel Pick
by Ralph Peters, New York Post
Bush's Bold Choice for National Intelligence Director?
by Fred Kaplan, Slate
Dems Were Lemmings, Greenspan the Cliff
by Robert Robb
Bush's Budget Battle
byGeorge Will
It's Hard to Have a Crisis 37 Years Out
by Charles Krauthammer
Michael Kinsley's Days Are Numbered
by Susan Estrich
Bush, FDR and Social Security
by Nick Schultz
The debate over private accounts, Al Franken and me.
The Fight Over Cyber Oversight
Would government enforcement improve cybersecurity? Some say yes, others say the market will take care of it. Experts clash at the RSA Conference.
A Living Boob Job
Stem cells have been touted as a potential cure for the most devastating diseases, but a more near-term application could be cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
No Protection for Bloggers
Do bloggers, the self-described citizen journalists, deserve the same protections under the law that mainstream reporters do? The question is probably moot, but it's not because blogging is relatively new.
by Adam L. Penenberg
Stars Take a Shine to Apple
Celebrities are a fixture in Apple's Los Angeles retail stores. Apple forbids sales associates from talking to the press, but a couple of associates have broken ranks to dish some Tinseltown dirt.
Just How Exciting Is It?
A British designer is working on a system to measure excitement. The data he's gathering could be used to modify games in real time to enhance players' experiences.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
by Steve Gardner
Dealing with Putin
How Bush can stand up for what he believes without disengaging from Russia on nuclear arms reduction, nonproliferation, or fighting terrorism.
by James M. Goldgeier & Michael McFaul
Unsung Victories
The effects of American policy throughout the Middle East are gradually being felt.
by Victor Davis Hanson
WSJ Editorial
Hockey Stick on Ice
Politicizing the science of global warming.
Democracy in Russia
Based on testimony delivered before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
by Bruce P. Jackson
Canseco Refreshingly Candid on Race
by Tim Marchman
MLB, teams, even media share blame
Despite steroid rumors, too many turned away
by Hal Bodley
Spy Chief Faces Immense Burdens, Meager Authority
By Bob Drogin
Negroponte would have to create strategies to overhaul policies and planning for 15 agencies. Access to the president should help.
FDR's 'Forgotten Man' at Risk
By Jonathan Alter
No Pain, No Gain in the Mideast
by Jonathan Chait
NY Times
Interactive Viral Campaigns Ask Consumers to Spread the Word
As more Americans become comfortable with the Web, agencies are increasingly producing interactive online campaigns, even for goods that hardly anyone buys online.
LA Times
Priests Sign Up for Exorcism 101
Faced with a shortage of skilled clerics, Vatican is offering a course on demonic possession.
On Thursday about 100 priests stood, prayed for protection, then sat down to begin an eight-week study of how to distinguish and fight demonic possession.
Books & Culture
The Gospel According to ……
Charlie Brown, Tony Soprano, and other unlikely spiritual guides.
USA Today
Five actresses face down the big 4-oh
Nicole, Naomi, Catherine, Halle and Julia could force Hollywood to grow up
Two actresses after 40: One struggles, one succeeds
‘Girlishness' got Ryan into trouble
Meg Ryan, 43, once ruled as the perky princess of Hollywood's hottest romantic comedies.
Versatility and sex appeal keep Sarandon on screen
Forty doesn't have to be fatal. Look at Susan Sarandon.
The Transcript
The Smoking Gun obtains 1903-page record of panel that indicted Michael Jackson on molestation and conspiracy charges
Say Jacko bugged, boozed up guests
USA Today
10 Worst Jobs in Sports
Series introduction
No. 10: Mascot
No. 9: Soigneur
No. 8: NFL special teams player
No. 7: Yankees general manager
No. 6: Clubhouse attendant
Thursday, February 17, 2005
articles 2/17
"Fat Chance" Dean Won't Influence Party Message
by Robert Novak
A More Diffident Dean?
by David Broder
The Specter of Nuclear Proliferation
by Graham Allison
Turning a Political Corner in Iraq
by David Ignatius
The UN Oil-for-Food Scandal is Kofi Annan's Fault
by Claudia Rosett
Gentleman Jockeys Win the Derby
by Hugh Hewitt
'Hama Rules'
by Thomas Freidman
My 'Million Dollar' Answer
Why would a conservative criticize Clint Eastwood's latest work? I'll tell you.
by Michael Medved
Class-warfare death wish
by Larry Kudlow
At the Democratic National Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., last Saturday, several party leaders revived the mantra of 'tax cuts for the wealthy' as an attack on President Bush.
Myth illogical
by Alan Reynolds
The AARP claims to represent us seniors, but more often it just lectures us relentlessly.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
An intellectual history.
By Bryan Curtis
Elliott Abrams
From Iran-Contra to Bush's democracy czar.
By Michael Crowley
Eason's Fable
Bloggers, the old media, and the rise and fall of CNN's Eason Jordan.
by Edward Morrissey
Mitt Romney vs. the Boys from Boston
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney takes on stem cells, Harvard, and the liberal bioethics establishment.
by Dean Barnett
The Blogs Must Be Crazy
by Peggy Noonan
"Never Again" Again
What is the United Nations going to do about the genocide in Darfur?
by Daniel McKivergan
NY Daily News
Sheff stirs new story
Gary Sheffield wasn't going to talk about steroids this year, he said, not even about Jose Canseco's tell-all tome. But by the time a 15-minute interview was over yesterday, Sheffield had covered steroids from several angles.
La Russa's credibility on the line
By Ann Killion
Reuters
Former MVP Runner-Up Wants Canseco's Award
AP
NYC Seeks to Trademark a New Slogan
Forget "The Big Apple." New York now wants to be known as "The World's Second Home."
Meet a real-life ‘Hitch'
Movie shines a spotlight on date ‘coaches'
USA Today
Literary blogs fill a niche
They're growing in importance as a ‘point of entry' for book lovers
Getting a read on things
Memorial stones
by Skip Ryan
GQ
Upon This Rock
Rock music used to be a safe haven for degenerates and rebels. Until it found Jesus.
Here's what all that fuss was about
Live From New York: The First Five Years of Saturday Night Live (NBC, Sunday, 9 p.m. ET/PT) should focus boomers' hazy memories and provide a comedy history lesson for younger viewers. In an interview with USA TODAY's Bill Keveney, SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who was not directly involved in making the documentary, offers insight into SNL, then and now.
by Robert Novak
A More Diffident Dean?
by David Broder
The Specter of Nuclear Proliferation
by Graham Allison
Turning a Political Corner in Iraq
by David Ignatius
The UN Oil-for-Food Scandal is Kofi Annan's Fault
by Claudia Rosett
Gentleman Jockeys Win the Derby
by Hugh Hewitt
'Hama Rules'
by Thomas Freidman
My 'Million Dollar' Answer
Why would a conservative criticize Clint Eastwood's latest work? I'll tell you.
by Michael Medved
Class-warfare death wish
by Larry Kudlow
At the Democratic National Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., last Saturday, several party leaders revived the mantra of 'tax cuts for the wealthy' as an attack on President Bush.
Myth illogical
by Alan Reynolds
The AARP claims to represent us seniors, but more often it just lectures us relentlessly.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
An intellectual history.
By Bryan Curtis
Elliott Abrams
From Iran-Contra to Bush's democracy czar.
By Michael Crowley
Eason's Fable
Bloggers, the old media, and the rise and fall of CNN's Eason Jordan.
by Edward Morrissey
Mitt Romney vs. the Boys from Boston
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney takes on stem cells, Harvard, and the liberal bioethics establishment.
by Dean Barnett
The Blogs Must Be Crazy
by Peggy Noonan
"Never Again" Again
What is the United Nations going to do about the genocide in Darfur?
by Daniel McKivergan
NY Daily News
Sheff stirs new story
Gary Sheffield wasn't going to talk about steroids this year, he said, not even about Jose Canseco's tell-all tome. But by the time a 15-minute interview was over yesterday, Sheffield had covered steroids from several angles.
La Russa's credibility on the line
By Ann Killion
Reuters
Former MVP Runner-Up Wants Canseco's Award
AP
NYC Seeks to Trademark a New Slogan
Forget "The Big Apple." New York now wants to be known as "The World's Second Home."
Meet a real-life ‘Hitch'
Movie shines a spotlight on date ‘coaches'
USA Today
Literary blogs fill a niche
They're growing in importance as a ‘point of entry' for book lovers
Getting a read on things
Memorial stones
by Skip Ryan
GQ
Upon This Rock
Rock music used to be a safe haven for degenerates and rebels. Until it found Jesus.
Here's what all that fuss was about
Live From New York: The First Five Years of Saturday Night Live (NBC, Sunday, 9 p.m. ET/PT) should focus boomers' hazy memories and provide a comedy history lesson for younger viewers. In an interview with USA TODAY's Bill Keveney, SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who was not directly involved in making the documentary, offers insight into SNL, then and now.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
articles 2/16
Play ball!
Registration for Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball will begin shortly after midnight (ET) Thursday, February 17. I'll have a league again this year, if you'd like to join. Look for registration info on the blog 2/17.
ESPN
Around The League In The N.L.
USA Today
Yep, life'll burst that self-esteem bubble
Overpraised '80s kids, stunned by criticism in college and at work, are ill-equipped to cope
Rock On
Chris Rock hits on a profound truth.
By Dorinda Bordlee
Socialism's Last Redoubt
Why do Dems oppose Social Security reform? Because they're committed to government control.
by Pete Du Pont
The Democrats' Dilemma
by Patrick Buchanan
Dean Has Custer's Swagger
by David Hill, The Nation
Blame Game
by Claudia Rosett
The U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal is the biggest scam in the history of humanitarian aid. And it's Kofi Annan's fault.
Up Against 'The Wall'
Dancers from Red China try their hand at Pink Floyd.
by Robert Greskovic
AFP
Study: the Pill Changes Women's Taste in Men
ESPN
LaRussa Knew Canseco Was "Juiced"
WSJ
Bush Combs Senate for Friendly Democrats
White House LobbyistsEstimate a Third of OppositionWill Provide Occasional Support
Democrats Should Get Ahead of Bush On Tax Reform
by Mort Kondracke
Hillary & Co Delivering Shout-Outs To Center
by Clarence Page
AP
Iran, Syria to Form 'United Front'
Iran and Syria, who both are facing pressure from the United States, said Wednesday they will form a "united front" to confront possible threats against them, state-run television reported.
Reuters
Iran Will Know How to Build Bomb in 6 Months - Israel
Israel said on Wednesday Tehran was just six months away from being able to build an atomic bomb, as Iranian state television rattled markets by reporting an explosion near Iran's only nuclear power plant.
Crazy Rich
Are Americans successful because they're nuts?
By Daniel Gross
Opposition During Wartime
by Andrew Apostolou
How political opposition can hold both Bush and Blair's feet to the fire.
Real Social Security Reform
by Glenn Reynolds
We've already decided to think decades ahead. Why not think about what we can do to make Social Security a lot less...
America Against the World?
by Nick Schulz
'It's hard to overstate just how out of step the United States is with the rest of the world.' Is it?
The Problem of Chickendoves
by Douglas Kern
A funny thing happened on the way to the peace vigil.
NY Observer
The CBS Three Won’t Slink Off; Hiring Lawyers
NY Sun
Race For Premier Narrows to Two: Chalabi, Jafari
AARP in the Hot Seat
Some questions.
by Nick Lowry
CIA Conspiracy Theorist
Michael Scheuer knows where America's real covert intelligence threat comes from--Israel.
by Thomas Joscelyn
Metaphysics, Science, Homsexuality
Are we talking biology or choice?
by John Derbyshire
Ian Wilmut: Human Cloner
How the man who created Dolly the sheep slid down the slippery slope to human reproductive cloning.
by Wesley J. Smith
Medicaid Needs Surgery
And Jeb Bush's Florida shows how to do it.
by David Gratzer
Stemming stem cell research
by Cal Thomas
Mitt Romney is battling Harvard's stem cell researchers on principle.
E.U.-U.S. train wreck over Iran?
by Arnaud de Borchgrave
Condoleezza Rice threw a wrench in the fragile machinery of trans-Atlantic rapprochement.
The rise of the bike path left
by Jonah Goldberg
In short, about the war on terror Dean was dismissively blase. About bike paths he was a pit bull.
Attack of the blogs
by Brent Bozell
The media buzz over the rising power of Internet weblogs (the "blogs") reached a new crescendo when CNN's chief of newsgathering, Eason Jordan, resigned over sloppy charges he made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Sliming the troops
by Michelle Malkin
With folks like powerful CNN executive Eason Jordan in charge it's no wonder our troops so often feel smeared and slimed.
NY Times
Jailing of Reporters in C.I.A. Leak Case Is Upheld by Judges
A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court held that the reporters, one from The Times, may have witnessed a federal crime.
NY Times
New Model Army Soldier Rolls Closer to Battle
The Pentagon predicts that robots will be a major fighting force in the American military in less than a decade.
American Thinker
Beware the Condi Bandwagon
W. Post
Gambling's Man
Jimmy O'Brien Turned Scratch Lottery Tickets Into a $22 Billion-a-Year ItchBy David Segal, Page C01 Over the course of a year, more than 17 billion scratch tickets will be stamped out at the headquarters of Scientific Games, enough to girdle the globe at the equator 44 times.
WKMG.com
Woman Drunk On Listerine Sentenced To 2 Years Probation
According to Listerine manufacturer Pfizer Inc.'s Web site, original formula Listerine contains 26.9 percent alcohol, more than four times that of many malt liquors, while other varieties contain 21.6 percent alcohol.
Reuters
George Michael Bids Farewell to Pop World
Registration for Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball will begin shortly after midnight (ET) Thursday, February 17. I'll have a league again this year, if you'd like to join. Look for registration info on the blog 2/17.
ESPN
Around The League In The N.L.
USA Today
Yep, life'll burst that self-esteem bubble
Overpraised '80s kids, stunned by criticism in college and at work, are ill-equipped to cope
Rock On
Chris Rock hits on a profound truth.
By Dorinda Bordlee
Socialism's Last Redoubt
Why do Dems oppose Social Security reform? Because they're committed to government control.
by Pete Du Pont
The Democrats' Dilemma
by Patrick Buchanan
Dean Has Custer's Swagger
by David Hill, The Nation
Blame Game
by Claudia Rosett
The U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal is the biggest scam in the history of humanitarian aid. And it's Kofi Annan's fault.
Up Against 'The Wall'
Dancers from Red China try their hand at Pink Floyd.
by Robert Greskovic
AFP
Study: the Pill Changes Women's Taste in Men
ESPN
LaRussa Knew Canseco Was "Juiced"
WSJ
Bush Combs Senate for Friendly Democrats
White House LobbyistsEstimate a Third of OppositionWill Provide Occasional Support
Democrats Should Get Ahead of Bush On Tax Reform
by Mort Kondracke
Hillary & Co Delivering Shout-Outs To Center
by Clarence Page
AP
Iran, Syria to Form 'United Front'
Iran and Syria, who both are facing pressure from the United States, said Wednesday they will form a "united front" to confront possible threats against them, state-run television reported.
Reuters
Iran Will Know How to Build Bomb in 6 Months - Israel
Israel said on Wednesday Tehran was just six months away from being able to build an atomic bomb, as Iranian state television rattled markets by reporting an explosion near Iran's only nuclear power plant.
Crazy Rich
Are Americans successful because they're nuts?
By Daniel Gross
Opposition During Wartime
by Andrew Apostolou
How political opposition can hold both Bush and Blair's feet to the fire.
Real Social Security Reform
by Glenn Reynolds
We've already decided to think decades ahead. Why not think about what we can do to make Social Security a lot less...
America Against the World?
by Nick Schulz
'It's hard to overstate just how out of step the United States is with the rest of the world.' Is it?
The Problem of Chickendoves
by Douglas Kern
A funny thing happened on the way to the peace vigil.
NY Observer
The CBS Three Won’t Slink Off; Hiring Lawyers
NY Sun
Race For Premier Narrows to Two: Chalabi, Jafari
AARP in the Hot Seat
Some questions.
by Nick Lowry
CIA Conspiracy Theorist
Michael Scheuer knows where America's real covert intelligence threat comes from--Israel.
by Thomas Joscelyn
Metaphysics, Science, Homsexuality
Are we talking biology or choice?
by John Derbyshire
Ian Wilmut: Human Cloner
How the man who created Dolly the sheep slid down the slippery slope to human reproductive cloning.
by Wesley J. Smith
Medicaid Needs Surgery
And Jeb Bush's Florida shows how to do it.
by David Gratzer
Stemming stem cell research
by Cal Thomas
Mitt Romney is battling Harvard's stem cell researchers on principle.
E.U.-U.S. train wreck over Iran?
by Arnaud de Borchgrave
Condoleezza Rice threw a wrench in the fragile machinery of trans-Atlantic rapprochement.
The rise of the bike path left
by Jonah Goldberg
In short, about the war on terror Dean was dismissively blase. About bike paths he was a pit bull.
Attack of the blogs
by Brent Bozell
The media buzz over the rising power of Internet weblogs (the "blogs") reached a new crescendo when CNN's chief of newsgathering, Eason Jordan, resigned over sloppy charges he made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Sliming the troops
by Michelle Malkin
With folks like powerful CNN executive Eason Jordan in charge it's no wonder our troops so often feel smeared and slimed.
NY Times
Jailing of Reporters in C.I.A. Leak Case Is Upheld by Judges
A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court held that the reporters, one from The Times, may have witnessed a federal crime.
NY Times
New Model Army Soldier Rolls Closer to Battle
The Pentagon predicts that robots will be a major fighting force in the American military in less than a decade.
American Thinker
Beware the Condi Bandwagon
W. Post
Gambling's Man
Jimmy O'Brien Turned Scratch Lottery Tickets Into a $22 Billion-a-Year ItchBy David Segal, Page C01 Over the course of a year, more than 17 billion scratch tickets will be stamped out at the headquarters of Scientific Games, enough to girdle the globe at the equator 44 times.
WKMG.com
Woman Drunk On Listerine Sentenced To 2 Years Probation
According to Listerine manufacturer Pfizer Inc.'s Web site, original formula Listerine contains 26.9 percent alcohol, more than four times that of many malt liquors, while other varieties contain 21.6 percent alcohol.
Reuters
George Michael Bids Farewell to Pop World
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
articles 2/15, Spring Training Begins
At long last, Spring Training
First pitchers and catchers report to camp today
NY Daily News
FBI agent hits MLB on 'roids
Says baseball knew of Canseco & probe
Incorrect History
Reading Thomas Woods's "Politically Incorrect Guide to American History."
by Max Boot
NY Times
Resignation at CNN Shows the Growing Influence of Blogs
USA Today
Historian has field day with presidents
Almost every U.S. president complains about bad press. But history sometimes can be even
Assessing Clinton, Johnson
"Dean is Squarely in the Center of His Party"
by Paul Krugman
The values quagmire
by David Limbaugh
The Democratic leadership has a funny way of showing its commitment to 'values.'
'Academic freedom'?
by Thomas Sowell
Professor Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado seems to be enjoying his 15 minutes of infamy for his childish rants against people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Back From Battle
by David Brooks
NY Times
Children and Bipolar Disorder
Experts fear behavioral woes are being mislabeled as serious mental illness.
LA Times
New Weapon Aimed at DVD Piracy
Firm says its technology can successfully block 97% of copying software.
Mad Scientists
Go away, ethics police. Leave the NIH alone.
By Richard A. Epstein
A New Strain of HIV?
How many kinds are out there?
By Daniel Engber
Singled out by society's stare
Stigma jumps from divorced to never-wed
Do Deficits Matter?
by Irwin Stelzer
No Reason '06 Has to Be an Off Year for GOP
by Brendan Miniter
Internet serves as proving ground
CNN's Klein welcomes influence
Rehnquist Wasn't Deep Throat
The latest wild theory about Woodstein's blind source.
By Timothy Noah
I Would Have Fired Eason Jordan:
On the difference between a mistake and brain rot.
by Jack Shafer
Post-steroids era begins now
By Peter Gammons
Mercury News
New allegation directed at Bonds
Allegations can't be ignored
by Skip Bayless
Steroids juiced owners' profits, too
By Bob Ford
Is Mark McGwire a Hall of Famer?
By Ken Rosenthal
A rat with company
By Larry Beil
Houston Chronicle
Thirty reasons why baseball is way better than football
First pitchers and catchers report to camp today
NY Daily News
FBI agent hits MLB on 'roids
Says baseball knew of Canseco & probe
Incorrect History
Reading Thomas Woods's "Politically Incorrect Guide to American History."
by Max Boot
NY Times
Resignation at CNN Shows the Growing Influence of Blogs
USA Today
Historian has field day with presidents
Almost every U.S. president complains about bad press. But history sometimes can be even
Assessing Clinton, Johnson
"Dean is Squarely in the Center of His Party"
by Paul Krugman
The values quagmire
by David Limbaugh
The Democratic leadership has a funny way of showing its commitment to 'values.'
'Academic freedom'?
by Thomas Sowell
Professor Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado seems to be enjoying his 15 minutes of infamy for his childish rants against people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Back From Battle
by David Brooks
NY Times
Children and Bipolar Disorder
Experts fear behavioral woes are being mislabeled as serious mental illness.
LA Times
New Weapon Aimed at DVD Piracy
Firm says its technology can successfully block 97% of copying software.
Mad Scientists
Go away, ethics police. Leave the NIH alone.
By Richard A. Epstein
A New Strain of HIV?
How many kinds are out there?
By Daniel Engber
Singled out by society's stare
Stigma jumps from divorced to never-wed
Do Deficits Matter?
by Irwin Stelzer
No Reason '06 Has to Be an Off Year for GOP
by Brendan Miniter
Internet serves as proving ground
CNN's Klein welcomes influence
Rehnquist Wasn't Deep Throat
The latest wild theory about Woodstein's blind source.
By Timothy Noah
I Would Have Fired Eason Jordan:
On the difference between a mistake and brain rot.
by Jack Shafer
Post-steroids era begins now
By Peter Gammons
Mercury News
New allegation directed at Bonds
Allegations can't be ignored
by Skip Bayless
Steroids juiced owners' profits, too
By Bob Ford
Is Mark McGwire a Hall of Famer?
By Ken Rosenthal
A rat with company
By Larry Beil
Houston Chronicle
Thirty reasons why baseball is way better than football
Monday, February 14, 2005
articles 2/14
Time
What Teachers Hate About Parents
Parents Behaving Badly
Inside the new classroom power struggle: What teachers say about pushy moms and dads who drive them crazy
Photo Essay:Classroom Clash
Graphic:Teacher's Pests
Foul Play in Iraq?
A slain American contractor feared for his life after turning whistleblower
NY Times
In City of Excess, Saying 'Marry Me' Can Be a Spectacle
Newsweek
Mommy Madness
What happened when the Girls Who Had It All became mothers? A new book explores why this generation feels so insane
The Good Enough Mother
Forget about day camp or mandatory Gymboree. What's the point of raising kids if we don't have a good time and a few laughs?
Meet the Slacker Mom
One mother says it’s time to stop the madness
Newsweek
King Karl
It's no big deal, insists the White House. But Rove's new duties will help fix Bush's place in history
San Diego Union-Tribune
Q&A Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
Former U.S. administrator in Iraq
The Bubbling UN Cauldron
by Andrew Sullivan
Schwarzenegger Takes on California's "Evil" Empire
by John Fund
Democrats Seek to Outmaneuver GOP
by Ronald Brownstein
Democrats Need a Fierce Intra-Party Battle
by Kenneth Baer
Democrats, once again, are the party of ‘the plain people'
By Terry McAuliffe
Can Dean Give 'Em A Winner?
by E.J. Dionne Jr.
USA Today
Google's givers go Democratic
Only 2% of donations went to Republicans
Diplomacy and Iran's Nuclear Weapons
by Henry Kissinger
They've Got Nukes. So Is the Proliferation Security Initiative Working?
by Bryan Preston
Is the Bush administration's multilateral policy on North Korea a failure? Bryan Preston reads the tea leaves.
Will Blogs Produce a Chilling Effect?
by James Miller
The Jordan Kerfuffle
Did he really have good reason to quit CNN?
The End of the Beginning
A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq.
by Arthur Chrenkoff
Condi’s tough road ahead
by Joel Mowbray
The most determined enemy the new Secretary of State will face is not across the pond or even across the aisle. No, her greatest threat comes from within the halls of Foggy Bottom, in the form of the career Foreign Service.
The Scandal That is the United Nations
The oil-for-food debacle is merely a symptom. The very structure of the U.N. invites fraud and abuse — with no accountability. A world body could serve a vital role. This one, though, doesn't.
by David Frum
Christian Counterculture
Meet Grace
If grace is God's love for the undeserving, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more cruelty and unforgiveness than it does on mercy?
Human Artillery Shells
By Ralph Kinny Bennett
The basic Islamofascist "artillery shell" is a young "martyr" with clothing or backpack stuffed full of explosives.
An Eighth of Every Paycheck
by Jeff Jacoby
Beating Columbia's Army
by Robert Novak
The Story of "Kamal" and the Iraqi Insurgency
by Jim Hoagland
Counter-Intelligence: In Defense of Porter Goss
by Loch Johnson
USA Today
Running late? Feed the meter by phone
Parking paid by cellphone is easy but may cost more
Yankees took ‘steroids' from Giambi's contract
The New York Yankees acknowledged they removed the word “steroids” from Jason Giambi's contract during negotiations in 2001.
60 Minutes
Steroid-User Canseco Names Names
ESPN.com
The Burden of Proof
AP
U2 Sings Tribute to Bono's Dad
Chicago Tribune
U2's midlife crisis
U2 Win Three Grammy Awards Go 3-3
Best Rock Song --Vertigo by U2
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal --Vertigo by U2
Best Short Form Music Video - Vertigo by U2
U2 now has 17 career Grammy Awards. U2, Alison Krauss and Ray Charles are now tied for 8th on the all-time list of Grammy winners.
U2 Shelves 'Vertigo,' Honors Bono's Father
Grammy Performance - Video & Audio
Photos
Intimates in Activism And Politics
What Teachers Hate About Parents
Parents Behaving Badly
Inside the new classroom power struggle: What teachers say about pushy moms and dads who drive them crazy
Photo Essay:Classroom Clash
Graphic:Teacher's Pests
Foul Play in Iraq?
A slain American contractor feared for his life after turning whistleblower
NY Times
In City of Excess, Saying 'Marry Me' Can Be a Spectacle
Newsweek
Mommy Madness
What happened when the Girls Who Had It All became mothers? A new book explores why this generation feels so insane
The Good Enough Mother
Forget about day camp or mandatory Gymboree. What's the point of raising kids if we don't have a good time and a few laughs?
Meet the Slacker Mom
One mother says it’s time to stop the madness
Newsweek
King Karl
It's no big deal, insists the White House. But Rove's new duties will help fix Bush's place in history
San Diego Union-Tribune
Q&A Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
Former U.S. administrator in Iraq
The Bubbling UN Cauldron
by Andrew Sullivan
Schwarzenegger Takes on California's "Evil" Empire
by John Fund
Democrats Seek to Outmaneuver GOP
by Ronald Brownstein
Democrats Need a Fierce Intra-Party Battle
by Kenneth Baer
Democrats, once again, are the party of ‘the plain people'
By Terry McAuliffe
Can Dean Give 'Em A Winner?
by E.J. Dionne Jr.
USA Today
Google's givers go Democratic
Only 2% of donations went to Republicans
Diplomacy and Iran's Nuclear Weapons
by Henry Kissinger
They've Got Nukes. So Is the Proliferation Security Initiative Working?
by Bryan Preston
Is the Bush administration's multilateral policy on North Korea a failure? Bryan Preston reads the tea leaves.
Will Blogs Produce a Chilling Effect?
by James Miller
The Jordan Kerfuffle
Did he really have good reason to quit CNN?
The End of the Beginning
A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq.
by Arthur Chrenkoff
Condi’s tough road ahead
by Joel Mowbray
The most determined enemy the new Secretary of State will face is not across the pond or even across the aisle. No, her greatest threat comes from within the halls of Foggy Bottom, in the form of the career Foreign Service.
The Scandal That is the United Nations
The oil-for-food debacle is merely a symptom. The very structure of the U.N. invites fraud and abuse — with no accountability. A world body could serve a vital role. This one, though, doesn't.
by David Frum
Christian Counterculture
Meet Grace
If grace is God's love for the undeserving, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more cruelty and unforgiveness than it does on mercy?
Human Artillery Shells
By Ralph Kinny Bennett
The basic Islamofascist "artillery shell" is a young "martyr" with clothing or backpack stuffed full of explosives.
An Eighth of Every Paycheck
by Jeff Jacoby
Beating Columbia's Army
by Robert Novak
The Story of "Kamal" and the Iraqi Insurgency
by Jim Hoagland
Counter-Intelligence: In Defense of Porter Goss
by Loch Johnson
USA Today
Running late? Feed the meter by phone
Parking paid by cellphone is easy but may cost more
Yankees took ‘steroids' from Giambi's contract
The New York Yankees acknowledged they removed the word “steroids” from Jason Giambi's contract during negotiations in 2001.
60 Minutes
Steroid-User Canseco Names Names
ESPN.com
The Burden of Proof
AP
U2 Sings Tribute to Bono's Dad
Chicago Tribune
U2's midlife crisis
U2 Win Three Grammy Awards Go 3-3
Best Rock Song --Vertigo by U2
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal --Vertigo by U2
Best Short Form Music Video - Vertigo by U2
U2 now has 17 career Grammy Awards. U2, Alison Krauss and Ray Charles are now tied for 8th on the all-time list of Grammy winners.
U2 Shelves 'Vertigo,' Honors Bono's Father
Grammy Performance - Video & Audio
Photos
Intimates in Activism And Politics
Sunday, February 13, 2005
articles 2/13
NY Times Magazine
The New Arranged Marriage
There are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay a lot of money to find their partners. But if you sign on with a modern-day matchmaker, you'll have to toss away your idealized notions of soul mates and embrace the romance of no romance.
Blind Faith
By Bill Moyers
"One-third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup Poll is accurate, believes the Bible is literally true. This past November, several million good and decent citizens went to the polls believing in what is known as the "rapture index." These true believers subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the 19th century by a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the Bible and wove them into a narrative that has captivated the imagination of millions of Americans.
W. Post
Online Dating in Demand For Valentine's Day
While Internet dating services such as Match.com and Yahoo Personals represent the largest category of paid content online, the thrill may be waning for the once-torrid market.
NY Times
Please Don't Call the Customers Dead
Can the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, the home of Ted Williams's head, rescue patients from natural post-mortem deterioration?
W. Post
Special Delivery
Coming Soon: New Ways to Take Drugs, Without Needles or Pills
W. Post
Previewing the CD's End
Music insiders say that the CD will soon be eclipsed by a medley of downloadable formats.
Blogosphere politics
by Michael Barone
Both parties see the possibilities of playing politics in the ether, but it's working for one and not the other.
The Next Bubba?
Tennessee's Gov. Phil Bredesen may be presidential material--unless fellow Democrats stop him.
by Glenn Harlan Reynolds
WSJ Editorial
The Gadhafi Exception
Libyan dissident Fathi Eljahmi's fate is a test of Bush's democracy agenda.
W. Post
Break-In at SAIC Risks ID Theft of Powerful
Some of the nation's most influential former military and intelligence officials are at risk of identity theft after a break-in at a major government contractor netted computers containing personal information about tens of thousands of employees.
How to Stop Junk E-Mail: Charge for the Stamp
We can now glimpse what had once seemed unattainable: stopping the exorbitant flow of spam at its very source.
NY Times Magazine
Clang!
Pro basketball doesn't have a drug problem or a thug problem. It has a basketball problem.
LA Times Magazine
Making the Extra Pass
By David Wharton
American basketball has lost its way. A game born of teamwork became a celebration of individual prowess. Now a growing number of NBA franchises are trying to turn back the clock.
U.S. News & World Report
Abraham Lincoln: Rethinking the man behind the myth
LA Times Magazine
Clothes Make the Elf
Unlike "Star Trek" (which is real, of course), "The Lord of the Rings" has inspired many a fantasy costume since J.R.R. Tolkien's mythic
LA Times
Neo-Nazis Aim to Upgrade PR
The National Alliance seeks a higher profile and more members with multimedia campaign.
Truth or consequences for Canseco
by Steve Wilstein
It's put up or shut up time for baseball's most suspected steroid users: Sue Jose Canseco for libel or stop the denials and evasions of his accusations that they juiced up just as he did. If they're all so innocent, they ought to join together in a lawsuit -- Baseball Hulks vs. Canseco and his publisher, HarperCollins.
The New Arranged Marriage
There are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay a lot of money to find their partners. But if you sign on with a modern-day matchmaker, you'll have to toss away your idealized notions of soul mates and embrace the romance of no romance.
Blind Faith
By Bill Moyers
"One-third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup Poll is accurate, believes the Bible is literally true. This past November, several million good and decent citizens went to the polls believing in what is known as the "rapture index." These true believers subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the 19th century by a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the Bible and wove them into a narrative that has captivated the imagination of millions of Americans.
W. Post
Online Dating in Demand For Valentine's Day
While Internet dating services such as Match.com and Yahoo Personals represent the largest category of paid content online, the thrill may be waning for the once-torrid market.
NY Times
Please Don't Call the Customers Dead
Can the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, the home of Ted Williams's head, rescue patients from natural post-mortem deterioration?
W. Post
Special Delivery
Coming Soon: New Ways to Take Drugs, Without Needles or Pills
W. Post
Previewing the CD's End
Music insiders say that the CD will soon be eclipsed by a medley of downloadable formats.
Blogosphere politics
by Michael Barone
Both parties see the possibilities of playing politics in the ether, but it's working for one and not the other.
The Next Bubba?
Tennessee's Gov. Phil Bredesen may be presidential material--unless fellow Democrats stop him.
by Glenn Harlan Reynolds
WSJ Editorial
The Gadhafi Exception
Libyan dissident Fathi Eljahmi's fate is a test of Bush's democracy agenda.
W. Post
Break-In at SAIC Risks ID Theft of Powerful
Some of the nation's most influential former military and intelligence officials are at risk of identity theft after a break-in at a major government contractor netted computers containing personal information about tens of thousands of employees.
How to Stop Junk E-Mail: Charge for the Stamp
We can now glimpse what had once seemed unattainable: stopping the exorbitant flow of spam at its very source.
NY Times Magazine
Clang!
Pro basketball doesn't have a drug problem or a thug problem. It has a basketball problem.
LA Times Magazine
Making the Extra Pass
By David Wharton
American basketball has lost its way. A game born of teamwork became a celebration of individual prowess. Now a growing number of NBA franchises are trying to turn back the clock.
U.S. News & World Report
Abraham Lincoln: Rethinking the man behind the myth
LA Times Magazine
Clothes Make the Elf
Unlike "Star Trek" (which is real, of course), "The Lord of the Rings" has inspired many a fantasy costume since J.R.R. Tolkien's mythic
LA Times
Neo-Nazis Aim to Upgrade PR
The National Alliance seeks a higher profile and more members with multimedia campaign.
Truth or consequences for Canseco
by Steve Wilstein
It's put up or shut up time for baseball's most suspected steroid users: Sue Jose Canseco for libel or stop the denials and evasions of his accusations that they juiced up just as he did. If they're all so innocent, they ought to join together in a lawsuit -- Baseball Hulks vs. Canseco and his publisher, HarperCollins.
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