Monday 31 December

Averted Disaster Caught On Film
NY Times
Four in-cabin photos taken from the now famous December 22nd shoe-bomber flight, though none are of Richard Reid. Meanwhile, nineMSN reports that British reporters claim to have smuggled 2 hi-tech knives and a meat cleaver onto a British Airways flight leaving Heathrow.

We will win nuclear war, says India
London Times
With a billion people to serve as cannon fodder it's not too outrageous a claim....for an idiot-politician. Things are spinning out of control and some anonymous superpower should make it very clear that a nuclear attack will bring immediate and terrible retaliation.

Christopher Hitchens: Stranger in a Strange Land
Atlantic Monthly
The King of Rant deftly slams liberal equivocators: "capitalism, for all its contradictions, is superior to feudalism and serfdom, which is what bin Laden and the Taliban stand for. "

Rosie O'Donnell Stumps for Janet Reno
AP
I cannot stand Rosie O'Donnell. Enough said.

Opera Quiz host dies at 90
CBC News
Edward Downes, best known as host of the Texaco Opera Quiz heard live during the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts from 1958 to 1996, died Wednesday at home in New York.

Top 20 Babes of the Year
London Megastar
Here's an end of the year list that many, but not all, of our readers will enjoy.

Dave's Top Ten Signs You're At A Lame New Year's Eve Party
CBS
Many funny ones, but my fave is #5: The host kicks everyone out at 11:58 so he can go to bed.

Lycos' Top 100 items of the year
Lycos.com
Some interesting search results, such as prom dresses {#75} edging out Dale Earnhardt {#77} or tattoos {#4} squeaking past Osama bin Laden {#5}. Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone!

Sunday 30 December

Naked man cuts stranger's lawn and tries to stop traffic
Ananova
Tries???

The Lives They Lived
NY Times
Annual tribute contains 27 essays about those who died in 2001, including some odd pairings, such as Eudora Welty and Dale Earnhardt. Fox News has a nice comprehensive list of those who died in 2001.Canoe.ca has a list of famous Canadians who died this year. Finally, The Advocate profiles the late Lance Loud, star of the 70's PBS series An American Family .

Nannyvision: Can the X10 camera really keep an eye on your babysitter?
Slate.com
Those X10 pop up ads are so tacky that the answer has to be no and it is. But the reviewer does find one competent, higher-priced, secret cam.

Mitch Albom: 3 athletes, 3 towns, same terrible fate
Detroit Free Press
The author of Tuesdays with Morrie continues his recent spate of death-related columns with a profile of 3 victims of Sept 11.

Bin Laden Fled Into Pakistan, Afghans Report
Yahoo Daily News
Translate that as "Please stop bombing the hell out of us."

Shoe bomber "could have downed jet"
London Express
This differs significantly from the Yahoo News report Thursday that "the explosion could not have destroyed the plane," but it was a statement made in court and we all know what kind of hyperbole exists there.

I might be as crazy as bin Laden
London Telegraph
My brother-in-law Henry will like this piece, especially the second to last paragraph.

Beatles Top Chart
NME.com
Obligatory Beatles link.

eBay halts 'immoral' auction of woman
IT-Director.com
You know what's immoral? The 14913 Barbie-related items found on eBay.

Kids with lesbian parents do just fine
Queercompany
Love is love.

Friday 28 December

Plane takes off without pilot and disappears
Ananova
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man...It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity...It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears, and the summit of his knowledge...This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...California!

I'm the shoe bomb nut's mum
London Sun
Of course she makes no such admission, but it makes a great headline. Contrast this with the headline from The London Times: Father Believes Son Was Brainwashed.

Review: The all-star team of online games
CNN
If you have cablemodem or DSL then you may want to check out this list of free web game sites. Speaking of online gaming, Sony announced yesterday that it will forge ahead into the online {pay} gaming world via its PlayStation II. Let's hope our 13 yr. old gamer doesn't pick up wind of this.

Fox Hunting Is "Cruel and Unnecessary"
7am.com
Obligatory  Beatles link.

Scientists Find Alcohol, Drugs Boost Endorphins In Key Forebrain Region
Science Daily
Hell, we figured that out in the 60's.

The year in obituaries
London Times
Speaking of endorphins and the 60's, it's odd that the Times should include Gregory Corso but not Ken Kesey.

Mitch Albom: Brothers forever: A story about losses that can never be overcome
Detroit Free Press
The author of Tuesdays with Morrie reflects on the death of a local star athlete. Albom writes about death more than most. See his recent tribute to Dick Schaap.

Dog has a nose for owner's heart trouble
Austin American-Statesman
I need this dog! It warns its owner 30 minutes before the owner's angina attacks.

Walker, aka 'What's Your Name?' intrigues passers-by
Fredericksburg.com
Barefoot dude with shoulder length brown hair wears a flowing white robe and walks around the US and people think he looks like Jesus. Even the reporter gushes that "It's hard to dismiss the resemblance." Resemblance? How absurd. We have no idea what Jesus looked like.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases.

Thursday 27 December

Parent Mad 6-Year-Old Didn't Like Peanuts Special
The Onion
What better way to end our holiday and Myocardial Infarction recoveries than a visit to The Onion and an article that must have been written by a parent? If it's not on Nick my lil' ones don't wanna see it.

Shoe bomb suspect linked to network
UPI
He made a scene when he got on the plane and one witness recalls thinking that "if he's a terorrist, he's a bad one, because everyone is watching him." Well, it appears that he was indeed a terrorist and The Manchester Guardian reports that that if he had a lighter and not a match, the thing would have detonated. However, Yahoo is reporting that the explosion could not have destroyed the plane.

Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours
Wired News
I was reading about this 2 weeks ago on some scientist's home page. Those ads that promise to name a star after you are a scam.

Happy Nuke Gear
NY Post
This should help people relax: "Cops patrolling Times Square on Year's Eve will be armed with high-tech sensors to protect revelers against the possibility of nuclear terrorism." Soon they'll be selling this stuff at Walmart, next to the carbon monoxide detectors.

Stephanie Salter: W.W.J.D.?
San Francisco Chronicle
I hate articles like this. The writer pretends to be Jesus and offers advice to Dubya. Reminds me of Jerry Falwell. or Pat Robertson. They're also always telling us what God thinks. Speaking of Falwell, The NY Post reports that "MAD Magazine has tapped the Rev. Jerry Falwell as "the dumbest person of the year" for blaming the Sept. 11 terror attacks on 'abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians.'"

R.I.P.
NY Press
End of the year listing of the recently departed semi-famous. Interesting, for example I didn't know that awful fake-lush comedian Foster Brooks was dead.

Half the internet is going nowhere
BBC
We already knew that, however the same report also has a statistic that reminds one of the now-famous Kevin Bacon parlor game, it is "possible to reach any page from any other by, at most, 19 steps."

Dave's Top Ten Dumb Guy Hopes For The New Year
CBS
My fave is #8: Michael Jordan makes his long-awaited return to baseball.

Friday 21 December

Rudy to Make Mike Mayor in Times Square
NY Post
Normally a private affair attended by relatives and a few friends, the swearing in of New York's next mayor, Mike Bloomberg, is planned for the minutes immediately after the new year's ball drops -- in Times Square.

Hackers Find Serious Flaw in Microsoft's Windows XP
Fox News
Oops.

Only the Good Die Younger
ABC News
Is this supposed to be an incentive for actors to make more turkeys?

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Many films are being rolled out now for the holiday season, and Roger finds most of them to be of high quality.

Marlins Owner Henry, Werner Pay Record $660M For Red Sox
ABC News
As a diehard Yankee, I have to bemoan the fact that a Floridan is now owner of my beloved Red Sox. But I feel a little vindicated by Bob Halloran's piece, which scathingly rips into the owner of the New York Yankees.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
The week in review.

Thursday 20 December

Which Toys Are the Hot Sellers This Year?
ABC News
We only have one rule at the Portal household: no stinkin' Barbie.

We didn't mess up, they did
Toronto Globe and Mail
Writer cringes at the American call to tighten Canadian border protection, pointing out that it was the FBI and CIA who totally missed Sept 11. He also rightfully slams the American media: "They've been pussycat patriots, Mary Poppins on the beat, since the story broke." In other Sept 11th news, the Main Fires Are Finally Put Out at World Trade Center.

The trouble with multiculturalism
Spiked
Sandy Starr, who writes for the British onliner Spiked sends this one in. Sandy has his own web site, Culture Wars..

Steven Seagal denies sex charges
Reuters
But does admit he can't act. In other showbiz news, we have an obligatory Beatles link from Reuters: Harrison died in McCartney's home says report.

Cakes That Won’t Die
ABC News
Scientist discovers that you can leave a fruitcake on the shelf for "three or four years" and "and make it better than ever," which isn't saying very much.

Dave's Top Ten Osama Bin Laden Complaints
CBS
My fave is #10: "Can't get premium channels in the cave, only basic cable."

Wednesday 19 December

Bush advisers cashed in on Saudi gravy train
Boston Herald
They're oil men first, patriots second.

Terry Jones: Why grammar is the first casualty of war
London Telegraph
Jones of Monty Python fame shows he can still write very clever stuff: "The other thing that worries me about Bush and Blair's "war on terrorism" is: how will they know when they've won it? With most wars, you can say you've won when the other side is either all dead or surrenders. But how is terrorism going to surrender?"

Obituary of Kal Mann
London Telegraph
Mann was the man who discovered Chubby Checker and wrote The Twist as well as one of my all time favorites The Bristol Stomp.

Hunter S. Thompson: Skunks like me
ESPN Page 2
The Good Doctor is in his typical holiday mood: "The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of brutal things; of broken legs and shattered dreams, of bleeding eyes and whores." Always a good read.

Birds Affected by Afghanistan War
Yahoo Daily News
Might seem trivial to some, but I'm a birder. In fact, I spotted a pair of bald eagles while taking the kids to school this morning, my first baldies of the season. Speaking of odd ducks and the war, The Weekly Standard has uncovered a most interesting photo of our favorite ego in action Geraldo Rivera. Geraldo is in trouble on another front, as well, as his reports of being in harm's way appear to be misleading.

Daily Dose of Doonesbury
UComics
Now it can finally be told: the origins of fruitcake!

Tuesday 18 December

Philip Morris finds its new name taken
SF Gate
This is so neat: it turns out that a small healthcare company in Alabama has been using the name Altria since '97. How appropriate!

Taste testing Tofurkey, Smart Bacon, and other fake meats
Slate
The pressure's on at home to cut my cholesterol level, even though it's not that high, so I suppose I should read this...but Tofuturkey?? Gimme a break! It makes about sense as this headline from that Canadian satire site The Toque: Imported Asian Cows Meet The Demand For Soy Milk.

One in Four Has Sex in Car After Xmas Party
Yahoo Daily News
Here's a wild statistic: One in four Britons has had sex in the car after the Christmas office party. Wild office parties must be the norm over there.

Tom Green Files for Divorce From Drew Barrymore
Reuters
It's been rumored to have been a fake marriage, but let's be fair: in Hollywood one year and out is about the norm. In other media news, Winona Ryder's shoplifting excuse is so lame it hurts to read it.

Documentary: Glen Miller Killed by 'Friendly Fire'
Reuters
What a tragedy, as a British documentary uncovers the probable cause of the great Miller's death. In other news concerning a famous death, ghoulish celeb-lawyer Gloria Allred has filed suit to clear up the inconsistencies in George Harrison's death certificate.

Monday 17 December

Starving, Bandaged bin Laden Offers US One Last Chance To Surrender
The Onion
Let's start out the week with a visit to The Onion.

Will Time Magazine name bin Laden 'Person of the Year'?
CBS Marketwatch
Probably. They wasted Dubya as the 2000 winner, so whom else, other than a generic WTC rescue worker, can they pick?

The Power of Chicken Soup
MSNBC
Who cares why it works? When you're aching, miserable, and just want to pass out, what matters is that it works!

Rufus Thomas, Father of R&B, Dead at 84
Fox News
Thomas was not the "father" of R&B as the headline states, but he was the father of the famous Stax-Volt school of R&B. He was also the father of Carla, who had more hits than her dad including the smash B-A-B-Y.

Browns Fans Rowdy in Loss
MSNBC
Did you catch the Browns' owners lamely alibing for the awful behavior of their fans? It was a disgrace. Speaking of football, my beloved lousy Lions finally won and the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom, pops the champagne.

Dave's Top Ten Reasons I, Jason Giambi, Want To Play For The New York Yankees
CBS
My fave is #10: "I want to help the team fight embarrassment of not winning world championship in 14 months."

Friday 14 December

Bin Laden Surrounded in Caves
CNN
It appears the noose is tightening.

Analysts: Tape May Not Be Proof
Boston Globe
Legal specialists have mixed opinions as to whether the infamous bin Laden tape could be used in prosecuting him. At this point, though, does anyone care?

NBC to Accept Hard-Liquor Ads
MSNBC
It's all about money. Which reminds me of the stupidest billboard I've ever seen: an ad for a hard liquor brand which blared, "WANT THRILLS?" alongside a busy highway where the average speed was 70 mph.

Managing Director Auctions Herself as Wife on Internet
Ananova
If you're too busy to date, aren't you too busy to give attention to a spouse?

Mitch Albom: Hold Boorish Fans Accountable, Too
Detroit Free Press
As Mitch points out, having a ticket to a game doesn't give you a license to behave like a moron.

Tongue Piercing Led to Brain Infection
ABC News
Ow.

Winona Ryder Interrupted Allegedly Shoplifting
Boston.com
A bewildered friend said to me, "She's rich. Why did she do that?" Maybe because she is rich.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on this week's offerings.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
This week in review.

Thursday 13 December

Port Authority Widows Say Twin Towers Fund Has Left Them Out
Fox News
The surviving families of several unsung heroes - some 12 Port Authority building managers and supervisors who stayed in the WTC towers and helped people escape at the cost of their own lives - haven't qualified for the City's Twin Towers Fund. Meanwhile, the September 11 Fund has released "millions" to aid families of victims of the terrorist attack.

No Surrender
ABC News
Heavy bombing intensifies at Tora Bora, but the al-Qaida still refuses to surrender.

Israel Cuts Off Contact with Arafat
CNN
The Israeli Cabinet angrily blows off Yasser Arafat as "irrelevant".

Fertility Authority Given Go-Ahead for 'Designer Babies'
London Telegraph
Such babies would be selected while embyros to provide cells to save the life of a seriously ill brother or sister. But fertility expert Lord Winston opposes the practice.

Computer Whiz Won MIT Job Even Without College Degree
Digitalmass.com
But he was so obsessed with computers, his brilliance didn't help him avoid authorities as a 'warez' pirate.

Should You Cut Up Six-Pack Rings So They Don't Choke Seabirds?
Straight Dope
Why not just leave them home to throw in the trash?

Wham, Bam, Thank You Spam
Wired
Get paid for being spammed? Hm. I should look into my own state's laws.

The Sucksters Predict
Suck
A 1997 prediction on the Internet.

Wednesday 28 November

Deal Near in Afghan Talks
USA Today
Rivan Afghan factions near an agreement on a framework for a transitional government to replace the Taliban.

Taliban to U.S.: You Missed
Fox News
Airstrikes against a "leadership compound" in Kandahar apparently failed to do any damage to the Taliban's supreme commander, Mullah Mohammed Omar. Meanwhile, David Cloud and Neil King Jr. of the Wall Street Journal warn that eliminating bin Laden would cut off al-Qaida's head, but not eliminate the beast.

Senate Republicans Propose Payroll Tax Holiday
CNN
Republicans want to boost Christmas spending by suspending payments to the Social Security fund for a month, at the cost of $38 billion. They promise the fund will be replenished by general treasury funds. Unfortunately, this won't affect those who don't pay Social Security taxes.

The End of Identity
London Times
A scientist's thoughtful take on the psychoanalysis of cloning.

Software Problems Simply Answered
Detroit Free Press
Heather Newman's column gives tips for some of the simpler problems facing PC owners. If only there was a simple way to eliminate software problems entirely!

Cashing in Bonds
ABC News
Fans go to court over who really caught Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball, which experts estimate could fetch $1 million.

Is turkey named after Turkey?
Straight Dope
Let's see. How would one have said, "We're having "xuehxolotl with all the trimmings" last week?

Dave's Top Ten of 1947
CBS
An oldie - very oldie - but goodie!

Tuesday 27 November

U.S. Jets Attack Armored Column Near Marines' New Airbase
Fox News
In the meantime, the prison uprising at the Qalai Janghi fortress continues, and an U.N.-sponsored summit on the future of Afghanistan gets underway.

Bush: Human Cloning "morally wrong"
CNN
While Bush decries human cloning and Canadian MP urges a Canadian ban, the NY Post helps draw attention from the contention that the cloning will/would be used primarily for stem cells by asking, "If you could clone anyone, who would it be?"

Economist Panel Officially Announces Recession
Washington Post
Took them long enough to officially tell the world. On the other hand, the delay was long enough that forecasters predict the bottom of the recession will occur soon. Canadian business leaders show the same optimisim - a poll shows that 53% expect recovery in Canada soon.

Windows XP Fails to Spark Demand for PCs
USA Today
Speaking of which, maybe it's not the recession which had held back hoped-for PC sales. Maybe consumers have learned from past Windows releases to just sit and wait for the bugs to be worked out first. That, and maybe people don't like how WinXP handles product registrations.

Flight 93 Terror Pilots Put Jet into Nose Dive
NY Post
New evidence that passengers may, indeed, have tried to storm the cockpit.

Judges Told To Jail Fewer Woman
London Times
Why? Because the UK jails are overcrowded. How about jailing fewer men, too?

Historic Beatles Stage For Sale
BBC
Today's prerequisite Beatles link: On this stage, Lennon met McCartney

Singing Thespians
Manchester Guardian
Kate Winslet releases her first single, a "saccharine ballad", while Nicole Kidman releases a cover titled "Something Stupid". Something prophetic?

Best Quotes From Sports Movies
ESPN
A bit of Tuesday sports trivia. It doesn't mention my favorite: "Shoeless Joe" Jackson telling Kevin Costner, "We'd play [baseball] for food money" in "Field of Dreams"

Monday 26 November

Konduz Falls to Northern Alliance
CNN
The Taliban's last foothold in northern Afghanistan has crumbled as U.S. Marine Troops land near their stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

Behind the Burkas
Denver Post
Afghan women slowly liberate themselves from the garments, but consultant David Isby of Jane's Information Systems warns that westerners need to be patient and try not to force its ideals on the traditionally patriarchial Afghanistan.

U.S. Lab Clones Human Embryo
CBS News
U.S. firm says research not aimed at 'making a person'.

Politics in the Name of Stimulus
Mother Jones
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz expresses doubts about the Bush Administration's efforts to stimulate the economy, while columnist Robert Borosage uses stronger words to express his own doubts.

Napster's Dead, But File-Sharing War Continues
Toronto Globe and Mail
As long as there is an internet, music and music lovers, someone will find a way to share the beat.

Pope Makes Four Saints
CNN
Pope John Paul has now canonised 456 people in his 23-year papacy.

Family Fights Coke For Plastic Refund
CBC
My question: Are those sleeves even necessary?

When It Comes to Worms, Thieving Birds Show It Takes One to Know One
ABC News
Scrub jays, blue jays.. the bane of the honest working bird!

Dirty Pool
ESPN
How about a little naked as a jaybird pool?

Sunday 25 November

Konduz on Verge of Fallling
CNN
In the meantime, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning Friday for Afghanistan, telling Americans who might be tempted by adventure that military operations, banditry, land mines and acute food shortages make travel there unsafe. I'd think that would be obvious, but I guess curiousity tends to overcome common sense.

Hundreds of Troops Dozed in the Sun
Manchester Guardian
The "Taliban elite" apparently were less than elite. Either that or they got smart.

N. Bedford School Assault Plot Foiled
Boston Globe
Stupid enough, but especially stupid to think you can make terrorist-style threats and not expect anyone to take you seriously nowadays.

Glut of Bargains Cheer Shoppers
NY Times
They certainly didn't seem to mind standing in a checkout line for up to an hour or more the morning after Thanksgiving, especially when they could get a $119 DVD player for $69.

Dot-Com is Dot-Gone, and the Dream With It
NY Times
Get-rich-quick schemes aren't always the way to make a living.

Chuck Berry Turns 75
Rolling Stone
Called the inventor of "rock and roll", Berry is still refreshingly down to earth and blunt.

JK Rowling Set to be a Billionaire
Ananova
Hardly surprising, given the revenues the film is raking in just as I'm trying to persuade my dear innocent husband that the odds are slim we'll be able to walk into a cinema today and get a ticket for a same day showing.

Saturday 24 November

U.S. Says Al Qaeda Prisoners May He Taken to Guam
AP
Heavily infested by crocodiles, I bet.

Canada Sponsors New York Shopping Spree to Help City Recover From Attacks
AP
Great idea, Canada.

Fury at Evil Islam Jibe
London Mirror
Y'know, televangelists never fail to amuse me with their stupidity.

Our error was to back bin Laden, say defectors
London Telegraph
Today's obvious link.

William Safire: On Language
NY Times
The weekly wordsmith looks at the street then examines ping.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases.

Friday 23 November

Taliban offer $50 million for Bush's capture
Hindustani Times
Copy cats!

Taleban ministers led art raid
London Times
Idiots smashed more than 2700 works of art, some more than 4000 years old.

Crooked turbans 'vulgar,' decrees Taliban leader
National Post
Got to look good in retreat.

Pope sends first email apology
BBC
"Pope John Paul II has sent an apology by email for a string of injustices, including sexual abuse, committed by Roman Catholic clergy in Oceania." If JPII can apologize by email, then I would think we should be able to go to confession via email as well.

Mick Aid: We have to save rock dinosaur from extinction
London Sun
The silliest article I've read in a long time. Writer wastes £1,300 on 100 copies of Jagger's new CD and urges readers to save Mick's new slow-selling CD.

Rise and fall of pop guru
London Sun
Profile of recently-convicted chicld molestor Jonathan King, whose 1965 hits this side of the Atlantic were Everyone's Gone to the Moon and Hedgehopper's Anonymous It's Good News Week.

Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics Dies
AP
They gonna put her into a pink coffin?

Excellence guru's surprising confession is bizarre
Toronto Globe and Mail
Department of the Obvious: Management-excellence guru Tom Peters admits they were fakers from the start.

Is it true Thanksgiving was invented by the editor of Harper's Bazaar?
Straight Dope
The long saga of Turkey Day. Meanwhile, cold turkey sandwiches for all today!

Saturday 17 November

Entire Taliban-al Qaeda Force Heads for Mountain Refuges
DEBKAfile
Army of 50,000 is headed for the wintry hills. And, speaking of the hills, The London Times has a fine drawing of the type of hideout bin Laden is probably in. You'll have to click on the small image to see it, however.

Archbishop and schoolgirl swap roles for the day in aid of charity
Ananova
If she got to wear the pointy hat did he have to wear pigtails and a skirt, too?

Philip Morris to Take on New Name
NPR
Cancer seller to change name to The Altria Group. That way when we are sipping a Miller Lite, or eating some Nabisco Vanilla Wafers we won't be rudely reminded just who owns the company. You will need RealPlayer for this link.

Copyright: your number's up
Melbourne Age
What a brilliant idea: Two Aussies "have notated the tones of every imaginable phone number combination and, in turn, claimed the melodies as their own. Next time you make a phone call, therefore, chances are you'll be in breach of international copyright law." Link submitted by Kay.

Potter 101: A guide to Harry
Boston Globe
For those, like me, who haven't a clue.

Tom: I Still Love Nicole
London Mirror
But he's hooked up with Penelope. In sad news, actress Charlotte Coleman has died of an apparent asthma attack at the age of 33. Her best known role was that of the orange-haired tomboy Scarlett in Four Weddings And A Funeral. Here's her unofficial homepage which still hasn't posted notice of her passing. And while we're at it, here's Roger Ebert's review of 4 Weddings, a movie I truly enjoyed.

Supermarket Buys Naming Rights to Elementary School Gym in Town Near Philadelphia
AP
This reminds me of two summers ago, when my Darling Wife was away madly working on her Perpetual Degree, I decided to yank her lovely chain a tad and emailed her that our local parish had decided to "sell its rights" to Pepsi and that it would henceforth be known as "St. Nicholas, a Pepsi-Cola parish." Well, she believed me and immediately fired off a stinging email to our pastor and did I ever get into trouble!!

Friday 16 November

Taliban Reportedly Plans to Withdraw From Kandahar
Reuters
Things are popping over there today. The Taliban have apparently decided to head directly for the hills. Meanwhile, bin Laden's top lieutenant, Mohammed Atef, is reported to have been killed by US warplanes.

Taliban Out 'To Destroy America'
London Mirror
Tough Talk: "Taliban leader Mullah Muhammed Omar today said he has a big plan to destroy the United States."

Alliance tanks crush 520 defiant Taleban fighters to death
London Times
They told them to come out, but the trapped, mostly Pakistani, fighters refused. So the buildings were demolished by tanks. Notice, by the way, how The Times spells Taliban.

Taliban Withdrawal Was Strategy, Not Rout
Strategic Forecasting
Guerilla warfare is their best bet and they'll be doing it from mountain hideaways.

Thomas Friedman: Breaking the Circle
NY Times
Nice piece about the need for evolution in Islam.There are signs of some evolution, however, as today's London Telegraph has a review by a young Jewish New Yorker of a 2 hr MTV-style recruitment video made by bin Laden: His grasp of spin is chilling . . .

Saddam will be the next US target, one way or another
Manchester Guardian
George W. left to clean up his father's mess.

Survivor: Africa: Episode Six
Canoe.ca
Is anyone still watching this stuff?

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger reviews the lastest releases. By the way, he reviewed Harry Potter several weeks ago and gave it four stars.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
The week in review.

Meteor clue to end of Middle East civilisations
London Telegraph
Fascinating stuff: Meteor hit may have accounted for the epic legend of Gilgamesh, dating from the same period. "The legend talks of "the Seven Judges of Hell", who raised their torches, lighting the land with flame, and a storm that turned day into night, "smashed the land like a cup", and flooded the area."

Why is Satan often shown as having goatlike features?
Straight Dope
Great question. Maybe the answer was erased by the meteor.

Thursday 15 November

Bin Laden May Focus Ramadan Attacks on US and Saudi Targets
Debka.com
The Taliban are no fools: it ordered "its own forces to retreat, instructed Al Qaeda fighters to hold the line, fight until the last man and not surrender, so as to cover their pullback. Al Qaeda men (made up of Pakistanis, Chinese, Chechens, Saudis, Egyptians, Yemenis, Jordanians and many Palestinians) obeyed the order and most were killed."

Business Leaders Say Attack Caused $83 Billion in Damage to New York City
AP
$83 billion, 57,000 jobs and most importantly 4600+ lives....how could we not go after these guys as we did?

Taliban Retreat, Kandahar Is Their Last Stronghold
ABC News
Mankind has not changed in 2300 years: Kandahar was also important to Alexander the Great.

Bin Laden's nuclear secrets found
London Times
This thing is far from over: "Times reporter finds blueprint for 'Nagasaki bomb'." Meanwhile, The London Mirror quotes Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar as saying that he has a plan to destroy America. In related news, today's AP reports that Laboratory in Deserted Al-Qaida Compound Points to Potential Chemical Weapons Bid.

Christopher Hitchens: Ha ha ha to the pacifists
Manchester Guardian
The always-impassioned Chris Hitchens is at his best when he's right, which isn't all that often, but he's right here and he's in excellent form. I especially love this line about Afghanistan: "Where American women pilots kill the men who enslave women." Catch his remarks about Easter and Yom Kippur. A great article.

Too Early To Uncork The Bubbly
London Mirror
Count on the Mirror, who ran "This War Is A Fraud" 10 days ago, to dampen our spirits.

CNN Airport Network News Was Blocked by Airports
NY Times
Big Brother knows best: "the airlines and airport authorities have the right to turn the television off whenever they choose."

Iron Chef USA: Showdown in Las Vegas
UPN
UPN announces that it will run two new American Iron Chef specials, hosted by William Shatner.

Hunter S. Thompson: The man who loved sport too much
ESPN Page 2
We start our weekly look at sports with HST's weekly delusional rant. Next we move to hockey's Irascible Grapes, the King of Plaid, who, in honour of Remembrance Day, refuses to leave the air until he reads John McCrae's famous WWI poem "In Flanders Fields." Grapes then wraps it up touchingly: "without them we'd all be eating sauerkraut now."

What's the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?
Straight Dope
I like 'em both, as long as there's no marshmallow in the recipe. Brother-in-law Henry emails in that "you are absolutely right about sweet potatoes/yams and marshmallows. There is no more vulgar combination on earth. " However, he is not so kind concerning my "Big Brother" allusion: "what is this "Big Brother knows best" stuff? Did the Bob Dylan concert do something to your brain? It's an airport, for Crissakes! You don't fly, but nowhere on an airline ticket does it say 'Complete and uninterrupted coverage of all world news will be provided by the airport'." Contributing Editor Kay then wrote in to say that "Oooh, Henry has teeth!"

Wednesday 14 November

Harley Utz, Husband in Record-Long 83 Year Marriage, Dies at Age 103
AP
Oh my, they were married on June 15, 1918!

Taleban 'collapsing' across Afghanistan
BBC
The hunt for bin Laden intensifies.

U.S. To Arab World: 'Stop Hating Us Or Suffer The Consequences'
The Onion
"You have exactly 10 days to put aside your deep-rooted resentment and rage toward America and learn to like us"

Afghan women find new freedom
BBC
Veils are being ripped off. Women are not the only ones celebrating. The Houston Chronicle reports that Beards cut, turbans tossed, TVs, VCRs return from graves.

Success for the alliance, but it's not over yet
London Telegraph
"The easy part of the campaign is over." And I'd like to point out that none of the September 11 perpetrators were Afghan. They were Saudis and Egyptians.

Passenger Prompts Landing At Dulles
Washington Post
New airmarshall program works! Man is prevented from going to the bathroom.

McCartney: My Shock At Crash
London Mirror
Obligatory Beatles link. The Miami Herald also covers the story: Paul's eerie coincidence .

Comedian Paula Poundstone Jailed for Probation Violation; Taken Away in Handcuffs
AP
Oldest Son Tommy asks "and prison is going to help her?"

What's growing in your fridge?
Canoe.ca
A must-read article If your fridge is anything like mine.

Tuesday 13 November

Bin Laden might be captured soon
UPI
The fear is that he may be killed immediately upon capture.

Joy in the Streets After Taliban Flee Kabul
FoxNews
Turn on the music!

Eyewitnesses Bare Terrifying Glimpses of Hell
NY Post
The crash from the inside out.

Crash Kills 2 Who Fled WTC
NY Post
Death stalked them.

Further blow to troubled airlines
BBC
I love it when the quoted experts say the most obvious things and it's taken as some sort of revelation. Take this gem, for example: "It is yet another blow to an airline industry that is really struggling."

Traffic Hits Web Sites After Crash
NY Times
To help handle the crunch CNN, MSNBC and the BBC went to streamlined non-graphical front pages. In fact, should you need to access CNN again in times of emergency, bookmark this CNN back door.

Taliban underestimated US firepower and resolve of the Northern Alliance
London Telegraph
It wasn't all bombs: "But the Taliban's biggest fear was uprisings in the major cities from civilian populations who loathed their repressive government and viewed them as alien occupiers from the south who had no representation from their own minority ethnic groups."

Psychics join the manhunt
London Times
"US intelligence agencies are recruiting psychics to help predict future attacks and to find Osama Bin Laden."  Maybe Miss Cleo can cut a deal with the various state attorneys-general that have brought charges aginst her.

Gates to Comdex: PCs Work Poorly
Wired
No duh. Although I've become very fond over the years of the blue screen that leads to a total shutdown. That, along with MS's monopolistic practices, is why Oldest Son Tommy is in love with Linux. Well, son, MS is aware of Linux and today's Register.co.uk reports that MS promotes Linux from threat to 'the' threat - Memo.

Dylan Repaints His Masterpieces With Deeper, Introspective Tones
Columbus Dispatch
Nice review of the concert my Darling Wife and I attended Saturday night. One of the many treats that night was trying to guess the tune from the new arraingement before he started singing.

Now, It’s Always Breaking News
Ironminds
Ironminds Contributing Editor has had it with the rush to scrolling news. Bet he wouldn't like our new javascript applet up top.

Dave's Top Ten Signs Your Kid Is A Wizard
CBS
Some very funny ones today including #2: His homework ate the dog.

Monday 13 November

Plane Crash in NYC
MSNBC
An American Airlines airbus with 255 people on board crashed Monday in the Rockaway Beach area of New York City, not far from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Woman will have baby then triplets three months later
Ananova
Yep, you read that correctly. An Italian woman due to give birth to a girl next week will have triplets three months later.

Bin Laden: Yes, I did it
London Telegraph
A new tape surfaces with scary logic: "The killing of at least 4,537 people was justified, he claims, because they were "not civilians" but were working for the American system." At the end of the article there's a discussion about bin Laden's claim that he has nuclear attack capabilities. The Telegraph quotes government sources who highly discount it. However, we learn via Drudge that Pakistan's paper The Frontier Post reports that Al-Qaeda nukes may have reached US shores. And with the Taliban in a state of collapse, look for bin Laden to do something.

War on Afghanistan a bigger terrorist act, says Chomsky
Yahoo News India
As we mentioned, Slate ran a convincing counter-argument last Friday: blame al-Qaida for civilian deaths, not the West.

Allies hit Taliban with folk songs
Ananova
No, it's not music by Peter Paul and Mary's Peter Yarrow, who berates Bush for whipping up fear in today's Toronto Globe and Mail. This link is about US planes flying low and playing now-banned Afghan music out of speakers to remind the people of pre-Taliban life.

William Safire: Nobody Named it Ground Zero, but That's the Name
NY Times
The weekly wordsmith looks at the genesis of Ground Zero and sleeper.

Many Voters Simply Did It Wrong
LA Times
With the release today of a muddied new media study concerning last year's Gore/Bush debacle one thing is clear: many people screwed up their ballots, so we'll never know who really won.

Liz: Hugh Will Be Godfather
London Mirror
He even held her hand during a visit to a London hospital for a routine scan.

New George Harrrison song to be released
Salon.com
Two obligatory Beatles links today.This one about a new Harrison tune and one from today's Toronto Globe and Mail: Did Lennon kill the 'Fifth Beatle?'

Sunday 12 November

'Cuckoo's Nest' Author Kesey Dead at 66
CNN
"Anyone trying to get a handle on our times had better read Kesey," Charles Bowden wrote when the Los Angeles Times honored Kesey's lifetime of work with the Robert Kirsh Award in 1991.

Spiriting Out Scriptures
The Washington Times
I just can't seem to find the words for this disturbing image of four homeless, displaced sacred books - a perfect symbol of the Afghans.

Clinton Quits Supreme Court Bar
USA Today
Rather than explain why he shouldn't be suspended or disbarred from the Supreme Court, the ex-president resigned just under the wire.

United Pilots May Get Stun Guns
Chicago Sun-Times
Why can't the stewardesses get them instead? The pilots have more important things to worry about. Like flying.

Richard Harris Fears Seven 'Potters"
CNN
Millions of enchanted fans will be thanking Ella, the young granddaughter of Richard Harris, who threatened never to speak to him again if he didn't take the role of Professor Dumbledore.

Cruise Sorry Now?
News of the World
"They just want to spend some quality time together," an insider says of Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams. This video romp of Tom Cruise's ex shows some steamy 'quality' time.

Robitaille Gets 600th NHL Goal
Detroit Free Press
Just in time to distract Ed from his "sorry-assed Tigers".

Bin Laden's Rants Hand US Spin War
London Mirror
The problem is.. British press is notorius for not checking their facts.

Top Ten Things I, Dave, Say in a Typical Weekend
CBS
I'd rather not make mine #4: "Officer, there must be a mistake..."

Saturday 11 November

Nation Shows New Respect For War Vets
Detriot news
It took a terrorist attack on our own U.S. soil to remind us the terrible price our Veterans have paid.

FBI: Anthrax Mailer Likely Male Loner
NY Post
I first misread the headline as "male loser". Probably not too far off the mark.

Balance of Powder
herdofsheep.com
In the meantime, this breaking news on Anthrax

Shark Attacks Linked to Bin Laden Network
Brains Trust
I knew it! I told Ed there were more sharks than usual this year, and now we know the reason why!

Study Finds Beauty Affects Male Brain Like Food, Drugs
Foxnews
This is news to females? And the clothing industry? And the cosmetic industry?

This Week in Sex
nerve.com
Dan Reines reports that the best way to father a child is to chill out. Literally.

Ken Kesey in Critical Condition
salon.com
The author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was immortalized in Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test", about Kesey's cross-country trip with LSD. Ironically, just yesterday we posted the obit of Sandy Lehmann-Haupt, one of Kesey's "Merry Pranksters".

Bear Feeder Learns the Hard Way
Denverchannel.com
Bear doesn't forget Aspen man who fed it last year. In the meantime, free bear sandwiches are served duri ng halftime of Bears/Packers game at Wisconsin bar. Bear bites man. Man bites bear?

The Worst Sports Stadium Rip-Off Yet
slate.com
Fred Malek's field of dreams? Maybe the bear should turn his attention here instead.

Friday 09 November

British Airways Slams "Gutless" Hollywood Stars
London Mirror
Juicy Stuff: BA boss Rod Eddington slamming Bruce Willis : "This is a guy who makes movies in which he's the hero saving the world. But in real life he's too scared to fly in a plane." Well said!!

Afghanistan Hijacked
Slate
A reply to the Robert Fisks and Katha Pollitts of the world which presses this point: blame al-Qaida for civilian deaths, not the West.

Imagine this...
Manchester Guardian
James Buchan, a novelist and former Middle East correspondent, describes the West's worst nightmare.

Bush may order smallpox jabs for all
London Times
"The vaccine is fatal for one in a million cases."

How long does a smallpox vaccination protect you?
StraightDope
I well remember my Grandfather's smallpox-marked face, maybe that's why this issue scares the hell outta me.

Daughter of Disaster's Letter Reaches Out to Children Left Behind on Sept. 11
FoxNews
Frequent contributor and part-time editor Kay sent in this "touching" article about how the daughter of the Challenger space shuttle Cmdr. Dick Scobee has handled the very public 9-11 events. Speaking of Kay, I will be in the Big City this weekend with my wife to eat sushi, watch movies and catch Bob Dylan which means there will not be a weekend edition of net.Headlines unless Kay steps in and pinch hits, as she has done so superbly in the past.

Parents can keep smacking children
This is London
Good News to the Walmart Crowd.

Liz Hurley is Pregnant
London Mirror
Stop the press?

Obituary of Sandy Lehmann-Haupt
London Telegraph
One of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases, including one my Darling Wife and I hope to catch this week on our hiatus,  Amelie.

Regis Philbin Does Show With Pants Unzipped
TheDenverChannel.com
Gelman had to tell him in the commercial break. Speaking of inane TV, here's the latest Survivor results.

Dave's Top Ten Things That Will Get You Thrown Out Of The Taliban
CBS
Finally a topical Top Ten! My fave is #5: After President Bush speech, remarking, "You know, the guy has some valid points about us being completely insane"

Thursday 08 November

If I Don't Get My Medium-Rare Shell Steak With Roasted Vegetables In The Next 10 Minutes, The Terrorists Have Already Won
The Onion
Op-ed writer refuses to take the 9-11 attack lying down: "Yet to hang my head in defeat and eat a sandwich that fails to meet my personal specifications is exactly what they want us to do."

TV Preacher's Ministry Sends Out Fund-Raising Appeal Exploiting His Controversial Tirade Over Terrorist Attacks
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Not surprising: "Although TV preacher Jerry Falwell claims to have apologized for his infamous remarks about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, his ministry has sent a fund-raising letter to donors recasting his stateme nts in a positive light and depicting him as a victim of the news media 'wolf pack' and 'liberal lies.'"

Clinton calls terror a U.S. debt to past
Washington Times
Emotionally muddled thinking: Former President claims America "is 'paying a price today' for its past of slavery and for looking 'the other way when a significant number of native Americans were dispossessed and killed.' "

Robert Fisk: Hypocrisy, hatred and the war on terror
UK Independent
We link today to two of the loudest anti-Afghanistan-action voices out there: Robert Fisk and Katha Pollitt. Fisk is the more vitriolic of the two, while Pollitt is more repr esentative of the flower-power generation gone grey with quotes such as "9/11 and its sequelae have definitely rehabilitated such traditional masculine values as physical courage, upper-body strength, toughness, resolve."

Kumbaya Watch: Debunking the “Hero” Myth
National Review
Weekly review of The latest in foolish commentary sets its sights squarely on Katha Pollitt and pulls no punches: "her latest column is an absolute gem, five sneering paragraphs without a single original thought to be found."

Bin Laden network 'plotted hundreds of attacks'
Manchester Guardian
I wonder how Fisk and Pollitt would interpret this.

Hollywood's Jolie Back in Cambodia on U.N. Mission
Reuters
Let's send her to Afghanistan!

Harrison 'back in hospital'
BBC
Obligatory Beatles link.

How do I go about creating a zombie?
StraightDope
Find a partner; get married; have a baby; have a day job; stay up nights with sick baby?

Wednesday 07 November

Heaven short of virgins after influx of Muslim martyrs
The Chaser News
Allah: "It's not like heaven is overflowing with virgins and we are sent less every year."

Frederick Forsyth: Forget Anthrax and Bombs..Turning Off Our Oil Is Only Weapon bin Laden Needs To Make Britain A Wasteland
News of the World
Best-selling author of Day Of The Jackal lays out the worst-scene scenario.

Booze Filled Romps of Sex Crazed Osama
News of the World
Your average Muslim on the street in the Middle East would only believe this as further villification. After all, they still believe that 4000 Jews didn't report to work at the WTC on Sept 11.

Gone shootin': Cheney ducks out of the action
London Times
A "secure, undisclosed location" means he has been shooting pheasant in South Dakota.

Wal-Mart marching toward Northern China
China Daily
Let's send them to Afghanistan!

Disney cuts back online staff
News.com
Fine with me, as long as they don't touch ESPN. Speaking of TV, the Fox News Channel has topped CNN for the 1st time ever in weekly primetime and, finally, starting Nov 10 The Fox Family Channel will become ABC Family. The only interesting thing about this last item is that the Fox Family Channel used to be Pat Robertson's old CBN and, due to contractual finagling, wherever the station goes, s o goes Robertson's 700 Club. Why is this interesting? Because now Pat will be beamed by ABC which is owned by Disney and Pat has blasted Disney in the past for their gay-friendly policies. Apparently both sides need each other now. Life sets up som e rather interesting bed-mates at times, does it not?

Hunter S. Thompson: The Yankees are dead; long live the Yankees
ESPN Page 2
Speaking of ESPN, the always-Delusional rant by HST rarely disappoints and this week he's as nutty as ever. While we're in the land of make-believe, here's hockey's Ira scible Grapes and his weekly exhibition of petulance, with his best line being "he's got more guts than a slaughterhouse." My apologies to those who are reading this in the morning hours.

Porn sites blitz the e-mail market
Melbourne Age
This article reminds me of the time I sent an email to a user and misspelled "hotmail.com" as "hotmial.com". Turns out there's some sick dude out there who has registered the "hotmial.com" domain name and that in turn got me on many porn emailers' lists. Congress should act to stop this sort of thing immediately.

Macca: I Want Kids With Heather
London Mirror
Obligatory Beatles link.

Study: Double Mastectomy Reduces Breast Cancer Rate to Near Zero for Women at Very High Risk
Tampa Tribune
New study in works to show way that testicular cancer can be beaten. Details at 11.

Expos await burial
Montreal Gazette
Finally some fiscal sanity in baseball. Besides, few care in Montreal anyway and maybe my beloved, sorry-assed Tigers can get a good ballplayer or two out of this.

Monday 05 November

Britney's top of the parps
London Sun
In case you were worried: "Britney Spears says her sexy image is just an act — and she “burps and farts” like everyone else. "

Saudi public backs Bin Laden
BBC
They don't believe bin Laden did it. Meanwhile, the average very-nervous Afghan on-the-street has other ideas according to Slate.com: "Afghans don't want bin Laden around." Also, Arab leaders met yesterday in Damascus to say that bin Laden is at war with world. Will their people listen?

Who is winning the war of lies?
UK Independent
Visiting brother in law Henry says: "it doesn't matter; it comes down to who's dropping the biggest bombs."

Embattled on all fronts, the US badly needs a victory somewhere, anywhere
Sydney Morning Herald
An Oz-reporter overreacts: "The military campaign is taking too long, popular support is slipping, the propaganda is failing and Americans are scared."

Two million turn out for New York marathon
London Times
"A demonstation of defiance." Attention Aussi reporter.

Harry's here and the fans are spellbound
London Telegraph
Our 8 yr old son Mike has read each book 4x, so I suppose I'll have to see the movie with him.

Loss By Yankees Deepens Gloom
Toronto Globe and Mail.
But in Arizona it's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiney day, {a quote from Az. brother in law Henry}. Sad NY fans, however, claim that We'll do it next year. Arizona fans don't care what New Yorkers think, however, as today's Arizona Republic shouts D-Backs topple 'dynasty'.

Can dogs and cats really find their way home over long distances, as in "Incredible Journey"?
Straight Dope
I'd guess it's propaganda..

Dave's Top Ten Least Useful College Courses
CBS
My fave is #9: Introduction To The Hat, but #8 is pretty good, too. Brother in law Henry who leaves today for Arizona adds that it's time to go back to their normal, biting Top Tens. Amen.

Sunday 04 November

The War Against Terrorism Is a Fraud
London Mirror
The British press is a good bit more divided than its American counterpart. Today's editions, for example, have this anti article from The Mirror while The London Telegraph responds with We are entitled to act against bin Laden.

Bin Laden, Dead?
National Review
A Chinese report claims he's dead, but it's probably the start of the disinformation process.

FBI Closes Terrorism Tips Line
Channel 2000
They don't have bin Laden but they've got enough tips? The London Times is not impressed either: FBI arrogance and secrecy dismays US.

Belated notification irks state, local officials
Indianapolis Star
The governor and mayor found out about a local anthrax case via TV and fume.

Student can't wear anti-war clothing to Sissonville High
Charleston Gazette
Absurd: student is forbidden from starting an "anarchy" club and from wearing anti-war t-shirts.

Rushdie attacks 'paranoid Islam'
BBC
Needless to say, Rushdie is not sympathetic.

New U.S. Wind Chill Index Means It's Not as Cold
Reuters
I remember telling Kay, our frequent contributor and part-time editor, two years ago of my doubts about the 'wind chill' measurements.

Mobster Shoots Two After Peeking Up Skirt
Reuters
Yakuza gunman gets caught peeking, comes up firing.

Savage Love by Dan Savage
Village Voice
Embarrassing female masturbation stories.

Friday 02 November

Boy yanked from class for vagina costume
Detroit Free Press
What a dickhead.

Full text: Bin Laden's 'letter to Muslims'
BBC
In a letter to Pakistani Muslims bin Laden tries to divide the government from its people when he writes "The Pakistani Government has fallen under the banner of the cross."

The Taleban deserter from East London
London Times
Dude joins Taliban and is surprised to find that chaos is the rule: "Some of the others were shouting victory slogans but we hadn’t done anything except get ourselves shot.”

Fire May Smolder for Months
NY Daily News
"Firefighters continue to soak the ravaged 17-acre area with water, but the heavy streams seep only so far into the layered debris."

Microsoft settles with Justice Dept
Melbourne Age
Microsoft gets to do anything it wants in return for nailing bin Laden by Thanksgiving.

Geraldo targets Taliban; departs CNBC
TVinsite
He's going back into the field. I'll miss his show. The Washington Post quotes him from last night's show: "I'm not the same guy I was before the maniacs tried to tear our hearts out. "Speaking of TV, here's the latest Survivor update.

Hunter S. Thompson: Hey Rube
ESPN Page 2
More of HST's mad ramblings, including this reply from a bartender when he was asked to switch the World Series over to the Michael Jordan game: "Are you nuts?" he jeered. "This is a men's bar! We don't watch no stinking basketball here." In our other sports look, we turn to Canada's Irascible Grapes and his weekly take, Coach's Corner.

Ads Crowding the Batter's Box
NY Times
I'm glad someone else has noticed the size of the ads behind the batter's box. It's out-rageous.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
The week in review. Speaking of sex, today's Canoe.ca has an interesting article, Sexual myths and legends , which includes this quote from 1914: "the woman must make sure, especially when she is cold, to make herself welcoming and warm, and to keep herself from any actions or any words that will trouble her husband. She must take special care to go through the operation without making sudden movements that will break off sexual relations or seriously injure the virile organ by twisting or bruising it. Short and vigorous sexual relations are certainly the best: this will suffice to satisfy the senses, while at the same time fulfilling the purpose of the marriage. And it is hygienic as well."  Twisting or bruising it ????  What were they thinking?

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases, including Billy Crystal's Monsters, Inc.

Tuesday 06 November

Russian Germ Warfare Experts Raise Smallpox Alarm
Reuters
Since the virus kills 30% of unvaccinated victims and since no one has been vaccinated in 30 years and those who were vaccinated before are at risk, maybe we should instantly make this a HUGE FREAKING NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ?

Taliban minister challenges Bush and Blair to duel
London Mirror
Talk about potential for Pay for View!

Where's Daddy?
News of the World
While the 'higher' British Press {the London Times and the London Telegraph} has consistently beat the drums in support of the US, the 'middle' press, led by The Guardian and the Independent, have done a fair amount of hammering. Here, however, is some full-blown support from the lower press as the News introuduces us to 2 yr old WIlliam Larkey: "The urn he's cuddling contains ash from Ground Zero. It's all he has to remember his British dad, killed on September 11. His bewildered face should remind us all why we're at war."

Stars clash at show for terror victims
London Mirror
Did you wonder, as I did, where the trio of Bowie, Jagger and Sir Elton were during the finale of the Paul McCartney-led benefit last month at at New York's Madison Square Garden?

Michael Jackson: They're Testing Me and the Children for Anthrax
News of the World
We'll stick with News of the World and this predictable interview w/Jacko. If there's a way into the headlines, this sick dude finds it.

Fox also a Series winner
CNN Money
The ESPN radio guys were snickering about Fox's playoffs coverage 2 weeks ago. They're not laughing today as Sunday's game had the most viewers for any baseball game in the past 10 years.

How 'The Simpsons' Survives
NY Times Magazine
They keep it 'fresh' by avoiding the non-comedic trap that All in the Family and Mash fell into to.

Swazi king bans sex to fight spread of AIDS
National Post
Cultural juxtaposition:"If a boy touches a chaste girl, villagers are supposed to march to his house and throw their scarves at it."

Wednesday 31 October

Family Now Openly Wondering When Grandma Will Die
The Onion
Poor Grandma.

US planning full invasion if special forces fail
London Telegraph
With winter rapidly approaching? However, The New Republic claims that the threat of winter is overrated: Let It Snow

War briefing: October 31
London Times
Blair puts it on the table: "The al-Qaeda shut down in Afghanistan; the Taleban regime out; a new broad-based regime in; Afghan reconstruction underway." Meanwhile, The Times also reports that Police told to block Taleban recruiting drive.

Saddam urges America to stop attacks on Afghanistan, eliminate weapons of mass destruction
SF Gate
And, of course, he blames US foreign policy for the attacks on New York and Washington. Meanwhile, today's WorldNetDaily runs a list of US professors who, allegedly, agree with Saddam about the placement of blame.

Daschle Note Would Make 2 Million Sick
NY Post
There was enough anthrax in the letter sent to Sen. Tom Daschle, one teaspoon, to give 2 million people inhalation anthrax.

The Real Danger Is Nuclear.
The New Republic
Visiting brother in law Henry and I were discussing this just this morning.

The rumor busters
Salon.com
Nice profile of Snopes.com, The Urban Legend reference Page. Snopes has been busy cataloging the many "absurd rumors and half-truths that have circulated widely in e-mail, threatening to turn the United States into a nation of naked, Snapple-boycotting women brandishing hot irons at postal workers."

McDonald's To Roll Out Line of Premium-Quality Sandwiches
Canoe.ca
Ed to drive right past.

MS-DOS R.I.P.
Byte.com
The days of "del *.*" are rapidly coming to an end.

An Uninvited Guest Makes A Loud Crash At Good Sumaritan Hospital
WHIZ TV
In local news here in Hooterville a six point buck crashed through the ER doors at my Darling Wife's hospital...and she never mentioned it to me. The misspelling, by the way, in the headline is not mine.

Thursday 01 November

Ailing bin Laden 'treated secretly for kidney disease'
London Times
The man who hates America is thought to have smuggled himself into the American Hospital in Dubai in July. Meanwhile, Pravda analyzes bin Laden's beard.

FBI fury as men with nuclear plan escape
London Times
They were carrying plans about a nuclear power plant and the 800-mile Trans-Alaska pipeline. Meanwhile, today's NY Times reports that the government has apprehended 3 suspects who are believed to have had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 hijackings.

3 New Allies Help C.I.A. in Its Fight Against Terror
NY Times
Would you believe Syria, Libya and the Sudan? Meanwhile, Slate.com wraps up our links to the war on terrorism today by asking: Why aren't we using flame throwers in Afghanistan?

Walter Williams: Elitist contempt for American values
Townhall.com
WIlliams has some terse words for college kids and their profs: "As parents, we cough up to $30,000 and sometimes more in tuition money to have our youngsters taught that America is not only a racist, sexist and homophobic nation, but a terrorist nation as well, and an international monster creating world poverty and destroying the planet."

"TalkBack Live" host Bobbie Battista leaving CNN
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not one of my favorites, but she'd been on CNN for 20 years. Meanwhile, Business Forward magazine examines National Public Radio and discloses the annual salaries of Bob Edwards, Bob Siegel, Linda Wertheimer, Noah Adams and Fiona Ritchie.

Star Trek 'drove Nimoy to drink'
BBC
Apparently there's a lot of pressure playing an emotion-less character.

Harry Potter and the Broken Voice
London Sun
"CROAKY Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe had to be DUBBED in the smash-hit film — after his voice BROKE." The film, by the way, will be released on Nov the 16th.

Top Ten Reasons I, Dave, Love Candy
CBS
Finally, a new list, but I miss the old, biting Top Tens. These new ones are rather benign. My fave is #7: No time to brush? Eat some Junior Mints.

Tuesday 30 October

STUDY: Cell Phones May Cause Brain Damage When Thrown Hard Enough
The Satyr.com
We stat today's links with some non war-related news.

Supreme Court Meets in New Location Due to Anthrax
Find Law
Note to my Darling Wife: The good news is that it's a good thing we finished the basement when we did. The bad news is that they are demanding home-cooked lunches and access to your computer.

Do not forget horror of September 11, says Blair
London Telegraph
Checking the calendar: I'd say 2 more weeks.

Muslims 'must correct image'
London Times
The Queen of Jordan says this, but the zealot 2.5% don't and won't care.

Storm brews over Sept. 11 funds
Toronto Star
My esteemed mother-in-law predicted this would happen: "$200 million goes to other Red Cross programs."

Russia Prepares 1-Million Man Army for Afghanistan
Debkafile
It's payback time.

US won't stop bombs during Ramadan, says Rumsfield
China Daily
And the PR-fallout will be predictible.

J. Lo Turns To Jello
NY Post
Lopez "too scared" to visit NYC. America too busy to care. Meanwhile, The Detroit Free Press reports that "Sears Tower deck reopens." I've been up there four times and would go back.

Ten Burning Questions For Spike Lee
ESPN
Actually 19 questions, but it's a good read despite Spike's rather severe Manhattan-based myopia when it comes to sports.

Thumbs Up at 'Potter' Preview
NY Daily News
"It's faithful to the book, 2 1/2 hours isn't too long and the Quidditch game is fabulous." Sounds like our 8 yr old son Mike will love it. He's been on pins and needles waiting.

Monday 29 October

US Calls for Ceasefire in War on Drugs
Comedy Club
"Quite frankly, we just don't have the time to continue fighting the War on Drugs under present circumstances. We're just too busy."

Straw says bombing may stop for Ramadan as support for war falters
London Telegraph
Bowing to propaganda as is evidenced in this piece from The Chicago Tribune: Afghan survivors recount bombings. Bush should have seen this coming. There is little honor is an air war.

Saddam must go
London Times
The case against Hussein is outlined. Meanwhile, The Times continues this thread with another article: Rumsfeld points finger at Saddam. Finally, The London Telegraph reports that Iraq is also beating the PR drums: Attack on Iraq 'will be grave mistake', warns Aziz

WTC Exec Goes Mi$$ing
NY Post
Exec and $105 mill cannot be found.

A Toxic Nightmare At Disaster Site
NY Daily News
Air, soil, water contaminated and shifting winds are endangering workers.

Disastrous Profits
Charlotte's Creative Living
Nice piece decries the use of patriotism in ads.

Bus in Civil Rights Case Is Sold for $492,000
Reuters
The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan adds the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man to its collection which includes the limousine that President John Kennedy was riding in on Nov. 22, 1963.

Sunday 28 October

Things To Do While Waiting For The End Of The World
Modern Humorist
Gotta love this advice: "Remember, ladies, it’s finally okay to have sex without thought of commitment since a commitment can’t really be long term anymore."

Thousands of fighters flock to Taliban army
London Sunday Times
Upwards of 10,000 Pakistanis are heading across the border into Afghanistan "carrying everything from rocket launchers to pickaxes." I don't think the US is all that worried about this.

Why can't they find where he's hiding?
London Sunday Times
For all we know he could be in Iraq. Meanwhile, The Eugene Register-Guard reports a senior Afghan opposition official complaining that U.S. attacks are too easy on Taliban.

Hijackers were from wealthy Saudi families
London Sunday Times
Disturbing news, but let's examine the other side. The Associated Press reports that WTC victims analysis shows most young men, many dads

Questions for V.S. Naipaul on His Contentious Relationship to Islam
NY Times
The latest Nobel Laureate in Literature has some interesting things to say.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

William Safire: On Language
NY Times
The wordsmith examines a phrase I had never heard before: "women of cover."

Why the new anti-terrorism laws won't protect us.
Hartford Advocate
Pessimistic piece.

Saturday 27 October

Who give a **** about New York when whales and elephants are dying?
London Sun
Hilarious transcript in which a member of a British top boy band, Boys in Blue, torpedoes his career in all of about 25 seconds.

Military chief warns of four-year war
London Times
British Admiral says effort must equal our opposition to the Soviet Union. Now, if only the press will stop building unreasonable expectations. Meanwhile, Strategic Forcasting predicts that Success Against Taliban Hinges on Pakistan. More speficially, who controls the Pakistan-Afghan border wins the war.

Job-seekers high on air marshal openings
CNN
They are graduating 50 people a day and may give out of work pilots priority in hirings. A good idea.

US guru goes global
BBC
Speaking of unreasonable expectations, Martha Stewart "targets the whole world." Ya know, I don't see Martha ever going over in Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia or Cuba.

Google mulls premium subscription services
Register.uk
This would suck.

Frank Deford: Root for New York, but not the Yankees
Sports Illustrated
I was wrong Thursday when I said this is the Yanks' 35th trip to the World Series. It's their 38th. Even more reason to hate them.

2 Men Sentenced To Go Drag
My CF Now
Yesterday we linked to the story that happened 30 miles from here of the principal who got fired for spanking a student and calling him a "son of a bitch." Today we move closer to home, 20 miles, as we look at this tale of a judge who ordered 2 local yokels to stroll Main Street for an hour in Coshocton, Ohio. The zaniness is getting closer each day!

Just Gwyn ’n’ bare it
London Sun
As a treat for most of our weekend readers, here's a pic of Paltrow's puppies, but keep in mind that the Sun does not keep their links up for long.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
The week in review.

Friday 26 October

Bin Laden: Eat but don't enjoy U.S. rations
The Brains Trust
"Afghans should sprinkle dirt on the rice or eat while sitting next to a steaming heap of camel dung."

Americans Want Saddam's Head
Sky News
This British headline writer sounds surprised. Meanwhile, the Manchester Guardian continues to step to its own drummer as it asks Who asked Mr Bush to 'save civilisation'? The answer is the friends and families of those who died on September 11.

'It's like bombing Sicily to try to beat the Mafia'
BBC
Thoughtful piece calls for "an immediate end to the bombing, and a close working liaison with the UN." Try selling that to the American public.

Blair: We are entitled to act against bin Laden
London Telegraph
Exclusive interview with the British Prime Minister counters the above article. Blair eloquently asks "What are we supposed to do? If 6,000 people are killed in the USA by an act of terrorism, we are expected to do what exactly, if not take action?" Meanwhile, The London Times breathlessly reports about Bin Laden's nuclear threat. Meanwhile, today's SF Gate reports that Report says caffeine can help soldiers stay sharp on the battlefield. A high ranking US Army officer is quoted as saying this is going to be extremely important in this ongoing effort to combat terrorism. Hey Mr. Army Guy, this is not news. College kids and truck drivers have been living on coffee for eons.

Spanking costs principal his job
Columbus Dispatch
This happened about 25 miles from here in Petticoat Junction: "when the boy tried to kick him in the groin, he responded by spanking him and calling him a 'little son of a bitch.' "

Dutch women's breasts bigger than ever, survey finds
Expatica
Something in the water? As pleased as the Dutch seem to be with this news, it's the British who hold the bragging rights and London's Megastar shouts it out: Brit boobs biggest!

Survivor: Africa: Episode Three
Canoe.ca
Sent home because he didn't know this fact: does warm water cause a tick to release its hold on a human?

Leonard Cohen Ten New Songs
RollingStone
We continue our pimping of Leonard's new CD.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago SunTimes
Roger's takes on the latest releases, including Kevin Spacey's new one K-Pax.

Thursday 25 October

Privileged Children Of Millionaires Square Off On World Stage
The Onion
This is not a joke, my friends. It's Osama vs Dubya.

Jonah Goldberg: Ramadan-a-Ding-Dong
National Review
My brother-in-law HP out in Phoenix will like this article.

Why the world needs America to cheer up
London Times
Columnist visits NYC and is saddened by the attitude of the President and the people: "Instead of warning Americans about the “100 per cent probability” of further terrorist attacks, the Administration should be urging them not to cancel their holidays and Thanksgiving visits, to spend money in the shops and to go on buying houses and cars."

U.S. buying 100 million doses of anthrax antibiotic
CNN
But we'd better be careful. Both yesterday's USA Today and also WorldNet Daily report that the side effects from Cipro are dangerous: "could hit runners, coffee-drinkers, kids, elderly hardest"

Bill Wyman turns OAP
BBC
Stumblin' Jack Flash? Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman has turned 65, becoming eligible for a state pension plus "a concessionary bus pass."

Lots of goodies come in system debuting today
Detroit Free Press
Nice explanation of how Windows XP will look on our computer.

Why does my Yankee loathing run so deep?
Salon.com
For me it goes back to 1962 when my Tigers won 102 games, yet finished 7 games behind Mantle, Maris and crew. But, why go back that far? Just the fact that this is the Yank's 35th trip to the World Series versus the Diamonback's first trip makes Arizona the team to root for. Today's NY Times, however, tries to convince us otherwise with their PR piece Legions of Yankee-Haters Become Temporary Fans. Don't fall for it, folks.

Wednesday 24 October

Nation's Grandmas Halt Production Of Afghan Blankets
The Onion
Note to my Darling Wife: Good thing we still have that red white and blue wedding gift. In fact, it's one of only 3 gifts that have survived the last 25 years. not counting Each Other of course.

Pentagon cites evidence that Taliban troops seek refuge in residential areas to avoid US bombs
SF Gate
A no-brainer.

Landmines in Afghanistan
Human Rights News
US forces must fight the Taliban, the Afghan winter and this: "Landmines and other unexploded battlefield detritus, commonly known as unexploded ordnance (UXO), contaminate at least 724 million square meters of land in Afghanistan. Only two of Afghanistan's twenty-nine provinces are believed to be free of landmines. The most heavily mined provinces are Herat and Kandahar. Kandahar is the stronghold of the Taliban and a likely focal point for armed conflict."

Polly Toynbee: Say it loud: no more support until Israel agrees to pull out
Manchester Guardian
The Guardian's resident grinch lays it on the line: "no more money, no more support, no sympathy for future attacks until Israel withdraws and talks start at once on building the promised independent Palestinian state."

Grandad's army
London Megastar
Tell Washington not to worry: "65-year-old singer Engelbert Humperdinck says he will fight for Britain if the call-up comes." Meanwhile, a more thoughtful piece is in today's UK Independent: Why demand the endgame when the war's barely begun? Why? Because the media has made us impatient.

Gadhafi says U.S. has right to retaliate for terror attacks
Nando Times
Support comes from the strangest of places: "Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, once one of Washington's sworn enemies, said Tuesday that the United States had a right to retaliate for last month's terror attacks." He must want something from us.

The Annotated Dennis Miller: Nostradamus, the voice of God, and Linda Blair's revolving head
ESPN
I keep defending this guy week after week, but America must not be interested because the ratings keep dropping. Speaking of sports, the professor of gonzoness, Hunter S. Thompson has his weekly rant up on ESPN2, Foul balls and rash predictions in which HST proves that he's a good citizen: "Last week was extremely busy. I spent most of it doing top-secret surveillance work on some of my neighbors who are obviously up to no good and need to be watched closely." Finally, we wrap up our weekly look at the world of play with the current take from hockey's Irascible Grapes and his Coach's Corner

Meet the dark side of Windows XP
ZDNet
"Nothing incredibly damning," but 12 reasons to be wary of upgrading.

Apple portable player will hold 1,000 tunes
Canada's National Post
It'll cost $400, you can fit it in your hand and it can hold 1000 MP3's.

Shouldn't Greenland be known as Iceland and vice versa?
StraightDope
It's too late now.

Tuesday 23 October

Ernie Speaks Out On Bert-Bin Laden Issue
The Toque
"Bert has been always been a Negative Nellie."

Did Osama bin Laden's Al Quaeda Terrorist Group Act Alone?
NY Post
Little puff piece. The answer to this question, by the way, can be found in the last two paragraphs of the next link.

Apocalypse now?
London Times
“Bin Laden has been trying to get his hands on enriched uranium for seven or eight years.” I hate reading articles like this right before I go to sleep.

A word in your ear, Tony, learn a little Arabic
London Times
"Until the West understands why it is so hated, bin Laden will have an audience." This Brit professor should be advising Blair/Bush.

Hundreds of refugees drown after ship sinks
London Times
The trek from Iraq to Australia turns deadly in Indonesia.

OJ: Driver Raged At Me
NY Post
This guy never changes.

Director reveals Matrix trilogy finale's title
Ananova
The first sequel will be released in May 2003.

What's the difference between a street, a road, an avenue, a boulevard, etc.?
StraightDope
A road by any other name still has to be swept the same.

Yanks Reach Fourth Straight World Series
NY Times
I know public sympathy is with them because of September the 11th. I know that this is a great healing action in the New York area. I understand all of that, but I still hate the Yankees. In the immortal words of my beloved mother-in-law: Go "Razorbacks!"
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Monday 22 October

Anthrax Found in Email Attachment
The Brain's Trust
"The first victim was a BBC journalist, Martin Lipsom, who received an anonymous email with the subject line 'Death to the infidels.'"

Anthrax attacks now being linked to US right-wing cranks
UK Independent
Wouldn't surprise me.

Afghanistan 'Small Piece,' Top U.S. General Says
Reuters
Broad campaign "possibly lasting more than a lifetime." I guess we'd better get used to it. Meanwhile, Salon.com reports that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's security adviser claims the assault on the Taliban will last until March or April. No hint of a month long Ramadan break.

Ramadan deadline looms for US action
BBC
"Muslim anger at strikes on Afghanistan could boil over if the operation is not concluded by the start of Ramadan, Indonesia warns." Does this mean we can expect no terrorist activities during Ramadan, Nov 15-Dec 15?

Joanne Mariner: Beating bin Laden in the West Bank
FindLaw
Nice article states the obvious: The Palestinians deserve a better deal and we must move in that direction.

Limbaugh: A virtuoso no longer in control of his art
Chcago Tribune
"What's happening to Rush is bizarre -- you can tell he has no clue as to where his voice is." Some of that 'talent on loan from God' has apparently been permanently recalled.

Cleaner dumps £5k art
London Sun
Sounds like 'I Love Lucy': "Emmanuel Asare spotted the pile of full ashtrays, beer bottles, cola tins, coffee cups and sweet wrappings — and thought it was leftovers from a party." It wasn't. It was worth about 8 grand.

Sunday 21 October

Saddam moves chemical weapons factories into no-go zone
London Telegraph
Hussein believes he is next.

If you think Bin Laden is extreme - some Muslims want to kill him because he's soft
London Times
It's like the WWF has come to life.

Beijing offers cautious hand of friendship
London Times
Watch out for those crossed fingers.

Andrew Sullivan: Even Susan Sontag is on the warpath
London Times
The Yanks are pissed.

Giving The Finger To Bioterrorists
NY Post
Post editorial assistant tells how it feels to become the latest anthrax victim.

It's the end of the world . . . again
London Times
Ahhh, finally a piece that puts into words what I have been thinking: "Superman or Bruce Willis aren't going to turn up and sort this one out," observes Peter Wilson, director of the children's mental health charity, Young Minds. "People have been living an unreal life among ever more violent images of frenzy and terror. This is for real and it breaks through the strange veneer that has separated people from reality." That, btw, should thankfully prove the death knell to those stupid 'superdude stops the terrorists and saves the world' movies and thus end the careers of Sly, Arnold and Steven Seagal.

William Safire: On Language
NY Times
The wordsmith looks at more new war terminology.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Seinfeld's Elaine to star in her own NBC sitcom, 12 episodes ordered
Canada.com
Why bother? It's gonna suck.

Handel was gay - his music proves it, claims academic
London Telegraph
Gay water music?

Saturday 20 October

The US message to the Taliban
Manchester Guardian
'Attention. You are condemned. Did you know that? The instant the terrorists you support took over our planes, you sentenced yourselves to death'

China is 'side by side with US' on terror, says Bush
London Telegraph
The enemy of my enemy is my friend....temporarily.

Subdued US tries to take the fright out of Hallowe'en
London Times
Gory masks and Pixie Sticks are out. There's also a pic of this witch-thing that is all the rage here in Petticoat Junction.

Bush Winning Gore Backers' High Praises
NY Times
Not only are Gory masks out, but so is Al Gore. This piece repeats something I told our oldest son Tommy on the phone last week: "Some are even privately expressing satisfaction that Mr. Gore, who tried to make his foreign affairs expertise an issue in the campaign, did not win."
Times login: edportals  passwordL edportals

Friday 19 October

Special Forces Open Ground Campaign
Washington Post
The next phase.

Tibet your life
London Megastar
Sir Elton John slams the Dalai Lama.

'I know where bin Laden is'
London Times
Fascinating: A leading American geologist thinks he recognizes the sandstone walls that were behind bin Laden in his released TV statement. Meanwhile, The Times has another interesting take: an opinion piece that urges America to get moving before the start of the brutal Afghan winter. Finally, we wrap up our look at the British press with this from the Manchester Guardian: A female British Aid minister claims the humanitarian thing to do is to end the Taliban's reign as soon as possible, before they move into Pakistan and get access to nuclear weapons.
Editor's Note: Elisabeth J. rightfully questions the wording of my last link: "When have you ever said "A male (British Aid minister, member of Parliament, fill it in yourself)"? Really. Cannot that person simply be "A British Aid minister"? Good point, EJ. I did it to show what you already know: that women are warriors, too.

Peggy Noonan: Profiles Encouraged
WSJ.com
The paranoid Reaganite states her case.

Northern Ohio's Ticking Time Bombs
Cleveland Free Times
For the past eight years my birdwatching mentor Danny and I have headed up to northern Ohio for the annual spring warbler migration. The Davis-Besse nuclear plant is nearby and whenever we hear loud thuds one of us will nervously make a joke that "there goes the power plant." Apparently, this writer has the exact same fears.

Holocaust scholar is critical of Vatican
London Telegraph
Here's a topic I'll be sure NOT to bring up at the next Sunday dinner: "A Jewish scholar has resigned from the inquiry into Pope Pius XII's response to the Holocaust in protest at alleged Vatican obstruction."

Leonard Cohen chat transcript
Jam!
We finish our week of steadily pushing Leonard's New CD with this world-wide transcribed online chat that he hosted this week. While we're at it, here's a review of the CD: Same old story from Cohen

Obituary of Jay Livingston
London Telegraph
Never heard of him? You've definitely heard his music.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
Spores of Love Are in the Air

Thursday 18 October

Woman With Sore Throat Thinks It Might Be Anthrax
The Onion
"I haven't had a sore throat in, like, two years, and suddenly I get one."

Hollywood 'inspired US attacks'
BBC
"Veteran film director Robert Altman has blamed Hollywood for "inspiring" the recent attacks on the US." I wouldn't go as far as Altman and 'blame' the industry, but who will be able to watch action films about terrorism again?

United Airlines CEO warns airline may 'perish' next year
CBC News
"We are literally hemorrhaging money." Based on the precedent set in the Chrysler bailout, look for Uncle Sam to help the airlines.

Prominent Muslim cleric denounces bin Laden
AP
As i mentioned earlier this week, this is precisely what we need to help calm things.

China bans Middle East visitors
London Telegraph
"China has sparked anger across the Middle East after it put people from 20 countries and areas across the region, including Israel, on a secret security blacklist." This is the same mentality as the one shown by a college football coach who replied when asked if his team was afraid to fly: "No, because there are no Arabs on our team."

Christianity's famous relics
London Times
Since scientific tests on a body in Padua cathedral have shown that it could be that of St Luke, The Times runs a list of some other famous relics and you just have to check out Viennese Beguine Agnes Blannbekin's encounter with Jesus' foreskin.

Coach's Corner w/Don Cherry
CBC
We in the States don't get to hear the irascible one's famous weekly hockey takes, so I'm going to start linking to them and my brother in law Henry in Phoenix will particularly like this one and Cherry's thoughts about our beloved Wings and their best player. Speaking of sports, we can't forget the good doc, Hunter S. Thompson, and his weekly rant. This week he's in great form as he demands that the NFL must Banish Cowboys, 'Skins -- forever

Jazz singer Etta Jones dies at 72
Jam!
Great singer, her biggest hit was probably the fabulous '67 Muscle Shoals smash Tell Mama.

Wednesday 17 October

The Kuwait test
London Times
Former Kuwait ambassador to the US says what many in the West have been saying: The US helped us; why haven't we helped them?

TV Ian 'saw through lies'
London Sun
British reporter goes on a guided tour and then doubts the Taliban's '200 death' story.

America paralysed by 2,300 anthrax scares
London Times
It's time for the press to calm down. America is hardly "paralysed."

Mohamed Atta in Close Call in Incident at Miami Airport
NY Times
Another incident disclosed from before Sept the 11th.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Users will not part with cash for content
Manchester Guardian
duh!

Country Joe Accused of Swiping Song
Findlaw
Country Joe is beiong sued by the estate of Kid Ory, an early jazz great, for stealing this song: "And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam"

Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs
NY Post
We continue to pimp Cohen's new CD and if you have a high-speed connection here's the video In My Secret Life.

Dave's Top Ten Questions People Ask When Shopping For An Umbrella
CBS
Another benign Top Ten. Gone are the vicious, yet highly funny, personal attacks. My fave from today's list is #1: "Do you mind if I pretend to shop for umbrellas until it stops raining?"

Tuesday 16 October

Giuliani wins 57% of world's elections
The Brains Trust
"Giuliani has not publicly accepted any of the offices but may face beheading if he does not claim his new bride before the next full moon."

Terror news: American media is doing the terrorists' work for them
Working for Change
I agree with this article totally. The media needs to start toning down the hysteria: "But reports of new anthrax exposures in Reno, New York, and Florida have been the signal for a media feeding and speculation frenzy."

Pakistan Says Afghan Taliban Not Terrorists
AP
"Asked if Pakistan considered the Taliban to be terrorists, spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan said: `No, Taliban are not terrorists. We never regarded them as terrorists.' " Oh yeah? What about reports that bin Laden gave the Taliban $100 million over the last five years?

Rumsfeld blames Taliban for civilian deaths
Manchester Guardian
No Chocolate Chips! The American Secretary of Defense claims that the 200 civilians who died in the Afghan bombings were probably tunnel workers who lived nearby and he went on to state that "They were not cooking cookies inside those tunnels."

US relations with Riyadh slide further
Manchester Guardian
The Saudis are feeling the heat.

'We Have Some Planes,' Hijacker Told Controller

Here's how complacent things were: "For years, the threat of an incoming aerial attack on the American homeland had been considered so minor that on the morning of Sept. 11, the entire country was being defended by 14 Air National Guard planes dispersed among seven bases."
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Drum do for ill George
London Sun
No respect? Former Beatle George Harrison moved to Maui to try to recover from cancer, but is embroiled in a right-of-way issue with locals. One unimpressed local is quoted as saying "People have walked through these paths for generations and this Englishman wants to stop that so he can sleep in the afternoon."

'Body of St. Luke' Gains Credibility
NY Times
They know this much: it's the body of somebody who lived in the same region, within the same time span.....sorta.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Hawking's briefer history of time
BBC
Maybe this time I can understand it: "Stephen Hawking, the British physicist who wrote the international bestseller, A Brief History of Time, is to write a shorter simpler version."

Gas drops below $1 a gallon in some states
USA Today
Note to my Darling Wife: invest quickly in the chain motel business.

Canoe Chat with Leonard Cohen
Canoe.ca
Today is the release date for Cohen's new CD and he'll be online at 4 p.m. ET to discuss it with fans.

Monday 15 October

Puzzled Afghans left to chew on peanut butter
London Times
Sounds like these guys weren't all that hungry: "Many of the packages were ripped open by villagers who tested the foreign-looking and tasting food and then discarded it in the dust."

Iran indicates it would back UN-led fight against terror
Financial Times
Strange bedfellows!

What bin Laden has said rings true for many Arabs
Irish Times
Does this warning, from a high-ranking al-Qaeda spokesman, also ring true? "We tell and recommend Muslims in the US and Britain, and those who reject the American policies, not to take aeroplanes and not to live in towers and high buildings." If Bush is losing the propaganda war, as Robert Fisk of the UK Independent argues, it's because statements like this are left unchallenged by other Muslim leaders.

American anti-gun activist shot dead at home
London Times
America is a crazy place: he was a prominent opponent of the NRA, calling it “essentially, an anarchist institution."

McCartney urges Ono to mend rift
Sydney Morning Herald
He wants his name listed first as the composer of Yesterday.

Alert: This Is Peak Time For Car-Deer Crashes
NewsNet5
Crashes involving deer represent about 7 percent of all automobile crashes in the state. This Ohioan has hit 3 deer in 9 years, the last collision totalling my minivan. Via Fark.

Security keeps Bob Dylan out of own show
jam!
Let's hope they clear this up when we go up to see him on November the 10th.

Dave's Little-Known Words Coined By The Guy Who First Said "Guesstimate"
CBS
My fave is #2: "Lettermanure."

Sunday 14 October

The Deep Intellectual Roots of Islamic Terror
NY Times
Nice article traces the roots of Mr. bin Laden's worldview: "The truth is that he is tapping into a minority Islamic tradition with a wide following and a deep history."
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Afghans burn US food parcels
London Telegraph
A film crew must have been nearby.

Taliban troops prepare for underground fight
London Times
Proile of tunnel warfare, including news of an undersground 'hotel,' complete with library, that has withstood previous bombings.

Nobel Prize winner Naipaul backs war to oust Taliban 'vermin'
London Telegraph
Interesting article because we not only get to hear his views, but also those of his wife, the Pakistani newspaper columnist, Nadira Khannum Alvi.

A Treatise on the Tyranny of Two
NY Times
The NY Times Magazine Secton is devoted today to Love in the 21st Century with fourteen articles dissecting love. The 'Tyranny of Two' article tries valiantly to debunk the Western idea of love and marriage and includes this great description of life after marriage: "goodbye Marshmallow Fluff; hello tofu meatballs."
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Christgau's Consumer Guide: Unpatriotic?! Moi?
Village Voice
The Dean of American Rock Music offers up his monthly critique, including a nice review of Leonard Cohen's new CD, Ten New Songs, which I have been pimping constantly on this page and which hits the shelves on October the 16th, although I got my copy yesterday from Amazon. Let's delve into the opening track, In My Secret Life, to see The Master at work, and keep in mind he wrote this long before September the 11th:

Looked through the paper,
Makes you want to cry.
Nobody cares if the people
Live or die.
And The Dealer wants you thinking
That it's either black or white.
Thank God it's not that simple
In my secret life.

Saturday 13 October

This is War Calling
London Times
Having trouble sleeping lately? Then don't read this article....it's loaded with lil' tidbits like “one well co-ordinated attack by fewer than 30 computer virtuosos strategically located around the world, with a budget of less than $10 million, could bring the United States to its knees."

Andrew Oswald: Why the West must kick its oil habit
London Times
Easier said than done.

Internet link in terror probe
BBC
Glasgow-based Iomart has deciphered and passed on hundreds of web sites that were used to pass on secret messages.

Amid the Cacophony, a Reasoned Voice Surfaces
LA Times
Each crisis seems to bring at least one newsperson to the forefront. Remember Bernard Shaw, for example, in Kuwait? The newshound who seems to fit that bill this time around is CNN"s bespectacled and bookish-looking Aaron Brown. Speaking of the news, CBreeze emails this in: "Ever notice how after an important news announcement is made, the news people have to then TELL YOU what you just HEARD?" Amen!

100 Questions and Answers About Arab-Americans: A Journalist's Guide
Detroit Free Press
A study guide so our oldest son Tommy can stop chiding me about not knowing the difference between a Muslim and an Arab.

Friday 12 October

FBI's 22 most wanted
London Sun
The most wanted men on earth.

Avoiding bin Laden's Trap
Pakistan Dawn
Rational piece which outlines 6 reasons why a jihad against the US cannot be called by bin Laden or the Taliban and then advises the US to let the Muslim states lead the way towards justice.

Widow Goes After bin Laden in Court
NY Post
An interesting twist.

Stability is the novelty in Windows XP
Silicon Valley.com
Music to my ears: "In plain English, this means Windows XP computers will almost never crash."

New Amazon feature lets readers flip through books online
Silicon Valley.com
Amazon is offering scanned images from 25,000 titles but hopes to expand it to all books being offered.

Girls, get a Wonderbum
London Sun
The makers of the wonderbra move southwards with their new "wonderbum," in which "the outer Lycra band lifts and separates cheeks, while the thinner inner layer allows natural feminine movement." What the heck is "natural feminine movement?"
My Darling Wife just emailed this: "natural feminine movement, or feminine movement, is jiggle, wiggle, or both. don't you boys know anything?"

The Annotated Dennis Miller: Hitchcock’s blondes, Gilligan’s Lovey, and the red eyes of Bocephus
ESPN
Miller had a particularly good game last week, but then my beloved Lions were so bad that he had plenty of time to work in his better material, such as the octopus/squid pun.

This Week in Sex
Nerve.com
The week in review.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases, including David Lynch's new one Mulholland Drive.

Mitch Albom: Jordan still looks like he belongs
Detroit Free Press
MJ played in his first exhibition game as a Washington Wizard last night and Albom was there.

Dave's Top Ten Ways To Describe Bacon
CBS
One can only wonder how long they can keep up this new, benign manner. It's gotta be driving them nuts. Anyway, my fave of this bunch is #2: Bypass in a skillet.

Thursday 11 October

Dildo Manufacturers Association: Nation Must Return To Normalcy, Purchase Dildos
The Onion
And that's why, my Darling Wife, I must drive into the big city tomorrow to visit The Lions Den. It's my patriotic duty!

Hijackers reportedly made trial air trips
Boston Globe
Looks like actor James Woods was right after all. In fact, Woods is now so scared, from what he saw and has since learned, that he says he "won't get on an airplane...won't go into a stadium...won't attend a big public event."

Hijackers 'hired call girls' during final days in Boston
London Times
The Times persists in calling these thugs "fundamentalist Muslim hijackers," when it's obvious that the only word that applies to them from that description is "hijackers." To quote an article from last Sunday's Manchester Guardian: This is not Islam any more than the Ku Klux Klan is Christianity.

Third Florida anthrax case
BBC
The publisher of The Star is quoted elsewhere as saying this was an attack against America. Maybe. But, it might be an attack against The Star.

War on Terrorism Could Clog Military's Space Airwaves
Space.com
Time to pull them away from watching the Mexican border for awhile?

Networks Scramble to Cut Costs
LA Times
Since nobody is watching and terrorism reports are costly, ABC is considering eliminating Saturday night programming entirely.

Hunter S. Thompson: Football in the Kingdom of Fear
ESPN
We shift away from war news because, as the good Doctor of Gonzo so wisely puts it: "All war and no football makes Johnny a dull boy." The only problem is that my Lions have somehow become the nation's laughingstock.

UK writer Naipaul wins Nobel award
CNN
A fine writer who, by the way, sees "religion as the scourge of humanity."

A great album, but not a good one
Toronto Globe and Mail
A review of the new Leonard Cohen disk, which will hit the shelves on October the 16th.

Dave's Top Ten Questions Most Often Asked At A 99-Cent Store
CBS
My fave is #10: "How much is this?"

Wednesday 10 October

Radar Planes From NATO To Patrol U.S. Coast
Washington Post
This is not going to sit well with the Black Helicopter crowd.

FBI thinks anthrax was spread deliberately
London Telegraph
To put this into perspective, only 18 cases have been documented in America since 1800. Son Tommy ICQ'ed me his take: "the fucking hysterics in the news media keep saying "They might use ANTHRAX! They might use ANTHRAX!!!" and pretty soon somebody is going to go "hmm, I should send the Sun some anthrax..." He also added "i'm waiting to see 'Terrorists may use mutant pelicans with poisoned beaks.'"

British WTC Widow Loses Legal Residency
Fox News
Long-time contributor, and pinch hit editor, Kay sends this one in, describing it as "a disgusting little piece."

Don't Let Fear Help the Enemy
South Florida Sun-Sentinal
Another message comes from "pen" who writes in that "my fear that this'll turn into germ warfare actually...i want to be informed about what's going on but this situation is so squirrelly that i don't need to know about each and every bump and discovery."

Dual US Objective: Finding Bin Laden and Restraining the Russians
DEBKAfile
You'll have to page down through the headlines to get to the article, but it's worth the trip, especially the conjecture about how bin Laden made his escape Sunday. However, today's London Times reports that "the most intensive hunt for Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda associates hiding in Afghanistan is about to be launched using American and British reconnaissance aircraft." And, check this fact out: "From 48,000 ft, the Canberra’s camera will be capable of taking photographs of “unbelievable clarity”, one source said. “of paper in your back garden."

Astute Bin Laden raises the stakes
Manchester Guardian
He finally plays the Palestinian card.

Christopher Hitchens: Blaming bin Laden First
The Nation
Hitchens, one of my favorite writers, is embroiled in a running spat with Noam Chomsky, which you can wade through.

How To Tell If The Airstrikes Work
Slate
The five political goals listed do not include Dubya being reelected.

Timex Gets Wound UP
NY Post
The sight of bin Laden last Sunday denouncing America, but wearing a western watch, struck me as highly absurd.

Dave's Top Ten All-Pupose Witty Comebacks
CBS
We wrap up today's links with a non-bin link by turning to Dave. My fave is #9: "Let me guess -- home-schooled?"

Tuesday 09 October

Forget Islam: bin Laden is no more than a spoilt rich kid
London Telegraph
Columnist Robert Harris looks back and makes a great observation: "Like bin Laden, the violent anarchists and the extreme Marxist revolutionaries of a century ago were usually well-to-do, exiled opponents of autocratic regimes: men whose private incomes financed a lifetime indulgence in political struggle."

NY Post
Anthrax Outbreak
I saw 2 film reports on this yesterday and neither mentioned that this is the company, American Media, that publishes The Globe, The Sun, The Star, The National Enquirer, and Weekly World News, nor did either piece mention anything about the former Sudanese employee, nor did they mention the proximity of this building to the hangout of Mohamed Atta when he was in Florida. All of which may be coincidence. What is anthrax? Here's the Center for Disease Control's Anthrax page.

Arafat Decides to Take a Gamble on the West
NY Times
An Arafat spokesman distanced Arafat from the bin Laden video released Sunday: "crimes against Palestinians could not justify killing civilians in New York."
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Flight Scare Above O'Hare
CBS News
The most interesting thing about this story is not mentioned: people on the ground saw the F-16 intervention and reported hearing sonic booms, which means those babies were movin' fast.

Limbaugh Losing His Hearing
CBS News
I've heard but snippets of him over the past few months and thought he had a virus, which might in fact be the case.

Scores die in runway blaze
BBC
I recall reading, sometime in the past year, a warning from an aviation safety expert that went something like this: in the future more people will die in runway accidents than in air crashes.

Mitch Albom: Rams leave Lions dazed and confused
Detroit Free Press
We finish today's links with something lighthearted: Albom's descriptions of my favorite football teamm which include such gems as: "by the third quarter, Detroit fans were flipping to war coverage for a sense of hope." Or, as my brother-in-law Henry once emailed: "Why does God hate Lions' fans?

Monday 08 October

George W. Bush's Statement
CNN
A transcript of Bush's speech to the nation.

Tony Blair's Statement
London Telegraph
Blair has been with Bush since September the 11th and this is why: "let us not forget that the attacks of September 11 represented the worst terrorist outrage against British citizens in our history." He then goes on to make the very cogent point that "It angers me, as it angers the vast majority of Muslims, to hear bin Laden and his associates described as Islamic terrorists. They are terrorists pure and simple."

John Howard's Statement
Melbourne Age
"We are part of the free world and we owe a lot to the Americans in past history and this is the time to stand beside them."

Jean Chrétien's Statement
CBC
"We must insist on living on our terms, according to our values, and not on terms dictated from the shadows."

Text of Bin Laden's statement
Melbourne Age
Listen to his interpretation of Hiroshima: "When people at the ends of the earth, Japan, were killed by their hundreds of thousands, young and old, it was not considered a war crime."

Bill Clinton Statement
International Herald Tribune
How he must miss not being in the thick of things.

Americans Exposed to Retaliation
AP
Not since the Civil War have we faced this danger.

'93 WTC Attack In Grim New Light
NY Daily News
Tonight A&E will broadcast a chronological recounting of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, complete with eerie interviews of survivors such as this comment from a '93 survivor who refused to re-enter the WTC: "A lot of things that we all take for granted, I can't anymore. We sit in this room and we assume we're safe, that this floor cannot fall out from under us. I know otherwise. It can." Speaking of TV, The Daily News also reviews yesterday's network coverage of the bombings.

In this war of civilisations, the West will prevail
London Telegraph
I'm not a pacifist, like my Darling Wife or oldest son Tommy, but this piece scares me.

How To Tell a Mullah From a Mufti
Slate
Despite all the calls from the Taleban and bin Laden, only a mufti can issue a fatwa.

'Obscenely corrupt' Clintons savaged from beyond grave
London Times
This is fascinating: a new book will rip the Clinton's last days, describing them in the title as "The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power." The book's author? Barbara Olson, who died in the plane that slammed into the Pentagon on September the 11th.

Another "Matrix" Star Mourned
E! Online
64 yr old Gloria Foster was The Oracle. Speaking of obituaries, today's Chicago Tribune runs one for the man who chronicled political life in the US for over 60 yrs. Indeed, he coined the term 'McCarthyism.' Herbert Block, aka 'Herblock', was 91.

Dylan kicks off tour in Seattle
Jam!
My Darling Wife and I will join friends Rob and Elaine to see Dylan on the 12th of November. It should be great fun.

Dave's Top Ten Signs Your Dog Is Possessed By The Ghost Of Abraham Lincoln
CBS
My fave is #3, though #2 is also quite funny: "You ask Miss Cleo whether your dog is possessed by Lincoln, she says, 'Uh...yes'"

Sunday 07 October

Presley agrees to marry Cage in haste
London Times
Two leading American intellectuals. Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley, have been spurred on by the terrorist attacks on America to marry because “life’s too short”. Evidently Lisa Marie must not have seen the 1992 Cage turkey Honeymoon in Vegas, which focused on Elvis impersonators.

Rumors of War
Snopes.com
Most interesting: Nopes, The Urban Lengend site, lists the true, false and unverified rumors that ran rampantly after the attack.

Andrew Sullivan: This Is a Religious War
NY Times
Two excellent companion pieces in today's Times Magazine. Sullivan presses the argument in his long essay that we cannot sugar-coat the fact that this is a religioius war, a war between fundametalism and freedom. The 2nd article, Nowhere Man, looks at the struggle in Egypt to reconcile modernity with tradition and how that tension produced Mohamed Atta.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

William Safire: The Terrorist Attack Lacks a Universal Label
NY Times
Safire's weekly word column examines 'Operation Enduring Freedom,' 'normalcy,' and should we call it 'antiterrorism or counterterrorism?'
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

What bin Laden needs: Love and Chinese food
Toronto Globe and Mail
Just in case you were wondering what best-selling author Deepak Chopra's thoughts on the current crisis are.

Thinking about thankfulness: Nine authors reflect
Toronto Globe and Mail
Reflections on Thanksgiving, which is tomorrow in Canada.

Saturday   06 October

Terrorists "Concede Defeat" After Blair Speech
The Brains Trust
Funny Stuff from the UK: "Osama bin Laden announced his retirement from terrorism, pledging to embark upon a life of good deeds and promising to reconstitute Al Qa'ida as a small-scale charity looking after wounded furry animals."

U.S. Orders Cockpit Doors Fortified
AP
A no-brainer.

US terror 'could cost Scots jobs'
London Telegraph
The attacks have such far reaching effects. Today, for example, we were not allowed to walk to the airport gate to pick up our oldest, Mary, and this just devastated Sam, our 3 yr old, who cried because he could not "see airplanes!"

Al-Qaeda hid coded messages on porn websites
London Times
"FBI chiefs think terrorist cells have been using codes to disguise their electronic mail and to hide maps and instructions on sports chat rooms, pornographic websites and photographs sent over the Internet."

Bonds hits No. 71, sets single-season home run record
Sporting News
He hit another but, in fitting irony, his team was eliminated from the chase.

Australian Duo Savage Garden Splits
Launch.com
That's ok...I disliked them and their breathy Oz rock.

Dan Savage: Savage Love
Village Voice
Sex columnist Dan muses about sex since September 11.

Friday   05 October

Scientists say quick sex causes headaches
Ananova
Similar to eating too much ice cream too quickly?

Blair's evidence against bin Laden and Taliban
This is London
The Brits go public. Via Drudge.

Breaking the News to the Families, Over and Over
NY Times
This is interesting: "When possible, he said, they are sending a female detective, believing she is a softer presence than 'two big burly policemen sitting at the door.'" A softer presence to bring the news of death? Why would that matter 10 seconds after the news was delivered?
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

WTC collapse forces skyscraper rethink
BBC
Experts scratch their heads: the building should have withstood at least another two hours of heat.

Terrorist Grinned As End Neared
NY Daily News
The FBI poured through hours and hours of security tapes up in Portland Maine on September the 10th and found Mohamed Atta at a Wal Mart and Pizza Hut.

Great XPectations
Computer Shopper
Just what I have been waiting for: "What's the big deal about Windows XP? Aside from the name change and a spiffed-up interface, it's probably the most important version of the operating system since Windows 95."

Sharon Stone's health 'hangs in balance'
BBC
Strokes, seizures and the loss of mobility, speech, vision and memory are among the complications that could occur within the next two weeks.

Listen to Leonard Cohen's new album
Jam!
Songs nine and ten from Leonard's soon-to-be released CD.

Lennon rant fails to sell
CNN
They wanted $96,000 for this six-page letter to Paul and Linda McCartney, littered with spelling mistakes, deletions and expletives. They didn't get it.

The Annotated Dennis Miller: Norm Macdonald, cockroach killers, and the Curse of Curtis Martin
ESPN
Dennis is explained to the Bud Lite crowd.

Current Ebert Reviews
Chicago Sun Times
Roger's takes on the latest releases.

Dave's 'Top Ten Words'
CBS
One of Dave's stranger lists. My fave is #5 ; Welterweight

Thursday 04 October

Roberto Duran suffers collapsed lung, broken ribs
ESPN
He's in stable condition; alcohol might have been a factor in the crash.

Sit-down protester is run over by stolen car
Ananova
Run over twice! Only in California!

Ebola-style killer virus sweeps Afghan border
London Telegraph
This just in from our "To Make Matters Even Worse" Department.

Profiles in Courage
The New Republic
Gregg Easterbrook doesn't want to hear that the terrorists were courageous: "The fact that the terrorists died in their act does not make them courageous, or else we would have to say that a man who murders his wife and then turns the gun on himself is displaying courage."

Ashes to Ashes
Salon.com
Nice look at the mental problems of New Yorkers who witnessed the tragedy.

Ground Zero Velvet Rope
NY Post
What do Muhammad Ali, Bette Midler, Chris Rock, Miss America Katie Harman, Chevy Chase, Billy and Alec Baldwin, "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, members of the Yankees and Mets, Candace Bergen and boxing promoter Don King have in common?

Scientists unlock mysteries of speech
BBC
"Scientists unlock the genetic roots of speech." If there's one thing our family has it's the language gene...in spades. We are woefully deficient, however, in the organizational gene.

Web advertisers strike back at ad filters
CNN
Long-time contributor, and sometimes editor, Kay sends this one in: Have you thought of installing one of those pop-up ad killers? Advertisers are planning their revenge by denying access to their sites if you use one.

Actress Sharon Stone to Undergo Further Testing
Reuters
Brain hemorrhage "more serious" than originally thought.

Obituary of John C. Lilly; Inventor Studied Dolphin Communications
Washington Post
The Post wants us to believe he was famous for his controversial dolphin studies, but I recall advocacy of LSD as his main claim to fame.

Listen to Leonard Cohen's new album
Jam!
Songs seven and eight from Leonard's soon-to-be released CD.

What does "pop goes the weasel" mean?
Straight Dope
As talented author Bill Bryson wrote in his very readable The Mother Tongue : English & How It Got That Way: nursery rhymes are a weird thing. They are repeated over and over, verbatim, passed along from generation to generation intact...but we rarely examine just the what the heck they mean.

Wedneday 04 October

A Shattered Nation Longs To Care About Stupid Bullshit Again
The Onion
"If none of this had happened, right now I'd probably be watching that stupid Journey VH1 Behind The Music episode for the 40,000th time." Hey, I've seen that episode!! Coincidentally, today's SF Gate has an almost identical piece: Mark Morford: Are you sure you really want to get back to the way things were?

Trade Centre burns victim 'wanted quick death'
Ananova
Inspiring story of Manu Dhingra who suffered severe burns on the 82nd floor of the WTC, but managed to make it out. Dhinga knows he is a walking miracle: "I just can't let it go to waste. Life can't be normal." Amen.

Papal warning on rift between Vatican hawks and doves
Hong Kong Daily News
'Vatican hawk' should be an oxymoron.

News flash: All Arabs are not alike
Toronto Globe and Mail
Two fine pieces in today's Globe and Mail. The second is an editorial, Just another chance to berate the Americans, that responds to the Noam Chomsky-type argument which claims that American foreign policy has "sort of brought it on themselves."

United to Add Steel Bars on Doors
AP
A far better idea than passing out stun guns to the flight attendants. Reuters adds that American Airlines to Reinforce Cockpit Doors.

Battle for Afghan airwaves
BBC
They ban music from radio and outlaw TV, yet the Taleban watch CNN on the dish. However, much of our anger at the Taleban may soon be replaced. The NY Post reports that the Osama Gang Could Be Moving To Somalia.

Ash-Holes
NY Post
Ghoulish: peddlers are selling phony soil and ash from the World Trade Center to families mourning loved ones still buried in the rubble.

Throwing economy a lifeline: Businesses, lenders entice Americans to spend money again
Detroit Free Press
This idea has finally spread to America as I predicted last week when Tony Blair made the same sort of pitch. So, let's get out there America and spend!!! My choice is still the $500 Bose Wave/PC™ Interactive Audio System, but the even more patriotic $1500 Minolta Dimage 7 also has my eye.

Listen to Leonard Cohen's new album
Jam!
Cuts 5 and 6 are made available for our listening pleasure in Jam's week-long preview of the Great Gravelled Voice's new CD.

Bud Light Becomes Top-Selling Beer In Country
CF Now
I have an empty cooler still full of this crap left over from our 25th Anniversary Party this past summer. I try to get guests to drink it. Nobody ever accepts. I might be stuck with this stuff forever.

Are there Kegel exercises for men? Plus: what does the KY in K-Y jelly stand for?
Straight Dope
I think I read once about male-type Kegel exercises. It involves stopping mid-stream, if you know what I mean. And, as for the K-Y question: That's easy...gotta be Kentucky!

Monday 02 October

Hijackers Surprised To Find Selves In Hell
The Onion
"We Expected Eternal Paradise For This," say Suicide Bombers.

New York Cardinal Says U.S. Should Search Soul
Reuters
A sane voice emerges, however, the good cardinal should not forget the thousands of funerals being held last and this week in his Archdiocese.

Evidence of Plot to Attack Sears Tower
ABC News
I've been to the top three times. What a lovely view, but if I were working there I'd be nervous. However, the link below suggests that the story is not true.

Detroit FBI Denies Sears Tower Plan
Yahoo News
Interesting how people circulate rumors during crisis times.

Is It "Afghan" or "Afghani"?
Slate
The things we know now that we didn't a month ago.

Name of Pilot Who Roused Passengers Still a Mystery
NY Times
Did an airline pilot tell his passengers to rush and throw shoes and blankets over would-be terrorists or is it urban legend? I would have bet the latter.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

Mademoiselle magazine closing, economy blamed
CNN
First published in 1935, it folded because it could not find a niche, not because of the economy. The 1.1 million subscribers will begin receiving Glamour magazine, another Conde Nast publication, instead.

News coverage worth the price
Salon.com
Bad News/Good News: The bad news is that Salon announced Monday that it will charge readers to access virtually all of its News and Politics articles. The good news is that I rarely link to them because of superior links found elsewhere.

Priests 'too feminine'
London Telegraph
Survey says: "Men are put off church because priests tend to have feminine personalities that appeal to women, says a survey by the University of Wales." It also states that "the findings went some way to explain why women dominate congregations." If you've ever heard priests go on and on about their mothers, then you have had a glimpse of the veracity of this study.

Listen to Leonard Cohen's new album
Jam!
Canada's great poet/songwriter releases his 1st CD of new material in 9 yrs later this month and Jam previews 2 songs/day.

Dave's 'Top Ten Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Buying A Monkey'
CBS
New York Mayaor Rudy Giuliani says it's ok to laugh again, so we bring back Dave's Top Ten. My fave is #6: "Am I yet another man in his 40s reacting to a mid-life crisis by purchasing a monkey?"

Monday 01 October

Lifting a Veil of Tears
PageSix.com
Here's one area where Leno scoops Letterman: "Jay Leno (news - Y! TV)'s wife Mavis, a longtime critic of fundamentalist rule in Afghanistan, has urged Americans to rally around the plight of Afghan women, calling them the "first victims" of Taliban terror."

U.S. Believes More Attacks Are Planned
LA Times
The new end game: "To cope with any secondary attacks, a number of federal law enforcement agents are not participating in the current terrorism investigation and are instead being held in reserve to handle any new investigations that might arise."

Sex in the city eases the pain for New Yorkers
London Times
WIth the spectre of doom hanging over them, many New Yorkers decided to spontaeneously hook up.

Waiting for Our John Lennon
NY Times
Gen-X'er waits for a membre of his generation to step up to the plate.
Times login: edportals  password: edportals

John Dvorak: Storage and the pack-rat syndrome
PC Magazine
The famed net guru doesn't like the trend to larger and larger hard drives.

Obituary of Nguyen Van Thieu
London Telegraph
"Thieu, who has died aged 78, was the president of South Vietnam who surrendered his nation to the northern Communist regime in 1975 after the withdrawal of American forces; he never forgave the Americans for, as he saw it, abandoning his country." Never forgave us, but finished his life in the Boston area.

Listen to Leonard Cohen's new album
Jam!
My favorite muse is back with his first CD of new material since '92 and Jam previews it, putting online 2 songs a day. Today's songs are In my secret life and A thousand kisses deep. It'll be in stores October the 16th.