1 December 2004

  • New York's currently: booking its holiday calendar fast
  • Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge leaves the building, neither pushed nor begged to stay.
  • Generals in Iraq warned in December 2003, pre-Abu Ghraib photos, that an elite unit was abusing detainees with illegal force.
  • Ukrainian parliament ousts Prime Minister's government; Major embarrassment anticipated for Putin.
  • Fascinating story on how the White House press corps designs questions to (hopefully, and rarely) surprise the President.
  • Deer density is increasing. Hunter density is decreasing. Ecological nightmare anticipated as whitetail deer continue to multiply, and ruin America.
  • Charts show burden of legal red tape on principals and teachers in New York City--e.g., how to fire an inept teacher.
  • Investigations into the Dan Rather-Donald Barthelme-Frequency/Kenneth conspiracy.
  • Scientists find signs of Alzheimer's in Iris Murdoch's last book, Jackson's Dilemma.
  • Video: The best actor to play George W. Bush is clearly Don Knotts.
  • Despite apocalyptic predictions about the industry, classical recordings thrive.
  • Index of Shel Silverstein's work in Playboy.
  • Books by big names, paid giant advances by big publishers, don't necessarily mean good sales.
  • Informative look at the U.N.'s current crisis of irrelevancy, and the unlikely chance of reform.
  • Miramax, Weinstein, and Scorcese prepare grand push to land The Aviator on the Oscars' stage.
  • Authors personally introduce their books via meettheauthor.com.
  • Penthouse letters hilariously condensed.