1 July 2002

New York's currently: on vacation until 8 July 2002

Tension among allies: U.S. vetoes extension of the U.N. mission in Bosnia after Security Council refused immunity from war crimes court to American soldiers.

As New York papers fling reporters into high-society to cover tales of cocktail-accounting (go get 'em Kuczynski!), a look across the plains: San Francisco, a town ruled by hetero socialites, secret gays, and corrupt parking laws.

33 toxic waste sites in the Superfund program will get finance cuts; Fed doesn't have enough money to cover industry's tab, especially since the Fed stopped taxing industry for its own spills, taxpayers to pay for pollution.

'No king but Jesus' quote now seems suspect: Ashcroft loves the death penalty, telling federal prosecutors to seek the axe 12 times--against their wishes--since he's taken office.

Pink Pistols call for gays to arm themselves against attackers.

Nut freaks attack food writer Amanda Hesser for enjoying mid-flight snacks.

Pitchfork's guide to file-sharing alternatives, now that Audiogalaxy is dead.

Glass and plastic recycling dead today in NYC.

Summaries: Frontline special on negotiations since the 1993 Oslo accord.

New answering machine measures 'annoyance' levels in caller.

It was only after I got deeper into the fiction business that I realized that novels are like waffles: you have to toss the first one. John Sedgwick on entering depression to finish new book.

This week's New Yorker: Death journalism and the First Great Obituary Writers' Conference, 'Half Gone' by Tim O'Brien, partying with the 'Hot or Not' guys.

Iris Murdoch's London.