19 September 2002

New York's currently: no longer thrilled by the ice cream truck and that damn song

Bush backs out of Biological Weapons Convention against germ warfare, wants to delay until 2006, despite the State Department's promise last year, after then backing out of the same deal, that it would return this year with new proposals.

U.S. looks at Africa for new oil supplies, possibly as much as 25 percent of America's import market.

It seems like everyone's got a Pakistani they're keeping locked up at home...I call it the Pakistani giveaway. They know no one's paying anything for Pakistanis, so to placate the Americans, sometimes they'll hand some over to us. U.S. soldiers say Afghans are holding al Qaeda and Taliban men for ransom.

France sees the end of the 35-hour work week.

Damien Hirst apologies for calling Sept. 11 a 'visually stunning' work of art on Sept. 10 this year. Note: doesn't mention this other comment: 'You've got to hand it to them on some level because they've achieved something which nobody would have ever have thought possible – especially to a country as big as America. So on one level they kind of need congratulating, which a lot of people shy away from, which is a very dangerous thing.' Right. Congratufuckalations.

Magazines throw parties; Book publishers do luncheons. Related: J.K. Rowling's publisher not freaked out that the new Harry Potter will be published in 2003. Not related: Shy koalas lured with recorded mating calls. That's shy koalas people.

Kevin Spacey wants the world to know he definitely did not rent a house on Fire Island this summer. Also, that rumor you heard about Jodie Foster at the Liberty game? Completely absolutely false.

For the Brits: Crime data for your area.

Grand botanical illustrations, on the other hand, pursued floral fact. Entirely overwritten but fun piece on botanical illustration. Related: Long piece on the great Earnest.