Headlines from March 9, 2009

Astounding story about the obstacles--thugs, secret prisons, beatings--Chinese citizens face to lodge a complaint about the government.
Bad paintings of Barack Obama.
Bush lawyers find themselves too toxic for employers; Gonzales blames "partisan politics" for his unemployment.
Instapaper for the commute: For screenwriters everywhere: the path of Tony Gilroy.
The top 10 stories you won't see in the news this week.
The point of Barbie's having Ken around is not for her to marry him but for her to have the option. It is enough for him to be marriageable.
Data highlights the connection between conservative moral values and an affinity for porn.
Ben Greenman's Earth Ball weighs in on the Steele-Limbaugh spat.
Study on how John Darnielle became the next Nick Drake/Smiths/Rufus Wainwright for a certain flock.
Analysis of why location crime novels appeal across borders.
More Kindle-considering: The book business is a distribution business, pure and simple.
Consider the jetpack: Available for sale, but extremely dangerous, especially when flown untethered.
A month in the life of a jetset basketball referee during March Madness.
TMN brings its own madness today with the launch of the Tournament of Books.
In the run-up to Summit of Americas: hopes for easing Cuban embargo, mending ties after Latin America's move leftward.
Clinton's "talk-show diplomacy" wins Turkish support; next, Obama must deliver on Middle East policy.
Three makes a trend: Shoes hurled at Ahmadinejad.
We do expect stories, even fantastic stories, to adhere to some recognizable reality. Could Lex Luthor save the economy?
World Bank predicts that, for the first time since World War II, the global economy will shrink this year.
Days ago, our economy looked like it did back in 1996. Now: Welcome back to 1982.
"Resisting the Kindle" and "In Defense of the Kindle."
"It's not easy to send emails on that thing. It is not a good touch screen." Congress is a BlackBerry stronghold, and nobody likes the Storm.
Interactive graphic: From city services to quality of life, what New Yorkers like and don't like about their city.
First, the puppet children were incredible creepy. Nick Sagan doesn't like Vegetable Soup.
The top five music videos of the 1960s.
Preparing for an Icelandic interview, British savant learns the language in a week.
"We're rounding with you, or we're rounding on you." Why doctors go to work sick.