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PowerPoint: Killer App?
by Ruth Marcus, Washington Post
Did PowerPoint make the space shuttle crash?

Chic Suds
by Page Rockwell, Salon
When I met my sophisticated, globe-trotting roommate, I was desperate to impress. Who knew I'd win her over with a bottle of liquid soap?

Why I'm Divorced: And Why You're Next
by Annabel Lee, Hartford Advocate
I'm no historian, but it doesn't take a Paul Johnson to tell us why it's so hard to stay married. We live too long. Marriage is a naturally polarizing process that causes one person to detest, over time, what the other person loves.

Dancing To His Tune
by Ariel Dorfman, New Statesman
Here's to you, Uncle Albert — the greatest violinist in the world.

Uniting The Two Koreas, In Animated Films At Least
by Mark Russell, New York Times
It is the most Korean of folk tales.

The Water Cooler, A Font Of Good Medicine
by Abigail Zuger, New York Times
Some old notions of medical privacy in doctors' offices and hospitals are out of style.

In Bangalore, India, A Cuddle With Your Baby Requires A Bribe
by Celia W. Dugger, New York Times
Just as the painful ordeal of childbirth finally ended and Nesam Velankanni waited for a nurse to lay her squalling newborn on her chest, the maternity hospital's ritual of extortion began. If you want to see your child, families are told, the price is $12 for a boy and $7 for a girl, a lot of money for slum dwellers scraping by on a dollar a day.

Anybody There?
by Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian
'I am lonely, will anyone speak to me' pleaded the message on the website. Within minutes someone did — and soon thousands of total strangers were sharing their emotions.

My Son, The Doctor
by Sherwin B. Nuland, The New Republic
Why is it, in fact, that so many Jews have become doctors? Here follows a twice-told tale that bears telling once again.

A Refrigerator Door And A Handle On Life
by Barry Berkey, Washington Post
I had never thought of the notes on my refrigerator door as personal and sensitive until a recent visit from my Califronia cousin, Janice.

Beijing's Quest For 2008: To Become Simply Livable
by Jim Yardley, New York Times
Beijing is so efficient at pouring concrete that the International Olympic Committee has asked it to slow down rather finish construction too soon. Far more difficult will be fulfilling Beijing's promise of playing host to a "green" Olympics as well as meeting a new goal in the city's revised master plan — to become "a city suitable for living."

Single, White With Dildo
by Anna Jane Grossman, Salon
Thanks to developments in the field of "teledildonics," quick and easy cybersex is becoming an option for anyone with a mouse. Could internet-enabled sex toys soon become must-haves for online daters?

All-Elvis Radio? It's Now Or Never
by Martin Miller, Los Angeles Times
There are those who say that pop-radio stations play the same set of songs over and over again and all sound alike — a statement that is both true and not true of Sirius Satellite Radio's Elvis Radio.

Language Born Of Colonialism Thrives Again In Amazon
by Larry Rohter, New York Times
When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil five centuries ago, they encountered a fundamental problem: the indigenous peoples they conquered spoke more than 700 languages. Rising to the challenge, the Jesuit preiests accompanying them concocted a mixture of Indian, Portuguese and African words they called "lingua geral," or the "general language," and imposed it on their colonial subjects. Elsewhere in Brazil, lingua geral as a living, spoken tongue died off long ago. But in a remote and neglected corner of the Amazon where Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela meet, the language has not only managed to survive, it has made a remarkable comeback in recent years.

The Soft Revolution
by Alec Hanley Bemis, Los Angeles Times
Today's folk songs are being sung — very quietly — by a generation that's had it with sex and drugs and doing it in the road.

The Past Lingers In Changing Vietnam
by Amanda Hesser, New York Times
For nearly two decades, Vietnam's two big metropolises, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have embraced capitalism and the modern world. But here in the center of the country, a belt of land only 40 or so miles wide, the mood is often less aggressive.

The Taste Of Fear
by Fuchsia Dunlop, Financial Times
There are many delicious perks to being a food writer. But the job also has its disadvantages, and one of these is that people are afraid to ask you round for dinner.

A Comprehensive Rethink
by Rob Blackhurst, Financial Times
Was mixed-ability school a noble ideal or an educational disaster?

My Life As A Hack
by Ben Yagoda, Slate
It was glorious. Now it's over.

Fat Like Me
by Joel Beers, OC Weekly
America is getting fatter, and America loves Disneyland.

Everyone Does Not Have A Novel Inside Them
by Tim Clare, The Guardian
It is quite wrong to portray publishing as an impenetrable cartel — if anything it's too open to unknown writers.

Advertisers Cry Foul Over Olympics Law
by Cosima Marriner, The Guardian
So keen is the Blair government to comply with the IOC's requirements that it has banned several seemingly innocuous words to stop ambush marketers associating themselves with the London games.

The Drone Ranger
by Franklin Schneider, Washington City Paper
But you need that paycheck. You need those benefits. Your only hope, then, is to live in the moment, keep at it as an animal might, with consciousness tethered securely to the present. Just keep at it, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, moving cell by cell across that endless spreadsheet.

Here's The Dish On Fast-Food Secrets
by Dog Davis, Los Angeles Times
From knowing how to buy a tax-free latte to ordering your burger like a pro, there are some things a consumer simply must know.

Why This Band Plays On
by Mikal Gilmore, New York Times
The Beatles demonstrated that musical and social change could emanate from the shared spirit of the same body politic.

Bob Costas Says No To Hour On Aruba
by Bill Carter, New York Times
Mr Costas' decision has drawn further attention to the Holloway case.

No One Ever Slaved Over A Hot Toaster Oven
by Melissa Clark, New York Times
A little research revealed that toaster oven technology has come a long way since I graduated from college.

Reinventing Television
by Thomas Goetz, Wired
We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a Special Report from Jon Stewart.

Extinction Long Seen, Video Stores Hang On
by Lorne Manly, New York Times
Ever since Blockbuster and Movie gallery opened their first video stores 20 years ago, predictions of their imminent demise have been as common as late fees.

A Tourism Plan's Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny Miscalculation
by Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times
Local officials promoted skimpy attire as a way to lure visitors to a stretch of sand on South Korea's west coast, but beachgoers were shy.

A Book To Read Carefully, With A Physical Therapist Near
by Edward Wyatt, New York Times
"Hunger's Brides," Paul Anderson's debut novel, is certain to be one of the biggest books of the fall. The question is how many readers will want to do the heavy lifting required to read it.

Price Was Right
by Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal
Want a Picasso? Shop at Costco!

He's Just Not On The Same Page
by Scott Martelle, Los Angeles Times
Robert Sabuda has taken the once-quaint novelty of pop-up books to new heights with a fusioin of art and engineering.

A War Resister Outshouts A Law Meant To Quiet Him
by Jonathan Allen, New York Times
A protester who has carried out a four-year "protest for peace" across the street from Parliament is exempt from a law restricting such demonstrations.

The Golf Gene
by John Tierney, New York Times
Golf features no body contact, no car crashes and no cheerleaders, yet men keep watching. Why?

Great Expectations
by Janet Wells, San Francisco Chronicle
Might one get published — or just enjoy a couple of years off from reality — in one of our many packed creative writing programs?

The Big Big Day
by Vince Beiser, Los Angeles Times
More couples are saying 'I do' to extravagant weddings even as the institutio of marriage teeters. Are they just dazzled by all the nice things the robust romance industry offers?

Kitchen Voyeur: Sunny Side Up
by Jonathan Reynolds, New York Times
Solar cooking is more than just good for the planet.

The New Movement Against Wal-Mart
by Chisun Lee, Village Voice
Fresh blood joins the battle to keep the mega-retailer out of NYC.

Busted
by Tom Shone, The Guardian
Thirty years after Jaw changed the face of cinema, blockbusters are dying at the box office. Is our taste for reality outstripping our love of big-budget epics?

9/11: Light A Candle Or Party On?
by Jodi Kantor, New York Times
Now the black circle around the calendar date is fading, leaving ambivalence and awkward disagreement as to what is and isn't appropriate to plan.

Lions And Cheetahs And Elephants, Oh My!
by C. Josh Donlan, Slate
Let them run wild. In North America.

Deadline Hollywood
by Nikki Finke, LA Weekly
Hollywood to Newsosaurs: Drop dead.

Thigh The Beloved Country
by Rebecca Traister, Salon
Muscle-bound models sporting "big butts" star in Nike's fall ad campaign. Can this real-women marketing craze be real?

I Go To AWP
by Kay Ryan, Poetry
I have always understood myself to be a person who does not go to writers conferences. How, then, one wonders, can it be that I have just come back from AWP's annual conference in Vancouver, treading upon a lifetime of preferring not to?

When It Comes To Sald, Caesar Rules
by Andrea Pyenson, Boston Globe
The combination of crisp romaine lettuce leaves, lots of garlic, a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, and a rich, creamy dressing — ingredients that go into the classic Caesar — have not changed much in the 80 years since the salad was created.

Faith And The Fish
by mr brown
Next time I take Faith along to the aquarium, I am bringing reinforcements.

He Would've Wanted Everyone To Eat
by Abe Opincar, New York Times
Funeral meals have always meant to assuage grief and to honor the dead and their beliefs about the hereafter. But feeding the grieving also has a fundamental aim. "They've been depleted by caregiving and bereavement. Grieving people must eat."

Lobster's Little Cousin, And Its Envy
by R.W. Apple Jr., New York Times
It is always the langoustines that make my head spin. Ah, langoustines!

In The Hospital, A Degrading Shift From Person To Patient
by Benedict Carey, New York Times
The deeper psychological transformation from citizen to patient that occurs in almost any medical setting can be jarring, and anthropologists say it begins immediately at admission.

V-J Day Is Replayed, But The Lip-Lock's Tamer This Time
by Andrea Elliott, New York Times
"Who do we have to kiss?"

What, No Tip? Service Charge Faces Struggle At Restaurants
by Patrick McGreehan, New York Times
Is the right to stiff the waiter as American as apple pie?

Super Power
by Chris Berdik, Boston Globe
In a notoriously segregated city, shoppers of all races are flocking to a fast-growing supermarket chain called Super 88. Its founder triumphed through communist invasion, shipwreck, and fire. Now, he wants to change the way you shop for groceries.

Black Guy, White Music
by Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates, Time
How I stopped worrying about my hip-hop cred and fell in love with Bjork.

Every Man Is An Island
by John Harding, The Guardian
From The Odyssey to The Beach, islands have been one of the most powerful and magical inspirations to writers.

From Love To Longing To Protest, It's All In The Tilt Of The Postage
by Ian Urbina, New York Times
For most people, the front of an envelope is simply a place for addresses and postage, and a crooked stamp indicates little more than that the sender was in a hurry. But for others, this tiny sliver of real estate is home to a coded language, hidden in plain sight, that has been passed down through the generations for more than a century.

Hope Floats
by Claire Berger, Los Angeles Times
And once in a while, it washes ashore at your feet.

Under Pressure
by Amanda Hesser, New York Times
Cryovacking, which is more often called sous vide (French for "under vacuum"), is poised to change the way restaurant chefs cook — and like the Wolf stove and the immersion blender, it will probably trickle down to the home kitchen someday.

In Praise of A Snail's Pace
by Ellen Goodman, Washington Post
Sometimes, a letter becomes the icon of an old-fashioned new fashion. And sometimes, in this technological whirlwind, it takes a piece of snail mail to carry the stamp of authenticity.

Books, Not Tales, Get Taller Before Baby Boomers' Eyes
by Edward Wyatt, New York Times
As baby boomers near retirement, they are finding it harder and harder to read the small type of mass-market paperbacks, the pocket-size books that are the most popular segment of the publishing business.

The Tipping Point
by Nona Willis-Aronowitz, Village Voice
New Yorkers are great at leaving something extra. Tourists suck.

Just How Big Is 600 Trillion?
by Carl Bialik, Wall Street Journal
The plausibility of 600 trillion trips illustrates just how complex air travel is.

Feeling Cooped Up
by Kathleen Clary Miller, Los Angeles Times
Is "chick lit" really the label this writer wants as she pitches her manuscript to publishers? What would Jane Austen do?

TV Guide
by Bryan Curtis, Slate
Literature for couch potatoes.

Heaven Scent
by Rebecca Traister, Salon
I never thought I could get worked up about home fragrance. Then I got a gift from Provence.

Welcome To Washington, And Now You're On Your Own
by Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post
For visitors to Washington who come from freeway-reliant reaches of Middle America, riding the Metro can be an attraction in itself. But a few trips riding the rails in their comfortable shoes show that the experience can be more than a little bewildering, too.

Why Baghdad Must Make Do With Takeout
by Craig S. Smith, New York Times
Things were looking up for Chen Xianzhong, proprietor of Baghdad's first authentic Chinese restaurant in the new Iraq, until a suicide car bomber blew up outside the place less than two weeks ago.

Setting The Live Music Free
by Steve Hocman, Los Angeles Times
Websites enable the exchange of concert recordings, a practice that has thrived around the Grateful Dead and doesn't bother the music industry.

They're Not Stupid — They're Lazy
by Alexandra Starr, Slate
The real reason American high-schoolers have such dismal test scores.

Gimmicky Magazine Inserts Aim To Grab Page Flippers
by Brian Steinberg, Wall Street Journal
Readers have long been able to shun magazine ads by simply turning the pages. But advertisers are seeking more ways to command busy consumers' attention in the digital age.

Red, White, And Blueberry
by Joan Nathan, U.S. News
In researching my latest cookbook on American food, I have traveled the country, seeking the answer. I have found a cuisine in a perpetual state of flux, marked by a collaborative spirit that's been around for centuries.

In Praise Of Chop Suey
by Nancy Shute, U.S. News
When the first Chinese restaurant opened in 1849 in San Francisco, no doubt owner Norman Asing hadn't a clue about the trend he was launching.

Black Day For THe Blue Pencil
by Blake Morrison, The Guardian
A culture that doesn't care about editing is a culture that doesn't care about writing. And that has to be bad.

Peter Jennings, Urbane News Anchor, Dies At 67
by Jacques Steinberg, New York Times
For more than two decades, the magnitude of a news event could be measured, at least in part, by whether Mr Jennings and his counterparts on the other two networks showed up on the scene.

The Amazing Racer
by Reed Parsell, Sacramento Bee
Practicing for a shot at reality TV means rediscovering public transit.

The Workhorse Of Higher Education
by Jay Mathews, Washington Post
How many millions of people have changed their lives by attending community colleges? How many adults with jobs and families have managed to acquire new skills by taking night classes at what we used to call the local junior college? How many underachievers have earned a degree by starting at a community college and then transferring to a four-year school?

Chaos Theory
by Dan Barber, New York Times
If you can't take the chaos, get out of the kitchen.

Post-Popism
by A. O. Scott, New York Times
In the future, we may be complaining about those annoying movies that get in the way of the ads we paid good money to see.

Poking Fun
by The Economist
Why people laugh.

Why I Don't Trust Readers
by Jack Shafer, Slate
I've had it with all you unreliable, inconsistent, and detestable blockheads. I've given you every posible chance and you've failed me miserably. Tonight I'm ordering a custom bumper-sticker that reads, "I Don't Trust the Mainstream Media Audience."

Cat-And-Mouse Game, With Spray Paint
by Shadi Rahimi, New York Times
Graffiti writers and the Police Department's new antigraffiti unit are battling at the intersection of art and crime.

Teaching Teenagers To Take Orders
by Dana Bowen, New York Times
Yes, there is a textbook for waiting tables and this summer 22 food-obsessed high school students have been committing its napkin folds and fish forks to memory.

Beltway Fantasies
by Marc Fisher, Washington Post
In Maryland, demolition derbies let drivers get in touch with their inner loop.

Remember New York's Capital? Forget It
by Michael Cooper, New York Times
The Albany diaspora of recent years is the product of new technology, new transportation options and different political styles.

No Laughing Matter
by Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian
One of the strengths of the British character, we have always told ourselves, is our sense of humor. But stand-up comedians and sitcoms are getting increasingly dark, satirical — and, arguably, unfunny. Are the British forgetting how to laugh?

The Dyslexic Novelist
by Polly Curtis, The Guardian
Sally Gardner changed her name because she couldn't spell it. So how does she managed to write novels?

You Think You've Got Tomatoes
by Sharon Waxman, New York Times
At the Berkeley Bowl Marketplace in California, heirloom and regular tomato varieties vie for attention with 10 types of cherry tomatoes.

Songs From The Black Chair
by Jennifer Gonnerman, Village Voice
Ten years of listening to the city's most troubled men.

A Subway Bores Into The Ottoman And Byzantine Eras
by Mark Landler, New York Times
"if we find some more important things down there, maybe they'll cancel the subway."

On The Set With Singapore's Not-So-Dangerous Bad Boy
by Alexandra A. Seno, New York Times
Sinking into a plush sofa of a luxury hotel suite now used as a movie production office, the young director Royston Tan contemplated his nickname in the industry. Ah yes, he hears it a lot, he said, his lips turning up to form a tentative and somewhat embarrassed smile. But, he insisted, "I'm reeeeeaaaaally pretty gentle, actually."

What Did They Say, And To Whom Did They Say It?
by Howard Kurtz, Washington Post
Journalists are expending plenty of time and energy these days accusing other journalists of the sin of ripping them off.

Is Middle School Bad For Kids?
by Claudia Wallis, Time
Cities across the U.S. are switching to K-8 schools. Will the results be any better?

My Need For Greed
by Tim Adams, The Observer
Sex and drugs and drink and food... enough was never enough for William Leith.

The Pizza's Still Old World, Only Now The Old World's Tibet
by Joseph Berger, New York Times
New tides of immigration have so transformed New York City that classic ethnic foods and drinks are increasingly being prepared by people whose ethnicity does not necessarily match the menu's.