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The ever catty Michael Musto (of The Village Voice) first gives us a sad look at Windows on the World's Executive Chef Michael Lomonaco and the great loss he sufferred. But what makes this column linkable, I think, is Musto's defense of preserving irony in the face of those who declare it dead: "I'm also going borderline thanks to all the columnists, editors, and talk show hosts declaring the end of irony (excuse me, but a wry, mocking sense of perspective is the hallmark of a free society), and saying that what they do is now trivial and irrelevant and they're having trouble continuing. Funny, they did their trivial s**t all through the AIDS crisis and other globe-threatening horrors, but now they're thinking twice? Well, I've always thought my subject matter was smallish and specialized, but I approach it with utter seriousness, because it matters to me and aims to provide relief, entertainment, and sometimes even information to others. If I could cure cancer or reattach limbs, I would, but this is what I do, and in the face of threats to our liberty, it's crucial to seize back the chance to do what we do! Besides, there are enough people beating their chests, waving the flag, and screaming, 'Get the bastards!'"
posted by adrober at 10:46 PM PST - 12 comments

Is Mars the answer? The healing process will take years. The moon landing was a peaceful demonstation of America's technological leadership in the 20th century. Could a Mars landing do the same for the 21st?
posted by Loudmax at 10:34 PM PST - 30 comments

Jesse Jackson invited to visit the Taliban. They've asked him to lead a peace delegation to come talk to them; he's thinking it over. My question is this: How far does he have to go before he's providing "aid and comfort" to our enemies (i.e. before he's committing treason)? I hope he'll do the right thing (stay home and shut up) but I doubt it.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:00 PM PST - 24 comments

Breast-feeding increases babies' IQ by 3-5 points, compared to the babies fed with formula. This is probably for two reasons: better nutrition and maternal bonding. Premature babies receive the greatest benefits.
posted by antimarx at 9:01 PM PST - 18 comments

On the O'Reilly Factor, Phil Donahue leads a compelling argument for why bombing Afghanistan may NOT be the best course of action. It's obvious how the conservative O'Reilly feels about this and although the transcript hardly does the interview justice, Bill O'Reilly finally gets out-interrupted and is verbally handled by his own guest. (more)
posted by edwardko at 8:36 PM PST - 9 comments

An Exhibit on Campus Celebrates Grisly Deed. The exhibit at Al Najah University, the largest in the West Bank, has outraged Israelis since it opened on Sunday. The most contentious section is a mock-up of the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem where 15 people were killed in a suicide attack in August including not only gnawed pizza crusts but bloody plastic body parts suspended from the ceiling as if they were blasting through the air. (Registration Required)
posted by tpoh.org at 8:16 PM PST - 1 comments

Who is a "terrorist"? Is the US, in an effort to build a coalition all too willing to break bread with states that sponsor it? I scoffed at the notion that "terrorism" is a subjective word until this article pointed out that one of our prospective coalition partners is attempting to define the "separatists" in Taiwan and Tibet as such. "Are you willing to look the other way while Iran funds Hezbollah?"
posted by phatboy at 6:13 PM PST - 16 comments

No More AOL CDs! I was going to post this on September 11th. (This was before I realized we weren't simply dealing with a single errant airplane.) Send this guy your AOL coasters. When he gets a million, he's going to dump them on AOL's doorstep.
posted by tpoh.org at 5:04 PM PST - 21 comments

In the case of airport security, the free market has failed to provide for the public good.
posted by Ty Webb at 4:29 PM PST - 16 comments

So you read the "Madman and the Professor" and thought it interesting. Edward Ruloff is another murdering philologist with the extra cachet that his 1871 trial for killing a dry-goods clerk was one of the first to test the admissability of photographs as evidence. The Supreme Court agreed with lower rulings that they could be allowed; Ruloff was hanged. In 1845, he had been accused of murdering his wife and child and was imprisoned for ten years for the abduction of his wife, but without a corpus delecti, he could not be convicted for the murder of his child. This man is writing a biography of Ruloff; a publisher could do a lot worse.
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:06 PM PST - 3 comments

Infinite Justice is out, Enduring Freedom is in. "The change was made after the initial name -- 'Operation Infinite Justice' -- last week ran into objections from some Islamic scholars on grounds that only God, or Allah, could mete out infinite justice in their view."
posted by swerve at 2:49 PM PST - 24 comments

The eXile's take on the rush to war.
posted by GriffX at 2:44 PM PST - 6 comments

Any hotline users out there? I haven't seen any comment on this. Personally, I use Morpheus now, but I'm still sorry to see Hotline go.
posted by signal at 2:34 PM PST - 15 comments

Love Bomb! Finally, a creative idea for the "New War." Granted, it wouldn't solve the whole mess, but it might be a step in the right direction. It sure wouldn't make us any new enemies. "A panel of four Williams College professors urged restraint in the so-called war on terrorism Monday, with one of them calling upon America to bomb Afghanistan not with explosives but with food and medical supplies. Anthropology professor David Edwards, speaking during a public forum at Chapin Hall, said airlifts similar to those provided to West Berlin by the United States and Britain in 1948 and 1949 could prove a public relations coup and an unexpected blow to terrorist Osama bin Ladin, in a country wracked by starvation, civil war and oppression. "Bin Laden expects us to strike with military force. It's what he's prepared for. In dealing with terrorism, you have to do the unexpected," said Edwards, an expert on Afghanistan who was joined on the panel by political science professors Marc Lynch, Gary Jacobsohn and James McAllister."
posted by martk at 1:54 PM PST - 31 comments

White House Reprimands Bill Maher... Remarking on Bill Maher's recent (and ill-timed) comments, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said "Americans ... need to watch what they say, watch what they do, and this is not a time for remarks like that; there never is.''

Mr Fleischer: there's never a time for a comment like that from the White House.
posted by silusGROK at 1:40 PM PST - 69 comments

A University of Michigan study has concluded that terrorists were not using hidden messages embedded in eBay auction images to plan the attacks. However, speculation that Ritz cracker advertisements were used has not yet been refuted.
posted by jjg at 1:07 PM PST - 5 comments

To buy a gas mask, or not to buy a gas mask. That is the question. I found this pretend discussion, that includes real quotes from a number of intelligence official, particularly disturbing. What is the reality on this? I don't wish to be ignorant any longer.
posted by Atom Heart Mother at 12:47 PM PST - 16 comments

you have one new message
posted by bitcrank at 12:24 PM PST - 7 comments

Grootnik P. Bargelights' Golden Shower of Hits! For those of you still mourning the loss of GoGaGa Brand radio, Grootnik spins the eclectica like noone's business. Grootnik is a member of the Evolution Control Committee (of Rocked by Rape fame) and you can find show archives on their sounds page.

PS - You can also get a little GoGaGa fix at ropeadope. They have a very nice set by John Schaefer, who is now trying to start a new life at a little joint called airbubble.
posted by badstone at 10:46 AM PST - 4 comments

Further Flag Folderol Teacher gets suspended for allegedly burning the American flag in front of his class. Will this wave of disrespect continue its unflagging pace? I wonder what the rest of the staff thinks. And you, of course.
posted by gazingus at 10:45 AM PST - 44 comments

From safety to where. This article provides a great, in-depth look at the World Trade Center from an architectural standpoint. Beginning with its lead architect, a Japanese man who suffered himself from the racism of the WW2 era, it goes over the structure of the buildings and reasons why the center withstood the 1993 bombing -- and, for a while, the impacts of the two hijacked planes -- and what the future for New York and the businesses affected may hold. (Thanks to overmorgen for the link.)
posted by moz at 10:19 AM PST - 5 comments

Whoa! Amazon.com's added a new tab to it's menubar. And it's got MY name on it!
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 9:51 AM PST - 46 comments

Jihad vs. McWorld I read this in college, and it was recently talked about on NPR. (I did a search on MeFi and couldn't find it linked). Interesting article written 9 years ago but significant today, addressing the "brutal realities of Jihad and the dull realities of McWorld". Thoughts? (warning, loooong read)
posted by adampsyche at 8:53 AM PST - 8 comments

Teddy is the best character to come out of movies in years. Shame about the movie. Seen it?
posted by Frasermoo at 8:38 AM PST - 11 comments

Who needs Burning Man? Austin [well, Round Rock, actually] has the Hairy Man Festival! "One highlight of the Festival is 'the Hairiest Man Contest.' This year's Grand Prize is a 4-night cruise for 2 from Galveston to Cozumel!!" And don't miss the Legend of the Hairy Man!
posted by tippiedog at 7:59 AM PST - 4 comments

The upcoming war in Afghanistan and how the U.S. will fight it. I know we have linked to Stratfor in the past but these seem to be very well reasoned approaches that I haven't seen elsewhere. If this is what the U.S. is planning, doesn't it (pleasantly) surprise you that we have taken the option least likely to involve civilian casualties? Do you agree with their analysis? Is anyone else happy that we didn't just blow up an aspirin factory again?
posted by revbrian at 7:50 AM PST - 16 comments

Make World event in October, Germany - about borderless digital culture, no doubt curated long before The Current Situation, but I'm sure will be rendered far more relevant as a result.
posted by blackbeltjones at 6:37 AM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

The Jordan Effect. The more important question regarding MJ's return is if he will be good for the economy. Remember back in '98 when Fortune reported that the overall value of the Jordan Effect was around $10 billion and counting. Could he be the answer for our sagging economy? Not likely. But then again remember that What's Good for Michael Jordan is Good for America. (At least, that was Salon's take back in the day.) So whether we're Wizards' fans or not maybe rooting for Jordan should be our American duty.
posted by jacknose at 6:10 AM PST - 3 comments

Evolution on PBS - this is going to upset those who think the earth is only 6000 years old
posted by scotty at 5:02 AM PST - 21 comments

Starbucks charged rescuers for water. This is the kind of thing that makes me really sick, even if they appologized after.
posted by HoldenCaulfield at 3:40 AM PST - 59 comments

Ketchup.
posted by blackbeltjones at 1:29 AM PST - 20 comments

A few WTC things to start the day: 1) If you have a desire to move "off the grid" or just simply disappear, has the City of New York got a new program for you! Now you can get yourself declared dead with nothing more than a copy of Acrobat Reader and an ability to lie through your teeth. 2) The arguments over what to replace the WTC with are starting to gather steam. 3) That last piece standing of the WTC has been removed for probable use in a memorial. God please save us from another huge OKC-style Memorial From Hell.
posted by aaron at 12:48 AM PST - 16 comments