British Army officers examining highly motivated potential recruits in the Commonwealth’s Pacific island of Fiji reported in November encountering an alarming number of the men with marbles sewn under the skin of their penises, apparently to heighten pleasure during sex. According to an Agence France-Presse report, Capt. Sarah East said that the marbles were not…

Chuck Shepherd

Margin for (t)error

The Peaceful Industrial Progress of the Great Nation of Iraq Copyright Â© 2002 by Saddam Hussein. All rights reserved. Printed in Baghdad. No part of this report may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. “Permission”? Who the hell is he to make us beg for “permission”? Does…

Steve Schneider

Getting naked for the cause

For me the circus is a wafting-odor fest of urine-soaked cedar chips and unbathed children, god-awful elephant howls and overacting emcees, all made sinister by the hope that maybe the leotarded crotches swinging gaily overhead will meet their demise somewhere to the left of the flimsy safety net. I never liked the circus. Holly Fraser…

Billy Manes

I love Channel 2

Twas the month before Christmas and at Local 6, the Sweeps Santa came early and brought a quick fix For over two years their news was a joke, but add flash and some trash, and push the baroque Then gain a few households and demos from heaven, as ratings go up at five, six and…

David J. Plotkin

Shut up and smile

Mayor Glenda Hood likes things to run smoothly. Disagreement is “divisive,” which is why she spent most of her 10-year administration keeping dissent in the background. With a few exceptions — the recent gay-rights vote comes to mind — the council’s disagreements were ironed out behind the scenes, away from the public’s prying eyes. What…

Jeffrey C. Billman

Glenda the scold

First Trent Lott tucks his bifurcated tail between his legs and slinks backs to Mississippi, then Glenda Hood decides it’s time to pack her bags for Tallahassee. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. It’s tough to see Lott leave the spotlight because he is such an amusing stereotype. From the impact-absorbing hair to the…

Bob Whitby

Leo rising?

Last week’s movie-related doings included one unexpectedly intense spectacle: Leonardo DiCaprio taking to TV’s “Dateline NBC” and “Today” programs to deny rumors that his incessant carousing had interfered with the already tumultuous shoot of Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York.” “I would have to be a complete and utter moron to spoil an opportunity to…

Steve Schneider