Chris Caldwell can’t take his eyes off the new Sports Illustrated.
EMAILS OF THE DAY: One reader gets fed up with the Afghan government:
Am I the only one who’s getting a little sick of these ungrateful assholes “We want you to leave NOW. But first, settle this conflict between these two ‘warlords’.” “Don’t try to tell US whether we can grow opium, but you need to give us billions of dollars of aid to ‘rebuild’ an infrastructure that never existed.” “Just because we actually live in this country doesn’t mean that we’re responsible for the actions of our government. America is responsible because they didn’t stick around long enough after we repelled the Soviets. With American arms. But we don’t want you interfering in our affairs.” Maybe someone should point out to them that their government attacked us, and it was only our charitable natures that made us distinguish between the Taliban and the “innocent citizens of Afghanistan”. How many other military campaigns have been prosecuted in such a way. These people seem to think they’re doing us some sort of stinking favor. I think it would be a good idea for Sec. Powell to advise their president otherwise, and to let him know that we’ll leave when we’re damned good and ready.
And then there’s this brief take:
Didn’t you know that 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot?
Keep ’em coming.
(GAY) MEN’S FITNESS:Compared to Men’s Fitness, Details is Penthouse. Here’s a magazine devoted to endless pictures of the male physique and dedicated to men who work out obsessively. But as with many other all-male institutions with more than their fair share of gays (the boy scouts, the priesthood, the military, etc.), there seems to be a need to over-emphasize heterosexuality in response. A reader notes the introductory paragraphs to the first four articles in the current (March) issue. “A Stronger Neck in 10 Minutes” says it’s likely that the reader’s neck muscles get worked “only when the Heidi Klum look-alike saunters by at the gym.” “Recharge Yourself,” about the benefits of spa time, begins with the author stating “…I can watch the brunette sink slowly into the hot water, her face crinkling with pleasure as the water slips over the tops of her breasts.” “Five Fast Stress Busters” opens with “It would be nice if you could spend all afternoon in the park … contemplating the deeper meanings of the Victoria’s Secret catalog.” The writer of “Aqua Fat Loss” describes his workout boredom by saying “Like a husband who knows the contours of his wife’s body all too well, I had practically memorized every crack in my local sidewalks.” Doesn’t this strike you as a little much? Isn’t there a way in which you can write for gay and straight male readers without this overly-defensive, macho-hetero swaggering? Or are the editors perfectly aware that a large plurality of their readers are gay and are terrified that their straight readers will panic at the thought?
The Dish 