” Could you originate an urban myth? Enter our contest!” (The Scotsman)

“Aisha Gaddafi, in her mid-20s, joins 20 to 30 lawyers involved in the ousted Iraqi leader’s defence, lawyer Mohammed al-Rashdan told BBC News Online.…

Colonel Gaddafi has publicly defended Saddam Hussein and berated Arab leaders who he accuses of co-operating with the US.”

“Hikers and trekkers planning a holiday in the Dolomites should keep their fingers as tightly crossed as their bootlaces. The mountains are crumbling, and there is speculation that it could be because of recent extreme temperatures.” (Guardian.UK)

How Chalabi Played the Press: “Judith Miller is on it, but she’s hardly alone.

Ahmad Chalabi’s defectors told stories to a lot of

reporters who now wish they’d kept their distance.” (Columbia Journalism Review)

“Pat LaMarche, the Green Party’s newly nominated candidate for vice president, said Tuesday that her top priority is not winning the White House for her party, but ensuring that President Bush is defeated. She is, in fact, so determined to see Bush lose that she would not commit to voting for herself and her running mate, Texas lawyer David Cobb.” (Maine Today)

How high-tech equipment is destroying tennis: “This year’s men’s draw at Wimbledon is more a serving contest than a tennis tournament. Defending champion Roger Federer, who has won 106 of his last 107 service games at the All England Club, will likely face Andy Roddick and his 153 mph serve in Sunday’s final. Expect a lot of short points.

Tennis players are better conditioned and far stronger than they were 20 or 30 years ago. But the athletes have changed far less than the racket technology. Compared to today’s composite frames and Kevlar strings, rackets made of wood or the metal T2000 (popularized by Jimmy Connors) look like they should hang in a natural history museum. Modern rackets are significantly bigger and stronger than old models, yet weigh half as much. No wonder a former technical director of the International Tennis Federation has said that ‘we are approaching the limit on reaction time for the return of serve.’

Men’s tennis offers a cautionary tale for other sports. An absence of racket regulations has allowed the game to be transformed by technology. At this point, turning back the clock will be exceedingly difficult. Any fundamental changes to the game would lead to carping about the loss of tradition and resistance from players who’ve crafted a style of play for the game as it was presented to them.” (Slate )

“Take, for example, the existence of Billy Crystal’s awful I Already Know I Love You. I consider myself a fairly passionate reader, but after spending a few minutes with Mr. Crystal’s book, I wanted to give up on the enterprise permanently. You can imagine the effect it could have on a five-year-old. It is not enough to give kids books. We must give them ones that don’t suck ass.” (Knot )