August

8*31 • McCain's theme: Bush was right on Iraq war (Seattle Times)
• Michael Moore draws McCain barb, taunts from crowd (Editor and Publisher)
• Giuliani, others use Sept. 11 to illustrate Bush's leadership (Seattle Times)
• "Eddie Munster" looks back on life with the most gruesome family on TV (Seattle Times)
• Ma$e returns to rap with spiritual outlook (CNN)
• GOP can't compete on the celebrity front--so why try? (Nashua Telegraph)
• On faith, Bush is an open book (Dallas Morning News)
• Whither the Catholic Catholic voters? by Terry Mattingly (Scripps Howard)
• The dollars and cents of gay marriage (Christian Science Monitor)
• In search of the right worldview: A review of Nancy Pearcy's Total Truth (California Republic)
• Their kind of town: The Republicans plant Red America's flag in Manhattan (Slate)
• A separate peace: Michael Reagan vows his Republican convention speech won't fuel a family feud (Los Angeles)
• Spirit guides Ron home: Autistic musical savant's latest inspiration puts him on a journey unlike the others: to Alaska, where he was abandoned as a baby (Orange County Register)
• Wake up, gals! You're being used -- again (Orlando Sentinel)
• Pitching 'The Passion': The film's release on DVD and VHS is expected to stir Oscar buzz early (Orlando Sentinel)
• Eco-stylist sets out to save the world one celeb at a time (USA Today)
• What does Bono want from us? by Bill O'Reilly (Fox News)
• When state rules, church dwindles (Christian Science Monitor)
• Bush fails to get deserved credit for tax cut benefits: Despite reporting distortions, a congressional report shows the rich pay proportionately more in taxes while all income earners do better (Detroit News)
• Springsteen, and other anti-Bush performers plan for mega-concert (Fox)
• Youth appeal: Men without diagnosed problems are now turning to anti-impotence drugs (Los Angeles Times)
• Big business lunges for a piece of fat yoga profit (USA Today)
• The interesting Ed Koch, the bracing Ron Silver, the sad Margaret Cho, &c. (National Review)
• From "I do" to "You can't": Marriage isn't as important as we're led to believe, by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson (Books & Culture)
• Last album defines Ray Charles' genius (Washington Times)
• Gay GOP leader warns of a cultural war within party (Boston Globe)
• Archbishop-lookalike teddy bear launched (BBC)
• A Protestant challenge to the religious right (Seattle Intelligencer)
• In Congress, religion drives divide: Polarization of political parties strengthened by differences in faith affiliation (Washington Post)
• Religion with X-Games feel at Kickstart (Gazette)
• Network blackout: Show me the Convention, by Michael Copps (New York Times)
• Chinese action 'Hero' Jet Li is a thinker, not a fighter (USA Today)
• Gals behind the curtain (Roll Call)
• Pink elephants: As merriment rolls on, can it get any happier? (New York Times)
• Coffeehouse a surrogate church for disenchanted German youth (Charisma)
• Bush's loose lips give Democrats more firepower (Washington Times)
• Pet issues: Kerry gets bitten by a survey of dog owners (Wall Street Journal)
• Jenna, Barbara give dad a boost (Washington Times)
• A testament to 9/11 heroes (Star Tribune)
• Me, myself, and I: What’s really wrong with teen culture (BreakPoint)
• 'All of us see through the glass darkly': Bill Clinton explores politics & religious values in a sermon at Riverside Church before the start of the Republican convention (Beliefnet)
• Gird for a war of words on this film (Dallas Morning News)

8*30 • Okay, this special edition of Thunderstruck is for all of you rock 'n' roll Republicans who were not able to be in New York for your convention. Cheers.
• Almost famous: The "celebrities" who love the GOP, by Rob Long (Slate)
• Poll: Artists don't influence political views (Billboard)
• GOP ready to party (E Online)
• George W Bush: Punk icon? (BBC)
• For conservative punks, it’s about (equal) time: Music-powered voter Web sites? They're not just for liberals (MSNBC)
• Of the 15 anti-Bush protesters arrested in New York City, 11 were naked (New York Sun)
• Convention offers Schwarzenegger national political stage — and risks (USA Today)
• Clintons launch pre-emptive strikes (Washington Times)
• Some stars have GOP stripes The Dems may have the Boss and Babs, but Bush has his celebrity backers, too. Expect to see some in the spotlights at the Republican convention (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• New York braces for Republican Convention (Choose or Lose)
• 200,000 in N.Y. protest Bush: President and GOP Convention unwelcome, demonstrators say (Washington Post)
• It's time for the president to rally his "natural majority" by Fred Barnes (Wall Street Journal)
• Dodging darts: A sure-fire way to deal with those people who drive us crazy By Dave Barry (Washington Post)
• Bush country: Unlike Bruce Springsteen, I'm singing the president's praises, by Larry Gatlin (Wall Street Journal)
• Laura Ingraham, reporting for W2004 (Washington Post)
• In a year when politics is playing heavily in pop culture, nothing is immune, not even the MTV Video Music Awards (Miami Herald)
• The MTV Awards mostly abstain by the Biscayne (Washington Post)
• Gay activists demand a seat in 'Big Tent': Pataki, Specter among Allies at Log Cabin Republican rally (Washington Post)
• Meet the pro-Bush punks (Guardian)
• Angry, anti-Republican artists at work (New York Times)
• Bush vs. Kerry: Which candidate is the real rocker? (Kalamazo Gazette)
• Bruce Willis regrets: The difficulty of landing Republican celebs (New York Observer)
• Johnny Ramone's Top Ten page
• Conservative Punk website
• GOPunk website
• Rock for Life website
• RightGoths website
• An interview with Aryo Pirouznia, co-ordinator of the Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (Conservative Punk)
• Stand Up and Holla winner Princella Smith to be treated like a queen at Republican Convention (Choose or Lose)
• MTV's Choose or Lose site
• Punk Voter site
• Bear of a battle: Professors debate Baylor University's ambitious plans to be "the Protestant Notre Dame" (World)
• A pastor-inspired project that's anything but Evangelical (New York Times)
• Pop's rock psychology: Ch-ch-ch-changes (MetroWest)

8*27 • Political musicians rock on (Fox)
• The new abolitionists: Freeing ‘sex slaves’ is now at the top of the human rights agenda, thanks to Christian evangelicals, the Bush administration, and two former politicians. How did the anti-trafficking crusade evolve, and is it being overhyped? (Seattle Weekly)
• Iraq urges Christians to return from exile (Washington Times)
• The high art of highbrow protest: Antiwar hacks invade New York (Wall Street Journal)
• The return of modesty (Washington Post)
• The GOP's dim constellation (Washington Times)
• U.S. women win soccer gold medal (Washington Post)
• Starbucks' sales cool off stock (Seattle Times)
• Commie mindwarp: Chinese athlete says, 'I owe it to the party' (Asia Times)
• Superhero humanity: Joining a long line of Jewish comic creators, Brad Meltzer is showing the human side of the superheroes (Jewsweek)
• Poor ticket sales are threatening the future of the annual Elvis Presley Festival in the King's home town of Tupelo, Mississippi (BBC)
• The Bush girls take Manhattan: The red-state twins are princesses of the blue-state night (New York )
• Film offers bleep of an intriguing look at life, by Cathleen Falsani (Chicago Sun Times)
• Krispy Kreme earnings disappoint, stocks tumble (Fox)
• Jenna Jameson is now a mainstream cultural celebrity. How did that happen? (Wall Street Journal)
• For Norah Jones, no need to be a star: Her so-called slump suits her fine (Boston Globe)
• Giuliani and Schwarzenegger: The Repo Republicans. Why the GOP never seals the deal with its own best cleanup men (New York)
• Misty May and Kerri Walsh on golden sand (New York Post)
• Hip-hop needs more than a good beat to be a political force: Bling-bling and ching-ching are no substitutes for a civic education (LA Times)
• Vatican returns Russian icon (International Herald Tribune)
• Soccer's 'Fab Five' go out on top (Washington Times)
• The college code: A Christian group is "derecognized" (Wall Street Journal)
• The Beginning: Exorcist has seen better days (National Review)

8*26 • What would Jesus wear? People of all beliefs wearing faith on their sleeves — and various other places (Kansas City Star)
• Jesus: The King of Pop (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• An unlikely Republican: Vincent Gallo, director of The Brown Bunny (New York Times Magazine)
• Rule of cool hits preschool (USA Today)
• Johnny Cash's Son Produces Tribute Album (Reuters)
• Neil McCormick: White-hot rock-and-roll moments: Author and longtime friend of U2 talks about the band's early days and the new album (@U2)
• Alice Cooper clarifies comment about rock, politics (The Pittsburgh Channel)
• Israeli surfs in for historic gold (Washington Times)
• McCain 'sick and tired of re-fighting' Vietnam War (USA Today)
• MoveOn whips up anti-Bush sentiment (Fox)
• Married? Single? Status affects how women vote (USA Today)
• It don't come easy, by Janice Shaw Crouse (Concerned Women for America)
• Uniform reason: The principles behind the polyester, by Catherine Seipp (National Review)
• Hunter S. Thompson: Sports and politics, fear and loathing (USA Today)
• Diana Krall: A traditionalist takes off along the edge of audacity (NY Times)
• GOP stockpiles its own celebrity firepower (Chicago Sun Times)
• In a divided motorcycle culture, the bike defines the rider — and the two-wheeled clan (LA Times)
• A toxic mix of cultures for G.O.P. in New York (NY Times)
• Another '90s bad dream: Beanie Baby mania paralleled the dot-com craze: sky-high prices and then a bursting of the bubble (LA Times)
• Playing catch-up: Malt-shop diner chain Johnny Rockets is launching its biggest growth strategy since its opening (OC Register)
• Liberal New Yorkers welcome conservative Republicans - sort of. From false directions to sassy T-shirts, residents greet conventioneers in authentic and irreverent ways (Christian Science Monitor)
• Gain without pain: Women kick up heels in these shoes (Orlando Sentinel)
• 'Naked' unsuitable for GOP delegates (USA Today)
• Voters wary of churches' role in politics (Christian Science Monitor


8*25 • Dylan's still blowin' in the wind: Bob Dylan has been massive influence on 20th Century music (BBC)
• Mark Joseph's Faith, God, and Rock 'n' Roll, reviewed by Mark Weber (Thunderstruck)
• Pitching 'The Passion' DVD to faithful flocks (New York Times)
• Improvisation and instinct keep vitality in U2's music (LA Times)
• Mr. Gioia Goes to Washington: Jeffrey Overstreet interviews the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (Looking Closer)
• Creed's Stapp talks spirituality (San Antonio Express News)
• Cheney says he opposes marriage amendment (USA Today)
• The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family, reviewed in Pop Matters
• Garden State and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi reviewed by J. Robert Parks (Looking Closer)
• Boca Raton principal under fire for making references to God (Sun Sentinel)
• Collateral review by Jeffrey Overstreet (Christianity Today)
• G.O.P.'s southern strategy? Cranking up Lynyrd Skynyrd (New York Times)
• A field guide to GOP entertainers (USA Today)
• Jamaican star Beenie Man, targeted by gay activists because of his song lyrics, has been uninvited by MTV to a weekend concert in Miami (Miami Herald)
• Anti-Bush celebs: Oh shut up already! (National Review)
• Liberal group unveils slew of anti-Bush ads: Star-studded spots to air in key states (USA Today)
• New Ramones doc exposes strained relationships (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Krispy Kreme to reward students with doughnuts for each A (Sun Sentinel)
• World's biggest p*rn star tells all: bad childhood, bad men, bad drugs - but don't shed any tears for Jenna Jameson (Telegraph)
• Women's work: The mommy wars (Washington Times)
• Leave the Amish kids alone (National Review)

8*24 • Judaism and body modifications (BME)
• The Passion of Kutless (The Trades)
• My gospel conversion: Rock writer, weaned on punk, wakes up to music fueled by a higher power (Seattle Weekly)
• All in the family: Los Lonely Boys scored the summer's sleeper hit, thanks to brotherly love and Willie Nelson (Rolling Stone)
• Alice Cooper's Political Makeup (Washington Post)
• Christians In Hollywood (NPR)
• 'Garden State' shows young man's reawakening (Indianapolis Star)
• Flip that collar up: Prepsters rule at school (USA Today)
• Bush Daughters Seek Youth Vote for Dad (Newsday)
• GOP convention entertainment sets stage (USA Today)
• A band named X: Los Angeles punk heroes have compilation out (CNN)
• A skewed measure of success: Pity for Michael Phelps, by Kristen Campbell (Mobile Register)
• Some of Kerry's biggest fans are in the press (Boston Globe)
• Are young people more conservative? (Christian Science Monitor)
• On softball diamond, gold for U.S. (Washington Times)
• S*x, S*x, S*x: Up front in bookstores near you (New York Times)
• The new activism: Today's students do protest, but without the black armbands - or the passion - of the past (Christian Science Monitor)
• In search of the good marriage: It's not just couple-centered, by Lauren F. Winner (Christianity Today)
• R. Kelly shows his flip sides (Boston Globe)
• Rap the vote: Will the hip-hop bloc be the one to rock the elections? Some, such as P. Diddy, think so. Others disagree (Orlando Sentinel)
• MoveOn, mobilizing the A-list against W (Washington Post)
• The bounceless candidate? A new poll reveals John Kerry received only a 2-point bump from his party’s convention among young voters—and that the president has made gains on his handling of foreign policy (Newsweek)
• For online singles, Web romance can be a bit too public (USA Today)
• A 'Passion' for title tie-ins (USA Today)
• Why are Olympic beach volleyballers playing on Belgian sand? (Slate)

8*20 • U2's Rock 'n' Roll Soul: 'In the MTV world but not of it' (@u2.com)
• Finding God in Harry Potter (American Daily)
• Tiki culture resurgence burns a new torch (Orlando Sentinel)
• U2 and filmmaker Wim Wenders (Interference)
• The youth vote: Hard to tell how it will turn out (USA Today)
• If you need a reason for the Olympics, look at Iraq (Wall Street Journal)
• Mr. Nice Guy: Shock-rock icon Alice Cooper no longer Public Animal No. 9 (Canoe)
• Conservative views becoming the norm (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
• Churchgoers find faith at the movies (Fox)
• Yu-Gi-No! The film version of a popular card game disappoints (National Review)
• Q&A: Deborah Dortzbach, the international director of HIV/AIDS programs at World Relief talks on our progress, and regress, with AIDS (Christianity Today)
• Retailers are riding the wave of popularity of Christian-themed books (Seattle Times)
• This Olympic shuttlecock is no poppycock by Dave Barry (Miami Herald)
• Conflicting opinions: Readers respond to an article on outlined the traditional concept of a just war and whether the war in Iraq met the criteria and whether the concept remains valid (Orange County Register)
• U.S. softball builds legacy for younger generations (Seattle Times)
• Soccer team's Olympic success thrills troubled Iraq (USA Today)
• Generation Y nostalgia trip (Washington Times)
• Country music springing into fall (USA Today)
• Advocate Skateboards is on a mission from God (Westword)
• His stem-cell moderation hurts Bush, by Ramesh Ponnuru (LA Times)
• Sheryl Crow joins anti-Bush musicians (Fox)
• Pastors issue directive in response to reelection tactic (Washington Post)
• Something of the Night: M Night Shyamalan's new movie is another supernatural thriller, and he's been described as the new Hitchcock – yet he dislikes being labelled a maker of scary films (Telegraph)
• Zell Miller: Democrat's voice will be heard at GOP convention (USA Today)

8*17 • Linkin Park, now successful and comfortable, ponders where to take its music next, by Fayola Shakes (Sun-Sentinel)
• Revelation of the nerds: The religion of stem-cell research, by William Saletan (Slate)
• The skins game: Beach volleyball's stripped-down action (Washington Post)
• For Iraqis and the world, reason to cheer in Athens (USA Today)
• Great gossip for all Alias fans (E Online)
• Teenagers flip over skate parks (Washington Times)
• Dangerous Liaisons: Courting the ET crowd doesn’t always translate well at Wal-Mart, by Megan Basham (National Review)
• Marriage 101 can make better elective than divorce (USA Today)
• Julia Child's lessons in living: She combined a Puritan work ethic with a love of live (Wall Street Journal)
• Singles seeking political soulmates (Seattle Times)
• Madden remains the untouchable football franchise that transformed video games into pop culture (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Phelps' record dreams fall short (Washington Times)
• Too much anti-Bush hysteria: It can leave others suffering from a classic case of overkill (Star Tribune)
• Religious Band of Brothers: The holy men of the Dorchester, by Rachel Zabarkes Friedman (National Review)
• Some good ways to get your Greek on (Orange County Register)
• Natalie Coughlin triumphs in 100-meter backstroke (SF Chronicle)
• Party nudges McGreevey toward door (USA Today)

8*16 • Seeing & believing: Visions of Mary, other such 'miracles' put faith - and science - to the test
• Beach volleyball's dynamic duo (USA Today)
• Cave found linked to John the Baptist (Washington Times)
• A Howard University 'holla' for the GOP (Washington Times)
• New book reveals Johnny Cash sick, grief-stricken (Fox)
• These Christians radically rethink what a church is: In the emerging movement, small is beautiful and creativity in worship is key (Los Angeles Times)
• Skateboarding to better health: Riders drawn to adrenaline; experts say it's a great workout (CNN)
• As the AIDS bureaucracy cashes in, the prospect of a cure dims, by James P. Pinkerton (LA Times)
• Sudan genocide demands action -- even small gesture by Cathleen Falsani (Chicago Sun Times)
• GOP grapples over 'big tent': Republicans who back gay rights and abortion rights want to be heard at the convention (LA Times)
• Slot machines attract middle-aged, middle-class women (Washington Times)
• Film on Crusades could become Hollywood's next battleground (New York Times)
• Glory greater than gold (Houston Chronicle)
• Finding faith in the House of the Mouse: Disney's pervasive vision omits churches but reflects belief in higher power, by Mark Pinksy (Washington Post)
• Physician, heal thyself: Peter Singer on Bush’s ethics (Breakpoint)
• Party boss: Springsteen and the Vote for Change tour (Washington Times)
• Red and blue churches: Is religion more influenced by our politics than the other way around? (Newsweek)
• Myth, music and majesty in Olympic Opening Ceremonies (Washington Post)
• The role of the Christian artist in the secular world (Next Wave)
• Partisan Protesters A slick, young, conservative group prepares for an ideological rumble at the Republican convention (MSNBC)
• Democrats sell Apocalypse Now to Hollywood: Is there any room left in the VIP lounge for the little guy? (Wall Street Journal)
• Carl & the Cos: An NFL Hall of Famer joins Bill Cosby in demanding accountability from young black men (Wall Street Journal)
• The art of the humble cowboy boot (Dallas Morning News)
• The latest Elvis attraction: Public housing apartment open for tours, maybe stays (CNN)
• Street art Time has transformed poster ads for candy, wine and the theater into fine art and stylish decorative accents (Orange County Register)
• Venice Beach: A hot place for free expression (Christian Science Monitor)
• Hollywood fantasy: Fresh evidence that the Amish are wise to avoid watching TV (Wall Street Journal)
• 'Foster's Home': A nice place for kids to visit (USA Today)
• Craig McKracken asks, Where do imaginary friends go? (USA Today)
• Barbie for president! (USA Today)
• A few good women: Tech firms want more female computer whizzes (US News & World Report)

8*12 • God, bands get ample time Christian music fest closes strong with P.O.D. and MXPX (Denver Post)
• Alice Cooper eager to come home again (Detroit News)
• N.J. Governor resigns over gay affair: McGreevey has been facing other political problems (Washington Post)
• Gay rights activists weigh tactics of marriage push: Supporters say licenses for same-sex couples served broader purpose; others say they were a mistake (Washington Post)
8*11 • The Incredibles. Meet Bob, a Homer-inspired hero (USA Today)
• “A caste system for marriage”: John Kerry, fair-weather federalist, by Kathryn Jean Lopez (National Review)
• Spider-Man 2: Webslinger or Weblogger? Web superhero-dom has its burdens (Metaphilm)
• California Supreme Court voids gay marriages in San Francisco, says mayor overstepped authority (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Global AIDS and the 'theology of a few' by Donald E. Messer (San Francisco Chronicle)
• God, suicide, and the meaning of life: The filmed philosophy of Woody Allen (Metaphilm)
• Olympians strike pinup pose, and avoid setting off a fuss (New York Times)
• John Madden has arrived: The return of sports' official arbiter of cool (Slate)
• Skateboarders collide with the law: Mother questions arrest of son, friend (Boston Globe)
• Nude newscasts hit Europe (CNN)
• Brazilians map coffee’s genetic code: Country plans to create ‘super coffee’ for export (MSNBC)
• Profiles for the Incredibles (USA Today)
• Double platinum: How Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton have repackaged the "dumb blond" (New Republic)
• Gen-X, meet your wagon: It's not a precision instrument, but as a kid-friendly ride for aging rebels, the Dodge Magnum RT cuts a cool profile (Los Angeles Times)
• The rape of Sudan: Terrorism against women and girls, by Donna M. Hughes (National Review)
• Christian youths targeted for votes, by Julia Duin (Washington Times)
• Strip poker: It's time for the U.N. to bare all and release its Oil-for-Food documents (Wall Street Journal)
• This season the young aristocracy will mostly be sporting tattoos (Independent, UK)
• Social Distortion preaches 'Sex, Love and Rock And Roll' (Billboard)
• Rare photos reveal U2's 'Show' (Billboard)
• Soothing Hong Kong with symbols: Bible exhibit is latest gesture by Beijing since April decision to stifle democracy (Washington Post)
• Costco: The only company Wal-Mart fears (Fortune)
• Shop the Vote: Wal-Mart = Bush. Costco = Kerry. Costco's winning. (Slate)
• Back to the source: Kem Nunn writes the third of his surf noir novels, this one set in Tijuana (Orange County Register)
• Pope to grace city of 'miracles,' Lourdes, France (USA Today)
• Purple reign: Prince is back in the building, and ready to rattle the rafters (Washington Post)
• A passion for politics, one another: In a nation that is ideologically split on so much, shared political beliefs sometimes can result in shared lives (Orlando Sentinel)
• An early test for same-sex 'marriage' (Washington Times)
• All covered up: School rules call for modest looks (Miami Herald)
• Body adornment fixation still puzzling after tattoo (Papillion Times)

8*10 • U2, Cash & Dylan: Pop psalmists by Jen Waters (Washington Times)
• Daily she says, 'I can't,' then finds she can: Joni Eareckson Tada, paralyzed since age 17, has spent 25 years aiding disabled people around the world through her ministry (Los Angeles Times)
• Scott Stapp: I am a Christian (Christian Music Today)
• Annie Lennox: 'I'm on my own journey' by Cathleen Falsani (Chicago Sun Times)
• The gospel according to Spider-Man: Christians have discovered a powerful new teaching tool, and it's playing at a cineplex near you (Time)
• Holy-Wood or bust: Is there a Christian subtext in all films? Maybe not, but God crops up in some unusual places (Time)
• Does Hollywood Have a Prayer? Christians often get riled up about the movie industry's questionable entertainment offerings. So why not turn that passion into something productive? (Christianity Today)
• Olympic mascots Phevos and Athena, siblings named for a pair of Greek deities, are catching an ungodly amount of abuse around Athens (Washington Times)
• A funny thing happened on way to disbelief: A theologian at Oxford University explains why atheism's appeal has faded (Christian Science Monitor)
• Just blowin' in the wind: Today's artists fail as social commentators (USA Today)
• G.O.P. plans spectacle to jazz up convention (New York Times)
• Edwards, First Lady at odds on stem cells (Washington Post)
• Employers may be less than enthusiastic about body art: Type of job, location of tattoos, piercings force some workers to hide decorations (Lansing State Journal)
• Jesus is my homeboy: Christian retailers can teach us a lot about the cache of religious cool (Jewsweek)
• Author's visit focuses on Van Gogh's spiritual side (Grand Rapids Press)
• Music and malice at Warped speed (Washington Times)
• Too many Methodists? Presidential politics and mainline religion (Orlando Sentinel)
• History on the heart: A neo-punk rocker learns a history lesson for the ages (Jewsweek)
• Make room for pro-life Democrats: Democrats think all pro-life voters are conservative. But there are millions of votes at stake in this liberal miscalculation, by Jim Wallis (Beliefnet)
• Debunking 'Da Vinci' (Washington Times)
• The temptation to judge, by Kristen Campbell (Mobile Register)
• Gods behind the Games: Athens Olympics will cast spotlight on ancient deities (Dallas Morning News)
• Democrats are trying to make a leap of faith: Kerry's campaign is working to connect with churchgoers, who tend to vote Republican (Los Angeles Times)
• Evangelicals urge Bush to do more for Sudan (Washington Post)
• Authors, experts increasingly address unique issues facing Christian singles (Houston Chronicle)
• The beauty of shared rituals by Kristen Campbell (Mobile Register)

8*9 • Welcome to his nightmare: Alice Cooper still rocking ‘where he doesn’t belong’ (Journal Gazette)
• Musicians rock with The Passion of the Christ
• Iraqi Christians slow to return to pews (Washington Times)
• The songwriters - U2 - 'Where craft ends and spirit begins.' In a singular process of collaboration, U2 puts mood and emotion first. The words follow, by Robert Hilburn (Los Angeles Times)
• The Case for George W. Bush i.e., what if he's right? (Esquire)
• Rendering unto God at St. Ann's in Maine, Luke 12 and Bush 43 (Washington Post)
• Beyond Bono: Jars of Clay finds its voice, by Mark Joseph (National Review)
• A day for rebellion at the Warped Tour, scruffy survivor (New York Times)
• The 'Future Boy' is now: Shaun White and the X Games come of age (LA Weekly)
• Rewriting the Bible was never so hip (Lexington Herald Leader)
• For X Games generation, Olympic yawn (Christian Science Monitor)
• Schism widens in battle over pulpit politics (Washington Times)
• Art-of-body experience: Tattoos drawing esteem The personal mementos pierce old stereotypes, from Tinseltown to Main Street USA (Orlando Sentinel)
• Meet Pavitr Prabhakar, Marvel Comics’ latest spin on Spider-Man. Can a local hero ?nd his home in modern Mumbai? (New York)
• Girl meets boy, at 60 niles an hour: In accident rates, women are gaining fast on men (Washington Post)
• Political Rock, 2004: Kissing cousins go all the way by Chris McEvoy (National Review)
• Out in style: The fashion police are watching for the good, the bad and the ugly (Ornage County Register)
• Bucking the tattoo taboo, by Naomi Pfefferman (The Jewish Journal)
• Why I'm getting a tattoo ... even though I know it's a huge mistake by Sophie Matthews (Dallas Morning News)
• ‘Blues Brothers’ called best soundtrack: Music from Belushi-Ackroyd film edges 'Pulp Fiction' in poll (MSNBC)
• Stretch toward healing: As a way to treat illness, yoga's role in U.S. medicine is growing (Los Angeles Times)
• Churches see an election role and spread the word on Bush (New York Times)
• Modern life, a motive for murder. P.J. O'Rourke reviews 'Checkpoint: A Novel' by Nicholson Baker (Los Angeles Times)
• Ibiza has gone upmarket, as the rowdy drunks are replaced by affluent yoga enthusiasts (Telegraph)
• Out of obscurity: Using alternative rock tracks and acts confers coolness on television's 'The O.C.' ... and helps to sell CDs (Orange County Register)
• Youth violence has Japan struggling for answers (MSNBC)
• Nixon low on favorite son list: Even in heavily Republican O.C., many thought the disgraced president needed to resign (Orange County Register)
• Concerts for votes: Let more musicians -- and all listeners -- tune in, too (Detroit Free Press)
• Snap, Crackle . . . Mom? A call to spoons against cereal sexism, by Dave Barry (Washington Post Magazine)
• As above, so below: Goth and religion, by Kathleen C. LaFlamme (Reclaiming the Shadows)
• Some employers say tattoos taboo at work (The Jackson Sun)
• Suitable for work: Women's fashions hint at femininity, shun sexiness. Casual's out for men (Orange County Register)

8*5 • Evanescence singer takes band in new direction: Never wanted to be known as Christian rockers (Houston Chronicle)
• Wave-riders reflect on the spirituality of surfing (Orlando Sentinel)
• The creed of the curl (Orlando Sentinel)
• Surfwear veteran Ocean Pacific with plans to take its beach fashions global (Orange County Register)
• Stand up for the Lord: How funny can a Christian comedian be? (New Yorker)
• Father to son, by Robert Fortner (Relevant)
• Scott Stapp, Lauryn Hill, P.O.D., MxPx Head Up 'Passion Of The Christ' LP (MTV)
• An appeal to the center: As Kerry goes after swing voters, the Democratic Party is silent on abortion (Newsweek)
• All quiet on the abortion front? The president of Planned Parenthood discusses her take on the Democratic National Convention and what the Kerry campaign could be doing better (Newsweek)
• As the AIDS bureaucracy cashes in, the prospect of a cure dims (Los Angeles Times)
• Run DNC: Rapping the Vote at the Hip-Hop Summit with Wyclef, Bone Crusher, and Reverend Run, by Matt Labash (Weekly Standard)
• Alaskan delegate to New York: Don't fence us in (New York Times)
• Cruise control: Cabbing through Collateral, by Megan Basham (National Review)
• Dating along party lines: DemDates.com, the latest niche in online dating, makes its debut in Boston. No Republicans allowed, by Erin Montgomery (Weekly Standard)
• Resolved: The blue streak ends right here, by Cathleen Falsani (chicago Sun Times)
• Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy has a restless, at times alienating creativity that makes the shy songwriter an indie-rock icon (Boston Globe)
• Desperately seeking Mr. Right. Or Left. In dating, the line, 'What's your sign?' has been replaced by 'Who are you voting for?' (Christian Science Monitor)
• The 10th annual X Games begin in Los Angeles and Orange counties (Orange County Register)
• Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, has a taste for religious controversy and conspiracy theories. His next book is set in Washington and tackles the Freemasons (Guardian)
• Funk legend Rick James dies at 56 (Seattle Times)
• Blah, blah, blah! Bush-hating rock star tour could reap $44M (USA Today)
• The queens rule in this all-star drag show (Seattle Times)
• Blah, blah, blah: The stakes are too high to sit this out, by Bruce Springsteen (Guardian)
• Blanchard Ryan walking on 'Water' (USA Today)
• Musicians celebrate Passion (USA Today)
• Anti-porn group slams Home Depot: Group upset over Playboy.com nude pictorial featuring "The Women of Home Depot." (Newsday)
• Fresh octopus fritters and beer: Where the ol' ballgame is not quite the same (Washington Post)
• Outreach goes only so far: Are the Democrats religion-friendly? By Terry Eastland (Wall Street Journal)
• A mighty wind: It's getting hard to tell the entertainment from the anti-Bush ads (Wall Street Journal)
• It's rock with redemption (Denver Post)
• Gay marriage ban in Mo. may resonate nationwide (Washington Post)
• John Kerry is going to need more than a multilingual wife to win over the French (Wall Street Journal)
• Musicians tour to defeat George Bush (Washington Post)
• Artists risk rocking the boat when rocking the vote (USA Today)
• High-court fight looms after judge backs gay marriage (Seattle Times)
• Gandalf finds a place in British history (Guardian)

8*3 • 'Redneck Woman' has gone uptown: The runaway hit has propelled Gretchen Wilson to country stardom (Orange County Register)
• Traffic lights: Glimmers of hope in the fight against human sex trafficking, by Donna M. Hughes (National Review)
• Davey and Goliath to the rescue Lutherans hope that a couple of TV characters from long ago can instill timeless values in kids today (Orlando Sentinel)
• Kids glean magic, morality from Disney's animated tales (Detroit Free Press)
• Founding father: Alice Cooper returns to his Motor City roots (Style Weekly)
• Pastor's sermon on stealing generates surprising returns (Charisma)
• Reconsidering the value of chastity (Washington Times)
• He keeps racers, spirit on track (Boston Globe)
• This hungry planet, by Lauren Bush (Washington Times)
• Gospel from A to holy hip-hop (Boston Globe)
• Kerry talks openly about faith and guns (AP)
• Smokey Robinson Steps Into Gospel World (AP)
• Belief in Hell boosts growth: Fed report (AP)
• Spiritual students mostly lean right (USA Today)
• Preach it, brother: Why did Kerry stop talking about faith? by Amy Sullivan (Gadflyer)
• Stars and strife: Celebrities who stray into the treacherous territory of political commentary risk the wrath of fans and corporate sponsors (Orange County Register)
• The religification of John Kerry: How the candidate found his soul (Slate)
• Democratic religious adviser backed atheist in suit (Washington Times)
• Sandinistas revisited: A quarter century after the promise of the revolution, Nicaragua is bitter and exhausted (San Francisco Chronicle)
• You don't have to be on a tropical island to make the most of this year's swimwear. But it certainly helps (Telegraph)
• Missouri marriage amendment wins handily 72-28 percent (Washington Times)
• Candid Metallica creates angst-filled 'Monster' (USA Today)
• Kerry's sister angers abortion foes (Washington Post)
• Anarchy on the trumpet. Can jazz stop Bush? John Fordham on the return of the Liberation Music Orchestra (Guardian)
• Bush tells Catholic group he will tackle its issues (Washington Post)
• It’s Bourne, Jason Bourne. Matt Damon is back as the guy who can do so much yet remember so little. And he’s still running (Time)
• Eternal O'Connor, by Jen Waters (Washington Times)
• Vatican letter takes feminism to task (USA Today)
• Getting Religion: Democrats shouldn't be scared of religion. One-half of Democratic voters attend church regularly. And their platform is a good reflection of mainstream religious values. They just need to learn better ways to talk about it, by Amy Sullivan (Blueprint)

8*2 • A different take: Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan keeps his focus on family and faith (Christian Science Monitor)
• On a hot wing and a prayer: Bible study at Hooters (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
• 1,643 tattoos flaunt Disney fan's fervor (Seattle Times)
• Gays to gain in Kerry White House (Washington Times)
• AIDS efforts undermined by U.N. politics, by Wendy McElroy (Fox)
• ‘Joan of Arcadia’ role helps Ritter deal with loss (Journal Gazette)
• Check out Alice Cooper's new Staples Back to School commerical (Blabbermouth)
• Conservative patriarch Buckley nears end of his graceful exit (Cincinnati Enquirer)
• A youth movement in Christian goods: Games, books, comics, and magazines aimed at youngsters and teens is becoming a hot sector in this fast-growing market (Business Week)
• Old-time religion on the decline: Fewer Americans identify with Protestant denominations (San Francisco Chronicle)
• 'Holy' shirts for the hip Religious messages are fashionable with celebrity set and teens (Dallas Morning News)
• Sigmund Freud vs. C.S. Lewis: PBS presents The Question of God (PBS)
• Pro-life Ray Flynn moves from the left to left out within the Democratic Party (Boston Globe)
• When the subject is life, what's a Catholic to do? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
• Democrats tap first Director of Religious Outreach (BeliefNet)
• More Americans seek God on their terms, and in their homes (Christian Science Monitor)
• Serving in style at salon: Christian stylist makes volunteering an essential part of her Newport Beach business (Daily Pilot)
• Modern saint loved fashion, family, fast cars (Toronto Star)
• Kerry vs. Bush: Faith-based charities (CBS)
• A mighty fortress is his God: President Bush's form of American Evangelicalism enjoys massive popular appeal and, arguably, influences policy (Miami Herald)
• Kittylitter: Catwoman reviewed by Jeffrey Overstreet (Christianity Today)
• Christian comic book ventures into video (Record Eagle)
• Ministry brings its message to rodeo crowd, Western-style (Idaho Statesman)
• Musicians of all persuasion – from punk rock to hip hop to jam band – are fighting apathy and encouraging fans to vote for Kerry (AlterNet)
• Calendar girls do it on faith: Baring some skin to raise money for St. Peter's-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church's capital campaign (Narragansett Times)
• In defense of mere entertainment: Would Mother Teresa have thrown her head back and laughed aloud at The Pink Panther? Likely so, says the author in this apologetic for films that are simply "fun for the sake of fun." (Christianity Today)
• Jr. Jay-Zs for Jesus Christian hip-hop exists in the Bay Area -- you just haven't heard it. Yet (East Bay Express)
• Abortion by any other name... ...is still a murder (National Review)
• Triplet-tale trauma: New York Times unwittingly gives the pro-life movement new life (National Review)
• Young adults opting to get inked (Sentinel & Enterprise)
• Piercings and tattoos aren’t as meaningful as old scars (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
• Pop icon resurrected: Jesus Christ Superstar still pulls them in (Lexington Herald Leader)
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the number of people living in abject poverty has grown over the past 20 years (BBC)
• Two new heroes for the stoner generation (AlterNet)
• Cure vs. Evanescence: Old school vs. new school goth (Cincinnati Enquirer)
• Fighting class, culture wars-- for a big loss, by Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune)
• Vintage Alice Cooper still spectacle in leather (Hartfourd Courant)
• Hip and cool mamas introduce alternative infant, toddler, kid and mom clothing line: Embellished with classic, yet edgy tattoo designs
• Lil Chlo's cool clothes for kids
• Will Bell: On Def ears, by Fayola Shakes (Sun Sentinel)