Esquire articles from August 2007

Esquire archives from August 2007

Tricky subject.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Writer at large Tom Junod thought he'd found a great story: A former mercenary for a private security firm who had become head of security at a Michigan nuclear plant wanted to reveal the atrocities he'd been asked to commit in Afghanistan and...

Context-free highlights from letters we're not running.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)
August 1, 2007... "Your college sweetheart left you for a predentistry major, but that doesn't mean we all have to suffer." "I can remember a young boy floating on a tube on Bolton Lake, and when asked what he was doing, he replied, 'Just fantasizing.' Now...

What it feels like: the greatest hits.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... SIX YEARS of first-person accounts of highs, lows, and vicious animal attacks have taught us at least one thing: What the human body can endure is amazing. In case you missed them, here are some highlights. This year's installment begins on...

Drinking alcohol encouraging disagreement, and fostering debate since pretty much forever.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Also included in the June issue was the second annual installment in our compendium of great bars ("The Best Bars in America"). While I was happy to see that my hometown of Las Vegas was once again listed, I must admit I have a problem with...

Elsewhere in the bin.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Mike D'Angelo's article about the five things you can't say in Hollywood was genius (Man at His Best, May). Hollywood needs to stop patting itself on the back for its mediocre efforts. A year in which a movie called Snakes on a Plane generated...

Three years later.(This Way In: EDITOR'S LETTER)(Democratic Party's future)
August 1, 2007... IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2001, we sent Charles P. Pierceout to try to find the future of the Democratic party in America. President Bush had taken the oath of office in January and the opposition party was in disarray. It wasn't At all clear...

Those responsible.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Jeff Minton's practice of taking photographs)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Jeff Minton Photographer: "All the World s a Joke. And Larry Charles Is Just Pressing Record," page 66 TO SHOOT THE PHOTOS accompanying this month's feature on writer/director Larry Charles, photographer Jeff Minton buried his $40,000...

From one of our own.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Revenge of the Donut Boys: True Stories of Lust, Fame, Survival and Multiple Personalit)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Since most of the pieces in writer at large Mike Sager's new collection Revenge of the Donut Boys: True Stories of Lust. Fame, Survival and Multiple Personality, originally ran In this magazine, we're sure they'll move and entertain you. As a...

Giada: a courtship: we've doted on TV chef Giada De Laurentiis for years now. If we had kept a scrapbook, this is what it would look like.(This Way In: THE SOUND AND THE FURY)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... November 2005: Just an innocent crush. Decide to name her an Obscure Woman We Love. July 2006: Still in our head. List her as one of the fifty reasons it's good to be an American man. February 2007: Can't really sleep. Against friends'...

Funny* joke from a beautiful woman.(The Front: MAN AT HIS BEST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... As told by NOEMIE LENOIR A guy goes to the supermarket, and a beautiful woman smiles at him and says hello. He's rather taken aback because he can't place how he knows her. So he asks. "Do you know me?" The woman says. "I think you're the...

"The leisure meter: how to allocate your free time this month.(The Front: MAN AT HIS BEST)(films, videos and music albums)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Listening to Places Like This, a new album from Architecture in Helsinki, an Australian electric-pop outfit that sounds like the B-52's if they got hold of a brass band, steel drums, and some talent. 1 hour Skimming One Red Paperclip, Kyle...

The 30-day forecast: the Doyle report.(THE FRONT: THE SCREEN)(movies)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... BLEH. IT'S THE MUG MONTH, dog end of the season, when time and air stand still, too hot to go out and nothing going on in. All that's on is goddamn endless reruns. With the Sopranos half dead and all gone, and weeks before the Heroes...

Those crazy kids: Joshua is a perfect child who just wants to kill his perfect family.(THE FRONT: THE SCREEN)(Joshua)(Movie review)
August 1, 2007... EVIL LITTLE KIDS are the cheapest, most shameless fail-safe device the movies have produced since comedians stopped slipping on banana peels. Kudos to whoever first realized that perverting the ultimate symbol of innocence would pack more of a...

The angry German: TV.(THE FRONT: THE SCREEN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... (Note: This article is best read aloud on a German accent.) AS A TEENAGER in Germany in the '80s, I thought American TV was the best there was. We had it dubbed by terrible German actors, but still, there were shows like M*A*S*H and Cheers....

Which blade runner is right for you?(THE FRONT: THE SCREEN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... TALK ABOUT REPLICANTS: Six versions of Blade Runner have been floating around ever since its 1982 release. Budget overruns originally forced director Ridley Scott to forfeit control of the film. Twenty-five years later, Blade Runner-Final...

The presidential book club: an abbreviated guide to six not-so-abbreviated political manifestos.(THE FRONT: BOOKS)(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2007... Leadership (Miramax, $26), by Rudolph W. Giuliani Reads like: A self-help guide to persevering through tragedy. Future bonus chapter: "How to Use Tragedy to Make Democrats Look Like Ninnies." Organizational style: Short,...

Highest fidelity: U2's new 3-D concert film is near perfect. Which is kind of a shame.(THE FRONT: MUSIC)(U2 3D)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
August 1, 2007... IF THE CONCERT FILM is simply a non-narrative souvenir of a unique live experience, then directors Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington have reached the genre apex with U2 3D. Bono's hand reaches off the movie screen in an eerie technological...

The history: the muscle shoals sound (featuring Jason Isbell).(THE FRONT: MUSIC)(Sirens of the Ditch)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW about Jason Isbell starts with where he hangs his hat: Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In the late '60s and early '70s, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett used the Fame Recording Studios to fuse Memphis blues and...

Challengers, the new pornographers.(GOOD MUSIC)(The New Pornographers' latest album)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... You can play spot-the-influence if you want, or you can just marvel at the depths of chief Pornographer Carl Newman's songs and the beauty of Kathryn Calder's phrasing. "Failsafe" is a highlight.

Those the brokes, the magic numbers.(GOOD MUSIC)(evaluation of rock groups)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Magic Numbers sound like what the New Pornographers would sound like if the New Pornographers were British and hopeful and comprised of two harmonious pairs of siblings.

War stories, unkle.(GOOD MUSIC)
August 1, 2007... British producer James Lavelle has crafted a gloriously disparate batch of desert-themed songs into an ominous dance record.

Internet-facilitated collaboration of the month: the Lifehouse Method.(online music)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... BY UPLOADING A PHOTOGRAPH, a voice sample, a rhythm, and a sound, the Lifehouse Method (lifehouse-method.com) creates an original composition that approximates the music of your soul. Or something like that. The developers (a mathematician, a...

Tom Ford.(THE NAME)(clothing line)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... YOU'VE GOT TO HAND it to the guy. After rising to power in the early '90s, the little-known Southern charmer resuscitated an ailing institution and ruled over the decade with an iron fist and a velvet glove. Now, a few years since stepping...

The Fresh Man.(THE GUIDE: GROOMING)(guide to oral hygiene products)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... YOUR TUNA-SALAD SANDWICH doesn't care if you're not in a position to brush your teeth. It's still going to ruin your breath and, if you don't do anything about it, your next conversation. Luckily, there are plenty of products that are more...

The endorsement: musk.(THE GUIDE: GROOMING)(guide to men's fragrances)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Should the opportunity present itself, take a whiff of Dolce & Gabbana's new cologne, Light Blue Pour Homme. Smells good, doesn't it? Manly, earthy, vaguely spicy--all the things cologne should be. That s because among its many ingredients, it...

The problem solver: curly hair.(THE GUIDE: GROOMING)(guide to home hair care preparations)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... If you let it, humidity will turn curly hair into embarrassingly curlier hair. Try a dollop of American Crew grooming cream, applied from the roots out, which will weigh your hair down--and keep you from looking like you just let go of a Van de...

The summer raincoat: and other lightweight solutions to freak storms, chilly nights, hyperactive air-conditioning, and assorted seasonal hazards.(THE GUIDE: STYLE)(guide to rain coats, jackets and windbreakers)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... 1 THE RAINCOAT Wear a standard lined trench coat in the middle of August and you'll sweat straight through your shirt. Opt for an unlined coat that shields you from the elements without weighing you down. Reincoat ($78) by Gap; two-button...

The unnecessary sweater: you're, going to a party. Outdoors. Maybe you'll need a sweater. Maybe not. If you re stuck holding it, these are the best of the bad options.(THE DILEMMA)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THE ARM TUCK Why it's good: You won't stretch the arms of your sweater with any knots. Why it's bad: Restricts arm movement and ties up a hand that could be carrying a cocktail. What you're telling people: "God, I wish I hadn't...

Hermes on Wall Street.(THE GUIDE: STYLE)(French clothing store)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... ON A STREET in New York's financial district, frantic as an ant farm from nine to five but eerily quiet after hours and on weekends, Hermes recently opened a 4,000-square-foot store in a space previously occupied by J. P. Morgan. The symbolism...

The $5,000 wardrobe: part 6 (of 10), sweater.(THE GUIDE: STYLE)(guide to Cashmere sweaters )(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2007... THE BEST SWEATERS IN THE WORLD are usually made from cashmere, and there's a reason for that, It's soft, obviously, and if cared for properly, the fabric is strong enough to last for years. But cashmere's greatest asset is its versatility: A...

Alternative fuels: if you don't drink cachaca, now is the time to start.(THE GUIDE: DRINKING)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Something like half the cars in Brazil run on ethanol. But where we distill ours from corn, they use sugarcane. Having spent many a summer afternoon grinding out caipirinhas, the National Cocktail of Brazil, I find this no surprise. Until...

Wines to avoid.(OENOPHILIA!)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... It's easy to avoid substandard vino when you know what to look for. Just give your label a through inspection for any of the following suspicious signs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Vague dating * Unusual blending * Atypical...

SLRs worth schlepping.(THE DIGITAL MAN)(singel lens reflex camera)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... In my last column, I wrote about some excellent point-and-shoot digital cameras; for mostusers, I recommend sticking with one of those. You have no idea how many times Sweetie (the wife) gives me a look of disdain as I lug some huge DSLR...

The extravagant man: rent-a-train!(THE GUIDE: TRAVEL)(guide to railcar leasing and renting)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A HALF CENTURY AGO, a socialite named Eleanor Robson Belmont put it this way: "A private railroad car is not an acquired taste. One takes to it immediately." Surprisingly, there are still nearly 60 private railcars (known as "private varnishes"...

The world's riskiest flight.(FLIGHT 191)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I always dream we're going down. That there's a cabin fire, or the engines are constricted by serpentine smoke. Or that the wings have snapped, the doors have blown in, and the oxygen masks are wilting from the overhead panels. Yet I'm not...

Every once in a while, after I've had sex with my girlfriend, my pipes will hurt. It's kinds of like blue balls but that doesn't make sense. Is there something wrong with me?(THE GUIDE: SEX)
August 1, 2007... Nah, wouldn't be blue balls-those are caused by frigid girls from the 1950s, and there aren't many of those around anymore. I'll have to run the snake up there and have a scrape around (if you could just stand still while I feed this in,...

The better man gets a tan*.(Dr. OZ SPEAKS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Unless your beach gear still includes water wings, you shouldn't need someone to tell you to put on sunscreen. It's part of being an adult. But what a lot of people don't realize is that some sun is good for you. The sun converts your...

More reasons to have fun at the beach: what were once enjoyable, relaxing activities can now become parts of a rigorous full-body workout.(THE GUIDE: THE BETTERMAN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... 1 When you toss a football, do it in shallow water. The resistance works your legs harder. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Play sports like Frisbee or Kadima on the dry sand for a better calf-and-foot workout. Use your nondominant...

The endorsement: staying indoors.(THE GUIDE: THE BETTERMAN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I lived in Austin long ago, when it was hip and I was not. Women went topless at Barton Springs, everyone got naked at certain Hill Country lakes, and a fine time was had by all, except by me. I found it degrading. Beasts go naked out of doors,...

Stetsons versus Sombreros, Arnold versus Rambo & why Mormons like trampolines: esquire's answer Fella believes that there are no stupid questions, just stupid people who don't ask questions, fearing they'll look stupid. So ask Answer Fella anything. If he doesn't know the answer, he'll find out who does or who has a guess that sounds right.(THE GUIDE: ANSWER FELLA)
August 1, 2007... At a Mexican restaurant the other day, I saw Pancho Villa's portrait on the wall. His headgear got me thinking about the difference between the sombrero and the cowboy hat. Both shade the face and neck, but why'd the cowpokes flip up the sides?...

The ethics paradox: if people's moral beliefs entertain you, are you a bad person? An investigation into a strange new hypocrisy.(Chuck Klosterman's AMERICA)
August 1, 2007... PART I: SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I attended a public screening of the Ralph Nader documentary An Unreasonable Man. It is a well-balanced depiction of a wholly respectable citizen, the only downside being that I was forced to watch this movie in...

8 things you don't know about women.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... 1. We need you to be reachable at all times, but we don't always pick up our phones when you call. We realize this seems like a double standard; if you'd like to discuss it further, just leave a message. 2. We only want to date men who can...

American gothic: a truism of John Edwards's life is also one of the unconventional themes of his candidacy: The idea that we have control is a fantasy.(Interview)
August 1, 2007... We were twenty miles outside of New Orleans when the storm fell upon us, a punishing spring monsoon that buffeted the little white minivan, turned the windshield a blurry opaque. Traveling in a three-vehicle convoy, our party was headed...

The beauty contest: the half-wits and harridans talk about nothing so much as hair. But john Edward has more pressing things on his mind.(presidential candidate)
August 1, 2007... THE CELL PHONE RINGS, once, and you can barely hear it. An aide bends slightly at the waist, cupping his mouth and nodding, and it looks like one more unremarkable moment in an unremarkable night on the campaign trail. It is a spring night in...

All the world's a joke. And Larry Charles ... is just pressing record.(writer, director and producer)
August 1, 2007... Larry Charles is, the comedic maverick who wrote for Seinfeld and directed Borat. He s funny-and he thinks you re funny, too. He may even be filming you right now. Because Larry Charles believes his biggest jokes are yet to come. And we re all...

10 points of view: what's a man to wear this fall? Fashion's top designers all have strong opinions on the matter and as Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor prove here and in their politically charged biopic Talk to Me, a strong opinion can help any man look good.(Esquire STYLE)(Interview)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... RALPH LAUREN In the span of a single collection, the reigning king of Americana careens from the earthy styles of a Scottish shooting party--all waxed jackets, tweed pants, and flannel shirts--to the slick urban edge of a four-pocket...

The sexiest woman alive 2007.(Lift here for PART 1.2)(Jessica Biel)(Interview)
August 1, 2007... THE ROAD TO TOTAL REVEALMENT continues this month-with the tangle of clues at right and a few hints from someone intimately acquainted with our mystery woman. Who better to divulge the secrets of the Sexiest Woman Alive than her most trusted...

Correction.(Lift here for PART 1.2)(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... Careful reanalysis of the DNA samples Esquire used in mapping the genome of this year's sexiest women has revealed the mystery woman we presented last month is not in fact the Sexiest Woman Alive. She is a woman of great talent and beauty, just...

... To survive a: parachute failure.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... 15,000 feet It was a nice day over Lake Taupo, New Zealand, at the beginning of our summer. For a while, it was just another sky dive. When you jump out of a plane, you're in a cushion of air. You never seem to feel like you are falling, and...

... To find spalding gray's body.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... My friend and I were down at the Brooklyn waterfront. You crawl under a fence to get out there, and there's a lot of dilapidated piers going out into the East River. The tide was down, and I noticed some feet poking out from under the pier. I...

The most expensive magazine in the world.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Wilmott)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Wilmott: $695, six issues. A perfect eleven inches square, the bimonthly explores how the properties of physics and engineering can be used to better manage risk in today's stock market. The covers are striking, the layout is clean, and you can...

... To bomb onstage.(on roasting audiences)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I lose audiences because I talk about controversial shit sometimes, things that really bum people out. What comes with experience is being able to get them back. Bombing means: You lost them, they're gone, and you just roast in hell until your...

What it feels like ... to be mauled by a bear.
August 1, 2007... My eighteen-year-old daughter, Jenna, was a few yards ahead of me on a trail in Glacier National Park in Montana. She disappeared around a little hairpin turn in the path and a second later came back murmuring, "Oh, no" and darted past me. I...

The world's most expensive tasting menu.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Joel Robuchon, MGM Grand, Las Vegas: $360. What you see here: the foamy egg cup; a pastry tart with onion confit and black truffles sliced like pepperoni; and hen gelee, a two-layer custard with foie gras and more truffles. And that's just one...

The total quantity of tomatoes Giada Delaurentiis uses in a day.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... In her crusade to show the world how much enjoyment can be derived from Italian cooking, De Laurentiis goes through a lot of tomatoes. An average of two thirty-two-ounce cans per day (like these), to be precise. So in a month that would be......

... To survive a: suicide bombing.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... A bombing starts off smelling similar to a barbecue. There's a charcoal-like whiff of gunpowder mixed with blood and burned flesh. It's thick and bitter, and it overpowers everything. You can taste it in your mouth. I opened Mike's Place...

... To be attacked by an elephant.(WHAT IF FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... GABON, New Year's Eve, 2002: She was about seven feet at the shoulder, with sixteen-inch tusks, and weighed two tons. I used to have zero fear. Zero. could walk up to any elephant I saw. So when she charges, I bluff back, but it doesn't stop...

... To perform a heart transplant.(WHAT IF FEELS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... There's this whole ritual around going into the OR for a transplant that makes me feel like a high priest going into the temple: I cleanse myself, the patient is cleansed, and we go to a sterile environment. The donor heart arrives in a cooler,...

... To drive 900 miles wearing adult diapers.(WHAT IF FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... You'll recall the basics. In February, astronaut Lisa Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando to allegedly kidnap her romantic rival wearing an adult diaper so she wouldn't have to stop to pee. The question is, What did it feel like? John Ratliff...

The world's most expensive escort.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Elise Vonderhof)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Elise Vonderhof: $25,000 o week. What's that get you? "Scintillating conversation," "soft, inviting companionship," and "moments of deep and delicious connection." Plus, she has a master's degree and speaks four languages! -K.M.

... To regain your hearing.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... When the audiologist turned on the cochlear implant, I heard some loud beeps and boops; then I heard her say, "Can you hear me?" I could indeed, but had something gone wrong? I'd expected it to sound weird, sure, but she sounded as if she...

The total quantity of tomatoes Giada Delaurentiis uses in a month.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... How to get the sauce to stick to the pasta: "Before you strain the pasta, save 1/4 cup of the pasta water," says De Laurentiis. "Then drain the pasta, add a little Parmesan cheese, then add your tomato sauce--and then mix in the reserved pasta...

... To get yanked overboard in the freezing ocean.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I grabbed the buoy connected to the end of my last trap, as I'd done thousands of times, when--slam!--I was dragged to the stern. Rather than going into the water, the buoy line had become wrapped around my forefinger and thumb. My boat was...

... To be beaten by a mob.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... I've been shot. I've been stabbed. I've had twelve motorcycles, and not one of them has made it from season to season. I've been blown up, too--was lighting a stove. So I survived some stuff. What's the worst kind of pain? This one's the worst....

The final frames.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Bradley Will's last shot)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Last October 27, an American documentary filmmaker, activist, and independent journalist named Bradley Will was shot and killed while filming a labor strike in Oaxaca, Mexico. Affiliated with a scrappy news organization called the Independent...

B.B. King's hand.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I watch where these go, my friend. If I ain't lookin', I ain't puttin' my hand there. I don't even--you got a good sense of humor?--I don't even put this between girls' legs. Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar...

... To survive a chemical attack.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... The first wave of Iraqi planes--about eight of them-started bombarding my city, Halabja, around 11:15 A.M. on March 16, 1988. Napalm. The explosions were so bad, it felt like the city was a piece of paper, shaking. That continued every fifteen...

The total quantity of tomatoes Giada de Laurentiis uses in a year.(WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)(Recipe)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... How to make tomato sauce: "While there are a lot of things that I like to try from other people, tomato sauce is not one of them." GIADA'S HOMEMADE SAUCE * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil * 2 small onions, finely chopped *...

... To almost drown in a car.(WHAT IF FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... I was driving to the drugstore on an April afternoon. About a half mile from my house, I saw two barricades up ahead, but it didn't look like the road was actually closed. I saw water on the other side, but I couldn't judge how deep it was. It...

The sexiest woman alive, 2007.(WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... An intoxicating potpourri of cigarette smoke, lavender, and Right Guard. For more clues, see page 84.

Vieux Boulogne, world's smelliest cheese.(WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... When it's close to your nose: earthy and slightly sour. From more than a few inches: rotten hay and dog feces.

Durian fruit, a spikey tropical fruit native to parts of Asia.(WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Rotting citrus rinds and garlic, as if the Olive Garden and Jamba Juice shared a compost heap.

The kitchen at El Bulli, Cala Montjoi, Spain, consistently rated the world's best restaurant.(WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Surprisingly sterile, like a laboratory, with a faint scent of whatever single ingredient is being prepared. Nothing else.

Humpback-whale breath.(WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... An open tin of sardines on a hot day, with a hint of dead Pinocchio.

... To not feel pain.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare genetic disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls the ability to feel pain. When did I become aware that I felt no pain? That's like asking someone without FD when they became...

... To need sex all the time.(WHAT IT FEELS LIKE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... For two years, I thought I was going nuts. I had constant feelings of arousal that wouldn't go away. My whole vagina felt like a pressure cooker about to go off any minute--but it wouldn't. No matter how much sex I have, or how many times I...

Black pudding, which is congealed, cooked pig's blood, with seasonings.(WHAT IT TASTES LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Spicy, with a texture a little grittier than sausage and a notable iron aftertaste.

Durian fruit.(WHAT IT TASTES LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Sweet, citrusy Silly Putty mixed with onion powder, marinated in spoiled milk.

Snake wine, dead baby cobra marinated in rice wine, found in Vietnam.(WHAT IT TASTES LIKE)
August 1, 2007... Firey, cheap rice wine with a musky, earthy bile overtone.

Abalone, a mollusk found in cold waters off the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, and California.(WHAT IT TASTES LIKE)
August 1, 2007... The texture of pre-chewed gum with a briny flavor on the back of the tongue.

Joel Robuchon's grilled Kobe beef, watercress tempura, horseradish mustard.(WHAT IT TASTES LIKE)
August 1, 2007... The consistency of thick grapefruit, but warm and with a note of french fries. See esquire.com/ wifl07 for the rest of the menu.

Killer Kowalski: professional wrestler, 80 North Andover, Massachusetts.(What I've Learned)(Wladek Kowalski)(Interview)
August 1, 2007... * Doctors say take an aspirin every day. Don't. Cayenne powder is better. * I didn't grow up wanting to be a professional wrestler. I wanted to be an electrical engineer. I was a big, strong kid, working at the Ford Motor Company. Fixing...

Digging a hole all the way to America: so if China is now the world capital of rapacious, bloodthirsty capitalism, then that must make Shenzhen, a city of eleven million that didn't exist twenty years ago, the most bloodthirsty city on earth. But not without its charms.
August 1, 2007... I sat there on a wooden park bench and waited for the man with the sledgehammer to break a sweat. The sidewalk was packed with pedestrians going every which way, some dressed like they worked in one of the many tall office buildings that...

Summer cocktails.(This Way Out)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... OCEAN'S THIRTINI * Combine 1/2 oz each of your choice of a dozen top-shelf liquors * Pour into a gilt-edged crystal glass and set upon a fine linen tablecloth * Admire * Leave room [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MINT ROMNEY...