can't believe it. Nobody at any of Weekly Wire's contributing papers wrote about Clinton this week. Guess it's back to un-sensationalistic, non-tawdry articles for a while.

And the non-tawdry theme of the week is (drum roll) activism -- the noisy, attention-getting variety. Our prime example: Michael Colby, the lone-dog consumer advocate who has singlehandedly scared major food companies from using irradiation, or cold pasteurization, to destroy all bacteria. Though the process involves bombarding food with gamma rays, it leaves no traces of radiation and has been approved by most of the major food watchdogs. But Colby's not convinced, and he'll probably stay that way. What's Burger King to do?

Then there's the Twisted Sisters. As memorable names for noisy activists go, that's right up there. The small group is doing all it can to fight the power in Utah, and if this article is any indication, it would appear to have re-opened the state's debate on feminism.

I'm not sure the subjects of the next two stories qualify as activism, but they're close enough. One pertains to a controversial parental-guide booklet suggesting that idealistic youths who "Bogart," or overstate their cases, are likely to be potheads. (Hey, I don't smoke pot and I Bogart all the time, shweetheart.)

The other taps into the still-alive Political Correctness debate: should a university department head who says something controversial about a racial situation be impeached? Especially when the offended faculty member says something equally controversial? And, since they are clearly Bogarting their points, does that mean they're stoned?

These are the questions. Think you have the answers? Tell us here. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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Meat Puppets
The food industry says food irradiation is safe, but activist Michael Colby isn't listening. [2]
Dan Kennedy

New Girl Order
The old feminist orthodoxy is dead, even as a new generation pays homage to its achievements. SLC's Twisted Sisters take the women's movement into a new realm of creative expression and activism. [3]
Ben Fulton

Comparing Catastrophes
A Tennessee State professor calls for sanctions against the chairman of the faculty senate for claiming whites on the campus feel as blacks did during segregation. [4]
Liz Murray Garrigan

High on Debate
Common signs of marijuana use: "excessive preoccupation with social causes, race relations, environmental issues, etc." The Salt Lake School District makes a laughingstock of Utah yet again. [5]
David Madison

France Joins "Atomic Club"
28 years ago this week. [6]
Sue Schuurman

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Ode to the Oryxes
Angry young man or cranky old fart? You decide! [7]
Cap'n O

Odds & Ends
Timed-release news capsules from the flipside. [8]
Devin D. O'Leary

Mr. Smarty Pants
Our resident know-it-all unearths the latest trivia. [9]
R.U. Steinberg

Now What?
Can't get enough news? You're in luck -- more news is created every day. Our Now What? page offers a plethora of recommended links to help keep you living in the present. [10]

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