www.theonion.com
With things creeping back to normality in the USA and world news focus moving east, it's interesting to see if Americans are learning to smile again. One of the best known satire websites, theonion.com, is slowly getting back to its own version of reality. Known for its classic archive spoofs such as Microsoft patenting the numbers 1 and 0, and the report that links marajuana with sitting around listening to Pink Floyd, theonion is currently a weird mix of fact and fiction.
There's a curious sensitivity for fellow Americans' feelings as links to FEMA.gov, the US disaster site, mix with quotes which could easily be from a right-wing tabloid - the 'counterpoint' column weighs up 'blind rage' versus 'measured, focussed rage'. The voxpop section might also pass for real as a typical citizen asks "Do we have nukes that can kill just six or seven people?" Less likely is the report that George Bush Senior has apologised to his son for funding the terrorists in the first place.
Back on track, a story on Bush urging the likes of Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson to refrain from recording any sort of all-star charity ballads - "there has already been enough suffering" he says. Finally, an interview with God which reiterates "Thou shalt not Kill - "a four-word sentence with one-syllable words - how much more clear can I get?" If anything else theonion.com shows that it's maybe ok for everyone to laugh again - but for once, WITH America rather than at it.