Sites to read when you should be working

The heat of the past couple weeks diluted my interest in life, but other bloggers have been more inspired. Looking to procrastinate at work? Here are some suggestions.

• One of my college friends is dipping a toe into the blogospheric waters off of Zug Island. He's taking Phyllis Schlafly and the Eagle Forum to task. Check out his post on the organization's Hitlerian terminology and another on a recent list of "harmful books."
• Chris Kula's name has surfaced in some other sites that I read. After a little googling as to why his name sounded so goddamn familiar, it seems possible that the Cole Slaw Bloggers indirectly supplied him with beers when he was underage and we were upperclassmen. He recently posted a very funny photoessay on Coney Island.
• Spinachdip has had a series of terrific posts about his travels to Japan: they're funny, generous, and observant.
• Met this dude recently via occasional Cole Slaw Blog commentor Evil One. He had some amazing stories about what's happening in Iraq. I just ordered his book off of Amazon. Buy it here.
• Slacktivist is one of the most interesting blogs around. It includes ongoing, line-by-line critiques of the Left Behind series and other critical dispatches about the dark religiosity of the alleged culture wars. Consistently smart and provocative stuff on subjects that are pretty foreign to me.
• Last, but certainly not least, ABB posted a thoughtful, very original analysis about the parallels between that missing tourist in Aruba and the Senate lynching apology. She also describes the origins of her sharklike nature. ABB is the best.