Bush daughters vogue in Vogue

Michael Moore is probably chomping at the bit to include this news nugget in "Fahrenheit 9/11 Deux":

The president's daughters have emerged from their media-free zone into the spotlight of Vogue and they're not wearing government-issued kahki.

The August issue of the fashion magazine includes an interview with the recent college grads as well as two portraits by photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

The opening picture features the two young women in strapless ball gowns. Jenna's ruby red dress is by Oscar de la Renta, a designer favored by her mother. Barbara is wearing a similar ivory gown by Calvin Klein.

The 22-year-old twins look like debutantes, minor royals, or that particular New York species of well-groomed, pedigreed and socially connected woman known as the "Bright Young Thing."

For much of the time their father has been in the White House, they were kept under wraps. Occasionally they emerged from their protected world to be snapped attending a fashion show or traveling with their mother. The only significant ink on them has been on police reports detailing their ill-advised underage drinking.

This public debut is occasioned by their having graduated from college and campaigning for their father.

"The decision was completely up to Jenna and Barbara. They made the decision in late winter, early spring after thinking about it for some time," says Gordon Johndroe, the first lady's press secretary. "They thought this would be a nice interview to start with."

Source: The Washington Post

Necessity is the

mother of invention

ST. LOUIS - Sometimes inspiration can strike in the most mundane of places. For Mike Mason, it was a portable toilet.

Mason was standing in a long line to use the facilities at a softball tournament when he was struck with a thought: Wouldn't it be more pleasant to stare at a beer can instead of a portable toilet?

The 45-year-old has formed MediaCan Inc. to turn portable toilets into advertising venues.

Mason says he wants to attract the attention of companies like Anheuser-Busch Cos. that sell products in cylindrical shapes. Their advertising messages can be put on 8-foot-tall replicas of soda or beer cans, pill bottles, or batteries. So far, Mason hasn't had any takers.

Anheuser Busch, for example, said MediaCan, "is not an idea that fits with the image of our brands."

To The Rail, it seems like a natural connection.

Source: The Associated Press

To contact The Rail, send an e-mail to features editor Dean Rhodes at drhodes@forumcomm.com and he'll forward it to the responsible writers.

Today's best bet

Native American Stories & Craft, 2 p.m.

Fargo Public Library, Fargo