Economist , Sept. 26 (posted Saturday, Sept. 26, 1998) The cover editorial urges Japan to reform its banking system. Japan's politicians must quit dithering and revive consumer confidence. If Japan sinks into depression, it will take the rest of Asia with it. The editorial also warns Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan not to lower interest rates too soon: Rate cuts are a powerful weapon, to be saved for a true emergency. ... An editorial welcomes the growth of domestic services--butlers, nannies, cooks, etc. The piece pooh-poohs the notion that this trend increases inequality. In fact, demand for servants helps low-skill workers who might otherwise go jobless. ... An essay praises prewar American pop lyricists (Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Ira Gershwin, et al.). Hemmed in by censors and given to subtlety, these poets said "I love you" without actually saying it. During the war and after it, directness became the fashion, and lyrics lost their sophistication. Can any postwar song match this prewar stanza from lyricist Leon Robin: "Venus de Milo/ Was noted for her charms/ But strictly between us/ You're cuter than Venus/ And what's more, you've got arms"? New Republic , Oct. 12 (posted Friday, Sept. 25, 1998) The cover story says that science increasingly tolerates faith and meaning. Science had become linked to the notion that the universe has no purpose, but scientists are starting to argue that scientific phenomena are more meaningful than random. ... An essay says Washington's thirst for impeachment stems partly from a yen for parliamentary politics. Our system gridlocks when a president becomes powerless. In Britain, a leader is simply ejected from office when he or she can no longer lead, no harm done. ... "TRB" urges feminists to reconsider: Should invasions of privacy really be necessary for sexual harassment cases? Perhaps social sanctions can stop boorish behavior more effectively than laws can. Such a shift would enable feminists not to look like hypocrites when they defend Bill Clinton. New York Times Magazine , Sept. 27 (posted Thursday, Sept. 24, 1998) Three profiles. The cover story assesses the kinder, gentler George Steinbrenner. The Yankees owner no longer fires managers three weeks into the season, and his relationship with players and other employees is now intense but cordial. All this makes for a winning team. Steinbrenner may sell the Yanks soon to avoid being the bad guy who moves the team out of Yankee Stadium. ... A piece on former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld attributes his recent political burnout to lack of ambition. Sharp, wry, and likable, Weld quickly sank from a well-respected governorship to a failed Senate run to a failed bid to be ambassador to Mexico. Now he's content to practice law and write mediocre fiction ( Mackerel by Moonlight comes out this month). ... A story profiles Todd Solondz, nerdy and independent director of Welcome to the Dollhouse and the forthcoming Happiness . Happiness shows sympathy for a pedophile--one reason the original distributor dropped it. Time and Newsweek , Sept. 28 (posted Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1998) Both magazines move to the "pox on all your houses" stance. Newsweek says that we've entered "slime time" in the scandal, with no one safe from partisan smears. Time agrees and seeks an exit strategy to end the mess. Its conclusion: Clinton should make a deal for censure now, before he loses even more leverage. He "faces a 75% chance that he will be impeached by the full House and put on trial in the Senate." Time and Newsweek both profile the president's new team of spiritual advisers, including the Rev. Gordon MacDonald--a reformed adulterer who wrote a book about his sins. Time offers thumbnail sketches of prominent members of the House Judiciary Committee, the body deciding Clinton's fate. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., will "log some of the best sound bites," while Rep. James Rogan, R-Calif., "could emerge as a force for consensus." Time says that space tourism has a new proponent: former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin's ShareSpace company hopes to use jumbo-jet-style spacecraft to bring tourists to orbiting space hotels. U.S. News & World Report , Sept. 28 (posted Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1998) The cover story focuses on Hillary Clinton. Most of the women U.S. News quotes think Hillary should take more of a stand, and they are frustrated by her failure to make a statement about her husband's behavior. An accompanying poll finds that 48 percent of respondents think the Clintons' relationship is "a practical business and political relationship," while 18 percent deem it "a loving marriage that has troubles." ... Much praise for CNN's new documentary on the Cold War. The 24-part series, a pet project of Ted Turner, is evenhanded, thorough, and captivating. The New Yorker , Sept. 28 (posted Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1998) An essay describes how President Clinton's current woes stem from his endorsement of laws that let prosecutors look into the background of accused sexual harassers. These laws, which allowed Paula Jones' lawyers to investigate Clinton's sexual history, were never fair. As for Starr, his strategy is to "shore up a questionable legal case with reams of graphic sexual material." ... An interesting article goes behind the scenes in the development of a new sitcom. The creators of Sports Night (premiering on ABC this fall) at first fought the network, refusing to include a laugh track or dumb down their script. Soon, however, they were won over to sitcom logic--the cautious thinking that relies on past successes and renders most TV shows identical. More Flytrap ... --Seth Stevenson