Economist , Nov. 8
(posted
Saturday, Nov. 8)
The cover
editorial advises the U.N. Security Council to be firm with Iraq. If the United
Nations fails to enforce inspections here, when it has a clear mission and
broad powers, its authority will be challenged in the future. Another editorial
urges Japan to legalize oral contraceptives. The Japanese government claims
that the pill is unsafe (it isn't), that it would quicken the spread of AIDS
(it hasn't in other countries), and that Japan's falling birthrate must be
reversed (this doesn't justify an infringement on rights). What's the
government's real motive, according to the article? Abortions--which Japan
performs more of than any other industrialized country--are lucrative work for
doctors. A story says cable television and the Internet haven't yet killed the
major networks. Networks still charge far higher ad rates than cable companies.
Keys to future network prosperity: They should produce their own shows, and
sculpt a recognizable identity (e.g., Fox is "racy, edgy, young").
New
Republic , Nov. 24
(posted
Friday, Nov. 7)
The cover
story questions the competence of U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson. Richardson
schmoozes well, but his negotiations with Myanmar, North Korea, the Congo--and
now Iraq--have been clumsy and ineffective. An article calls the Sierra Club's
campaign to drain artificial Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona border, a
publicity stunt. Draining the lake would reveal the beautiful canyon
underneath, but destroy the ecosystem that thrives there now. Also, toxins that
have collected at the bottom of the lake would be exposed. A story says a new
genre of romance novels has found a popular hunk: Jesus. Christian romances
(such as Harlequin's "Love Inspired" series) feature chaste relationships and
much God talk. " 'Are you busy tonight?' Victoria asks coyly, ... 'I'd like you
to come with me to a Bible study.' "
New
York Times Magazine , Nov. 9
(posted
Thursday, Nov. 6)
A cover
story tracks the gestation of Paul Simon's The Capeman , a Broadway
musical opening in January. Simon, a notorious perfectionist, at first couldn't
cede control of the production. Now, he happily collaborates with
director/choreographer Mark Morris and lyricist/Nobel Prize-winning poet Derek
Walcott. (The doo-wop- and Latin-influenced musical details the redemption of a
Puerto Rican teen who commits murder in 1959 New York.) A story explains the
success of Southwest Airlines: quick flight turnarounds (they ready a plane in
20 minutes instead of the standard 45), less hectic airports (Providence and
Baltimore, not Boston and D.C.), and the enthusiasm of its employees (they
adore fun-loving president Herb Kelleher). Southwest plans to invade the New
York market next year. Carol Gilligan, holder of the gender-studies chair at
Harvard, is the subject of an interview. Best known for studying young girls,
the feminist scholar is now studying young boys: "What we are discovering is
how vulnerable boys are. How, under the surface, behind that psychic shield, is
a tender creature who's hiding his humanity." Also, a stunning overhead photo
depicts droves of worshipers at Mecca.
Newsweek , U.S. News & World Report , and Time , Nov.
10
(posted
Tuesday, Nov. 4)
The Wall Street trifecta.
Newsweek 's cover package is cautiously bullish, recommending a patient,
long-term investment strategy. U.S. News remains wary, doubting the chances for a continuing, multidecade boom.
Time warns that recession might be imminent, caused by high consumer debt
and sluggish Asian economies. Color commentary: Newsweek nabs Robert
Rubin for an unenlightening interview, Time runs a trader's diary from the Monday crashlet. U.S. News
says the market tumult may do for CNBC what the Gulf War did for CNN.
Time foresees
trouble for the SAT. With affirmative action dying, public
colleges that want to stay diverse (U. Texas, U. California) might drop their
SAT requirement, since minorities score lower on average. Also, generational
trend-mongering: Time renames Gen-Xers, "Gen Nesters." They're abandoning their lazy, hedonistic
lives for domesticity.
In Newsweek , Henry
Kissinger applauds Clinton for cooperating with Jiang Zemin during the summit
instead of harping on human rights. Newsweek also readies us for the
Spice Girls onslaught: a new album out this week, a movie this January, and
lots and lots of product endorsements.
A U.S.
News article investigates Indian tribes' quest for Washington clout.
Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot, who run Foxwoods ("the world's most
profitable casino"), were big Democratic contributors last year. Also, U.S.
News finds some conservatives who hate school choice: Indiana
high-school-basketball fans who think it will ruin traditional public-school
rivalries. Curious details: "Indiana counts 27 of the 30 largest high school
gymnasiums in the world. ... School-board candidates have been known to run on
the single issue of firing the local basketball coach." (For a
behind-the-scenes look at U.S. News , read Editor James Fallows'
"Diary" in
Slate
. Click to see the cheesecake cover shot by the "big-name,
big-ticket New York fashion" photographer that Fallows agonized over in the
Thursday installment of his diary. When the stock market story
broke, he was forced to crop it into the upper-left corner of the cover, but
still played it big inside.)
The
New Yorker , Nov. 10
(posted
Tuesday, Nov. 4)
A New
York City cop describes his life on the beat. Among the cop's observations: An
arrest is like a "blind date" (you spend hours asking the perp personal
questions, then you hold his hands to fingerprint him), most police work
consists of "cheesy collars" for disorderly conduct and public urination, slum
residents adore cops. The cop weaves in a story about a hit man who snitches on
a client in order to duck a domestic-violence rap. A piece wonders whether
South Africa's amnesty policy is worth it. The cops and soldiers seeking
amnesty rarely tell the whole truth (they seldom admit to torture) and rarely
apologize to their victims. "When you trade amnesty for truth, murderers get
away with murder." The magazine profiles opera's next superstar, David Daniels.
The hook: Daniels is a countertenor--his voice sounds like a woman's. He makes
some opera buffs nervous because they think he's castrated. He's not.
The
Nation , Nov. 17
(posted
Tuesday, Nov. 4)
An
editorial chides the members of the House of Representatives for banning
citizens from bringing ethics complaints against them. Since September, only
members of Congress can file charges. Michael ( Roger & Me ) Moore
recycles a riff from his recent book tour: Instead of reading The Nation
and joining food co-ops, leftists should connect with working-class Americans
by watching sports and joining bowling leagues.
Weekly Standard , Nov. 10
(posted
Tuesday, Nov. 4)
A cover
story praises Dinesh D'Souza's new biography of Reagan and slams Republicans
for abandoning the Gipper's ideas. Rather than following the one true way,
conservatives have "splintered" into Rockefeller Republicanism, Pat
Buchananism, and Nixon-style coalition building. An essay repeats the standard
Standard line that churches are the key to saving poor neighborhoods.
Churches offer day care, food banks, and irreplaceable volunteer services, and
can help reduce crime. The Standard also reprints lyrics from Sen. Orrin
Hatch's musical tribute to Mother Teresa and Princess Di: "A princess and a
pauper/ Walked the lonely roads of life/ In many ways so different/ And yet so
much alike ... Both rich and poor may write a golden story/ That shines through
time like candles in the night." This is not a joke.
--Seth
Stevenson
