Economist , Nov. 1
(posted
Saturday, Nov. 1)
A cover
editorial says the crash of Asian markets shouldn't have prompted the U.S.
sell-off: Asian markets have only a minor impact on the U.S. economy. So why
did the sell-off occur? Mostly because of the herd mentality of traders. (For
Slate
's similar take on the subject, see "Monday the Market
Went Mad.") A story calls South Africa the new hot spot for filmmaking. Its
advantages: great weather, varied scenery, and nonunion labor. Also, an article
notes scientists' inability to discover a magnet with only one pole. Physicists
believe the Big Bang should have formed "monopoles," but they can't find or
make them.
New
Republic , Nov. 17
(posted
Friday, Oct. 31)
A cover
story says falling crime rates have nothing to do with Clinton's 1994 crime
bill. In fact, the bill is a failure: The three-strikes law clogs the courts
and fills prisons with older inmates unlikely to commit serious crimes again;
cities will go broke paying for the "100,000 new cops" when federal seed money
runs out; and the assault-weapons ban has too many loopholes. Also, an essay
ascribes Chinese women's athletic success to illegal drug use. At the recent
National Games, previously unremarkable Chinese athletes smashed several
long-standing world records. (Priceless quote from China's swimming coach:
"Just as our women dominate you now, so will our men dominate you in four,
five, six years, and so too will we dominate you in world economics.")
New
York Times Magazine , Nov. 2
(posted
Thursday, Oct. 30)
A cover
story praises FBI Director Louis Freeh's efforts to reform the troubled agency.
Freeh's big successes: He's modernized the FBI crime lab and restored integrity
to his office. An article offers an evolutionary explanation for recent cases
of neonaticide (e.g., the New Jersey high-school student who may have killed
the baby she delivered at her prom, the Delaware college couple who may have
murdered their newborn). Ancestral mothers couldn't waste scarce resources on
babies born at the wrong time, so they killed the kid and waited for a less
inconvenient one. A story argues that former Rep. Susan Molinari has flopped in
her new job as a Saturday morning CBS news anchor. Molinari, perky and charming
as a politician, does lousy guest interviews and mangles the chitchat with her
co-host.
Time and Newsweek , Nov. 3
(posted
Tuesday, Oct. 28)
Dueling space covers.
Time 's exclusive: the tale of American astronaut Michael Foale's
harrowing Mir expedition. When the supply ship crashed into the space station,
Foale feared death by decompression. The American avoids placing blame for
Mir's woes, but does say his cosmonaut pals feared retribution from the Russian
government. Newsweek 's cover story hails the success of the Hubble Space
Telescope. After its early failure, Hubble now provides vital clues to the
universe. Among its discoveries: planets forming, lots of black holes, and
galaxies born "when the universe was in its infancy." Many spectacular pictures
accompany the article. Both mags also cover hot, new drug Ginkgo biloba. The herbal extract shows success in
treating mild dementia and preventing Alzheimer's memory loss. Doctors question
claims that it aids memory in healthy people.
Time exposes a new
problem for surgery patients, called "awareness": Patients wake up from anesthesia during the
operation. Able to feel pain and hear doctors (who sometimes ridicule the
"unconscious" patient), "awareness" victims remain unable to speak or move for
the duration of the surgery.
Newsweek says tourists and celebs are flocking to Patagonia, once a
haven for escaped Nazis. Among the famous ranchers: Ted Turner (11,000 acres),
Sylvester Stallone (35,000 acres), and George Soros (at more than 1 million
acres, the largest landowner in Argentina).
The
New Yorker , Nov. 3
(posted
Tuesday, Oct. 28)
A story
predicts that the Paula Jones case will go to trial because 1) Jones' husband,
chief adviser, and lawyers care more about destroying Clinton than making
money, 2) the president has lost the insurance coverage that would pay for
settlement, and 3) Clinton won't apologize. The story's packed with juicy
details, notably that, according to Jones' affidavit, Clinton's erect penis is
5 inches long, has the circumference of a quarter, and angles to one side. A
long piece says Frank Sinatra's massive lung capacity, skill with the
microphone, and emotionalism made him America's greatest singer. As for his
personal qualities: "a lovable land mine," said Peter Lawford. (For another
take, see
Slate
's Sinatra "Assessment.") An
article on the phony John Kennedy-Marilyn Monroe documents suggests that Lex
Cusack, the man who "discovered" them, may have forged them. He's lied
frequently about his education and military service, and he has a yen for
fame.
Weekly Standard , Nov. 3
(posted
Tuesday, Oct. 28)
The cover
article condemns Al Gore for praising Ellen . Why? It exemplifies
liberals' wholehearted embrace of the gay-rights movement: "[T]he very fact
that the vice president could use the phrase 'came out' and assume that his
listeners knew exactly what he meant is an indication of how the private
language of the homosexual subculture has become the common language of the
cultural elite." A story says Ruth Messinger's mayoral campaign symbolizes the
failure of New York liberalism. New York leftists' lone remaining cause is
income inequality, but they don't know what to do about it. (For a
Slate
assessment of Messinger, see "New York's Loneliest
Liberal.")
--Seth
Stevenson
