Economist , May 30
(posted
Saturday, May 30, 1998 )
The
cover editorial deplores rich Americans' lack of charity.
The newly wealthy don't give enough and don't give creatively. They are
breaking the "unspoken contract that underpins the American dream." ...
An editorial urges strong sanctions for Pakistan in light of its nuclear tests.
We must deter potential future testers by making an example of Pakistan,
despite Pakistan's inevitable claims that India started it and that India is a
richer country, better able to withstand sanctions. ... Latest Viagra
angle: Can it save endangered species? Among the endangered animals poached for
aphrodisiacs are tigers (for their penises--made into a soup) and rhinoceroses
(for their horns--made into a powder). We'll pass on "nine-penis wine,"
apparently a hit in Southeast Asia.
New
York Times Magazine , May 31
(posted
Saturday, May 30, 1998)
The cover
story follows investors seeking opportunity amid the economic chaos in
Southeast Asia. Western investors will determine which countries and businesses
bounce back and which don't. (Bet on Thailand and Korea to make it.) Big
surprise: The opening of Asian companies' books has shown they were horribly
run, debt-laden messes, even during the boom years. ... A story wonders
why Jerry Brown wants to be mayor of Oakland. Once governor of the entire
state, Brown now seeks to fix potholes. Minority mayoral candidates see
paternalism in Brown's campaign. (Oakland is 43 percent black.)
New
Republic , June 15
(posted
Friday, May 29, 1998)
The cover
piece says Democrats have a new strategy for winning back Republican
congressional seats: Be Republicans. Some of the "Democratic" candidates
currently supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are
pro-life, pro-death-penalty, anti-union, anti-gun-control, and
pro-school-prayer. Party leaders will do anything to regain a House majority.
... A story defends the Scholastic Assessment Test. SATs are blamed for
perpetuating racial bias at elite schools, but actually they are a good measure
of where kids stand and of what sort of education best suits them. ... A
story praises the experiment of a public boarding school in New Jersey. The
school, which receives half of its funding from donations, distances inner-city
kids from the distractions they face at home. While not workable on a grand
scale, the idea holds promise for areas where donations would be plentiful.
GQ , June 1998
(posted
Friday, May 29, 1998)
A
chilling story about an American man's murder of his mail-order wife exposes
the dark side of the hired-bride industry. The brides (most of them Filipinas)
marry to escape poverty. The men promise money to the brides' families, then
often treat the wives as sex slaves, or worse. ... An essay claims
popular culture is now so kid-oriented that kids have no model for mature
adulthood. Robin Williams personifies the modern father--feminized and
juvenile, with no interests beyond his own children.
Time and Newsweek , June 1
(posted
Wednesday, May 27, 1998)
Time 's cover piece
gushes over The Truman Show , Jim Carrey's forthcoming film. The movie,
about a man who's unaware that his whole life is televised, leaves "the viewer
with a spectral feeling that somehow warms: the shiver of radiance." Carrey's
performance is deemed brilliant. Newsweek also raves, calling the film
"miraculous" and the first Carrey vehicle "that is anywhere near as complicated
as Carrey himself." ...
Newsweek 's cover story praises the Rev.
Eugene Rivers, Boston-based crime fighter/man of faith. Across the country,
programs like Rivers' combine religion, no-nonsense attitude, and partnerships
with the police to keep good kids off the streets and send irredeemable kids to
jail.
Newsweek says organic
food often contains pesticides from rainwater or dust and is no more nutritious
or tasty than conventionally grown fare.
Time 's package on the Microsoft antitrust case features an interview
with Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein; thumbnail sketches of the major
players; a long rundown of Microsoft's many holdings, partnerships, and
investments; and a short history of Netscape's meteoric rise and subsequent
fragility.
U.S.
News & World Report , June 1
(posted
Wednesday, May 27, 1998)
The
cover story says the antitrust case isn't Microsoft's biggest
worry. In fact, ingenious competitors (e.g., PalmPilot) and Microsoft's own
lumbering hugeness may be the company's undoing. ... A story claims identity theft is the "crime of the '90s." Thieves
steal your Social Security number to gain loans and charge cards. Bill
collectors hunt you, and once your credit rating goes south it's nearly
impossible to restore it.
The
New Yorker , June 1
(posted
Wednesday, May 27, 1998)
An
article marvels at Michael Jordan's phenomenal skills as a ... corporate
pitchman. Jordan is the greatest endorser in history because he's "at once
credible and incredible"--an unbelievable athlete and a warm, charming person.
Jordan, who's interviewed, comes across as very smart, rather conservative, and
much less avaricious than you might expect. There is a jaw-dropping list of
Jordan-endorsed products, including potholders and first-aid kits. ... A
piece pegged to the Ken Starr investigation deplores the law's increasing
indifference to privacy. Virtually any diary or utterance to a friend can now
be used against you. Until 30 years ago such invasions would have been
unconscionable, but they are now commonplace, thanks to bad Supreme Court
decisions. Sadly, only libertarians are battling this erosion of privacy.
... A review of Jim McDougal's book says it's a "devastating portrait"
of Clinton and implicates the president "in at least four felonies."
The
Nation , June 8
(posted
Wednesday, May 27, 1998)
The
fourth installment of The Nation 's attack on the "National Entertainment
State." The target this time is television. A foldout chart shows that seven
companies (Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, GE, TCI, and News Corp.) control
virtually all network and cable television. (Exceptions: C-SPAN, PBS, and the
Weather Channel.) Articles chronicle the phenomenal efforts by the seven firms,
especially Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., to protect their franchises by lobbying
Washington. How can regular folks fight corporate television? The Nation
urges challenges to FCC licenses: Such challenges force TV stations and
networks to pay attention to public-interest programming or risk going off the
air.
Weekly Standard , June 1
(posted
Wednesday, May 27, 1998)
The cover
package condemns the Clinton administration's China policy and labels Clinton's
upcoming China trip the "Tiananmen Square Summit." Clinton is blasted for
taking donations from Chinese military sources, facilitating technology
transfer to China, and appeasing the still brutal, still Communist
dictatorship. A piece acknowledges that the Bush administration also allowed
technology transfers to Beijing but says that the Republicans monitored such
transfers much better than the Democrats have.
--Seth
Stevenson
