The
Economist , Aug. 1
(posted
Saturday, Aug. 1, 1998)
The cover
editorial joins the chorus proclaiming the Clinton presidency is on the brink.
If Kenneth Starr can persuasively link Flytrap to Whitewater, Filegate, and the
like, Clinton could be toast. ... An article mocks the sophisticated
models that economists are now building to predict the next currency crashes.
Economists couldn't predict the Asia crisis; why should they suddenly have
become more prescient? ... A story describes the work of Turkish
historians debunking the myths shrouding the venerated founder of their modern
state, Kemal Atatürk. Turks debate his role in the Armenian genocide and
whether he was atheistic, alcoholic, and authoritarian. (A cause of the current
controversy: Actor Antonio Banderas accepted, then rejected, the role of
Atatürk in an coming biopic.)
New
Republic , Aug. 17 and 24
(posted
Friday, July 31, 1998)
The cover
story trashes health care reforms put forth by both Democrats and Republicans.
GOP plans improve health care quality for the young and healthy at the extreme
expense of the older and sicker. Democrats' "patient-protection" plans do
slightly better but still don't go far enough--you wouldn't be able to choose
your own doctor, and HMOs could still deny you treatment they deem too
expensive. The only valid solution: national health care with guaranteed
universal coverage. ... An essay claims the Modern Library's 100 best
books list proves one thing above all else: There haven't been 100 great books
written in English in the 20 th century. The author's contention:
Maybe 10 or 20 great books have been written in that time. (
Slate
has also written extensively about the Modern Library list. Click here to see Jacob
Weisberg's parody, here to read Culturebox's defense, and here
to read a roundup of critical responses.)
New
York Times Magazine , Aug. 2
(posted
Thursday, July 30, 1998)
The cover
story warns that antibiotics may soon stop working: Bacteria are quickly
developing immunity to even our strongest medicines. When antibiotics are no
longer effective, simple medical operations could lead to deadly infections.
... A story profiles Terry Lenzner, White House gumshoe. Lenzner's
private investigative group dug up dirt on Paula Jones, Richard Mellon Scaife,
and "presumably ... the independent counsel." Lenzner's ease in finding
sensitive personal info leads the piece to conclude that "the power once held
by J. Edgar Hoover--someone who worked behind the scenes, who knew all the
secrets and exerted enormous influence on public affairs--has passed into the
hands of private men." ... A bizarre, six page photo essay titled "Put
Your Ad Here" displays kids wearing clothing with corporate logos (Tide, Apple,
Microsoft). Oddly, the first six pages of the magazine are also photos of kids
wearing logo clothing (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, DKNY), except this time
the pages are paid advertisements.
Business Week , Aug. 3
(posted
Thursday, July 30, 1998)
The cover
story details how costly divorce can be for rich executives. Jilted wives (the
execs are overwhelmingly men) score huge court victories, winning money,
property, and sometimes a large stake in their husbands' companies. Tips for
execs: 1) Settle out of court; 2) make her sign a prenuptial agreement; 3) make
her sign a postnuptial agreement; 4) funnel your riches to off-limits, offshore
accounts. (Belize and Gibraltar are best, because they don't recognize American
divorce judgments.) ... A story covers the heated battle between Coke
and Pepsi for control of New York City, "one of only four U.S. markets where
Pepsi-Cola outsells Coca-Cola Classic." Pepsi's advantages: Its truck drivers
know the crazy traffic patterns better, and it's just bought Tropicana to
compete with Coke's Minute Maid. Coke refuses to concede, directing inordinate
attention to even tiny neighborhoods.
Harper's , August 1998
(posted
Wednesday, July 29, 1998)
An
autobiographical essay describes what it's like to owe huge amounts of money.
The author knows he can't afford his kids' private schools but compulsively
sinks himself further into debt just to keep up with the lifestyles of those
around him. Result: ongoing fights with credit card companies, the Internal
Revenue Service, and his wife. ... A truly haunting essay looks at the
underworld of rape and child molestation. The author spent years covering the
sex assault beat for a newspaper, and the experience left him traumatized.
Conclusions: 1) Adult rape is hard for victims and investigators to deal with,
but child molestation is impossible for anyone to handle. 2) "Always walk a
woman to her car, regardless of the hour of the day or the night." ...
From the "Index": "Fuel mileage of the QEII , in feet per gallon:
29."
New
York , Aug. 3
(posted
Wednesday, July 29, 1998)
An absurd
16 page spread on summer life in the Hamptons, featuring an endless list of
glitz. Highlights: expensive aircraft (Mortimer Zuckerman's Falcon 900 jet,
Tommy Mottola's Sikorsky helicopter), top gardens (Kathleen Turner's, Martha
Stewart's--natch), and best softball hitters ( The New Yorker writer Ken
Auletta, among others). Other essential information: who belongs to which
country club, who throws the best parties (read: most celebrity guests), how to
find good caterers, and where to hang with rap star Puff Daddy.
Time and Newsweek , Aug. 3
(posted
Tuesday, July 28, 1998)
Newsweek 's cover
story profiles Russell Weston Jr., the Capitol gunman. A moment-by-moment
chronology details the shooting itself, while background information certifies
Weston's nuttiness (he talked to satellite dishes and thought he had invented a
time-travel device). ... Astronaut Alan Shepard's death spurs
Newsweek to profile the 12 men who have walked on the moon. Several have
become deeply religious in the wake of the experience, one claiming that, while
in space, he "felt the power of God as [he'd] never felt it before."
Time 's cover story warns of the dangers of the E. coli germ. Recent
outbreaks have stemmed from bad drinking water, apple juice, and hamburger
meat. Suggestions: Wash your hands, cook your food, and don't let kids in
diapers swim in public pools. ...
Time hails the arrival of the
one-second TV commercial. The ads aren't effective for establishing a brand,
but they may work with an already familiar icon (one of the first ads is a
quick clip of a Master lock getting shot by a bullet). Weirdest one-second ad:
A personal-injury lawyer shouts "Hurt!" as his phone number appears on the
screen.
U.S.
News & World Report , Aug. 3
(posted
Tuesday, July 28, 1998)
U.S.
News recounts a scheme to loot gold, diamonds, and antiques from the Russian
state treasury and launder them through a San Francisco-based diamond dealer.
Originally licensed by the Russian government to establish a Russian diamond
industry, the operation deteriorated when the diamond dealer (a Russian
immigrant) began taking millions for himself. The FBI and Moscow police
recently busted the ring, but millions in treasure are still missing.
... A piece marvels at the Beanie Babies bubble, in which kids
and speculators pay hundreds of dollars for nearly worthless stuffed animals.
There are signs the bubble is about to burst.
The
New Yorker , Aug. 3
(posted
Tuesday, July 28, 1998)
Notoriously unpleasant writer Paul Theroux chronicles his 30 year friendship
with notoriously unpleasant writer V.S. Naipaul. Much of the story consists of
Theroux repeating nasty things Naipaul said (e.g., to a student: "Don't write
poems ... I really don't think you should. ... Now, promise me you won't write
any more poems"). Their friendship recently collapsed because, Theroux
speculates, Naipaul's new wife doesn't like Theroux. ... A story
suggests a change in CNN's corporate culture may have contributed to the
network's Tailwind debacle. Pugnacious new CNN boss Rick Kaplan was hired from
ABC to boost the network's sagging peacetime ratings. His quest for sexy
stories may have led his producers to cut corners. ... She's gone but
not forgotten: A week after Tina Brown's farewell essay in The
New
Yorker , a staff tribute to Brown monopolizes "Talk of the Town." The gist:
She was so energetic! She had such a great eye for talent! "[S]he saved The
New Yorker ."
Weekly Standard , Aug. 3
(posted
Tuesday, July 28, 1998)
The cover
story bemoans the decline of manliness and blames liberals, whose attempts to
eliminate gender, coupled with the rise of the single-mother family, have bred
a generation of "under-fathered" boys who are aggressive and violent but
unmanly. We need to teach them the real male values: heroism and honor.
... A piece claims the new Environmental Protection Agency policy
against environmental racism will actually hurt minorities. The policy
discourages polluting factories from locating in areas with large minority
populations. This will deprive poor blacks and Hispanics of job
opportunities.
The
Nation , Aug. 10
(posted
Tuesday, July 28, 1998)
A special issue on sports.
An essay urges New Yorkers to refuse the Yankees' current bid for a publicly
funded stadium. The Yankees don't need welfare, and snubbing them will stop
other teams from extorting their cities in the future. Publicly funded stadiums
always transfer taxpayer money into private hands. ... A story praises
Title IX for opening opportunities to women athletes. It does not hurt men's
college programs unless the college opts to sink money into major men's sports
(e.g., football) at the cost of minor ones (e.g., wrestling). "Overall, boys
still have almost twice as many opportunities to play in school athletic
programs as girls do." ... A story celebrates bowling, a blue-collar
sport with a socialist heart ("handicaps" allow bowlers of different abilities
to compete against one another on equal terms). Recent technological
improvements (new lane surfaces, different ball materials) have made the game
even better, and it's still affordable, social, and fun.
--Seth
Stevenson
