Economist, Oct. 24

(posted Saturday, Oct. 24, 1998)

The cover editorial argues that we should fear not a strong China but rather, a weak one. After years of warp-speed growth, China's economy is slowing down. High unemployment could lead to labor unrest and eventually to political instability at the top. That would be bad news for the rest of Asia and the world. ... A story says reliable voice recognition technology will soon be a reality. A consortium of high-tech companies in Flanders--"one of the most multilingual places around"--is pioneering voice systems that will make palm-top computers even more convenient. Microsoft has invested, foreseeing a voice-capable Windows operating system. ... A story explains why we can't tickle ourselves. Scientists theorize that our brains anticipate and discount sensation we cause ourselves. Why? All the better to recognize sensation caused by other objects, such as, say, poisonous insects crawling up our arms.

New Republic, Nov. 9

(posted Friday, Oct. 23, 1998)

The too-long but hilarious cover essay exposes the ridiculous academic shenanigans of "queer theorists." Queer theory luminaries such as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Michael Moon see sex--preferably unconventional sex--everywhere they look. An entirely innocent passage from Henry James (reprinted for us to judge for ourselves) prompts this from Sedgwick: "[The text] shows how in James a greater self-knowledge and a greater acceptance and specificity of homosexual desire transform this half-conscious enforcing rhetoric of anality, numbness, and silence into a much richer, pregnant address to James's male muse, an invocation to fisting-as-écriture." The essay quotes other superb examples of horrid academic writing.

New York Times Magazine, Oct. 25

(posted Thursday, Oct. 22, 1998)

The cover story is dubious about genetically altered farm crops. Biotech companies now inject potato species with genes that make the potato itself pesticidal. But bugs will eventually get around this advance, just as they've got around traditional pesticides, so why aren't we embracing more sensible methods? Short answer: There's more money in the brute-force agriculture of conquering nature than in the eco-sensitive strategies of organic farming. ... A story profiles Harold Ford Jr., a young Tennessee congressman who epitomizes modern black politics. Ford's father was a traditional liberal congressman, race-conscious and loyal to the party. The younger Ford's New Democrat policies and less abrasive attitude on race make him more popular with middle-class, white Tennesseans. ... A story follows pro golfers on the Nike Tour. The minor league of golf, the Nike Tour features struggling rookies and over-the-hill dreamers striving to make the PGA Tour but settling for budget motels and yearly winnings of less than $20,000.

New York, Oct. 26