Economist, Sept. 13
The Economist watches American Democrats try to attract evangelical voters, whom they had written off even though they make up “an astonishing 23% of the population.” While evangelicals are overwhelmingly Republican, many are displeased with President Bush and had voiced tepid feelings about McCain—that is, before Sarah Palin came along. “The aim, of course, is not to win the evangelical vote: merely chipping away at such a monolith could be hugely useful.” Fun fact: Palin’s son, Track, has a “Jesus fish” tattooed on his calf. … A piece —“Kim Jong Ill or Kim Jong Well?”—speculates on the health of the North Korean dictator, who has not appeared in public since mid-August. Some wonder if Kim’s sickness is to blame for the stalemate in nuclear talks with North Korea. Remember, though, Kim has disappeared before. “Each time, he has eventually waddled back into view.”
Time, Sept. 22
The cover story lauds John McCain and Barack Obama for their demonstrated commitment to national service—McCain in the Navy and Obama as a community organizer—and finds that volunteerism is on the rise.… Another piece offers 21 ways to answer the call to serve.… On the trail, Sarah Palin and her Cinderella story steal the spotlight from her male running mate. “Sarah Palin has done for the GOP what 10 male candidates, nearly two years and $300 million had failed to accomplish: she has boosted excitement, crowds and campaign coffers virtually overnight.” … While there’s been plenty of hand-wringing about oversexed teen girls, an article finds that they’re not the sexpots we thought. Laura Sessions Stepp would be disappointed to hear girls are “not behaving in ways that media reports about the hookup culture might lead us to believe.”
New York Times Magazine, Sept. 14
The cover story confronts the growing number of bipolar children. (Seven percent of mentally ill children have been diagnosed with the disorder.) Now psychiatrists are prescribing drugs like Lithium, Depakote, and Risperdal, which have never been tested for use on children. One shrink maintains that “a large group of aggressive and explosive children, who in fact are ‘diagnostically homeless,’ are being relabeled as bipolar” to their detriment. … Matt Bai calls Sarah Palin a gender-identity pick embodying “the ‘80s-era idea that women pledge allegiance to the family of women more than they do to party or ideology.” Her nomination is more likely to stir up the culture wars once again than to shake up the party. “Palin has more in common with Geraldine Ferraro than she does with Clinton,” Bai writes, “her candidacy having been born of gimmickry even as it struck a blow for progress.”
Good, September/October
In the “Education Issue,” a profile of affirmative-action opponent Ward Connerly explains how he has become the “most vilified conservative black man since Clarence Thomas.” Connerly, best known for pushing for Proposition 209, which banned preferential treatment in the University of California system, is trying to take his movement nationwide, backed by a number of wealthy conservatives. … A piece examines the decline of the playground thanks to a generation of kids glued to their Wiis. In an attempt to lure children out of their air-conditioned bubbles, architects are working new elements into their playground designs. “Because the jungle gyms at the corner playground aren’t cutting it, designers are finally incorporating things that we always knew kids loved—blocks, water, sand, things to jump off of—but somehow never thought to put into the places where they play.”
Smithsonian, September 2008
A dispatch from the Pacific Ocean’s isolated Kiribati reserve celebrates what may be the world’s most pristine coral reef. The abundance of unspoiled reefs and fish—more than 550 different types, according to one recent count—allows scientists to study what the ocean may have looked like thousands of years ago. “Why so many fish in the Phoenix Islands? The islands are remote: 2,000 miles from Hawaii and 700 miles from the nearest major airport.”… A travel piece profiles Macau, a gambler’s haven on the Chinese coast that boasts 29 flashy casinos. A decade after the Portuguese relinquished control of the 11-square-mile territory, Macau has the highest per-capita GDP of any city in Asia due to the billions of gambling revenue raked in yearly. “It took 50 years to build Las Vegas, and this little enclave surpassed it in four,” said a spokesman for MGM.
Must Read
Ariel Levy’s profile of Cindy McCain reveals a would-be first lady who might wear her crown grudgingly, given her distaste for the campaign spotlight.
Must Skip
In the Weekly Standard, Stephen F. Hayes slams the liberal media for daring to discuss Sarah Palin’s brood and accuses mainstream journalists of conducting themselves like tabloid reporters.
Best Politics Piece
In New York, John Heilemann handily unpacks how Sarah Palin has shaken up the presidential race.
Best Culture Piece
A profile of Perez Hilton in Wired chronicles how the snarky blogger came to dominate the realm of thinly sourced online celebrity gossip and became a celebrity himself.
Best Tips for Influencing People
An article in Good argues that people are “nudge-able” and can be subtlely encouraged to do the right thing. Sick of men peeing on the floor? Put a target in the urinal, like the fly-shaped one at Schiphol Airport. Want to stop teen mothers from having another baby? Give them a dollar for each day they aren’t pregnant.
