New York Times Magazine, Nov. 29

(posted Thursday, Nov. 26, 1998)

The cover story on "tabloid history" notes the increasing use of science to investigate the private lives of long-dead historical figures. A doctor is analyzing Beethoven's hair for syphilis; a professor is using advanced chemistry to determine whether Emily Dickinson had an affair with her sister-in-law. Problem: This quest for truth is too salacious and too invasive. ... A piece about the suicide of a Harvard chemistry graduate student describes the terrible pressures of academic science. Grad students work ridiculously long hours and are dominated by their professor-advisers. This student seems to have killed himself because the final stage of a five year experiment kept failing. ... A piece marvels at Mongolia, which has transformed itself from a feudal Communist state to a libertarian capitalist one overnight. Three-quarters of its population is under 21 (compared with one-third in the United States), creating an enormously vital, youth-driven society. Inequality and poverty persist.

Time and Newsweek, Nov. 30

(posted Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998)

Time's high on drugs: Last week the cover was on herbal remedies such as Saint Johnswort; this week it's on Ritalin. Conclusion: The drug works surprisingly well for attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder kids, with few side effects, but it may be overprescribed. Pushy parents often demand Ritalin at the slightest hint of hyperactivity. The United States consumes 90 percent of all Ritalin produced. ...Newsweek also goes with a health cover, explaining which foods fight cancer. Research isn't conclusive, but chances are quite good that you can improve your odds just by altering your diet. Nosh on broccoli, soy, olive oil, and cooked tomatoes to avoid the disease.

Newsweek says some companies now use video games to train their younger employees. Graphic games hold attention better than thick training manuals. "In Straight Shooter, players negotiate their way through a 3-D maze of streets and offices in different cities of the world, zapping villains and winning points by offering answers to typical problems their clients might face."

U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 30

(posted Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998)

For Thanksgiving, U.S. News sends its correspondents back to their hometowns. Is it interesting? It depends. Do you enjoy reading rhapsodies for Mountain Lakes, N.J. ("As on Thanksgivings past, I will carve paths through the leaves dropped by 100-year-old oak trees, track chipmunks along the property's puddingstone wall, and show my daughter how to craft acorn dolls and miniature umbrellas out of curled rhododendron leaves"); St. Davids, Pa. ("Each tree was a totem of childhood: the ash by the opening in the fence where we took our shortcut; the pricker bush halfway down the path to the Schmidt estate"); and Stockbridge, Mass. ("The general store now carries fancy soaps, hand-dipped candles, and English teapots, but you have to drive 5 miles to Lee to buy a hammer and nails")? We didn't.

The New Yorker, Nov. 30

(posted Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998)

A story says the Anasazi Native Americans--long revered by New Agers for their peaceful, spiritual lifestyle and technologically advanced civilization--may in fact have been cannibals. In a controversial paper, an archaeologist has argued that Indians from Mexico traveled to New Mexico and terrorized other tribes by cannibalizing them. The strategy worked: That advanced civilization was not the result of peaceful spirituality but of horrifying aggression.

Weekly Standard, Nov. 30

(posted Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998)

The cover story mourns Americans' indifference to the sin of adultery, as exhibited by the reaction to Flytrap. Fifty years ago, the code to live by was "our moral code, America's, the morality of Christians and Jews." Now, liberal culture has eroded this code. Conservatives must create their own culture to instill the value of moral standards and judgments.

Economist, Nov. 21

(posted Saturday, Nov. 21, 1998)

The cover editorial deplores America's habit of legislating by lawsuits instead of laws. Class-action lawsuits against tobacco companies have led to regulation and taxation while bypassing the democratic process. Next up: guns. Mayors in Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco are now--or soon will be--filing suits against the gun industry. ... A story says the Russian army is a farce. With no direction, no discipline, and no food to feed its soldiers, the military is falling apart. Modern fighting requires "small armies of ready-to-go professionals," not a huge band of untrained, hungry lugs. Soldiers may soon start looting; a military coup would be likely if the army could ever organize itself.

New Republic, Dec. 7

(posted Friday, Nov. 20, 1998)

Two articles argue that, in lieu of attacking, America's best option with Iraq is to support a rebel insurrection. Saddam Hussein himself is our primary problem, and rebels are our best bet for getting rid of him. "Providing military support for the main opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, is a high-risk gamble, but it could deliver a high payoff: ending the Saddam problem, solving the Gulf security conundrum, and relieving Israel's fear of attack from the east." ... A story warns that American universities are relying too much on adjunct faculty. Part-time professors are poorly paid, overworked, and don't have time to devote to students.

--Seth Stevenson