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in Slate
by
John Dickerson, 14 May 2008
Looking ahead to the possibility of a John McCain-Barack Obama town hall tour, Dickerson posits the outside chance of two politicians eagerly embracing substantive debates. He speculates that both parties have pundits who will likely kibosh the idea. One vulnerable ill-timed remark and they'd be plastered all over YouTube -- both an Achilles heel and a powerful campaigning platform. Dickerson succinctly outlines the advantages to both parties but deems it unlikely the presidential hopefuls will be given the opportunity to speak candidly because the inherent risks outweigh the public's desire for authenticity and brisk truths.
Posted 2:56, 14 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Adrienne Jenkins
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
Daniel Gross, 13 May 2008
How's an investor to make money off people's tendency to procrastination? By buying shares of companies known to fuel the habit, of course. Gross' piece is so tongue-in-cheek that it comes full circle to making perfect sense, as he staidly categorizes opportunities based on what kind of business cycles they capitalize on or whether they are business-to-business or direct to consumer. Coffee (Starbucks), smokes (Altria), and Internet distractions (eBay, Google, Apple, and more) of course win his recommendation, and the dry humor -- YouTube is best used at the workplace for its fast connection -- only adds to the quirky charm.
Posted 4:51, 13 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Amy DeGeus
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
Sudhir Venkatesh, 12 May 2008
The article praises the new hit video game Grand Theft Auto IV for the surprisingly nuanced portrait it paints of life in gangland. Turns out, dealing drugs isn't all about shooting everyone up -- the game requires you to build alliances and develop trust with fellow criminals. Though Venkatesh's writing flips between a video game review and a sociological study, he straddles a thoughtful line between the two. Find a better review before buying the game, but use this article to turn gaming into an intellectual exercise.
Posted 2:48, 12 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jake Melville
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
Taylor Clark, 8 May 2008
Despite there being ten million vegetarians in America, many meat-eaters still have ill-informed beliefs about them. Many vegetarians do indeed love the taste of bacon (though they don't miss the concept of ground beef), and most tofu dishes are pretty vile. They soon get tired of restaurants whose vegetarian offering consists of nothing but salad, and they don't expect special treatment at barbecues. Most of all, vegetarians won't usually judge meat-eaters -- unless somebody pokes fun at their views. Unfortunately the biggest misapprehension in the piece is Clark assuming he can speak on behalf of ten million individuals.
Posted 3:31, 9 May 2008
This abstract was written by
John Lister
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
Jack Shafer, 9 May 2008
Shafer sharply notes the "dramatic exuberance" of the TV and magazine pundits who eagerly declared Barack Obama Democratic nominee after Tuesday's primaries in North Carolina and Indiana even though the outcome was widely expected. The pundits love to be first in declaring a winner and pack an "assortment of pithy insights" they're dying to deliver, but must wait for the right moment. When MSNBC's Tim Russert couldn't resist declaring Obama the indisputable victor on Tuesday night, it opened the floodgates for the rest of punditocracy to follow suit.
Posted 2:33, 9 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
Brownlee and Lenzer investigate one recent episode of The Infinite Mind, a public radio show, in which four medical experts claimed that antidepressant dangers have been exaggerated. The dirt? The show's host and his four guests run a "consumer group" (read: industry mouthpiece) funded by drug companies, manage public relations for Lilly, Pfizer, and others, and have received research money aplenty from Big Pharma. Glossing over conflicts of interest is a disturbing trend in reporting, the authors warn, and their thorough investigation of an otherwise innocuous public radio episode provides ample evidence.
Posted 3:27, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Amy DeGeus
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
James Ledbetter, 6 May 2008
Yahoo's decision to turn down a $44 billion offer from Microsoft -- which has led to Microsoft walking away from negotiations -- fits a historical pattern. In paying $5 billion apiece for GeoCities and Broadcast.com, Yahoo showed a vastly over-inflated valuation of online resources. Now they've rejected an offer more than 62 percent above market value and wound up with nothing -- except perhaps a lesson about realistic pricing. With a quick conversational rundown of the deal and bonus bits of context (apparently GeoCities still exists), Ledbetter shares an informative perspective on the Internet equivalent of poker bluffing.
Posted 2:09, 6 May 2008
This abstract was written by
John Lister
and edited by Brijit.
Schar explores Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's attempts to secure a horse to win the Kentucky Derby. Since 1999, Sheik Mohammed has started five horses to try to capture the coveted crown, but none finished better than sixth. Money is no object for the sheik, as his most recent entry cost $2.3 million, and he recently acquired a prospect for $11.7 million (though that horse has yet to race). Schar provides some interesting background on the Derby to explain why it's so desirable, but one can't help but wonder what a $6 million race can offer that Sheik Mohammed's billions don't provide.
Posted 4:11, 2 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Brian Willett
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
Christopher Benfey, 1 May 2008
This engaging slide-show essay highlights the life of Spanish painter Antonio López García, a pioneer of contemporary realism. In order to create his unique style, García "experimented with odd juxtapositions and hints of surrealism," as in his 1964 work, Atocha. An impressive collection of García's paintings is now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, showcasing his versatility, with "intimate still lifes at one extreme and his urban panoramas at the other." In addition to highlighting the artist's impressive work, this interesting essay offers commentary from the artist himself on the changes in his life and work.
Posted 1:40, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Brian Willett
and edited by Brijit.
in Slate
by
William Saletan, 29 April 2008
Suicide bombings are on the rise, likely because they exploit morality; those willing to die and having no regard for who they kill have a significant tactical advantage over conventional armed forces. However, once you discount the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers of suicide bombings is actually falling worldwide; meanwhile many leading Muslims are criticizing the likes of Al Qaeda for killing innocent civilians. That's reassuring, because moral outrage is the only truly reliable counter to suicide bombings. Saletan's piece is bogged down in generalities and it's unclear what he's trying to achieve in writing it.
Posted 1:39, 29 April 2008
This abstract was written by
John Lister
and edited by Brijit.