Slate Magazine

Slate V: MILF, and Proud of It

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:59:00 -0800

In this episode of "Interviews 50 Cents," Alex Chadwick talks with a fortysomething "cougar"—a woman who happily seduced the much younger boy next door. Then she got a call from his mother.

A new advice column about how to make the world better.

Sandy Stonesifer — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:40:23 PST

I spent my final semester of college panicked. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to reconcile my hope to do good in the world with my desire to eat something other than ramen. I've since realized that I'm not alone: Most of us—and not just the recent college grads—struggle to find ways to help others without ruining our own lives. Given my student loans, can I really afford to work for that African aid group? Should I take a high-paying job and make larger charitable donations? Or earn less and volunteer my time? Will joining a group on Facebook actually change anything in Darfur? Should I give money to NPR because I listen to it while I get ready for work, or make my charitable giving decisions based on the world's biggest needs? Each of these problems requires us to balance our nobler desires with the day-to-day realities of our lives.

[more ...]

MILF, and Proud of It

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 13:58:41 PST

A daily video from Slate V

[more ...]

How Barack Obama—and America—could benefit from more patronage.

Paul Musgrave — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 13:35:35 PST

When the Washington Post reported that political appointees throughout the Bush administration were being converted into civil servants, a practice known as "burrowing," liberals were furious. Senate Democrats called for a halt to the practice. Bloggers such as Matthew Yglesias (semi-seriously) suggested that "we'll have the top layer of the civil service filled with industry shills," while those at TPMMuckraker vowed to "see what we can find out." Their concern is that civil-service protections, ostensibly designed to insulate the bureaucracy from political influence, will instead safeguard the political appointees of a deeply unpopular lame-duck administration.

[more ...]

What's new in Newsweek, TheNew Yorker, and the Weekly Standard.

Kara Hadge — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:48:24 PST

Vanity Fair, January 2009Maureen Dowd pens the cover story on Tina Fey, who "started as a writer and performer with a bad short haircut in Chicago improv" before "catapulting … into red-hot territory" with the creation of her NBC series 30 Rock and her uncanny impersonations of Sarah Palin. Fey, who "is a rules girl" with "a German work ethic," spills on her high school years and her marriage, which is "borderline boring—in a good way." She also reveals that a scar on her cheek was "the result of a violent cutting attack by a stranger when Fey was five." … A feature unveils a mother's undercover efforts to overturn her son's murder conviction. After the trial, Doreen Giuliano struck up a relationship with one of the jurors to see if she could catch him saying something incriminating on tape; "based on the evidence secretly gathered by his mother … [Giuliano's son] may very well be entitled to a new trial."

[more ...]

Why Kanye West named his new album, 808s & Heartbreak, after a drum machine.

Chris Richards — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:10:49 PST

The title of Kanye West's stark new album, 808s & Heartbreak, doesn't mark the rapper's foray into numerology. The title refers to the Roland TR-808, a drum machine whose indelible thump has bullied its way into nearly every chapter of hip-hop history.

[more ...]

Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak, reviewed.

Jonah Weiner — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:10:08 PST

What is it about Kanye West's self-love that annoys people so deeply? No other rapper is taken to task as frequently and as fervently for crimes of the ego. Even West's fans, on message boards and in comments sections, often separate his work, which they adore, from his self-regard, which they tolerate with varying degrees of amusement and irritation. This is hard to figure. Complaining about a rapper's outsized ego is a bit like complaining about a professional bicyclist's outsized calves or a clown's outsized pants: They're part of the job description.

[more ...]

How (not) to find a pirate in the Strait of Malacca.

Kelly McEvers — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:01:51 PST

BATAM, Indonesia—I spend the next three days meeting people who have no idea how to find pirates. On the fourth day, I wake up and realize I have nothing scheduled for the day, no solid plan.

[more ...]

"Haydn Leaves London"

Rita Dove — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 08:18:56 PST

Click the arrow on the audio player to hear Rita Dove read this poem. You can also download the recording or subscribe to Slate's Poetry Podcast on iTunes.

[more ...]

Rick Reilly's complete dental records.

Josh Levin — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 07:53:44 PST

In 1998, Rick Reilly wrote that Carolina Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins had "all the 'nads of a jelly Danish" for asking to be taken out of the team's starting lineup. "Maybe I'm just getting old, but I remember when your average NFL player would come to the sideline, spit out three bicuspids, Scotch-tape his humerus together and get back out there," Reilly opined in Sports Illustrated. On Nov. 19 of this year, Reilly praised Collins in ESPN the Magazine, explaining that the QB "never makes excuses" for his failings. By contrast, he asks us to consider Dieter Baumann, a German runner who nine years ago explained away the results of a drug test by saying his "toothpaste was spiked."

[more ...]

Embracing recession.

Matthew Yeomans — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 06:28:41 PST

A summary of what's in the major publications.

[more ...]

Investors panic as recession becomes official.

Daniel Politi — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 06:23:33 PST

After five trading days when investors seemed optimistic about the incoming Obama administration, reality came crashing down yesterday as the private group of economists charged with defining the nation's business cycles declared that the economy has been in a recession for a year. Coupled with fresh grim economic data, the news sent investors into a panic. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 7.7 percent and the Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 8.9 percent. In declaring that the nation has been in a recession since December 2007, "the National Bureau of Economic Research confirmed what many Americans had already been feeling in their bones," notes the New York Times. The Washington Post points out that the announcement came at a time when the recession appears to be getting worse and the Los Angeles Times highlights that many think the downturn could continue until well into 2010, if not longer. The Wall Street Journal points out that if it lasts past April, it would be the longest recession since the Great Depression.

[more ...]

Sure, Russia has imperial ambitions, but who'd want to be in its empire?

Anne Applebaum — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 21:25:07 PST

"Nyet! Nyet!" That's what a Russian bodyguard told a reporter for McClatchy newspapers when the latter asked the former to comment on an incident that took place on the Admiral Chabanenko, a Russian destroyer carrying Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, which had docked off the Venezuelan coast last week. Following the pomp, circumstance, and 21-gun salute that are mandatory at such meetings, there had, it seems, been a bit of a misunderstanding. As Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez boarded the vessel, his beefy bodyguards had tried to follow him up the gangplank. They were stopped, however, by their equally beefy Russian counterparts. The Venezuelans, who presumably spoke no Russian, tried to push their way through. The Russians, who presumably spoke no Spanish, fought back.

[more ...]

Michael Wolff's new Rupert Murdoch biography accepts the mogul on his own sordid terms.

Jack Shafer — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:56:50 PST

Michael Wolff surmises in the opening pages of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch that the News Corp. chairman and CEO submitted to 50 hours of interviews and directed family and business associates to speak on the record for the biography because he sensed that Wolff had the "same contempt" for "many of his enemies—particularly the journalistic priesthood."

[more ...]

President-elect Barack Obama wants you to forget about candidate Barack Obama.

Christopher Beam — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:54:23 PST

Barack Obama's first job as president-elect: to make people forget the campaign. More specifically, to make people forget all the mean things he said about his soon-to-be colleagues. More specifically still, to make people forget some, but not all, of the things he said. And to make sure people understand the context of the things they do remember.

[more ...]

Does Google Earth obscure images of sensitive locations?

Nina Shen Rastogi — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:52:39 PST

The 10 gunmen who terrorized Mumbai last week used Google Earth to plot their attacks, according to statements made by the sole captured terrorist. The attackers targeted public areas whose locations were already available on printed maps, but can a government ask Google to exclude images of more sensitive areas from Google Earth?

[more ...]

Obama's most important national-security pick isn't Hillary—it's Gen. Jim Jones.

Fred Kaplan — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:51:04 PST

To those who worry that Hillary Clinton will turn Foggy Bottom into a fiefdom devoted to her own agenda and ambition, I have two reassuring words: James Jones.

[more ...]

Who's the world's worst banker?

Daniel Gross — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:27:52 PST

In the past couple of years, the entire global lending industry has covered itself in shame. Virtually every banker was suckered by the credit and housing bubble. But who made the sorriest choices? Who forced shareholders and the public to bear the highest financial cost? Who, in short, is the Worst Banker in the World?

[more ...]

Pakistan was also a target of the Mumbai attacks.

Daniel Benjamin — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 17:02:03 PST

Mumbai will stand as the most consequential terrorist attack since 9/11. Its eventual strategic implications could be devastating, because it could further destabilize Pakistan and accelerate that failing state's collapse into a failed one.

[more ...]

How to rent a house during inauguration week.

Bonnie Goldstein — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 15:00:41 PST

In Washington, D.C., suddenly everybody's a landlord.

[more ...]

Bushism of the Day

Jacob Weisberg — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 14:42:49 PST

"He was a great father before politics, a great father during politics and a great father after politics."—On his father, George H.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

[more ...]

How many Clinton loyalists are there in Obama's White House?

Chris Wilson — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 11:23:15 PST

As President-elect Obama forms his administration, he's including a lot of familiar faces. Many of Obama's picks—for his transition team, his staff, and his Cabinet—are people who worked in the Clinton administration. Where else is a Democratic president going to find people with executive branch experience?

[more ...]

India is our most important ally; we must stand by our friends in Bombay.

Christopher Hitchens — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 11:15:13 PST

It's in human nature to mention any personal connection when offering solidarity, so I shall just briefly say that on my first visit to India, in 1980, I stayed at the Taj Mahal in Bombay, visited the "Gateway of India" and took a boat to Elephanta Island, toured the magnificent railway station, had my first diwali festival at Juhu beach, and paced the amazing corniche that was still known by some—after its dazzling string of lights—as "Queen Victoria's necklace." Wonderful though some of the 19th-century British architecture can be, Bombay is quintessentially an Indian achievement, and an achievement of all its peoples from the Portuguese-speaking Catholic Goans to the Zoroastrian Parsis. (The Jewish disciples of Rabbi Schneerson may be relatively recent arrivals, but there have been Baghdad Jews in Bombay since records were kept, and Jews in India since before Christ, and not until this week has a Jewish place in India been attacked for its own sake, so to speak.)

[more ...]

Why did Bombay become Mumbai?

Christopher Beam — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 10:52:24 PST

Last week, India's financial capital, Mumbai, was rocked by a large-scale terrorist attack. In an "Explainer" column published in July 2006, Christopher Beam described how the city formerly known as "Bombay" became "Mumbai." The article is reprinted below.

[more ...]

Dear Prudence: Unwilling Other Woman

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 10:48:23 PST

A daily video from Slate V

[more ...]

Ant civilization in The Superorganism.

Christine Kenneally — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 10:44:50 PST

If you took a planet and a handful of genes, you could pose some great questions about human nature and then run experiments to answer them. Instead of asking how much altruism, cooperation, creativity, or any other human trait is hard-wired, you could adjust the wiring yourself. First, you would work out how tightly behaviors and abilities could be programmed into the genome. Then you would create many societies with starkly different predispositions and compare their progress. In one country, you might have a population with genetic sex differences that are so profound that males and females are different social castes. In another, you might loosen genetic control over sexual traits and liberate behavior from sexual identity; an elastic gender gap would prevail, and citizens would be highly responsive to cultural influences. How do the two fare? You could build a group whose social classes have a biological basis, with extreme physical and cognitive/mental differences between socioeconomic levels, and contrast them with a group that is much more physically homogenous. Who is happiest? Or create a highly aggressive, individualistic band of humans and pit them against superefficient drones who are biologically incapable of internecine conflict. Which civilization is more robust? Which colonizes other lands? Who lasts longest?

[more ...]

Sports, segregation, and environmental eugenics.

William Saletan — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 07:59:41 PST

"Little Ones Get Test for Sports Gene," says the headline in Sunday's New York Times. The article describes a test, now being marketed in the United States, that predicts whether your baby has more potential as a power athlete or as an endurance athlete. Critics fret that the test will bring back the bad old days of eugenics. The company behind the test says they're wrong. I think the answer is more complicated. We're not drifting back toward an old peril. We're drifting forward toward a new one.

[more ...]

More details on the Mumbai attacks are revealed as authorities try to find answers.

Daniel Politi — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 06:36:22 PST

The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal lead with detailed accounts that tell how a small group of gunmen was able to terrorize India's financial capital for three days. By all accounts, the lack of security along Mumbai's coastline was key as it allowed the militants to enter the city undetected by authorities. They were then able to carry out an indiscriminate shooting rampage virtually undisturbed by the police, who were highly unprepared to deal with an attack of such magnitude. The New York Times also leads with Mumbai and highlights the resignation of the home minister, who said he was taking "moral responsibility" for failing to stop the attacks. While Indian officials continue to insist the attacks were carried out by only 10 men, the NYT points out that there are new clues that others were involved "and that the attackers had at least some accomplices pre-positioned on the ground."

[more ...]

With wounds still fresh, Mumbai begins to move forward.

David Sessions — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:18:22 PST

The New York Times leads with emerging questions about how the Mumbai gunmen evaded security forces and whether the government could have heeded warnings from last year that showed the city was vulnerable from the sea. The Washington Post leads with more details about how the attacks went down, as told by several American survivors who were fired upon with no defense but to play dead. The Los Angeles Times off-leads the latest from Mumbai, while the top slot goes to possible future repercussions of today's bailouts. The government's deficit could top $1 trillion next year, and analysists warn "the nation's next financial crisis could come from the staggering cost of battling the current one."

[more ...]

Loyalty is the most overrated virtue in politics.

Jacob Weisberg — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:04:13 PST

Critics of appointing Hillary Clinton secretary of state have focused on the issue of whether she'll be faithful to her new boss. The senator, we are reminded, has her own interests, which diverge from those of President-elect Obama's, and a marked tendency to put her own ambitions first. Perhaps so, but I doubt Obama will have much trouble with disloyalty in his administration, from Clinton or anyone else, for the same reason it wasn't a problem in his campaign: He doesn't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

[more ...]

Why it's so hard to predict how bad the recession will be.

Tim Harford — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:03:36 PST

Right about now, most businesses are trying to work out how their customers are likely to respond to the recession. Looking back to the last really nasty recession—the early 1980s—isn't much help for low-cost airlines, cell-phone companies, Internet retailers, producers of organic and fair-trade food, and many other businesses barely imagined at the dawn of the Reagan era. The economy has simply changed too much since then for experience to be a reliable guide.

[more ...]

On Black Friday, a Respite

Lydia DePillis — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:10:36 PST

All of the papers lead with the denouement of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, where Indian forces killed the last holdouts in the Taj Hotel to conclude three days of fighting that claimed an estimated 195 lives. Attention is now turning to the diplomatic ramifications of the militants' potential Pakistani connection: as the New York Times summarizes, intelligence from U.S., British, and Indian sources points towards a Kashmir-based group that at one point received training from the Pakistani government. Still, the Wall Street Journal (which didn't quite catch the end of hostilities) explains that the prolonged siege is somewhat baffling; terrorists typically aim for maximum damage in a short amount of time, but these attackers made no demands in exchange for hostages.

[more ...]

Applying the lessons of 9/11 to Mumbai.

Anne Applebaum — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:20:56 PST

As I write, the world's experts still have no idea which organization carried out the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and I have no better idea myself. The Indian government suspects Pakistani groups, but some eyewitnesses said the gunmen spoke Hindi, which could mean that they were of Indian origin. The attacks, carried out on several targets simultaneously, reminded some of al-Qaida, but the gunmen were not suicide bombers, and they did not use standard al-Qaida technology. A group calling itself the Deccan Mujaheddin has claimed responsibility, but no one can has heard this name before. One anonymous "U.S. counterterrorism official" mentioned the names of a few other groups—"Lashkar-i-Taiba, which means "Army of the Pious," and Jaish-i-Muhammad, or "Soldiers of Muhammad"—but even off the record he refused to be drawn further. "It's still too early for hard and fast conclusions."

[more ...]

Everything you need to know about Hitler's "missing" testicle.

Ron Rosenbaum — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:07:10 PST

Somebody make it stop. This incessant fixation on Hitler's sexuality, on his alleged perversity. I think it's fair to say that the very apex of cultural stupidity in our era is the compulsive conjunction of Hitler and sex. He was a "predatory" homosexual. He engaged in excretory practices with his underage half-niece. And, one of the most enduring, a myth I thought I had refuted once and for all but that now rears its head again: Hitler had only one testicle.

[more ...]

Don't even bother with Web-based doc-rating systems.

Kent Sepkowitz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:05:07 PST

An enduring seduction of the Internet is its ongoing invitation for you to rate—and learn what others think of—restaurants, hairstylists, car dealerships, your kids' school, DVD players, movies, college professors. Doctors are no exception: The Web is awash with sites eager to give you the inside dope on your physician. With a single click, you can find out how your internist or surgeon rates against colleagues in his field, what the patients are saying behind his back, if the office staff is chipper, whether malpractice lawyers have him in their sights. This seems the perfect way to resolve an age-old fear far more important than whether that HDTV cuts the mustard: Does my doctor actually suck?

[more ...]

Wallace Shawn on Gossip Girl.

Troy Patterson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:03:40 PST

Wallace Shawn props up our culture on Gossip Girl.

[more ...]

Reviewing the Audi A5 TDI, a clean diesel.

Jason Stein — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:02:48 PST

Play a quick game of word association with most North Americans, and here's what you'd get for diesel: Truck, dirty, loud, chuggy, smelly. Clean and sporty? I'll bet you a tank of gasoline that you never thought of that description. Indeed, many people were surprised when the Volkswagen Jetta TDI was named the "Green Car of the Year" for 2009.

[more ...]

The benefits of evidence-based gardening.

Constance Casey — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:01:56 PST

Confronted with huge, uncontrollable forces, we tend to fall back on magical thinking. Say a goat was sacrificed on the volcano rim last year and lava did not engulf the village. It must follow that this year some poor goat is doomed.

[more ...]

That turkey samosa won't bring your Thanksgiving dinner back to life.

Jill Hunter Pellettieri — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:01:15 PST

The morning after a Thanksgiving feast, you might be tempted to turn that picked-over carcass into, say, a turkey dinner muffin or a turkey samosa. But don't be taken in by those turkey-leftover recipes and their promises of culinary regeneration. Last Thanksgiving, Jill Hunter Pellettieri made the case for enjoying leftovers as they are. The article is reprinted below.

[more ...]

Indian commandos gained some control in Mumbai, but clashes with militants continue.

Daniel Politi — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:43:11 PST

Southern Mumbai remains under siege. More than a day after groups of gunmen carried out a string of highly-coordinated attacks on "well-known symbols of India's prosperity and places where Westerners and Israelis gather," as the Washington Post summarizes, government forces were still working to gain control. The attacks have left at least 143 people dead, according to early morning wire reports, and more than 300 injured. The New York Times highlights there are widespread fears the death toll would rise as people who escaped the hotels reported "stepping around bodies." It's still not known who was behind the attacks, although it's clear the gunmen were well prepared. The Los Angeles Times hears word the militants "struck after months of reconnaissance during which they set up 'control rooms' in the targeted hotels." And the Wall Street Journal hears unconfirmed reports that the attackers had been renting an apartment for the past six months near the Jewish center that was attacked. USA Today highlights that whoever they were, the gunmen delivered "an unmistakable message: This U.S.-friendly democracy of 1.2 billion people has joined the front lines of the global war on terrorism."

[more ...]

Militants launched coordinated attacks in Mumbai and killed at least 101 people.

Daniel Politi — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:39:50 PST

Groups of gunmen carried out spectacularly brazen coordinated attacks on at least 10 sites in Mumbai, India's financial capital, killing at least 101 people and wounding more than 300. The gunmen took dozens of hostages and, according to witnesses, were specifically seeking out American and British citizens. The full scope of the attacks is still unclear. Early morning wire reports reveal hostages have been rescued out of one of the luxury hotels, but the standoff with the militants continues and there appear to still be hostages in other locations. A cargo vessel that recently arrived in Mumbai from Pakistan and could be tied to the attacks is being searched by the Indian navy today, according to the Associated Press. Starting at about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, at least two luxury hotels and a restaurant popular with foreigners, a hospital, the city's largest train station, a movie theater, and a Jewish center.

[more ...]

The president-elect's favorite pie.

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:11:24 PST

With Barack Obama coming to the White House, Slate V and The Root visit a famous soul food spot in Washington that serves the president-elect's favorite pie.

[more ...]

Grand Unified Weekly: Supercomputer speed race.

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:07:18 PST

Slate V's weekly science-roundup feature examines computer racing, how to predict what goes viral, and learning from fruit flies.

[more ...]

Why high-school recruiting gurus are better than NFL scouts at finding gridiron talent.

Josh Levin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:52:24 PST

Who's the best player in high-school football? Bobby Burton, the publisher of Rivals.com, a forensic report on the best high-school players in the country, says he's got it narrowed to three candidates. Californian Matt Barkley, Rivals' current No. 1 player and a future USC Trojan, is your standard-issue star quarterback: good size, good mobility, great arm strength, blond hair, million-dollar smile. Rueben Randle, a Louisiana wide receiver prospect, is such a great athlete that he's led his team to the top of the state rankings while playing out of position at quarterback. The final contender: LSU-bound quarterback Russell Shepard. The day he arrives on campus, Burton says, he'll be the best running quarterback in college.

[more ...]

Can't we hold torturers accountable and still find out the truth?

Dahlia Lithwick — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:38:13 PST

I am test-driving my new persona as petty pursuer of vengeance, who, in continuing to seek legal accountability for the architects of President Bush's abusive-interrogation, secret-rendition, and warrantless-wiretapping programs, fits neatly into Attorney General Michael Mukasey's classification as someone who is "relentless," "hostile," and "unforgiving." My desire to see an Obama administration dedicated to both investigating and, if needed, holding accountable the Bush officials who authorized torture, rape, and worse is seen as naive at best and ruinous to the Democrats at worst.

[more ...]

What it means for the Fed to start "printing money."

Jacob Leibenluft — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:04:21 PST

With the Federal Reserve struggling to find new ways to stimulate the economy, some financial commentators—like the Washington Post's Sebastian Mallaby and the Economist—have mentioned the possibility that the Fed might start "printing money."

[more ...]

Not only does Obama hold press conferences, he actually pays attention to the questions.

John Dickerson — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:05:12 PST

Barack Obama held three press conferences on three consecutive days this week and sat for an interview with Barbara Walters. "We don't intend to stumble into the next administration," he said Tuesday, and it was clear from his regular, brisk, and commanding performances that he's not going to. But what else have we learned about our next president?

[more ...]

Six Black Friday bargains to avoid.

Farhad Manjoo — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:54:00 PST

Black Friday is not an official national holiday, but this year we may as well consecrate it as such—the nation's fortunes depend dearly on how much you and your fellow citizens spend on this first day of the holiday shopping season. Don't lose your scruples, though, just because the economy hangs in the balance. Yes, you'll be able to find some great bargains this weekend, especially on technology (Check out this 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor for just $140, including shipping.) But there are many deals you should avoid, too—things that sound like bargains but that on closer inspection are no bargain at all.

[more ...]

Keeping Robert Gates as secretary of defense is a great idea.

Fred Kaplan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:34:20 PST

If the reports are true that Robert Gates will stay on as President Obama's defense secretary, the move is a stroke of brilliance—politically and substantively.

[more ...]

If Gus Van Sant's Milk had come out earlier, would Prop 8 still have passed?

Dennis Lim — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:02:44 PST

Harvey Milk was gunned down on Nov. 27, 1978, three weeks after his biggest political victory. The San Francisco city supervisor, the first openly gay man elected to a major public position in this country, had been in office less than a year when he spearheaded a statewide campaign to defeat Proposition 6, a ballot initiative that called for the mandatory firing of gay teachers in California. Milk, Gus Van Sant's film about this unlikely politician's brief but brilliant career, marks the 30th anniversary of its subject's death. But it also arrives three weeks after the biggest political setback the American gay rights movement has suffered in years: the passage of Proposition 8, which reversed the California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.

[more ...]

Obama economics adviser Austan Goolsbee's contributions to Slate.

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:05:12 PST

Barack Obama announced today a new Economic Recovery Advisory Board, which is supposed to give him the "independent, nonpartisan" skinny as he tries to pull the country out of economic quicksand. The board's chief economist and staff director is Austan Goolsbee of the University of Chicago, who advised Obama during the campaign. (You may remember a small ruckus he caused by seeming to soft-pedal Obama's stance on NAFTA to the Canadians.) At Slate, we have fonder memories of Austan. He was our beloved "Dismal Science" columnist in 2005 and 2006—a contributor whose calls we loved to take because he has the best radio voice ever. And long before that, he was a dear friend and college debate partner to Dahlia Lithwick, Slate's Supreme Court dispatcher. Below are Goolsbee's contributions to Slate over the years.

[more ...]

Weekly allergy shots might be history.

Sydney Spiesel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:19:35 PST

Problem: As many of us are reminded every spring and fall, the allergies that cause weepy red eyes, a stuffy nose, and even trouble breathing are quite common. It's estimated that about 35 percent of people in Westernized countries are affected by allergies—and, for completely unclear reasons, the rate has been increasing. There are basically three ways to treat allergies. You can eliminate exposure to allergens by removing them from the patient's environment—give away the cat, encase the mattress in impermeable plastic to trap and seal away dust mites, get rid of carpeting, and damp-mop instead of vacuuming. But sometimes that's not enough. Even after you give away the cat, he leaves behind tiny particles of the very allergenic protein from dried cat saliva—and it may be months or even years before the house is decontaminated. Because we can't completely eliminate allergens from our environment, allergy sufferers often continue to have some symptoms. , but they often have significant side effects and don't work for everyone. When drugs aren't enough, allergists often turn to immunotherapy. In immunotherapy, patients are repeatedly injected under the skin with small amounts of the allergen in doses that are slowly increased over time. Typically, the course of treatment requires about three to five years of injections administered in 50 to 70 doctor visits. The shots are painful and sometimes cause severe or even dangerous reactions. Many patients put up with allergies rather than deal with the nuisance and expense of immunotherapy, though a life-threatening allergy to, say, bee stings might make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, immunotherapy is not always successful. Perhaps 25 percent of patients will fail to get relief from their allergies, which is pretty annoying after five years of uncomfortable injections and as many as 70 doctor visits.

[more ...]

Andrea Riccio at the Frick.

Christopher Benfey — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:14:20 PST

A Renaissance master in bronze rediscovered.

[more ...]

Slate's Political Gabfest for Nov. 26.

Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:06:48 PST

Listen to the Gabfest for Nov. 26 by clicking the arrow on the audio player below: You can also download the program here, or you can subscribe to the weekly Gabfest podcast feed in iTunes by clicking here.

[more ...]

Gus Van Sant's Milk reviewed.

Dana Stevens — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:59:54 PST

At the heart of every biopic lies an intractable conundrum: How do you remain faithful to the historical facts of your subject's life without turning that life into a stodgy historical pageant of the sort parodied in last year's Walk Hard? (John C. Reilly's rock-star hero meditates with the Beatles in India: "That was freaking transcendental, Paul McCartney. Don't you agree, John Lennon?")

[more ...]

What my 3,000-pound steer has taught me about faith.

Jon Katz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:55:13 PST

I've attended churches, Quaker Meetings, synagogues, and Buddhist temples. I've taken yoga and read Joseph Campbell, Thomas Merton, C.S. Lewis, St. Augustine, and the Bible. I pray often. But I had an unsettling realization recently, which is that my steer Elvis already has the spiritual equanimity I have been seeking. He is comfortable within himself, has no discernible anxiety, rolls with life as if it were a gentle wave, is uncomplaining, generous and loyal to his mate, and trusts and accepts people.

[more ...]

The long, slow, torturous death of Zima.

Brendan I. Koerner — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:53:54 PST

There are a million ways to slight a rival's manhood, but to suggest that he enjoys Zima is one of the worst. Zima was the original "malternative"—a family of alcoholic beverages that eventually came to include such abominations as Smirnoff Ice and Bacardi Silver—and it has long been considered the very opposite of macho: a drink that fragile coeds swill while giving each other pedicures.

[more ...]

The sad demise of the tie game.

Edward McClelland — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:53:20 PST

After the gun sounded to end this month's 13-13 tie between the Eagles and the Bengals, Donovan McNabb looked stunned. He'd thought the teams were going to keep playing until someone scored. "I've never been a part of a tie," McNabb said in his postgame press conference. "I never even knew that was in the rule book."

[more ...]

How can I tell my classmate I've loved her for the last four years?

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:52:10 PST

Get "Dear Prudence" delivered to your inbox each week; click here to sign up. Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

[more ...]

The government will pump up to $800 billion into the credit markets.

Daniel Politi — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:41:53 PST

Everyone leads with the latest efforts by the federal government to thaw frozen credit markets, hints of which had already appeared in some of the papers yesterday, most notably the New York Times. The government announced it will pump up to $800 billion into credit markets to make it easier for Americans to get loans, with a particular focus on residential mortgages. Most of the money will come directly from the Federal Reserve and will make the central bank "a lender to almost every corner of American life," points out the Wall Street Journal. The new massive commitment of taxpayer money is essentially divided into two programs. The Federal Reserve will purchase up to $600 billion of debt issued or backed by government-sponsored lenders, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is designed to make mortgages cheaper. Separately, the Fed and Treasury Department will create a $200 billion program to lend money against securities tied to car loans, student loans, credit card debt, and small-business loans. The plan, which aims to make consumer loans more readily available, "comes close to being a government bank," notes the NYT.

[more ...]