THAT BUZZING SOUND
BY JEROME GROOPMAN
Got a ringing in the old ear holes? Jerome Groopman writes about the somewhat elusive condition tinnitus, which causes phantom ringing in the ears. Scientists are conflicted as to whether tinnitus originates in the ears or the brain, an important distinction when trying to treat the condition, and advance hearing protection for troops overseas who spend lots of time within earshot of huge explosions and machine gun fire. More on sound and how it interacts with the brain can be found via Radio Lab.
COCKTAIL PARTY FACTOIDS:
-Some people experience a spontaneous onset of tinnitus when placed in total silence.
-Tinnitus is usually brought on by noise trauma. The noise in the NYC subway can reach 115 decibels, as loud as the front row of a rock n’ roll concert!
-In the ancient Egyptian days, tinnitus treatments involved the use of frankincense, tree sap and “humming in the ear.” Today treatments range from hearing aids to more folksy remedies like antioxidants, neti pots and “ear candling.”
– The French metro has rubber wheels.
IN CONVERSATION…
“I’ve been getting really into ‘ear candling’ recently.”
“Is that some sort of sexual maneuver?”
“Why not at all. Ear candling is when you take a piece of wax paper, shove it inside your ear-hole, and light it on fire. I read that it would help my tinnitus.”
“I see.”
THE PROMISED LAND: GUANGZHOU’S CANAAN MARKET AND THE RISE OF AN AFRICAN MERCHANT CLASS
BY EVAN OSNOS
Evan Osnos writes a fascinating article about African immigrants living in Guangzhou, China, trying to make ends meet by selling anything and everything, legal and illegal, at the Canaan Marketplace, known to some locals as Chocolate City. Osnos spends the bulk of the article profiling one particular Nigerian exporter and the difficulties associated with working as a foreign trader, using this personal story as an entrance into a larger discussion about the deep-seated racism and xenophobia in China.
COCKTAIL PARTY FACTOIDS:
-“In Nigeria, they have seven Chinatowns.”
-Between 2002 and 2007, Chinese and African trade, which was mainly oil, timber, copper and diamonds, increased by 700 per cent, to $73 billion dollars, ranking China as Africa’s second-largest trading partner.
– In 2006, Ron Sims II, a 30-year-old Web designer who is black “conducted an informal sidewalk experiment in Fuzhou, a large southern city, in which he asked people to identify photographs of famous black Americans by race. Oprah was identified as Indian; Lena Horne didn’t ‘have the lips of black people’; Beyoncé was white, as was Benjamin Davis, the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen.”
IN CONVERSATION…
“I bet I know something you don’t know.”
“What?”
“Guess how many Chinatowns they have in Nigeria.”
“I dunno. Two?”
“Ha. No. Guess again.”
“Ten?”
“Ha. You have no idea do you?”
“I don’t know man. Maybe five?”
“I can’t believe you don’t know this. I’m disappointed.”
“You’ve been reading The New Yorker haven’t you.”
“Shut up.”
CHECKPOINTS: FACT-CHECKERS DO IT A TICK AT A TIME
BY JOHN MCPHEE
John McPhee sure has written a ton of stuff in his lifetime. As a New Yorker staff writer and the author of 27 books (and another due out in the fall), McPhee knows a whole lot about a little something called fact-checking: the painstaking and arduous process of making sure every single detail in a piece of writing is, without a doubt, correct. And McPhee wants to tell you all about it! He starts the article off by introducing his faithful fact-checker, Sara Lippincott, with whom he has worked on decades’ worth of New Yorker pieces. He then relates the story of how a single detail in one of his pieces was checked, and the great lengths that were taken to arrive at the conclusion that, unfortunately, the fact was untrue. This is a bummer, but luckily they corrected the error before going to press so everything turned out OK in the end. McPhee goes on to tell some similar stories, all of which truly do illuminate the difficulties of proper, responsible fact-checking, and the unbelievable amount of high-intensity behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing sturdy and reliable journalism.
COCKTAIL PARTY FACTOIDS…
– During World War II, the Japanese designed incendiary balloons, called fusen bakudan, to be used as weapons. The balloons were 33 feet in diameter, made of paper and filled with explosives. They would be released in Japan and effectively float across the world to the United States, where they would detonate.
– John Wheeler does NOT, in fact, know anything about a specific incident during which a said balloon allegedly landed on a plutonium reactor. If someone suggests him as a credible source on this topic, inform that person of the facts.
– The Adriatic Plate is moving north. The Aegean Plate is moving southwest. If someone suggests that these plates are moving in any other direction, inform that person of the facts.
– McDonald’s chicken nuggets were introduced in 1983 and not in 1979. If someone suggests otherwise, you know what to do.
IN CONVERSATION…
“Hey, I’m hungry. Want to go to McDonald’s and get some Chicken McNuggets?”
“Sure. You know, I heard they were first introduced to the menu in 1979.”
“That is absolutely not true. They were introduced in 1983.”
“Thanks! Now I have the facts.”
THE PONZI STATE
BY GEORGE PACKER
George Packer examines the cheap-credit free-for-all and the orgy of hasty development that led to the Florida’s decimated real estate market. The real estate collapse has left vacant subdivisions, partially paved sidewalks, and thousands of people jobless and fighting off bankruptcy. According to a St. Petersburg Times bureau chief, Florida “is the epicenter of everything that’s bad in America.” This one is a must read.
COCKTAIL PARTY FACTOIDS:
– Florida has no income tax, and has become overly dependent on real estate revenues.
– Florida locksmiths are finding extra business changing locks on foreclosed homes.
– “If it’s too good to be true, we’re going to be involved in it.”
–Florida’s CFO, Alex Sink, on her state’s Wild West mentality.
IN CONVERSATION
“I don’t understand Florida.”
“Me neither. It’s definitely the epicenter of everything that’s bad in America.”
“You guys are jerks.”
“Why are you from Florida or something?”
“No. I just like the taste of alligators.”
THE INVASION FROM OUTER SPACE
BY STEVEN MILLHAUSER
Steven Millhauser’s short story is a modest page-and-a-half long. However, this page and a half provides plenty of fodder for inducing the heebie jeebies. Millhauser documents, with haunting precision, grace and beauty, an alien invasion from Outer Space that results in a curious sprinkling of yellow powder on the earth’s surface. Read it, it’s awesome.
THE QUEEN
BY SASHA FRERE-JONES
Sasha Frere-Jones loves Beyoncé Knowles. But, he thinks her new alter ego, Sasha Fierce, might be a bit fiercer if her songs weren’t about getting married. As Jones puts it: “The wild R. & B. vampire Sasha is advocating marriage? What’s next, a sultry, R-rated defense of low-sodium soy sauce?” If you haven’t seen the video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)” watch it here and then watch the President’s version.
THE CURRENT CINEMA
BY DAVID DENBY
This year’s Oscar nominations are too boring. Read Denby’s piece so you can spearhead your Oscar party’s resistance after Benjamin Button wins eight million Oscars.
NOTE: There are two essays in this issue about John Updike in addition to sixteen pages of excerpts from his work. You should read all of it.
