California Literary Review

The Baton Passes to Asia: Every now and again, an ice cap the size of Rhode Island breaks off. The breaking sound right now is that of the end of the era of the white man. I’d been thinking about this at Dubai airport in the middle of the night, as the latest news came in from the United States of the bloody end to the mother of all spending binges. I was watching the newly affluent from other parts of the world — Asians and Arabs principally — spend their way through the early-morning hours. [NYT]

As Jobs Vanish and Prices Rise, Food Stamp Use Nears Record: Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s. [NYT]

Sex, Nazis and videotape: Max Mosley orgy is big news in Germany: The Germans are second only to the British in their fascination for newspaper stories involving Nazis and sex. Television documentaries entitled “Hitler’s women” regularly get top viewing figures. No suprise then that Bild, Germany’s mass circulation newspaper (readership estimated at 12 million), had as its front page splash a gritty black and white photograph of a black-clad prositute and a naked grey-haired Englishman. “Uproar over Nazi Sex party!” said the headline. “Five hour orgy on video, Whores wear Nazi uniforms”. The newspaper stresses that the man is only allegedly Max Mosley. [Times]

High Rice Cost Creating Fears of Asia Unrest: The price of rice, a staple in the diets of nearly half the world’s population, has almost doubled on international markets in the last three months. That has pinched the budgets of millions of poor Asians and raised fears of civil unrest. [NYT]