From the Stacks: September 8, 2006

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Two masked superheroes grace the cover of the September/October issue of Political Affairs with slumped shoulders and downtrodden expressions. 'So what's your super-power?' one asks. 'Surviving on minimum wage,' the other replies. Tony Pecinovsky's feature, 'Working for Change,' sticks up for those underpaid superheroes and demands raising the stale federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, which, he points out, almost pays for life's necessities. The issue makes heroes of others fighting the bad guys too: those denouncing immigration reform, those standing up for affirmative action, and others stamping out homophobia. -- Rachel Anderson

In the September 8 issue of Commonweal, a biweekly run by lay Catholics, the editors blast the post-9/11 Bush administration, declaring that the United States 'still lacks the leadership it needs in a time of peril.' A few pages later, the spotlight is on popular Colorado gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, who is running as both a Democrat and an anti-abortion Catholic. Throughout the issue, Commonweal leaves the doors open to the evolution of beliefs, spiritual and political, while staying anchored in a central faith. -- Rachel Anderson

For September/October, the folks at Mental Floss have brought us their '5th annual 10 issue,' jam-packed with quirky facts and irreverent Top Tens. My favorite list is '10 Shocking Stories About America's First Ladies,' wherein Martha Washington ends her first marriage by shattering priceless glassware, Mary Todd Lincoln attempts to relieve herself of personal debt by selling official White House manure, and Calvin and Grace Coolidge engage in a hilarious exchange with a farmer comparing their less than thrilling sex life with the libidinous exploits of the man's rooster. Sports fans can enjoy '10 Gloriously Underhanded Sports Tactics,' which tells of a stealth mission to hide a corked bat and a coach who reportedly clogged the toilets of opposing teams as a pre-game psych-out. -- Miriam Skurnick

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