f you read any one Weekly Wire story this week, make sure it's Project Censored, okay buddy? Every year a group of media experts, insiders and watchdogs puts together a list of ten news stories that were horribly underreported. This year's include looks into U.S arms sales, carcinogenic hygiene products, global surveillance, big business influence on universities and much more. These kinds of stories can be hard to believe, and they make me feel a little sick, because their implications are so disturbing. Somewhere Noam Chomsky is smiling.

There are a lot of people smiling in suburbia, too -- at least if sociologist Alan Wolfe's findings are any indication. The Boston University researcher did an extensive study into the political and moral views of the average middle-class citizen, and he found that by and large, they were all....nice. Just nice. Few Archie Bunkers, few closet Ku Klux Klansmen, few political extremists. (A few homophobes here and there, but that's about par for the course.) Just a bunch of tolerant, optimistic, hard-working, libertarian-minded happy people. But is their tolerance rooted in apathy?

A quick note about the "Deadbeat Dads" piece -- don't be dissuaded by its use of Tennessee statistics. The article may be written with a local slant, but most of its important points apply to child-support payment issues everywhere. Okay, then.

I hope you'll check out the essays and columns too, because there's some beautiful arrogance, attitude and erudition in there. And don't forget your weekly dose of Mr. Smarty Pants. He may not provide Top-10 Untold Stories material, but where else can you learn that Billy the Kid had buck teeth or a cow's sweat glands are in its nose?

Now What?
Can't get enough news? You're in luck -- more news is created every day. Our Now What? page offers a plethora of recommended links to help keep you living in the present. [12]

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Censored Stories, 1998
Carcinogenic toothpaste, lost plutonium, burgeoning world arms sales -- these are just few things you probably didn't hear about last year. [2]
Project Censored

Okay Nation
Boston University sociologist Alan Wolfe spent two years in suburbia and couldn't find a culture war anywhere. [3]
Alicia Potter

Deadbeat Nation
From the looks of it, local, state, and federal government is getting tough with deadbeat dads. But is the problem getting any better? [4]
Katie Allison Granju

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Fear Itself
Margaret Renkl on the waves of fear that crash in the night -- for parents. [7]
Margaret Renkl

Dogged Drivers
Walter Jowers learns to drive-and so do some British dogs. [8]
Walter Jowers

The Ignorance of Conformity
75 years ago this week. [9]
Sue Schuurman

Odds & Ends
Timed-release news capsules from the flipside. [10]
Devin D. O'Leary

Mr. Smarty Pants
Our resident know-it-all unearths the latest trivia. [11]
R.U. Steinberg

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Grope Springs Eternal
These days, Americans almost seem to admire a president who has a way with ze girls. Almost. [5]
Jeff Smith

Stand Up For America!
Who's telling the truth, Billy or Willey? [6]
D.P. Sorensen

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