Diplomatic Scofflaws and the Culture of Corruption

Americans ranked first in their overall sense of national pride, followed by Venezuela, then Ireland, South Africa, Australia and Canada.

What are we proudest of? Democracy, Smith said, as well as our military, influence in the world, and our achievements in science and economics. Venezuelans, on the other hand, led the world in pride over their accomplishments in sports, the arts and literature, history, and in their equal treatment of groups.

Something Else You Shouldn't Do When You Drink

Sometimes love hurts, and when it does, a shot of penicillin may be needed to make the pain go away. But there may be another way to keep sexually transmitted diseases in check: close down liquor stores.

The number of "neighborhood alcohol outlets appear[s] to be significantly associated with changes in gonorrhea rates," reported a study team headed by Deborah A. Cohen of the Rand Corp.

The researchers examined gonorrhea rates in Los Angeles neighborhoods hit hardest by the 1992 riots. After the unrest, 270 liquor stores closed because of arson and vandalism.

The researchers found that more than 90 percent of the change in the incidence of gonorrhea cases per 100,000 people could be explained by the closing of neighborhood liquor stores. One fewer liquor store per mile of roadway "was associated with 21 fewer gonorrhea cases per 100,000 in tracts affected by the unrest compared to those not affected," Cohen and her colleagues wrote in a study published in the latest issue of Social Science and Medicine.

Who Would Have Thought?Lifelines, Seeing Things and Good-Looking Pols

? "Who Really Wants to be a Millionaire? Estimates of Risk Aversion from Gameshow Data" by Roger Hartley, Gauthier Lanot and Ian Walker. Warwick University Economic Research Papers. British economists determine that the "Ask the Audience" lifeline is "almost as valuable as '50-50' and 'Phone a Friend' together."

? "Anomalous Experiences in North Carolina: A Survey" by William J. Dewan. The Journal of Popular Culture Vol. 39 No. 1. A University of New Mexico doctoral student surveys college students in North Carolina and finds nearly one in four report having supernatural experiences, including sightings of "phantom rockets" and "ghost lights" in the night sky.

? "Candidate Appearance Cues in Low-Information Elections" by Susan A. Banducci et al. Working paper presented at the American Political Science Association annual convention. A team of U.S. and British political scientists find that better-looking and white candidates, regardless of experience, do better in community council elections that feature photos of candidates on the ballot.