CHICAGO SUN TIMES Romney wins on style,Obama on facts After the first US Presidential debate last Wednesday,the verdict was clearit was Governor Romney all the way. From tweets to online polls,TV panel discussions to word-of-mouth,everyone gave the uber-confident Republican challenger a clear margin over the visibly-hassled President Obama. However,if one was to score the debate on substance Obama more than held his own,the Chicago Sun Times' editorial states. He drove home the false promises and dangerous ramifications of Romneys proposed tax cuts,which would surely raise taxes for the middle class by eliminating breaks,and require the elimination of essential programmes Sure,Romney sounded good,but was as bereft of specifics as he has been for the last 18 months,the editorial continued. He said he would replace Obamacare,but did not lay out his plan. He said he would end deductions,but would not say what those cuts would be. Obama had his facts right where they should be. THE NEW YORKER Whatever happened to entertainment? David Denby,in his latest article,has raised a point that most of us must have thought of some time or the otherthe business of movies is strangling the art and entertainment of movies. As Denby writes,The six major studios want to make three kinds of movies. They want to make blockbusters costing a hundred and fifty million dollars.They want to make animated features for families. And they want to make genre movies-thrillers,chick flicks,romantic comedies. However,in this blockbuster-obsessed race,the range of films has shrunkserious drama is virtually out. Independent films hardly manage to gain traction in theatres. Denby hopes and prays for that surprise,which springs out of nowhere and takes your breath away. THE GUARDIAN Life after cancer Cancer news usually involves unremittingly grim stories about carcinogens or rising cancer rates. Recently however,something more positive was reported. A Cancer Research UK report showed that deaths were set to fall dramatically by 2030. The 17 per cent drop would be the result of major improvements in diagnosis,treatment and fewer people smoking. Many more of us can expect to survive cancer,says Lucy Atkins in this article. But this is not the full story. Remission of the disease for many patients,is not that a magic wand has been waved and they are all cured, says Ciarán Devane,chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support. It actually means many people will be living longer with the disease. There is a clear message here,and one that must not be ignoredemotional recovery is as important,may be more,than physical recovery,concludes the author. SLATE The rise and fall of Polaroid Chris Bonanos,in his book,Instant: The Story of Polaroid,explores the Gen Nexts affection for an obsolete medium that once ruled the photographic world. In the middle of the last century,Polaroid was easily the coolest technology company on earth. Under its visionary founder-scientist,Edwin Herbert Land,Polaroid grew from a shaky startup to a high-tech path breakerinspiring a young Steve Jobs along the way. However,as Christopher Bonanos writes,Lands only real misstep came in 1977,with a system called Polavision that made instant 8-mm movies. Clobbered by Sonys new Betamax videotape,it made Land look out of step. In the years that followed,Polaroid doubled down on analog instead of embracing digital photography,and piled up debt.
