Wednesday morning roundup

The case against slum tourism. But you don't have to do it that way. You can go see different parts of a place without gawking.

Cohen finds the Economist's review of a new biography of Sayyid Qutb missing something important.

Maureen Dowd makes a compelling case for not pre-screening one's college roommates. That's the best time to start appreciating other people for who they are. I even appreciate my last roommate for who he is (although I'd never want to live with him again).