Bad Rock Music, Women in Schools, and Fighting Against Fat

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Now that The New York Times pay wall is live, you only get 20 free clicks a month. For those worried about hitting their limit, we're taking a look through the paper each morning to find the stories that can make your clicks count.

Top Stories: There are now more young women in school than there are in the work force, as many of them extend education (or go back) to beef up job skills. Oakland's mayor, who was herself a former civil rights activist at Berkeley, may be undone by the Occupy protests. Ron Paul's young college-age volunteers are under strict orders about behavior and dress, in order to avoid embarrassing the campaign.

Arts: Critic Jon Carmanica says 2011 was "the most numbing year for mainstream rock music in history," a genre that "didn't produce a single great album" and is becoming a creative graveyard. Eight of the top 10 movies at the box office this year were sequels, and the other two were based on comic books.

New York: Once the scariest part of New York City, Central Park is now virtually crime-free, even at night.

Books: Two new books look at killer droughts plaguing the Southwest, which may be the weather rule in the area, and not exceptions.

Business: The push to eliminate animal testing from the cosmetics industry has grown increasingly successful, with several major and high-end brands making the move. A rash of new products that claim to cure hangovers.

Travel: Travel tips from political reporters who make their living chasing candidates (quickly and cheaply) across the country.

Opinion: Gail Collins says the Iowa caucus (which will have 100,000 voters if it's lucky) isn't that important.

Sunday Magazine: How our bodies fight against us when we try to lose weight.