Cover:
What's in the Water?
Metro reporters dip into the waters of the bay, the underground aquifer and the tapwater of Silicon Valley to reveal what's real and what's imagined in the local H₂O.

News: Fairchildhood's End
Fifteen years later, a group of families still carry the scars of Silicon Valley's "clean" industry.

High-tech Heretics: Netizens put Scientology on the stand.

Public Eye: What do John Wayne Bobbitt and a statue of David have in common?

Polis Report: Why not choose a brand that's funny?

Stone Pages: Thirty years ago, an obscure young artist named Oliver Stone wrote a novel. Now that he's a famous director, we all get to read it.

Post-Op Punk: A sex change bewilders an aging punker in Different for Girls.

Deadly Play: The menacing mood outweighs the clunky method in The Game.

Electronic Road Trip: Crystal Method and Arkarna pilot the electronica caravan.

Cabbie Laments: Mem Shannon sings the front-seat blues.

Togetherness: Tom Peron and Bud Spangler keep time together even when they're in separate cities.

Pinchas Power: Celebrated violinist Pinchas Zukerman kick-starts the San Jose Symphony season.

Beat Street: Crashers and Harper sign up for Kamp.

Topping the Taquerias: Mexican dining takes on a '90s flair at Chacho's and Emma's, two downtown eateries that capture the authentic flavors of Mexico, in a setting a cut above the traditional taqueria.

The Realm of Memory: Lisa Ramirez and Beverly Rayner explore intimate worlds at the Institute of Contemporary Art.