Monday Medley

What we read while going undrafted yet again…

• Some follow up on the Tsarnaevs and the Boston bombing: Dzokhar Tsarnaev was charged with the crime and could face the death penalty (though Alan Dershowitz persuasively arguing against it here). But did the Surveillance State work as planned? Should the FBI have listened to Russia more? What happend to the wrongly accused Brown student? Should we, as NYC Mayor Bloomberg suggested, “change our interpretation” of the Constitution? And were drones part of the motivation?

• Speaking of drones, the harrowing testimony of a Yemeni citizen on the effects of drone strikes in his country. This also comes on the heels of Jeremy Scahill’s new book on the drone wars.

• Are trailer parks the future?

• Bradley Manning is not welcome at the SF Gay Pride parade, that alleged bastion of tolerance and freedom.

• To go to grad school or not to go…

• Matt Taibbi on yet another Wall Street scandal. Will this lead to the end of Too Big To Fail banks?

• Everyone loves Winnie Cooper.

• Don’t let the George W. Bush Library fool you into misremembering his legacy.

• Noam Chomsky on civil liberties under President Obama. And George Will weighs in on abridging the Constitution. But Canada can infringe on civil liberties too…

• Prisoners are now reviewing their prisons on Yelp.

A Response to Patton Oswalt

Of the many heartfelt reactions to Monday’s tragedy in Boston, one written by comedian Patton Oswalt seemed to really resonate. You’ve probably already seen it: It was shared on Facebook over 200,000 times, “liked” over 300,000 times, and written about on websites from The Atlantic to US Weekly.

There’s a lot to like about Oswalt’s message, but there’s one aspect of it that really bothers me: When he refers to the unknown perpetrators of the crime, he refers to either “one human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.” It’s just a throwaway line—it doesn’t really affect the substance of what Oswalt is saying. But it’s a telling line that reveals a problem with the way we conceive of tragedies like this attack.

It’s easy and very tempting to dehumanize the people who plant bombs and attack children—to call them “insects” and “sociopaths”* or whatever term that paints them as some mythical bad guy. After all, how could anyone do something this horrible unless he was subhuman in some way? But it’s a dangerous logical trap to assume that anyone who does an evil thing is an Evil Man.

Monday Medley

What we read while disqualifying ourselves from the Masters…

• 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, opened this weekend. Roger Angell and Joe Posnanski look back at Robinson’s legacy.

• Jonah Keri breaks down last week’s Dodgers-Padres brawl.

• McClatchy reports on the Obama Administration’s use of drones against “unknown” targets, exposing the lies the CIA and White House officials have told the public.

• A report on the OCC’s foreclosure review details the fraud behind the lackluster settlement obtained for Americans whose homes have been illegally seized by banks.

• Margaret Thatcher, the influential Prime Minister who changed Great Britain, backed apartheid, and helped support dictators all across the world, died at the age of 87.

• Also dying last week: Gus Triandos. David Simon discusses how Gus came to be mentioned on The Wire.

• A look back at Earth Day and the environmental movement.

• Atheism and Islamophobia.

• Why wasn’t the Super Mario Bros. movie a hit?

• Congress wants to protect Israel’s right to discriminate against Americans.

• The fake story of when Dickens met Dostoevsky.

• A chart of college nicknames.

Monday Medley

What we read while North Korea tried to book Toni Kukoc next…

• Larissa MacFarquhar’s comprehensive account of the life and tragic death of Aaron Swartz.

• Rand Paul spoke for 13 hours on the floor of the Senate, filibustering John Brenna’s confirmation to protest the Obama Administration’s use of drones and bringing attention to the country’s drone policy. Though Attorney General Eric Holder wrote a response to Senator Paul, there are still unanswered questions (as well as the unreleased report on CIA torture) about the program and Paul vowed to keep fighting. Meanwhile, the NYT ran a story on the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, which was condemned by the ACLU for selective disclosure.

• A Mila Kunis interview went viral for showing why the actress is so beloved.

• Vulture is now trying to determine the best sitcom of the past 30 years. Will Leitch picked Cheers over Arrested Development.

• Speaking of bracketology, an account of Dick Vitale’s love for Duke.

• Longtime Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died. What does that mean for Venezuela?

• David Foster Wallace on five common usage errors.

• On Jerry Brown’s second term as California Governor.

• Reflections on the 10 year anniversary of the Iraq War.

• Can one woman change the nature of Internet porn?

 

Monday Medley

What we read while adding “infallibility” to our résumés…

• A fascinating story about the soldier who shot Osama bin Laden.

• Yesterday was Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday, and Wright Thompson turned in a great profile on his life after basketball. Sports Illustrated published an oral history of his most famous dunk, but really it was a moment to reflect on Space Jam. Craig Ehlo on what it was like to guard Jordan.

• The Pope announced his retirement. How will he be remembered? And how does that crazy conclave work?

• Elizabeth Warren wondered why there have been no prosecutions of Wall Street banks. Matt Taibbi says that some banks are now simply too big to prosecute. Instead, they are still getting bailouts. And in other news of a corrupt banking industry, credit reports are apparently full of errors.

• Something is ruining steak.

• Grantland looked at Dan Harmon’s life after Community.

• On Ken Pomeroy. And Pomeroy on why you shouldn’t be so quick to foul up three late in the game.

• Some analyses of the legal and ethical defenses of the American drone program. Is it worse than torture?

• A tragic story on the death of a Nazi (it’s not what you think).

• The coolest winner of the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.

• Could New York City cut its carbon footprint by 90%?

• An analysis of Darth Vader’s terrible plan in the Battle of Hoth.

• How to win Monopoly in four moves.

Monday Medley

What we read while tripping over the power cord at the Superdome…

• There was some sort of football game last night, though it was interrupted by a blackout. There was some fuss about the coaches and Ray Lewis, but frankly we were more interested in the oral history of the Super Bowl Shuffle.

• For the second time this postseason, Dan LeBatard lowers the hammer on the NFL — this time on the slippery morality of those who analyze it.

• The best Super Bowl photos of all-time.

• Yeah, it’s baseball season now.

• Ed Koch, the controversial former mayor of New York City, died last week at the age of 88. Eerily, it was on the eve of a new documentary about his life.

• Another great interview with George Saunders.

• The series finale of 30 Rock aired last week, and was one of the most well-received series finales of all-time. Of course, the show has always inspired awe in critics. In other TV news, Lorrie Moore analyzed the highs and lows of Homeland.

• On understanding introverts (a subject Josh tackled back in 2009).

• Is the future of education really online?

• The past, present, and future of drones.

• The evolution of the NRA.

• In defense of public nudity.

• Does Dr. Oz do no harm?

• The Boy Meets World spinoff is official!

Monday Medley

What we read while shooting J.R…

• A fascinating look at the history and evolution of the Grateful Dead’s recorded archives.

• Israel and Hamas reached a fragile cease-fire last week, after hundreds were killed. Of course, the conflict promises to continue for the foreseeable future, as the situation in Gaza remains untenable. The hopelessness of many Palestinians seems palpable. America’s role in the conflict, with its support of Israel, remains in question, while Egypt’s role expands.

• Some thoughts on the Rolling Jubilee.

• A DEA agent reflects on the drug war.

• Who should run the SEC?

• With the CIA looking for a new director, questions persist about President Obama’s drone wars. The Administration is evidently developing a “rule book,” but its terms are, of course, flexible. Should it matter that al Qaeda’s core has been “decimated”?

• Reflections on Anna Karenina.

• Is the Big Ten’s expansion a fool’s errand?

• An urbanist explains why Washington D.C. should keep its height restrictions.

• The digital team behind Obama’s reelection.

• A way to fix air travel.

• What kids in Louisiana learn about evolution…

Monday Medley

What we read while everyone misremembered Mary Shelley’s book…

• Last week was the foreign policy debate, which spent a total of about one minute discussing the devastating secret drone program. When pressed, an Obama spokesman offered this defense of killing an American teenager. Good thing the “assassination czar” is so “priest-like.” On the other side, Robert Wright argues that Mitt Romney is more likely to start a war, and Stephen Walt analyzes the “genius” of neoconservatism.

• Is Homeland unfair to Muslims and Arabs?

• In other election news (sorry, but only 8 more days!), President Obama sat down with Rolling Stone, and Matt Taibbi responded to some of his points. Ezra Klein called Obamacare the most important issue in the election. Time wonders why climate change has essentially disappeared as an issue. And is Ron Paul the future of the American left? Finally, Mitt Romney’s homophobic past, and his differences from Mormon’s early socialist history.

• Stephen Colbert’s Playboy interview.

• Joe Posnanski on the artistry of Bob Costas.

• A touching, personal defense of euthanasia.

• Where did the myth of voter-fraud come from?

• Sexy/sexist Halloween costumes.

Monday Medley

What we read while sorting through binders full of bad binders full of women jokes…

• It was a rough week for Yankees fans, as the team was swept by Detroit in the ALCS, a series in which they scored only six runs, Alex Rodriguez got benched twice, and Derek Jeter suffered a devastating injury. Writers leapt to pen obituaries for the team, including one from Jonah Keri, one from Joe Posnanski, and one from Roger Angell. Now get ready for an offseason of ridiculous scapegoating, myths about clutch hitting, and absurd trade rumors. As if sitting through these commercials this postseason wasn’t bad enough…

• In other baseball news, Posnanski on Carlos Beltran.

• Former Senator George McGovern, a hero of the progressive movement, died this weekend at the age of 90. Here’s an interview he did a few years ago.

• Jill Stein, the Green Party’s nominee for President, and her running mate were arrested at last week’s debate. This isn’t surprising, given the fraudulent spectacle that the debates have become. But at least the election has led to this.

• The recent “terror plot” against the Federal Reserve renews questions about just how the FBI stops (and starts) these plots. Meanwhile, the CIA tries to expand its drone fleet while President Obama talks about bringing justice to Benghazi. And an interview with a former Al Qaeda leader.

• Jeremy Lin returned to New York City. In other New York basketball news, some local residents have some complains about the Barclays Center.

• Are some TV shows better off dead?

• The top 10 essays since 1950?

• Perhaps we shouldn’t pursue passion. 

Monday Medley

What we read while reapplying to the Lingerie Football League…

• An NYU/Stanford study on drones was released last week, illustrating the horrific effects of those weapons on other countries. In related news, Conor Friedersdorf explains why he won’t vote for Barack Obama. He has sparked a debate.

• An interview with XKCD’s Randall Munroe.

• The U.S. blew it again in the Ryder Cup, which Tim still loves.

• Chuck Klosterman on fantasy football. Joe Posnanski about RefGate.

• Why, Keith Hernandez, why??? (For charity, but still…) And on the topic of baseball announcers, which are the most biased?

• Arthur O. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, died Saturday at the age of 86.

• Is WikiLeaks an “enemy”?

• Ridiculous words, illustrated.

• Rethinking the legacy of Robert Rubin.

• This week on oral histories: GQ on Cheers.