What we read while building our own Death Star in the private sector…
- Aaron Swartz, an Internet pioneer and activist, died this weekend at the age of 26. Though the causes were many, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Swartz was the target of a prolonged federal prosecution that some have called “bullying” in the name of intellectual property and emblematic of a broken criminal justice system. Swartz’s heroism has inspired many to combat the “intellectual property” racket.
- For the first time since 1996, no players were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame this year. You’re not going to believe this, but Joe Posnanski had a lot to say about the shutout. But the best analysis of the vote was probably Jonah Keri’s at Grantland.
- Dan LeBatard and Jason Taylor team up to make you feel awful about enjoying the weekend’s NFL action.
- What happens when you cast Lindsay Lohan in your movie?
- With the Golden Globes last night and the Academy Award nominations now out, the debate over the morality of Zero Dark Thirty has resurfaced. Some are comparing it to Argo (besides John S, who did that last month).
- A conversation between George Saunders and his editor.
- Marc Maron goes over his favorite episodes of his podcast.
- In other comedy news, the cast of Arrested Development reunited to talk about the new episodes.
- Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote a…something…for New York last week. It has, predictably, generated some reaction. But what would Hannah Horvath think of it?
- Remember Watson, the computer that dominated Jeopardy a couple years ago? Well, apparently he still does not get slang.
- On Mike Francesa.
