Posts by author
Brian Spears
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Violence in Oslo
As is the case in any developing story, details are sketchy and limited right now, but here’s the basics in what’s happened in Oslo, Norway today. 16 are reported dead as a result of an explosion and a shooting. Police…
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How Not to Write a Book Review
Robert Pinksy, writing at Slate, reintroduces us to John Wilson Croker and John Gibson Lockhart, two critics who hated John Keats. Croker loathed Keats so badly that he’s most remembered for this review, and that’s something, given that he also…
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British Hacking Scandal Roundup
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the British phone hacking scandal is the lack of coverage in the US press. Among the US newspapers, the NY Times is the only one I can find which has done significant reporting on…
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No Tell Motel is Shutting Down
Brian here, taking a break from unloading and unpacking and sweating (94 degrees? I thought I left Florida!) to post this sad news about No Tell Motel, the online magazine that is going to cease publication this October. No Tell…
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Erase to the Top
Another miraculous educational turnaround, another example of rampant cheating. I think we’ve seen enough of a pattern now of school districts doing a quick turnaround only for the numbers to be fishy that now when a politician starts claiming “miracle!”…
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Have you seen?
I don’t think I’m bragging too much when I say that we have one of the best comics sections on the interwebs, but I think it gets ignored sometimes because you have to scroll down to see it. But make…
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Grow Your Own
Earlier this year, I saw this episode of Nova where they discussed growing replacement organs for people who need transplants. Transplant surgery is always tricky both because finding donors is hard and because the body rejects transplanted organs. Recipients have…
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Science Saturday
The Stanford Alumni magazine revisits the Stanford Prison Experiment forty years later, and catches up with some of the participants. I wonder if anyone will refer to this bear as the mitochondrial Eve of polar bears? Somehow I doubt it.…
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Saturday Morning Links
This time next week, I’ll be living in Des Moines, Iowa. Anyone want to help me unload a truck? I had some minor food allergies as a kid, and I carried an inhaler back when that sort of shit got…
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More on PTSD
This past Monday, we linked to a piece in Good by friend of The Rumpus Mac McClelland that detailed her struggle with PTSD and her use of violent sex to help ease it. On Friday, Jezebel posted an open letter…
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The Trial of Charles Guiteau
I wish I could find who posted a link to this on Twitter, because I’d like to thank them publicly. All I know of Charles Guiteau is that he’s the man who assassinated President James Garfield. I know even less…
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Science Saturday
Sorry to do this to you with the first link. Bug’s penis makes loudest animal sound. That’s the headline. I’m not making it up. Red wine could help counteract the negative effects of space travel. Scientific American explores what’s in…