Politics
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A Mystical Authority Over the Unknown
On a recent visit to Syria, my friend and I eschewed our guidebook as much as possible. In place of this we sought local inspiration, or merely direction, with the welcome corollary of impromptu conversation.
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The 19th Amendment Turns 90
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” So says the 19th Amendment, which was ratified (by one vote!) on…
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Sexual Assault and the Military: An Interview with Staff Sergeant Lisa Rose
Reports of sexual abuse in the military are now higher than that of the civilian population. An annual report released in 2009 by the Department of Defense showed an 11 percent increase in sexual assault cases among service members over…
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Trying to Quiet Revolutionary Voices
Well this isn’t good: two libraries in New Jersey (both under the same county director) have pulled a gay themed short story collection written by queer youth, Revolutionary Voices, from their shelves. Learn what the ACLU says about it here.…
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Anything You Record Can And Will Be Used Against You
Q: What happens when you videotape yourself getting a speeding ticket, especially from an unmarked cop who looks like Pee Wee Herman, wields a gun and doesn’t immediately identify himself? A: You get sued for violating wiretap laws. What?
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A Pill To Take Away The Gay
“A hormonal treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia can now be offered to women who may be carrying such infants. It’s not without health risks, but to its critics those are of small consequence compared with this notable side effect: The…
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Are the Poor More Altruistic than the Rich?
A star-studded lineup of billionaires including George Lucas and Bill Gates recently pledged to donate half of their fortunes to charity. But researchers at UC Berkeley are claiming that the poor and lower classes are inherently more charitable than their…
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Gerry Garcia Runs For Office
“To dispel myths immediately, (Connecticut Attorney General Candidate) Gerry (Garcia) is not the reincarnated lead singer from the Grateful Dead, though he is a fan of the ice cream and frequently wears the ties that bear his name.” — From…
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David Mamet, Crypto-Conservative All Along?
Not long ago David Mamet admitted that he is a conservative, and in his latest book, Theatre, he attempts to integrate his newly articulated politics into his view of the theater. But as Terry Teachout points out in this essay…
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Wonder What the Word Count Is…
Looking for some weekend reading? The FBI has released its file on author, historian, and activist Howard Zinn. Hope you don’t have any other plans though, because it’s over 400 pages long. (via @elliottjustin)
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The First Annual Andrew Breitbart Short Film Festival
“The White House and [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack offered their profuse apologies to Shirley Sherrod for the way she had been humiliated and forced to resign after a conservative blogger [Andrew Breitbart] put out a misleading video clip that seemed…
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The Rise of WikiLeaks
No matter where you come down on the veracity, morality or impact of WikiLeaks’ mountainous Afghan “war diary,” its release has been a fascinating event. It prompted me to reread Raffi Khatchadourian’s first-rate New Yorker profile of WikiLeaks founder Julian…