Volume 20 Issue 11
A Poem Leads to a Life Sentence in Qatar
The Arab Spring has faded from headlines, but that doesn't mean governments have ceased oppressing their people. Case in point: Mohammed al-Ajami was just sentenced to life in prison in Qatar after reading a poem aloud at his house to a group of...
All Welcome the Bomb-Sniffing Mice Infestation
An Israeli biologist named Eran Lumbroso wants to make mice the cutest little soldiers in the global war on terror, and if his efforts are successful they could result in mass layoffs of bomb-sniffing dogs.
Burning Man Vs. Superstorm Sandy
Yes, a bunch of people who head out to the middle of a desert in Nevada every year to do a bunch of drugs, dress up like gay aliens, and light a bunch of shit on fire have formed what appears to be an extremely efficient charitable organization that...
Your Dog Is Full of Dirty Diseases
Recent research has shown that sharing an ice cream cone with your dog or letting your cat nap on your face isn’t just unhygienic, it could kill you, shit-for-brains, so cut it out.
In Search of Great Men
Using 15-day Amtrak USA Rail Passes, I crossed our country to photograph my fellow passengers, asking them where they came from and where they were heading: an 18-year-old facing felony mescaline charges, a woman returning to Madison for her ex...
Make Sure You’re Alive to Collect
It was Christmas of 1990 in my grandmother’s house. My Aunt Debra reached behind her and pulled a bullet from a box on a nearby bookshelf. She held it between her thumb and forefinger, looked at my mother, and said, “Janna, this has your name on it.”
The Iron Pipe of Swedish Neo-Fascism
At first glance, the upswing of fascism and racism in Sweden appears surprising. Fascism seems totally out of place in an affluent country with a well-functioning welfare system. But in the past couple of decades, xenophobia has festered under the...
Part-Time Hunks
"It started when I was a little kid. I used to dance in front of the mirror and my mother would play 45s. I used to make-believe I was Elvis by giving out scarves and kissing the mirror, pretending there were girls there. Who knew I would be putting...
Living the American Dream in the West Bank
Prospective settlers of Hashmonaim receive a handy FAQ sheet: “Is this area over the ‘Green Line?’ ” reads one question. “Geographically and tax-wise, yes,” the sheet explains. But because it’s guarded by armed men and the Israeli government sanctions...