Archive for the ‘Society’ Category
Does Moneyball explain baseball?
The movie Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is now in cinemas. I read and thoroughly enjoyed Michael Lewis’s book, but haven’t had a chance to see the movie yet. But friends have asked what I think about the Moneyball premise - that is, the use of statistical analysis to improve the performance of sports teams – and here’s what I [...]
McDonald’s out-smarts San Francisco’s toy banners
Tomorrow San Francisco’s “Healthy Food Incentive Ordinance” – which prohibits restaurants from providing free toys with meals unless the food meets its guidelines – comes into effect. The city government passed this law about a year ago, and it mainly targets McDonald’s, which provides a free toy with every one of its Happy Meals.
Will this mean the [...]
Rise in parents opting-out of vaccinations for kids
An analysis by the Associated Press finds that the number of parents that are opting out of vaccination shots for their kids has increased in more than half the U.S. states over the past five years. Eight states – mainly in the West and Midwest – now have levels of exemption that exceed 5 percent, [...]
After 11 September: their “resilience”, and ours
New Yorkers demonstrated true bravery and heroism in response to 9/11. The same cannot be said for America’s political leaders.
Read my spiked article in full here.
Irene response shows New York has lost its swagger
Thankfully, Hurricane Irene was not as bad as some had feared. Did the experience tell us anything about life in New York and the US today? I think so – here are some observations:
The emergence of Irene was something to take seriously. It was not fully clear how strong the hurricane would be by the time it reached the US [...]
State takes kids from parents found with small amounts of marijuana
A disturbing story in today’s New York Times:
Hundreds of New Yorkers who have been caught with small amounts of marijuana, or who have simply admitted to using it, have become ensnared in civil child neglect cases in recent years, though they did not face even the least of criminal charges…. A small number of parents [...]
Weiner: what a rubbish sex scandal
The Anthony Weiner incident shows that politicians are now so lame that they don’t even do scandal well.
Read my spiked article in full here.
Not the only Weiner
How to describe Anthony Weiner? Creepy, pathetic, cringe-inducing… but even those words seem too generous.
For those outside the US who haven’t followed this story (or Americans who have been living in a cave), let me briefly provide some background. Anthony Weiner is a member of the House of Representatives for a district that covers parts of [...]
New York City’s “Department of Moral Guidance”
New Yorker covers are usually very good, but this week’s is especially so. The drawing, by Bruce McCall, is called “Moral Guidance”. It depicts three New Yorkers in stocks – for offences of smoking, salt and carbs. Across the bottom, it says “NYC Department of Moral Guidance – No Feeding Backsliders”.
By coincidence, Brendan O’Neill writes on a similar [...]
My review of The Social Animal is published in Sweden
Voltaire, a Sweden-based political/cultural online magazine, has re-published my review of David Brooks’ The Social Animal.
If you can read Swedish, you can read it here.