Matt Taibbi—an author and Rolling Stone political writer who’s sometimes pegged as a spiritual heir to Hunter S. Thompson—has scored again with his latest book, Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another. Taibbi’s the kind of journalist who doesn’t allow his own political sensibilities to interfere with his passion for digging up … Continued
When Jon Stewart took the reins of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show from Craig Kilborn in 1999, the program began outperforming Saturday Night Live as an incubator for rising comedy talent. The cavalcade of stars who have come to prominence on TDS has included Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Olivia Munn, Ed Helms, John Oliver, Trevor … Continued
In his latest book, The Twenty-Six Words that Created the Internet, Jeff Kosseff, a professor of cybersecurity law in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Cyber Science Department, examines the implications of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the succinct law that has governed the dissemination of information, and disinformation, on the internet since 1996. It … Continued
In 1974, an underground journalist used drug money to launch High Times magazine in a basement office. It was supposed to be a single-issue spoof of Playboy, complete with lurid centerfold photography of obscenely big buds. But the magazine found an immediate audience and for more than four decades has remained true to its core … Continued
This first-mover cannabis sweetener hopes to earn $3 million in first-year revenues. Shoogies, a (THC) cannabis-infused sweetener, is hitting dispensary shelves throughout California. It’s available with agave or cane sugar, and the manufacturer hopes it can “elevate” the way users eat, cook and mix cocktails. Shoogies co-founder and CEO Latham Woodward says the product provides … Continued
A new wearable device works with the body’s nervous system to reduce anxiety. Two-thirds of the full-time American workforce feel “burned out” from chronic workplace anxiety, while some 120,000 Americans die from stress-related illnesses each year. In late May, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized burnout as an “occupational syndrome.” The WHO cites “feelings … Continued
In 1964, My Mother the Car, an NBC sitcom, aired one season for 30 episodes. The set-up was a man’s deceased mother communicating with him through his car’s radio. Critics hated the show and held onto their disdain for decades. In 2002, TV Guide proclaimed it the second-worst TV show of all time, behind The … Continued
General-interest journalists love to score interviews with prominent technologists, futurists and other visionaries. But it’s not easy to ask the right questions or understand the answers on the fly. That’s why asking an expert to interview a peer can produce satisfying results. Author and futurist Martin Ford, for example, speaks the same technical language as … Continued
Mother Jones (MoJo), a news organization launched in 1976, is named after Irish-American labor activist Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. MoJo publishes a quarterly print magazine featuring investigative journalism on politics, the environment, culture and human rights to 200,000 paid subscribers. As with MoJo’s roots, the publication’s backers, contributors and editors are unapologetically left-leaning. Activist documentary … Continued
Metallica’s new Blackened American Whiskey strikes many chords, but is it worthy?