The power of the Twittermob has officially crossed the line from ‘worrying’ to ‘terrifying’. Yesterday, these ready offence-takers, these always primed chest-beaters over words and images that don’t gel with the moral outlook of the Twitterati, managed to get a newspaper article expunged from the internet, shoved down the memory hole, made into an un-article so that it would never again offend their sensibilities. And they destroyed the article with such swiftness that many people won’t even have noticed that it happened. But it did happen, and we need to talk about it.
Category: culture
Mixed Signals: Why People Misunderstand Each Other
The psychological quirks that make it tricky to get an accurate read on someone’s emotions
Doctor: Why Quack TV Docs Like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil Need to Go
Dr. Oz has come under fire due to his ‘egregious lack of integrity,’ but he pales in comparison to the fame-whoring Dr. Phil. Here’s why it’s time to get rid of the ‘daytime doc.’
Mind your language! Swearing around the world
Strong language is common to most cultures, but what makes a word profane, and how does cursing vary from place to place? James Harbeck explains.
We’re throwing away tons of fruits and veggies for not being pretty enough
Some criteria are rightly based on food-safety and shelf-life considerations, but many are manifestations of misguided normative ideas about what produce should look like. Cucumbers should be straight, cauliflower florets should be tightly held, and rhubarb stalks should be ruby red. If not, retailers tell farmers, consumers won’t buy them.
The Chained-Up Mentally Ill of Bali
Not far from the glistening beaches of Bali, mentally ill people are kept in chains or locked up in small shacks. Locals simply don’t know what else to do with them. But psychiatrist Luh Ketut Suryani has made it her job to set them free.
Wine Drinkers of the World, Unite
You have nothing to lose but inflated bills and interrupted anecdotes.
By Christopher Hitchens|Posted Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 5:30 AM
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr – review
Sam Leith relishes an obscenity-strewn journey through Roman, biblical and medieval times
Why Has Humanity Always Fantasized About the Capture and Rape of Women?
Misogyny’s deepest roots are exposed in the endless repetition of stories about capture and rape.
How To Make Worldwide Brain News (No News And Very Little Brain Required!)
The term “digital dementia” wasn’t widely known until a story originating in South Korea recently broke around the world. According to certain doctors, an alarming percentage of Korean teenagers are suffering from degenerative memory loss attributed to the overuse of smartphones.