AltWeeklies Wire
Champion Lockpicker Schuyler Towne Can't Be Stoppednew
It's too bad Skip Gates didn't have Schuyler Towne's cell number on that fateful day last month. If he did, the Somerville-based lockpicking champ likely could have gotten in to the good professor's home in no time at all, and a national controversy (and international beer summit) might have been averted.
Boston Phoenix |
Ian Sands |
08-06-2009 |
Culture
Being the Average Dudenew

John Bear lives the life of an average American for one week. So what does the average American eat, drink and do during a week?
Weekly Alibi |
John Bear |
08-04-2009 |
Culture
Isn't That Super? A Dispatch from the 31st Annual Superman Celebrationnew
Each year since 1979, fans of Superman from around the world descend upon Metropolis, a sleepy hamlet (population 6,482) on the banks of the Ohio River at the southern tip of Illinois, to pay their respects to the iconic "Man of Steel." This year, we were there.
Riverfront Times |
Jennifer Silverberg |
07-31-2009 |
Culture
Jimmy On the Edge of Townnew
A homeless Christian-Muslim from Palestine pitches a tent behind Bed Bath & Beyond in Northridge. Then come the railroad men and feral cat activists.
L.A. Weekly |
Patrick Range McDonald |
07-31-2009 |
Culture
Meet the Awesome Foundation for Arts and Sciencesnew
What if Eli and Edythe Broad, two seminal financial backers of MIT and Harvard, had gone batshit crazy back in the early '00s and decided to go in a different direction with their philanthropy?
Boston Phoenix |
Ian Sands |
07-23-2009 |
Culture
How Craigslist's Missed Connections Appeals to Our Best and Worst Selvesnew
While the rise in popularity of online dating has led to dozens of websites, Craigslist manages to stand apart, due to one category -- Missed Connections.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Virginia Leise |
07-23-2009 |
Culture
Swingers Amiss: Is Group Sex Obscene?new
When swingers swing, is it obscene? Depends on your definition of "obscenity." And of "public."
Hartford Advocate |
Brianna Snyder |
07-21-2009 |
Culture
We Crash the Rainbow Gatheringnew

In a desperate attempt to see eye-to-eye with this Rainbow family, I had even broken an eight-year hallucinogen-free run and eaten a mixture of honey and psychedelic mushrooms. But there I was, in the midst of a mellow trip, further from understanding them than I had been when I arrived.
Weekly Alibi |
Maren Tarro |
07-20-2009 |
Culture
The Teacher Who Became A Dominatrixnew

A few years into her Ph.D., Madalyn White (not her real name) became disenchanted with the academic life -- largely because she hated making $1,200 a month as a sessional instructor and was tired of the publish-or-perish grind. So White made a career change. After more than 10 years in academics, White became a dominatrix.
SEE Magazine |
Marliss Weber |
07-17-2009 |
Culture
It Ain't Easy Going Green: The Headaches & Hardships of Eco-Friendly Buildingnew

While in many ways Connecticut has been very progressive, the current hodgepodge of local rules and laws are frustrating to people who are committed to building and living sustainably.
New Haven Advocate |
Betsy Yagla |
07-14-2009 |
Culture
A Website You Can Dig Your Claws Into Is Up for Salenew
Attention all you who like cats, stuff and stuff on cats: the Web site StuffOnMyCat is up for sale.
L.A. Weekly |
Gendy Alimurung |
07-10-2009 |
Culture
Tags: Mario Garza, StuffOnMyCat.com
Anger: Confusing the Story with Realitynew
It's never events themselves that make us angry. Rather, it's the one-sided story we tell ourselves about what these events mean.
Jackson Free Press |
Melia Dicker |
07-09-2009 |
Culture
Tags: anger management
My One Night As A Swingernew

Who knew that swingers are suddenly a big deal again? It's a phenomenon I thought died with the '70s -- key parties and hairy-chested men and suburban dinner parties gone terribly wrong. But apparently swinging has been rebranded for new millennium -- it's called "The Lifestyle" now, and apparently everyone is living it.
SEE Magazine |
Jane Smith |
07-03-2009 |
Culture
Can Debutante Classes Break Troubled Teens' Cycle of Pregnancy and Poverty?new

The Ladies by Design Junior Debutante Course is part of a trend in programs springing up to help low-income teens. Often promoted as lessons in such things as hip-hop dance or engine building, the programs are in fact holistic youth development gigs.
Dallas Observer |
Kimberly Thorpe |
06-30-2009 |
Culture
Stress: Causes and Curesnew
Name any ailment you may have, and stress will probably make it worse. Are you feeling stressed just reading this?
Jackson Free Press |
Melia Dicker |
06-26-2009 |
Culture