Big Questions
21

Do Bicyclists Deserve Sympathy?

"Why are bicyclists portrayed as inhuman creatures unworthy of sympathy, dismissing an incredibly diverse world of practice (bicycling) because of the stupid behavior of a few jerks?"

14

Teenage Girl Knows Thing

"How would a teenage girl know about Monty Python?"

4

ADHD Gets Meta

"Could teens today really be faking ADHD to get into college?"

4

Dead Lady Doing Church Gigs

"Is this image Princess Diana's ghost or an optical illusion?" I DON'T KNOW, I'M SO CONFLICTED.

0

Were Any Famous Literary Figures NOT Poisoned?

Did Jane Austen die of arsenic poisoning? Was Pablo Neruda given a lethal injection by agents of general Augusto Pinochet? Who put that funny looking shirt on Ronnie Devoe?

1

Your Happy/Sad Headline Of The Day

"DID 'HAPPY FEET' PENGUIN BECOME HAPPY MEAL?" Sure, why the hell not.

7

Is Man Too Jolly To Be President?

More Chris Christie: As speculation mounts that the man will be a future Republican standard-bearer, so too does the question on everyone's lips concerning his ample frame. Basically, will America elect a president as portly as New Jersey's governor? It's a conundrum freighted with controversy, but at least one doctor was willing to weigh in twice on the local Fox affiliate. His answer: no. I'm not so sure, particularly if the election comes down to the "Which candidate would you rather have a sack of Sliders with?" query, which, given the way we're going, it probably will.

4

Regret: Who Does It Better?

Do young people feel more regret than old people? Don't test me, young people.

5

The Way We Journalism Now

Is "repackaging" "theft"? It's so complicated these days.

12

Consider The Duck

"Why do we laugh at ducks? Why do we find them funny? Did Walt Disney choose Donald Duck as a cartoon character because ducks are inherently comic, or do ducks seem all the more comical because of the creation of Donald Duck?… Because ducks are fat? Is it because we eat them? (At least, some of us do). Is it because of both attributes combined, so that when we look upon them and see how bulbous-bodied they are, we somewhere deep in our minds – at least, the carnivores amongst us – cannot help seeing them upside down on a plate, and so cannot take them seriously as living [...]

27

Did White Guys Stop Singing?

Andrew Sullivan points to this important query: Why are white men singing so much less in popular music these days? I don't know! Also, while I have you here, let me just mention that I, while late to the party, have been listening to Julia Holter's Tragedy pretty much nonstop over the last couple of weeks. It is an amazing record, although it is probably not for everyone. There are a ton of elements that could seem gimmicky or annoying in the wrong hands, but these hands seem to do everything right. Give it a listen.

18

People Still Arguing About Bicycles

"Are urban bicyclists just elite snobs?" Don't ask me! I prefer to ponder considerably less contentious queries like, "Who has it harder, white women or black men?"

2

Famous Dead People: Who Makes The Cut?

Who's going to be in this year's Parade of the Dead at Sunday's Oscars?

12

Should Web Design Be Bare Bones?

Whaddya think, kids? "Now that things like Readability and Instapaper are dissolving all the bells and whistles off of every other kind of content… it's worth asking whether or not what we've come to accept as good Web design accomplishes anything genuinely useful for a website's best customers—the ones who obsessively check it throughout the day, the ones who read every word of an article, the ones who are most engaged with a site's content."

12

Politicians And Milk Prices: An Inquiry

"Should politicians know the price of a pint of milk?" Well? SHOULD THEY?

31

Are You Your Friend?

"Would you be your own friend?" I have actually thought about this question as it relates to me personally. I mean, on the plus side, I am always quick to buy the round and happy to share my cigarettes. I am a surprisingly good listener who asks the right questions and usually won't offer much in the way of advice unless it seems wanted. I do better than average with the commiseration. I can tell a pretty good joke. I will gossip with you about mutual acquaintances in a way that leaves neither of us feeling guilty the next day. I have not thrown up on anyone since [...]

6

Killing Bigfoot

"This issue brings up a longstanding debate within the Bigfoot community: Would be ethical to shoot and kill a Bigfoot? Some say yes, because that's the only way to prove they exist, and once proof is found, funds could be made available to protect them as an endangered species. Others say no — that because Bigfoot sightings are so rare, they must have very small populations and killing one might drive the animals to extinction. Shooting a suspected Bigfoot with tranquilizer darts is an option that has gained some steam. Ethics and the lethal-or-nonlethal debate aside, there's a good reason aiming your gun at a Bigfoot could be a [...]

11

Sometimes People Say Outrageous Things On The Internet To Generate Traffic

"Does having a payment model that rewards controversy encourage writers to bait readers with offensive material?" Do Jews love money?

2

Deer Gets Sheeped

"What do you think? Do you support sheep-deer relationships?"

17

The Way We _____ Now

"Is it wrong for a mother to write about her teenage daughter's intimate waxing?"