Culture and Society

Inspired by comic books, ordinary citizens are putting on masks to fight crime

Is John Zogby the most unbiased name in socio-political polling, or is he merely selling his services to promote his clients' agendas?

Within days of his Second Coming, Jesus Christ (aka Prince of Peace, Savior, The Lord) is facing charges in a number of jurisdictions across the country.

Why do seven-year-olds enjoy Pokémon so much? Because it's a preview of real life.

Scientology may be a bizarre faith invented by a sci-fi hack. But it's not a cult.

The closet has finally outlived its usefulness. So why do gay celebrities insist on staying in? And why do journalists guard the door?

A look at the complex interplay between Asian massage parlors, the adult entertainment industry, and the local authorities.

A poet once referred to a corpse as "quiet clay." How odd, I thought when I first read it. How true, I thought, as I looked upon these three dead American soldiers.

The Amish are famous for shunning technology. But their secret love affair with the cell phone is causing an uproar.

People who drive silver or blue cars or trucks should definitely not read this column because they won't get it anyway. That's just how they are.

But if you drive any other color car or truck -- especially a red one like I do -- you'll get what I am about to tell you, and you'll quickly see how this secret knowledge can help you avoid getting duped in many areas of your life.

How school textbooks go from the publisher to your child's classroom.

The cyber court of public opinion proves powerful, but its verdicts aren't always just.

At what point does providing comforts to soldiers turn into excessive materialism -- and what effect does that have on "winning hearts and minds"?

The following paper traces the movement of the "Pokemon" phenomenon from its origins in the Japanese market to its introduction into the United States and beyond.

A game design review of an innovative game

Originally from LostGarden.com

This is a game design review, not a game review. A game review typically is written for the consumer and is intended to help them decide if they want to purchase the title. A game design review is written for other game developers and is intended to highlight successes and failures of the various layers of the game design.

Originally from GaijinSmash.net

The wacky games Japanese students play, and the Americans who have to dodge them.

By John Scalzi

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

The explosive rise of the Web, going from nothing to everything in one decade, has encouraged us to believe in the impossible: Might the long-heralded great library of all knowledge really be within our grasp?

What does your preference in donut franchises say about your sense of Canadian (or American) identity?

Or, The Task of Carter Randolph
Or, Cthulhu Cthild Cthare

Copyright 2001 by Tom Smith