Longread #185 -- Too Important to Fail -- 10/31/12

When I first heard about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as part of Dodd-Frank, it sounded like one more government agency that would wind up toothless, a symbol of good intentions thwarted by harsh political realities. I doubted that any real power would be vested in the CFPB and figured it was being used for soundbites rather than meaningful reform. In this longread, the author argues that the CFPB can and should be more. He explains why the CFPB is distinct from other regulatory agencies and lays out a strong case for why its success is essential to protect the 99% and ultimately to advance the long-term interests of the financial sector as well.

"Too Important to Fail" by John Gravois
Published in the Washington Monthly, July/August 2012
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/julyaugust_2012/features/too_important_to_fail038413.php?page=all&print=true

Eric

Longread #184 -- The Last Tour -- 10/30/12

Despite being a few years old, today's longread still highlights a crucial challenge for a society that has spent over a decade involved in foreign conflicts. PTSD is increasingly being recognized as systemic problem for service members, and its impact can be devastating. This story of a highly-decorated soldier whose life was lost as a result of PTSD is a reminder of the gravity of this issue and is yet another cost of war that is often unaccounted for.

"The Last Tour" by William Finnegan
Published in the New Yorker, September 29, 2008
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/09/29/080929fa_fact_finnegan?currentPage=all

Eric

Longread #183 -- Chasing Armstrong With Truth -- 10/29/12

I've mostly stayed away from the Lance Armstrong story because I felt like there was little good that would come out of it. I'm not a cycling fan, so I didn't have a strong opinion about Lance or doping in the sport, and as a baseball fan, I feel somewhat desensitized to finger-pointing arguments about performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Because of everything Armstrong came to represent with regard to his foundation and experience with cancer, I think I largely chose to focus on what had been accomplished outside of cycling. With the most recent reports of his doping and the loss of his Tour de France titles, I saw it as more of the same back-and-forth between Lance and his past competitors still bitter about his winnings (whether doped or not).

This article from David Carr changed my perspective on the issue in two ways. First, I learned that the people who have been working to expose Lance's doping are not angry former competitors. Instead, for the most part they are individuals with few resources and no real financial interest in the case. A few small voices who refused to tolerate cheating kept repeating their message and working to expose the truth. If anything, it was Armstrong's camp that used heavy-handed tactics to try to manipulate the way that the case was covered in the media. Second, I learned that, at least based on the information from the most recent reports  Armstrong was involved in more than just individual doping. He cheated systematically, conspired to keep it hidden, and also encouraged others to cheat with him. It is easy to argue that a PED user harms only him/herself, but it seems that this was not the case with Armstrong.

Even if you are sick of hearing of this whole case, I encourage you to read Carr's piece on the bloggers and non-traditional journalists who would not stand by while the traditional media ignored the evidence.

"Chasing Armstrong With Truth" by David Carr
Published in the New York Times, 10/28/12
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/business/media/chasing-lance-armstrongs-misdeeds-from-the-sidelines.html?pagewanted=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0&pagewanted=all

Eric

Longread #182 -- A Home at the End of Google Earth -- 10/26/12

This is a great story on many levels. It touches on a wide range of issues ranging from international poverty to  technology to how individual's form a sense of identity and place. In some ways, my biggest disappointment with the article itself is that it doesn't explore any of those elements with a lot of depth. That said, I'm not sure that was the author's intention, and given the magnitude of those issues, I can see why it would be hard to tackle those issues in this kind of article without distracting from the primary story. In any case, I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did.

Happy Friday!

"A Home at the End of Google Earth" by David Kushner
Published in Vanity Fair, November 2012
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/11/india-orphan-google-earth-journey?src=longreads

Eric

Longread #181 -- Holy Guacamole! -- 10/25/12

I'm changing the pace on the blog a bit today. This is obviously a very different subject matter and style than other things that I've posted, but I still think it qualifies as a truly interesting longread. As "foodie" culture in the U.S. has exploded, so too has an interest in the science of food. One of my favorite sources for this kind of information is a blog called Serious Eats that runs a feature called the "Food Lab." This series goes in-depth in identifying optimal cooking techniques and explaining the science behind them. After eating some awesome guacamole last night made using this recipe (thanks, Lucy!), I thought I'd share the background article.

"The Food Lab: The Best Guacamole (and the Science of Avocados)" by J. Kenji López-Alt

Published on Serious Eats, January 17, 2012

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the-food-lab-the-best-guacamole-avocados-science-browning-ripening.html

Eric

Longread #180 -- The Thin Blue Lie -- 10/24/12

One of the biggest issues facing local government in Seattle is reforming the police department. After numerous reports of egregious violations of the rights and dignity of citizens became public, a great deal of community pressure was focused on the SPD. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice identified a range of systematic problems in SPD practices that failed to adequately prevent or punish these sorts of violations. It is often said that trust in the police is an essential element to an effective system of law and order, but I think that in most cases that is simply rhetoric. It seems rare to find police departments that take a systematic approach to truly building support in the community. Of course there are many individual officers who do a fantastic job of serving the public interest and trying to restore the image of the police. Unfortunately, it is also the case that police departments as a whole often drag their feet and allow bad apples to ruin the bunch. In today's longread, author David Noriega describes his experience as an investigator for the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board and uses this example to illustrate the challenges in creating a truly accountable police force in our current climate.

"The Thin Blue Lie" by David Noriega
Published in the New Inquiry, August 29, 2012
http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/the-thin-blue-lie/

Eric

Longread #179 -- Cosmo the Hacker God -- 10/23/12

Every now and again, I come across an article that reminds me of how vulnerable most of us really are when it comes to online security. We trust that a password requirement, some basic encryption, and a few other simple measures will allow us to avoid hackers and criminals who either want to create chaos or reap profits by undermining cybersecurity programs. This article demonstrates how a creative teenager was able to expose the security flaws of some of the world's most powerful, innovative, and successful companies. As a matter of principle, I try to err toward trusting other people, but articles like this are a reminder that sometimes even small pieces of information that you share can be compiled to enable malicious and extremely damaging acts. These are probably the sacrifices we make to get the benefits of technology, but it's scary sometimes how easily security loopholes can be exploited.

"Cosmo, the Hacker ‘God’ Who Fell to Earth" by Mat Honan
Published in Wired, September 11, 2012
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/cosmo-the-god-who-fell-to-earth/all

Eric

Longread #178 -- Tax Loopholes -- 10/22/12

With so much of the election focusing on tax policy, I found this article to be remarkably illuminating and frustrating. While theoretically these are the types of tax loopholes that both candidates could be exposing, the nature of political power -- such that challenging the benefits of the extremely rich is potentially career-destroying -- seems to ensure that these issues continue to get swept under the rug. Hopefully over time we can reform the tax code in a way that is truly progressive and eliminates these types of bogus kickbacks.

"The 10 Most Corrupt Tax Loopholes" by Chris Parker
Published in the Seattle Weekly, October 10, 2012
http://www.seattleweekly.com/content/printVersion/1818529/

Eric

Longread #177 -- Are Doctors Too Wary of Pharmaceutical Companies? -- 10/19/12

It's hard to read the longreads from the previous two days and not have an intense skepticism about pharmaceutical companies and their research. But is it possible for that skepticism to go too far?

Today's longread looks at a recent study that found that doctors, who used to have a cozy relationship with Big Pharma, are now often overly-dismissive of the results of industry-funded studies. Even though the studies had meticulous methodological practices, the doctors still were more likely to be wary of their results.

My reaction to this finding is twofold. First, I think it's important to keep in mind that most of the doctors were still able to identify the difference between the studies that were well-designed and poorly-designed regardless of their funding source. So while there may be some instances where doctors are overly skeptical, by and large they are doing a good job of being guided by the details and not by single factors like the study's sponsor. Second, I disagree with the quote concluding the article that "excessive skepticism is as much a bad thing as naïveté." Except in the most dire situation, I'd much rather have a doctor follow something akin to the precautionary principle to protect me against unintended side effects. And in general, skepticism is what drives science. I'd almost always put more trust in someone who asks too many questions as opposed to someone who asks too few.

"Are Doctors Too Wary of Drug Companies?" by Dr. Pauline Chen
Published on the New York Times Well Blog, October 18, 2012
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/are-doctors-too-wary-of-drug-companies/

Eric

Longread #176 -- The Drugs Don't Work -- 10/18/12

Continuing in the field of medicine and health research, this article from the Guardian exposes a fundamental challenge to meaningful scientific progress. The disclosure requirements for medical research studies are shockingly low, and as a result, unfavorable study results never see the light of day. As the article demonstrates, this is profoundly unethical as it prevents doctors and patients from making truly informed decisions about the benefits and risks of medications. However, it also hinders the broader scientific community that would benefit from having a greater knowledge of what works and what doesn't. Instead, we get uncoordinated and often unnecessary research that does little to benefit patients in the short- or long-term. While obviously there are concerns about proprietary information for pharmaceutical companies that spend billions on research, that's not an excuse when a drug is being marketed and administered to actual human patients. Sadly, when so much money is at stake, human health often becomes a secondary concern.

"The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal" by Ben Goldacre
Published in the Guardian, September 21, 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/sep/21/drugs-industry-scandal-ben-goldacre?CMP=twt_gu

Eric

Longread #175 -- Bad to the Bone -- 10/17/12

Yesterday's post was a brief political interlude, but today we go back to articles relating to the medical field. After some discussion of clinical trials and cancer research last week, today's longread addresses off-label use of drugs and medical devices. It examines the dangers that can occur when corporate greed takes hold in an environment of weak regulation. Sadly, these stories are all-too-common, yet we rarely see comprehensive steps to address them (for example, clearer and tougher laws, stronger penalties for violators, and more budgetary support for regulators).

"Bad to the bone: A medical horror story" by Mina Kimes
Published in Forbes, September 18, 2012
http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/18/synthes-norian-criminal/

Eric

Longread #174 -- The Lie Factory -- 10/16/12

In light of tonight's important presidential debate, I am posting this longread about the history of political consulting and advertising in the U.S. The story of Campaigns, Inc., founded by Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, is remarkable for how easily its influence can be found in modern politics. From basic political strategy to specific issue messaging (with healthcare, for example), it is remarkable how little has changed. For many of us, this political landscape is just the way things have always been, so I found it fascinating to learn more about how the modern institution of political consulting and advertising came to be.

"The Lie Factory" by Jill Lepore
Published in the New Yorker, September 24, 2012
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/24/120924fa_fact_lepore?printable=true

Eric

Longread #173 -- The Median Isn't the Message -- 10/15/12

Several articles last week focused on prognosis and how people with cancer approach life with the disease. How patients interpret information about prognosis varies widely, and it can make discussions about statistics very complicated and difficult. Hope in the context of cancer can be both very powerful and very dangerous. In this longread, Stephen Jay Gould, a well-known scholar in his time, confronts his own dismal prognosis and digs into the statistics to find a meaningful take on his situation.

"The Median Isn't the Message" by Stephen Jay Gould
Re-printed at the Cancer Guide, initially published in Discover Magazine, 1985
http://www.cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html

Eric

Longread #172 -- Cancer Survivors -- 10/12/12

As it relates to cancer, "survivor" is a loaded word. From a practical standpoint, it is difficult to define because cancer is a disease that can come back even many years after it seems to have been "cured" (not surprisingly, the concept of being "cured" of cancer is also controversial). Choosing the point at which a person becomes a survivor, then, is tricky. From an emotional standpoint, the term survivor can often be challenging for those who have been diagnosed with cancer. With so much variation between patients in terms of cancer types, treatments, responses to treatment, etc., the term can take on so many meanings that some find it objectionable.

Personally, I try not to tell people who have cancer how they should feel or how they should describe themselves or their disease. While that seems pretty obvious, I don't think that it precludes celebrating people who have taken a productive approach to how these terms are used. In this longread, Suleika Jaouad, who was been diagnosed with cancer in her early 20s and is writing a series for the New York Times, discusses what the term survivor means to her. I found her reflections to be one of the more thoughtful and meaningful considerations of the topic that I have seen.

"Life, Interrupted: Am I a Cancer Survivor?" by Suleika Jaouad
Published in the New York Times, July 12, 2012
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-cancer-survivor/

Eric

Longread #171 -- Cancer and Prognosis -- 10/11/12

Prognosis is a very scary and powerful thing in the field of oncology. Prognostic factors often guide doctors in making treatment recommendations, and for patients and family members, it is natural to want to know what the future holds. As we learn more and more about what drives different types of cancer, we also are able to better refine a patient's prognosis. However, it is not always the case that the pace of research for treatments can keep up. This longread is an interesting example of this situation. It raises a number of ethical questions about how we understand and communicate about prognosis, and these issues are sure to grow in importance as cancer research progresses.

"A Life-Death Predictor Adds to a Cancer’s Strain" by Gina Kolata
Published in the New York Times, July 9, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/health/genetic-test-changes-game-in-cancer-prognosis.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Eric

Longread #170 -- No Evidence of Disease -- 10/10/12

In contrast to yesterday's article, which was an academic piece written by two influential doctors, today's longread comes from a very different perspective. Many people affected by cancer (patients, family, friends, etc.) choose to write as a means of coping with the difficult emotional struggles that confront them. As more and more people engage with one another online, blogging has become a popular way of sharing these writings. Though this can be a phenomenal outlet for expression, these blog posts often share a similar style or formula. When I first started reading today's article, I thought it was heading in that direction. As I read on, though, I realized that there was a lot more to this story and that it raises a host of intriguing and complicated issues.

Thanks to my co-worker Alex for sharing it!

"No Evidence of Disease" by Maciej Cegłowski
Published on Idle Words, September 17, 2012
http://idlewords.com/2012/09/no_evidence_of_disease.htm

Eric

Longread #169 -- Two Hundred Years of Cancer Research -- 10/9/12

This is one of the more straightforward and academic articles that I've posted, but I think it provides a useful frame of reference when talking about cancer. Written by two very prominent cancer researchers, it provides an overview of the progress that has been made in cancer research over the last two centuries. The burden of cancer on our society is still significant, and it is not uncommon to hear people wonder why we haven't yet found "the cure." While there is always room for improvement in the quality, cost-effectiveness, and application of research, this article points out the enormity of the challenges of cancer research and the tremendous advances that have been made in the field. It also previews the new directions for research in the coming years.

"Two Hundred Years of Cancer Research" by Vincent DeVita and Steven Rosenberg
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, June 7, 2012
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1204479?query=featured_home&&

Eric

Longread #168 -- Breast Cancer in the Marines -- 10/8/12

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which you've almost certainly noticed if you've seen the proliferation of pink being worn by athletes, celebrities, and ordinary people across the country. This week's longreads will all focus on cancer, although the articles will be about more types of cancer than just breast cancer. Today's article is about an often-overlooked population that gets breast cancer: men. In particular, it exposes a disturbingly high rate of breast cancer in Marines with a specific history of exposures at a particular base. While the story is in many ways tragic, it also will hopefully help researchers better understand the influence of environmental factors (such as exposure to certain chemicals) that can influence breast cancer risk.

"How a Bunch of Scrappy Marines Could Help Vanquish Breast Cancer" by Florence Williams
Published in Mother Jones, May/June 2012
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/05/camp-lejeune-marines-breast-cancer-florence-williams

Eric

Longread #167 -- The Wife of Jesus? -- 10/5/12

You may have seen these headlines popping up a few weeks ago, so I'll admit that I'm a bit behind on this story. In some ways, though, I think it might be for the better. When I first saw news articles describing new findings about the wife of Jesus, I dismissed them and figured it was much ado about nothing. But then this article from Smithsonian Magazine came through one of the aggregators that I follow, and I figured it would be a good way to try to understand what had been released and get a better sense of its significance. I'm really glad that I chose to read this article because it does an excellent job of contextualizing this most recent -- and as it turns out, fascinating -- discovery.

"The Inside Story of a Controversial New Text About Jesus" by Ariel Sabar
Published in Smithsonian, September 18, 2012
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Inside-Story-of-the-Controversial-New-Text-About-Jesus-170177076.html?c=y&story=fullstory&src=longreads

Eric

Longread #166 -- Bike Helmets -- 10/4/12

A little over a month ago, I was in Portland, Oregon on a mini-vacation. Portland is known for its strong support of bike commuting, and this support pays off as streets are shared between drivers and bicyclists. While I was there, though, I also noticed a handful of people riding without a helmet, which seemed very out of sorts to me. When I got back home to Seattle -- another city that is big on biking -- I started to notice a good number of people here biking without a helmet, too. This struck me as extremely unsafe and frustrated me as I thought these helmetless bicyclists were affecting the image of the responsible commuter.

This longread forced me to reconsider my viewpoint. As someone who doesn't ride a bike, I really don't know about the risks of bike accidents. I have assumed that riding with a helmet was a fundamental safety issue, but apparently the science is not nearly as clear. Furthermore, the overall safety of bicyclists might be improved if helmet requirements -- a barrier to biking for many -- were eliminated.

I still have a strong visceral reaction to seeing bicyclists without a helmet, but this longread got me thinking about this issue in new ways and has me questioning whether my initial impulse on this issue is the right one.

"To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets" by Elisabeth Rosenthal
Published in the New York Times, September 29, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/sunday-review/to-encourage-biking-cities-forget-about-helmets.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=all

Eric

Longread #165 -- Bleacher Report -- 10/3/12

A number of articles that I've posted recently have dealt with how information is created, distributed, stored, and processed. As has been stated by countless observers, the internet has dramatically changed the way that we access information, although the implications of those changes is certainly up for debate. This longread looks at how the internet in general but more specifically one website -- Bleacher Report -- has changed the nature of sports reporting. The lessons from the Bleacher Report example may also shine a light on the direction that we may see in other areas of reporting. Essentially, the Bleacher Report model is driven almost entirely by what can generate pageviews (and thus advertising dollars). Stories are crowd-sourced, which is code for the fact that they are typically produced for free by writers with limited journalistic experience. Moreover, these stories are commonly written to fit a particular headline or set of keywords that Bleacher Report algorithms indicate will generate the most traffic.

This is a highly-profitable model but one that in my opinion seriously degrades the quality of sports reporting online. That said, as the Sinclair Lewis letter of note indicated, it's important to be wary of casting off a site like Bleacher Report (or alternatively, only embracing more "institutional" reporting sources) simply because it doesn't fit the traditional model of what is understood as good sports writing. 

This also begs the question of why we are so attracted to hyperbole. Why can't we look away and just not click on the links to these articles? Why are we so drawn to reality TV shows that feature actors and actresses who represent the most extreme versions of different stereotypes? When did this attraction start? Are sites like Bleacher Report simply catering to the market? Or are they also actively involved in creating this type of market demand? 

"How Bleacher Report Made Crap Journalism Pay" by Joe Eskenazi

Published in the Seattle Weekly, October 3, 2012

http://www.seattleweekly.com/content/printVersion/1814736/

Eric

Longread #164 -- A Letter of Note -- 10/2/12

Today's longread comes from another blog called Letters of Note, which posts letters of historical significance. My roommate Gabe brought this one to my attention and for good reason. As you can read, it is a letter from Sinclair Lewis turning down the Pulitzer Prize. His argument about the institution of the Pulitzer and how it could affect the understanding and appreciation of writing seems both remarkably selfless and forward-thinking.

"All prizes, like all titles, are dangerous" by Sinclair Lewis
Published on Letters of Note, September 28, 2012. Originally written May 26, 1926.
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/09/all-prizes-like-all-titles-are-dangerous.html

Eric

Longread #163 -- Branded for Life -- 10/1/12

"Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!"

It's amazing how much an actor's face or character can stick with us after a successful ad campaign. These ads get played so much that they conquer a shockingly large chunk of people's memories. However, as the character's popularity grows, it becomes easier and easier to forget that behind the character is a real person. This longread looks at the lives of several commercial actors whose careers exploded with the success of certain ad campaigns.

"Branded for Life" by Felix Gillette
Published in Business Week, September 27, 2012
http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/73298-branded-for-life

Eric