Contents
January-February 2012
Human Rights 
Tortured
Bush’s crimes, Obama’s blind eye, and the death of accountability by Kathryn Sikkink,
from The Justice Cascade
The CIA in Somalia
Renditions, an underground prison, and the administration’s intensifying war by Jeremy Scahill, from The Nation
Jihad Against Islam
America’s right wing is on a witch hunt, and they’re tying Muslims to the stake by Robert Steinback, from Intelligence Report
The New Land Rush
Fears of violence and a hunger for profit are sparking a worldwide run on farmland by Terry J. Allen, from In These Times
Letters
Body-Checked by a Beep
We are chained to our love of “being in touch”
by Aaron Lake Smith, from Biopsy
A Hero’s Heart
Love letters reveal the inner spirit of Norway’s greatest humanitarian edited by Eric Utne, from Brenda, My Darling
Post Secret
When it comes to modern-day correspondence, the mystery is gone by Jo McGowan, from Commonweal
Uptown Is Upside Down
Remembering Harlem, when a sense of community trumped corporate greed by Rodney Robinson, from The Brooklyn Rail
Dr. Yang’s Fight Club
On a secluded mountaintop, young men sacrifice everything to emulate their kung fu master by Oliver Broudy, from Tin House
When the Last Guest Leaves
Dying with dignity is one thing. Helping your mom do it is another.by Ben Orion, from Eugene Weekly
EMERGING IDEAS
Lean, Green Fighting Machine
The U.S. military no longer wants to trade blood for oil by Edward Humes, from Sierra
Reading, Writing, and Self-Esteem
Simple exercises close the achievement gap by Lea Winerman, from Monitor on Psychology
Faith Goes Viral
Religion can affect where and why diseases spread by Elizabeth Pennisi, from ScienceNOW
GLEANINGS
On the Benghazi Express
A veteran reporter goes back to Egypt and his naive younger self by Marc Cooper, from Slake
Death by Byline
An open letter from a Guatemalan reporter on living life under the gun by Claudia Méndez Arriaza, from Sampsonia Way
Rust Belt Dharma
Boyhood memories and Burmese monks by Richard Eskow, from The Best Buddhist Writing
MINDFUL LIVING
Meditation, Not Meds
The science of stress relief interview by Daniel Redwood, from NEXUS Magazine
Balancing Act
Work-life balance for low-wage workers by David Villano, from Miller-McCune
How to Write a Love Poem
A not-so-serious tutorial on the art of seductive verse by Jim Behrle, from The Awl
MIXED MEDIA
Bollywood’s Soft Power
India‘s popular films wage a cultural war on extremism by Shikha Dalmia, from Reason
Blues for Beginners
An arts program preserves Chicago’s music by Brian Bienkowski, from Mindful Metropolis
Reviews:
Film
Twisting and Turning: A review of A Separation
Dream Cities: A review of Urbanized
Trapped: A review of The Shaft
Music
The Sound of Desire: A review of Aam Zameen: Common Ground by Kiran Ahluwalia
Sublime Swirl: A review of Blue Hour by the Drift
Musical Ammunition: A review of Will the Guns Come Out? by Hanni El Khatib
Books
Quench Wisely: A review of Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis by Cynthia Barnett
Gray Days: A review of Losing It by William Ian Miller
The Real Arab Woman: A review of I Killed Scheherazade by Joumana Haddad
Editor’s Note
by David Schimke
Forward
by Eric Utne
Dispatches from:
The Indypendent (Criminalizing HIV)
Contexts (Racism Moves Out)
Ars Technica (Rated M, for Mature)
Conservation (Digesting Diapers)
YES! Magazine (Homegrown Loans)
IEEE Spectrum (Big Fish, No Limit)
Mother Jones, Grist (LEED, Not So Clear-Cut)
The Texas Observer (Texas-Sized Nepotism)
Buddhadharma (Bad Buddhist Vibes)
Endogenous Development (Farming for Life)
Portland Mercury, Scientific American (Quiet: Salmon Spawning)
New Mobility (Hailing Accessibility)
World Affairs (Obama’s Soft, Soft Power)
Hi-Fructose (Brutal Truth Toys)
American Craft (A Bushelful of Art)
Gilt Taste (My Sommelier Is a Comic)
