Iserotope Extras #62: Please Don’t Flip Your Bat

Hi everyone! The theme of today’s issue is selfishness: (1) People enjoying Blue Apron aren’t thinking of the people packaging their food, (2) It’s OK for African American children to bus to the suburbs to go to school, but it’s not OK for White children to bus to the city, (3) Our zeal for iPhones leads directly to respiratory illnesses among people in China; (4) If you’d like to flip your bat after hitting a home run, it’s best if you go to South Korea. Please enjoy!

In Blue Apron’s Chaotic Warehouses, Making Dinner Easy Is Hard Work

For just $10 a meal, Blue Apron sends you all you need to make home cooking easy as pie. But behind all the tiny containers with two tablespoons of EVOO are the people who prep the food and pack the boxes. This Buzzfeed exposé uncovers the working conditions at the Richmond, CA plant — and management’s meager response, with racism thinly veiled.

Looking Back On 50 Years Of Busing In Boston

School desegregation is mostly a thing of the past. But for 50 years, the METCO program in Boston has worked toward integration by busing mostly African American children from the city to attend schools in the suburbs. (White suburban kids don’t take the bus into Boston.) The program serves 220 new students per year, and there is a very long waiting list.

I like typing.

China Pollution Caused By Graphite Mining for Smartphone Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries, which power smartphones and cars and Kindles, contain graphite, and most of the world’s graphite comes from China. This article focuses on people who live near graphite factories — how their water is undrinkable, how they can’t wash the soot off their food, how their tables at home are never clean, how their breathing suffers. The demand for graphite will continue to grow as we clamor for devices with better battery life. (See last week’s article on cobalt.)

Korean Bat Flip: The Art of Letting Go

In the United States, if you flip your bat after you hit a home run, that’s a big no-no. Better to be staid, respectful. But in South Korea, the code is different: bat-flipping is not just part of the game, it’s a joyful art. This article explores how bat-flipping became popular in South Korea and what it says about Korean vs. American culture.

#62 is done! Today, I’d like you to try to read at least one article all the way through and then to leave a comment on the article by clicking on the discussion bubble next to the headline. You might like it! See you next Thursday at 9:10 am.

Iserotope Extras #61: Someone Who Thinks Like Me

Welcome, everybody, and all you need to know this week is that the Giants are in the playoffs! (Good job, Mr. Bumgarner and Mr. Gallaspie.) Also, I have 4 great articles for you: (1) how voting machines are terrible, (2) how Trump supporters may have mental illness, (3) how our love for iPhones is killing people in Congo, (4) how a boy comes of age at Paris Fashion Week. Please enjoy!

The Computer Voting Revolution Is Already Crappy, Buggy, and Obsolete

After 2000 (hanging chads), tons of money went into voting machines, and since then, there have been major problems with miscounts. This story is about Memphis and its voting machines’ decade-long tendency to undercount African American votes. It is extremely worrisome to me.

‘Finally. Someone who thinks like me.’

This profile of a Trump supporter attempts to humanize a poor white middle-aged woman from western Pennsylvania, except it becomes clear early on that Melanie Austin has severe mental health issues. Like many Trump supporters, Ms. Austin believes deeply in conspiracy theories (including that Barack Obama is gay and that Michelle Obama is a man) and spends too much time on the Internet.

Look, everyone! The Parthenon is in Nashville.

Cobalt mining for lithium ion batteries has a high human cost

The lithium ion batteries that power our smart phones, laptops, and electric cars contain cobalt. Sixty percent of that cobalt comes from mines in Congo, where 100,000 men (and sometimes children) labor in dangerous conditions for about $2.50 a day. While tech companies investigate their supply chains, people are dying. (If you’re claustrophobic, don’t watch the first video.)

My Son, The Prince Of Fashion

Read this delightful piece by author Michael Chabon (Telegraph Avenue, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay), who takes his son, Abe, to Paris Fashion Week. Abe, 13, cares deeply about fashion, but unfortunately, his father is indifferent. Read all the way until the end of this article and you realize this is a double coming-of-age tale.

That’s it for Issue #61! Hope you liked it. Feel free to email me with your thoughts or share this issue with others. Also, let’s please welcome Erik, who joined Extras this week! Have a great week, and see you next Thursday at 9:10 am.

Iserotope Extras #60: Man vs. Rat

In this week’s Iserotope Extras, enjoy articles about the eradication of rodents, the revolution in the food industry, the unfair discipline practices of many charter schools, and the denouement of President Obama’s time in office. Also, in the middle, take in a short poem about Eric Garner and #BlackLivesMatter.

Man vs. Rat: Could the long war soon be over?

Many Extras subscribers know about and appreciate my aversion to rodents. Perhaps as a method of exposure therapy, I read this article, which focuses on researchers studying contraception as a viable way to eradicate rats. Where do I send them all my money?

The People’s Cheeseburger

So much to say about LocoL, the restaurant featured in this article. Motivated by goals of social justice, chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson envisioned bringing high-quality, nutritious food to the masses when they opened their radical burger joint in Watts. It’s too bad that the Oakland version gets only 3 ½ stars on Yelp. (I’m going anyway.)

Thank you, Extras subscriber Peter, for sending in this poem!

Charter Schools Suspend and Expel More Often in Black Communities

Usually I shy away from articles that bash charter schools, but this one is fair. It offers statistics from several cities where charter schools are suspending and expelling too many students, particularly African Americans. The no-excuses charters (like Success Academy and Achievement First) are worst, particularly on the East coast.

Barack Obama and Doris Kearns Goodwin: The Ultimate Exit Interview

If you’re sad that President Barack Obama’s two terms are almost over, or if you like history, this interview is a great read. Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals, offers President Obama a chance to reflect on his legacy. I especially like his answer to Ms. Goodwin’s question about the different types of ambition.

You have successfully made it through the 60th issue of Iserotope Extras! Let me know if were moved by one or more of these articles, and feel free to get the word out. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras #59: Looking for the Truth

2016 has not been a kind year, nor has this year made sense. This week’s edition highlights articles that look for the truth that exists somewhere hidden amidst all the conspiracy theories, racist ignorance, lack of vision, and narcissistic self-importance plaguing our society today. Please enjoy!

Looking for the Truth: The Death of ‘He Said, She Said’ Journalism

Last Saturday, after Donald Trump lied about birtherism, the New York Times wrote a watershed article that called the lie a lie—not a falsehood, but a lie. Instead of prioritizing objectivity, the newspaper prioritized the truth. It’s a big deal. This concise article analyzes the Times’ decision. Also, check out the Run-Up podcast, which discusses the article as a turning point in journalism.

If you don’t understand Black Lives Matter after Terence Crutcher’s death, you never will

Following the police shooting of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa this week, Vox included this article, another example of the media looking for the truth rather than emphasizing objectivity. “[T]he topic of unarmed black people being killed by law enforcement officers at wildly disproportionate rates is often dubbed ‘controversial,’ and is framed as an issue about which reasonable people can disagree. It’s not.”

My mom and I went to the Giants game last Sunday. AT&T Park was beautiful, as usual. The Giants, not so much.

Black Teachers Matter

Over the past 10+ years, we have closed low-performing schools in urban areas, which has displaced 26,000 African American teachers nationwide. Now only 6.8 percent of teachers are Black. This hurts kids of color, Kristina Rizga argues, and the villain is the charter school movement. (Ms. Rizga’s Mission High develops her case that neighborhood public schools can fix themselves.) (I have strong feelings about this article, but I will contain myself.)

I Used to Be a Human Being: My Distraction Sickness, and Yours

In this brilliant essay, Andrew Sullivan confronts his addiction to technology, pursuing meditation to “live in reality.” Along the way, he reminds us that we’re dying by distraction. We’ve read these kinds of articles before — how we’re overstimulated by the Internet and our devices, how we need to get back to our roots before the information overload takes all of our humanity away. But this piece is particularly well written and entirely worth your time (despite all your various demands).

My deep thanks to you for taking the time to read this week’s Iserotope Extras. If you’re moved, please send me an email with your thoughts. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras #58: Restorative Justice

Hi there! This week, the rest of the country has decided that school is back in session, so there are two excellent articles about education. The first considers restorative justice as an alternative to traditional discipline systems, and the last regards voluntary school desegregation as unlikely, nearly impossible. In between are two deep and important pieces — about the importance of remembering Sandy Hook and 9/11.

An Alternative to High-School Suspensions

Most people believe that when young people misbehave, we should punish them. Let’s teach them a lesson. The problem is, punishment doesn’t work. Instead, it pushes students out of school and into the prison system. This article is about restorative justice, a different way to demonstrate to young people how to be better.

Fighting Back Against Sandy Hook Deniers

Yes, there are people out there who think that the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary did not happen. This is the story of a dad who lost his 6-year-old son, who decided to fight back against the conspiracy theorists. It might be very American to say that 9/11 and Sandy Hook and the Orlando Massacre were “inside jobs,” but this silliness hurts people.

Ms. Jennifer Gerosa's 11th graders in San Francisco are reading Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World in Me in their English class. Excellent choice.

The Falling Man

I observed a colleague on Monday teach a responsible lesson on 9/11 to her sophomores, who were born in 2001. Our young people are very much affected by the events of September 11, but they do not know much about it. This essay, about people who jumped from the World Trade Center, is not for the faint of heart. But it is beautifully written, and it will take you back to that day 15 years ago.

How Parents Can Help Desegregate Schools

White people like desegregation, so long as their own children get to attend white schools. A typical white student goes to a school that is 75 percent white; a typical African American or Latino student goes to a school that is 90 percent of color. The way to integrate schools is to encourage white parents to send their kids to racially diverse schools. But that’s unlikely to happen without force.

Issue #58 is in the books! I still want to see what happens when someone clicks on the discussion bubble and makes a comment. Why not try it? It may spark an elucidating conversation! Go ahead. If not, email me your thoughts, and I’ll see you back here next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras #57: Bike Batman

Glorious Thursday to you! Thank you for opening up Iserotope Extras! This edition begins with Bike Batman in Seattle, follows with Child Protective Services outside of Los Angeles, keeps going with the death penalty across the country, and finishes with school segregation in Oakland. Click one, click all, and please enjoy.

Bike Batman: The Real-Life Superhero Who Beats the Cops to Bike Thieves

Bike Batman was just an average-seeming guy in Seattle who liked to ride his bicycle. He had no inkling of becoming a vigilante who would face off against criminals while armed with little more than a smartphone, some spare time, and a large amount of courage. But sometimes in life, the cape finds you.

A Family Matter

One afternoon, Danyelle and Randy Branning’s three children are taken away by Child Protective Services after their teenage daughter accuses her father of abuse. The children are placed in foster care, where the youngest boy becomes a victim of sexual abuse. The Brannings hire an attorney, who charges CPS with removing children from their parents without a warrant. You want there to be a hero in this story — maybe the lawyer, who fights for what is right, or the parents, for fighting for their children — but everyone, sadly, is messed up.

First game at Wrigley this past weekend. Cubs fans are great. (Too bad the Giants choked, again.)

Where the Death Penalty Still Lives

I got to see Bryan Stevenson last night at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, and as usual, he was captivating. He reminded the audience that California, though it hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, has the largest death row in the country. While the death penalty has declined nationwide, a small percentage of counties carry out the bulk of capital punishment. This article explains why.

Two Moms Choose Between Separate and Unequal Schools in Oakland

Oakland does a much better job being a racially diverse city than its more-famous counterpart across the Bay. But like most cities in America, its public schools are largely segregated by race and poverty. Two moms wrestled with this problem and came to very different approaches.

Hey, that’s the end of Issue #57. Congratulations! Please send this issue to a friend or family member, encouraging them to join. I’ll see you back here next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras #56: The Beta Rebellion

Blockbuster of an issue this week! The first article excoriates “All Lives Matter,” the second explains Snapchat, the third uncovers “beta males,” and the fourth leaves you numb. Please enjoy, please share Extras with your friends, and please let me know which article moved you the most.

The Real Reason White People Say “All Lives Matter”

All white people should read this. Using plain language, John Halstead explores the origins and problems of “All Lives Matter,” a product of fear, (un)conscious bias, and overt racism. More than anything else, white people seek comfort, which explains “colorblindness.” The piece ends with some common-sense strategies to combat white privilege. (Subscribers of color may say, “Um, yes, this is just a start.”)

Like. Flirt. Ghost: A Journey Into the Social Media Lives of Teens

This is a nice and easy profile of five teenagers and their lives on social media. This is the place to go if you need a primer on Snapchat. Also, as a member of the #olds, I was surprised that many teenagers heavily curate their Instagram profiles, keeping just 8-20 photographs, deleting those that don’t hit a high threshold of likes.

I like posting photos of places I’d like to be. This is Kauai.

The Beta Rebellion: The New Man of 4chan

It’s not just straight middle-aged white men who feel marginalized in this Time of Trump. It’s also young, mostly white men who are socially and sexually awkward. They call themselves “beta males,” fighting against “macho men” and other “normies” who attract “beautiful women,” whom they despise — yet covet. (Many are “incel,” or “involuntarily celibate.”) With Pepe the Frog as their mascot, these beta males have formed a misogynistic online community that promotes racism and violence, which has spurred vengeful mass shootings.

This Is Meant To Hurt You

A sad and beautifully written memoir by a woman whose husband is dying from a disease that his doctors think isn’t real. (She thinks this sometimes, too.) “ ‘Of course it isn’t in your head, babe,’ I say, because I can’t tell him I’ve been wondering the same thing all along. When you love someone, there are certain things you just can’t say.”

Congratulations, you have completed another issue! Now comes a new, exciting feature to try. Do you see the bubbles next to each article headline? That’s your cue to add your thoughts and comments about the article. Take your pick, choose an article to write about, and leave a short message! Hey, maybe you’ll get a conversation going! See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #55

We’re nearing the end of August, which means the completion of my birthday month. Big thanks to my mom and goddaughter; between them, I enjoyed two tasty cakes and dozens of cookies. (If you don’t know me, I can eat cookies.) This week, enjoy articles that explore poor white Americans, creepy straight white journalists, well-meaning English teachers, and politically minded librarians. There’s something for everyone in this week’s Extras!

The Despair of Poor White Americans

This year’s presidential election has shined a light on poor white Americans, their plight, and their interest in Donald Trump. This excellent ProPublica article explores the history and current standing of poor white people through the lens of two excellent books, White Trash and Hillbilly Elegy, both of which I highly recommend.

Outing gay men on Grindr isn't journalism. It's homophobic and dangerous

After Nico Hines, a married straight man, wrote an article for Daily Beast about Grindr use among gay athletes in Rio, there was an outcry from the gay community, which led to the article’s retraction. This piece offers a good explanation about why so many people were angry. (Here’s an opposing view.)

The Little Free Library of Leadership High School, San Francisco, thanks to Extras subscriber Michele.

You’re Probably Misreading Robert Frost’s Most Famous Poem

“The Road Not Taken” is Robert Frost’s most famous poem, taught in high school English classes across the country. The problem is, most English teachers are missing the point, getting the poem entirely wrong. Here’s a thorough analysis.

Libraries Are Not Neutral

The public likes its librarians like it likes its teachers: neutral. But librarians have never been neutral, and that’s good, argues Cory Eckert. “Public libraries have throughout their history shown bias in explicit and subtle ways—from material selection and categorization of books to strident support of anti-censorship and privacy legislation.”

Thank you for checking out this week’s Extras! If you know someone who may like to subscribe, feel free to forward this issue to them. (If they can’t get enough, here are all 55 Extras.) Have a great week, and see you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #54

There was a small brouhaha last week when Extras didn’t materialize (due to a massive Kindle deployment in Oakland). My apologies for the anxiety it caused. But all is well now! This issue, please enjoy articles on Bryan Stevenson (again and again), snopes.com, artificial intelligence, and Sandra Day O’Connor. And while you’re at it, wish happy thoughts to the nation’s teachers and students, who began going back to school this week.

The Legacy of Lynching, on Death Row

Extras is a huge fan of Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal representation for defendants on death row. This article by Jeffrey Toobin focuses on Mr. Stevenson’s stance that the death penalty in Southern states is an extension of slavery and Jim Crow. It also highlights EJI’s plan to build a national lynching memorial, the country’s first, in Montgomery. (Mr. Stevenson speaks in Berkeley on 9/7. If you’d like to join me, let me know!)

Can mythbusters like Snopes.com keep up in a post-truth era?

Everyone likes to check snopes.com to see if something we find online is true. But the website was founded in more honest times, and now, particularly after 9/11 and years of burgeoning “truthiness,” there is too much work to do, says co-founder David Mikkelson. My favorite part of this article analyzes the four main sources of misinformation: satire, regurgitation, distortion, and fabrication.

High up in the sky. Sonoma, CA.

Will Reading Romance Novels Make Artificial Intelligence More Human?

I keep reading this article over and over, and I still don’t quite get it, but it’s still fascinating. It’s about the latest trends in artificial intelligence, moving computers away from “making decisions” and encouraging them to “be more human.” The answer, apparently, is to feed them thousands of romance novels. After all, when the robots take over, we want them to know Harlequin.

When Sandra Day O’Connor Broke Into the Men’s Club

Three reasons to read this excellent article: (1) It’s about the Supreme Court, (2) it’s about Sandra Day O’Connor, who is an inspiration (plus I got to meet her!), (3) it’s written by Linda Greenhouse, my favorite Court reporter. Rule of life: One must read everything by Ms. Greenhouse.

Which article was your favorite? Email me with your answer, or share your thoughts over at the FB Iserotope page! As always, thank you very much for being a loyal Extras reader! See you next Thursday.

Iserotope Extras - Issue #53

Welcome to August: the tail end of summer, the start of a new school year, and most important, my birthday month! In this week’s issue, read about drug addiction, the racist history of Portland, the allure of Donald Trump among poor white people, and the ways that newspapers are trying to keep from going bankrupt. Hope you like it!

‘How’s Amanda?’ A story of truth, lies and an American addiction

Amanda is 31 and is trying to get off heroin. She lives at home with her mom and stepdad, and she is trying to stay clean for two weeks in preparation for her first shot of naltrexone, a new treatment that blocks the effects of opiates on the brain. This article, brilliantly reported and well written, takes you through those last few days before Amanda can gain a chance at hope.

The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America

Portland is a WPP — a white person’s paradise, filled with well-meaning white progressives who hang out on sidewalks, calling for the protection of the Indonesian rain forest (true story), among other things. This article tells a different story of Portland, one that is not welcoming to people of color, particularly African Americans. My first thought: Hmm, this sounds like San Francisco.

The Charles River, Cambridge. Photo by Extras subscriber Jacqueline.

Trump: Tribune Of Poor White People

This interview with J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, which I hope to read soon, does a great job explaining why poor, non-college-educated white people like Donald Trump. Remember when President Obama made his comment about people clinging to guns and religion? Yep, same people. They’re tired of being jobless, of feeling desperate, of suffering from drug addiction. Most of all, they’re tired of snobby elite urbanites with their noses in the air.

The New York Times is trying to narrow the distance between reporters and analytics data

We know that journalism is at a crossroads, so I’m particularly happy that The New York Times is leading the way to ensure its continued existence. Stela is the newspaper’s analytics dashboard that helps writers and editors find out how readers are responding to articles. A few key tips: (1) Headlines really do matter, (2) The vast majority of news reading is now done on phones, (3) People like breaking stories even though they say they don’t.

My experiment over at Google Spaces didn’t go so well (thanks for trying!), so check out the Iserotope page on Facebook, especially if you want to share your thoughts about any of the articles in this issue. Also, be ready for next Thursday at 9:10 am for another Extras! Have a great week.