Long Reads #19

How Crazy Is Too Crazy to Be Executed by Marc Brookman - This long, engrossing, occasionally disturbing piece follows a murderer called Andre Thomas. It traces through his family background, to his crime, and finally, to him in death row. After reading this, I just find it sad that Andre Thomas has never gotten the help he needs. And please, when a guy gouges out his own eye, it's a clear sign that he needs medical help, not that he's trying to gain the pity of the jury.

The Princess and the Trolls: The Heartrending Legend of Adalia Rose, the Most Hated Six-Year-Old Girl on the Internet by Camille Dodero - The (really long) title basically sums it up. This is a piece about how Adalia Rose became famous, and then trolled. Adalia suffers from progeria, a disease whose carriers tend to have an average lifespan of 13 years old. That means Adalia is at middle-age. I do understand some trolling (as in the Alvin, Yuki and Zoe Raymond affair - Why on earth did Zoe Raymond intentionally break up an engaged couple?), but this? To a poor little six-year-old girl? That's just sad.

Kiki Kannibal: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Sabrina Rubin Erdely - I've never heard of Kiki Kannibal, but apparently she's an Internet sensation and also the target of some serious web attacks. But the my main reactions was one of pity. It's so sad that she feels that relationships with people she doesn't know (and I doubt it's the kind of relationships built on common interests) are the deepest she has. And also, what were her parents thinking? Creativity does not mean immodesty.

The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains by Nicholas Carr - In a nutshell, we can't multitask. Also, the more hyperlinks a text has, the less content we remember. Now, what does that mean about going to Wikipedia? Hmm.... somehow, this reminds me of ebooks. I wonder if I should do a post about my feelings on ebooks. It might be nice to rant.

A Chinese Hacker's Identity Unmasked by Dune Lawrence and Michael Riley  - Some people think China sends hackers after people/the US. China says they don't. In this article, the former view is taken, and the reader is shown how they track down hackers. Why can't we all just get along?

The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss - Ever wondered why once you start eating snacks you can't stop? (In my case, I may have no appetite, but if you give me a cheesy snack/salt-and-vinegar flavoured snack, I can polish of the whole bag) Well, this article explains why they're so addictive. But looking at the first photo - I want some cheesy Doritos!

A Loaded Gun by Patrick Radden Keefe - Well, looking at this story, I see a protective mom, who kept protecting her (possibly mentally unstable) daughter, who ended up pulling a gun. I wonder, if she was given treatment and medication, would this have happened?

I realised I have more articles than I realised. What have you been reading?