www.michaelblanding.com
Articles
Scroll below to see some of the articles I've published over the past few years.
Politics
First Person: Girl Power Swanee Hunt, the head of the women and public policy program at Harvard's Kennedy School, is rallying female millionaires to support women's causes worldwide. (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, November 11, 2007)
The Bottled Water Backlash The bottled water industry is on the defensive as restaurant owners and cities are canceling their bottled water contracts and advocating for tap. (AlterNet, October 19, 2007)
Meet the New Boss(es) It’s called workplace democracy, and at the local companies leading the movement, employees can set their own pay, veto new projects—even demote the chief exec. But as some are finding, that’s still not always enough to make coworkers get along. (Boston Magazine, September 2007)
The Departing When young, middle-class families with children flee for the suburbs, a city is robbed of its heart and soul. San Francisco is embracing radical new ideas to stop this urban flight. Shouldn't Boston be doing the same? (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, August 30, 2007) PLUS: Hear Michael talking about this article on National Public Radio's "Here and Now"
Can We Talk? When it comes to discussing race, it’s clear that in classrooms around the country, including those at the Ed School, more work needs to be done. (Ed. Magazine, Fall 2007)
A
Family of Fighters Ray Hammond, his wife, Gloria, and their
two daughters are all uniters - even though they're not always united.
Now, at a pivotal moment in Boston's history of race relations, they are
the one family that is poised to affect this city's future more than any
other.. (The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, December
10, 2006) PLUS: Newscaster Liz Walker traveled to Sudan as part of her
documentary
about Boston pediatrician Rev. Gloria White-Hammond. 
The Bottled Water Lie The corporations that sell bottled water are depleting natural resources, jacking up prices, and lying when they tell you their water is purer and tastes better than the stuff that comes out of the tap. (AlterNet, October 26, 2006) PLUS: Watch or listen to Michael discussing bottled water issues on indepedent news program Democracy Now!
Gun Crazy A growing rift among hunters represents the best opening in years for liberals and moderates to blunt the effects of the gun lobby. (The New Republic, September 4, 2006)
Green
Sweep Years of budget cuts have left the state's parks a
mess. But ex-commissioner Kathy Abbott is working to bring them back to
life, determined not to let politics get in her way this time. (The
Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, August 6, 2006)
Act Locally & Globally The spirit of active citizenship finds a permanent home at Tisch College (Tufts Magazine, Summer 2006)
The Ways of the Gun Massachusetts has some of the country’s toughest gun laws. So why is Boston flooded with firearms? The answer lies inside the city’s thriving black market for illegal weapons. (Boston Magazine, May 2006) PLUS: Click here for exclusive statistics on gun trafficking in New England ALSO: Listen to Michael talking about this story on the National Public Radio program "On Point"
Big Mother Parents are using all kinds of new technologies to track their kids. (Boston Magazine, May 2006)
Bostonians Changing the World From Paul Revere to Mary Baker Eddy to John F. Kennedy to Paul Farmer, this city has a long, rich history of producing smart folks whose reach has been felt around the globe. On the following pages, we prove the tradition is still in good hands. (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, April 30, 2006)
Hard Times for Soft Drinks Soda has already been linked with weight gain and cavities; now the FDA admits that some popular soft drinks could contain a carcinogen. Will the fizz finally go flat? (AlterNet, March 13, 2006)
Straight
Shooter John Rosenthal's huge Mass. Pike billboard crusades
against the ravages of gun violence. So what's he doing with that shotgun?
(Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, February 5, 2006)
Everyday Heroes A tribute to ten alumni who have taken public service to heart. (Tufts Magazine, Winter 2006)
The Little Transit System That Couldn't With the MBTA more unreliable than ever, its new general manager is pursuing a desperate plan to get the system on track. Will his strategy be the ticket to fixing the chronically ailing T? (Boston Magazine, November 2005)
Hard On Soft Drinks As parents, health advocates, and lawyers increasingly blame soda for an epidemic of childhood obesity, Boston is at the center of a national legal movement to make soft drinks the next tobacco. (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, October 30, 2005)
The Battle of Midway A smalltime bar brawl in Jamaica Plain spills into the streets. (Boston Magazine, August 2005)
Jesus @ Work Christ is coming to a cubicle near you. (Boston Magazine, June 2005)
Horace Small has a Very Big Mouth And he's using it to shake up politics in Boston with a style that's brash, vulgar — and effective. (Boston Magazine, June 2005)
Bad Medicine, Under fire for making drugs that don't work, pharmaceutical companies are bribing doctors to prescribe pills you don't need. (Boston Magazine, February 2005)
Spy Games The sexual harassment suit against the North End's Pizzeria Regina reveals the fault lines of a changing neighborhood. (Boston Magazine, January 2005)
The Man Who Knew Too Much A BU professor fights to publicize his report claiming there's a link between cancer deaths and IBM plants. But Big Blue is doing all it can to stop him. (Boston Magazine, August 2004)
Fear in the Air Depending on who you believe, a new bioterror laboratory planned by Boston University will be a boon to the city—or a catastrophe beyond imagining. (Boston Magazine, June 2004)
To Forgive, Divine Once the Boston equivalent of Martin and Malcolm, two black ministers—and former red-blooded antagonists —have banded together on an unlikely crusade. (Boston Magazine, February 2004)
Cable Guy Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly factors in Jesus Christ, disco, war in Iraq, and why he misses Boston. (Boston Magazine, December 2003)
A Class of Their Own Amidst all of the controversy about charter schools, one fact gets lost: a lot of them are working. (Boston Magazine, October 2003)
Taking Liberties Two years after 9/11, increased suspicion around this town may be making us our own worst enemies. (Boston Magazine, September 2003)
Emergency
A 9-1-1 call ends with a little girl paralyzed, the ambulance company
paying a record $10 million settlement, and the parents wondering how
a routine fever went so horribly wrong. (Boston Magazine,
November 2002) Included in Prehospital Care
Administration, 2003.
The
Invisible Harvest Exploitation. Coercion. Poverty wages.
New England has its own Grapes of Wrath, and it's happening now.
Inside the hidden world of the migrant farm workers who put food on your
table. (Boston Magazine, October 2002)
Finalist for the 2002 Livingston Awards
for Young Journalists
The
Reilly Factor From Microsoft to the Catholic Church to the
Red Sox, Attorney General Tom Reilly has waged high-profile battles that
keep him on the front pages. But it's his little known personal tragedies
that fuel his defense of victims. (Boston Magazine,
April 2002)
Commentary
To Rick, With Love We, the depraved citizens of Boston, would like to thank Sen. Santorum for recognizing our city as the modern-day Gomorrah that it is, and pointing out all the ways that Boston has led to the moral decline of the nation. (AlterNet, July 16, 2005)
Come Back To the Five & Dime, Howie Dean Sixty percent of the public now wants the troops out of Iraq, and even some traditional conservatives are calling for withdrawal. So why is the former anti-war firebrand mum on the topic? (AlterNet, Jun 27, 2005)
The Culture of Life Top Ten At minimum, a true "culture of life" would support these ten positions. (AlterNet, April 4, 2005)
On My Butt For Peace Finding a Buddhist response to war. (The Provider, September 2003)
Protest
The Case Against Coke A global, grassroots campaign against Coca-Cola is using product bans and lawsuits to shed light on the corporate giant's exploitation and brutality in Colombia, India and elsewhere. (The Nation, May 1, 2006) NEW: "Coca-Cola, ein Fall für die Gerichte" (German translation by Anne von Gladiss); "Il Caso Coca-Cola" (Italian translation by Rete Boicottaggio Coca-Cola)
The World Social Forum: Celebration or Protest? This year's forum in Caracas was less defiant than those in the past, as if the participants weren't sure whether to protest or celebrate recent events in South America. (The Nation, February 16, 2006)
Accidental Activists For Craig and Cindy Corrie, the death of their daughter in Israel was the start of a new mission in life: continuing her campaign for human rights in Palestine. (AlterNet, December 6, 2005)
Bringing Home the Guard With a proposed ballot initiative to prevent the deployment of Massachusetts National Guard troops to Iraq, a new coalition hopes to hold a national referendum on the war. (AlterNet, November 7, 2005)
Birthday Bashed The Army's lavish 230th birthday celebration looked like a thinly veiled attempt to recruit more bodies during a time when Americans are increasingly viewing the Iraq war as a mistake. (AlterNet, June 16, 2005)
Coke: The New Nike A growing student movement is taking the company to task for its record of human rights around the globe. (The Nation, March 24, 2005)
Taking It To The Streets While the official inaugural provided the fantasy of a coronation, thousands of protesters provided a reality check. (AlterNet, January 21, 2005)
The Other Democratic Convention While the DNC was a scripted event without any real surprises, the Boston Social Forum bought together a community of social activists eager to strategize. (In These Times, August 2, 2004)
Greetings From Lockdown City Police precautions for the DNC in Boston have protesters behind chain-link fences and barbed wire – just like in prison. (AlterNet, July 27, 2004)
Hoping for the Best, Planning for the Worst Even though police in Boston are working to accommodate protesters during the Democratic convention, there are signs that officers are planning for mass arrests. (AlterNet, July 16, 2004)
Full of Beans in Boston To protest or not to protest? That is the question for progressives at this year's Democratic National Convention. (The Nation, July 12, 2004; reprinted on AlterNet)
The Revenge of the Nerds Forget about tattooed, black-masked anarchists. Today's anti-globalization protester is just as likely to be the middle-aged, middle-class computer engineer next door. (Boston Magazine, May 2004)
A Warning for Miami On the eve of major anti-corporate globalization protests planned this month for Miami, the case of 2000 Republican convention protester Camilo Viveiros presents a cautionary tale. (The Nation, December 1, 2003). Update: Justice in Philly, Finally (The Nation, April 7, 2004)
Dispatch from Cancun: Farmers of the World Unite As talks collapsed at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), an unlikely new political power emerged from the ashes: farmers. (Boston Phoenix, September 18, 2003)
On Top of the World with Earth First! Before their stand at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, environmentalists had never before used direct action to stop clear-cutting on the East Coast. Although they lost their first battle, they feel they made gains for their movement. (Boston Phoenix, September 18, 2003)
What Did It Cost To Oust Saddam? With a running counter and comparisons to social issues, one website purports to have the answer. (Boston Phoenix, August 1, 2003)
Barcelona Letter: No A La Guerra! A weekend trip to the "world capital of peace" brings exuberant relief for two Americans, and a sad recognition of the climate of fear back home. (with Alexandra Hall, Alternet, April 7, 2003) Included in ReportBook: Barcelona for Peace, 2003
Medic! At protests and demonstrations across the country, anarchist street medics are an increasing—and increasingly welcome—sight. (Boston Phoenix, February 20, 2003)
"I Am Not a Terrorist" At MIT, Lori Berenson began a course in social justice that landed her in a Peruvian terrorist prison. Six years and two trials later, she still claims she's innocent. (Boston Magazine, October 2001)
Crime
The Devil You Know The true story of the man who had it all—a house in the suburbs, a good job, five kids—until he went on the Internet to hire a hit man to kill his wife. (Boston Magazine, September 2004)
Cruel Justice With a report due out this month about abuses in the state prisons, one inmate's case provides a glimpse at what's wrong with the system. (Boston Magazine, April 2004)
Growing Up in Gang-land A year of shootings in the inner city has prompted fears of a return to the bad old days of gang warfare. For the innocent kids caught in the middle, the streets are a mix of temptation, random violence, and dwindling choices. Here's what their lives are like. (Boston Magazine, January 2004)
The Set-Up (Part One) (Part Two) An armored car heist gone south and the biggest museum theft in history combine to expose more dirt on the secretive Boston FBI. Did the Feds frame a suspect for a different crime just to make him talk? (Boston Magazine, November 2003)
The
Great Pretender Jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his
cross-dressing pal, abandoning glitzy homes and cars along the way, and
stealing identities of Boston lawyers to pay for it all, Shawn Pelley
led authorities on a dizzying chase of catch-me-if-you-can. (Boston
Magazine, August 2003)
My Short,
Happy Life in Crime What do you have to do to get arrested
in this town? (Boston Magazine, August 2002)
Real Estate
Buyer's Market The “softening” of the real estate market spells welcome relief for buyers used to paying through the nose for a shack. But there are still some things you need to know to buy—or sell—your home right now. Plus: We rate 147 towns. (Boston Magazine, May 2006)
The Best Suburbs Empty nester or new parent, fitness nut or foodie, we've got the town for you. Plus, the hottest city neighborhoods and a pullout chart of 150 cities and towns. (Boston Magazine, April 2005)
The Biggest Bang for the Buck In a housing market where the very concept of a bargain is laughable, which towns are really worth the money. And which are—dare we say it—overpriced? (Boston Magazine, April 2004) Winner of first place for Best General Circulation Magazine Report in the 2004 National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) Journalism Competition
The Healthiest Towns We found the towns where the air is cleanest, the streets are safest, and the germs are scarcest. (And a few that are sicker than you'd think.) Winner of bronze award for Reader Service in the 2003 City and Regional Magazine Awards AND Winner of second place for Best General Circulation Magazine Report in the 2003 National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) Journalism Competition
Mr. Nice
Guy John Rosenthal has spent his life trying to change the
world. Now he's set to transform Kenmore Square with an 885,000-square-foot
complex that will bridge the highway itself. What's that—a developer
with a conscience? Meet... (Boston Magazine,
April 2003)
Chelsea
Morning Long the butt of jokes by people from places like
Revere, the hard-luck city underneath the Tobin Bridge is finally shaking
off its disastrous past—and struggling to build a future. (Boston
Magazine, June 2002)
Suburban
Brawl The war over affordable housing is being fought on
a new battleground—the suburbs. (Boston Magazine,
April 2002)
Urban Renewal Credit
the economy, safer streets, or even Ally McBeal, but Boston is back. Big
time. Singles are coming, couples are staying, and boomers are returning.
But can we all afford to live here? (Boston Magazine,
April 2001)
Off Season-Beaches Hang out with the locals in Martha's Vineyard, especially after the summer crowds leave. (Every Day With Rachael Ray, November 2007)
19 Fall Getaways Choose from days, weekends, or whole weeks away, both close to home or incredibly exotic. (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, September 23, 2007)
Anatomy of an Order The service of one meal, from cocktail to digestif, is an event that's both chaotic and highly synchronized. (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, July 29, 2007)
Moon New England "Moon New England gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon guidebooks are the cure for the common trip." (Moon Handbooks, 1st Edition, May 2007)
The Sights and Sounds of Silence A trip to Connecticut's Quiet Corner promises pastoral beauty, mesmerizing tranquility and more. (New England Travel & Life, 2007 Annual)
The Other Cape: Cape Ann, Massachusetts This picturesque seaside community inspires your inner artist. (Yankee Magazine, May 2007)
Oscar Worthy Step onto the sets of your favorite movies with these 11 locally filmed productions. (Massachusetts Great Escapes, Winter/Spring 2007)
Inn with the New Whether you’re looking for a base camp for outdoor adventures, a cozy spot by a country fireplace, or something in between, we’ve got the details on New England’s best new—or newly upgraded—lodges and B&Bs. (Contributor, Boston Magazine, December 2006)
The Squares of Cambridge From brainy Harvard to rocking nightlife, these neighborhoods define a vibrant city. (Yankee Magazine, March 2006)
Aging with Beauty Light years away from the tourists and touts of more commercial and cosmopolitan New Delhi, Old Delhi offers a taste of the real India. (Continental Magazine, October 2005)
Funny Stuff, Eh? From July 14 to 24, more than a million-and-a-half people will descend upon the Quebec city to chuckle, giggle, and guffaw at over 1,000 performers in two languages.(Continental Magazine, July 2005)
Hip to be Davis Square, Mocha lattes, Irish stew, Cajun barbeque, rare books, live concerts, and original comedy all come together in one of Somerville's liveliest squares. (Tufts Magazine, Spring 2005 )
Fodor's: Boston Updated "Nightlife" and "Side Trips" sections for 2005 edition.
Wake up to Wilderness For an unforgettable safari experience, a private game reserve offers guaranteed close encounters. (Business Traveler, February 2005)
Med Grill Review of Montreal supper club for "Hot Nights" package. (Conde Nast Traveller, May 2004)
A
Puerto Rican Paradise With the US Navy gone, the island of
Vieques attracts attention. (Boston Globe, April
28, 2004)
Sidebar:
At Chez Shack, fine food meets island attitude (Alexandra Hall)
Shacking Up Pull up a bench—or a tree stump—at one of these clam shacks for the ultimate taste of the coastline. (New England Travel & Life, 2004)
Boston: City on the Edge, Despite a reputation for dowdiness, Boston has always been a leader in the high-tech revolution. Now it’s starting to look like one. (Business Traveler, February 2004)
Buenos Aires, Now a Bargain
World-class style at a serious discount. That is what it means to be in
Buenos Aires right now. (Boston Globe, January
9, 2004)
Sidebar: Finding Tango Partners Takes
Smooth Moves
Moon Metro: Boston "Unfold the city with Moon Metro, an exciting example of what a 21st-century guidebook can be." Contributed "Introduction", "Neighborhoods", and "Nightlife" sections. (November, 2003)
Cambodia:
Below the Surface Far from the tourist buses, the real beauty
of this troubled country is finally emerging. (Boston
Globe, August 24, 2003)
Sidebar:
Serenity Instead of Crowds Beat the rush at Angkor Wat
Isles of Tranquility Robinson Crusoe had it right: The best islands are least populated. Here are six escapes off the New England coast that have—so far—remained unspoiled. (New England Travel & Life, Summer 2003)
City of Revolution Two-hundred years after the Revolutionary War, Boston continues to reinvent itself. (American Eagle Latitudes, May/June 2003)
Global Village You don't have to travel far to find a seductive taste of something different. Boston's many ethnic neighborhoods are a gateway to culinary and cultural gratification. (Boston Magazine, May 2003)
New York State of Mind
The Big Apple is bending over backwards to make tourists feel welcome.
The surprise? It actually seems to mean it. (Boston
Magazine, April 2002)
Tacky Mountain High
Romance meets retro in the Poconos. (Boston Magazine,
February 2002)
People & Culture
Pyro to the People Jim Souza’s fireworks are high-detonation television (Continental Magazine, June 2007)
The Opposite of Fear In the Battle of Fallujah, a Marine platoon learns what its leader is made of. (Tufts Magazine, Spring 2007)
Make Like A Caterpillar The coming metamorphosis in robots. (Tufts Magazine, Winter 2007)
Tales of Survival A novelist’s new career as a breast cancer spokesperson. (Tufts Magazine, Fall 2007)
The Big Taboo We don’t talk about race. Often, we don’t even think about it. But according to Tufts psychologists, unconscious stereotypes and racial biases can have a huge effect on our behavior. (Tufts Magazine, Fall 2006)
Express Yourself Spray paint and a cannon spell a long-lasting tradition at Tufts. (Tufts Magazine, Spring 2006)
The
Bay Village Drag Bar War To patrons, Jacque's Cabaret is
a safe haven for those who walk like a woman and talk like a man. To the
neighbors, it's a den of prostitutes and drug dealers. Brace yourself
for a bar brawl like no other. (Boston Magazine,
July 2003)
Multiply Your Love
Local advocates of "polyamory" say you can love two people at
once. Or three. Or four. (Boston Magazine, June
2003)
The Eureka Club In
the suburbs, a support group for would-be Thomas Edisons. (Boston
Magazine, February 2003)
What a Drag At Glitter
Switch, gender-bending karaoke is music to anyone's ears. (Boston
Magazine, November 2002 )
The Old and the Restless
For some people, life begins at 80. (Boston Magazine,
April 2002)
Come
All Ye Faithful As Americans question their newly divided
world, more and more are turning to one Boston-based religion for the
answers. (Boston Magazine, December 2001)
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Seventy-four-year-old Zelda Fischer is Boston's doyenne of dating services.
That is, to those who meet her standards. (Boston
Magazine, July 2001)
Some Like It Hot For
hundreds of amateur fire buffs, the thrills come less from the flames
than from the heroism of those who fight them. (Boston
Magazine, March 2001)
Arts &Entertainment
Oz In The Family A conversation with Wicked author Gregory Maguire, G90. (Tufts Magazine, Fall 2005)
Sweet Revival Hollywood's Christina Applegate carries a tune in a pre-Broadway run of Sweet Charity. (Boston Magazine, March 2005)
The Big Picture Even as filmmaker Brad Anderson stands perched on the edge of success with his latest genre-bending horror film, The Machinist, he hasn't lost sight of the independent spirit that marked the beginning of his career in Boston. (Boston Magazine, October 2004)
Making the Grade, Jason
Biggs graduates to the stage in a seductive performance. (Boston
Magazine, February 2002)
Oh, Kay!, Singer Kay Hanley
sounds off on motherhood, Manilow, politics, and the planet formerly known
as Pluto.(Boston Magazine, April 2001)
Critical Acclaim,
The Boston Phoenix in the 1970s was more than just the voice of the counterculture.
It also was the spawning ground for the most influential film critics
of the 20th century. (Boston Magazine, January
2001)
Tough Love, In Girlfight,
a North Shore producer brings a tale of romance in the ring to the big
screen. (Boston Magazine, September 2000)
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