Asawin Suebsaeng

Asawin Suebsaeng

Interactive Writing Fellow

Asawin Suebsaeng is the interactive writing fellow at the Washington, DC bureau of Mother Jones. He has also written for The American Prospect, the Bangkok Post, and Shoecomics.com.

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A graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., Asawin came back to DC with hopes of putting his flimsy Creative Writing major, student newspaper tenure, and interest in human rights and political chicanery to some use. He started cutting his teeth at F&M's student-run weekly, The College Reporter, serving as editor in chief. He has interned at The American Prospect, been a reporter for the Bangkok Post, and scribbled for ShoeComics.com. His favorite movie is either Apocalypse Now or Pirahna 3D, depending on the day or mood.

The Supreme Court Goes to Bat for Violent Video Games

—By

| Mon Jun. 27, 2011 1:16 PM PDT

To the nation's young gamers—

I know you are no longer satisfied by the rantings of Cave Johnson, the eccentric dead billionaire in Portal 2. I'm aware you cannot countenance another 30 levels of Angry Birds. I sense that, just for once, you want to see something hemorrhage like the old days. Well know this: the judicial branch has not forgotten about you.

In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court on Monday put an end to a long-stalled California law that would have prohibited the rental or sale of violent games to minors.

The California law, AB 1179, was introduced by Democratic state senator Leland Yee and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005. It was vigorously opposed by advocacy groups such as the ACLU and (naturally) the video game industry, which argued that its products should benefit from the same First Amendment safeguards as other media.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

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William Shakespeare: Toker?

—By

| Sat Jun. 25, 2011 3:15 AM PDT

If he were alive today, would Shakespeare have really, really liked listening to the Grateful Dead?

That's the question a group of scientists, led by anthropologist Francis Thackeray, is attempting to answer. Thackeray, director of the Institute for Human Evolution in Johannesburg, South Africa, told Fox News he has formally asked the Church of England to green light his exhumation of the Bard of Avon's remains to determine the cause of his death and, among other things, if the playwright had traces of pot pumping through his system. This comes over a decade after Thackeray and the South African Police Services Forensic Science Laboratory both uncovered "suggestive evidence of cannabis" and "signs of what looks like cocaine" on clay pipes found in the garden of Shakespeare’s old house.

[Read more in the Mixed Media blog]

Meet the Panda Dog

—By

| Thu Jun. 23, 2011 9:24 AM PDT

The Chinese have surpassed us as the world's biggest auto market, bested us at the renewable energy game, and are years ahead of us on high-speed rail technology.

Now they've beaten us to the "Panda Dog."

There's a new fad among Chinese pet owners that involves taking your domesticated canine to a grooming salon and having it washed, trimmed, and dyed to resemble an exotic animal. Think fluffy chow-chows as baby pandas and golden retrievers as mini-cheetahs or micro-tigers.

Photos currently making the rounds on the blogosphere include images from a dog pageant in China's Henan Province. The dogs on display look confused and not particularly ecstatic.

[Read more in the Mixed Media blog]

The Drug War Turns 40

—By

| Fri Jun. 17, 2011 2:14 PM PDT

It's been 40 years to the day since President Richard Nixon declared war on drugs, kicking off a quagmire that every commander in chief after him has inherited.

Both the Global Commission on Drug Policy and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) have recently released reports calling for decriminalization and large-scale restructuring of drug policy.

LEAP's June 14 report, titled "Ending the Drug War: a Dream Deferred," [PDF] makes special note of Gil Kerlikowske, the Drug Czar appointed by President Obama in early 2009, a man they also claim refused to meet with their police representatives earlier this week when the group unveiled its report in Washington. The critical report covers much of the expected ground: prohibition breeds protracted turf wars, law enforcement officers have more productive things to do with their time, and the United States is "waging war against [the] seriously ill." Regarding Kerlikowske, LEAP calls him out for misleading rhetoric and doubletalk.

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

Does Obama Have a Plan To Capture an Asteroid?
Fri Apr. 5, 2013 1:16 PM PDT

A Thorough & Comprehensive Review of "Jurassic Park 3D"
Fri Apr. 5, 2013 9:36 AM PDT

One More Reason to Miss Roger Ebert: His Love of Trash
Thu Apr. 4, 2013 4:15 PM PDT

The Taliban Are Inadvertently Really Good at Endangered Falcon Conservation
Wed Apr. 3, 2013 2:21 PM PDT

The War On Drugs Is Still Not Working
Tue Apr. 2, 2013 12:17 PM PDT

Nelson, Georgia, Passes Meaningless Law Requiring All Households to Own Guns
Tue Apr. 2, 2013 8:16 AM PDT

"G.I. Joe: Retaliation": The Anti-Obama Conservative's Fantasy
Fri Mar. 29, 2013 2:26 PM PDT

The Latest Conservative Outrage Is About Duck Penis
Tue Mar. 26, 2013 7:19 AM PDT

The US Has Officially Transferred Controversial Bagram Prison to the Afghan Government
Mon Mar. 25, 2013 12:01 PM PDT

Your Guide To Al Pacino Screaming, From "Dog Day Afternoon" to David Mamet's New HBO Film "Phil Spector"
Sat Mar. 23, 2013 3:59 PM PDT

The Moral, Economic, Political, and Literary Philosophy of "Spring Breakers"
Fri Mar. 22, 2013 11:42 AM PDT

Meet the Agent Who Protected Presidents, the Popemobile, and the Factual Accuracy of "Olympus Has Fallen"
Fri Mar. 22, 2013 5:16 AM PDT

McCain's Lesson From Iraq: Surge Hard, But Don't Lie America Into War So Much
Tue Mar. 19, 2013 4:09 PM PDT

The Pentagon Is Spending $1 Billion to Protect America From North Korea's Nonexistent Long-Range Nuclear Missiles
Tue Mar. 19, 2013 11:30 AM PDT

Harrison Ford Heads To Congress To Talk About Planes, Yet Again
Tue Mar. 19, 2013 7:01 AM PDT

"Stoker": An Exquisitely Twisted Family Drama
Fri Mar. 15, 2013 3:05 AM PDT

Report: The CIA Increasing Operations in Iraq
Tue Mar. 12, 2013 2:30 PM PDT

Mother of "Dancing with the Stars" Alum Bristol Palin to Write Book About Christmas
Tue Mar. 12, 2013 7:27 AM PDT

What Would Jesus Do? Probably Keep Buying Ads During SNL
Fri Mar. 8, 2013 2:57 PM PST

Study: Trolls on Twitter Do Not Necessarily Represent America, Are Partisan Cynics
Tue Mar. 5, 2013 10:34 AM PST

Yes, Potential Senate Candidate Ashley Judd Has Gotten Naked on Screen. So Have These Political Figures.
Mon Mar. 4, 2013 1:47 PM PST

"Movie & An Argument" Podcast: Dennis Rodman, North Korea, and The Oscars
Fri Mar. 1, 2013 2:48 PM PST

This Dumb Buddy Movie Also Abets Torture, Human Rights Abuses
Fri Mar. 1, 2013 12:16 PM PST

C. Everett Koop, the Only US Surgeon General Frank Zappa Sang About, Dead at 96
Tue Feb. 26, 2013 7:52 AM PST

8 Offbeat Facts About These Academy Awards
Sun Feb. 24, 2013 2:17 PM PST

"The Rock" Made a Movie About Mandatory Minimum Sentencing?!
Fri Feb. 22, 2013 10:19 PM PST

In "The Gatekeepers," Israeli Security Chiefs Say What US Leaders Can't
Fri Feb. 22, 2013 4:06 AM PST

#LiberalTips2AvoidRape: The Most Horrible Hashtag of the Week Thus Far, Explained
Tue Feb. 19, 2013 2:08 PM PST

Expert: Movie Based on a Bill O'Reilly Book Is More Accurate Than Spielberg's "Lincoln"
Sat Feb. 16, 2013 1:19 PM PST

For Valentine's Day Weekend 2013: Witches, Zombies, Nicholas Sparks, and "Die Hard"
Fri Feb. 15, 2013 3:42 PM PST

In the Context of "1,000 Years" of Warfare, Drones Are "More Humane"
Mon Feb. 11, 2013 12:59 PM PST

"Movie & An Argument" Podcast: Musicals, Soviets, and Kevin Spacey
Fri Feb. 8, 2013 3:25 PM PST

Report: These 54 Foreign Governments Helped the CIA Torture, Detain, and Transport Suspects After 9/11
Tue Feb. 5, 2013 4:01 PM PST

Obama's "Skeetgate," Explained
Tue Feb. 5, 2013 9:44 AM PST

"Warm Bodies": A Zombie Comedy With Lots of Romance and No Politics
Fri Feb. 1, 2013 1:11 PM PST

"30 Rock": A Political History
Thu Jan. 31, 2013 4:48 PM PST

No, the University of Chicago Isn't Tearing Down Reagan's Childhood Home to Make Way for an Obama Parking Lot
Thu Jan. 31, 2013 10:59 AM PST

"The Americans": Lovable Soviet Spies Who Smack-Talk Reagan and Do Kung-Fu Are Finally on Cable TV
Wed Jan. 30, 2013 12:20 PM PST

A Fascinating Look at the Life of Ed Koch
Tue Jan. 29, 2013 4:11 AM PST

"Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" in 3D: Diabetes, Witches, Kung-Fu Witches, and Sex With Witches
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 12:54 PM PST

GOP Rep. Paul Broun Says Obama Upholds the Soviet Constitution, Doesn't Specify Which One
Wed Jan. 23, 2013 1:54 PM PST

Poll: Record High Support For Legal Abortion in the US
Tue Jan. 22, 2013 10:39 AM PST

WATCH: Beyoncé Sings The National Anthem at President Obama's Second Inauguration
Mon Jan. 21, 2013 12:54 PM PST

A One-Sentence Review of Arnold Schwarzenegger's "The Last Stand"
Fri Jan. 18, 2013 6:07 PM PST

Are the Congressional Chaplains Attending an Anti-Obama Prayer Breakfast?
Thu Jan. 17, 2013 2:52 PM PST

Military Suicides in 2012 Hit Yet Another Record High
Tue Jan. 15, 2013 10:15 AM PST

Fox News Is Having an Ongoing Freakout Over Jack Lew's Signature
Mon Jan. 14, 2013 3:39 PM PST

How Season 2 of "Girls" Resembles Season 6 of "Californication"
Fri Jan. 11, 2013 7:17 PM PST

In Theaters This Weekend, a Civil Libertarian's Nightmare
Fri Jan. 11, 2013 4:06 AM PST

World Leaders Flocked To Twitter in 2012
Wed Jan. 2, 2013 3:44 PM PST

My Taxpayer-Subsidized Manicure at the Senate Salon

A trip to the underground barber shop where the world's greatest deliberative body gets its budget cuts.

Thu Mar. 28, 2013 12:14 PM PDT

Drone Strikes on Hackers?

If you're the bad guy from "Skyfall" during a war, then yes, NATO commanders could very well destroy you.

Thu Mar. 28, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Drones: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Always Afraid to Ask

Which other nations have them? Did they exist during the Civil War? What do they have to do with tacos and rhinos?

Tue Mar. 5, 2013 4:00 AM PST

7 Gun Groups That Make the NRA Look Reasonable

Just in time for the first-ever Gun Appreciation Day.

Sat Jan. 19, 2013 4:06 AM PST

"My God, What Have We Done?": White House Staffers React to Online Petitions

It's not all laughs for the White House staffers who deal with petitions demanding Obama build a Death Star or create a Joe Biden reality TV show, but they don't mind.

Fri Jan. 18, 2013 4:01 AM PST

North Korea Follows Only One American on Twitter—This Guy

How Jimmy Dushku, 25-year-old globetrotting investor and Coldplay superfan, became Pyongyang's only true Twitter friend—and the backlash that followed.

Wed Jan. 9, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Mayan Apocalypse: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were REALLY Afraid to Ask

Here's the ultimate explainer on the possibly imminent end of the world. Best hurry up and read it.

Mon Dec. 17, 2012 4:13 AM PST

What Happened in the Newtown School Shooting

There's no explaining such a horrific act, but here's important background information.

Fri Dec. 14, 2012 1:52 PM PST

The Most Fantastic and Glorious Movies of 2012—and the Worst of the Worst

A trailer-trash opera, a Great Recession movie, bootleggers, Channing Tatum, and an HBO doc top my irrefutable list of "bests."

Fri Dec. 14, 2012 4:13 AM PST

How NASA Used Social Media to Tell America the World Is Not Ending in 2012

The government agency is waging a media war to tell concerned Americans that popular 2012 doomsday theories won't be panning out.

Wed Dec. 5, 2012 4:03 AM PST

7 Ways Women and Girls Are Stereotyped, Sexualized, and Underrepresented on Screen

New report highlights staggering gender disparities in film and TV—even children's shows.

Fri Nov. 30, 2012 3:24 PM PST

The Latest Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory: Obama's Third Term

Our Kenyan-born, secret Muslim president has apparently cooked up a sneaky plot to subvert the 22nd Amendment.

Thu Nov. 29, 2012 4:08 AM PST

Meet the Stars of "2012: The Movie"

Jon Hamm as Mitt Romney. Steven Seagal as Joe Biden. Casting the inevitable TV movie based on the 2012 election.

Sat Nov. 10, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Chart: Almost Every Obama Conspiracy Theory Ever

Here are some of the most paranoid and bizarro Obama conspiracy theories out there.

Fri Nov. 2, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

15 Wild Celebrity Campaign Donations From the 2012 Election

Quentin Tarantino, Lisa Simpson, A-Rod, the members of No Doubt, and Don Johnson have all thrown a good deal of cash into the 2012 races.

Fri Oct. 26, 2012 12:27 PM PDT

Movie & An Argument: Chick Flicks & Dick Flicks Edition
Thu Sep. 27, 2012 6:46 PM PDT

A Movie & An Argument: Revolution Politics, New Sitcoms & Boardwalk Empire
Thu Sep. 20, 2012 6:56 PM PDT

A Movie & an Argument: Clint Eastwood, The GOP, and Shia LaBeouf
Fri Aug. 31, 2012 5:29 PM PDT

Will a Hurricane Ruin the GOP's Big Bash in Tampa?

Isaac may spare the RNC convention only to hit New Orleans.

Fri Aug. 24, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

A Movie & an Argument: Tony Scott Memorial Edition

Listen to Swin and Alyssa discuss Tony Scott, Phyllis Diller, <i>For a Good Time Call...,</i> and <i>Hit and Run</i>.

Thu Aug. 23, 2012 7:08 PM PDT

A Movie & an Argument: Boss, 2 Days in New York, The Expendables 2, and Copper 8/17

Listen to Swin and Alyssa discuss Boss, 2 Days in New York, The Expendables 2, and Copper

Fri Aug. 17, 2012 6:34 PM PDT

250 Years of Campaigns, Cash, and Corruption

From George Washington to Citizens United, a timeline of America's history of political money games.

Thu Aug. 9, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

"Shit Rep. Allen West Says": The Epic Video Anthology

"Take your pro-Hamas butt and get the hell out of my country!" and more greatest hits.

Mon Aug. 6, 2012 3:02 AM PDT

What We Know About the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin So Far

Seven people are reported dead, including a gunman steeped in neo-Nazi views.

Sun Aug. 5, 2012 11:58 AM PDT

Quiz: Play Two Truths and a Lie With Romney's VP Contenders

You're at a slumber party with everyone on Mitt's shortlist when suddenly…

Fri Jul. 27, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

A Movie & an Argument: The Dark Knight Rises: 7/20

Listen to Swin and Alyssa dissect the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Fri Jul. 20, 2012 12:54 PM PDT

What You Need To Know About the Batman Theater Shooting [UPDATES]

At least 12 people were killed in a shooting at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado. Here's the latest news.

Fri Jul. 20, 2012 7:30 AM PDT

"The Dark Knight Rises": Not The Best Movie Ever Made, Sadly

Even so, it is a rapturously exciting epic, packed with tense action and powerful acting.

Fri Jul. 20, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

The Amazing Spider-#FAIL

Despite a stellar cast, the Spider-Man reboot stumbles on glaring familiarity and a dearth of kinetic energy.

Tue Jul. 3, 2012 8:13 AM PDT

Would Mannequin Jesus Support Obamacare?

Single-payer belly dancers, a bare-assed protester, and the Obama Chia Pet all came out for the Supreme Court's Obamacare decision day.

Thu Jun. 28, 2012 8:57 AM PDT

Watch: "Game of Thrones" Attack Ads

What would it look like if super-PACs and dark-money groups existed in the world of the HBO hit series?

Wed Jun. 20, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

What's Romney's Stance on Immigration?

It depends. This choose-your-own-adventure game will help you figure it out.

Tue Jun. 19, 2012 6:40 AM PDT

"Rock of Ages": Distilling 1980s Musical Godlessness Into One Big, Glitzy Mess

Numerous pop hits from the Reagan era get crammed into a bloated jukebox musical film...that is sporadically enjoyable, for what it's worth.

Fri Jun. 15, 2012 9:46 AM PDT

"Snow White and the Huntsman": Bella Swan & Thor Do Battle With Æon Flux

For a movie full of wily, axe-wielding dwarves, it's pretty freaking bland.

Fri Jun. 1, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

California Senate Primary: Welcome to Crazytown

Fourteen Republicans want a chance to run against Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November. None of them is above 2 percent in the latest primary poll.

Wed May. 30, 2012 3:00 AM PDT