MinnPost Picks: on Billy Joel, 10,000 steps, and the scientific reason why a lot of fans hated the ‘Game of Thrones’ ending

“Billy Joel’s Got a Good Job and Hits in His Head,” The New York Times Marking Billy Joel's 100th show at Madison Square Garden last year, here's a candid interview with the songwriter — touching on topics ranging from his friendship with Bruce Springsteen to his alcoholism to his love for Beethoven. "I rub people the wrong way, with that stupid Long Island chip on my shoulder,” Joel says in the July 2018 New York Times piece. "I get asked a lot, 'Why’d you stop (writing music)?' I set a very high bar for myself, and I couldn’t get there." — Jessica Lee, local government reporter “TurboTax uses a ‘military discount’ to trick troops into paying to file their taxes,” ProPublica Though military members who make less than $66,000 a year are supposed to be able to file their taxes for free with TurboTax, the company was charging some people while promoting the service as a patriotic endeavor. Another investigation of the online filing company's spotty ethics by ProPublica and their reporting partners. — Walker Orenstein, environment and workforce reporter “What 10,000 steps will really get you,” The Atlantic Apparently the answer is: about the same as 7,500 steps, or even 4,400 steps. This Atlantic article by Amanda Mull explores where the 10k health guideline emerged. She found it wasn't from any health professionals. "If many of the persistent myths of American health, like eating breakfast and getting a certain number of steps, are based on marketing rather than science, why do they stick so well?” — Peter Callaghan, state government reporter “The Real Reason Fans Hate the Last Season of ‘Game of Thrones,’” Scientific American While I don’t count myself among the fans hating the final season of “Game of Thrones” — it was fine — it didn't exactly get me excited in the way some of the earlier seasons had (not to mention, ahem, the books). Zeynep Tufekci offers a convincing theory to explain the series’ disappointing turn: the move from sociological storytelling — in which characters’ decisions are largely driven by the societies and circumstances they find themselves in — to Hollywood-favored psychological storytelling — where characters’ actions are driven by their own inherent goodness, or badness. — Tom Nehil, news editor

Nonprofit, independent journalism. Supported by readers.

MinnPost Picks: on Billy Joel, 10,000 steps, and the scientific reason why a lot of fans hated the ‘Game of Thrones’ ending

This content is for MinnPost members only

Become a member today

This content is for MinnPost members only

Become a member today

Already a member? Log in to MinnPost

MinnPost Picks: on Billy Joel, 10,000 steps, and the scientific reason why a lot of fans hated the ‘Game of Thrones’ ending