Empire, Nevada became a ghost town in 2011

In January 2011, Empire was home to ninety-nine U.S. Gypsum Company employees and their families. Today, all the inhabitants of the company town are gone and the desert is reclaiming the land. Above: The view from outside Empire's locked gates. (Photo by Leigh Ann Lipscomb, late November 2011).



Above: The now-vacant drywall plant.
(Photo by Leigh Ann Lipscomb, late November 2011).

Idaho Beef & Dairy CAFOs

Today Failure magazine published a feature on the work of watchdog group ICARE (Idaho Concerned Area Residents for the Environment), which aims to educate the public about the environmental impact of Concentrated Animals Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and also acts as a champion of small family farmers. The above photo depicts a feeding pen at a dairy CAFO on Bob Barton Highway in Jerome County, Idaho. Notice the single cow standing atop the manure pile.

Awkward Family Pet Photos: The Book

In Awkward Family Pet Photos, coauthors Mike Bender and Doug Chernack celebrate "the special — and frequently disturbing — bond between families and their pets.

Black Friday is here ...

... and for University of Minnesota economist Joel Waldfogel, it's "the most wasteful time of the year."

Nudists Look to Attract the Young, Naked

Traditional nudist retreats may be failing, but thanks to social media, the rise of high-end resorts, and new groups like Young Naturists America (logo at right), young people are at last showing the lifestyle some love.

Evel Knievel's grave - Mountain View Cemetery

While working on an unrelated story in Butte, Montana, I ventured to Mountain View Cemetery to visit Evel Knievel's grave. This photograph was taken on October 27, 2011 (by Failure magazine).

Evel Knievel's headstone (back)

The back of Evel Knievel's extra-large headstone, photographed October 27, 2011, at Mountain View Cemetery in Butte, Montana. Photo by Failure magazine.