– Just why should we care what Presidents are reading? The Washington Post attempts to answer.

– A coherent argument against the coddling, wait-’til-you’re-older strain of permanent adolescence that seems to be all the rage these days. We’re not all special. We need a chance to fail. But we need a chance to begin with (via Isegoria).

– Where have all the Vlashki and Mamuju speakers gone? Why, New York, of course.

– 72% of the millennial generation is “more spiritual than religious.” One devout optimist “is encouraged by the roughly 15% who, he says, appear to be ‘deeply committed’ Christians in study, prayer, worship and action.” That’s cute. Only one or two more impediments halting progress to go…

– Why conspiracy theories matter, and why Christian Caryl thinks you’re an idiot for believing in them. Not that I necessarily disagree, I just hold the right to reserve judgment on one or two official verdicts. But I offer no theories of my own.

– China v. America: fight of the century?

And from the past week on Automatic Ballpoint:

I settle on a dissertation topic and unearth a gem from the archives, but most of my time is wasted checking out interesting new sites. Currently making me angry: old people, the state of Arizona, and at least one guy with a pickup truck in Virginia.

A post on obesity and the military blows up my traffic for the better, while an interesting map might explain the obesity. New tech is found, as is a failed car bomb in Times Square. I take a look at other dimensions to urban warfare than VBIEDs.

The Chinese naval ‘menace’ is probably overrated, but may be sent west if water tensions with India continue; knife-wielding crazies remain a threat to Chinese schoolchildren.

The French built a pretty sweet Vespa for their paratroopers.