August 31, 2011: Afternoon
- Ten events since 9/11 that have been more significant—e.g., America's response.
- If the U.S. continues to "lead from behind," NATO will become more regional, less global.
- Jerusalem Post fires columnist for saying Palestinians "justified" in attacking Israelis, their occupiers.
- Bonn, Germany makes prostitutes carry tickets from sex meters.
- Europe's wealthy join Warren Buffett and demand to be taxed more; Britain's wealthy stay mum.
- Still great: Jon Stewart rips idiots who call Buffett a socialist.
- Female professionals rise in emerging markets in the face of giant obstacles.
- U.S. Open spectators make more noise than grunters.
- R.I.P. Alla Bayanova, Russia's own Edith Piaf, dead at 98.
- Related: Non-Kremlin account of Bayanova's fascinating life.
- Irony wins when Anonymous hackers buy Guy Fawkes masks to Time Warner's profit.
- Physicist says boarding planes by row number is the least efficient; random boarding goes fastest.
- Leo Tolstoy sawing wood.
- Murakami on 1984.
- Beautiful color photos of New York in the 1940s.