August 8, 2011: Afternoon
- Grim outlook for the U.S. economy, with high odds for a double dip—and it's all our politicians' fault.
- With his positions largely unknown, Obama stared into the eyes of history and averted his gaze.
- Police threaten to arrest people inciting violence in London via Twitter.
- Sydney businessman to float world's biggest brothel on the Australian Securities Exchange.
- Reporter seeks out hidden peers of Orwell's London and Paris poor.
- Soccer referees begin using vanishing spray to (briefly) show players where to stand.
- Scientists discover band of antimatter near Earth; journalist waits three paragraphs to mention interstellar travel.
- "Scientists Trace Heat Wave to Massive Star at Center of Solar System."
- John Leonard's 1994 take on visiting Stockholm with Toni Morrison.
- In praise of Sweden's Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö—masters of great fiction, not only crime.
- Swiss magazine collects celebrities' birthday wishes for Roger Federer.
- Graceful profile of Nicholson Baker—shy family man who seeks to entertain with maximum thought-per-line ratio.
- Graphs show Kurt Vonnegut's analysis of storytelling.
- Story behind the truck driver you flicked off.
- Björk gets riled up at those who, like Rem Koolhaas, would punish the oblivious ones, like Michael Jackson.
- Video: Wu-Tang Clan + Fugazi + The Wire.
- Crowdsourced rap lyric analysis—e.g., MF Doom's catalog.