Coffee mass index
What is the United States if it follows Trump’s path into a post-American world? “Too brutal to love but too irrelevant to fear.” / Foreign Affairs
See also: Dictatorships around the world and countries with major corruption problems often have “masked police who protect their identities.” / The Guardian
So far, Russia refuses to offer Iran any military support. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
David Sanger: If Iran is truly pursuing a nuclear weapon… it’s taking more time than any nuclear-armed nation in history. / The New York Times [$]
Spencer Ackerman: This war started in 1953 when American aggression, driven by demand for oil and anticommunism, toppled an Iranian government. / Forever Wars
From April, a survey of which countries require women to soldier as Germany considers a draft to boost reserves. / DW, Semafor
Unrelated: One corner of speculative finance is about gambling over catastrophes. / The MIT Press Reader
Call centers use artificial intelligence to “smooth out” Indian employees’ accents to better please American customers. / The Washington Post [$]
Some people struggle to accept crime statistics being down because “a feeling of lawlessness has grown and been allowed to fester.” / The Value of Nothing
Some thoughts on what Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, “one of the most vocally freaked-out Democrats in Washington,” is learning from the right. / The Atlantic [$]
Anti-porn crusaders see their movement thriving, in part as a backlash to just how much porn has evolved (in nasty ways). / NBC News
Some thoughts on male and female nudes in Impressionism—and Gustave Caillebotte’s indifference to gender divisions. / The European Review of Books
A run-down of what sold at this year’s Art Basel fair. / Artsy
Recent terms floating around the world of sommeliers: “baby fat,” “mousy,” “wine jockey.” / Punch
A short essay about routines becoming ruts and when is the right time to change your coffee setup. / Meditations in an Emergency
What was supposed to be “the summer of soccer” in the US is proving to be stadiums with a lot of empty seats. / ESPN
New celestial photographs from the world's most powerful digital camera. / BBC News
And now a brief chat with new supporter Jane W.!
Hi, Jane! You found us via the Tournament of Books, is that right? How long ago was that? I can’t remember when I started following the Tournament of Books. But as a confirmed bookie, I loved the idea. One of my friends recently said she loves how I find such interesting books to read. I give you the credit.
We love to hear it. What keeps you coming back? Back when I was young, I was desperate for book suggestions that were other than the NYT books. For a while I fixated on Man Booker Prize winners. So, a long answer to why I keep coming back. I like to read a variety of books. I have two from the first round waiting to be read. I also subscribe to the Biblioracle newsletter to stay on track with new books.
Well, thank you so much for supporting. Any particular reason you decided today was the day? I’m retired and on a limited income but need good things to keep me from depression in this age of Trump. Thanks for all you do. I owe my (somewhat) sanity to books.
In the members area, unlocked links from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic ↓