December 12, 2012: Morning
- White House recognizes Syrian rebels and seeks greater influence.
- Homeland, Obama's show.
- The idea that political views have a genetic component is now widely accepted, and has its own field: "genopolitics."
- Philosopher goes anti-natalist, rebelling against notion that philosophers must be parents first.
- Economist addresses whether it's better to dry your hands with a paper towel or with an air dryer.
- If all goes as planned, vultures may again consume the Parsi dead by January 2014.
- Notes on the insiders and influencers who have brought America to the "brink of a gay-marriage tipping point."
- Louis C.K. fights Vanity Fair's Proust questionnaire.
- Book explains minutia of American life to Russian readers.
- Study finds millennials like to read the news as much as their grandparents, and pretty much in the same exact format.
- Americans are suckers for cartoon superheroes—Lance Armstrong, David Petraeus, Joe Paterno.
- Duncan Murrell on the anxiety inherent to "authenticity" in New Orleans music.
- TMN-endorsed holiday shopping: Ellen Ullmann e-books for only $3.
- Also endorsed: Field Notes' new backcountry-ready notebooks and Space Pens.
- Historical account of "wild" Christmas shows the holiday's real history without consumerism's whitewash.
- See also: Choire Sicha responds to a little girl's incoherent "Dear Santa" letter.