* British courts come down hard on arrested rioters, three-quarters of whom have previous criminal convictions. * LAPD detains, but doesn't arrest, SpongeBob. * Mug shots from Amish men booked for refusing to affix orange safety triangle to buggy. * Coed naked rugby less sexy than thought. * Research into wisdom of
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, tips for a productive working vacation with your extended family.
* Legal advisors to White House question using lethal force against non-senior militants. * Ban Ki-moon's unusually strong Syria rhetoric suggests international measures—even sanctions. * In Bahrain, clashes begin after sundown most nights, following apartheid-like repression. * Slender electoral win by Danish left bucks Europe's rightward
* Billionaire Tea Party brothers want to make voting harder for Democrats. * Related: Tea Party Ipsum * Riding China's fastest, newest, superlative-est train. * China grabs half the spots on a list of the world's 10 largest employers. * Chairman Mao's calisthenics updated with new, competitive "
“What would you do if you had a crush on someone?” I asked Thomas. “Like a barista at the coffee shop?” “Barista is tough because he’s at work,” Thomas said. We were chatting on IM, like we do every day, so technically he typed it. “I think I would
* Arizona boycotters unsure whether the campaign should be on or off, particularly since the immigration law failed. * Denmark set to elect left-wing government, first female PM today, hoping to shed anti-immigrant reputation. * Peru's best-known musician, also its first black cabinet minister, works to end discrimination.
With more than 70 TV show premieres this fall, who has time to watch them all? Or even know what any of them are about? With no prior knowledge of the shows’ premises, here are some guesses.
* Putin in action: looking at leopards, arm-wrestling, etc. * Psychologist Daniel Kahneman on how posters influence generosity and the impact of "vomit." * Carrots' orange color began as a Dutch political tactic. * Doctors observe characters in famous paintings, diagnose them with STDs, rare diseases. * Mysterious "menotoxin"
It again looks likely that Greece will default. While it hardly indicates the immediate demise of a whole continent, European politicians and markets fear the consequences for the Eurozone. John Lanchester is even more fearful. He writes in the London Review of Books that this crisis is just a single
* Despite Ahmadinejad's promises of release, fate of U.S. hikers still rests with Iran's judiciary. * After five years of incarceration, Chinese dissident describes treatment "beyond people's imagination." * Mother of victim in London's 7/7 bombings suing News Corp over phone
