What has the Houla massacre changed? "There has been speculation in the press that the Houla massacre will be a 'game changer'. What the argument boils down to is: it worked in Libya, so why treat Syria differently? But the Syria hawks don't even bother to describe who or what should replace him." (Philip Gourevitch)
Christine Lagarde, scourge of tax evaders, pays no tax "The IMF boss who caused international outrage after she suggested in an interview on Friday that beleaguered Greeks might do well to pay their taxes, pays no taxes, it has emerged."
Secret 'kill list' tests Obama's principles and will "'How old are these people?' he asked. It was not a theoretical question: Mr. Obama has placed himself at the helm of a top secret 'nominations' process to designate terrorists for kill or capture, of which the capture part has become largely theoretical."
Diary: The Museum of Innocence "Orhan Pamuk came up with an insane plan: to write a novel in the form of a museum catalogue, while simultaneously building the museum to which it referred. The plot of the novel would be fairly straightforward: over many years, an unhappy lover contrives to steal a large number of objects belonging to his unattainable beloved." (Elif Batuman)
The overthinking person's drinking game "Drink if you experience a sudden flood of shame at the realization that you haven't done much to deserve really any of the things to which you aspire. If you suddenly realize you actually felt militantly entitled to something while sabotaging yourself, drink twice."
