Most of these great items come from my Twitter feed or Facebook news feed. Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook for more fascinating videos, articles, essays and criticism. Read past recommendations from this series here.
1. Uncommon Knowledge
By Ken Lewis | The Boston Globe | Aug. 14
“Think your way to confidence. In case of fire, call an insecure person. In politics, networks matter.”
2. The Pentagon’s new China war plan
By Stephen Glain | Salon.com | Aug. 13
“Despite budget woes, the military is preparing for a conflict with our biggest rival — and we should be worried.”
3. Tribal Rifts Threaten to Undermine Libya Uprising
By David D. Kirkpatrick and C.J. Chivers | The New York Times | Aug. 13
“Saddled with infighting and undermined by the occasionally ruthless and undisciplined behavior of its fighters, the six-month-old rebel uprising against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi is showing signs of sliding from a struggle to overthrow an autocrat into a murkier contest between factions and tribes.”
4. Why not Bloomy?
By Steve Kornacki | New York Post | Aug. 13
“Conditions mayor wanted in ’08 are happening in this election.”
5. Cuba’s Fidel Castro, US foe and hero of Latin American left, turns 85
Associated Press | Aug. 13
“Revolutionary icon Fidel Castro marked his 85th birthday behind closed doors … as the aging leader famous for railing against Washington increasingly fades from the spotlight — even if his outsize persona continues to cast a long shadow over Cuban society and U.S. relations.”
6. Untold Story of the Bay of Pigs
By Robert Dallek | Newsweek | Aug. 14
“Newly declassified CIA documents reveal new blunders and how close America came to war during the failed invasion of Cuba.”
7. Why aren’t these actors famous?
Salon.com | Aug. 12
“Slide show: These 10 underrated film and TV stars deserve to be household names”
8. The Good, the Bad, Not the Ugly
By Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott | The New York Times | Aug. 11
“Stardom can look cheap in the age of Snooki, but movie stars do still matter at the box office, and a system of sorts exists, even if it doesn’t work like the one that turned Lucille Fay LeSueur into Joan Crawford.”
9. Sorority Girl With Implants Making the Most of Open Relationship
Daily Intel :: New York Magazine | June 13
“Once a week, Daily Intel takes a peek behind doors left slightly ajar. This week, the Sorority Girl With Breast Implants Making the Most of Her Open Relationship: female, college student/”sorority princess,” Morningside Heights, 22, straight, in an open relationship.”
10. OJ Simpson car chase
Witness :: BBC News | June 13
“In June 1994, America watched in disbelief as the police chased the retired sports star OJ Simpson, along the freeways of Los Angeles.”