The New Republic

For some unknown reason--perhaps to "balance" its anti-Roman Polanski editorial--The New York Times op-ed page decided to give 1000 words to the novelist Robert Harris and his defense of Polanski. Harris gives the game away at the start, by writing: READ MORE >>

Class War in Obamaland: Can the Coalition Hold? by Thomas B. Edsall The Usefulness of Cranks: Is Environmentalism a Natural Ally of Liberalism? by Jackson Lears READ MORE >>

From The Guardian: The Vatican has lashed out at criticism over its handling of its paedophilia crisis by saying the Catholic church was "busy cleaning its own house" and that the problems with clerical sex abuse in other churches were as big, if not bigger.... READ MORE >>

Unsurprisingly, the cinematic community has come out in strong support of Roman Polanski, typically invoking--like the French culture minister before them--his status as a great artist as if it granted him some form of legal immunity. READ MORE >>

Newsmax columnist calls for military coup to oust President Obama: There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America’s military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the “Obama problem.” Don’t dismiss it as unrealistic. READ MORE >>

Nine months into Barack Obama's administration, a few of his appointees still haven't been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. What's the hold up? Click through this TNR slideshow for a rundown on some of the remaining people who haven't been confirmed, and why. READ MORE >>

A month-old labor dispute in Boston has taken a curious twist. It began when on August 31, a hundred housekeepers at three Hyatt hotels in Boston were fired and replaced by workers from a Georgia company, Hospitality Staffing Solutions. The housekeepers, some of whom had worked for Hyatt for over twenty years, were making between $14 and $16 an hour plus health, dental, and 401(k) benefits. Their replacements were to make $8 an hour with no health benefits. READ MORE >>

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In P.G. Wodehouse's finest novel, The Code of the Woosters, there appears the following insight: She was trying to give the boyfriend a build-up, and, like all girls, was overdoing it. I've noticed the same thing in young wives, when they are trying to kid you that young Herbert or George or whatever the name may be has hidden depths which the vapid and irreflective observer might overlook... READ MORE >>

In an effort to shame horror-movie writers into abandoning perhaps the laziest trope in their profession, Rich Four Four has stitched together 66(!) instances since 2000 of folks in mortal peril having their cell phones flash the "no service" message or otherwise malfunction at a crucial moment: READ MORE >>