From Rolling Stone, a cover story on Make-Believe Maverick: A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty (and more on The Double-Talk Express). From Economic Principals, the US has almost certainly entered an era of competition with China for global influence. From Esquire, an article on the Google diaspora: The next big idea to come out of Google may not come out of Google (and more on the Xoogler Universe). A review of Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan to Organize Everything We Know by Randall Stross (and more). From Foreign Policy, what if Google were president? From First Principles, an article on fusionism: Traditionalist and libertarian ideas. From Culture11, cuppa conservatism: A Midwestern entrepreneur offers a conservative antidote to liberal cafe culture; and can left coast transplants afford to make Montana purple? Cut the crap: A review of The Big Necessity: Adventures in the World of Human Waste by Rose George. What the financial crisis means for high-end prostitutes. From TNR, globalization, reconsidered: Economists aren't so sure about the benefits of "free trade" anymore; and Sing for Me, Muse, the Mania: A review of Words in Air: The Complete Correspondence between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell.
