Max Haiven and Scott Stoneman (McMaster): Wal-Mart: The Panopticon of Time. From The New York Times Magazine, a special issue on the mind. Nepal's fierce Gurkha soldiers find themselves under siege. From Bryn Mawr Classical Review, a review of The Art of the Body: Antiquity and Its Legacy; and a review of Roman Toilets: Their Archaeology and Cultural History. Culture and creature: Zachary Piso on a pragmatic defense of interspecies cosmopolitanism. Debt-ceiling fiasco: House Republicans just reneged on the debt-ceiling deal, making a default in 2013 almost inevitable. Mitt Romney gave the commencement address at Liberty University, best known as the pet project of televangelist Jerry Falwell; here are highlights of its all-encompassing code of conduct (and more on Falwell). From Reason, Shikha Dalmia on 5 reasons why conservatives should root for a Romney defeat; and Mike Riggs and Garrett Quinn on a new dawn for the Libertarian Party (and more on Gary Johnson). From Cracked, a look at 6 fictional places you didn't know actually existed; and the 7 creepiest places on Earth.
