IN THE MAIL: Poorer Richard’s America: What Would Ben Say?

FELLOWSHIPS for aspiring law professors.

MONEY-SAVING TIPS FROM ROGER KIMBALL: Things the U.S. government could do without.

THE BECK RALLY: A muddle?

MEGAN MCARDLE: “I’m in the middle of Sex at Dawn, the book that’s caught the attention of a number of commentators, including Dan Savage and our own Andrew Sullivan. I’m about halfway through the book, and so far, I’m disappointed to say that it reads like horsefeathers.”

Plus, a damning line from the comments: “Oh well, it’s only social science.” Ouch.

OKAY, DAN O’BRIEN’S STOLEN HORSES MAY BE A GREAT BOOK, but listening to the summary in this NPR review I was struck by the litany of lefty/Oprah cliches: A town founded in an act of violence by white settlers (check! — they’re even cowboys!), a Native American (check!) who dies because he’s denied healthcare (check!) by a greedy hospital (check!) that’s defended by a Republican lawyer (check!) There’s even a plucky female journalist (check!) with a boyfriend who . . . . won’t commit! (check, and mate!) Really, can it get any better than this?

SHOCKING NEWS FROM JIM TREACHER: The Huffington Post has editorial standards, apparently.

DAVID BERNSTEIN: “The New York Times’s stories on the Great Recession always seem to manage to find 20 somethings to interview who seem completely clueless about finances.” Interesting discussion in the comments.

VERONIQUE DE RUGY: “There are days where I wonder whether things will ever get better, and then there are days when I know things will.”

WHITE HOUSE WON’T GIVE THE SURGE ANY CREDIT FOR IRAQ SUCCESS: “Gibbs said Obama plans to call Bush before the speech, but through repeated questioning would not admit that the surge played any especially important role in the war’s progress.” Showing the forthright and generous spirit we’ve come to expect from this gang.

BITES FROM THE APPLE: A roundup of news from the Apple Empire.

FOURTH AMENDMENT STUNNER: Judge Rules That Cell-Site Data Protected By Fourth Amendment Warrant Requirement. I’ll be surprised if this holds up, but stay tuned.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: The Hill: Watchdogs not sure Johnson will face ethics probe over scholarship scandal. “Watchdogs are divided over whether the ethics committee should immediately investigate Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). Johnson has been accused of awarding thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four relatives as well as the child of a top aide over the past 5 years. Johnson reportedly used Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation funds to dole out the scholarships, even though the recipients were ineligible under the nonprofit’s rules, according to a report by The Dallas Morning News.”

ANNIE JACOBSEN: Likely Terror Attack ‘Dry Run’ Exposes Dangerous TSA Missteps.

JAY COST: Health Care Reform Has Endangered the Democratic Majority. “It was during the health care debate that the essential building block of the Democratic majority – Independent voters – began to crumble. It was evident in the generic ballot. It was evident in the President’s job approval numbers. It was evident in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.”

CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRESS: California Senate Rejects Open-Carry Ban. Okay, it’s a small thing. But it’s California. (Via NewsAlert).

WHY WALL STREET DONORS ARE DESERTING OBAMA.

HEY, ALCOHOL IS A PRESERVATIVE: Why Do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers?

UPDATE: Reader Michael Costello writes: “I have 30 year old bottle of Mezcal in my liquor cabinet and the worm at the bottom looks as fresh as the day I bought it. Works for him!”

I LISTENED. IT’S AN INSPIRED RANT. Mark Levin’s Rousing Call To Arms For The Tea Party Movement.

SUGGESTION TO TEA PARTIERS: LEAVE MIKE CASTLE ALONE. “Do you know who Mike Castle would be a lot more conservative than? Democratic nominee Chris Coons.”

UPDATE: Related: Boot Barney Frank: Support GOP challenger Sean Bielat. It’s uphill, but Frank’s looking beatable this year.

RICH DEMOCRATS are getting richer.

SECOND NEWSPAPER CHAIN joins copyright trolling operation. I guess people will have to add them to the blocking plugin.

UPDATE: Here’s the list, courtesy of Bill Quick.

ED DRISCOLL: Unlike Newsweek, I Still Believe Obama is the President. “I actually double-checked to make sure it wasn’t a parody; and at least according to Newsweek’s fellow JournoListas at the Politico, it’s legit.”

CLIMATEGATE UPDATE: UN report on glaciers melting is based on ‘speculation.’ “Two years ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made the claim which it said was based on detailed research into the impact of global warming. But the IPCC have since admitted it was based on a report written in a science journal and even the scientist who was the subject of the original story admits it was not based on fact. The article, in the New Scientist, was not even based on a research paper – it evolved from a short telephone interview with the academic.” Remember when the magic phrase was the peer-reviewed science? (Via JWF).

WALL STREET JOURNAL: Investors Head for Bunkers, Driving Up ‘Shelter Shares’. “Amid the market tumult, a handful of stocks have seen their share prices ratchet up to record highs in recent weeks. And many of them are connected by a curious, if disconcerting, thread: Between them, they provide an investor with essentials for any respectable fallout shelter—makers of bottled water, canned goods, dehydrated broth, gas masks and auxiliary generators.”

This whole Era of Hope And Change isn’t really living up to the promises . . . .