links for 2007-07-18 Mark Kleiman: Apparently irrational behavior by the powerful: Bush is claiming executive privilege with respect to the Pat Tillman scandal. The claim is so unpersuasive, and so potentially suicidal politically, that it would make sense only if some of tho Norwegian Petroleum Directorate: The Norwegian Petroleum Tax System: This information is meant to give the reader an introduction to the main features of the tax system on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). For complete information, see the Norwegian Erling Kvadsheim: The Norwegian Petroleum Tax and the Government's Take Duncan Black on the Freak Show that is The Politico: Yes the Politico sucks. No I don't care how much Mitt Romney spends on makeup. Yes, all intelligent people know that politicians need to figure out how to look good on the teevee. Yes, this costs money. Glenn Greenwald: The Sewer that Is The Politico Charlie Stross: Snowball’s Chance Matthew Yglesias: I haven't read the Spine in a while, but this post is really off-the-wall. [Marty] Peretz is mocking Joe Wilson for encouraging headwaiters at restaurants to address him as "your excellency" even though Joe Wilson doesn't do this. And it Michael Berube: Harry Potter and the Power of Narrative Reihan Saslam: Ross has a post reflecting on the future of blogs, and he is optimistic, which is to say pessimistic. Wait a second. Yes. He believes that blogs will tend to displace other forms of web writing. Charlie's Diary: Unpacking the Zeitgeist: I'm trying to work out how I'd go about explaining this news item from WOWinsider to someone thirty years ago, in 1977, and it is making my head hurt because there are too many prior assumptions nested recursively
