Reading

John Cassidy, in his concern over the global shift from economic stimulus to deficit reduction, argues it could hinder economic recovery. via The New Yorker

Bryan Caplan argues that while economists often say bad policies succeed because the benefits are more visible than the costs, war is a counterexample as people are easily persuaded of war's non-obvious benefits. via Econlib.

Bryan Caplan of EconLog expresses strong disapproval of the school practice of separating twins into different classrooms and discouraging "best friendships".

via Econlib.

Steven Johnson responds to Nicholas Carr's views on multitasking, suggesting that busy urban environments, rather than hindering, actually foster innovation.

Arnold Kling compares and contrasts two Washington Post articles: one discussing negative outcomes for children conceived using sperm donors and a second examining Alvin Greene’s unexpected primary win.

The Daily Beast encountered a 404 error while trying to access a specific page about the World Cup. via The Daily Beast

Eamonn Mallie contemplates the difficulty of forgetting the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly for victims and their families. via Slugger O'Toole.

Robin Hanson's blog post discusses a New York Times article discouraging close friendships in schools due to concerns about cliques and bullying. via Overcoming Bias.

Marginal REVOLUTION features a debate on nuclear power by Alex Tabarrok. via Marginal REVOLUTION

Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution raves about Bob Dylan's *Radio Hour* XM satellite radio shows, available as a CD box set.

This debate revisits the use of "cannot" versus "can not", ultimately using a sports graphic as an example of why the one-word form might be preferable. via languagehat.com

MSN reports that Gary Brooks Faulkner was found in Pakistan with night vision goggles and a sword, claiming he was looking for Osama Bin Laden. via Slugger O'Toole.