International Herald Tribune: “A statement Friday said that Menezes’ ‘clothing and his behavior at the station added to their suspicions,’ apparently referring to reports that he was wearing a bulky jacket on a summer day.”

Wired:”Cell phones know whom you called and which calls you dodged, but they can also record where you went, how much sleep you got and predict what you’re going to do next….People should not be too concerned about the data trails left by their phone, according to Chris Hoofnagle, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. ‘The location data and billing records is protected by statute, and carriers are under a duty of confidentiality to protect it,’ Hoofnagle said.”

Shurrrrrrrrrrrrrre, Hoofnagle. And the Patriot Act wasn’t just extended for another ten years. And there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like you to buy.

Slate: “The Kite Runner — Do I really have to read it?”

This article — did you really have to write it?

Salon: “Since 2003, the perception that Bush is ‘warm and friendly’ has dropped from 70 to 57 percent. In that time, the notion that the president is ‘well-informed’ has fallen from 59 to 52 percent. However, 48 percent of the respondents still feel that the president ‘cares about people like me,’ though that number has fallen somewhat.”

I don’t know what’s more hilarious. The fact that Bush can be compared to “warm and friendly” (which, if you’ve ever been involved with voiceover, is the standard catch-all description that a producer will tell you to shift your voice to*) or the fey phrases used to quantify public opinion.

* — Yes, I had a brief career in voiceover. I was even paid professionally for a local FM radio commercial. But when I heard my voice on the radio used to sell a product, I felt as if I had commited adultery and vowed never to do it again. The irony here is that I’ve never been married. But during this brief time of lunch hour auditions and bringing my green apple and water bottle to these recording sessions, every producer would say, “Ed, do warm and friendly!” And it became almost a joke. It was almost as bad as the deep-throated Caucasian male that these producers were looking for and which apparently I could provide.

The tireless Dan Wickett offers another entry in his literary journal editors series.