Monday morning roundup

I've been doing this a lot lately--dropping a disclaimer about how I don't love cliches, but sometimes, they hit the spot (which, I guess, is why they're so overused in the first place). I find the following particularly annoying: "If you always do what you've always done, the way you've always done it, you'll always get what you've always got." And yet, you want to whisper it in the ear of the Israeli government.

The Italian government apparently subsists on wiretapping.

Good move, China. It's not just my potato-loving Russian roots speaking; potatoes are so much better, and better for you, than rice. But don't you already have lotus? Mmmm, lotus.

Dionne on the barbecuification of Memorial Day and what it says about the nation's relationship with its military.

Using Ancient Greek plays to treat combat-induced PTSD.

People who say stupid things to the media, and then get flak for what they said, often go on to blame the messenger, i.e., the media.

I'll take Old Town over Reston Town Center any day (my mortgage bill reflects that choice strikingly), and I've never been a fan of artificial town centers and main streets. But, really? People can't *walk*? I quote: "...but if the front door of the Target isn't on the main street and people don't have to get, let's say, out of their car and walk across the street to get to Target, they may park almost in Target, go shop at Target and get back in their car and leave."