¶ Matins: We remind you that it is your civic responsibility to stay abreast of national affairs, even at the risk of being supremely depressed by Elizabeth Drew’s brief history of Congressional health care bills since the Massachusetts by-election. There don’t seem to be any good guys in this story, only less-bad ones. And it’s difficult to avoid holding the electorate itself responsible. Which, in a democracy, means that everything is just fine.  (NYRB)

¶ Lauds: Mary Louise Schumacher writes about the artist-in-residence program at Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel. The public is invited to vote for the finalists. (JSOnline; via Arts Journal)

¶ Prime: Tara Siegel Bernard reports with a reasonable degree of lucidity (for the Times) on the push to impose fiduciary liability on stockbrokers and insurance agents.

¶ Tierce: On the unlikelihood of attaining warp speed anytime soon: Johns Hopkins researcher William Edelstein describes the obstacles to NewScientist.

¶ Sext: Jonathan Harris needs a diagnosis.

¶ Nones: Reading Edward Hugh’s detailed account of the troubled Greek economy, at A Fistful of Euros, we wonder if being better-informed wouldn’t intensify popular German opposition to Eurogroup bailouts. (NYT)

¶ Vespers: A long but rich interview at Prospect: Tom Chatfield talks to Martin Amis. Be the first on your block to read what Mr Amis thinks of J M Coetzee!

¶ Compline:  William Pannapacker, writing as “Thomas H Benton,” issues a warning, at Chron Higher Ed, reminiscent of Dante: Abandon all hope, ye who enter graduate school programs in the Humanities!

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
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