Here's Your Quarter Pounder

The most surprising thing about Time’s “A Brief History of the Fist Bump” article: There’s a National High-Five Day. Seriously.

"Jewels" On Display

The CIA will reveal the “Family Jewels” this week. The “Jewels” are documents containing information about domestic spying, assassination plots and other illegal activity conducted by the agency between the 1950s and the 1970s. BBC

Vice President Cheney refuses to comply with an executive order to disclose how his office has handled classified documents. Washington Post How big of a liability is Cheney for Bush? Time

How the West could make “martyrs” and “traitors” in the Middle East. Economist

The U.S., France, China, Russia and several other nations begin a conference in Paris today to discuss ways to stop the genocide in Darfur. AFP/France 24

A court has ruled that once an email leaves your mailbox, it’s private: the government can’t look at it unless they tell you. Funny thing is, emails weren’t legally recognized as private before this. Time

It’s not a cure for the common cold, but researchers say there is something that can reduce the chances of catching one. BBC

Let boys be boys. Washington Post

You never know when you might need a “do it to it” waistband.

Don't Worry About That Cough

How that TB guy was able to globe-trot through six countries after being told he was sick. AP/MSNBC What are your thoughts on what this incident says about health and border controls around the world?

Obama’s answer for universal health care isn’t universal, but it would allow everyone who wants insurance to get it. Chicago Tribune

Bush asks Congress to double the money to fight AIDS in Africa. Washington Post

The cyber-attack against Estonia - a coordinated attack during which 1 million computers were reportedly used to shut down Internet Infrastructure in the country - could be the new warfare for which many countries aren’t prepared. Economist

First Kobe said he wanted to leave the Lakers. Now he says he doesn’t. ESPN

Words are exchanged. Tensions are flared. It’s Go Time. Some rules on what to do if you get into a fistfight. First rule: Don’t get into a fistfight. Esquire (But if you do throwdown, here’s how to avoid jail.)

A penny saved is a penny earned, right? No, they're bullshit! Get rid of them!

Wolfie Nearly Out

Paul Wolfowitz, one of the architect’s of the Iraq War, is negotiating how hard he will get kicked out as head of the World Bank. Why? He gave his girlfriend a big raise. Washington Post What does the World Bank do? BBC

The White House tried to get then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to extend the NSA eavesdropping program while he was “extremely ill and disoriented” in the hospital due to gall bladder surgery. New York Times

It pays to be a millionaire when you run for president. Washington Post

Bono says the goals made to raise money for developing countries at the G8 summit two years ago aren’t being met by some countries. The reason they may have been made in the first place was sympathy after the 7/7 bombings. Guardian

The military has banned the use of some sites - MySpace, YouTube for example - on military computers. It’s not censorship, because they can use the sites on other servers, but it’s not going to easy or cheap for troops to get on the web. U.S. News & World Report

For those of you thinning - or have lost it - up top, there may hope: A cure for baldness. Sydney Morning Herald

Even though it’s a comedy, it’s hard to believe somebody would spend money to make this movie. Yes, it’s a real movie!

Bon Jour

Who is the guy just elected president of France? France 24 (video)

Mental health and ethical issues plague U.S. Soldiers and Marines serving in Iraq. Example: "Less than half of Soldiers and Marines believed that non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect." Washington Post

Why has the Bush Administration, and Condoleezza Rice in particular, been seemingly more diplomatic lately? Newsweek

The situation in Zimbabwe seems to be resolved: The oppressive Robert Mugabe will remain in power until 2013! (London) Times

Israelis are saying it’s time for their PM to go. So, why is Olmert sticking around? Time

They may not merge, but Microsoft and Yahoo could hook up in a few different ways. Wall Street Journal

Balls: Astronaut Wally Schirra told his boss “Go to Hell!” and blasted off sitting atop three different spaceships. Have you done either? Time

This clip starts off as yet another Mac/PC parody, but turns into Spider-Man and Batman finding out they have a lot in common.

Guilty

Five men were found guilty of plotting to use fertilizer to cause a series of explosions in Britain. Telegraph One of the men had links to the 7/7 bombers who killed 52 people in 2005. That link was known before those attacks. ITV

Former spy chief George Tenet defends his role in the lead up to 9/11 and the Iraq invasion. He also chats about enhanced interrogation techniques (um.. Torture?) and the “slam dunk” remark. 60 Minutes (video) Six former CIA officials say Tenet was ”the Alberto Gonzales of the intelligence community.” As head of the CIA they say Tenet was “a grotesque mixture of incompetence and sycophancy shielded by a genial personality." Ouch! CNN

Protesters rally for secularism in Turkey as the military hints at a coup if an candidate with an Islamist past is elected president. (London) Times

Iran will attend a regional meeting this week on creating stability in Iraq. It could lead to a high level one-on-one chit-chat between the U.S. and Iran. Reuters

Still doing a heckuva job. $854 million in foreign assistance was offered to the U.S. after Katrina. Twenty months later, only $40 million has been used. MSNBC (video)

Celebrities come out to raise awareness about the genocide Darfur. AFP/France 24

Hate tying that half-Windsor every morning? A frou-frou group in Hong Kong is promoting the Mandarin collar that doesn’t need a tie. Reuters (video)

Here’s what happens when a Gap parody for Mom and Dad goes wrong. What the hell is a “boyfriend trouser” anyway?