Things that are so random and quirky that as a writer, I know how hard that stuff is to invent, and it really had the ring of truth to it.

CNN: Sebastian Junger: The bin Laden tape and the war in Afghanistan

Notice that it's easy to invent new abbreviations but hard to make up new pictograms.

WSJ: David Gelernter: The Pros and Cons of Cyber-English

Attempts are afoot to re-invent boarding as a progressive, child-friendly option for the hard-pressed modern family.

ECONOMIST: Education: The snowman goeth | The

When academics pay to have their findings published, invent results or ignore conflicting data to keep a sponsor's money flowing, it's hard to view our learned institutions as sources of reliable information.

ECONOMIST: Will reading and writing remain important?