Weekend Reading Roundup (Finally, Some Original Stories Edition)

Imagine my delight when I look at this stack of clips on my desk and realize I’ve actually read some unique, compelling stories this past week. So much so, that I needn’t flower them up; just a brief line and link. Refreshing. Absolutely refreshing.

— The only “out” professional male athlete plays rugby in Wales; his name is Gareth Thomas, and he could probably kick the governor of California’s ass.

— I won’t be renewing my Rolling Stone subscription because of their online assbackwardsness, but they had a great story about airplane thief/young imagination-capturing outlaw Colton Harris-Moore this week. I’ll link elsewhere since RS doesn’t make it available to the hoi polloi.

— Hotel in Lower Manhattan markets its views of the site of an American holocaust. What a country!

Not as compelling, but decent, extras:

— Wednesday: I write about how education is my hot-button issue. Sunday: Philadelphia Inquirer writes about a charter-school initiative that seems to be working in Philly; New York Times writes about how, nationwide, the jury’s still out on charter-school effectiveness at a time when the charter movement finds it’s at its political sweetspot.

— March 12: I write about how I’m worried social media might dull my soon-to-be-born son’s precious mind. Sunday: New York Times writes about the debate over social-media’s impact on children.

— Times Square failed car bomb? Brief on Inquirer p. A8. Real Housewives of NJ and a mob-blooded hanger on? A1, yo!

— Jozy Altidore: A Pele or an Adu?