From MR, how should the Left criticize Obama? Gregory W. Esteven investigates. From Cracked, an article on why America is still awesome. Gigonomics, now rock bands must sing for their supper: It used to be all about records, but now the music business revolves around gigs. Tim Wu reviews The Future of the Internet (And How to Stop It) by Jonathan Zittrain. What we now think of as the picture of American masculinity is attributable in large part to J.C. Leyendecker — who? Republicans are blinded by love: Lefties just don't have the same feeling about America as the hard right does. Sex on the Beach: Is Western decadence a Molotov Cocktail? A review of Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird by Andrew D Blechman. The mail-order catalog is dead — all hail the mail-order catalog: An interview with Robin Cherry, author of Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping. A review of Thou Shalt Not Speak My Language by Abdelfattah Kilito. From n+1, John Barry on not being invited to speak at panel discussions; and an article on The People of the Magazine. A look at how hunting is driving "evolution in reverse". Bourbon’s Beauty: An ode to a distinctly American drink. It’s no longer just guide dogs for blind people — service animals now include monkeys for quadriplegics, parrots for psychotics and at least one assistance duck.