Conscientious consumption and culture war

Feathers flying

  by W.W. | HOUSTON

RETURNING today to political news after a couple weeks spent moving house from Iowa City to Houston, I find that nothing both interesting and important has transpired in the interim. The presidential race is a bit of a nail-biter, for those of us who bite our nails in boredom. Even the Olympic medal-count contest between America and China is dull. Say what you will about the looming risk of total nuclear annihilation, it kept the Olympics interesting. Maybe it would help if China's numerous medal winners were cast more in the mould of Ivan Drago or the hulking East German lady swimmers of yore, because tiny synchronised divers just don't inspire the same enlivening sense of terrifying rivalry.