That’s it for me today, folks, hopefully Ed will be back tomorrow with usual Monthly stuff. Here are some evening reads:

1. Apparently in Norwegian prison the government hires friends for you.

2. Sullivan has some dedicated readers.

3. Cap-and-trade isn’t dead outside the United States.

4. Donald Trump, noted birther fruitcake, is offended by the term “birther.”

5. “Cognitive democracy” sounds very interesting.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

Ryan Cooper is the Monthly handyman. Follow him on Twitter @RyanLouisCooper.

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Follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanlcooper. Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic, and The Nation.