Eugene Robinson argues that, instead of a handshake, a slap might have been more appropriate for an encounter that Hugo Chavez was clearly trying to use as a bit of theater. (A literal slap, of course, would only play right into Chavez's hands face).

The Guardian editorializes in praise of airships (at least airships not named "Hindenburg") as an efficient low-carbon method of transporting cargo.

Continuing in the vein that ignoring North Korea will be a much more prudent policy than taking the bait of its provocationg, Doug Bandown, of the Cato Institute, proposes "bored contempt" as the appropriate response to Pyongyang's missile-waving attempts to attract attention.

And a couple good recent articles, in the Post and on RealClearWorld, on the fragile and uncertain Kurdish democracy. The UN is preparing reports on Kirkuk and other areas, and the decisions of where to grant greater Kurdish control -- and, perhaps more importantly, of how Iraqi political parties will react -- will determine whether or not the region continues to be a model, or ignites a new conflagration.

(image from flickr user Liqueur Felix under a Creative Commons license)