VIRGINIA POSTREL told me a while back that I need to mention the tip jar more often. Well, consider it mentioned — Amazon and PayPal buttons are over there on the left. I thought about adding a .wav file of a tin cup rattling, but . . .

INTERESTING ARTICLE on nanotechnology and interdisciplinary convergence, from the New York Times.

THE AMERICAN STREET: American opinion toward France and Germany has grown drastically more unfavorable over the past year according to Gallup.

MICKEY KAUS ON JOHN KERRY:

I think Kerry’s problem isn’t simple, run-of-the-mill calculating opportunism. It’s more comically transparent calculating opportunism, of which his Jewish “epiphany” is a good illustration. In other words, his opportunistic zig-zagging is so instantaneous and shameless — changing week-to-week in the case of Iraq — that it becomes counterproductive, losing Kerry the benefit the opportunism is supposed to gain. Why suddenly turn Jewish just when half the press core is ready to pounce on any indication of convenient chameleonism? How dumb is that? It’s calculation, but also incompetent calculation — not what you look for in a president. … Now the press has three recent examples of Kerry flip-flops. And every reporter knows if you have three examples you have a trend. …

Look for more of this as the campaign continues.