MICHAEL YON responds to his critics.

AT AMAZON, Spring markdowns in Tools & Home Improvement.

THE REAL UNDERDOG IS THE ONE HE ATE: National Journal: Barack Obama: An Underdog Story.

(Shamelessly stolen from James Taranto).

REMEMBER ALL THAT “NEW CIVILITY” CRAP FROM LAST YEAR? ME NEITHER. Oklahoma Democratic chairman says Timothy McVeigh would be member of tea party were he alive today.

Bigotry and hate is what they’re using, because bigotry and hate is all they’ve got.

OUCH: “It doesn’t go anywhere. It’s embarrassing. It’s a comedy vehicle for Jimmy Fallon, and it puts Obama in a beta position.”

TOM MAGUIRE: Newsbusters, Red Team bloggers get results – an NBC6 Miami “explanation” of the Zimmerman edit. Though not a very satisfactory one. “First, why now? The incident took place more than a month ago, the media ‘watchdogs’ are ignoring this – what prompted this explanation now? My *guess* is that Matthew Sheffield of NewsBusters scored a hit with his story earlier today naming names and blaming NBC6 for the misleading edit that eventually ran at the Today Show and, with no media mention, on NBC News.”

UPDATE: Tom Maguire emails to point out Blue Team Truthseeker Jeralyn Merritt.

OBAMA’S ENERGY POLICY, EXPLAINED: EPA official: ‘Crucify’ oil companies.

THE FIRST PORN STAR, and the first antiporn star. Remembering Linda Lovelace. “In 1972, hooking up with a pimp looked like a groovy countercultural move.”

In 1982, hooking up with Catharine MacKinnon looked the same way.

AT AMAZON, warehouse deals on televisions.

THEY TALK ABOUT ME LIKE A DOG: Axelrod: Why are we wasting time talking about which dogs Obama ate as a kid? “Instantly one of my favorite Axelrod clips, partly because watching a senior advisor to the president field questions about dog-eating makes me proud to be an American and partly because his lame response tells you a lot about Team O’s approach to this campaign.”

LAWS, LIKE TAXES, ARE FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE: Report: Obama’s Fallon Appearance Violated Campaign Law.

NAME THAT PARTY, SQUARED! Reader Thomas Prewitt writes:

Glenn, thought you would be interested in this.

Senator Mark Pryor from Arkansas is in the news due to this headline: Senator: “No Girls Gone Wild” intern this summer.

Of course, there is no mention of the fact that he is a Democrat. But then there is this. This is a link the his “About Mark” on his Senate.gov web site. Oddly, his official online profile doesn’t even describe him as a Democrat.

It’s almost like he doesn’t want to be associated with the Democrat Party or something. Why would that be?

Why, indeed?

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE:

Today, a good private college costs between $40 and $50K a year; many state universities will run you over $20K a year. Total cost for four year now: $150K or more. That’s not even close to a starting professional salary, except for the handful of top students who go to Wall Street. I’ve run this shift by some college administrators and get the same answer: “Well, very few people actually pay those full tuition rates. Most students get some amount of financial aid, so the real cost is much lower.” To which I respond: “Determining what college is going to cost you ought not to be like haggling with a used car dealer.” (Memo to parents by the way: if you have a child admitted to several colleges, you should treat the financial aid offices exactly like used car dealers, and beat the hell out of them for the best deal. Apologies here to used car dealers; you are actually more scrupulous than college financial aid departments.)

What other industry forces you to give them detailed financial statements before they’ll decide on your price?

Related: Rigor, please.

THOUGHTS ON Fear And The Attention Economy.

SEEKING DONATIONS FOR A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT “FAST AND FURIOUS:” “Blood on their Hands” – A Documentary Film.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: 10 Angry Robots You Shouldn’t Let Inside Your Home.

REUTERS ON GEORGE ZIMMERMAN:

During the time Zimmerman was in hiding, his detractors defined him as a vigilante who had decided Martin was suspicious merely because he was black. After Zimmerman was finally arrested on a charge of second-degree murder more than six weeks after the shooting, prosecutors portrayed him as a violent and angry man who disregarded authority by pursuing the 17-year-old.

But a more nuanced portrait of Zimmerman has emerged from a Reuters investigation into Zimmerman’s past and a series of incidents in the community in the months preceding the Martin shooting.

Based on extensive interviews with relatives, friends, neighbors, schoolmates and co-workers of Zimmerman in two states, law enforcement officials, and reviews of court documents and police reports, the story sheds new light on the man at the center of one of the most controversial homicide cases in America.

The 28-year-old insurance-fraud investigator comes from a deeply Catholic background and was taught in his early years to do right by those less fortunate. He was raised in a racially integrated household and himself has black roots through an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather – the father of the maternal grandmother who helped raise him.

A criminal justice student who aspired to become a judge, Zimmerman also concerned himself with the safety of his neighbors after a series of break-ins committed by young African-American men.

Though civil rights demonstrators have argued Zimmerman should not have prejudged Martin, one black neighbor of the Zimmermans said recent history should be taken into account.

“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. I’m black, OK?” the woman said, declining to be identified because she anticipated backlash due to her race. She leaned in to look a reporter directly in the eyes. “There were black boys robbing houses in this neighborhood,” she said. “That’s why George was suspicious of Trayvon Martin.”

Read the whole thing, which is a bit more nuanced than the earlier reporting.

JIM TREACHER: #Occupy: Is That Still A Thing? Yeah, but the press doesn’t want it to be anymore because they figured out it’s bad for the Democrats. Plus: “I think the woman who admires the free elections in Cuba should have her own TV show. I could listen to her opining on the issues of the day for at least an hour at a time. Get on it, MSNBC. She’s a hell of a lot more entertaining than Martin Bashir.”

So maybe they’re just afraid of competition.

CAPTION CONTEST: Obama Wandered Into A College Bar In Boulder And This Pic Happened.

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTION: Are You A SuperTemp or a SubparTemp?

HEALTHY MEAT VIA SCIENCE: Chinese scientists have cloned a genetically modified sheep containing a “good” type of fat found naturally in nuts, seeds, fish and leafy greens that helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

HE LACKS SELF-AWARENESS: More Terrible “I’m Awesome” Humor From President Obama.

CLAYTON CRAMER: For Those Who Missed The Cato Institute Event About Stand Your Ground.

OUCH: “Obama’s Lawyer Chokes Again.” Next time, cut the puppy into smaller pieces. And chew more thoroughly.

A WOMAN WITH A scientifically perfect face. And yet I find myself largely unmoved.