LEADERSHIP: “Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying ‘Oh, by the way, I can’t do this because of some budget document?’”

ANNALS OF THE .001 PERCENT: Plutocrat Jack Lew Is Confirmed, But Sessions Embarrasses Democrats.

SO I SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS OVER AT “NIGHT TRAIN STUDIOS” — the recording studio that Doug Weinstein and I built together, though nowadays it’s all his because I haven’t done much sound engineering in years. He was rewiring things and I helped, and it mostly underscored how obsolete my sound-engineering skills are. In the new, improved, mostly-digital Night Train Studios, I could only assistant-engineer, realistically. I did solve one sampling-rate-mismatch problem, but that was because — as I noted to him — it was an “obsolete problem,” suited to my obsolete skills. It was fun, though.

IT HAPPENED UNOFFICIALLY A WHILE AGO: Tom Blumer: The Press Officially Abdicates Its Role.

AT AMAZON, 25% off in Bath & Bedding.

DEFEND THE KING! Liberal Claws Come Out To Rip Bob Woodward.

THEY FIGURE THERE’S SAFETY IN NUMBERS: Jim Geraghty: “The folks who write the hit pieces on Bob Woodward in the coming days will be outing themselves as the administration’s favorite puppets.”

CHANGE: Spidey-sense suit tingles when someone gets too close.

BRAINS: Study shows how insulin-like molecules play critical role in learning and memory.

BOB WOODWARD: White House Warned Me “You Will Regret Doing This.”

BLUE AND RED: While Texas runs an $8.8 billion surplus, Illinois is heading in the opposite direction. A new report by the Civic Federation estimates that Illinois’ “unpaid bills” will triple to $22 billion in the next five years unless something can be done about the state’s pensions.

OUT ON A LIMB: Marissa Mayer’s No-Working-From-Home Rule Is Stupid — Or It Could Save Yahoo.

MARK STEYN: Pink Is Now The Color Of Conformity. “Nothing says ‘celebrate diversity’ like forcing everyone to dress exactly the same.”

THE WORLD’S NERDIEST MARRIAGE PROPOSAL: “A physicist posted this marriage proposal from her boyfriend, also a physicist, on Imgur a couple days ago. The proposal somehow combines features of both advanced academic writing and a note that you might pass in class to your first-grade crush.”

AT AMAZON, new releases in Movies & TV.

SEARCH: Looking For Patriotic And Conservative Romance Writers. This is the Liberty Island project I’ve mentioned before.

CHANGE: 3D Printers to Build NASA’s Spare Parts & Rocket Engines.

RACHEL MADDOW: Sure, this video is deceptively edited, but so what? “At this point, it’s a given that any audio or video that’s aired on NBC News or MSNBC could be faked in some way. They’ll do whatever it takes to advance their agenda. It’s so commonplace, even their hosts have stopped making excuses for it. It’s just part of the culture there.”

SCIENCE: Study shows human brain able to discriminate syllables three months prior to birth.

WAIT, I THOUGHT WOMEN NEVER LIE ABOUT RAPE: Compulsive liar who cried rape 11 times is jailed: Her last victim was an innocent man who she simply ‘didn’t like any more.’ I think she deserves more than 16 months in jail. Is it too cruel to note the picture?

WELL, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY: Brain Implants Can Reset Misfiring Circuits: Pacemaker-like treatment calms an overactive circuit in the brains of OCD patients.

21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: My wife and I are friends with a prostitute. Can we invite her to parties?

TURNING A NOTORIOUS PRISON into a posh hotel. “All of the rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat screen TV, free WiFi, and a personal coffee and tea machine. The hotel also features a sauna, fitness centre, central patio with olive trees, and an organic herb garden.”

DIGITAL QUESTIONS: What Is Truth, In A Virtual Era?

TWEET OF THE DAY: Donna Brazile: “Just got off the phone with my health care provider asking them to explain why my premium jumped up. No good answer!” It’s called “Affordable Care,” Donna.

UPDATE: Stephen Green replies: “That’s called free birth control.” Ouch.