DANIEL DREZNER: 2013 Has Been A Tough Year For The BRICs.

Late last year, Ruchir Sharma wrote a short essay for Foreign Affairs in which he said, “no idea has done more to muddle thinking about the global economy than that of the BRICs.” Sharma meant that too many pundits were buying growth extrapolations as gospel, when it turned out that the state capitalism model embraced by some of these countries might have a few flaws in it. And indeed, the announcement this week that China has decided to, “conduct a broad audit of debts incurred by government agencies” is a data point in Sharma’s favor.

There’s a related point about the BRICs that gets lost in the mist, however — they’re also behind the curve when it comes to their diplomacy.

Well, so are we, these days.

AT AMAZON, coupons galore in Grocery & Gourmet Food.

Also, Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Piece Cookware Set, 46% off.

HEY, HE PROBABLY GETS IT FROM HOWARD ZINN: Obama’s Sloppy History Problem.

GOVERNMENT IS JUST A WORD FOR THE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER: State Seizes Two-Year-Old Child From Parents Because They Smoked Pot, Child Dies in Foster Care.

LIVE AT 10 PM EASTERN: Amy Alkon talks with Dr. Sally Satel about the neuroscience of personal responsibility and more.

SAYING GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE CLEAN PLATE CLUB. I’ve got a friend with a weight problem whose parents were big into the clean-plate thing. I never finish my fries; he always finishes his. I think this bit is right: “This isn’t about pointing fingers at parents. After all, getting children to eat all of their meal was a necessity for most of human history, when food was scarce. Children didn’t have the luxury of taking only a few bites or skipping a meal, because the next meal wasn’t certain. But today, we live in a food-plenty environment in which the next meal, snack and eating opportunity is certain and bigger than ever.”

MCKAY’S BOOKS IN KNOXVILLE GOES ANTI-GUN.

IS OBAMA A BETA MALE? Egyptian Belly Dancer To Obama: We Are The Alpha!

BEWARE THE HELIUM APOCALYPSE.

LIGHT-RAIL TO NOWHERE: Honolulu, Hawaii’s Train Boondoggle.

ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Can The FBI Access Your Phone Mic? “Court documents and interviews reveal new details about the closely-held programs, including spyware that can be sent to computers and phones through email and Web links — techniques more commonly associated with attacks by criminals.”

21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: “Sometimes you go with the ex because he’s #1 on your speed dial and you just want to get laid.”

THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL: Sexual harassment in academia: It depends on what the distinction between “logical implication and conversational implicature” is.

Plus: “If I had to sum up what I see in that semi-darkness, I’d say: A man took an offer that he thought served his interests and he agreed to shut up, and a lot of women are using the occasion to promote an agenda they’ve had for a long time about what will advance the careers of women.”

Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin ruined the workplace for both men and women. This was not an accident.

THEODORE DALRYMPLE: Should An Alcoholic Be Allowed To Get A Second Liver Transplant?

TECHNOLOGY: ‘Hey, Fattie’ App Uses Hot Anime Men To Shame Women Into Losing Weight.

AT AMAZON, Markdowns In Garage Storage. From bike racks to tool chests to shelving units.

Also, Cuisinart SPB-600 SmartPower Deluxe Die Cast Blender, $79.99 (52% off). Hope the “SmartPower” works better than it has for Hillary . . . .

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

HIGHER EDUCATION UPDATE: University Of California Approves Major Open Access Policy To Make Research Free.

NOW, SEE, IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LET THEM KNOW FIRST: Glendora Officer Nearly Fires On Student Crew Filming Robbery Scene.

A student film crew shooting a robbery scene at a Glendora coffee shop were almost fired on by police who believed an actual crime was taking place. . . .

“They had masks on, and the one had a gun in his hand, and it was clear they were ready to enter the building,” she said.

Eight officers responded to the scene.

A sergeant and two officers stormed into the coffee shop and saw what appeared to be two armed men. Police said one suspect froze and didn’t drop his weapon.

One officer got ready to shoot when another intervened.

“When he didn’t drop the gun, one of the officers reached out and pulled the gun out of his hand,” said Capt. Tim Staab of the Glendora Police Department.

Seconds later, the sergeant saw a camera, and the actors explained they were shooting a short film.

If there had been a shooting here, it would have been a tragedy, but it wouldn’t have been the officers’ fault.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Faking Medical Conditions To Fly First Class?

Thirteen years ago, the University of California changed its ban on flying business or first class on the university’s dime, adding a special exception for employees with a medical need.

What followed at UCLA was an acute outbreak of medical need.

Over the past several years, six of 17 academic deans at the Westwood campus routinely have submitted doctors’ notes stating they have a medical need to fly in a class other than economy, costing the university $234,000 more than it would have for coach-class flights, expense records show. . . .

The UCLA officials added luxury and comfort to their travels while the UC system underwent one of the worst funding crises in its history. Undergraduates have seen tuition and fees increase nearly 70 percent since the 2008 school year.

Overall, Chancellor Gene Block and 17 deans who oversee the schools of business, film and theater, law, medicine and others spent about $2 million on travel and entertainment from 2008 to 2012. About half a million went to first- or business-class airfare for the six deans with medical exemptions, according to documents.

I don’t think UCLA is exceptional in this regard.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Divorce Cause: Study Suggests Parents Of First-Born Girls Are More Likely To Split. Didn’t happen in my household.

THE IRS SCANDAL, DAY 87: From TaxProf.

HEY, I MET THE INSTA-WIFE THROUGH AN EX-GIRLFRIEND: I Set My Best Friend Up With My Ex. If you choose the people you date well upfront, you’re much more likely to get along with them afterward. And if you do, you know them well enough to set them up with someone suitable. But, of course, that’s still no guarantee.

REMINDER: In 2009, Obama “Joked” About Auditing His Enemies.