EGYPT: Islamists Step Up Attacks on Christians for Supporting Morsi’s Ouster. Copts need some Deacons For Defense.

THE RUNNING DOGS ARE OUT, PREPARING THE BATTLESPACE FOR HILLARY: Tom Bevan: A Beastly Attack on Ted Cruz.

Funny, nobody wanted to tell us what Obama’s college roommates remembered.

ED DRISCOLL: This One Goes To 11.

JUST REMEMBER, YOU CAN ALL BE REPLACED BY ROBOTS: Fast-food workers call for nationwide walkout Aug. 29. But if you were smart enough to think about stuff like that. . . .

WELL, WELL: New Details Show Broader NSA Surveillance Reach: Programs Cover 75% of Nation’s Traffic, Can Snare Emails.

But remember, they’re not spying on Americans.

Related: What You Need To Know On New Details of NSA Spying.

REMEMBERING J.E. “Buck” Karnes.

RECOVERY SUMMER! Unemployment rates rise in most US states in July. “Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states in July and fewer states added jobs, echoing national data that show the job market may have lost some momentum. The Labor Department said Monday that unemployment rates increased in 28 states. They were unchanged in 14 and fell in eight states—the fewest to show a decline since January.” But there’s a new White House puppy!

CAN THE NSA LISTEN IN TO THIS? Progress in Quantum Communication.

AT AMAZON, coupons galore on Beverages & Coffee.

Also, Warehouse Deals in Television, Audio & Video.

Plus: TV Deal of the Week: Over half off on Boardwalk Empire, seasons 1 & 2. On Blu-Ray and DVD.

HOPEY-CHANGEY: When Welfare Pays Better Than Work.

Here’s an offer for you: $38,004 per year, tax free.No work required.Apply at your local welfare office.

The federal government funds 126 separate programs targeted towards low-income people, 72 of which provide either cash or in-kind benefits to individuals. (The rest fund community-wide programs for low-income neighborhoods, with no direct benefits to individuals.) State and local governments operate more welfare programs.Of course, no individual or family gets benefits from all 72 programs, but many do get aid from a number of them at any point in time.

Today, the Cato institute is releasing a new study looking at the state-by-state value of welfare for a mother with two children. In the Empire State, a family receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, public housing, utility assistance and free commodities (like milk and cheese) would have a package of benefits worth $38,004, the seventh-highest in the nation.

While that might not sound overly generous, remember that welfare benefits aren’t taxed, while wages are. So someone in New York would have to earn more than $21 per hour to be better off than they would be on welfare.That’s more than the average statewide entry-level salary for a teacher.

Plus, going to work means added costs such as paying for child care, transportation and clothing.Not to mention that, even if it’s not a money-loser, a person moving from welfare to work will see some form of loss — namely, less time for leisure as opposed to work.

Is it any wonder, then, that, despite the work requirements included in the 1996 welfare reform, only 27.6 percent of adult welfare recipients in New York are working in unsubsidized jobs?

When you subsidize things, you get more of them.

BITTERSWEET: Dropping Your Kid Off At College For The First Time. Did that last year (the Insta-Daughter graduated a year early). It was bittersweet, but everything turned out okay.

NANOTECHNOLOGY UPDATE: Improved molecular targeting via cellular automata.

WELL, IF I EVER HAVE A STROKE, I HOPE IT’S LIKE THIS: British man’s stroke leaves him happy all the time.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: No, College Football Is Not Like the Tuskegee Study. Just remember, though, that the Tuskeegee Syphilis Study was conducted by the same “public health” people who want to ban guns and control sodas now.

WELL, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU KNOW: Robots Meet Humans at the Unmanned Vehicles Conference.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE, LEGAL EDUCATION EDITION: Law School Applications Down 18%. That’s from 2012, which was hardly a banner year. Interestingly, I understand that at Tennessee our applications — and even more significantly, our yield rate, the percentage who accept offers — have actually gone up significantly. We actually wound up with a slightly larger 1L class than planned for this year. But then, we’re a pretty good value as law schools go.

PROGRESS: A Nuclear Reactor Competitive with Natural Gas: General Atomics has applied for DOE funds to commercialize a nuclear reactor that could lower electricity costs by 40 percent.

EGYPT: The Truth Is Finally Out: Al-Sisi Is Jewish! You know, as pervasive and all powerful as the Jews are in Arab political thought, you’d think people wouldn’t want to screw with them. . . .

THEY TOLD ME IF I VOTED FOR MITT ROMNEY, BANKSTERS WOULD CRUELLY EXPLOIT AMERICA’S YOUTH. AND THEY WERE RIGHT! Bank of America Summer Intern Dies After Pulling Three ‘All-Nighters.’

SPACE: Richard Branson raises price for Virgin Galactic trip by $50,000 to $250,000 round-trip.

READER BOOK PLUG: From reader Jeff Raymond, Facelift Your Furniture.

21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: My Niece Is About To Marry My Secret Son By An Affair.

JOURNALISM: Juxtaposition Highlights Politics Of Distraction. “But, look, a puppy!!! The Obamas got another dog, a girl puppy this time. Isn’t she cute? She’s named Sunny. Aw, doesn’t that make you feel sunny?”

Plus, from the comments: “Did the puppy come with a V22 Osprey like the other one? Who can pass up a deal like that?”

ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: What Makes Bread Go Stale?

REMINDER: In 2009, Obama “joked” about auditing his enemies.