Three Best Things 7/20/09 - 7/26/09

• The continuing saga of this post likening the hassles of being Jay-Z to the diplomatic challenges that face a global superpower. Specifically, how does The Big Guy deal with annoyances from The Little Guy? Not the first time somebody’s compared rapper spats to international conflict, but this one really sparked a wide discussion. This followup listed reactions from bloggers and journalists in various fields. But wait, there’s more — interviews, NY Times articles about the original blog post, etc. (Tangentially related: Nas lost.)
• Did you know Zenith Radio invented a service that was pretty much Netflix, pay-per-view, and Hulu… in 1951?
• Henry Louis Gates’ 1995 article on race and crime in modern America.

SPECIAL 40th Anniversary BONUS: The Times’ post-moon-landing retraction of its polite 1920 claim that space travel is impossible.