SO MUCH CHICKENSHIT IN THIS ARTICLE

Over the years, Obama administration officials have described Netanyahu to me as recalcitrant, myopic, reactionary, obtuse, blustering, pompous, and “Aspergery.” (These are verbatim descriptions; I keep a running list.) But I had not previously heard Netanyahu described as a “chickenshit.”

SMOOTH CRIMINALS

Although the media often describes the performers as breakdancers, most of the kids who dance on the trains today are actually disciples of litefeet, a form that originated about a decade ago in some of the same playgrounds of the Bronx and Harlem where an older generation invented hip-hop itself. Now, they're being called criminals.

SO... NOT A NEWS SITE

Verizon is getting into the news business. What could go wrong? There’s just one catch: In exchange for the major corporate backing, tech reporters at SugarString are expressly forbidden from writing about American spying or net neutrality around the world, two of the biggest issues in tech and politics today.

SEX GAMES

Streaming site Twitch is taking a hard line against users whose feeds include "sexually suggestive" outfits, according to the rules of conduct changes that posted Monday. "Nerds are sexy, and you're all magnificent, beautiful creatures, but let's try and keep this about the games, shall we?" reads the update.

THIS? THIS RIGHT HERE? THIS IS IRONY

The investigator who led the Department of Homeland Security’s internal review of the Secret Service’s 2012 prostitution scandal quietly resigned in August after he was implicated in his own incident involving a prostitute, according to current and former department officials.

HEROIC PROGRESS

Progressive superhero nerds had almost lost faith. It seemed as though they'd never reach the promised land. But lo, the movie-studio gods smiled upon lovers of diversity this day: At long last, Marvel Studios has announced "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel" movies, and today, geeks across the galaxy completely lost their minds.

PRETTY GOOD PRIVACY GUY

Until now, I haven’t written about my modest role in the Snowden leak, but with the release of Poitras’ documentary on him, “Citizenfour,” I feel comfortable connecting the dots. I think it’s helpful to show how privacy technologists can work with sources and journalists to make it possible for leaks to happen in a secure way.

THE GHOSTS OF GAZA

In the weeks after Israel and Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire, three Israeli soldiers decided to end their lives with their own weapons. And what was especially striking about their suicides was that all served in the same unit, the Givati Brigade, which had a reputation for its ruthless ferocity, considerable bravery, and the use of Old Testament religiosity to justify the merciless operations of its commander, Colonel Ofer Winter.

THE LAND OF MILK AND COTTON

Earlier this month, Brazil and the United States struck a landmark trade agreement over a longtime point of contention: cotton. The deal had all outward appearances of a fair compromise. Under the surface, however, the agreement concealed an uglier truth about the misbalance of power in international trade.

CHANGING TIDES

Capt. Sage Fox had come to terms with the end of her military career when she said she got a stunning phone call. It was her commanding officer, telling her that despite the military’s ban on transgender service members, she would be welcome to return — as a female, her preferred gender. But a short time later, her orders were reversed without explanation, and she was told not to come back.

GOTTA GO FAST

Our mobile economy is growing — fast. We are moving from networks designed for analog voice to networks designed for high-speed digital data. To meet these demands, we need to think differently the airwaves around us responsible for carrying this data load.

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT

Legendary soccer star and noted asshole Diego Maradona has hit a new low with the leak of a video showing the seemingly drunk Maradona hitting his girlfriend Rocio Oliva. Oliva secretly recorded the attack on her cell phone. Maradona claims he only knocked the phone out of her hands.

MONEYBALL MAP

Kirk Goldsberry began to focus on the locations and movement of objects — specifically, the players and the ball. From that perspective, and with the help of some massive new data sets, he could do more than merely quantify what people thought they knew about the game. He could discover hidden truths about hoops, shining light into dark corners that no one even knew were corners.

TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE OF THIS BOOK

Few rock vocalists have been as influential as Janis Joplin. Her soulful, raspy wail moved mountains up until her untimely death at the age of 27 in 1970. In 1967, when she was still with Big Brother and the Holding Company, John Byrne Cook took over as Joplin's road manager and remained a presence in her life until the very end.

THE GREAT PAPER CAPER

Years of running drugs and boosting cars left Frank Bourassa thinking: There's got to be an easier way to earn a dishonest living. That's when he nerved up the idea to make his fortune. (Literally.) Which is how Frank became the most prolific counterfeiter in American history — a guy with more than $200 million in nearly flawless fake twenties stuffed in a garage. How he got away with it all, well, that's even crazier.