Friday assorted links

1. “There is a reason Beijing wants video tape of mill demolitions but early returns indicate, Beijing is not getting what it wants.”

2. The gig economy seems to drive out some lower quality entrepreneurship.

3. The new Mercatus state fiscal rankings — the Northeast does poorly.

4. No one will read David Mitchell’s new book for another one hundred years.  I believe his fiscal ranking is pretty good.

5. The dangerous Japanese log-moving festival.

6. Why has the United States produced so few truly good soccer players?  And debates over grit.