Here's what we're following this morning:

(via io9)

German court rules in favor of bailout fund...with conditions - Washington Post | The "unlimited" ECB action now seems to be capped at EUR190bn from Germany.

UK banks could be shut down or forced into bail-outs by Brussels - The Telegraph | Ah..."full decision-making powers."  From an external country, no less.

In which countries is Coca-Cola not sold? - BBC | I love the line about how Coke is "capitalism in a bottle."

How much did the government make on AIG, anyway? - Dealbreaker | It doesn't appear as though the feds got such a sweet deal on the plan.

Why early sovereign default could save the euro - VoxEU | It's like ripping off a Band-Aid: do it quickly.

Confessions of a former Republican - TomDispatch | I'm not sure that either party in a two-party system is the solution to the other party's foibles.  Until there is a viable third-party option, here, we seem to be forced into butting our heads against the same dented walls.

UK Treasury prepares to abandon chief fiscal target - The Guardian | If you can't win the game, just change the rules.  My kids do that all the time with Hungry Hungry Hippos.  (And a rather appropriate metaphorical nod to the story, don't you think?)

Footnote to the financial crisis: more people shun the banks - Wall Street Journal | 8.2% of the nation's households are managing their finances without a bank.  Imagine if that number doubled...which it could do, quite easily.

Hedge funds redeem $7.4 billion in July 2012 - TrimTabs Money Blog | There's a surprising disconnect between the best-performing funds and the amount of those funds' withdrawals.

May the odds be ever in your favor - Jesse's Cafe Americain | There are certain books that capture the thinking minds of the young and give us a cultural indication of what they are thinking and where they may be heading.

McG rant aside, Christian Bale is an alright guy - Geeks of Doom