Good old homo erectus -- from a VERY COOL exhibit at the Smithsonian's new Hall of Human Origins at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. See the Anthropology Nugget below and their website HERE.
No -- that is not the latest accessory from Bluetooth. It is the largest twig insect in the world. See the Rainforest Nugget below. Israeli Unassailable Might and Unyielding Angst (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"President Obama, for all his assurances about unbending American commitment, has left Israelis with a feeling of alienation, a sense he does not understand or care enough. ... I think what is really bothering Israelis, the root of the troubles, is that Obama is not buying their discourse, their narrative."
Post-Game Analysis: Why Obama's Speech Counts from the Wall Street Journal
"President Barack Obama’s speech today on overhauling financial regulation is important for several reasons. Here are the top three:"
The Double Down (Alex Gibney) from the Atlantic
"On a day when President Obama is trying to encourage the investment banks to "join us" on planet Earth, Goldman and the others are busy clogging the arteries of government with their own version of "double down": massive amounts of cash to prevent any financial reform. "
Reality Dawns for Republicans Over Wall Street (Edward Luce) from the Financial Times [of London]
"Until this week, the Republican party hoped it could turn Barack Obama’s financial regulatory reforms into another healthcare saga. ... Somewhat belatedly, the Republicans have awoken to the fact that healthcare arguably ended up being their “Waterloo”"
Financial Reform and Political Reset (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"A win on banking regulation – with some Republican support – may mark a new phase for Barack Obama's vexed presidency."
Suit Against Pope, Vatican Details Wisconsin Abuse from the Associated Press
"The case of a Wisconsin priest accused of preying on boys at a school for the deaf was presented to the Vatican by one of the victims a year earlier than previously thought, according to documents revealed Thursday in another lawsuit aimed at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church."
The Next Catholic Abuse Scandal: Crimes Against Women from Salon
"Coming to light are widespread reports of rapes of nuns -- young women from India's and Africa's poorest families."
Unpopularity of SCOTUS Citizens United Decision Approaching Constitutional Amendment Levels (Jonathan Singer) from MyDD
"Voters disapprove 79 - 14 percent of the Supreme Court's January ruling removing limits on the amount corporations and unions could spend attacking or boosting political candidates, with consistently strong opposition across the political spectrum."
Spin, Science and Climate Change from the Editorial Board of the Economist [of London]
"Action on climate is justified, not because the science is certain, but precisely because it is not"
The Midterms Don't Matter (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Yes, the Democrats are going to get throttled this fall. But Obama has had so much success that he can afford spending a little time playing defense."
I'm SURE they matter to those dems seeking reelection! Moreover, how long has Obama actually been playing offense? Three weeks, maybe four?
The Tea Party's Toxic Take on History (Ron Rosenbaum) from Slate
"Listen to Tea Partiers on cable news—or read the signs they hoist or their Internet comments—and you frequently encounter the flagrant abuse, the historically ignorant misuse, of words such as tyranny, communist, Marxist, fascist, and socialist. ... The recent New York Times study of T.P.ers reported that party members are "better educated" than most Americans. But educated in what?"
The Tea Party: Goldwater 2.0 (Bill Schneider) from the National Journal
"If you are of a certain age, the "tea party" movement may evoke a distant memory, the takeover of the Republican Party by Barry Goldwater's supporters in 1964. The two political movements share the same driving force -- not personal discontent, but ideological outrage."
The Real Republican Civil War (Kimberly Strassel) from the Wall Street Journal
"The struggle between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist for the Florida Senate seat symbolizes the rift between the reformers and the establishment in the GOP."
Are Tea Partiers Dupes? (Jonathan Chait) from the New Republic
"The backlash against Bush from the right is largely a way of absolving conservatism of Bush's failures. Indeed, the Tea Party movement is largely driving the Republican Party along the same lines that Bush did."
REPARATIONS NUGGET!!
Ending the Slavery Blame Game (Henry Louis Gates, Jr.) from the New York Times
"In President Obama, the child of an African and an American, we finally have a leader who is uniquely positioned to bridge the great reparations divide. He is uniquely placed to publicly attribute responsibility and culpability where they truly belong, to white people and black people, on both sides of the Atlantic, complicit alike in one of the greatest evils in the history of civilization."
Popping the Tea Party Bubble (Kevin Drum) from Mother Jones Magazine
"These people have been around forever, and they're always upset when liberals take over. In fact, if there's anything new about the tea partiers it's that the movement is smaller, less organized, and less influential than either the Birchers of the 60s or the anti-Clinton wingnuts of the 90s."
HOME LIBRARIES NUGGET!!
Home Libraries Provide Huge Educational Advantage from Miller-McClure Magazine
"Will your child finish college? The answer may be as close as your bookshelves, or lack thereof."
RAINFOREST NUGGET!!
123 New Species Found in Borneo Rainforest Since 2007 from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"A lung-less frog, a frog that flies and a slug that shoots love darts are among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007 in a project to conserve one of the oldest rainforests in the world."
HUMMINGBIRDS NUGGET!!
The Marvelous World of Hummingbirds from Huffington Post
"In honor of Earth Day, we've teamed up with National Geographic to bring you photos that celebrate the beauty of nature, as we did early this week with a look at national parks. This time, we're focusing on hummingbirds, the marvelous bird that hovers in flight."
BIOLOGY NUGGET!!
Sperm Recognize "Brothers," Team Up for Speed from National Geographic News
"Once inside a female, sperm cells can discern and—via structures on their heads—literally hook up with their brethren amid the crush of sperm from other males."
ANTHROPOLOGY NUGGET!!
A Closer Look at Evolutionary Faces from Smithsonian Magazine
"John Gurche, a “paleo-artist,” has recreated strikingly realistic heads of our earliest human ancestors for a new exhibit."
These look TOTALLY amazing. See the whole gallery!
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