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Saturday, July 31, 2010

News Nuggets 411


We missed the pet photos for Friday -- so here they are.  From Americablog as usual.

"The economic specter stalking Barack Obama is not the nonsense debate that captivates deficit hawks and witless political reporters. It is the threat of a full-blown monetary deflation that would truly put the US economy in ruin. In a general deflation, everything falls—prices, output, wages, profits. Unchecked, this can lead to another Big D—the Depression Obama claims he has avoided."
Many economists are sounding this alarm.

Don't Panic About the Economy (Daniel Gross) from Slate
"The GDP report for the second quarter has prompted much concern about the tepid 2.4 percent growth rate, but there are three other aspects of the report worth noting."

Journalism's Age of Shame (Eric Alterman) from the Nation
"The black political art of "working the refs" with constant and vociferous complaints of "liberal bias" in the media has a long and distinguished history. Few of its practitioners, however, have succeeded so frequently—and nakedly—as the ex-Drudge drudge and Arianna acolyte Andrew Breitbart."

"Even though the ADL statement has been widely, widely condemned as illogical and ill-advised, the Times adopts the stop-the-mosque viewpoint and announces the ADL's move "could" change the whole debate over the proposed community center. (Then again, it "could" not.)  But the Times provides no supporting evidence."
These kinds of "news" is the easiest and most misleading types of stories the MSM indulges in.  There is nothing to fact check.  Easy.  No accountability.  Perfect for the modern age of 24-hour news.

A Teahouse Divided (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune
"Leaders of the tea party movement reacted angrily to the NAACP's call for the movement to purge "racist elements" from its ranks. Then a few days later one of the movement's biggest organizations did precisely what the NAACP advised. Lesson: It's easier to appreciate an idea after you've decided it was your idea in the first place."

MARK TWAIN NUGGET!!
Now we must get reacquainted all over again. ... This edition will be nothing like the previously published versions cobbled together by the author’s editors and executors after he died. Instead, for the first time, it will be the autobiography he wanted—a disorganized, almost stream-of-consciousness set of recollections unlike any memoir ever seen, but pure, uncut Twain from start to finish.

EGYPT/RADIO NUGGET!!
The Age of Cleopatra (Audio) from NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook
"She was Egypt’s last Pharaoh. The Romans courted and smeared her.  Shakespeare made magic with her suicide. Hollywood made her Elizabeth Taylor.  Now, a big new exhibit of artifacts pulled from sunken cities makes her live again, with new clarity and force. "

AUTOMOBILE NUGGET!!
"Just 9 cars (down from 136) remain in the competition, which aims to "inspire a new generation of super fuel efficient vehicles." The cars, which go through a grueling series of tests and technical inspections to determine their road-worthiness, must be able to handle real-world scenarios."

CHINESE CULTURE NUGGET!!
China 2013 from Foreign Policy Magazine
"A controversial novel marks the return of politically charged science fiction in China -- and evokes a decidedly mixed vision of the country's future."

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