Domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka. From National Geographic.
After Iraq from the Editorial Board of the Economist [of London]
"America has had a bruising decade. But do not underestimate either the superpower or its president."
The President and the Peace Process (the Lexington column) from the Economist [of London]
"A thankless task, but at least Barack Obama seems to be trying."
Still Striving for MLK's Dream in the 21st Century (Martin Luther King III) from the Washington Post
"It is clear from the timing and location that the rally's organizers present this event as also honoring the ideals and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to be clear about what those ideals are."
The Sobering Message of the Mosque (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal
"Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans, including not only Republicans but also independents, oppose locating the mosque near Ground Zero. But surveys in the controversy's wake have also shown a surprisingly broad receptivity to much harsher assessments of Islam, particularly among Republicans and conservatives."
One Set of Shoulders: China's Hidden Revolution from the New York Review of Books
"Other Chinese parents I spoke with said similar things about their children, complaining about their remoteness, their social isolation, and their obsession with technology. They seem an alien race of free-floating individuals."
Same-Sex Marriage Gains GOP Support from the Washington Post
"A growing number of Republicans are breaking with the party's traditional stance to publicly state their support for same-sex marriage, a shift strategists say stems as much from demographics as from the renewed focus on economics and the "tea party" movement."
Shocking!! It is not what I would have guessed.
A Republican Comes Out of the Closet (Tobias Harshaw) from the New York Times
"On the right, sympathy for Ken Mehlman. On the left, not so much."
Primary Colors: Bright Red and Neon Blue (Gerald Seib) from the Wall Street Journal
"It's become increasingly dangerous for lawmakers of either party to compromise with the other side on a big issue, because politicians who do so increasingly face harsh, well-funded challenges from the ideological wings of their own parties in primary elections."
The Right Stuff: Profile of Mitch Daniels from the Economist [of London]
"Indiana's governor is a likeable wonk. Can he save the Republicans from themselves and provide a pragmatic alternative to Barack Obama?"
I've said for some time that Daniels is one of the few GOPers out there who could really pose a challenge to Obama in '12.
Republican Rivalry from the Editorial Board of the Financial Times [of London]
"Insurgents are making their voices heard in the US primary elections. The battle for the soul of the Republican party goes on. So far, on the whole, moderation and intelligence are on the losing side."
HISTORY BOOK NUGGET!!
Nuclear Family: A Review of The Twilight of the Bombs by Richard Rhodes from the Sunday New York Times Review of Books
"So ends the first paragraph of the first book in Richard Rhodes’s four-volume epic. In that book, “The Making of the Atomic Bomb,” which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988, Rhodes explained how exactly the United States came to build atomic weapons. His next volume, “Dark Sun,” traced the early years of the cold war. “Arsenals of Folly” told the story of its end. And now “The Twilight of the Bombs” describes the fate of nuclear weapons since the Soviet Union collapsed."
SCIENTIFIC ETHICS NUGGET!!
Should We Clone Neanderthals? from Archeology Magazine
"As the Neanderthal genome is painstakingly sequenced, the archaeologists and biologists who study it will be faced with an opportunity that seemed like science fiction just 10 years ago. They will be able to look at the genetic blueprint of humankind's nearest relative and understand its biology as intimately as our own."
WORLD WAR I NUGGET!!
Tourist Finds Skeleton of World War I Soldier Preserved in Astonishing Condition from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"An amateur historian has discovered the mummified body of a World War I solider frozen into an Italian glacier. Dino De Bernardin made the grim find as he walked in mountains close to his home, which had been the scene of bitter fighting between Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops between 1915 and 1917."
ANCIENT ROME NUGGET!!
Found Underneath the A1, the Home of Rome's Legendary Lost Ninth Legion from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"It was one of the oldest and most feared legions in the entire Roman Empire.
But, at some point after 108AD, it vanished - never to be heard from again. Now archaeologists have discovered a Roman 'industrial estate' near ruins which may once have been home to the famous Roman Ninth Hispanic Legion - the lost legion."
PLANETARY NUGGETS!!
New Planet System Found—May Have Hidden "Super Earth" from National Geographic News
"A newly discovered planetary system orbiting a sunlike star may conceal a rare super-Earth, according to data from NASA's Kepler space telescope."
A related story goes into greater detail HERE.
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