News Nuggets 448

Lake Bled in Slovenia.  See the Lakes Nugget below.  From the Huffington Post.

UP-FRONT PITTSBURGH WEEKEND NUGGET!!
Everyone in the greater Pittsburgh area:

This Sunday is what's called a Regional Asset District Day in Pittsburgh. This means that many of the really interesting cultural institutions in Pittsburgh will be open to the general public for free!  This includes the Pittsburgh Zoo, the aquarium, the Children's Museum, the History Center and other stuff.  The weather is supposed to be nice so I thought you might take in some of these places.  Some other things are also open on Saturday.

HERE's a pdf with the list of attractions and the times, etc.

Back to our regular nuggets:
Taliban in High-Level Talks with Karzai Government, Sources Say from the Washington Post
"Taliban representatives and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai have begun secret, high-level talks over a negotiated end to the war, according to Afghan and Arab sources."
It's about time.  It's the only way we will ever leave that place.

Iran's Dive Against the Dollar from the World Policy Institute
"At the end of September, the exchange rate of the rial on Iran’s black market registered a sudden depreciation against the dollar, going from 10,500 per dollar to 13,000 in one week. At the same time, the official exchange rate of the dollar remained virtually unchanged at 10,200 rial. This event is significant."

Sanctions Begin to Compound Iran's Severe Economic Problems from the Washington Post
"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, already faced with growing opposition from competing political forces within Iran, is confronting new pressure brought on by severe economic problems, including some triggered by international sanctions."

The Salesman (Mark Bowden) from the Atlantic
"Experienced, emotional, marked by personal tragedy and political setback, Joe Biden is in many ways the antithesis of the president he serves. But his stock has risen steadily in the West Wing, and with the Democrats poised to lose much of their leverage in the midterm elections, the vice president’s unique skills and attributes may prove ever more crucial to his administration’s success."
A great profile of the VP.

Americans Underestimate US Wealth Inequality (Steve Inskeep) from NPR's Morning Edition
"The term wealth inequality refers to the unequal distribution of financial assets among a group of people. In the U.S., the top 20 percent of people have 85 percent of the wealth."
A related NPR story, "What Does 'Middle Class' Really Mean? is HERE.

Obama's Forgotten Base (Christopher Hayes) from the Nation
"According to the poll, Tea Party sympathizers constitute 29 percent of 2008 voters, while black voters, those under 30 and those making less than $30,000 a year together make up 32 percent. Project Vote positions this cohort as the anti–Tea Party, and leafing through the poll you can see why."

Obama's a Lock in 2012 (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Sure, things look grim for the Dems this fall. But the base will rally, the economy will turn up, and the GOP will shoot itself in the foot—ensuring the president a second term."
Yes, I know it's premature for any such statements -- but it very much captures the sentiment I've had for a long time.

The Bears-and-Sneakers Theory of Democracy (Ezra Klien) from the Washington Post
"In a two-party system, you don't need people to like you to win. You just need them to like the other guys less. Think of it as the bears-and-sneakers theory of democracy. … At the end of the day, politics is about more than winning elections. The Republican Party remains in intellectual tatters."

The Bear-and-Sneakers Theory: "Two campers were hiking in the forest when all of a sudden a bear jumps out of a bush and starts chasing them. Both campers start running for their lives, when one of them stops and starts to put on his running shoes.  His partner says, “What are you doing? You can’t outrun a bear!”  His friend replies, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you!”"

Two New Polls Show Significant 7 Point Gains for the Democrats (Simon Rosenberg) from NDN.org
"More evidence this morning confirming the argument we've been making for the past few weeks - the Republican wave has crested, and a new dynamic in election 2010 has taken hold."
Michael Tomasky at the Guardian comments on this post HERE.

NODEL PEACE PRIZE NUGGET!!
And the Nobel Goes to… from Foreign Policy Magazine
"FP handicaps the Peace Prize shortlist, and betting on Bono isn't a bad idea."

LAKES NUGGET!!
World's Most Beautiful Lakes from Huffington Post
"There are many on this list of beautiful lakes that we have seen, and others we are dying to see"
We'll be showcasing some of these in up-coming posts.

ARCHEOLOGY NUGGET!!
Statue of King Tut's Grandfather Unearthed in Luxor from Discovery News
"The upper part of the more than 3,000-year-old double statue has been dug out at the site of the pharaoh's funerary temple in Kom El-Hittan, in the west bank of Luxor."

ANTHROPOLOGY NUGGET!!
Neanderthals Were Compassionate and Caring from Discovery News
"Neanderthals are often depicted as brutish club wielders, but a new book suggests Neanderthals had a sensitive side, displaying "a deep seated sense of compassion.""