Thunder Lake in Minnesota. From National Geographic.
"This, it seems to me, is the big agenda: to reestablish the foundations for a system of multilateral cooperation, partnerships, and alliances across the global system. To the extent we succeed in this, the crisis of the current moment could give way to a new kind of equilibrium."
Coalition Forces Routing Taliban in Key Afghan Region from the New York Times
"American and Afghan forces have been routing the Taliban in much of Kandahar Province in recent weeks, forcing many hardened fighters, faced with the buildup of American forces, to flee strongholds they have held for years, NATO commanders, local Afghan officials and residents of the region said."
The above item is intimately linked with this next nugget:
Making Peace with the Taliban from the Washington Post
"Senior administration officials briefed President Obama on Wednesday about the Afghan government's accelerating push for peace with the Taliban, as several streams of potential negotiations emerged."
Dr. Greg and Afghanistan (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times
"What can we do instead? Some useful guidance comes from the man whom Afghans refer to as “Dr. Greg” — Greg Mortenson, an American who runs around in Afghan clothing building schools, as chronicled in the best-selling book “Three Cups of Tea.”"
I'm surprised it has taken this long for Kristof to get around to Mortenson's work.
Coercing Iran (Paul Pillar) from the National Interest
"One issue is why this Iranian nuclear business should be such a preoccupation in the first place. I.e., what exactly is the danger we are trying to avert, and what makes it so dangerous?"
Unemployment: Just How Bad Is It? from Foreign Policy Magazine
"For American job seekers, it's the autumn of their discontent. Unfortunately, they have some worldwide company. Here's FP's guided tour of the grim numbers."
DADT Conflict Explained: Why Obama Administration Lawyers Fight for a DADT Policy Obama Opposes from Huffington Post
"President Barack Obama opposes the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, so why are Obama administration lawyers in court fighting to save it? The answer is one that perhaps only a lawyer could love: There is a long tradition that the Justice Department defends laws adopted by Congress and signed by a president, regardless of whether the president in office likes them."
NPR Commentator Loses Job Over Muslim Remark from the Los Angeles Times
"Juan Williams, speaking on Fox's 'The O'Reilly Factor,' says people in Muslim garb on planes make him 'worried' and 'nervous.' NPR says the remarks 'were inconsistent with our editorial standards.'"
I have long thought that Juan Williams was a bad fit for NPR. His right to right-of-center views thinly disguised often came thru -- often in the form of damning with faint praise. In addition, his 'analysis' was routinely sprinkled with GOP talking points. Good riddance!
America's Tea Party Fraud (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"The British just showed how real conservatives behave—with the biggest cuts in government spending since World War II. Peter Beinart on how pathetic U.S. Republicans look by comparison."
Blue Surge Emerging in Sante Races (Ed Kilgore) from the Democratic Strategist
"National patterns really stand out in the Senate races. That is why I am encouraged by what I am seeing in the last few days of polling. Democratic candidates in a bunch of different races around the country seem to be gaining ground, in most cases even though they are being dramatically outspent. Check out this pattern: …"
Hurricane Sarah: How Sarah Palin Wreaks Havoc on the Campaign Trail from Politico
"According to multiple Republican campaign sources, the former Alaska governor wreaks havoc on campaign logistics and planning. She offers little notice about her availability, refuses to do certain events, is obsessive about press coverage and sometimes backs out with as little lead time as she gave in the first place. "
PET-LOVERS' NUGGET!!
Dog Adopts Kitten from Americablog
A very charming story about a very protective dog and her kitten.
CHILDREN'S BOOK NUGGET!!
Unpublished Dr. Seuss Manuscript Drawing All Sorts of Attention from Time Magazine
"The 19-page version of All Sorts of Sports grossed a bid of $19,000 on Wednesday. The piece chronicles the trials and tribulations of an indecisive character named Pete, who tests out 100 different athletic activities."
INTERGALACTIC NUGGET!!
Can Starships Survive the Journey? from Discovery News
"Just surviving the encounter would be problematic. We’d be plopping artificially intelligent entities down in the middle of an extraterrestrial Serengeti -- as dramatized in the Discovery Channel program "Alien Planet.""
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