Obama Will Spotlight Beginning of the End in Afghanistan (Yochi Dreazen) from National Journal
"When it comes to Afghanistan, the official said Obama will use the address to argue that this year marks a turning point that signals the beginning off the end of the long Afghan war. The official said Obama would make clear that 2011 will be the high water mark for the U.S troop presence in Afghanistan, which will decline over the next three years and, at least in theory, be almost entirely out of the country by 2014."
Why the Arab World Resists Democracy (Omar Taspinar) from Today's Zaman [of Turkey in English]
"Out of the 22 countries in the Arab League, only Lebanon has regular elections. Yet, even there, chronic instability fights the image of a successful democracy. Why is there such an Arab exception to democracy? … According to political scientists and political economists, there are structural impediments to democracy in the Arab world."
Protests in Algeria and Yemen Draw Inspiration from Tunisia Uprising from the Los Angeles Times
"Activists in Yemen, Jordan, Algeria and even Albania took to the streets this weekend demanding democratic reforms in their countries."
North Korean Apocalypse Avoided? (Peter Drysdale) from the East Asia Forum
"The conflict internationalised very quickly and added another confrontational element to relations between Washington and Beijing. The tension heightened when China took an unusually strong public stand against the joint naval exercises between the South Korea and the US in the West Sea. The chance of serious military conflict that could have gotten rapidly out of hand was extremely high."
Leaked 'Palestine Papers' Underscore Difficulty of Peace Process from NPR's Morning Edition
"In the short-term, Lourdes said, the disclosures are bad news for Palestinian negotiators because word of the offers they made will not play well in the Arab world. But long-term, Lourdes said, "this may damage Israel's standing in the international community" if it is perceived to have been intransigent."
The link to the audio will go up late today. The NYTimes coverage of this story is HERE and the Guardian of the UK's analysis is HERE and HERE. It is unclear where these leaked documents actually came from - but the peace process will almost certainly be the big loser.
Speech Will Highlight Obama the Author (Michael Shear) from the New York Times
"The State of the Union address President Obama will deliver on Tuesday was developed during months of deliberations with a small group of White House advisers who helped Mr. Obama channel his instincts as an author."
Will Obama's State of the Union Rise Above the Cliches of a Stale Speech? (Walter Shapiro) from Politics Daily
"As a former presidential speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, I am certain what the Obama wordsmiths first did to prepare for this year's address. They immediately went back and studied all the prior presidential State of the Unions that came on the heels of stunning rebukes at the polls."
Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address--an Accounting (Glenn Kessler) from the Washington Post
"Here, in order of delivery, is a summary of the key proposals, pledges or priorities announced by Obama a year ago--and what happened to them. Overall, he did rather well in getting his ideas enacted by Congress, the clear benefit of having commanding majorities in both houses of Congress."
The West Wing, Season II (John Heilemann) from New York Magazine
"Almost overnight, Barack Obama overhauled his White House and rewrote much of the script. Now all he needs is a happy ending."
Scientists Face 'Shocking Levels' of Vilification Over Discoveries (Steve Connor) from the Independent [of the UK]
"Scientists are being subjected to shocking levels of personal vilification and distrust, Britain's most senior scientist has warned. Sir Paul Nurse, the new president of the Royal Society, Britain's national academy of sciences, urged scientists to take on those critics who have cast doubt on the veracity of scientific discoveries ranging from the link between climate change and man-made carbon dioxide to the benefits of GM crops."
He's right on the money -- both in see ing the problem and diagnosing an appropriate set of actions. Scientists need to GET INTO THE PUBLIC ARENA and duke it out with their opponents!! For twenty years, they deluded themselves into thinking that the problems were scientific and that better research would handle the problems they faced. WRONG! The problems are political, ideological, and philosophical. No critical mass of peer reviewed articles will make any difference now. Scientists need to get out of the lab and off campus and get into the TV studio -- and take THESE CRITICS head on!
A Look Inside Loughner's Mind Reveals Our Own from NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday
"Mr. POTOK: I also felt that this was a person who was mentally ill who had absorbed some very particular ideas from the radical right and, in particular, from the conspiracy theorists on the radical right."
Loughner was almost certainly mentally unbalanced -- AND heavily influenced by the anti-government rhetoric of the far right!
Gabrielle Giffords 'Even More Alert,' Will Start Rehab in Houston from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"She inspired the nation with her fairy-tale recovery. Now Rep. Gabrielle Giffords must inspire herself through the ordeal of rehabilitation, and doctors say it's likely to be the hardest work she'll ever do."
Obama Could Survive Some Bumps on Road to 2012 Reelection (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"…a detailed examination of the national map heading into 2012 suggests that the president still sits in a strong position for reelection - able to lose half a dozen (or more) swing states he carried in 2008 and still win the 270 electoral votes he needs for a second term."
CROCODILE NUGGET!!
And They Lived Snappily Ever After: Fisherman and 17ft Crocodile Best Friend Form Unlikely Tourist Attraction from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"As Chito, wearing a leopard skin sash and a headband, taps the surface of the water and calls out to his friend, the 990lb reptile dramatically emerges from below to applause from the crowd."
Quite astonishing! A seventeen foot long and 990 pound killing machine -- as gentle as a kitten WITH THIS ONE GUY. How is he with other humans? Probably not so sweet.
PARENTING NUGGET [of a sort]!!
America's Top Parent: What’s behind the“Tiger Mother” craze? A Review of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua from the New Yorker
"Chua, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, is a Yale Law School professor. She is married to another Yale law professor and has two daughters, whom she drives relentlessly. Chua’s rules for the girls include: no sleepovers, no playdates, no grade lower than an A on report cards, no choosing your own extracurricular activities, and no ranking lower than No. 1 in any subject. (An exception to this last directive is made for gym and drama.)"
This book has been getting an extraordinary amount of attention! The Wall Street Journal has a review of Chua's book HERE.
BIG CAT NUGGET!!
Two Forms of World's 'Newest' Cat, the Sunda Leopard from Earth News at the BBC
"The "newest" cat species described to science, the Sunda clouded leopard, actually exists in two distinct forms, scientists have confirmed."
What an AMAZING looking animal! See the video at Earth News link above. The still photo there doesn't do justice to how distinctive this cat looks!
BEAR NUGGET!!
Catch of the Day: Dramatic Close-up Pictures of Wild Bears Fishing for Survival from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Salmon may be a popular choice on restaurant menus, but, it seems, it is also a favourite with wild bears. A dramatic new series of photographs, by Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov, show the bears fishing for their supper in Kurile Lake in Kamchatka, Russia. The wildlife enthusiast risked his life swimming just a few feet from the animals at the rural site, which is home to more than 18,000 of them."
No comments:
Post a Comment