News Nuggets 785

A grasshopper on a Devil's-bit Scabious flower.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

UP-FRONT PITTSBURGH NUGGET!!
'Best of the World' Right Here, National Geographic Says from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
""Extreme Metropolitan Makeover." That's how National Geographic Traveler magazine describes the Steel City's "revolutionary" transformation over the past quarter century in its recommendation to visit Pittsburgh in its "Best of the World 2012.""

Why Bombing Iran is Still a Bad Idea (Dalia Dassa Kaye) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Even assuming the worst -- Iranian Government involvement at the most senior levels -- a military response is just what it was before the plot became known: a dangerous and unpredictable option that should be avoided.   Much remains unclear about the alleged terrorist plot itself."

Gaddafi to be Buried in Secret Desert Grave: NTC from Reuters
"Ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will be buried on Tuesday in a secret desert grave, a National Transitional Council official said, ending a wrangle over his rotting corpse that led many to fear for Libya's governability."

The Beauty of EU Institutions (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"The European Union was not created to deliver Europeans to postmodern bliss but to prevent another hell. It’s doing just that. "

Scandal in the Age of Obama (Jonathan Alter) from the Washington Monthly
"Why Washington feeding frenzies aren't what they used to be."

More Jobs Predicted for Machines, Not People (Steve Lohr) from the New York Times
"The automation of more and more work once done by humans is the central theme of “Race Against the Machine,” an e-book to be published on Monday. “Many workers, in short, are losing the race against the machine,” the authors write."

A slightly more optimistic view:
Where Human Workers Can Still Beat Robots (at Least for Now) from the Atlantic
"In jobs from the retail floor to the developers' office, workers are losing the race against machines. Who can still compete against androids -- and for how long?"

Outside Cleveland, Snapshots of Poverty’s Surge in the Suburbs from the New York Times
"The poor population in America’s suburbs ... rose by more than half after 2000, forcing suburban communities across the country to re-evaluate their identities and how they serve their populations. The increase in the suburbs was 53 percent, compared with 26 percent in cities. The recession accelerated the pace: two-thirds of the new suburban poor were added from 2007 to 2010."

Why Homelessness Is Becoming an Occupy Wall Street Issue (Barbara Ehrenreich) from the Nation
"It is illegal, in other words, to be homeless or live outdoors for any other reason. It should be noted, though, that there are no laws requiring cities to provide food, shelter or restrooms for their indigent citizens."

The Cowboy in Crisis, or Male Anxiety in American Politics (Victoria Bekiempis) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"The cowboy has been a Republican icon from Ronald Reagan to Rick Perry. But the modern US is no country for old white men"

NPR’s Michele Norris Steps Down, Husband Broderick Johnson Gets Obama Job (Nia-Malika Henderson) from the Washington Post
"National Public Radio’s Michele Norris will step away from her hosting duties as host of All Things Considered after her husband took a job with the Obama campaign."
I have always liked Michele Norris and I will miss her.

The Romney Economy (Benjamin Wallace-Wells) from New York Magazine
"At Bain Capital, Romney remade one American business after another, overhauling management and directing vast sums of money to the top of the labor pyramid. The results made him a fortune. They also changed the world we live in."

Rick Perry Readies Assault on Mitt Romney from Politico
"After weeks battling questions about how he plans to salvage his listing presidential bid, the Texas governor has finally started spelling out an answer. It involves opening his $15 million campaign war chest, hitting Mitt Romney harder and moving to reclaim the role of the populist conservative outsider in the race."
Oh good.  He's "readying his assault".  This headline simply reinforces how not-ready-for-primetime the Perry campaign was and continues to be.  They should have had multiple plans to destroy Romney A YEAR AGO!  What? -- are they surprised that Romney is their main opposition?!  That Romney wouldn't simply withdraw from the field when Perry showed his smug face?  Amazing!

TRAVEL NUGGET!!
On the Road: America's Loveliest Drives (SLIDES) from Slate
"They’re scenic drives, yes, but they’re also classically American. And once you find the right route, it’s easy to rediscover the exuberant freedom of the open road."