DAYLEE PICTURE: Sun-tipped sand dunes on the shore near Dublin, Ireland. From National Geographic.
UP-FRONT POLITICAL NUGGET!!
Send in the Clueless (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"... an unnamed Republican adviser who compared what happened to Mr. Cain, when he suddenly found himself leading in the polls, to the proverbial tale of the dog who had better not catch that car he’s chasing. “Something great and awful happened, the dog caught the car. And of course, dogs don’t know how to drive cars. So he had no idea what to do with it.” The same metaphor, it seems to me, might apply to the G.O.P. pursuit of the White House next year. If the dog actually catches the car — the actual job of running the U.S. government — it will have no idea what to do, because the realities of government in the 21st century bear no resemblance to the mythology all ambitious Republican politicians must pretend to believe."
In Gaza, Lives Shaped by Drones from the Washington Post
"The most enduring reminder of Israel’s unblinking vigilance and its unfettered power to strike at a moment’s notice is the buzz of circling drones. While the U.S. drone war is largely invisible; not so in Israel’s close-quarters conflict with Palestinians."
Egypt’s Vote Exposes an Islamist Divide on Religious Rule from the New York Times
"The Muslim Brotherhood’s new clout is plunging it into an Islamist-against-Islamist debate over religion’s role in a promised democracy."
Has the War with Iran Already Begun? (Michael Hirsh) from the National Journal
"The evidence of an extensive Western covert program against Tehran, and Iranian retaliation, is now too obvious to ignore."
Iran’s First Great Satan Was England (Stephen Kinzer) from the New York Times
"In Iran, anti-British outrage has burned for generations."
Vladimir Putin Set to Lose Majority Amid Complaints of Electoral Violations from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Opposition leader condemns 'theft of votes' after reports of pre-filled ballots, invisible ink and multiple visits to polling booths."
Many analysts view this as a stunning setback for Putin. Let's hope so. The sooner he exits the political stage in Russia, the sooner that country can get beyond it's Yeltsin-era inferiority complex and perhaps embrace a more forward-looking and positive global politics.
Drone Journalism? The Idea Could Fly in the U.S. (Melissa Bell) from the Washington Post
"... drones are moving outside the military sphere and into the private sector. The FAA has allowed for more the two hundred permits on civilian drone applications, the Los Angeles Times reports. ... With the possibilities, also come concerns. The technology raises major privacy flags ..."
Europe’s Financial Crisis, in Plain English (Adam Davidson et al.,) from the New York Times
"...the bottom line is simple: Europe’s problems are a lot like ours, only worse."
Why Isn’t Germany Stepping Up to Save the Euro Zone? (Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff) from the Washington Post
"Germans have discovered a contradiction: Europeans may call for German leadership, but they don’t want to be led by Germany. And they certainly don’t like the results of German leadership."
Jobs: Good Headline, Better Details (Floyd Norris) from the New York Times
"The job market seems to be getting better, and it is doing so in surprising areas. Jobs seem to be going to people with less education, and the number of long-term unemployed is coming down."
For the Environment, This Is a Big Deal (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"IN many ways, President Obama has been a disappointment on energy and the environment.... But, for me, all is forgiven — because Obama came through big-time last month. He backed his great E.P.A. administrator, Lisa Jackson, and Department of Transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, in producing a deal with all the top U.S.-based automakers that will ... require annual mileage improvements of 5 percent for car..."
Burning Love: The Shale Gas Rush (Elizabeth Kolbert) from the New Yorker
"Like many rushes before it, the shale-gas version has made some people wealthy and others miserable…"
Source: Herman Cain to Endorse Newt Gingrich Monday from Fox News Atlanta
"Sources tell FOX 5 News that Herman Cain plans to endorse fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich on Monday. They say details of a formal announcement are still being worked out."
Out of Africa and Into Iowa (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"NEWT GINGRICH’S mind is in love with itself. It has persuaded itself that it is brilliant when it is merely promiscuous. ... His mind is a jumble, an amateurish mess lacking impulse control. He plays air guitar with ideas, producing air ideas."
Democrats Gleeful At Prospect Of Running Against Gingrich from Talking Points Memo
"There’s no better illustration of how ecstatic Democrats are about Newt Gingrich leading the GOP primary pack than Nancy Pelosi’s strategic silence. Pelosi knows more about Gingrich than perhaps any other major national political figure."
GOP Nominee Newt Gingrich. Could Obama be THAT lucky?!
Cain's Bonfire of the Vanities (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"In the end, it was Herman Cain’s ego, not the women, that killed his campaign. The GOP’s fatal arrogance."
Cain’s Constant Search for the Next Big Thing from the Washington Post
"He has spent five decades seeking the next big thing. But Herman Cain’s latest move is one he has almost never made: Quitting on someone else’s terms."
Herman Cain 2012 Campaign a Victim of the Laws of Political Gravity (Jonathan Martin) from Politico
"Even as this primary season tests many of the traditional rules of presidential politics, Herman Cain’s political demise serves as a vivid reminder that the fundamental laws of campaign gravity still apply."
Why Herman Cain Failed to Salvage His Presidential Campaign (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"He fell victim to his own ignorance, disorganization, and inability to deal with sexual-harassment allegations. Howard Kurtz on his meteoric rise and sudden fall."
PEARL HARBOR NUGGET!!
Five Myths About Pearl Harbor (Craig Shirley) from the Washington Post
"... even as the memory of the attack has lasted, so have the misperceptions surrounding it. On this anniversary, here are a few myths worth dispelling."
CLONING NUGGET [of a sort]!!
Japan, Russia See Chance to Clone Mammoth from the Agence France Presse via Raw Story
"Scientists from Japan and Russia believe it may be possible to clone a mammoth after finding well-preserved bone marrow in a thigh bone recovered from permafrost soil in Siberia, a report said Saturday."
HOLLYWOOD BOOK NUGGET!!
Spencer Tracy: Leading Man: A Review of Spencer Tracy: A Biography from the New York Times
"Gradually, Curtis’s book becomes a much better biography, maybe even a great one, and I’m sorry to tell you that you won’t get the full effect if you skip ahead. Because the second half of the book not only covers the years we all want to hear about, it puts everything in Tracy’s earlier life into rich context."
ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
Doris Day (Yes, That Doris Day) Topping Charts from NPR's Morning Edition Saturday [from a week ago]
"A new name burst onto the top rungs of British pop charts this year with a song called, "My Heart." Well, maybe not a new name; it's actually one of the most famous names in musical history. Host Scott Simon speaks with screen legend Doris Day about her new album."
While not the greatest interview subject, it's amazing (given that she is 87 years old) that she can still sing as well as she does!
TOLKIEN NUGGET!!
The Dragon's Egg: High Fantasy for Young Adults (Adam Gopnik) from the New Yorker
"... even more compelling was Tolkien's arranged marriage between the Elder Edda and “The Wind in the Willows”—big Icelandic romance and small-scale, cozy English children’s book. The story told by “The Lord of the Rings” is essentially what would happen if Mole and Ratty got drafted into the Nibelungenlied."
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