News Nuggets 983

DAYLEE PICTURE: The Roussanou monastery in Meteora, Greece.  From the Daily Mail of the UK. See the other evocative images of remote monasteries HERE.

Russia Condemns Syria Over Massacre of 108 At Houla from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"A weekend massacre of more than 100 people emerged as a potential turning point in the Syrian crisis Monday, galvanizing even staunch ally Russia to take an unusually hard line against President Bashar Assad's government."
What hard line?!  Was the Syrian army using someone else's weapons shipment and not the kalashnikovs and armor that they just sent over not TWO DAYS ago? I think the "international community" has to stop barking at Assad and start hurling epithets at the Russians and calling them out in as public a way as possible.

Meet ‘Flame’, The Massive Spy Malware Infiltrating Iranian Computers (Kim Zetter) from Wired Magazine
"A massive, highly sophisticated piece of malware has been newly found infecting systems in Iran and elsewhere and is believed to be part of a well-coordinated, ongoing, state-run cyberespionage operation. The malware, discovered by Russia-based anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab, is an espionage toolkit that has been infecting targeted systems in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, the Israeli Occupied Territories and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa for at least two years."

Merkel's Stubborn March of Folly (John Vancour) from the New York Times 
"Short of a head guillotined into a basket, change puts no letter of official confirmation in the mail. All the same, this assertion: Last week, when Angela Merkel’s government was preparing position papers on how to insert prospects of growth into Germany’s bleak covenant for resolving the European Union’s debt crisis via massive economic and financial constraints, it signaled the dilution of Europe’s strongest swig of unchallenged German leadership since World War II. A single, inflexible and fairly unpalatable German idea that the European Union’s salvation lay alone in making Lisbon function like Ludwigshafen has had its day."

Asia Exposed (Stephen Roach) from Project Syndicate
"For the second time in less than four years, Asia is being hit with a major external demand shock. This time it is from Europe, where a raging sovereign-debt crisis threatens to turn a mild recession into something far worse: a possible Greek exit from the euro, which could trigger contagion across the eurozone. This is a big deal for Asia."

The Closing of the Indian Mind (K. Shankar Bajpai) from The Hindu [of India in English]
"The instruments of state have become increasingly dysfunctional, the failure to implement policies or perform even routine duties now aggravated by the failure to take any decisions. There is one root cause: our decisions and behaviour are shaped by considerations unworthy of a serious people."
Boy, they sound just like Americans!

Secret ‘Kill List’ Proves a Test of Obama’s Principles and Will from the New York Times
"Mr. Obama has placed himself at the helm of a top secret “nominations” process to designate terrorists for kill or capture, of which the capture part has become largely theoretical. He had vowed to align the fight against Al Qaeda with American values; the chart, introducing people whose deaths he might soon be asked to order, underscored just what a moral and legal conundrum this could be."

The Truth About Uncertainty Is That It’s (Mostly) Untrue from the Editorial Board of the Bloomberg News Service
"Many executives blame Obama’s health- care overhaul for the uncertainty. The law has multiple parts that take effect over many years and, yes, it can be confusing. But the law is the law; it’s been passed. If there is uncertainty, it’s from what Obama’s political opponents are doing: challenging its constitutionality. The possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn the law’s centerpiece, the individual mandate, is driving much of the uncertainty."

How Far We’ve Come on Bigotry (Richard Cohen) from the Washington Post 
"I did not know that schools in some parts of the country, but especially in the South, were segregated. I did not know that blacks and whites could not marry. I did not know that the balconies in movie theaters were reserved for blacks only — as were seats in the back of the bus. I did not know about black and white state parks, water fountains, motels, hotels, funeral homes, churches, bar associations, cab associations, medical associations, cab stands, lunch counters and so much more, including a whole system of justice. ... What I did not know, I fear others do not now know."

Are Liberals Trying to Intimidate John Roberts? (Jeffrey Rosen) from the New Republic
"I suggested that this is a moment of truth for Chief Justice Roberts because I’ve been a staunch supporter of the vision of bipartisanship that he articulated when he became Chief Justice, and have continued to defend him during the past six years when others have denounced him for failing to live up to the standards he set for himself."

Hope: The Sequel  (John Heilemann) from New York Magazine
"the months ahead will provide a bracing revelation about what he truly is: not a savior, not a saint, not a man above the fray, but a brass-knuckled, pipe-hitting, red-in-tooth-and-claw brawler determined to do what is necessary to stay in power—in other words, a politician."

The Next Step in Obama's Attack on Bain Capital (Jamelle Bouie) from the Washington Post
"What’s important to remember about the attack on Bain Capital is that it isn’t the sum total of the Obama campaign’s assault on Mitt Romney. Instead, it’s an opening gambit meant to center the debate on what Romney says is his chief qualification for the presidency — his ability to create jobs using his private-sector know-how."

Romney’s Safest VP Pick, Portman, Plus 9 Safeties, From Ryan to Rubio (Mark McKinnon) from the Daily Beast
"Solid character, plenty of experience, zero risk—that’s why Mitt Romney will choose Rob Portman as his running mate. But nine more, from Chris Christie to Jeb Bush, will at least get an interview, says Mark McKinnon."
It's interesting.  Conservatives and GOP pundits seem to have moments where they seem to epically forget that W's administration ever happened.  Yeah, Jeb Bush is a "safe" VP pick.

Could Latino Voters Turn Deep-Red Texas Democratic by 2020? (Jason Margolis) from the Atlantic
"Some Republicans worry that the party, which goes to the polls Tuesday, could suffer from alienating the state's fastest-growing demographic."

TRAFFIC NUGGET!!
America’s Highways from Hell 2012, From Los Angeles to New York City from the Daily Beast
"Wanting to get out of the city this summer for a weekend or week away? If you’re a commuter in Los Angeles or New York City, you face a daily fight. For the third year, The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to find America’s Highways from Hell."
Pittsburgh's 376 East comes in at No. 10.  Having lived in DC, San Francisco, and NYC -- and the east end of Pittsburgh, all I can say is "no way."  There are easily 3-4 other routes near DC alone that are by orders of magnitude worse than anything seen in Steeler Nation.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING NUGGET!!
Traffic Jam at 30,000 Feet: Chilling Photo Shows Bottleneck on Mount Everest from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"A chilling photo of dozens of climbers making their way up Mount Everest shows a deadly traffic jam at 30,000 feet. Mountaineering experts believe a similar bottleneck at the Hillary Step, a 40-foot rock wall at 28,740 feet, was at least partially responsible for the deaths of four climbers last weekend."
What an incredible image!!