DAYLEE PICTURE: A classic view of Rio de Janeiro. From National Geographic.
The Futility of European Elections (George Friedman) from Real Clear World
"From the most beleaguered members of the European Union to the relations between its strongest and most stable members, there is now profound disharmony. What drives this disharmony is public opinion. ... The more elections are held, the more the public will force their leaders in various directions. More often than not, this direction will eschew austerity and Germany. Over time this will solidify into a new map."
Divorcing Pakistan (Andrew J. Bacevich) from the Los Angeles Times
"Simply put, the interests of Washington and Islamabad do not align. Neither do our preferred forms of paranoia."
Syrian Rebels Strengthen Control of the Countryside from the Miami Herald
""We didn't imagine they had these numbers and so much equipment," said a man who identified himself as a Syrian army captain who surrendered to the rebels in Talbiseh last week and was allowed to join them. He spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety. "Many of the soldiers ran away when the attacks began," said Mahmoud Najjar, a spokesman for the Farouq Brigade in Talbiseh."
Yes, Obama's Election Campaign is Affecting His Syria Policy. No, That's Not a Bad Thing. (Robert Dallek) from the New Republic
"...what they don’t always articulate is what is implicit in that critique: namely, that they are essentially proposing American military intervention in Syria, whether in the way of a no-fly zone or the
deployment of ground troops. Needless to say, for an American public weary of fighting wars in the Middle East, this is not a popular course of action. Here, Obama’s more cautious policy clearly has the upper hand."
Don’t Look Down (Frank Bruni) from the New York Times
"Somewhere between Nik Wallenda’s first step onto a tightrope over Niagara Falls and Greece’s most recent retreat from the brink, it hit me: teetering needlessly on the precipice of disaster wasn’t just the story of the weekend. It’s the story of our days. Cliff dwelling has become the modern way of life."
As Wages Fall, Overqualified Workers Feel Inflation’s Toll from the New York Times
"Americans fortunate enough to have a job are often overqualified and find that wages and benefits are down, leaving many unable to meet their expenses."
What The WaPo Went Cool On (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
"That scene is a free, makeshift dental clinic for the uninsured. It was mobbed - as it would be in a developing country. Except it's right here in Tennessee, where many of the working poor are uninsured, and where the state is perfectly happy to keep it that way. For these strapped, working-class folk, Obama's demonized healthcare reform is a godsend. Pity almost none of them in this part of deepest red America have heard of what it could do for them:"
The Absurd Things George Zimmerman And His Wife Did To Try To Keep Their Money Secret from Talking Points Memo
"In hushed conversations from a Seminole County, Fla., jail, the man charged with second-degree murder in the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was instructing his wife how to transfer huge amounts of money between bank accounts and allegedly out of the gaze of local authorities."
WHAT a dope! This guy and his wife deserve jail time for sheer stupidity. Zimmerman's seriously on the hook for a second-degree murder charge, he's facing a federal prosecutor, ... and he's playing games so he can hang onto a hundred grand or so?! This suggests to me that he simply doesn't get how deeply in trouble he is. But, who knows, maybe he's smarter than all of us and knows that 12 jurors will never convict him. Concerning the review of his bond/bail, I hope the judge throws the book at him.
Southern Baptist Convergence (Molly Worthen) from the New York Times
"If conservative evangelicals are serious about making common political cause with black Protestants, they must rethink their approach to America’s history and its modern-day problems."
Still Running from Rodney King (Rich Benjamin) from Salon
"Upon his death, he still personifies the disgust some white conservatives have for black men. ... If young black men hold Rodney King as an icon – a stand-in representative of their complaints — do white Americans fed up with cities see him as the opposite, the proxy of black dysfunction, the deserving recipient of his fate?"
Some more responses to Obama's new immigration policy:
Obama Immigration Policy Favored 2-To-1 By Likely Voters from the Bloomberg News Service
"President Barack Obama is winning the opening round in the battle over immigration, according to a Bloomberg poll released today, putting Republicans on the defensive with his decision to end the deportations of some illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children,"
Obama's Immigration Trap (Roger Simon) from Politico
"In politics, when the going gets tough, the tough have to get very, very smart. After days of bad news, bumbles and bobbles, Barack Obama got smart last week. In fact, he got downright brilliant. ... It is not permanent. He, or any other president, can revoke it. And therein lies part of the brilliance."
Obama’s Immigration Shift Provokes GOP Hostility — To Romney’s Peril (VIDEO) from Talking Points Memo
"President Obama’s executive decision to grant immunity to a select group of undocumented immigrants is provoking hostility from Republicans, much to the delight of Democrats. The president is already enjoying gains among Hispanics in polling, and his campaign has reason to hope the fallout will clarify to this key voting bloc which candidate is on their side ahead of the election. For Mitt Romney, the chasm between Hispanics and his anti-immigration conservative base is already proving to be unbridgeable — and it’s only growing."
Why Republicans Can’t Write Off Hispanics (Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake) from the Washington Post
"Given the data points above, Republicans literally cannot afford to let Hispanics become reliably Democratic. At some point in the future — given current demographic trends — Republicans could win virtually every single white vote in the country and not be able to win a national election."
Mitt Romney’s Mysterious Views on Immigration (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"[I]f taking action on the immigration issue is good politics for Obama and the Democrats, then Republicans have only themselves to blame. The GOP has made a conscious decision to offer nativists and xenophobes a comfortable home where their extremist views go unchallenged. ... Where is Mitt Romney on all of this, you ask? Excellent question."
Marco Rubio Not Being Vetted to Be Mitt Romney’s Running Mate from ABC News
"...knowledgeable Republican sources tell me that Rubio is not being vetted by Mitt Romney’s vice presidential search team. He has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or been asked to turn over any financial documents typically required of potential vice presidential candidates."
HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
‘Beasts of the Southern Wild,’ ‘Amazing Spider-Man’: Best Movies of 2012 So Far (PHOTOS) from the Daily Beast
"While summer movie season is still in full swing, and Oscar season isn’t yet upon us, there have been plenty of interesting films released through the halfway point of 2012."
PERSONAL FINANCE NUGGET!!
Wasting Money: 29 Ways To Stop Throwing Away Cash from the Huffington Post
"You can read my full money wasting confession here. But I don’t think I’m the only one with a few leaks in her finances. Scroll down to see the 29 ways you’re wasting your money."
JIM CROW PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
Black and White in Color: Segregation in 1956 South Carolina (PHOTOS) from Time Magazine
"LIFE dispatched the legendary Margaret Bourke-White to Greenville, South Carolina, where she documented citizens from varying walks of life who wholeheartedly — and unapologetically — supported the legacy and the practice of open, legal segregation."
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