TWO UP-FRONT PUNDIT-OF-THE-DAY!!
Both of these are worth reading in their entirety!
1. It’s Still Halftime in America (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"Sitting through all the speeches, it was clear to me that people who think Romney, having accepted the nomination, is now going to pivot to the center are fooling themselves. There is no organic connection between Romney and the G.O.P. base. You could feel it in the hall. He is renting the party to fulfill his dream of becoming president, and they’re renting him to get rid of President Obama. But this is not Romney’s party. I don’t see him taking it back to his moderate past."
Friedman's larger critique of both campaigns is spot-on!!
2. Republicans Want to Build a Time Machine (Rebecca Traister) from Salon
"But don't be fooled: Republicans aren't just nostalgic for 1950s-style social barriers. They want to rebuild them. ... For many months, we have been watching a lengthy, multi-tentacled attempt to shut tight doors that were opened by the social movements of the mid-20th century, to push back those who have apparently gotten their hands on a little too much power, by aiming back toward a time when men were white, women were long-suffering vessels, and black men were definitely not president."
Will China’s Slowdown Derail America’s Recovery? (Dan Levin) from the Daily Beast
"A new report shows ominous cracks in the Chinese economy, endangering the global recovery just before the U.S. elections. Dan Levin on how the tailspin might begin."
China’s Bridges Are Falling Down (Adam Minter) from the Bloomberg News Service
"...accounts by journalists and photos from the scene also suggest serious problems with the bridge itself. Some images show that key structural components were stuffed with sticks, pebbles and bags of unidentified materials. Nobody in China was surprised by this. Since 2007, China has experienced at least 18 bridge collapses resulting in 135 deaths and untold economic hardship..."
Cardinal Carlo Martini Says Church '200 Years Behind' from the BBC
"The cardinal died on Friday, aged 85. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has published his last interview, recorded in August, in which he said: "The Church is tired... our prayer rooms are empty." ... And the advice he leaves behind to conquer the tiredness of the Church was a "radical transformation, beginning with the Pope and his bishops". "The child sex scandals oblige us to undertake a journey of transformation," ..."
FINALLY. Someone high up in the counsels of the Vatican saying what has needed to be said! Read the entire article. Every sentence rings true.
Backyard Battlefields: The Bloody Business of Fracking in Arkansas from Oxford American Magazine
"A look at how residents in Arkansas are dealing with the health implications of drilling for natural gas in their communities: ... "Tracy had headaches for the entire month of August 2010. Skin lesions and blisters broke out on her back. Her lymph nodes swelled to golf-ball size, she says. Her doctor gave her antibiotics and topical creams, but nothing worked. Keith developed nosebleeds; he’d never had them before. His nose would start running and there would be blood."
Romney's Bounce from Convention Looks Short-lived: Reuters/Ipsos Poll from Reuters
"A modest bump in popularity for U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney from this week's Republican Party convention looks to be short-lived, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll."
If other polls confirm this, it's bad news for the Mittster. His team had COUNTED ON a 2-3 point sustained bounce -- with some real momentum. Prediction: the Dem's convention WILL give Obama a sustained bounce.
Movie Star Debates Chair, Loses (Steve Benen) from MSNBC
"He was the "surprise" guest, and convention organizers scrapped a compelling Romney bio film, just so Americans could see the Hollywood star's remarks. Oops. Jamelle Bouie, in arguably my favorite line of the convention, said, "This is a perfect representation of the campaign: an old white man arguing with an imaginary Barack Obama.""
So they scrapped a "compelling Romney bio film" -- for Clint's interview with a chair!? Consider that: an empty chair was viewed as more compelling than Romney "inspiring" life story! As I noted the other day, I suspected that Eastwood was a last-minute, thrown-together substitution! The whole episode smells of desperation.
Cruel Conservatives Throw a Masquerade Ball (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"The stage show looked like America, but the convention hall did not. The crowd seemed like the sanctuary of a minority — economically wounded capitalists in shades from eggshell to ecru, cheering the man from Bain and trying to fathom why they’re not running the country anymore. The speakers ranted about an America in decline, but the audience reflected a party in decline."
Republicans Declare War on History (Simon Schama) from the Daily Beast
FYI: Schama is a HUGE, prize-winning historian of both US and European history!
"Fairy tales, fibs, and outright lies were on display at the Republican National Convention—not to mention the witless ramblings of Clint Eastwood. Simon Schama on the GOP's grand illusions."
In a Tactical Test, Romney Stakes Hopes on Ohio from the New York Times
"Mitt Romney’s path to the White House would be severely narrowed without the 18 electoral votes from Ohio, where he continues to trail President Obama."
Romney Camp Had No Idea Clint Eastwood Was Going To Talk to a Chair (Josh Voorhees and Daniel Politi) from Slate
"...when it became clear Friday that Eastwood’s bizarre, head-scratching, 12-minute ramble had stolen much of the spotlight from the candidate, Romney’s top aides began pointing fingers."
MEDICAL NUGGET!!
When I'm 164 (David Ewing Duncan) form the Atlantic
"Bioscience may be closer than many realize to pushing the outer limits of the human lifespan."
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
Hitchcock's Leading Ladies: From Grace Kelly to Ingrid Bergman, the Women Who Keep Us Spellbound to the Silver Screen from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"The films of Alfred Hitchcock are as much known for their suspense and cinematography as they are for the leading ladies. The famed director of such classics like Rear Window, Rebecca, and Psycho was known to be very meticulous in his casting."
TWO OBAMA BIOGRAPHICAL NUGGETS!!
Both of these are by David Maraniss, The first is one for the birther contingent!!
1. What Drives the Obama Doubters and Haters? (David Maraniss) from the Washington Post
"I hold them in contempt for the way they disregard facts and common sense and undermine the role of serious history as they concoct conspiracy theories that portray the president as dangerous, alien and less than American."
And for the Clinton fans:
2. Clinton and Obama: Presidential Parallels (David Maraniss) from the Washington Post
"It is hard to imagine two places further from the centers of power than southwestern Arkansas or Hawaii. Neither state had produced a president before. But there was so much more working against them than geography."
CLINTON NUGGET!!
When Bill Met Hillary (William Chafe) from Salon
"Before they were the world's most powerful team, they were kids grappling with politics, art and a shocking death."
ODD DOG NUGGET!!
Tracking a Subtle Scent, a Dog May Help Save the Whales from the New York Times
"A dog named Tucker with a thumping tail and a mysterious past as a stray on the streets of Seattle has become an unexpected star in the realm of canine-assisted science. He is the world’s only working dog, marine biologists say, able to find and track the scent of orca scat, or feces, in open ocean water — up to a mile away, in the smallest of specks."
At first, I thought this had to be a satiric story -- but no! The photo is hilarious! Evolutionary biologists may have trouble explaining this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment