UP-FRONT DEM CONVENTION SCHEDULE NUGGET!!
HERE's what there is to see at the Dem's convention. If you have an interest in "up-and-comers" in the party, these folks are usually showcased on day 1 starting at 5pm. The lineup looks very interesting.
German Export Orders Fell Sharply in August from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"German exporters suffered their biggest drop in international orders in more than three years in August, according to a survey released on Monday. Retailers too are starting to feel the impact of the euro crisis. Europe's largest economy, it seems, is losing its immunity to Europe's debt problems."
When Capitalists Cared (Hedrick Smith) from the New York Times
"From 1948 to 1973, the productivity of all nonfarm workers nearly doubled, as did average hourly compensation. But things changed dramatically starting in the late 1970s. ... Today the prevailing
cut-to-the-bone business ethos means that a company like Caterpillar demands a wage freeze and lower health benefits from its workers, while posting record profits."
Fears About Shariah Law Take Hold In Tennessee (Blake Farmer) from NPR's Morning Edition
"It's getting tougher to be a Republican in some parts of the country while also fully accepting the practice of Islam. In Tennessee, an incumbent in the U.S. House found herself on the defensive after being called soft on Shariah law, the code that guides Muslim beliefs and actions. And the state's governor has been forced to explain why he hired a Muslim."
This story gives you some sense of what I believe will be the newest (and biggest) civil rights issue of the 21st century. Discrimination against muslims has become increasingly pervasive, casual, and open for all to see. That these anti-muslim activists can't seem to see how what they are advocating is so blatantly unconstitutional does not bode well -- because (as we have seen for some many other issues) all you need to do is appoint judges as blinkered as they are for unconstitutional behavior to gradually become constitutional.
Family Matters: The Money Squeeze from NPR's Morning Edition [in June, 2012]
"Three families, living in multigenerational households, face difficult financial decisions surrounding elder care, paying for college and retirement."
The Competitor in Chief: Obama Plays to Win, in Politics and Everything Else (Jodi Kantor) from the New York Times
"As he faces off with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, Mr. Obama’s will to win — and fear of losing — is in overdrive. ... Even by the standards of the political world, Mr. Obama’s obsession with virtuosity and proving himself the best are remarkable, those close to him say"
The Confidence Game: Team Obama Won’t Come Out and Say It, but it Believes the Race is in the Bag (Major Barrett) from National Journal
""We could lose.” That’s David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief reelection strategist, injecting an obligatory note of caution into what is in every other way a “there’s-no-way-we-can-lose” assessment of the campaign. From top to bottom, Obama’s team keeps this self-effacing qualifier around mostly for amusement, like a yo-yo, a balsa-wood airplane, or a paper-clip necklace. Every campaign, of course, believes it’s going to win. Obama’s team, however, conveys such a visceral sense of self-confidence that even protestations to the contrary take on air of comically profane absurdity."
First Thoughts: Dems Feeling Good (Chuck Todd et al.) from NBC News
"Heading into their convention here this week, the Obama campaign and Democrats are feeling pretty good after Tampa. The polls... suggest that Mitt Romney got little to no bounce from the GOP convention, at least so far."
The GOP Convention was a Bust: The Question is Why. Here are 3 Theories (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"Overall, the Real Clear Politics average shows Obama ahead by 0.1 points. Nate Silver estimates that Romney received a bounce of about two or three points. This qualifies as a disappointment for Romney, who had an opportunity to open his first clear lead on Obama since emerging from the GOP primaries."
Republican Convention Has 'Minimal Impact' For Mitt Romney, Poll Suggests (Mark Blumenthal) from the Huffington Post
"Polling tracking the impact of the Republican convention has been sparse, but on Monday the Gallup Poll weighed in with a new survey showing the convention had only a "minimal impact" on the fortunes of Republican nominee Mitt Romney."
No Bounce for Romney in Florida from Public Policy Polling
"PPP's newest Florida poll, conducted completely after the Republican convention, finds no change in the Presidential race there. Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney 48-47, exactly as he did on our last poll of the state five weeks ago."
"Are Americans Better Off Today Than They Were Four Years Ago?" The Question That Exposes Incompetent Reporters (Dean Baker) from the Center for Economic and Policy Research
"Suppose your house is on fire and the firefighters race to the scene. They set up their hoses and start spraying water on the blaze as quickly as possible. After the fire is put out, the courageous news reporter on the scene asks the chief firefighter, "is the house in better shape than when you got here?""
House Democrats Hit New Fundraising Record from the Huffington Post
"A day after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced a $6.8 million fundraising haul for August, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Monday that they have something to celebrate too: their single best day of online fundraising in history."
Let's Be Friends: Barack and Bill Find a Mutual Advantage (Ryan Lizza) from the New Yorker
"Obama, who has pitched himself as the antidote to Clintonism, is now presenting himself as its heir apparent. It’s a shrewd, even Clintonian, maneuver…"
MOVIE NUGGET!!
Fall’s Must-See Movies: The Master, Cloud Atlas, Lincoln, and More from the Daily Beast
"Now that the dog days of August are behind us, it’s time to brace yourselves for an onslaught of fantastic, award-bait movies. From Paul Thomas Anderson’s Scientology film The Master to Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal of the titular former president in Spielberg’s Lincoln, here are The Daily Beast’s picks for the most anticipated movies being released this fall."
TRANSFORMING MEMORIES NUGGET!!
Can We Learn To Forget Our Memories? (Alix Spiegel) from NPR's Morning Edition
"Our capacity to forget is as important, and certainly as interesting, as our ability to remember. But can we train ourselves to suppress certain memories, or the meaning we attach to life events?"
ARTS NUGGET!!
Now You See Them, Now You Don't! Artist Creates Stunning Pictures that Make Naked Models Blend with the Background from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Lensman turns 'the skin into a canvas' with pictures of made-up models in stark American landscape."
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