UP-FRONT BEAUTIFUL NATURE VIDEO NUGGET!!
Mental Health Break (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic
"I had the pleasure of visiting El Teide. Spain's highest mountain @(3718m) is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world's best observatories. The goal was to capture the beautiful Milky Way galaxy along with one of the most amazing mountains I know."
Full screen this video and enjoy!!
President Obama on the Mission to Kill bin Laden from CBS's 60 Minutes
The president talks to "60 Minutes" in his first interview since the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden."
See the whole interview HERE.
After bin Laden: Is the War on Terror Winding Down? (James Kitfield) from National Journal
"There could be more terrorist attacks, but the “war on terror” as an organizing principle of American foreign and national-security policy is ending."
It's Finally the Beginning of the End for al-Qaeda from Gazeta Wyborcza [of Poland in English]
"Bin Laden’s death and the pro-democratic revolutions knocking consecutive Arab leaders off of their seats of power constitute a true beginning of the end for the radical, mediaeval, imperial and dictatorial ideas with which al-Qaeda proposed to reorganize the world."
Obama’s Team Sharply Divided Over Raid from the Washington Post
"The president said he faced, in his mind, barely better-than-even odds of success when he ordered the raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader."
Inside President Obama’s Meeting With Special Ops (Michael Scherer) from Time Magazine
"U.S. Special Operations officials used a scale model of Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani compound to brief President Obama on Friday, giving the commander-in-chief a detailed minute-by-minute account of how the assault that killed America’s most wanted enemy had unfolded days earlier, according to a government official."
Osama Bin Laden Aided by Rogue or Retired Elements of Pakistani Intelligence, Government Official Says from ABC News
"A senior official in Pakistan's civilian government told ABC News, "Elements of Pakistan intelligence -- probably rogue or retired -- were involved in aiding, abetting and sheltering the leader of al Qaeda," the strongest public statement yet from the Pakistani government after the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound."
End of ‘the Hunt’ is a Personal from the Washington Post
"Thousands of people like Michael Hurley reshaped their careers and lives to join search for bin Laden.
After Osama, Pakistan's 'Begging Bowl' May Stay Empty from The Nation [of Pakistan in English]
"CIA Director Leon Panetta has said that Pakistan is either incompetent or involved. In the Britain, given what is seen as its duplicity as far as terrorism goes, questions are being asked regarding the handing out of aid to Pakistan."
Bin Laden Died in Sidi Bouzid Before he died in Abbottabad (Doug Saunders) from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto]
"...it’s been almost impossible, in recent years, to find anyone who subscribes to his ascetic and medieval view of the role of religion in politics, who has any interest in installing his endlessly touted Islamic caliphate in their country. The ideas died long before the man."
Osama Bin Laden's Favorite Things (Marlow Stern) from Daily Beast
"When President Obama ordered a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, killing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials discovered some interesting personal items that give some insight into the terrorist’s warped psyche. From Coca-Cola to marijuana to a Viagra-like supplement, here are a few of bin Laden’s favorite brands and products."
Islamic Factions in Egypt Renounce Violence, Enter Political Fray from Le Nouvel Observateur [of France in English]
"In the wake of the democratic revolution, Islamist groups that were once considered enemies of the state are now openly pursuing their political ambitions."
This is good news. If they are competing and electioneering along with a range of other parties, the hollowness and hopelessness of much of their agenda will be come readily apparent.
Inside The United States' Secret Sabotage Of Iran (Mike Shuster) from NPR's Morning Edition
"First in a three-part series: Covert action is meant to stay just that — covert, clandestine, in the shadows. And in Iran, it did, for quite some time. But in the last year, much has become known about intelligence operations in Iran, says Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official who is now an analyst with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution."
U.S. 'Human Rights' Stance on Iran Would Weaken Opposition (Zachary Keck) from World Politics Review
"The recent events in the Arab world and Iran have led many in the West to urge President Barack Obama to take a stronger stance against human right abuses in Iran. The Obama administration should resist this temptation, as doing so would only serve to weaken Iran's domestic opposition. As the popular uprisings in the Middle East have demonstrated, revolutions are most successful when they are organic."
Western Civilization in Decline? Not So Fast (Editorial) from Le Figaro [of France in English]
"Editorial: Three events over the past week – a London wedding, a Vatican mass, and a death in Pakistan -- signal that popular sentiment within the West wants its leaders to defend core values"
Dick Cheney, the President Will Take Your Apology Now (David Corn) from Mother Jones Magazine
"Cheney was accusing Obama of caring more about process than the security of the American people. That was a profoundly serious charge. The former vice president was not merely engaging in a debate over Obama's national security policies; he was suggesting that his adminstration fretted more about terrorists' civil liberties than the lives of American citizens. Cheney's real charge was not that Obama was wrong (any leader can make an ill-advised policy choice), but that Obama really wasn't devoted to defending the United States. Cheney was not merely arguing about the best way to counter terrorists; he was trying to delegitimize Obama as commander in chief."
Delivering on His Promises (Ruben Navarrette) from CNN via RealClearPolitics
" The killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. military commandos is a powerful vindication for President Obama -- because it happened in Pakistan."
The Unwisdom of Elites (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"I’ve been hearing with growing frequency from members of the policy elite — self-appointed wise men, officials, and pundits in good standing — is the claim that it’s mostly the public’s fault. The idea is that we got into this mess because voters wanted something for nothing, and weak-minded politicians catered to the electorate’s foolishness. So this seems like a good time to point out that this blame-the-public view isn’t just self-serving, it’s dead wrong."
I totally agree with Krugman's broad critique here of how average folks have been largely forgotten by lawmakers and policymakers.
Rescuing Detroit: No News about Government’s Good News (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Far too little attention has been paid to the success of the government’s rescue of the Detroit-based auto companies, and almost no attention has been paid to how completely and utterly wrong bailout opponents were when they insisted it was doomed to failure."
Pew Typologies: Beyond Mere Left and Right (David Jarman) from Daily Kos
"A very extensive new poll released this week by the Pew Research Center looks deeper into these questions, and tries to categorize voters according to where they might fit within the larger coalitions."
The GOP's Liability on the Fringe (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"The birther craziness, along with the innuendo about Obama’s grades and the purging of dissenters, revealed a deep GOP divide that risks undermining the party going into 2012, says Howard Kurtz."
HOLLYWOOD ICON NUGGET!!
10 Revelations About Robert Redford from The Daily Beast
"From seeing John Steinbeck having sex to being attacked by an obsessed fan, here 10 revelations from the new biography of Hollywood icon Robert Redford by Michael Feeney Callan."
HISTORY TRAVEL NUGGET!!
15 Great Hotels For History Lovers (PHOTOS) from AOL News
"From balcony panoramas of World Heritage sites to hidden ancient baths in the basement, some hotels have that little something extra to really immerse their guests in history. So, where can one find these perfect places from which to enjoy the sites of cultures past?"
CAVE ART NUGGET!!
Warner Herzog's 'Cave Of Forgotten Dreams' from NPR's Morning Edition
"There's an underground cave in the south of France with contents so valuable a big steel door guards the entrance. Director Warner Herzog's new documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams is about that treasure. The Chauvet cave paintings are the oldest cave paintings on record."
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