News Nuggets 633

 A busy intersection in Seoul, South Korea.  From National Geographic.

Libyan Rebels Press their Offensive from Euronews
"Increasingly better-armed Libyan rebels say they are pressing their offensive both east and west of the city of Misrata, under their control, towards Tawarga and Zlitan. They say that Zlitan is the last major obstacle before Tripoli, which is 150 kilometers further west."

Nato Must Target Gaddafi Regime, says Armed Forces Chief Gen Sir David Richards from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"Nato must intensify the military campaign against Libya by easing the restrictions on bombing targets, General Sir David Richards, the head of the Armed Forces, has said."

Radio Free Benghazi – the War of Words from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Four young men have started up Libya's first English language radio station. The broadcasts are an extraordinary symbol of revolution."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Warned By Iran Cleric Amid Power Struggle from the Associated Press
"The remarks by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati are the latest in a series of rebukes to the president, who has been locked for weeks in a simmering confrontation with Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The dispute appears to be part of a power struggle ahead of parliamentary elections next year and the vote for Ahmadinejad's successor in mid-2013."

Iranian 'Feud': Much Ado About Nothing? from Al Jazeera English
Although Ahmadinejad's bold dismissal of officials has angered the country's elites, little will change geopolitically."

Ayatollah: Iran’s President ‘Bewitched’ by Senior Aide from the Washington Post
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came under new pressure Sunday, as an influential cleric charged that he has been “bewitched” by a controversial senior aide and key lawmakers renewed their impeachment threat."

How to Understand the Golan Heights Demonstrations (Jeffrey Goldberg) from the Atlantic
"...what would you do if you were a cynical Syrian dictator, or a cynical ally of the cynical Syrian dictator? Change the subject. To what, you might ask? Well, Israel, of course."
The New York Times has related coverage HERE.

Comparisons in Chief (Peter Baker) from the New York Times
"What makes us so eager to find historical parallels for Mr. Obama? Why do we take one president and try to fit him into the mold of another? Maybe it is because more than halfway through his term, we just cannot agree on who Mr. Obama really is. Or maybe it is the same public fascination with historical personalities that lately has filled best-seller lists with presidential biographies. Or maybe it is just a surplus of shallow punditry in an era with endless hours of airtime and Internet space to fill."

President Obama Polls Well Despite Jobs Fears from Politico
"Despite widespread disapproval of Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, more than half of Americans approve of the president and are open to reelecting him."

Two education nuggets in the New York Times:
Major Delusions for College Grads (Tali Sharot) from the New York Times
"“You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future,” Steven P. Jobs told Stanford’s 2005 graduates. But in an era of unemployment, financial meltdowns, political unrest and natural disasters, is this message of optimism helpful? By and large, the answer is yes. "

Your So-Called College Education (Arum and Roksa) from the New York Times
"The situation reflects a larger cultural change in the relationship between students and colleges. The authority of educators has diminished, and students are increasingly thought of, by themselves and their colleges, as “clients” or “consumers.” When 18-year-olds are emboldened to see themselves in this manner, many look for ways to attain an educational credential effortlessly and comfortably. And they are catered to accordingly. The customer is always right."

Lincoln Would Weep at the GOP’s 2012 Field (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Republicans are unhappy with their field of presidential candidates and yearn for someone who will come along to save them. But here’s what the GOP doesn’t want to confront: its problem lies not in its candidates but in itself."

Mitt Romney: Can't Wait for the 2012 Presidential Result? Read it Here Now from the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times
"why Romney? And why won't he win? ... In a rational world, Romney could take credit for a great achievement -– providing healthcare to many more people in his state -- and steal Obama's thunder in the process, by having done it years earlier.But many in the Republican Party of today live far, far away from a rational world. So to win the nomination Romney will have to disavow, or at least back away from, his signature accomplishment."
I'm not nearly so confident as the LAT Board here.

WORLD WAR II BOOK NUGGET!!
Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (Phillip Kerr) from the Washington Post
"Erik Larson, the author of several successful works of popular history such as “The Devil in the White City” and “Isaac’s Storm,” has now turned his attention and considerable talent to the subject with his latest book, “In the Garden of Beasts.” And to bowdlerize a remark of Dr. Johnson’s, one is not surprised to find it done, but to find it done so well."

WORLD WAR II PEOPLE NUGGET!!
Sins of the Grandfathers: How Delving Into Family Secrets has Helped Third Generation Lift the Burden of Guilt over Nazi Atrocities from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Rainer Hoess was 12 years old when he found out his grandfather was one of the worst mass murderers in history. The gardener at his boarding school, an Auschwitz survivor, beat him black and blue after hearing he was the grandson of Rudolf Hoess, commandant of the death camp synonymous with the Holocaust."