Death, Prison or Exile: Gaddafi Is Out of Options (Vivienne Walt) from Time Magazine
"Muammar Gaddafi's options for a peaceful exit may have finally run out. ... To both the opposition and the NATO coalition, Gaddafi's dictatorship is in terminal decline."
US Moves to Divide Taliban from Pakistan from the Asia Times [of Hong Kong in English]
"The leaked reports over the past two weeks of a series of meetings between United States officials and a Taliban figure close to leader Mullah Omar seemed to point to real progress toward a negotiated settlement of the war in Afghanistan. But in fact the talks are part of a Barack Obama administration strategy aimed at putting pressure on the Taliban leadership in part by dividing it from Pakistan as well as bolstering Obama's domestic support for the war."
'Revolution' in Pakistan Demands End to 'Denial' (Anwaar Hussain) from the Pak Tribune [of Pakistan in English]
"No one bothers to tell the Pakistani nation that hating America is fruitless. Because if it isn't the Americans, it will be the Chinese, the Russians or the Indians, or some combination thereof, who lead the world. … No one admits that it's neither the Americans, nor the Indians, nor the Zionists, who have brought us to this sorry state - it is we ourselves."
Was There Ever a Golden Age of U.S. Foreign Policy? (David Rothkopf) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Try as his opponents might to cast the chaos and perceptions of America in decline of the Age of Obama in contrast with past glory days, the reality is that every president since Roosevelt (and including him) has blundered and misstepped their way through their presidencies. It is one of the most pronounced threads linking together different eras of U.S. foreign policy. "
Company Halts Fracking In U.K. Fearing Possible Earthquake Connection from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"A mining company has halted drilling for shale gas in England after scientists said two small earthquakes might be linked to the controversial process, known as "fracking." The British Geological Survey recorded a 1.5 magnitude quake Friday near Blackpool in northwest England, within 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) of the gas exploration site. A 2.3 magnitude quake was recorded last month."
She’s 10 and May Be Sold to a Brothel (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times
"M. is an ebullient girl, age 10, who ranks near the top of her fourth-grade class and dreams of being a doctor. Yet she, like all of India, is at a turning point, and it looks as if her family may instead sell her to a brothel."
French Socialists May Expel Member Speaking Out on Strauss-Kahn from the New York Times
"... now she is speaking out about what happened and what other Socialist leaders knew. And some Socialists — deeply embarrassed by the allegations against the wealthy man who was likely to be their presidential candidate next year — have called for her expulsion from the party."
Boy, the French Socialists have embraced several methods of self-immolation over the DSK affair! It is definitely painful to watch!
GOP Running Out of Time to Win Debt Fight (Andrew Pavelyev) from FrumForum
"Reforming Medicare on a tight deadline is just not a good idea. Such major legislation shouldn’t be rushed, and if it does get rushed, the result may end up being even worse than doing nothing. In the end, the GOP has only itself to blame for not getting a good outcome. To govern is to choose, and the Republican Party seems to be more interested in campaigning than in governing."
Reports See Generation Y, Poverty as Key Challenges for Pay TV from the Hollywood Reporter
"...new reports are shining the spotlight on the risk of pay TV cord cutting among young consumers - due to alternatives that fit in with their priorities - and poor consumers - due purely to economic strain. Pay TV operators risk losing young Generation Y subscribers to alternative viewing options, with about 60 percent of those young demos at risk, according to one survey."
All in the Same Boat (Charlie Cook) from National Journal
"Some of the same factors dragging down Democrats in the last two years are starting to take a toll on Republicans."
Poll: GOP Medicare-Ending Budget Bigger Political Fumble Than First Thought from Talking Points Memo
"Not only does the poll show huge opposition to Ryan's plan to replace Medicare with a voucher system, the poll shows Democrats winning the credibility war when it comes to Medicare and "protecting the middle class.""
Tea Party: GOP Will Be Held Accountable For Backing Business In Debt Ceiling Fight from the Huffington Post
"... both of them are equally important," said Chamber of Commerce spokesman J.P. Fielder, referring to spending cuts and raising the debt ceiling. But not to the Tea Partiers who think that hitting the debt limit doesn't necessarily mean defaulting and won't lead to the catastrophe predicted by many of those same businesses and Geithner."
Sarah Palin Takes the Media for a Ride from Politico
"The purpose, or even destination, of Sarah Palin’s bus tour might be murky, but one thing the tour has demonstrated is that the former Alaska governor is at the top of her game as the “lamestream” media’s tormentor-in-chief."
Sarah Palin’s “One Nation” Tour Is a Secret Publicity Tour? (Juli Weiner) from Vanity Fair
"“Ms. Palin is apparently set to continue her tour of historical sites throughout the Northeast on Monday, though aides continued to refuse to say where she might show up,” The New York Times reported. Sometimes though, she slips up and accidentally says where she’s headed."
You have to ask yourself something concerning Palin's tour: what is the purpose of this tour? Is it to showcase the failures of the Obama administration or present Palin's solutions for the problems our country faces? Clearly not! I have not heard ONE (1), not one sound-bite that deals with either of these topics! Palin's efforts seem to be two-fold: 1) to make the MSM run in circles and look REALLY stupid! [She is scoring BIG TIME on this one]. And 2) to soak up ALL the GOP primary media attention. While she's doing her "tour", I have not seen or heard anything the other GOP candidates (the real ones) are saying or doing. If I were them or the GOP establishment, I'd be really ripped! And I suspect that points 1 & 2 are the *real purposes* of this magical mystery excursion. Given how little incoming Obama and the Dems seem to be receiving from one of the most acid-tongued pols in the world, I am going to go out on a limb and say that the REAL targets of this joy ride, the ones who Queen Sarah really has it in for, are the news media and the GOP establishment -- those who have spent the last two years dissing her and mocking her. I wonder how long she can keep this up?
MARILYN MONROE PHOTO NUGGET!!
Happy Birthday, Bombshell: 85 Rare Images of Marilyn Monroe from Time Magazine
"In honor of the screen siren's 85th birthday, TIME looks back at the many faces of Marilyn — from barefoot starlet to sexy fashion icon."
Most of these are rarely seen images ... such as the following hilarious one of Marilyn with Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart! Bacall's smile is so forced, she looks like she's in pain.
BIG CATS NUGGET!!
Tigers Are a Girl's Best Friend: Former Vet Invites 27 Unwanted Big Cats into her Home from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Mrs Keahey, who lives in Wylie, Texas, has a bigger heart than most. Sharing her home are 27 big cats, including 16 tigers, two lions, a black panther and six cougars - a native American mountain lion."
REP WEINER TWITTER SCANDAL NUGGET!!
Jon Stewart Reacts To Anthony Weiner Photo Scandal (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"On Tuesday night's show, Stewart responded to his friend's unfortunate situation by coming to his defense. Well, sort of. Stewart actually insisted that Weiner's wiener just doesn't look like the one in the photo."
VERY, very funny!!
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