News Nuggets 654

The Centro Habana neighborhood at night in Havana, Cuba.  From National Geographic.

Building on the Revolution (Rami Khouri) from the New York Times
"Throwing out the dictator in Egypt was the easy part. Now a new Arab world must be defined."

The Spirit That Binds (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"The Arab Spring reminds Americans and Europeans of their shared values."

War Fatigue in America (Paul R. Pillar) from the National Interest
"Ten years and two and a half wars later, Americans are finally fed up."

Pakistan's Black Pearl (Urmila Venugopalan) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The hype about a Chinese-built port on the Arabian Sea says more about Islamabad's desperation than it does about Beijing's imperial ambitions."

Yemen Opposition Vows to Prevent President's Return from Saudi from Al Ahram [of Egypt in English]
"Yemen's opposition vowed to prevent the return of injured President Ali Abdullah Saleh from a Saudi hospital, as tens of thousands of protesters celebrated despite doubts over who holds power in Sanaa."

US Drone Attacks Gain Ground from the Australian
"IN terms of importance to the battle against terrorism, the killing of the notorious militant commander Ilyas Kashmiri in a US drone attack in Pakistan is not far behind the death of Osama bin Laden."

Chinese Entrepreneurs Are Leaving China (Gordon Chang) from Forbes Magazine
"China’s rich, primarily driven by a sense of insecurity, are taking money out of their country.  Many are actually preparing to move elsewhere."

Honk if You Support Saudi Women Drivers from the Christian Science Monitor
"Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, but in the spirit of the Arab Spring, a protest is planned for June 17. Supporters want Hillary Clinton to speak out publicly on it. More useful would be a massive turnout, including men."

The Strauss-Kahn Case: Sizing Up a Legal Clash’s Many Facets from the New York Times
"With no eyewitness or evidence of a forcible attack, the case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn is shaping up to be a battle of she-said, he-said. Above, Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s arrival at the court on Monday."

On Climate Change, the Dangers of Bone-headed Beliefs (Richard Glover) from the Sydney Morning Herald
"Surely it's time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies. Not necessarily on the forehead; I'm a reasonable man. Just something along their arm or across their chest so their grandchildren could say, ''Really? You were one of the ones who tried to stop the world doing something? And why exactly was that, granddad."
The author is referencing in part this disturbing story we posted yesterday about climate scientists receiving death threats and other severe forms of harassment.

Lousy Economy Won't Sink Obama (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Unemployment has edged up again two months in a row, and economic conditions are bad for most Americans, but the president’s strong personal approval ratings and a roster of weak potential GOP opponents mean he will win a second term, writes Peter Beinart."

Homeowners Foreclose On Bank Of America (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"Sweet justice. That's how foreclosure defense attorney Todd Allen described the feeling of going to a Bank of America branch in Naples, Fla. to seize their assets. Faced with a pair of sheriff's deputies locking down his building, the branch manager capitulated and handed over a check for $2,534. The sum was to cover Allen's fees from a case where he represented clients that the bank had tried to foreclose on -- despite the fact that they paid for their home in cash."

Romney’s Flawed View of Freedom (E.J.Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Romney’s travails are about more than the man himself. They speak to the condition of a party that won’t let him embrace his actual record and constantly requires him — and all other Republicans — to say outlandish things."

Wisconsin Protesters Erect 'Walkerville' Tent City To Protest Scott Walker's Budget Cuts (Amanda Terkel) from the Huffington Post
"In February and March, thousands of protesters flooded the Wisconsin Capitol, sleeping in the building overnight and filling the dome with their chants to bring attention to Gov. Scott Walker's (R) attempt to strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights. Now, some of those same individuals are taking the fight to the grounds around the Capitol, erecting a tent city to pay witness to the legislature's budget negotiations."

Wisconsin GOP Leaders Encouraging Colleagues to Place Fake Democrats on Recall Ballots (Daniel Bice) from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"The season of dirty political tricks is now officially under way. In letters obtained by No Quarter, local Republican Party officials are encouraging their GOP colleagues to collect enough signatures to get a fake Democratic candidate on the ballot in each of two upcoming recall elections. The spoiler Democrats, who are identified by name in the letters, would run in the Democratic primaries for the seats now held by Republican Sens. Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac and Luther Olsen of Ripon. Both of the fake Democrats have a history of giving almost exclusively to major Republicans."

Palin Doubles Down On Paul Revere History Lesson: ‘I Didn’t Mess Up’ from Think Progress
"Palin: "Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there that, “Hey. You’re not going to succeed. You’re not going to take American arms. You are not gonna beat our own well-armed, uh, persons, uh, individual private militia that we have. He did warn the British.""

The Greatness of Sarah Palin (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest
"If Romney plays his cards right, in other words, the contrast with Palin could redound to his benefit. So far, he's benefitted by refusing to engage with her at all. The broader question is whether the GOP is willing to accept him as its candidate."

POLITICAL ADS NUGGET!!
The Hollywoodification Of Presidential Politics from NPR's All Things Considered
"Is this the 2012 presidential election — or a film festival? "They're very good ads," Darrell West tells Rachel Martin, guest host for weekends on All Things Considered. West is the author of Air Wars: Television Advertising in Election Campaigns. "They demonstrate a new, emerging trend in campaign advertising. We're seeing a blurring of the line between politics and entertainment.""
Political ads that look and sound like movie trailers.  The talking heads for this piece are impressed with them.  Am I missing something?  To me they land as ridiculous, absurd parodies.  Check them out and see what you think.

KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY NUGGET!!
For those who appreciate the documentaries of Ken Burns, check out what he has currently in the works!!

BASIC SCIENCE NUGGET!!
Scientists 'Trap' and Study Elusive Anti-matter from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"Scientists have trapped and stored antihydrogen atoms for a record 16 minutes, a stunning technical feat that promises deeper insights into the mysteries of anti-matter."

DOG AUDIO NUGGET!!
Emotions In The Human-Dog Connection (Tom Ashbrook) from NPR's On Point
"We talk with a top dog trainer on the role of emotion in the human-dog connection and ask the question: Do our dogs feel the same things that we feel?"