UP-FRONT ECONOMICS NUGGET!!
Upside Down: Why Millennials Can’t Start Their Careers and Baby Boomers Can’t End Theirs (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal
"It’s hard to say this spring whether it’s more difficult for the class of 2011 to enter the labor force or for the class of 1967 to leave it."
A very important demographic development caused by the recession!!
America’s European Allies Must Heed US Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ Warning on the Future of NATO (Nile Gardiner) from the Daily Telegraph
"Gates is right to make this warning, especially in light of both the Afghanistan and Libya missions, where many NATO members have failed to pull their weight, or have operated under highly restrictive caveats. ... His appeal is for individual European nation states, as members of the NATO alliance, to pull up their bootstraps and contribute more, declaring that “in the final analysis, there is no substitute for nations providing the resources necessary to have the military capability the Alliance needs when faced with a security challenge. Ultimately, nations must be responsible for their fair share of the common defense.”"
The New York Times Editorial Board chimes in HERE.
When Fear Breaks (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"We have formulas and equations for many things, but not for the point at which fear breaks. Against all odds, people find it in themselves to rise up, stare down the guns and grasp freedom from their oppressors. It happened in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Yemen. The struggle continues in Syria and Libya. What is the alchemy of fear breaking?"
Pyongyang Spring from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Could Kim Jong Il's regime be the next autocratic government to fall? Don't bet on it."
Paradise Lost: Scratching Out a Living in the Snows and Slums of Mongolia from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The capital's population has doubled in the past two years, expanding outward in a haphazard sprawl, and many inhabitants live in slums known as the "Gher District." High levels of unemployment and poverty await herders who abandon rural areas and arrive in the city, illiterate and untrained in any skills necessary for urban jobs."
This photo essay shows how modernization is really pulling at the seams of this Asian country. The images are darkly fascinating.
Suffering from Friedman's Disease in Beijing (Daniel W. Drezner) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"To truly understand the phenomenon that is China, you need to fly into Beijing's airport and then try to get into the city. That's it; that's all you need. Just that adventure alone will tell you all you need to know about the contradictions of the Middle Kingdom."
Not clear his reference to Thomas Friedman here.
Blocking Elizabeth Warren (Joe Nocera) from the New York Times
Since coming on as a NY Times columnist, I have not been impressed with Joe Nocera, a disappointment for me since I usually liked his commentaries on NPR. Today's column, however, is excellent in summarizing the Warren controversy and what's going on with the formation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
"... she’s been doing a pretty good job of it so far. When she was first appointed to set up the agency, I heard rumbling that she had no management chops and would make a hash of things. This prediction has turned out to be spectacularly wrong. She has attracted first-rate talent for virtually all the top jobs. ... In politics, there are certainly times when compromise is the right approach. But this is not one of those times."
Drug Bust (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
"Friday marks the 40th anniversary of one of the biggest, most expensive, most destructive social policy experiments in American history: The war on drugs."
Two Sides of Obama on Display from Politico
"Like other presidents, Obama’s semi-split personality reflects the competing demands of his role. It’s like having two jobs, campaigning and governing, with a distinct persona for each. One is serious, policy-oriented, communicating with the nation and the world. The other is more relaxed, more opinionated — comfortable among friends and supporters."
In Patty Murray's Shoes from the National Journal
"Keeping control of the Senate in 2012 may be a hill too steep for Democrats. But Patty Murray is trying."
Gop 2012 Update: The Big Tease (Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik) from the U. Va. Center for Politics
"The big tease continues because this field hasn’t excited many Republicans, although as some have pointed out, the Democratic field in 1991 did not look all that appealing either, yet Bill Clinton became a two-term president. For now, let’s focus on those who are already in the race already or who soon will be:..."
Honor in Politics (Matthew Dowd) from National Journal
"People who make a living out of politics need to remember that their adversaries are not their enemies."
Is Obama's Re-election Bid Really in Trouble? (Robert Shrum) from The Week
"Forget the noisy declarations about lousy economic news sinking Obama’s re-election. The president is still on track for a second term."
Sarah Palin Snub by Margaret Thatcher Aides Infuriates US Rightwing from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Rush Limbaugh joins supporters accusing Thatcher's circle of disgracing former PM with 'Palin is nuts' comment."
Will Rivalry Make Sarah Palin Run? from Politico
"Will Sarah Palin’s intensifying rivalry with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) cause the former Alaska governor to run for president?"
The Richly Earned Humiliation of Newt Gingrich (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"No one has ever endured such a terrible first month as a presidential candidate -- nor deserved to more."
Callista Gingrich, Newt Gingrich's Wife, Under Scrutiny Amid Campaign Upheaval from the Huffington Post
"Callista Gingrich has been a near constant presence at her husband's side, a visible symbol that the twice-divorced House speaker is now a devoted family man. But Gingrich's third wife also is being cited by people close to him as a key factor in the staff revolt that has left his presidential campaign on life support."
The Fall of the House of Newt (Chris Cillizza, Dan Balz and Karen Tumulty) from the Washington Post
"In interviews with a number of people who were involved in the effort, it’s clear that Gingrich and his campaign team disagreed strongly about the basic mechanics — from fundraising to messaging to targeting of voters — of his presidential bid, problems that exploded into public view late Thursday afternoon."
Dan Balz has a related story HERE.
RESORT NUGGET [of a sort]!!
You Blow My Mind. Hey, Mickey! from the Sunday New York Times Magazine
"Something you learn rearing kids in this young millennium is that the word “Disney” works as a verb. As in, “Do you Disney?” Or, “Are we Disneying this year?” ... one Disneys at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. There’s an implication of surrender to something enormous."
ALASKA PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
Another World, Another Planet: Alaska’s North from the Sunday New York Times Magazine
"Seeking a pristine land untouched by humanity, Sebastião Salgado photographed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska."
HISTORICAL LANDMARK NUGGET!!
The Erie Canal: Going for Broken from the Sunday New York Times Magazine
"The glorious ruins of the Erie Canal."
TWO PRETTY OUTRAGEOUS IN-DOOR PET VIDEO NUGGETS!!
Ok -- people let all kinds of tame critters into their homes and treat them as members of the family. I can even get my mind around small fauns or larger than normal mammals -- but A MOOSE!? And not just any moose -- the antlers suggest that it's a BULL MOOSE that when fully grown will tip the scale between 1,000 and 1,500 lbs.!
(1) Little Moose Becoming Big from YouTube
Now -- ok -- a mild-mannered moose -- ok -- I guess I can get that as an in-door pet. But for those for whom this would be entirely too mundane, how about a HIPPOPOTAMUS -- LIVING IN THE HOUSE!!?
(2) Hippo That Lives In A House from Sky News [of the UK] via YouTube
Now, never mind questions about house-breaking such an animal. I suspect that most hippos dump wherever they want. But an adult female hippopotamus [this one is only two years old] will tip the scale at north of 3,000 lbs.!! It is one of the largest land-based mammals in the world. What happens when the family decides she can't come in the house anymore -- or the door becomes too small for her? At 3G, I'm not sure a locked door -- or even an under-sized doorway -- will stop her. Moreover, *one little misstep* from such a critter, say, if she accidentally steps on your foot -- your foot's history! One additional note: hippos are not known for being exceptionally (how to put it delicately?) bright. Indeed, they have always struck me as being exceptionally dumb -- although one has to give this one some real credit for seizing this opportunity where she gets the best of living in the wild and living with people. I suspect she's the only hippo in the world that receives daily massages!
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