Libya's Rebels Expect to Receive an Offer from Muammar Gaddafi "Very Soon" that Could End the Four-Month-Old War from Agence France Press via Al Jazeera English
"Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice chairman of the National Transitional Council, said intermediaries had indicated that a proposal from the Libyan strongman was in the works, offering the faintest glimmer of hope for a deal to end the bloodshed."
I'll believe it when I see. Gaddafi seems incapable of either telling the truth or relinquishing power.
'We're Tracking Gaddafi's Every Move as He Flees from Lair to Lair, Says Nato from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"NATO forces are successfully tracking Colonel Gaddafi from lair to lair around Libya, Whitehall sources revealed yesterday. ... He has been ‘racing from one place to another’ over the past few weeks to avoid falling into enemy hands as his grip on the country loosens, the Daily Mail has learned."
Now, let me say that I think NATO is *trying* to do this. If they were REALLY doing this, Qaddafi would already be toast. I suspect that there is a certain amount of "head gamesmanship" going on here. NATO folks are just messing with him -- and I suspect they are doing it with some success. As the saying goes about paranoid people: sometimes the world really is out to get them!
Western Libya Earns a Taste of Freedom as Rebels Loosen Qaddafi’s Grip from the New York Times
"...after an improbable series of military victories over the past three weeks — with fewer than 100 rebel fighters killed, their military leaders say — residents of a broad area in this mountain region are celebrating virtual secession from Colonel Qaddafi’s Libya."
Iran’s Hardline Fashion Police (Babak Dehghanpisheh) from the Daily Beast
"As Iran heats up this summer, the morality police are cracking down more than before. Men are not allowed to wear necklaces, and women can be fined for wearing nail polish."
Gay Marriage Vote a Milestone in New York from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post
"New York joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia in allowing gays to wed. A court challenge to a 2008 amendment to the California state constitution that banned gay marriage there is wending its way through the federal appeals court process. If marriage-equality proponents succeed in the Golden State, 23.3 percent of Americans will live in states where gay couples can legally wed."
To Know Us Is to Let Us Love (Frank Bruni) from the New York Times
"Those who seem to be unlikely supporters of same-sex marriage have had their opinions influenced by knowing someone who is gay."
On a related subject:
DADT: Sergeant Major Of Marine Corps, On Gay Rights: "Get Over It!" from the Huffington Post
""Get over it." That's the ultimate message delivered to marines by the top non-commissioned officer of the Marine Corps regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)."
Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off (David Leonhardt) from the New York Times
"ALMOST a century ago, the United States decided to make high school nearly universal. Around the same time, much of Europe decided that universal high school was a waste. Not everybody, European intellectuals argued, should go to high school. It’s clear who made the right decision."
Getting Serious About the 2012 GOP (Mark McKinnon) from the Daily Beast
"The until-recently blobular lineup of Republican candidates is finally solidifying. Mark McKinnon on who's ahead—and why Rick Perry, not even yet in the race, leads in momentum."
Jon Huntsman Fever: Catch It Here from Politico
"Like Jon Huntsman, each of them — Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — was dismissed at one time or another as too exotic or too singularly flawed. There were powerful political currents that made their nominations unthinkable to many in their own party. Yet all three understood the most basic rule in presidential politics: The first step in catching electoral lightning in a bottle is to recognize when the right atmospheric conditions exist."
Big talk. We shall see.
Andrew Cuomo 2016 Speculation Heating Up from Politico
"With his successful push to pass a gay marriage law, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo overnight became a national contender, putting down a major marker among the liberal party base that dominates the primaries."
A liberal marker ... in a governing record in Albany that until now has looked VERY Clintonian, classic 1990s centrist in character. I'm skeptical that the Dem primary voters will feel drawn to an old-style DNC type candidate. Cuomo still has some work to do.
Wisconsin Judge Prosser Allegedly Grabbed Fellow Justice by the Neck from the Wisconsin State Journal
"They say an argument that occurred before the court’s release of a decision upholding a bill to curtail the collective bargaining rights of public employees culminated in a physical altercation in the presence of other justices. Bradley purportedly asked Prosser to leave her office, whereupon Prosser grabbed Bradley by the neck with both hands."
What #$%@ is going on!?
THREE 'FRACKING' NUGGETS!!
(1) Fracking Makes Earthquakes? from PRI's Living on Earth program
"Greenbrier, Arkansas is home to one of the world’s largest natural gas fields. It also felt a swarm of earthquakes recently. Geologists and state regulators noticed that when they capped some of the deep injection wells, the earthquakes nearly stopped."
(2) Natural Gas and Greenhouse Gasses from PRI's Living on Earth program
"The boom in production of natural gas is shaking up energy markets around the world, but what does it mean for the world’s climate? Some scientists say the glut of gas could bring a global warming benefit by knocking out dirtier coal. But others say gas is more likely to add to our climate conundrum."
(3) Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush from the New York Times
Another important story from the NY Times intrepid reporter, Ian Urbina!
"In the e-mails, energy executives, industry lawyers, state geologists and market analysts voice skepticism about lofty forecasts and question whether companies are intentionally, and even illegally, overstating the productivity of their wells and the size of their reserves. Many of these e-mails also suggest a view that is in stark contrast to more bullish public comments made by the industry, in much the same way that insiders have raised doubts about previous financial bubbles."
DOG NUGGET!!
Meet Robomutt... The World's First Bionic Dog from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Plucky pet damaged by frostbite gets four new mechanical paws. ... 'They don't feel sorry for themselves.' Since undergoing the pioneering surgery Naki'o can leap and bound with the best of them. Christie is amazed at her pet's motivation and joy for life.'He was always a happy dog, but now he's much more confident,' she said."
At first, I thought this story was a bit creepy -- but then I realized that this dog lost his paws as a small puppy and had NEVER been able to walk. Check out the photos -- they are quite charming. Video of the dog in action can be found HERE.
ELECTRIC AUTO NUGGET!!
Is This Our Future? (Joe Nocera) from the New York Times
"THE moment I realized that driving the new Chevrolet Volt was fundamentally a new experience ... The experience of driving it meshes with the way we think about using a car."
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