UP-FRONT INDEPENDENCE DAY NUGGETS!!
Reading The Declaration Of Independence Aloud from NPR's Morning Edition
"Twenty-three years ago, Morning Edition launched what has become an Independence Day tradition: hosts, reporters, newscasters and commentators reading the Declaration of Independence. It was 235 years ago this Monday that church bells rang out over Philadelphia, as the Continental Congress adopted Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence."
Every year I am deeply moved and inspired by their reading!
Why I’m Becoming an American (Simon Winchester) from Newsweek
"Forty years ago, this country embraced a broke Brit. On July 4, I’m giving back—with the oath of citizenship."
This Fourth of July, Why I Love America, Like Most Muslim Americans (Faheem Youmus) from the Christian Science Monitor
"Americans may not be able to name all the articles of the Constitution, but they’ve been taught its ethic for most of their lives. Equality and tolerance are instilled in them. After religious persecution drove me from my native Pakistan, that is why I gratefully call America "home.""
The Least Free Countries In The World (PHOTOS) from the Huffington Post
"As Americans are set to celebrate their country's independence and all the freedoms that come with it, citizens around the world suffer brutal repression at the hands of powerful dictators. Freedom House has released a list of the 20 least free countries. See the top ten below and view the complete list"
In Praise of Politicians, Whatever Healthy Suspicions We Might Have of Them (Jonathan Bernstein) from the New Republic
"Let’s hear it for the heroes of the republic: the politicians! I know it sounds strange, especially these days when our politicians keep getting caught behaving badly or foolishly and gridlock is the primary export from Washington, but democracy, representative democracy, just doesn’t work without politicians. "
Kenya: I was Told that I Deserved to Die – for Being a Female Journalist (Fatuma Noor) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"As a Somali woman writing investigative stories, I face regular threats and my family's opposition."
AMERICAN PAINTING NUGGET!!
The Best Of The Louvre, On A Single Canvas (Susan Stamberg) from NPR's Morning Edition Sunday
"Beginning on Sunday, June 3, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will exhibit Samuel Morse's painting Gallery of the Louvre. The American better known for inventing the telegraph and the communication code that bears his name, painted the large work — it's 6 feet tall and 9 feet wide — starting in 1831, while living in Paris."
What Our Declaration Really Said (E.J. Dionne Jr.) from the Washington Post
"Our nation confronts a challenge this Fourth of July that we face but rarely: We are at odds over the meaning of our history and why, to quote our Declaration of Independence, “governments are instituted.” Only divisions this deep can explain why we are taking risks with our country’s future that we’re usually wise enough to avoid ... This is, well, crazy. It makes sense only if politicians believe — or have convinced themselves — that they are fighting over matters of principle so profound that any means to defeat their opponents is defensible."
'Evil Scientist' Wants To Teach People To Be Heroes (Amy Standen) from NPR's Morning Edition
"...retired from teaching at the age of 78, he has a new project, one that aims to change his legacy in a dramatic way: to turn regular people into heroes. Not comic book heroes. But, rather, someone who would have helped Jews escape the Holocaust. Or even something more ordinary, like standing up for a classmate who's being bullied."
Libyan Rebels Reject African Plan, Prepare Advance Onto Tripoli from Agence France Press
"The rejection came after the rebel army said it was poised for an offensive that could put it within striking distance of Tripoli, after French arms drops and intensified NATO air strikes on the regime's frontline armour."
Bin Laden’s ‘Extreme Makeover’ Failed (Leonard Pitts Jr.) from the Miami Herald
"...arguably the most telling revelation is the most recent. U.S. officials poring over bin Laden’s writings say the world’s number one terrorist had concluded that he — or, more accurately, al Qaeda — had an image problem. Having killed too many Muslims, the group had, he thought, alienated much of the Muslim world. Murdering your customer base will tend to have that effect. So bin Laden, who loudly scorned American ideals, proposed a very American solution. Call it an extremist makeover."
Sex, Lies, and Audiotape: Strauss-Kahn Case Shows Strength of Legal System (William Saletan) from Slate
"The collapse of the Strauss-Kahn case is a victory for corroboration and justice."
For the most part, I agree with this assessment.
French Reaction to Strauss-Kahn Case Marks Cultural Shift (Michael Birnbaum) from the Washington Post
"Even if the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is faltering, its repercussions in France are not. Many Parisians said Saturday that the allegations would remain in their heads no matter the legal outcome, and a country long tolerant of politicians with wandering eyes — and other body parts — is becoming less so. In other words, French politics may soon look a bit more American."
I hope this is true. To me, the biggest surprise to come out of the DSK scandal has been how much class privilege and condescension/contempt for women continues to pervade French society. During the opening hours of the scandal, in France it was considered ABSURD that DSK would even be detained based on the word of (scoff, scoff) a chamber maid!
Does Anyone Really Think Obama Doesn't Support Gay Marriage? (Beth Reinhard) from the Atlantic
"Facing a challenging reelection battle that will hinge on his stewardship of the economy, Obama can’t afford to look like he’s taking his eye off the ball. But as his former deputy press secretary Bill Burton put it, “Regardless of whom the Republican nominee is, President Obama’s position on gay rights will stand in stark contrast.’’"
Our ON-THE-MONEY pundit of the day!
What Bill Clinton thinks of GOP 2012ers from Politico
"Bill Clinton thinks Mitt Romney is much improved from his last presidential run, admits he kind of likes Jon Huntsman, and says Michele Bachmann is looking like “a better candidate" than he thought. The former president went on to say that he believes President Barack Obama will win in 2012, and outlined what he believes would be a winning argument."
See HERE for more of the story.
WHALING NUGGET [of a sort]!!
Operation Divine Wind: Return to the Southern Ocean: 2011-2012 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign from Sea Shepherd News
"Although it does not make any practical or economic sense for the Japanese whaling fleet to return to Antarctic waters, the nationalist factor appears to be the primary motivation for the persistent stubbornness of the Japanese whalers to press on with their irresponsible and illegal activities in the Southern Ocean."
Sad ... and dumb on the part of the Japanese.
TINTIN NUGGET!!
If you don't know who Tintin is, skip this nugget.
The Official Adventures of Tintin Movie Trailer from YouTube
AMAZING SAVE NUGGET!!
Woman Catches Toddler After 10-Story Fall Reports Claim from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"A two-year-old Chinese girl left unattended fell 10 stories from her family's apartment window and survived after being caught by a woman passing by, state media reported Sunday."
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