A deer in a park in Nara, Japan. From National Geographic.
After Rebels Capture Commander, Gaddafi Rules Out Talks with Libya Rebels from Al Jazeera English
"Assertion comes as rebels say they have captured one of Gaddafi's most important commanders on their way to Zliten."
Palestinians Turn Against Syria's Regime, Their Long-Time Advocate (Hugh Macleod and Annasofie Flamand) from the Global Post
"Palestinian refugees living in Syria protest brutality of Assad government."
The Prince of Persia: Machiavelli’s got nothing on Iran’s Supreme Leader ((Karim Sadjadpour) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The Florentine political philosopher watched his native city overthrow, restore, and then overthrow again the powerful Medici family. And it was in this hotbed of backstabbing clans, religious favoritism, and political power plays that Machiavelli sharpened his teeth. Ah, how he would have enjoyed the Tehran of today."
Cyber Weapons: The New Arms Race (Michael Riley and Ashlee Vance) from Businessweek
"The Pentagon, the IMF, Google, and others have been hacked. It’s war out there, and a cyberweapons industry is exploding to arm the combatants."
James Murdoch’s Defense Crumbles from the Daily Beast
"Rupert Murdoch’s heir apparent looks like the scandal’s next victim after claiming ignorance about phone hacking—only to be reversed by two ex-employees. Brian Cathcart on how News Corp.’s tight band is splintering."
How Do You Hack Into a Phone? from Discovery News
"So, just how did these reporters-turned-hackers break into the cell phones and voicemailboxes of celebrities, politicians and ordinary citizens?"
A World Without Rupert Murdoch (Erik Wemple) from the Washington Post
"...he once said that he would retire “when I’m 133 or something.” That moment could come four or five decades sooner for the 80-year-old. If it does, here’s what a world without media mogul Rupert Murdoch would be filled with:"
Debt Ceiling Crisis Threatens State Budgets, Credit Ratings, Governors Furious from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"This week, Moody's Investors Service warned that it probably will lower the credit rating on five states if it downgrades the U.S. government's credit rating. The firm concluded that Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and New Mexico would be most at risk. "I'm very unhappy. In fact, we're furious," said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. The Republican pointed out that the state's triple-A credit rating has been in place since 1938, and that it potentially could be lowered through no fault of the state's."
America's Cold Civil War (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
"Everything I have written about them leads inexorably to this moment. Opposing overwhelming public opinion on the need for a mixed package of tax hikes and spending cuts, drawing the president into a position far to the right of the right of his party, and posturing absurdly as fiscal conservatives, they are in fact anti-tax and anti-government fanatics, and this is their moment of maximal destruction."
Pelosi Outlines Revenue-Free Path Forward On Debt Limit Fight from Talking Points Memo
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi acknowledged Friday that Democrats may reluctantly accept a last-minute compromise to avoid a default that involves up to $2.5 trillion in spending cuts -- without agreed-upon new tax revenues -- if Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are protected from the debt limit brinksmanship."
I find it interestingly suspicious that Pelosi seems to be turning her back on the "increased revenues" demand. Makes me wonder if Boehner's walk-out yesterday and Obama's angry (for him) press conference aren't part of some VERY ELABORATE political theater. It has been my observation that with virtually every proposal put forward so far, Obama's response has been "we can work with that" at which point the far-right would promptly use that as their queue to oppose whatever the plan was. Such is their visceral hatred of this president that they would rather see the economy go into the dumper than have something pass that Obama could claim any credit for. In their view, his defeat must appear to be total. Well, in the past few days, I've seen one or two commentators note that what Obama needed to do was get really upset and fein real outrage -- as a way to give Boehner cover for selling the plan to his base. It's a pretty wild theory -- but Pelosi's unusual about-face here I think gives it some credence.
Republican Goofery Isn’t Limited to the Tea Party (Bill Boyarsky) from Truthdig
"There is a deep-rooted wrongheadedness about the Republicans as they drag the country toward fiscal disaster. Those afflicted with this harmful thinking range from tea party extremists like Michele Bachmann to pundits such as Peggy Noonan."
And another dig against the GOP:
‘Dysfunctional’ Too Polite to Describe Tea Party Congress (Joe Conason) from Truthdig
"...dysfunctional is the too-polite term for the House of Representatives, specifically its dominant tea party Republicans, who can be described in far less dainty psychological terms. Even the most extreme Republican partisans in the Senate seem to realize that their House colleagues, seized by some combination of ideology, madness and pig ignorance, are propelling the country and the world toward economic chaos."
Grover Norquist's Pledge Is a Colossal Failure (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Atlantic
"The GOP wanted to shrink government, but they've only made it bigger by hiding the true cost of spending"
Obama's Approval Rating Appears Stable Despite Economy from the Huffington Post
"In spite of 9.2 percent unemployment and overall "satisfaction" with the state of the country at a two-year low, Americans continue to give President Obama higher approval ratings than experts would predict based on the economic climate."
Romney Leads, But Bachmann Surges in N.H. from Real Clear Politics
"Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who announced her candidacy for president two weeks ago, is surging in New Hampshire: She now trails by just single digits longtime front-runner Mitt Romney, who owns a home in the Granite State, a new Public Policy Polling (D) survey shows."
Romney and his people seem to be making the same mistake that Hillary made back in '08, behaving like his nomination is a done deal and that his support from the party establishment and his bankroll will allow him to secure the nomination while saying as little of substance as possible.
Romney and the other GOP candidates will also embrace some behind-the-scenes hardballing as well -- as this item suggests:
Michele Bachmann’s Very Rough Road Ahead (Ed Kilgore) from the New Republic
"...now that Bachmann is the real deal, her candidacy is about to endure its toughest moments yet—including intensified scrutiny of her background and character (which is already very much under way), unrealistic expectations for her candidacy, a possible existential threat from Governor Rick Perry, and GOP elite misgivings about her electability. In the coming months, this multi-faceted stress test might just send her back to obscurity well before the first delegate-selection events in Iowa..."
AMERICAN AUTHOR NUGGET [of a sort]!!
America's Drunkest Writer (Jimmy So) from the Daily Beast
"F. Scott Fitzgerald was kept in champagne in the '20s, already a crumbling alcoholic in the '30s, and dead by the end of '40. The great American novelist's boozy writings are compiled in a new collection reviewed by Jimmy So. Plus, other famous writings on drink."
ROBOT NUGGET!!
Us. And Them from National Geographic
"Robots are being created that can think, act, and relate to humans. Are we ready?"
ON-LINE EDUCATION NUGGET!!
How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education (Clive Thompson) from Wired Magazine
"Khan Academy is an educational website that, as its tagline puts it, aims to let anyone “learn almost anything—for free.” Students, or anyone interested enough to surf by, can watch some 2,400 videos in which the site’s founder, Salman Khan, chattily discusses principles of math, science, and economics (with a smattering of social science topics thrown in)."
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