A sunset over Boracay in the Philippines. From National Geographic.
Eggheads and Blockheads (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
Our PUNDIT-FOR-THE-DAY!! [It's been forever since Dowd got anywhere near this award] She really hits a key issue with Perry's background and (more to the point) how he relates to it now. Here's a big sample:
“Four semesters of organic chemistry made a pilot out of me,” said Perry, who went on to join the Air Force. “His other D’s,” Richard Oppel wrote in The Times, “included courses in the principles of economics, Shakespeare, ‘Feeds & Feeding,’ veterinary anatomy and what appears to be a course called ‘Meats.’ He even got a C in gym. ... Our education system is going to hell. Average SAT scores are falling, and America is slipping down the list of nations for college completion. And Rick Perry stands up with a smirk to talk to students about how you can get C’s, D’s and F’s and still run for president. ... The Republicans are now the “How great is it to be stupid?” party. In perpetrating the idea that there’s no intellectual requirement for the office of the presidency, the right wing of the party offers a Farrelly Brothers “Dumb and Dumber” primary in which evolution is avant-garde."
Benghazi, Libya: A City in Foul Disrepair, but its People Share Euphoria from the McClatchy News Service
"In the vast empty spaces that abut Benghazi's tangle of elevated highways, garbage is strewn as far as the eye can see. At the city's two showpiece hotels, located on an otherwise charming lake, the raw sewage that pollutes the water is enough to keep any visitor indoors. ... But make no mistake: this is one of the happiest and most exciting cities in the world."
Obama Tax Plan Would Ask More of Millionaires from the New York Times
"President Obama on Monday will call for a new minimum tax rate for individuals making more than $1 million a year to ensure that they pay at least the same percentage of their earnings as middle-income taxpayers, according to administration officials."
The Main Lesson from a Down Job Market? Stay in School. As Long as You Can. from the Washington Post
"...among college grads, the outlook is gloomier for one critical segment: recent graduates. A study this year put their unemployment rate at 10 percent among men and 8 percent for women. ... So what happens to the Class of 2015 — the students who have just moved into their dorm rooms and are settling into introductory lectures this fall? What should they do? They should stay put."
One other note raised by the Post article: "A long-term economic outlook issued by the Macroeconomic Advisers consulting group says that we will not see a complete recovery in the job market until 2017 — five graduating classes from now."
I was saying 2017 in late 2009. Now, these folks are saying 2017 for a "full recovery in the job market." Fantasy. Sheer fantasy. Given the major restructuring that is going on in the US economy now, with so many corporations that ARE hiring doing that hiring overseas, I see two possible scenarios: a decade+ long bad recession that "fully recovers" (whatever that will mean by then) by 2021. This comes from simply following and projecting out the lines on the graph of unemployment since this recession began. To somehow think there will be some "great leap upward" in that trend line defies just about every pattern set so far by this recession. The second possible outcome: 9 percent unemployment (or somewhere near that) as the new normal. Take your pick. 2017? No way.
Obama Reaches Out To Nervous Dems, Puts 2012 Into Perspective from Talking Points Memo
"“Now, I know that, over the last couple of months, there have been Democrats who voiced concerns and nervousness about, well, in this kind of economy, isn’t this just — aren’t these just huge headwinds in terms of your reelection?,” Obama said. “And I just have to remind people that — here’s one thing I know for certain,” he continued. “The odds of me being reelected are much higher than the odds of me being elected in the first place.”"
Sure, Obama Can Fire His Staff. So Should He? (Matt Bai) from the New York Times
"The problem with Mr. Carville’s prescription in this particular case, however, especially as it pertains to Mr. Daley, is that it would directly undermine the foundation of the case that Mr. Obama and his Democratic allies have been trying so hard to make."
Perry’s Problem: Move To The Right On Social Security, Move To The Bottom In The General Election from Talking Points Memo
"Earlier in the week a national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) showed two things about Perry’s statements on Social Security. First, although the GOP base is more likely to be sympathetic to an overhaul of the system, conservatives still support the program, a line Perry must walk as he both courts all primary voters and the tea party wing who is essential to getting the nomination. But second, as all election seasons go, Perry must find a way to pivot to the more moderate general electorate. And the latest numbers show that these voters are much less forgiving on the Social Security issue, which is already dragging him down in a matchup with President Obama."
SURFING NUGGET!!
Surfer Shoots Flames from Surfboard (VIDEO) from Discovery News
"From the size of the waves they catch to the height of the air they get, surfers continue to push the limits of their sport. But this one may be a first, and it's a total out-of-the-box stunt. With flares burning on the back of his board, Bruce Irons literally lit up some waves on a recent trip to Indonesia."
CLASSIC AUTHOR NUGGET!!
The Enduring Myth of George Orwell from Salon
"A new book examines the legendary status the "1984" author has achieved since his death."
ANCIENT ROME NUGGET!!
Huge Gladiator School Found Buried in Austria from National Geographic News
""Important" find boasts amphitheater, was nearly as big as two Walmarts."
WOW! TWO WALMARTS! That IS big!
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