Things I Think Are Kinda Cool

BRAIN: Can you believe it’s already been a year since Obama was elected? Time really flies.

YOU: Yup. Just think about a year ago…

BRAIN: I am – it was a galvanizing time of hope, togetherness, and positive energy.

YOU: It was HORRIBLE – it was a world without Susan Boyle, ‘Cougar Town’, Hailey Glassman, Balloon Boy, Carrie Prej—

BRAIN: SHUT UP!!! — Sorry…I didn’t mean to yell. Just do me a favor and read these articles.

YOU: OK, Mr. Sensitive…jeeez…

—

* Arianna Huffington profiles David Ploufe’s new book “The Audacity to Win”, and urges Obama and his team to be loyal to the themes of the grassroots movement which got him elected. What happened to the promises of sweeping change that got millions of new voters off their couches and into voting booths a year ago? – Huffington Post

* A new interview with Al Gore touches on a wide range of topics, including: his guarded optimism about the climate crisis, his frustration towards the growing influence of lobbyists in Washington, and his candid thoughts about Obama’s ubiquitous media exposure – Salon

* You can learn a lot about our collective consciousness by typing in a few letters in the Google search bar and seeing the most common searches pop-up thanks to “Google Suggest”. Slate digs deeper and points out some interesting (and hilarious) trends. – Slate

* To say that Obama has his hands full with precarious foreign policy situations would be the understatement of the century – Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran…Leslie Helb gives a brutally honest and eye-opening status report, as well as some tough-love advice – Daily Beast

* Why are kids fascinated with magic tricks, and why are they so eager to figure out the secrets behind them? An MIT professor of cognitive science explains how kids are hooked once their expectations about the physical world aren’t met. -Slate

* Melissa Harris-Lacewell explores the deepening racial divide among Obama supporters. If his black supporters continue to become even more supportive, while at the same time more pessimistic about the country, how will this affect his presidency? – The Nation

BRAIN: WAKE UP!

YOU: Huh?  Oh, sorry.  I actually wasn’t sleeping – I was thinking.

BRAIN: About what?  The fact that we could have used the economic bailout money to cure several deadly diseases worldwide?  Or were you considering what a nuclear-armed Iran would mean for the rest of the Middle East?

YOU: Not exactly.

BRAIN: So…what then?

YOU: Um…which one of the new playmates on “The Girls Next Door” I like best.

BRAIN:  Ugh.  Read these articles NOW.

—

* The financial bailout will cost us lucky taxpayers over $4 trillion.  Did you know for less than $300 million we wiped Smallpox off the planet?  And for $5 billion we put a significant dent in Polio?  Imagine what we could do with $4 trillion (after we paid out the AIG bonuses, of course).  - Salon

* The Obama administration is starting to give subtle signs that they won’t be able to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.  So, how will this actually reshape the Middle East?  Hint:  it doesn’t look good.  - Slate

* Some schools in France are experimenting with the idea of paying students for attending class.  It worked for a few schools in the US…will it work abroad, or does it conflict too severely with France’s egalitarian ideals? – Time

* Sure, humans fight, cheat, and destroy each other…but it might actually be true that we’re biologically and evolutionarily hardwired to be empathetic, kind, and full of warm fuzzies.  - Slate

*  Cristina Nehring writes an incredibly thought-provoking article about what she calls the “New Erotic Fundamentalism”, and argues convincingly that we’ve all been a bit too hard on hopeless romantic Mark Sanford.  - Truthdig

BRAIN:  ”Help!  Feed me!”

YOU:  ”But I wanna zone out with more weird and crazy videos.”

BRAIN:  ”Please?  I’ll let you watch Melrose Place on Tuesday night…”

YOU:  ”I heard Amanda Woodward is coming back…it’s a deal!”

* Ever wonder why commercials on TV are annoyingly SO much louder than regular shows?  It’s more complicated (and interesting) than you think - Live Science

* Paul Krugman breaks down the true cost of being energy efficient, and reveals that it’s far less expensive than conservative critics are claiming – NY Times

* Explore some of the hidden meanings and motivations behind L. Frank Baum’s classic “Oz” books.  They’re about much more than just a girl from Kansas and her dog – Slate

* Find out how the Japanese government is actually PAYING people to have babies (insert obligatory Octomom joke here) – Global Post

* Glenn Greenwald explains why we should slow down with the newly-heated Iran rhetoric, and instead use some of the important lessons we learned in the Iraq debacle – Slate