Steven Taylor predicts it will burst soon. But Nate Silver isn't so sure:
What’s especially interesting about Mr. Cain’s standing is that he polls at 8 percent despite being familiar to only about one-third of Republican voters, according to supplementary Gallup data. Of those voters who are familiar with him, 24 percent have him as their first choice. That’s the best figure for any candidate in the Republican field
From the IMF's Flickr stream, via NYMag.
Dan Froomkin summarizes a new report:
Four university researchers examined 16,000 common stock transactions made by approximately 300 House representatives from 1985 to 2001, and found what they call "significant positive abnormal returns," with portfolios based on congressional trades beating the market by about 6 percent annually. … A study of senators by the same team of researchers five years ago found members of the higher chamber even better at beating the market — outperforming it by about 10 percent, an amount the academics said was "both economically large and statistically significant."
Nota bene from the House: the Democratic sample beat the market by nearly 9% annually, versus only about 2% annually for the Republican sample. Jeff Mills chokes:
And the pols can get away with not recusing themselves from potential conflicts of interest through the specious plausible reasoning that it "could result in the disenfranchisement of a member's entire constituency on particular issues."
A reader writes:
Although I personally agree with Charles Simic's opine about books, he's misunderstanding what public libraries do now and why that quote is so ludicrous and hurting the case for libraries by couching it in nostalgia that will easily be swept aside by people less romantic.
The kids that go to the public library are going there for the Internet, and so are the adults in their community. Since high-speed Internet is still not considered a utility that everyone has a right to own for an affordable price, public libraries are the only thing keeping low-income Americans connected to the rest of us, for things like government services and information (which is heading very quickly to exclusively online access), job searching, and homework assignments. For many many people, the library is the Internet, and as cut after cut are forcing communities to close branches and drastically reduce hours, these people are getting left out.
Another reader is in the same territory:
Ironically, as Simic bemoans the Internet and the toll it takes on sustained reading, he nails the very reason why libraries are more important than ever. In an age when even university libraries are adding Starbucks cafes and ditching books by the millions, it is the librarian who stands as the best person to intervene and lead patrons toward reliable, authoritative online sources. We TRAIN students to find, use, and analyze material in meaningful ways so they aren't just Google-jumping their way through the Internet, but actually engaging thoughtfully with what they read.
THAT is why this current attack on libraries and librarians is a disaster: not because we're losing some sort of exalted atmosphere, but because we're losing the one person best positioned to help people master the online jungle.
(Photo: Library patrons surf the Internet at the Harold Washington Library on February 3, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. Libraries around the country have reported a surge in usage by patrons, a move attributed to the downturn in the economy. Chicago public libraries have seen a 26 percent increase in visitors in the past year. By Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Alyssa Rosenberg wonders:
On the heels of Atlas Shrugged‘s inability to earn back its budget, Undefeated [is] a test case for whether there’s a viable Tea Party market that Hollywood can target. Nikki Finke says the movie will end up in between 50 and 100 markets, so it’s not just going to be screened for carefully-selected audiences: they’re going to try to make some money on this thing. … [T]he movie is a real gamble for Palin: it may not resurrect her political career, and if it fails, it could end up puncturing her entertainment brand too.
William Lee Adams peruses a new book by historian Jan Bondeson called Amazing Dogs: A Cabinet of Canine Curiosities:
According to the book, [Nazi] scientists envisioned a day when dogs would serve alongside German troops, and perhaps free up SS officers by guarding concentration camps. So to unlock all that canine potential, Hitler set up a Tier-Sprechschule (Animal Talking School) near Hanover and recruited "educated dogs" from throughout the country. Teachers claimed a number of incredible findings.
An Airedale terrier named Rolf became a mythic figure of the project after teachers said he could spell by tapping his paw on a board (the number of taps represented the various letters of the alphabet). With that skill in hand, he mused on religion, learned foreign languages and even asked a noblewoman, "Can you wag your tail?" Perhaps most outlandish is the claim by his German masters that he asked to serve in the German army because he disliked the French. Another mutt barked "Mein Fuhrer" when asked to describe Hitler. And Don, a German pointer, is said to have imitated a human voice to bark, "Hungry! Give me cakes!" in German.
Tara Parker-Pope summarizes a study finding that American jobs are less and less physically demanding:
A sweeping review of shifts in the labor force since 1960 suggests that a sizable portion of the national weight gain can be explained by declining physical activity during the workday. Jobs requiring moderate physical activity, which accounted for 50 percent of the labor market in 1960, have plummeted to just 20 percent.
Amanda Marcotte asks how to fix this.
Today on the Dish, we took a tour of Palin's new mansion, couldn't deny her advantage in the polls, and Larry Sabato examined Palin's opening. Andrew revisited Palin's belly growth over a five day period, Jonathan Bernstein noted the lack of growth in her base, and Andrew revved up for her bus tour. Newt numbers imploded, Huntsman got attacked for his conservative views, and Steve Kornacki compared Palin to Gary Hart. Andrew bemoaned the state of the War Powers Act today, and Brendan Nyhan predicted a coming Obama scandal, by looking at the trajectory of past presidents' terms.
Andrew seconded Goldberg on the success of Israeli settlers, Bibi got remixed, and Netanyahu's gamble increased his popularity in Israel. The pro-Israel lobby abandoned Obama, but a reader reminded us to take that with a grain of salt, and Andrew guessed at Obama and Cameron's intentions for a Palestinian state in September.
Andrew looked forward to tectonic shifts in the marriage equality landscape, and the war on drugs claimed another victim, a Marine shot in his own home. Greg Ip tracked the spin on the Medicare merry-go-round, Ryan's plan would increase total health spending for the elderly by upwards of 40%, and Will Wilkinson noted the elderly's electoral heft. Jonathan Cohn sized up Medicaid's popularity, and Rebecca Traister signaled the end of the Oprah era. Deportation messed with immigration's legal proceedings, metaphors influence how we punish crime, and FEMA's former chief Michael Brown dissed Obama for playing ping pong. Charles Simic mourned the loss of libraries, writers flourished with the em dash, and Katie Roiphe unpacked the term "love child." Dogs equal cats (in how they drink water), and readers offered baking tips and recipes for Andrew's wheat intolerance.
Cool ad watch here, Moore award here, Hewitt award here, Christianist watch here, quotes for the day here and here, email of the day here, correction of the day here, chart of the day here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here.
–Z.P.
Damaged photos are seen in a home after a massive tornado passed through the town killing at least 123 people on May 25, 2011 in Joplin, Missouri. Authorities were prepared to find more bodies in the town of 50,000 people where around 8,000 structures were damaged or destroyed. By Mario Tama/Getty Images.
The Dish 