Happy St. ….
… Paddy’s Day. The Prez O’Bama meets with a guy whose name has a lot of vowels:
There ya go, now!
MyBlog
President Obama Talks Gun Control
After Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot more than two months ago, I and many others predicted that policymakers in Washington, D.C., would steer clear from taking up gun control (or even talking about the possibility of gun control) as an answer to this violence. Mostly, I’ve been correct.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t note President Obama’s Sunday op-ed published in the Arizona Daily Star that called for a few tiny changes — basically, better data — to improve background checks on gun buyers. It’s been lost amid all the terrible news from Japan — and it’s certainly not much of an effort to sway the debate — but here it is.
Meanwhile, as his wife recovers, Giffords’s husband Mark Kelly urged Americans to learn CPR, skills that he said people used to save lives on that otherwise tragic January day.
Horrifying Video of the Tsunami
This is among the many horrifying videos coming out of Japan as it copes with the worst crisis since World War II. Here are updated links from the White House for donations and support.
Science Friday: Magnitude 8.9 Quake Hits Japan
A depressing Science Friday today: Honshu, Japan, has suffered an enormous earthquake. A link to the U.S. Geological Survey data is here. More videos are here.
President Obama has pledged U.S. assistance to the people of Japan and tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii. The American Red Cross is taking donations here.
(Support the regular Science Friday here.)
White House, Behind the Scenes
Here’s an interesting shot from the new batch of behind-the-scenes photos taken by the White House photographer, Pete Souza. Some are of the staff deliberating about the recent actions in Middle East. (And yes, one is of Jon Bon Jovi with the first lady.) Enjoy.
Taibbi on Why Wall Street Goes Free
You’ve got to hand it to The Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi: When almost no one wants to talk about it, he continues to relentlessly pursue stories around the 2008 financial meltdown and the devastating destruction that followed. His latest piece, exploring why Wall Street isn’t in jail, is a depressing account of the incestuous relationship between DC regulators and the well-connected financiers who inevitably co-opt them. Crime does pay and pay well, if you’re filthy rich and know the right people. Read it and weep.
The New Sunday NY Times Magazine: A Preview
The New York Times is giving is a sneak peek at the new Sunday magazine, which will include what look to be fantastic soup recipes. (Of course, my focus is on the food stuffs.) Also, a new Ethicist!
Upheavals at The New York Times
Cooking with Dexter, gone. Then, The Ethicist and On Language hang it up. Now, Frank Rich moves to New York Magazine. As great columns and columnists leave The New York Times, Sunday newspaper reading rituals will have to be adjusted. Let’s hope the replacements are just as interesting to read, and the new content equally informative.
Self-Help? No. Be Nice to Yourself? Yes.
This article in the health section of the New York Times explains a common-sense but hard-to-acquire skill that may be the key to well-being (and even weight loss): self-compassion.
From the piece:
“The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic. …
“This idea does seem at odds with the advice dispensed by many doctors and self-help books, which suggest that willpower and self-discipline are the keys to better health. But Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the field, says self-compassion is not to be confused with self-indulgence or lower standards.”
The entire article is worth a read. After, throw out your self-help books and pat yourself on the back instead. (And hopefully watch the pounds disappear!)