Ryan Kalish suffers setback - Scott Lauber

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2011_1230kalish_suffers_setback_rf_now_expected_to_miss_opening_day/srvc=sports&position=recent_bullet



“I definitely wish (the surgery) would’ve happened a little earlier,” Kalish said. “It’s not the most ideal situation. But when I come back, I should be 100 percent ready to go and that’s what we all want.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Sweeney emerges as the most likely option to start in right field on Opening Day. Sweeney, a left-handed hitter acquired with Bailey from Oakland, is known for his defense, but the Red Sox believe his opposite-field approach will yield success in Fenway Park [map] and better offensive numbers overall.
Darnell McDonald is an in-house option as a right-handed hitter, and utility man Mike Aviles has been playing right field in winter ball in Puerto Rico. The Red Sox still may add a right-handed-hitting outfielder. Andruw Jones and Ryan Spilborghs are free agent possibilities.

Red Sox get it right with Andrew Bailey

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/obnoxiousbostonfan/2011/12/red_sox_andrew_bailey.html

Bailey's attitude in the above video - and on the mound - reminds viewers of a certain Riverdancing closer who set up shop in Philadelphia last month. This deal - which also brought RF Ryan Sweeney to Boston and sent Josh Reddick (along with Class A first baseman Miles Head and Class A RHP Raul Alcantara) - is the single best moment of Red Soxdom since Dustin Pedroia's home run that put the Sox up 3-2 in the fifth inning before the rain of Sept. 28 and word that John Lackey will miss all of 2012 with Tommy John surgery.

Obama administration secretly preparing options for aiding the Syrian opposition - Josh Rogin

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/12/28/obama_administration_secretly_preparing_options_for_aiding_the_syrian_opposition



The options that are under consideration include establishing a humanitarian corridor or safe zone for civilians in Syria along the Turkish border, extending humanitarian aid to the Syrian rebels, providing medical aid to Syrian clinics, engaging more with the external and internal opposition, forming an international contact group, or appointing a special coordinator for working with the Syrian opposition (as was done in Libya), according to the two officials, both of whom are familiar with the discussions but not in attendance at the meetings.

"Boots on the ground" is not an option here, as Iran has already decided that Assad's departure is a redline itself. It may even be that the noise they are making in the Gulf is a warning not to interfere in Syria. A very complicated plan will need to be in place that does not involve the US military (or maybe even US civillians) and does not involve overt Turkish involvement, so as not to provoke the Iranians too far.

Michele Bachmann's hard fall - Maggie Haberman

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70950_Page3.html

I think she truly crossed the line into delusion when she entertained fantasies of sharing a ticket with Mitt Romney, so she would not 'ding' him in the debates. Michele Bachmann sharing a ticket with anyone is an outright fantasy, but this shows how far the right wing of the Republican party has sunk, how far it has drifted from reality.

This woman is a local PTA kook writ large, one who randomly made it to the forefront of American politics by saying outrageous and unthoughtful things. Like a trained seal she could be brought onto any political talk show and, on cue, deliver wild-eyed nonsense. That she and thousands of others thought she might end up on a major party ticket is evidence how detatched they are and shows how badly the trauma of Sarah Palin warped the political landscape.

The Great Wireless Hack of 1903 - Alexis Madrigal

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/12/the-great-wireless-hack-of-1903/250665/

Rick Perry to 'Activist Judges': Save Me - Garrett Epps

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/rick-perry-to-activist-judges-save-me/250627/?google_editors_picks=true



Why is 10,000 too many but 6,000 is not? What's the rule? Texas requires 4,500, meaning 300 each from at least 15 Congressional districts. Is that reasonable, but 10,000, including 400 from each of 11 Congressional Districts, is not? Perry's suit is a request -- a desperate plea -- for a court to invent a rule. Even if you or I might see a problem with the signature requirement (I admit I don't), this is precisely the kind of federal court meddling in local affairs that he thumps his chest against when it benefits criminal defendants, gay men and lesbians, or religious dissenters.  
Why is there never an activist judge when you need one?

Turkish Jets Targeting PKK Kill Civilians, Spark Protests - Emre Peker

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-30/turkish-jets-targeting-pkk-kill-civilians-spark-protests.html

The story that has emerged so far is that these were young men involved in smuggling, not Kurdish rebels or terrrorists.

As Turkey ascends to a superior position in middle eastern affairs, its relationship with the Kurds is going to have to be addressed. The Kurds in Iraq are now even more distant from Baghdad than they were before the Iraq War , a situation that is going to make it easier for Kurdish influence to spill into Turkey, and possibly violence. While they seek to become the counter-weight to Iran, their human rights record will always be played against them. This latest incident does not help.

What if Assad survives? - FARID GHADRY

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=251182

It is therefore only a question of time before Syria becomes a theater of war. If Assad remains fixated on staying in power violence will envelop the country.

Force is the only way to dislodge a violent regime. The recent agreement between the Arab League and the Assad regime to position 150 observers around the country to monitor events, when videos taken by courageous protesters speak for themselves, is merely an attempt to distract our attention from regime change.

Syrian troops fire on protesters in fresh violence - BASSEM MROUE

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h8sGE5eMXEIyYodVboQ_lXouFcpg?docId=0ce35ce578304a1ba9b4f53facfbc67d

The presence of the monitors has not stemmed the violence yet. Perhaps the representatives from a few regimes that are oppresive in their own right were not the ideal monitors of a government killing its citizens.

Will 'supreme leader' Kim Jong-un take a shot on North Korea's future?

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2011/1229/Will-supreme-leader-Kim-Jong-un-take-a-shot-on-North-Korea-s-future

He may turn out to be different enough from both his father and grandfather (Kim Il-sung) to see that the North’s past attacks on the South, such as the sinking of ships and blowing up of cabinet officials, only hardens the South’s reluctance to make big concessions.
One early sign that this Kim may be a different leader came Tuesday when he asked the South to restore agreements on business investments. Those pacts were scuttled four years ago by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Yankees, Red Sox reportedly step up efforts to acquire Cubs' Matt Garza

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-12-29/matt-garza-yankees-red-sox-reportedly-step-up-efforts-to-acquire-cubs-matt-garza

I'm getting the impression that both parties in this are bidding the other one up.

Red Sox get new closer in Andrew Bailey - Peter Abraham

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/12/29/andrew-bailey-red-sox-get-their-closer/yIaecwcd3lSFI0BIVGvEdK/story.html



I'm not convinced. They traded away Josh Reddick, a serviceable right fielder, leaving them with Ryan Sweeney and a couple of 4A players to fill the spot. With Melancon already in place, plus Jenks, the bullpen seems set but the offense is dealt another setback. This move also seems to signal that Bard is going to be moved to the rotation, a daring experiment that is refreshing but has no guarantee of success.

Since there are no "Grade A" candidates left on the market to fill the right field spot, names like Coddy Ross (decent, but injury prone and very streaky) are being batted around.

Red Sox Bolster Bullpen with Andrew Bailey: Fan Reaction - William Menna

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-10763301

Gingrich: Campaign worker's signature fraud cost slot on Virginia ballot - Shawna Shepherd

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/28/gingrich-campaign-workers-signature-fraud-cost-slot-on-virginia-ballot/

In delicious irony news, a GOP candidate has been barred from his home state's primary because of vote fraud. There is no greater red herring out of the GOP playbook than the auspicious "voter fraud", a bogey man broken out repeatedly to make excuses for the losing of elections and to lower the turnout of voters more likely to vote for rivals. Programmed to bring about visions of black voters cheating their way to welfare, voter fraud is apparently a sin reserved for only "us people".

On a campaign stop at an Algona chocolate store, the former House speaker said the "mistake" occurred because one of their workers committed fraud.
"We hired somebody who turned in false signatures. We turned in 11,100 – we needed 10,000 – 1,500 of them were by one guy who frankly committed fraud."

This is typically what happens. "Volunteers" are paid by the signature, making the temptation to forge signatures almost irresistible. However, while voter registration fraud is sometimes widespread due to situations like the one we find above, situations where these falsely registered voters actually vote are so rare I'm not even sure that they exist. I don't think for all the noise made for voter registration fraud (remember Ernie Fletcher having campaign aides patrol West End voting centers) there has ever been one arrest or even a charge involving an actual vote.

That's what makes this so enjoyable.

CNN Poll: Romney on top, Gingrich fading & Santorum rising in Iowa - Paul Steinhauser

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/28/cnn-poll-romney-on-top-gingrich-fading-santorum-rising-in-iowa/

Santorum gets his chance. Good to know that every clown gets his chance in this circus. Easily the dopiest and ugliest candidate in the entire charade, Santorum's win would do a lot to reveal the insanity of the evangelical wing of the GOP, also known as the people who are in charge. Clearly Iowans want to do everything they can to send a message to Mitt Romney that he will have to wait several weeks to wrap up his party's nomination, though they are resigned to his invetible wrapping it up or they might vote for someone with an actual chance of beating him out.

Massive solar storm 'could knock out radio signals' over next three days, warn scientists - Ted Thornhill

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2079352/Massive-solar-storm-knock-radio-signals-produce-amazing-Northern-Lights.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Did Cheetah From 1930s Tarzan Flicks Die? - Tamara Lush

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/cheetah-chimp-1930s-tarzan-flicks-dies-15243744


Who does not love a dead monkey identity controversy?

Iran's Hormuz Threat

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204720204577126892281200220.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

As a military matter, this is mostly bluster. If it struck first, Iran could sink a few ships and do some damage. But Iran is no military match for the U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf. The Pentagon and the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet both sent that message to Tehran yesterday. "Any disruption," the Bahrain-based U.S. fleet said in an email, "will not be tolerated."
Yet the Iranian tantrum is educational. Iran knows that Western leaders fear the economic and political impact of higher oil prices, not least with elections coming in 2012 for President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Iran's leaders are trying to see if they can intimidate those leaders into backing down. The Western response should be to tighten sanctions further to show such tactics won't work.

Oil above $107, U.S. stocks and Iran in focus

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/29/us-markets-oil-idUSTRE7AD06820111229

Iran Says U.S. Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Zone Near Key Oil Route

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/29/us-aircraft-carrier-enters-zone-near-iranian-oil-route-as-tensions-rise/

The Iranian threat to cut off the Gulf of Hormuz is simple saber rattling, though it was enough to set off alarm bells in oil markets yesterday. This has been tried before and it failed before. While the Iranians have armed themselves with Chinese-made Silkworm missles, this is nothing new and has been game-planned for for over 20 years.

This shouldn't go any farther.

Syria: Arab League observers reportedly filmed caught in crossfire in Homs

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8982126/Syria-Arab-League-observers-reportedly-filmed-caught-in-crossfire-in-Homs.html

North Korea calls Kim Jong Un 'supreme leader'

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hI-F5KHFDnzMEX6bGXkNefsrEvBQ?docId=49073ae7fb4c4406817bca7e8e4c9d85

As he stood overlooking a sea of humanity gathered below him in Pyongyang's main square, Kim Jong Un was flanked by top party and military officials, including Kim Jong Il's younger sister, Kim Kyong Hui, and her husband Jang Song Thaek, who are expected to serve as mentors of their young nephew.
"The father's plan is being implemented," Ralph Cossa, president of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Hawaii-based think tank, said of the transfer of power. "All of these guys have a vested interest in the system and a vested interest in demonstrating stability. The last thing they want to do is create havoc."

Red Sox can often be late risers in roster moves - Michael Silverman

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/sportsredsox/944382-221/red-sox-can-often-be-late-risers.html

Meet The Red Sox Coaching Staff - Benjamin Buchanan

http://boston.sbnation.com/2011/12/26/2661686/meet-the-red-sox-coaching-staff

North, South Korea exchange reflects previous historic meeting

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/12/north-south-korea-meeting.html

Sears to close 100-120 Kmart, Sears Full-line stores

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/27/us-sears-sales-idUSTRE7BQ0AV20111227

Statement from fmr. Ron Paul staffer on Newsletters, Anti-Semitism - Eric Dondero

http://rightwingnews.com/election-2012/statement-from-fmr-ron-paul-staffer-on-newsletters-anti-semitism/

This is a former staff mamber's "defense" of Ron Paul. Aside from using the terms "Blacks" instead of black people or black Americans, here are some of his defenses:

He is not tolerant of Spanish or people that speak "strictly" spanish in his presence
He is a homophobe
He is okay with American jews but wishes Israel did not exist


And this little nugget:

Ron Paul is most assuredly an isolationist. He denies this charge vociferously. But I can tell you straight out, I had countless arguments/discussions with him over his personal views. For example, he strenuously does not believe the United States had any business getting involved in fighting Hitler in WWII. He expressed to me countless times, that “saving the Jews,” was absolutely none of our business. When pressed, he often times brings up conspiracy theories like FDR knew about the attacks of Pearl Harbor weeks before hand, or that WWII was just “blowback,” for Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy errors, and such. 

Kook.

Syria unrest: Protest in Homs as peace monitors arrive

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16334352

Ron Paul, In 1996, 'Did Not Deny' Controversial Statement In Newsletter - Sam Stein

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/ron-paul-newsletters-swiftness-of-black-men_n_1169990.html


The Dallas Morning News -- May 22, 1996.

Dr. Paul denied suggestions that he was a racist and said he was not evoking stereotypes when he wrote the columns. He said they should be read and quoted in their entirety to avoid misrepresentation. Dr. Paul also took exception to the comments of Mr. Bledsoe, saying that the voters in the 14th District and the people who know him best would be the final judges of his character.
"If someone challenges your character and takes the interpretation of the NAACP as proof of a man's character, what kind of a world do you live in?" Dr. Paul asked.
In the interview, he did not deny he made the statement about the swiftness of black men.
"If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them," Dr. Paul said.

The Ron Paul Surge, or whatever you want to call it, is over. It never really began and was a half-hearted attempt at abandoning the latest not-Mitt, Newt Gingrich, but Paul is so odd and so un-Republican it never really was able to hold water. Add to the mix the racist and anti-Semitic newsletter put out in his name and he becomes a crazy crank running on a major party platform, which he always was anyway.

Mitt will almost certainly win Iowa.

The accidental universe: Science's crisis of faith - Alan P. Lightman

http://harpers.org/archive/2011/12/0083720

If the multiverse idea is correct, then the historic mission of physics to explain all the properties of our universe in terms of fundamental principles—to explain why the properties of our universe must necessarily be what they are—is futile, a beautiful philosophical dream that simply isn’t true. Our universe is what it is because we are here. The situation could be likened to a school of intelligent fish who one day began wondering why their world is completely filled with water. Many of the fish, the theorists, hope to prove that the entire cosmos necessarily has to be filled with water. For years, they put their minds to the task but can never quite seem to prove their assertion. Then, a wizened group of fish postulates that maybe they are fooling themselves. Maybe there are, they suggest, many other worlds, some of them completely dry, and everything in between.

It’s Still Romney’s Turn - Eli Lehrer

http://www.frumforum.com/its-still-romneys-turn

Nearly every part of the Republican primary process and, indeed, the party’s overall structure gives a massive advantage to people who have run before. The lack of super-delegates (ex officio convention delegates), for example, means that simply becoming well-known in the national media and among national figures conveys much less advantage than it does in Democratic contests. Republicans’ relatively greater reliance on low-dollar direct mail donations, likewise, means that having a well-tested list from a previous run for office conveys a fundraising advantage. Even the structure of grass roots groups on the Right conveys an advantage to those who have run before: the single greatest source of on-the-ground manpower on the Left, unions, are national organizations with top-down structures while the churches, community organizations, and tax reform groups important on the right are rarely centralized. And some right-of-center groups that have central structures–Americans for Prosperity, for example–don’t directly engage in electoral politics.

America's Housing Shortage - Matt Yglesias

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2011/12/23/america_s_housing_shortage.html

Interesting...since American homes are so physically large they have been able to accommodate additional family members down on their luck or simply saving for the next step, eliminating the need for them to buy or rent additional housing.

Housing starts by year:

Red Sox Hot Stove Report: Roy Oswalt, Gio Gonzalez among pitchers Boston could have interest in - Ben Larsen

http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2011/12/red_sox_hot_stove_report_roy_o.html






The latest --- and perhaps most enticing --- rumor surrounding the Red Sox and starting pitching involves Philadelphia Phillies starter Roy Oswalt. The Boston Herald's John Tomase notes that Oswalt, who would take a one-year deal, could be a perfect fit for the Sox. The right hander is a proven veteran and has enjoyed success in Philadelphia, a fanatic market much like Boston. Oswalt's veteran presence may be exactly what the other starters need following 2011's turmoil.

The Buzz: Red Sox make McClure pitching coach

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/21/3332536/the-buzz-red-sox-make-mcclure.html

The Generals Who Will Really Rule North Korea - Bill Powell

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2102985,00.html?xid=gonewsedit



The key man to watch now, analysts say, is Vice Marshal Ri Yong Ho, chief of the General Staff in Pyongyang and, like Jong Un, a chairman of the central military commission, the key military policy-making body in the country.

 

‘Heaven sent’ Kims play up family and history legacy in claim to leadership -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-says-fierce-snowstorm-paused-sky-glowed-red-in-minutes-before-kims-death/2011/12/21/gIQAPFYVAP_story.html

Just before North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died, the skies glowed red above sacred Mount Paektu and the impenetrable sheet of ice at the heart of the mystical volcano cracked with a deafening roar.
At least, that’s the official account of the supernatural circumstances preceding Kim’s death last Saturday, as relayed by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The news agency is one of the chief propaganda organs tasked with building up the quasi-religious mystique around the Kim family, which has ruled North Korea since its founding in 1948.

Wave of Bombings Kills Dozens Across Baghdad - QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2102973,00.html?xid=gonewsedit&google_editors_picks=true



There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the bombings bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaida's Sunni insurgents. Most appeared to hit Shiite neighborhoods, although some Sunni areas were also targeted. In all, 11 neighborhoods were hit by either car bombs, roadside blasts or sticky bombs attached to cars. There was at least one suicide bombing and the blasts went off over several hours.

 

House Republicans face pressure on extension of payroll tax cut - Paul Kane,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-republicans-face-pressure-on-extension-of-payroll-tax-cut/2011/12/21/gIQA7nLJAP_story.html

Explosions Rock Baghdad Amid Iraqi Political Crisis - JACK HEALY, MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT AND TIM ARANGO

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/world/middleeast/explosions-rock-baghdad-amid-iraqi-political-crisis.html?_r=1

Some would argue that this is a reason to stay in Iraq. I would argue the exact opposite. Clearly eight years and 4,000 deaths have done nothing to cure the political culture in Iraq, so what would eight more years or 4,000 more deaths change?

2 women share 1st kiss at US Navy ship's return - BROCK VERGAKIS

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45753034/ns/us_news-life/

This wasn't some off to the side incident caught by chance by a reporter. This was the captain's choice as to who would be granted the first homecoming kiss. This is the Navy tradition....for today.



.

Assad losing control as 10,000 soldiers desert Syrian military - Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/assad-losing-control-as-10-000-soldiers-desert-syrian-military-1.402625



According to Western intelligence agencies, even though the top brass is still loyal to President Bashar Assad, lower-level officers are deserting in large numbers, and in some cases, whole units have deserted en masse.

Paul abandons interview concerning controversial newsletters - Justin Sink

http://thehill.com/video/campaign/200901-paul-abandons-interview-concerning-controversial-newsletters

But the congressman - who some polls had leading in Iowa earlier this week - insisted that the newsletters were not an issue.
"I didn't write 'em, I disavow them, that's it," Paul said.

Bullshit. He made a pile of money off of these newsletters and we're to believe that a doctor like himself couldn't find the time in a week to read twelve pages or even glance at the newsletter being published with his name on it, that no one in his orbit brought the racist passages to his attention, that he has no idea who on his staff might have written such a thing, that he didn't fire them, and that he wasn't even interested in the content of what was a tremendous money maker for him. Was he doddering at the age of fifty, a racist, or just stupid? Any of the three would be enough.

Mitt Romney bin Busted: ‘Candidate Like Myself’ Would Have Done Bin Laden Raid (Except 2007 Mitt) - Tommy Christopher

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mitt-romney-bin-busted-candidate-like-myself-would-have-done-bin-laden-raid-except-2007-mitt/

Romney said in 2007 that it was irresponsible for Barack Obama to say that he would authorize a raid into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden without alerting Pakistan first, which is exactly how bin Laden ended up in the drink. Now, of course, he says would authorize that attack and singling out Obama over any other guy who would have been president is unfair, Romney argues. Any president would have done that, he says.

Except earlier Mitt.

Romney Reverses Position on Iraq - Jonathan Chait

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/12/romney-reverses-position-on-iraq.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nymag%2Fintel+%28Daily+Intelligencer+-+New+York+Magazine%29

Nothing about Romney’s attempts to ingratiate himself with the right hint even slightly of genuine conversion. It is patronizing appeasement. Of course, none of this tells us the really crucial thing, which is what promises Romney would actually keep if elected. But at least it offers the modest comfort that Romney knows better.

Will Ron Paul win Iowa? - Wil Wilkenson

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/12/2012-republican-primary-0

If Mr Romney sweeps the early states, the most ridiculously enjoyable primary season in recent memory will turn dreadfully dull.  

Paul surged in Iowa on the backs of disaffected voters fleeing the wreckage of Perry, Bachmann, Cain, et al, and those that were never going to vote for Romney under any circumstances. But, his time has come and passed. The surge is off, with Paul's support tempering in the face of actual examination of his insane policy positions, and it looks like Romney will cruise to victory in Iowa. I don't think he will hit a bump until South Carolina and even then I think it will be a minor bump.

One year of Roy Oswalt fits in with Sox’ plan - John Tomase

http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1390086&position=1

The three-time All-Star has finished in the top six of the Cy Young voting six times in 11 seasons and boasts a lifetime record of 159-93 with a 3.69 ERA.
The fact that he’s willing to play next season on a one-year contract before jumping back into free agency in 2013 is a gift from above as the Red Sox methodically conduct this offseason under patient general manager Ben Cherington.

I would jump on one year of Oswalt. He's an injury risk, which would give the Sox a rotation full of injury risks, and they are already maxed out on salaries, but a single year of Oswalt is a pretty low risk.

Source: Cubs, Red Sox strike deal - Gordon Edes

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7373604/source-chicago-cubs-hire-boston-red-sox-3-years

Nothing large as was originally rumored. Probably just some spare parts and some B-level prospects.

Cue the tears: Loss, fear, coercion and self-interest drive North Korea’s mass grief over Kim -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/cue-the-tears-loss-fear-coercion-and-self-interest-drive-north-koreas-mass-grief-over-kim/2011/12/21/gIQAKjGx8O_story.html


Such behavior is more pronounced among East Asians, whose societies are more geared toward the family and larger groups than Americans and other Westerners. Shown a picture of a school of fish with one outlying fish, Americans tend to describe the outlier as a “go-getter” while East Asians say the fish has been “punished” or “ostracized,” he said.

Syrian opposition cites 'horrific massacres' in two-day stretch - Joe Sterling

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/21/world/meast/syria-unrest/

The Local Coordination Committees, an opposition umbrella group, said 84 people were killed across the country Tuesday.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a higher death toll of 111, which would make Tuesday among one of the highest single days for deaths since the government crackdown started, activists say.

First trailer for 'The Hobbit' arrives - Ann Oldenburg,

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2011/12/first-trailer-for-the-hobbit-arrives/1

Tolkien fans get first glimpse of The Hobbit film - Paul Chapman

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8969575/Tolkien-fans-get-first-glimpse-of-The-Hobbit-film.html

Sir Peter Jackson, who is directing and producing JRR Tolkien's tale of Middle Earth in his native New Zealand, is notoriously secretive about the back-to-back filming, so the trailer offers a rare taste of the production.

The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey, will have its world premiere in Wellington on December 14 next year, with the second Hobbit film opening in December 2013.

Exclusive: North Korea's military to share power with Kim's heir - Benjamin Kang Lim

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/21/us-korea-north-exclusive-idUSTRE7BK0FX20111221

The source added that the military, which is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal, has pledged allegiance to the untested Kim Jong-un, who takes over the family dynasty that has ruled North Korea since it was founded after World War Two.
The source declined to be identified but has correctly predicted events in the past, telling Reuters about the North's first nuclear test in 2006 before it took place.
The comments are the first signal that North Korea is following a course that many analysts have anticipated -- it will be governed by a group of people for the first time since it was founded in 1948.

Just bear this in mind: dictatorships have a very difficult time surviving the free flow of information. With information accessible in the free world as never before, the information available to North Koreans, though far behind what is available to us, is increasing exponentially. The generals, who no doubt follow world events quite closely, are not about to stake their survival on some amateur. They want a hand if they are to take a back seat. Otherwise the entire charade will collapse and they will be hanging from lampposts with their mistresses. On the same hand, this is exactly why this charade will not last.

The Worst Man

http://www.tnr.com/article/world/98729/the-worst-man?utm_source=The+New+Republic&utm_campaign=adc2e4a6a0-TNR_Daily_122011&utm_medium=email



Still, even if we cannot completely grasp what life is like for ordinary North Koreans, we can at least be honest with ourselves about one thing: Kim Jong Il may have been an eccentric, but he was not, first and foremost, an eccentric. He was, first and foremost, the cruelest man of our time. And that is how we should remember him.

Ron Paul's Shaggy Defense - Ta-Nehisi Coates

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/ron-pauls-shaggy-defense/250256/




Racism, like all forms of bigotry, is what it claims to oppose--victimology. The bigot is never to blame. Always is he besieged--by gays and their radical agenda, by women and their miniskirts, by fleet-footed blacks. It is an ideology of "not my fault." It is not Ron Paul's fault that people with an NAACP view of the world would twist his words. It is not Ron Paul's fault that his newsletter trafficked in racism. It is not Ron Paul's fault that he allowed people to author that racism in his name. It is anonymous political aids and writers, who now cowardly refuse to own their words. There's always someone else to blame--as long as it isn't Ron Paul, if only because it never was Ron Paul.

This may be the greatest deconstruction of racism I've ever read. There's really nothing else to add.

How Kim Jong Il Starved North Korea - Jordan Weissmann

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/how-kim-jong-il-starved-north-korea/250244/












With the USSR gone, the prospects for a small, isolated, neo-Stalinist regime looked rather grim. The government could have opened up its economy, much like Vietnam did with great success. Instead, North Korea chose to stay frozen in time.
"The mystery is why the North Koreans did not understand the historical magnitude of the change around them," Noland says.

CNN Poll: President's approval nearing 50%

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/20/cnn-poll-presidents-approval-nearing-50/

According to the survey, 49% of Americans approve of the job Obama's doing in the White House, up five points from last month, with 48% saying they disapprove, down six points from mid-November. The 49% approval rating is the president's highest since May, when his number hit 54% thanks to a bounce following the killing of Osama bin Laden. Since then, in CNN polling, Obama's approval rating has hovered in the mid-40s.

CNN Poll: Obama gains strength in 2012 matchups - CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/20/cnn-poll-obama-gains-strength-in-2012-matchups/



The survey indicates that Obama remains personally popular, with three-quarters saying they approve of him as a person.
"Overall, it's not a bad position for an incumbent to be in as the calendar turns to an election year, but there are many months to go," says Holland.

Romney leads Obama

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2011/12/romney-leads-obama.html

This is the GOP coalescing around Romney after the eight month circus that we endured just to end up where we were in the first place: a moderate posing as an arch-conservative, hated by most of his own party.

Will this last? Tough to say. Romney is Obama's toughest opponent, given the choices, but he is also weakened tremendously by his party's months long tantrum about having to nominate him. I think tight now a lot of the people that had rejected him are surrendering to the inevitability, leading to these higher poll numbers for Romney.

The GOP's Payroll Tax Fiasco

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204791104577110573867064702.html

Senate Republicans say Mr. Boehner had signed off on the two-month extension, but House Members revolted over the weekend and so the Speaker flipped within 24 hours. Mr. Boehner is now demanding that Mr. Reid name conferees for a House-Senate conference on the payroll tax bills. But Mr. Reid and the White House are having too much fun blaming Republicans for "raising taxes on the middle class" as of January 1. Don't be surprised if they stretch this out to the State of the Union, when Mr. Obama will have a national audience to capture the tax issue.
If Republicans didn't want to extend the payroll tax cut on the merits, then they should have put together a strategy and the arguments for defeating it and explained why.
But if they knew they would eventually pass it, as most of them surely believed, then they had one of two choices. Either pass it quickly and at least take some political credit for it.

Rangers make splash with Yu Darvish - Michael Silverman

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2011_1220rangers_make_splash_with_yu/srvc=home&position=recent

Like the Red Sox five years ago with Matsuzaka, the Rangers will have 30 days to come to an agreement with the tall, lanky right-hander. Darvish’s ceiling is said to be higher than Matsuzaka’s based on his body type, stuff and past results.
Matsuzaka, who has one year remaining on his deal, wound up costing the Sox a total of $103.1 million: $51.1 million for the posting fee and $52 million in a six-year contract.



Given the Dice-K debacle there was no way the Sox could bid on Darvish, meaning he will almost certainly turn out great.

The Rangers were wise to let CJ Wilson go to the Angels, especially with this up their sleeves.

Has John Boehner lost control? - JONATHAN ALLEN and SEUNG MIN KIM

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70678.html

Kim Jong-un and other heirs apparent - Kate Dailey

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16226649

Times Co. Negotiating to Sell Regional Newspapers - Amy Chozik

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/times-said-to-sell-regional-newspapers/

Sarah Palin Tells Fox Business Network That ‘It’s Not Too Late’ To Jump Into The GOP Race - Nando di Fino

http://www.mediaite.com/online/sarah-palin-tells-fox-business-network-that-its-not-too-late-to-jump-into-the-gop-race/

“Any chance we can see you making a play, even after Iowa or New Hampshire?” Bolling asked. “There’s still plenty of time, Governor.”
“You know, it’s not too late for folks to jump in,” Palin replied. “And I don’t know, you know, it — who knows what will happen in the future?”

She's just playing us and trying to draw attention back to herself...but it's working! Please oh please let something even remotely like this happen. My dream that she would have to be on stage during a primary debate fell through, so her lame-ass attempts to get back in the news (on Fox Business no less) will have to do.

Gingrich's Lead Over Romney Among Republicans Collapses - Lydia Saad

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151616/Gingrich-Lead-Romney-Among-Republicans-Collapses.aspx

Well, that was fun. Newt deflates in a two-week barrage of sense from the Republican party, but his status as a party elder is now, unfortunately, cemented. That means three more years or so of his bloated ideology and senseless, contradictory blather.

It's Romney.

Syria to allow Arab monitors, 100 dead in violence - BASSEM MROUE

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzCl-iqBIDLAF9ZOPNCgKgieyNOA?docId=4c9b6c00217a4710977c7e3813c1ec67

Pressure from Syria's longtime ally Russia clearly played a role in the decision to allow observers.
Al-Moallem suggested that Damascus had agreed to sign on the advice of Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council. Two months ago, Russia and China vetoed a Western-backed Security Council resolution condemning the bloodshed in Syria. But Moscow said last week it would work on a draft resolution at the U.N. that criticizes Syria for using disproportionate force against protesters....

Activists said security forces killed up to 70 army defectors Monday as they were deserting their military posts near the Turkish border. At least 30 other people died in other violence across the country, the activists said. If accurate, it would be one of the heaviest daily tolls of the entire revolt.

Whatever Syria looks like after this uprising subsides, I will wager that Assad will look a lot like Qhaddafi does right now.

The semi-naked ape, or why peach fuzz makes it harder for parasites

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/12/13/the-semi-naked-ape-or-why-peach-fuzz-makes-it-harder-for-parasites/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NotRocketScience+%28Not+Exactly+Rocket+Science%29

The students also found felt the bugs more quickly when the hairs were around. They had to use a clicker every time they felt something crawling about, and they did so twice as often for their unshaved arms than their naked ones. And the hairier they were, the better they were at detecting the bugs. These results show that vellus hair makes it easier for people to feel the footfalls of parasites on their skin, while also making it harder for the parasites to start feasting.

Gingrich's Court-Sacking Plan: When Two Out of Three Is Bad - Jacob Sullum

http://reason.com/blog/2011/12/19/gingrichs-court-sacking-plan-when-two-ou?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reason%2FHitandRun+%28Reason+Online+-+Hit+%26+Run+Blog%29

Congress and the president, of course, enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act together. Since that is always true for acts of Congress, Gingrich is essentially saying there is no judicial solution to unconstitutional laws. The only hope is that elections will either put someone new in the White House or (as in this case) change the makeup of Congress so that it might stop the president from implementing a law approved by an earlier Congress. In effect, the Constitution prevails only when an electoral majority allows it to prevail, which radically undermines its strength as a check on the popular will.

Per Capita GDP - North Korea vs. South Korea, 1970-2003

Boston Red Sox: Why They Will Have the Largest Salary in Team History in 2012 - Mike Edelman

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/988222-boston-red-sox-why-they-will-have-the-largest-salary-in-team-history-in-2012

Red Sox still talking to Jason Varitek - Joe McDonald

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7355724/boston-red-sox-hope-jason-varitek-back-some-role

When the Red Sox signed Shoppach, 31, to a one-year deal worth $1.35 million earlier this week, it signaled an almost certain end to Varitek's playing career in Boston.


"Obviously we know Shop well and as we went into the offseason we felt like there were a couple of things that were important to us in regards to the catching position," Cherington said. "One was to continue to find ways to help in the running game and to help control the running game, which was an area of concern for us last year. Shop's been able to help pitching staffs control the running game and has been pretty consistent throughout his career."


Shoppach led the American League by throwing out 41 percent of attempted base-stealers. Varitek threw out just 14 percent, and Saltalamacchia threw out about 31 percent.
Shoppach also makes sense as a complement to Saltalamacchia in that he hits left-handed pitching well. Among active catchers, Shoppach's career .909 OPS against lefties is fourth-highest in the majors.

Red Sox inquire about Hanley Ramirez

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-12-18/red-sox-inquire-about-hanley-ramirez

The Marlins say they want to keep Ramirez in Miami, but the team admittedly still is having trouble persuading him to move from shortstop to third base to accommodate newly signed Jose Reyes, according to The Miami Herald.
Ramirez, who turns 29 this month, was limited to 92 games in 2011 because of injuries, hitting .243 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. But he is a lifetime .306 hitter who averages 25 home runs per 162 games.

I have zero faith in this rumor, but it would be nice if it were true. I'd take Hanley over Jose Reyes any day of the week.

How Conservatives Betrayed Their Principles in the Iraq War - Peter Beinert

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/19/how-conservatives-betrayed-their-principles-in-the-iraq-war.html

In Iraq, the last to fall: David Hickman, the 4,474th U.S. service member killed -J. Freedom du Lac,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-iraq-the-last-to-fall-david-hickman-the-4474th-us-service-member-killed/2011/12/15/gIQAgwl00O_story.html

Hickman, 23, was killed in Baghdad by a roadside bomb that ripped through his armored truck Nov. 14 — eight years, seven months and 25 days after the U.S. invasion of Iraq began.
He was the 4,474th member of the U.S. military to die in the war, according to the Pentagon.
And he may have been the last.

Vivid new Battle of the Bulge photos - Michael Zennie

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075565/Vivid-new-Battle-Bulge-photos-offer-seen-look-war-weary-soldiers-braving-frigid-weather-fight-Nazi-Germanys-major-offensive-World-War-II.html

Will China Break? - Paul Krugman

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/opinion/krugman-will-china-break.html?pagewanted=all

This is especially pressing given the developments in North Korea in the last 24 hours:


Consider the following picture: Recent growth has relied on a huge construction boom fueled by surging real estate prices, and exhibiting all the classic signs of a bubble. There was rapid growth in credit — with much of that growth taking place not through traditional banking but rather through unregulated “shadow banking” neither subject to government supervision nor backed by government guarantees. Now the bubble is bursting — and there are real reasons to fear financial and economic crisis.

Newt and the Revenge of the Base - EJ Dionne

http://themoderatevoice.com/132399/newt-and-the-revenge-of-the-base/

Paul leads in Iowa

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2011/12/paul-leads-in-iowa.html

Newt is deflating, but the worrisome development for the GOP Establishment is that the support is not leaking to Romney, but to Ron Paul.

I don't trust these polls as much as I do campaign internal polls. Neither Gingrich or Paul seem capable of running those internal polls right now, so I pay more attention to what the candidates are doing. Romney is playing it coy, seeming to dismiss the Iowa results as the probably knows he can't win there. Rick Perry on the other hand is running a ton of culture war ads. This tells me that Romney senses he cannot win and Rick Perry realizes what is motivating voters in the Iowa caucus.

North Korea mourns dead leader, son hailed as "Great Successor" - David Chance and Jack Kim

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/19/us-korea-north-idUSTRE7BI05B20111219

"Kim Jong-un is a pale reflection of his father and grandfather. He has not had the decades of grooming and securing of a power base that Jong-il enjoyed before assuming control from his father," said Bruce Klingner, an Asia policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
"(He) may feel it necessary in the future to precipitate a crisis to prove his mettle to other senior leaders or deflect attention from the regime's failings."

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/12/18/world/asia/AP-AS-Korea-Kim-Jong-Il.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

This in itself was not unexpected. The groundwork for the succession of Jon-Il has been in the works for some time and the grand showings of his son last year, in order to build credibility, seemed desperate.

The more worrisome part of this story is what happens next. A spasm of internal violence could spill into South Korea. A crash of the tiny economy could send millions into China, destabilizing Manchuria and the North Korean government both. The generals could bully the new leader into a host of regressive programs that does any, or all, of the above. Finally, the new leader could institute progressive policies, either leading to a brighter future or a coup.

The most unlikely scenario involves North Korea being passed on to the next leader as the same country it is today. Let's hope against hope that twenty years from now North Korea is experiencing some form of revival.

Red Sox Free-Agent Roundup - Derek Stykalo

http://bosoxinjection.com/2011/12/15/red-sox-free-agent-roundup/

I'm beginning to think the red Sox are going to skip any significant fee agent signings this year, probably for the better.

Christopher Hitchens dies after battle with cancer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16212418

Hundreds Rally in Baghdad Against Iranian Exiles - LOLITA C. BALDOR and REBECCA SANTANA

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-formally-ends-iraq-war-fanfare-15166808

Hundreds of demonstrators in Baghdad are urging the government to abide by an end-of-year deadline to expel Iranian exiles from Iraq and close their camp here.
The Iranian group won refuge in Iraq decades ago under Saddam Hussein's regime and set up home at Camp Ashraf in eastern Diyala province. But after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, they became an irritant to Iraq's new Shiite-led government, which is trying to bolster ties with Iran.

Saviour of 2,000 Afghans who saved a baby's life executed by the Taliban - Rebecca Evans

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074182/Saviour-2-000-Afghans-saved-babys-life-executed-Taliban.html

Does Newt Really Want to Be President? - Noam Scheiber

http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-stump/98602/does-newt-really-want-be-president

Newt obviously doesn’t want to do the things you generally have to do if you want to become president. More to the point, I don’t think he even wants to be president—by which I mean, undertake the grueling, 24-7 challenge of running a country. It’s much more of a grind than his current lifestyle of book-hawking, seminar-giving, and extravagant vacationing. (I think he’d be happy to do a job where he gets called “Mr. President” but someone else takes care of the demanding stuff.)

I think the answer is clearly no, he doesn't. That makes it all the better that he is in the lead for a job he does not want.

With that said, the edge is off Gingrich. Romney has ten days or so to rally. With Paul faltering in Iowa and Gingrich having achieved maximum density, a win for Romney in Iowa would take us back to where we were in April: Romney and some other moron kooks. A win for him and then a win in New Hampshire would cause a collapse for the others, putting the coronation of Mittens in full swing.

Syria’s opposition, though fractious, is making headway against the regime

http://www.economist.com/node/21541847

Barely two months old, the SNC is still fragile. Many of its members, both in exile and within Syria, grumble that policies are often conjured up on the spur of the moment and are sometimes naive. Views differ within the SNC on whether to seek foreign intervention. And some SNC members think Islamists are over-represented. The enthusiasm of Turkey’s Islamist government for the SNC may account for the Islamists’ disproportionate presence in it.

Dead Man Walking - Michael Totten

http://pjmedia.com/michaeltotten/2011/12/14/dead-man-walking/

I’m not much more optimistic about a happy post-Assad ending in Syria as I’ve been for one in post-Mubarak Egypt, but I’ll nevertheless be happier to see Assad fall for a couple of reasons. First, he is a much more vicious oppressor. Second, he’s the worst state-sponsor of terrorism in the entire Arab world. And, third, even a Muslim Brotherhood regime would be an improvement.

On Ron Paul

Ron Paul has a real chance to win in Iowa. He's polling second and he's gotten some momentum, picking up some defectors from both Romney and Gingrich. But in last night's debate his defense of Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons (the philosphy of self interest, you see, cannot be tempered...ever) and some backlash against him from the conservative media has probably punctured his bubble there. No longer just a loveable crank he now has a chance to wreck the whole plan the Establishment has for Romney and sink all their latest efforts to drown Gingrich. They need to end his run, right? No need to. He'll do it for them.

His performance in the last debate probably ended his run. Looniness is not a mortal sin in this primary season. Defense of Iran is. So much the better. Ron Paul's newsletter http://spectator.org/blog/2011/12/15/the-ron-paul-newsletters lasted well into the 1990s putting out racist and anti-semitic garbage along with its usual crackpot economic theories. He's not going to get the nomination, but he deserves to be exposed for what he is. He's not some cute college professor. He's a racist, an anti-semite, a callous and judgmental man who could be a villain in any Dickensian novel.

Michael Tomasky: Newt Toys With the Competition in the Fox Debate

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/15/michael-tomasky-newt-toys-with-the-competition-in-the-fox-debate.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

This is why he's ahead:

Contrast those moments with Mitt Romney’s defense of the liberal aspects of his record. It was just a bunch of words—a plate of cold mashed potatoes. Romney tries to persuade on the level of factual truth. Gingrich goes straight for emotional truth.

Gingrich has no regard for the factual truth, enabling him to soar when the only true measure is marketing.

Red Sox "In" On Gio Gonzalez; Why This Might Not Be Great - Marc Normandin

http://www.overthemonster.com/2011/12/14/2635333/red-sox-gio-gonzalez-athletics-trade

Pitcher                           K/9 BB/9 K/BB HR/9 ERA GB% FIP


Gio Gonzalez                 8.6   4.4    1.94   0.9     3.93 48%  4.06
Daisuke Matsuzaka        8.2   4.4    1.89   0.9    4.25 36%  4.26

This is to say that he's not that much different than Dice-K, a middling and frustrating pitcher at best, and that Gonzalez garnered these statistics in the mediocre ALWest.

As long as the price is not to high I would take it, but the A's are looking to rip someone off apparently. Move on.

Boston Red Sox City Of Palms Park Yard Sale

http://www.islandsunnews.com/FortMyers/1217.html

The Boston Red Sox will host the City of Palms Park Fort Myers Yard Sale.
The sale will be held on Saturday, December 17 and will give fans an opportunity to purchase a selection of items from the Red Sox' 20-year history at the ballpark, including memorabilia from former and current players, jerseys and signed artwork to ballpark furniture and collectibles. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to three local charitable organizations: Police Athletic League of Fort Myers; Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc.; and Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc. The yard sale will begin at 8 a.m. Fans may enter through the Broadway Gate. Merchandise will be displayed along the concourse area and within the players' clubhouse located under the ballpark stands. All sales are cash only. All sale items are subject to availability and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Prices begin at $1.

Red Sox get potential closer from Astros - Nick Cafardo

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/12/15/sox-get-reliever-melancon-for-lowrie-weiland/Mw8VteXXl1ZxP6ztq46yzL/story.html

Melancon, 26, threw 1,121 pitches last season, opponents hitting .234. Off his 461 fastballs, they hit .317, off his 299 curveballs, they only hit .138, and off his 260 cutters they hit .200.

Melancon went 8-4 with a 2.78 ERA and had 20 saves in 74 1/3 innings last season, striking out 66 and walking 26. He became the closer out of spring training after Brandon Lyon went down with a rotator cuff injury.

The Sox had to get something for Lowrie, a former top prospect at short stop, who they had given up on last season. Melancon is a great addition and with Iglesias at Pawtucket and Punto at Boston to play utility for now, there is no real need for Lowrie.

Good move.

Mitt's Moment - Holman Jenkins

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203430404577096171333039952.html

Ummm, not quite. The quiet desperation of the WSJ Editorial Board produces this sort of bleck. A panicked plea disguised as a calm declaration of what should be obvious to all. This is the sort of op ed one writes once things are clear, an assertion of fact that defines the zeitgeist of the moment.

This is anything but Mitt's moment. This is the moment when everything Mitt stood for was rejected.

Retired Louisville Archbishop Thomas Kelly dies - Peter Smith

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2011312140076

Panetta formally shuts down US war in Iraq - Lolita Baldor

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEUD6sJB2owYGlAzehQ5N69nVMTg?docId=add45881994f44838a91bf753baebb40

As of Thursday, there were two U.S. bases and about 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq — a dramatic drop from the roughly 500 military installations and as many as 170,000 troops during the surge ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007, when violence and raging sectarianism gripped the country. All U.S. troops are slated to be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet that goal a bit before then.

Syrian Army Defectors Ambush Soldiers - Nada Bakri

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/world/middleeast/syrian-army-defectors-ambush-assad-security-force.html?_r=2

The attack was in retaliation for the killing of five people earlier Wednesday by the security forces, who hit their car with a tank as it drove through the village of Khattab, near Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. An opposition activist said that the men in the car were believed to be armed fighters.
In response, the defectors attacked four military vehicles at an intersection near the village of Al Asharneh, on the outskirts of Hama, said the human rights group, which is based in London. A resident of Hama said that the attack took place on a supply route linking Hama to troops fighting military defectors in the northern province of Idlib, near the Turkish border.

After more than 8 1/2 years, Iraq war draws to a quiet close - Liz Sly and Craig Whitlock

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-war-draws-to-quiet-close/2011/12/14/gIQAPEjLvO_story.html

The GOP Establishment Hates Newt. He’s Going to Win Anyway. - Ed Kilgore

http://www.tnr.com/article/the-permanent-campaign/98423/gingrich-goldwater-conservative-base-primary

the conservative activists who dominate the Republican presidential nominating contest are split between those who simply don’t believe adverse polls about Gingrich, and those who would rather control the GOP than the White House, if forced to choose.

Is the GOP Base Willing to Lose in 2012? - Paul Waldman

http://prospect.org/article/gop-base-willing-lose-2012

You could argue that the contemporary extreme wing of the GOP—call it the Tea Party if you want, but it's bigger than that—has already taken over the party, so they don't need to nominate their candidate to shove the process along. But if Newt wins the nomination, it will prove once and for all that the Republican establishment may still exist, but its power is a shadow of what it once was.

2012 = 1964 - Jeffrey Toobin

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2011/12/2012-1964.html

In 1964, Republican insurgents seized control of the party. They recognized that their views were not held by a majority of Americans—at least not yet. As Rick Perlstein wrote in “Before the Storm,” his fascinating history of the Barry Goldwater campaign, the Republican Party was taken over by “a little circle of political diehards whose every move was out of step with the times”—which did not bother them much at all. For their moment, they were political missionaries who came to introduce a nation raised on the New Deal to an alternative approach to governing. Goldwater embraced “extremism” in the fond hope that its time, if not his time, would come. Goldwater and his aides didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about “electability.” They didn’t expect to win, and, emphatically, they did not. Lyndon B. Johnson won sixty-one per cent of the popular vote, and carried forty-four states.

 

2011 MLB Trade Rumors: Marlins Shopping Hanley Ramirez? - Blain Blontz

http://calltothepen.com/2011/12/13/2011-mlb-trade-rumors-marlins-shopping-hanley-ramirez/

Right now every team fancies that they are in on the Hanley Ramirez trade sweepstakes. I really don't think he is getting traded this offseason and I'd be surprised if he was traded at any point, much less before 2013. With that said, damn it would be nice to have him at short.

Tigers, Red Sox among teams in on Gio Gonzalez - Danny Knobler

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8590096/33858222

I'm not sure who the Sox would give up for Gio, but he is darn good and would give the Sox a top notch rotation. Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz plus Gio would let them rotate a stiff in and out of the fifth spot until Lackey or Dice K returned late in the summer, and would give them a good starter for the next 4-5 years. It really depends on what the A's want in return, but I'd overpay slightly on this one.

Kelly Shoppach signs with Red Sox; Varitek gone?

http://www.telegram.com/article/20111214/NEWS/112149865/-1/NEWS06

Kelly Shoppach and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $1.35 million, one-year contract that brings the free-agent catcher back to his original team. Yesterday's move likely ends Jason Varitek's 15-year tenure behind the plate in Boston

This was a foregone conclusion. It's a shame that the Red Sox collapse prevented any real "farewell tour" for Vartiek. He deserved it.

Putin Ally Resigns as Speaker of Parliament - Michael Schwirtz

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/world/europe/putin-ally-boris-gryzlov-resigns-as-speaker-of-russia-parliament.html

 

The chairman of Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, resigned from his post as speaker of the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday, an apparent attempt to quell some of the uproar over perceived fraud in recent parliamentary elections.

Belgium attacker left no explanation, prosecutor says - Laura Smith-Spark and Nic Robertson

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/14/world/europe/belgium-attack/

Just a common criminal, with no real agenda or aim. That doesn't make it better or worse that a lady and three kids, including an 18-month old baby, are dead. It just makes him a total dick and a coward.

Trump pulls out of GOP debate - Justin Sink

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/199109-trump-pulls-out-of-gop-debate

No real need to read the article, the headline says it all. What a letdown.

Rick Perry’s War on Reality - Peter Wehner

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/12/12/perry-christianity-war-on-religion/#more-777607

As for Perry’s invocation of gays in the military: that is a prudential judgment having to do with military readiness. And many of our top military officers support allowing gays to serve in the military. To contrast gays serving in the military with kids not openly celebrating Christmas is a very unfortunate road to travel down. If Governor Perry, a self-proclaimed Christian, is really interested in channeling the cares and concerns of Jesus, he might consider saying a word about poverty and injustice, which seemed to have concerned Jesus even more than gays in the military.

Sometimes the worst advertisements for Christianity are its adherents. For more, see Rick Perry’s Iowa ad.

Mitt Romney’s New Hampshire Nightmare - Michael Crowley

http://swampland.time.com/2011/12/13/mitt-romneys-new-hampshire-nightmare/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fswampland+%28TIME%3A+Swampland%29


Flash back four years: By mid-2007, Romney held a durable New Hampshire lead. After a brief October run by Rudy Giuliani, Romney went into December leading the GOP pack by double digits. Then, at almost this precise moment in December of ‘07, John McCain began a surge that would lead him to victory on primary night. Note that on this day exactly one cycle ago, the gap between Romney and McCain was only a few points narrower than the one that now exists between Romney and Gingrich.

21 reasons Newt Gingrich won’t be the Republican nominee for president - Ezra Klein

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/21-reasons-newt-gingrich-wont-be-the-republican-nominee-for-president/2011/08/25/gIQA9m5kiO_blog.html

Dare to dream. Dare to dream.

The Lizza List: Ten Conservatives vs. Newt - Ryan Lizza

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/12/the-lizza-list-ten-conservatives-vs-newt.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The Gingrich Arch of this story is too good to be made up. Too incredibly bad to look away. This isn't a train wreck. This is a train wreck with tiger cages and bear cages and investment bankers getting mauled in front of families on their way to a picnic in the park.

Ron Paul is going to win Iowa. Romney has to win New Hampshire by a ton to remain viable. Gingrich will then start carrying southern states. A Romney wave will cause a revolt amongst the base. A Gingrich wave is already causing a revolt from the top. Big money eastern seaboard donors are attempting to drown Gingrich right here and now, even while they furiously call Christie and beg him to reconsider.

The uneasy truce is over.

Red Sox plan for baseball life after Jason Varitek - Mike Fine

http://www.tauntongazette.com/newsnow/x1481466730/Red-Sox-plan-for-baseball-life-after-Jason-Varitek

Boston Red Sox: 5 Reasons Bobby Valentine Marks the End of the Dynasty - Brian Buckley

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/978844-boston-red-sox-5-reasons-the-dynasty-is-officially-over-after-adding-bobby-v

Leaders are defiant, but many Iranians fear war - Thomas Erdbrink

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/leaders-are-defiant-but-many-iranians-fear-war/2011/12/08/gIQAHVdMrO_story.html

Reports: 2 Dead in Hand Grenade Attack in Belgium

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/reports-dead-hand-grenade-attack-belgium-15143431

God particle hunt breakthrough expected TODAY - Anna Leach

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/13/cern_press_conference_higgs_boson/

Syria: 5,000 dead in violence, says UN human rights chief

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/12/syria-5000-dead-violence-un

"History will judge harshly those who still choose to look the other way," he said. "Inaction is not an option any more."
Last month, Russia and China vetoed a western-backed UN security council resolution condemning the bloodshed in Syria.
"The only way to resolve the situation in Syria is through a Syrian-led political process, and that means dialogue," Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said.

Mitt Romney steps up attacks on Newt Gingrich - Amy Gardner, Karen Tumulty and Philip Rucker

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-steps-up-attacks-on-newt-gingrich/2011/12/12/gIQADWihqO_story.html

Attacking Gingrich is really his only option at this point. Liberated of front-runner status Mitt can stop playing not to lose and take some chances.

Also interesting is Newt's attack stance. By flailing at Romney's past as a venture capitalist, a job that involved breaking up companies and laying people off int he name of profit, isn't Gingrich essentially advancing the Democratic attacks on Romney?

Is Russia’s Mikhail Prokhorov a Fake Challenger for Vladimir Putin? - Anna Nemtsova

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/12/is-russia-s-mikhail-prokhorov-a-fake-challenger-for-vladimir-putin.html

That would fit right into everyone in the world's opinion of Russian politics, so I am going with yes, it is a fake candidacy.

When Fox News tries to make a chart - Steve Benen

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/when_fox_news_tries_to_make_a034063.php



Apparently 9 = 8.6.

Al-Qaeda jail break' in Yemeni city of Aden

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16137985

Yemen's army has been fighting heavy gun battles with al-Qaeda militants in different parts of Yemen.
The country is experiencing unrest and political crisis on several fronts - insurgency in the north, a separatist movement in the south, nationwide protests calling for reform and free elections, and gun battles between different factions in the capital Sanaa.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has governed for 32 years, agreed last month to hand his powers to his deputy and quit within 90 days.

The Puzzle of Left-handedness - Rik Smits

http://lareviewofbooks.org/post/13872378424/southpaw-grammar

An especially creepy theory on left handedness:

Not only is left-handedness twice as common among twins as among regular siblings, but left-handers are twice as likely as right-handers to produce twins. This eerie link lies at the heart of another modern theory (and Smits’s favorite): that “being a monozygotic twin is a precondition of being left-handed.” In other words, only someone who has had a twin in utero can be truly left-handed. The twins are mirror images of one another; one is left-handed, and the other right-handed. Of course, left-handedness doesn’t require that one ultimately be born with a twin. If only one fetus results at the end of term, that means the other died in the womb and was absorbed by the mother: a “vanishing twin.”

All Quiet on the Red Sox Front - Matt Sullivan

http://www.rantsports.com/boston-red-sox/2011/12/11/all-quiet-on-the-red-sox-front/

Excellent summary of why the Red Sox haven't made a lot of noice this offseason: no one was worth it. How much worse is it to "make a move" simply to be making a move then to just do nothing? As Sullivan points out, none of the big name free agents fit with the Red Sox needs in any way. There is still time to pull off some trades, and a bunch of them are probably being discussed right now at the winter meetings.

Sometimes no news is good news.

Red Sox Should Keep Daniel Bard at Back End of Bullpen, As Moving Him to Rotation Could Create More Questions - Rocky Doyle

http://www.nesn.com/2011/12/red-sox-should-keep-daniel-bard-at-back-end-of-rotation.html

There was the same question with Papelbon a few years ago. I think leaving him in the bullpen is a good idea.

Russian Billionaire Prokhorov to Challenge Putin in Presidential Election - Ilya Khrennikov

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-12/russian-billionaire-prokhorov-to-challenge-putin-in-presidential-election.html

Russian Billionaire Prokhorov to Challenge Millions of Others in Race to Get Murdered.

Manuel Noriega extradited to Panama to serve jail terms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16129630

Don't Count Mitt Romney Out of the 2012 GOP Nomination Battle Yet - Howard Kurtz

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/12/don-t-count-mitt-romney-out-of-the-2012-gop-nomination-battle-yet.html

What’s more, Romney’s ultracautious campaign, which began trying to run out the clock in the second quarter, has had him hiding out from the press. He was on the cover of Time last week and refused to cooperate with author Joe Klein, whose headline asked: “Why Don’t They Like Me?” Gingrich, by contrast, spoke extensively to Peter Boyer for Newsweek’s new cover story, “The Audacity of Newt.” Romney’s rustiness showed when he got testy with Fox’s Bret Baier for asking a series of perfectly legitimate questions.


Romney has been playing not to lose for close to a year, and he bombs a debate at the worst possible moment for him. He is not done, but frankly he's never shown the ability to fight through a tough spot. He fades every season and the flip-flops are forever his legacy.

If he carries the day, it's because of the group of morons he is facing, not his own talents.

Europe's Triple Crisis - Debt Crisis, Banking Crisis, Constitutional Crisis - Clive Crook

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/debt-crisis-banking-crisis-constitutional-crisis/249801/

Gingrich Up Big In South Carolina and Florida - Doug Mataconis

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/gingrich-up-big-in-south-carolina-and-florida/

Right now Gingrich is at about 50-50 to win the nomination in my estimation. Iowa and New Hampshire will have a huge effect on the race and it could get chaotic there. I think Ron Paul has a good shot at winning Iowa, and if that happens and then Romney wins New Hampshire, Newt could be over in a couple of days. There is no way of telling what happens from that point onward, but Gingrich's massive leads are not sustainable.

No One Says Who Took $586B in Fed Swaps - Scott Lanman and Bradley Keoun

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-11/no-one-says-who-took-586-billion-in-fed-swaps-done-in-anonymity.html

Depression and Democracy - Paul Krugman

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/opinion/krugman-depression-and-democracy.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

It’s time to start calling the current situation what it is: a depression. True, it’s not a full replay of the Great Depression, but that’s cold comfort. Unemployment in both America and Europe remains disastrously high. Leaders and institutions are increasingly discredited. And democratic values are under siege.


Nobody familiar with Europe’s history can look at this resurgence of hostility without feeling a shiver. Yet there may be worse things happening.
Right-wing populists are on the rise from Austria, where the Freedom Party (whose leader used to have neo-Nazi connections) runs neck-and-neck in the polls with established parties, to Finland, where the anti-immigrant True Finns party had a strong electoral showing last April. And these are rich countries whose economies have held up fairly well. Matters look even more ominous in the poorer nations of Central and Eastern Europe.

Architecture in Uniform - Josh Rothman

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/brainiac/2011/12/architecture_in.html

The war forced architects to innovate and improvise, and its scale meant that, postwar, the results were spread across the globe. Look around the world today, and you can see the legacy of the Second World War everywhere. During the war, military manufacturers needed huge, windowless buildings large enough to hide aircraft manufacturing; today, the same sorts of structures are used for "big box" stores and factories everywhere. During the war, buildings often had to be prefabricated; today, prefab houses and sheds are in nearly every American town. Inspired by the Jeep -- an off-road vehicle first built for the war, in 1941 -- postwar auto designers moved away from the heavily-ornamented, luxury aesthetic of the prewar automobile, and started designing simpler, more utilitarian-looking cars. "Domestic interiors," Cohen writes, "were influenced by the compact spaces created in vehicles, airplanes, and ships."

Bobby V reignites Yanks vs. Red Sox - Andrew Marchand

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7328630/bobby-valentine-saying-hates-new-york-yankees-only-beginning

VALENTINE: I HATE THE YANKEES
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has called Valentine replacing Terry Francona as the manager of the Red Sox a new chapter.
The first words have been written.

I love it.

Red Sox cautious with Yu Darvish - Peter Abraham

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/12/09/red-sox-cautious-with-darvish/iyo8PhpYk6jHERpY8a2yVO/story.html

After the Dice-K saga, many are understandably tepid on pursuing Yu Darvish. Darvish is a bit younger but once bitten, twice shy, I say.

Marlins and Angels dominate winter meetings, while Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies watch

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/marlins-and-angels-dominate-winter-meetings-while-yankees-red-sox-and-phillies-watch/2011/12/09/gIQAG5WPhO_story.html

Don't be concerned. The Marlins are rebranding themselves, the Angels routinely overpay for talent. Nothing to see here.

Illegal Border Crossings Dip Sharply - JULIÁN AGUILAR

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/us/illegal-border-crossings-dip-sharply.html?ref=todayspaper

The lowest level since Nixon. Why? Increased enforcement, fewer jobs to be had, and soaring smuggling costs. The additional bright side: 1,000 fewer murders in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border. The fact that they had 1,000 murders to begin with is astounding. That's probably close to what New York has every year, and that's how many Juarez decreased.

Iran shows film of captured US drone - James Reynolds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16098562

High-flying and hard to detect, America's RQ-170 Sentinel plane is the perfect stealth drone for peering into another country's secret sites without being caught.

This was apparently a spy drone, not a Predator-stlye strike drone. The article points out that it was probably relaying footage of Iran's nuclear sites to US naval forces when it went down. It looks fairly intact, so it must have been mechanical malfunction that took it to the ground.