Amazon’s Kindle vs. an Apple Reader – WSJ.com

Amazon’s Kindle vs. an Apple Reader – WSJ.com.

Something to which I look forward, with equal interest – Apple’s much improved version of the Kindle e-reader, which remains unwieldy and with bad contrast and lack of a color screen. I imagine Apple, if it’s indeed working on this (and it would be idiotic not to be) will blow the Kindle out of the water.

Incidentally, as my bookshelves are also bulging full, a device of that sort to rival the Kindle (and perhaps to come at a lower price point) would be an incredible gift to intelligent humanity that loves to read.

Lieberman seeks to create whole new Israeli foreign policy | Israel Palestine-Gaza Conflict | Jerusalem Post

Lieberman seeks to create whole new Israeli foreign policy | Israel Palestine-Gaza Conflict | Jerusalem Post.

Boy, am I glad that Lieberman is orienting Israeli foreign policy away from complete dependence on the U.S., especially with this administration. This conflict has actually been productive, in that it has made Israelis realize that they have to be more self-reliant, and at minimum less dependent on an America strained by great forces both external and internal, as it struggles to get back up from a recession and a hit in its “face” around the world under Bush’s recalcitrant relentlessness.

Israel stands to gain not only a number of strategic allies in the developing world (in particular, Asia, Africa, and even Latin America) by orienting itself away from the Palestinian question. After all, there’s SO much to be gained from cooperation with Israel – economically, socially, militarily and all other ways. In return, Israel can begin to change its image as the obsession and beating-boy of world media, instead promoting its innumerable accomplishments and positive contributions to humanity.

I think this is the start of something beautiful. Finally, someone in the Foreign Ministry (and the PMO, for that matter) who understands that the status quo has become intolerable, and that it’s time to actively redefine the agenda.

Dudamel, Israel: A Love Story | Music | Jewish Journal

Dudamel, Israel: A Love Story | Music | Jewish Journal.

Interesting that Dudamel got his big break wth a major orchestra because of Zubin Mehta of the IPO. He’s a brilliant conducting talent, and apparently a very good violinist, in a previous life. He most certainly deserves the title of “honorary Jew” for his fondness of the state. With his last name, I would not be surprised if he had some sort of Sephardic roots somewhere down the line. I only wish I could get tickets to see him in action one of these times he’s in town. Perhaps another collaboration with Gil Shaham…?

Francis Collins, N.I.H. Chief, Faces Issues of Identity and Culture – NYTimes.com

Francis Collins, N.I.H. Chief, Faces Issues of Identity and Culture – NYTimes.com.

Pretty remarkable how Francis Collins manages to straddle both the mainstream and the eccentric in science, as the new head of NIH. I think that his living testament to lack of conflict between science and faith is tremendous for helping mend the unnecessary and artificial rift between the two. At least he’s a scientist’s scientist, unlike Zerhouni, who was a clinician and apparently aloof. I hope he manages a way to extract more funds from Obama to help grow America’s best investment idea (by ROI), by far – R&D. If he fails, science in this country will continue to stagnate, even as fewer graduates seek Ph.Ds and overspecialization plus a shift further and further toward the clinical from basic science threaten to derail cross-disciplinary thinking in solving the greatest problems of the proteome and cell, to say nothing of curing chronic diseases of age and lifestyle.

Thirty-Six Years Ago Today, Richard Nixon Saved Israel—but Got No Credit

Thirty-Six Years Ago Today, Richard Nixon Saved Israel—but Got No Credit.

Although Nixon was a known anti-Semite, he nevertheless absolutely helped save Israel from being defeated by the Arabs. I’ve read somewhere previously that his mother told him once never to resist a chance to help the Jewish homeland, for whatever reason, and that part of the reason he didn’t hesitate to help was precisely for this reason, especially considering that he was in the midst of the Watergate mess, Vietnam and no overwhelming need to risk the American economy on Arab ire over his help to Israel. Pretty amazing, all things considered…

US welcomes Iran’s increased cooperation | Iran news | Jerusalem Post

US welcomes Iran’s increased cooperation | Iran news | Jerusalem Post.

Bush’s 2nd administration is partly to blame for this mess, since they dropped the ball on enforcement of their threats against Iran’s uranium enrichment. However, Obama’s people have effectively given up prevention for containment by negotiating without preconditions. Do these people not understand that an Iranian nuke is big trouble for the U.S. and all of Europe, not just Israel? The yelling and screaming seems to go in one ear and out the other with these people.

Iran’s mullahs are in a weakened state at home now, and in order to address that, are clearly stalling and appearing flexible, without actually changing their position. Meanwhile, Obama has eroded the most basic deterrent of negotiation – basic premises from which one doesn’t budge unless one received significant concessions from the other side. Again, I’m no game theorist precisely, but the morons running U.S. foreign policy in this administration, with all their Ivy League degrees and supposed expertise, can’t understand the basic of Psychology 101. How sad and disappointing, not to mention enraging…

Anne Frank footage released for first time | Jewish News | Jerusalem Post

Anne Frank footage released for first time | Jewish News | Jerusalem Post. Footage of Anne Frank from the 1941 wedding of a neighbor. Release by the Anne Frank House on the YouTube Anne Frank Channel. Interesting to see.

Worldmapper Gridded Population Cartograms: The countries of the world as you’ve never seen them before

Worldmapper Gridded Population Cartograms: The countries of the world as you’ve never seen them before.

(hat tip: Onan G.) WOW, very interesting site…

Letter From Tehran: Iran’s New Hard-Liners | Foreign Affairs

Letter From Tehran: Iran’s New Hard-Liners | Foreign Affairs.

A useful advanced primer on the internal power struggles of the Iranian regime, detailing a recent takeover of cabinet posts and critical industries by Revolutionary Guards’ “new Right” fundamentalists, who apparently control $12 billion a year smuggling networks which feed directly off Iran’s unchecked pariah status. By this analysis, it’s time to roll up Iran’s carpet of bullshit and pull it out from under the regime. There are no pragmatists or real-politikers in Iranian government now, and they are not about  to materialize, short of highly unlikely regime change. Marg bar diktator!

Small side note: how did a guy named Jerry Guo (the article’s author) end up as an I-Banking analyst in Tehran, of all places? Sounds slightly fishy, methinks.

Karl Rove: Obama Can’t Outsource Afghanistan – WSJ.com

Karl Rove: Obama Can’t Outsource Afghanistan – WSJ.com.

I’m sad to say both Rove and Obama are mistaken, albeit in rather different ways. If Obama rejects McChrystal’s call for a “surge” in Afghanistan, we might as well just get the hell out ASAP, with our tail between our legs. That would leave the Taliban and Al Qaeda tremendous PR victories for decades to come, and leave us looking like fair weather friends to Afghanis and Pakis, equally, since both would soon be overrun by Taliban and Al Qaeda, anyhow.

On the other hand, if we follow Rove’s advice (a.k.a what Bush did in Iraq), we run the yet much more serious problems of complete instability and corruption in Afghani governance, tribal fractures and backdoor deals between tribal leaders and the Taliban despite any concerted surge, and a much more complex military battle in the mountains in Afghanistan, and inevitably across the border in Pakistan. Theoretically, the battle is winnable, but only the highest motivation and commitment of troops, materiel and time could possibly make this last-ditch assault successful. The odds are not good, since no empire has ever conquered Afghanistan (not the Greeks, the Brits, the Russians or even Genghis Khan, among others). We risk even more in Afghanistan than we did in Iraq, which did manage to stabilize, despite itself.

My feeling is that in his gut, Obama just doesn’t have either the grasp of the gravity of our situation in Afghanistan, nor has the gut to (start or) finish the job. He’s much too distracted already, and just doesn’t have it in him to fight a war properly. McChrystal can’t fight this alone, together with help from Congress. Obama needs to keep constant watch over what’s happening. He appears unwilling or unable to do so. I see trouble, BIG trouble for us in Afghanistan.