By Sandra Moon, RP Staff, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
What do Dr. Mattson, Rev. Dr. Cook, and Rabbi Kleinbaum all have in common? They are all inspiring religious leaders, and they are all women. [Huffington Post]
 Robert Bellah, author of new book about religion's role in evolution Does Christianity in its origin support socialism or capitalism? Here are two differing views. [Washington Post]
Robert Bellah, professor emeritus of sociology at UC Berkley, is interviewed about his new book Religion in Human Evolution: From the Paleolithic to the Axial Age. [Atlantic.com]
By Grant Smith, RP Staff, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
PETA plans to launch a new porn web-site. There is an insane joke waiting to be told here. [Business Times]
The Washington Post examines the Mormon Church’s powerful use of the internet. [Desert Times]
A new website ranks web hacks and bestows bragging rights. [New York Times]
The Daily Show weighs in on how bookstore chains can compete with the internet. [The Washington Times]
The latest “Overtime” from Real Time with Bill Maher: watch it here. [HBO]
By Grant Smith, RP Staff, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
Economist Arthur Laffer discusses taxation and his theory of the “Laffer Curve: Watch the video here. [CNBC]
Hewlett-Packard’s board confirms its plan to essentially blow up the company as we know it. [Forbes]
Have Business Schools and MBA degrees become a debtors’ prison? [Fortune]
Fears of a global recession continue to slam down U.S. stocks. [Wall Street Journal]
A regulator, a lawmaker, and a quandary. [New York Times]
A huge housing bargain: but not for you! [The Street]
Leprechauns, The Tooth Fairy, Bernanke, and Stagflation. [Forbes Wealth Blog]
By Kristen Hamilton, RP Staff, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 2:00 PM ET Still high off studying abroad in Paris, I decided to compile a list of my most enjoyable moments in Paris. This list is in no particular order, because to be quite honest, it is a bit difficult to choose between indulging in the luxury of Chanel and nearly getting attacked on the Metro. See what I mean? Check out my top 5 below:
1. Praying in the Sacré-Coeur
Regardless of the trek that it took to finally reach Sacré-Coeur, it was completely worth it. Unlike Notre Dame, I actually had the chance to go into this church (it was free) and sit down in the sanctuary. A lot of people sat down to hopefully put an end to their incessant sweating (myself, included); however, while sitting down, I was moved to pray. Tears rolled down my eyes out of nowhere; this experience was moving, to say the least. I actually had the opportunity to visit Sacré-Coeur twice, and I can honestly say that I will forever cherish the memories that I made there. Okay, enough of the crying – now to the fun stuff.
2. Visiting Notre Dame AND then watching Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame
Another church? I know, but I actually didn’t go into this one, and I don’t know what excited me more: seeing Notre Dame in person or seeing Notre Dame in person AND then running back to my room to watch the Disney classic featuring the beloved Quasimodo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was never my favorite Disney movie (not even top 10); however, that is the power of the real Notre Dame. In walking distance from where I stayed, Notre Dame is majestic in all ways possible. It is one of those places where something comes over you, but you have no idea what it is. Maybe it’s the reverberation of the church bells that ring throughout the city or maybe it’s just the fact that you are standing in front of history. Regardless, my visit to Notre Dame, followed by my viewing of Quasimodo and the gargoyles, was special.
 3. Playing Petanque
Petanque is probably one of the greatest games of all time. Seriously. Petanque is France’s precious sport jewel, and I am completely bummed that we do not have this game in the States. It just so happens that petanque requires a lot of skill that of which I do not have. There are two teams and each team has their own set of steal balls. In the beginning of the game, a small green ball is thrown, and wherever it lands, that is the target that each person is to aim for. The object of the game is to land the steal ball closest to the little green ball. This may sound simple (probably not with my horrible description of the game), but no, not quite. You have to throw the ball underhandedly, and the outdoor elements do not always help. My team ended up losing (of course), but I can’t remember when I have had that much fun playing a game with what looked like steal tennis balls.
Read the rest of…
Kristen Hamilton: Top 5 Favorite Moments in Paris
By Chris Schulz, RP Staff, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
Going green means more than just saving the Earth for the military, it means saving lives. [cnn.com]
Poaching is a problem in developed countries as well. [bbc.com]
As some species like the Swedish wolf are threatened or endangered, other species are newly discovered. [bbc.com]
A new way to travel between cities that is cheap and green. [latimes.com]
By RP Nation, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET As we celebrate a week of 'no politics' on The Recovering Politician, let's share just what such a vacation means to us. For me, it means, switching off from the news about politicians and what they are or are not achieving. It means turning off the tv, the radio, the news websites, the computers and all the other 'connected' devices. It means walking right past the tv as the stock market plunges and talking heads gyrate on the screen. It means not allowing ourselves, for one week, to worry about retirement or our child's education. As ghastly as it sounds, it means putting despair about starving children on 'pause' for just a week and letting others, like Bono and Anderson Cooper, do the worrying.
Taking a vacation means temporarily putting aside obligations to 'keep up with the news', do community work, check on extended family members, meet responsibilities and finish 'chores' around the house. It means just kicking back with spouses and children to do a puzzle, play cards, build with blocks, paint with watercolors, visit a museum, hike a trail, have a beer in the afternoon, swim, take a nap, and to marvel at this vast country by visiting somewhere new.
And to politicians, I’d say this…”take a break!” be normal people, spend time with your family, read a novel, vegetate. For one week, don’t make a political calculation. the latter might be the single hardest thing to do.
And please, when the week is over and you are recharged, please come back and think differently. Cast your gaze away from the economy, towards the environment…Fresh air and fresh water hold the key to life itself and in restoring both, we just may create enough economic activity to put the economy right again. It may even enable us to relieve the very worst suffering in this world, that of a starving child.
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET What’s scarier, the fact that three people got killed from a rare amoeba that thrives in rivers, or that a brain-eating amoeba actually exists? [Time]
A French company is under fire after releasing a new line of adult-inspired lingerie… for young girls. [CNN]
One Colorado school district works to make school lunches better and healthier for growing kids. Maybe other districts around the country will take note? [NY Times]
Why are we wired to be constantly busy? [Psychology Today]
By RP Nation, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET I concluded my previous blog post pondering whether or not any superheros had ever been created that I would actually feel were worthy of kids’ admiration. After a top five list of some of the best superheroes from mainstream comic books… all of them fell way short.
Are there any nonviolent superheroes outside of mainstream comic books that are worthy of acclaim and true admiration? Well, as it turns out–
YES! Far more than you’ll find on the shelves of comic book stores these days.
Here’s my top five list of superheroes that exist solely outside of comic books:
5.) Super Grover
There’s a wonderful book that my daughter loves for me to read to her. It is called Hooray for Our Heroes by Sarah Albee and Tom Brannon (ISBN: 978-0375822681). This book alone makes me love Super Grover.
4.) The Super Readers (Whyatt Beanstalk aka Super Why, Princess Pea aka Princess Presto, Red Riding Hood aka Wonder Red, and Pig aka Alpha Pig)
This PBS TV series is aimed at children from ages three to six and teaches reading skills including spelling, pronunciation, the alphabet, writing, phonics, and word usage.
 3.) You
What better than a chance to save the world– yourself? Wildfire* is a game that gives you the power to make real change, and let’s you see what you will do with it. (If you like this idea, check out other games like it here ) Wildfire is a game about saving the world. Opponents like rampant poverty, gender inequality, inadequate education and environmental degradation cannot be defeated by marching armies, secret potions, or magic swords– but they can be defeated by YOU.
Read the rest of…
Chris Skidmore: Top 5 Nonviolent Superheroes
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
Here is a pretty definitive and comically-executed tug-of-war between a Ford truck and Chevy truck. (The Ford is on the left). [Youtube]
The California DMV has released their list of banned vanity license plates. It is a pretty interesting article. If you’ve ever wondered if that risque vanity plate you have been considering would be allowed, this will give you a good idea. [NBC Bay Area]
Jalopnik has the “Ten signs it’s time to let your car die.” My favorite is “when Google no longer helps.” [Jalopnik]
Your most recent ESPN NASCAR power rankings keep Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson at 1 and 2. Also featured is Kurt Busch taking a tumble and Junior gaining a few spots. [ESPN]
A GM engineer managed to squeeze 3,108 mpg out of a Chevy Volt. That equates to driving 1,554 miles on half a gallon of gas. You have to admit that the new technology we are seeing come from the auto industry can do some pretty awesome things. [Jalopnik]
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET London is burning, and no one knows why.
It’s been a week since anarchy took over the city of London and some of its suburbs. The cause: the wrongful shooting of a man in a poor neighborhood. But it seems as if the protests aren’t even about that anymore. Gangs are looting every store in sight and carrying out TVs and computers. Historic buildings that have been around since World War II are now piles of ash and rubble. One particularly harrowing YouTube clip shows a group of people helping a crying, injured child– while simultaneously stealing everything out of his backpack. The violence is still going, with no sign of stopping.
I won’t pretend to have the answers to a massive political conflict; this is Politics-Free Week at The Recovering Politician, after all. What matters is that this destruction is tearing apart one of the most amazing places in the world. Here’s my love letter to London, the historic, diverse city that many of us know and love.
Read the rest of…
Stephanie Doctrow: London’s Burning
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