The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

 “We suffer from an overabundance of Puritanism mixed with hypocrisy,” - Marina Ein On Friday, Mr. Petraeus walked in Hamilton’s footsteps, saying he “showed extremely poor judgment” and calling his behavior unacceptable. By resigning, he took what seems to be the preferred course of action after such revelations; most politicians either quit or are ousted by voters. Senator Vitter, who continues in Congress, is the rare exception. Whether resignation is always necessary — or even wise — is another matter. “We suffer from an overabundance of Puritanism mixed with hypocrisy,” Marina Ein, a publicist and observer of Washington life, wrote Friday in an e-mail interview. “Petraeus is an unbelievably talented and dedicated professional.” Ms. Ein once was press secretary to Representative Gary Condit of California, whose own relationship with an office intern who was later murdered led to his losing in a primary. Hamilton went on to be lionized as one o

Georgia PM Visits Europe to Dump 'Russia Stooge' Tag   http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/11/1 ...   Georgia's new prime minister starts a visit to Brussels on Monday intended to show that ties with NATO and Europe, rather than Russia, remain the former Soviet republic's top priority.

November 10, 2012 When a C.I.A. Director Had Scores of Affairs By STEPHEN KINZER       Allen Dulles   ( Operation Mockingbird: CIA Media Manipulation   http://www.citizenwars.com/operation-mockingbird-cia-media-manipulation/  )   WALKING through the lobby of the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Va., after handing in his resignation on Friday, David H. Petraeus passed a bas-relief sculpture of Allen Dulles , who led the agency in the 1950s and early ’60s. Below it is the motto, “His Monument Is Around Us.” Both men ran the C.I.A. during some of its most active years, Dulles during the early cold war and Mr. Petraeus during the era of drone strikes and counterinsurgency operations. And both, it turns out, had high-profile extramarital affairs. But private life for a C.I.A. director today is apparently quite different from what it was in the Dulles era. Mr. Petraeus resigned after admitting to a single affair; Allen D

Smartphones Galaxy Note II Review: How Samsung Sold Me on Humongous Phones By Jared Newman Nov. 07, 2012 0 Share in Share 2 <img src="http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/galaxynote2.jpg?w=720&h=480&crop=1" alt="galaxynote2" title="galaxynote2"/> Jared Newman / TIME.com Related Hands On with Samsung’s Galaxy Note II: Even Bigger Screen, Nicer Pen, More Refinement Samsung’s Galaxy Note II: U.S. Carriers Show the Phablet Some Love Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Review: This Tablet’s Mightier with a Pen How to Be a Frequent Smartphone Switcher Samsung’s Galaxy Note II Hits 3 Million Sales Email Print Share Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn StumbleUpon Reddit Digg Mixx Delicious Google+ Comment Follow @techland There was a time when I thought 4 to 4.3 inches was the ideal screen size for a smartphone. This was before Apple upsized its iPhone 5, but afte

Mike Nova's starred items   Russia: Lawmaker Asks for Inquiry on Romney Son's Visit - New York Times via Russia - Google News on 11/6/12 Russia : Lawmaker Asks for Inquiry on Romney Son's Visit New York Times A lawmaker appealed to Russia 's top prosecutor on Tuesday to investigate the reasons for Matt Romney's recent visit to Moscow, arguing that trip by the son of the Republican presidential nominee had political objectives and was not solely for business. and more » Four More Years: Obama's Unfinished Business via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty by Heather Maher on 11/6/12 Barack Obama has been reelected to another four-year term. He had told voters that he wanted a chance to "finish what we started" in 2008. That means focusing on the moribund domestic economy, as well as banking reforms, climate change, and the implementation of his universal health-care plan. China, Iran, Afghanistan, and the A

Mike Nova's starred items E-Day » Ann Beeson, Thomas B. Edsall, Tim Egan and Alexander Keyssar react to the elections and assess their political and emotional impact.   Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term tonight, winning over Mitt Romney i... via The New York Times's Facebook Wall by The New York Times on 11/6/12 Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term tonight, winning over Mitt Romney in the majority of states considered battlegrounds. View an in-depth breakdown of state-by-state results: http://nyti.ms/SsoaNG . Obama Wins New Term as Electoral Advantage Holds www.nytimes.com Voters returned President Obama to the White House, but he will face a Congress with the same divisions that marked his first term. News Analysis: Obama Second Term Has Immediate Challenges via NYT > U.S. by By PETER BAKER on 11/7/12 The next battle for President Obama is to decide what he wants to accomplish in a second term and ho

August 08, 2012 Vietnam's Gay Rights Events Mark Changing Times by Marianne Brown  Participants wave rainbow flags during Vietnam’s first Gay Pride parade, Hanoi, August 5, 2012. (Marianne Brown/VOA) HANOI — Although homosexuality is not illegal in Vietnam, conservative social mores have reinforced prejudices against gays. However, in a sign of changing times, the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender communities held two major events this month, including the country’s first Gay Pride parade. More than 100 people braved searing hot sunshine Sunday to cycle for more than two hours through the center of Hanoi. They waved rainbow flags and trailing banners with slogans like “I love LGBT” and “different not deviant”. The event was the culmination of the country’s first gay pride event, aimed at giving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community more visibility. Nguyen Thanh Tam, 25, the woman behind the bicycle parade, says she is happy with the turnout,