A variety of links to articles/interviews on current topics that may, or may not, be of interest.

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane. So here’s something for your reading pleasure. Happy Holidays,

L’Shanah Tovah, peeps.

Is Chris Christie in the race yet? Sarah Palin? Hugh Hewitt? That 13 year-old kid from CPAC? Conservatives need a hero!

I’ll be back to tell you how screwed Bank of America is now.

Days like this I just feel like I’m a set-builder for the theater production set to take place when everybody goes back to work. That’s not until next week, so we’re stuck with this…

David Dayen’s News Roundup from August 25, 2011

Yesterday I was sitting on my brother-in-law’s deck in sunny Santa Barbara reading Maria Armoudian’s new book, Kill the Messenger: The Media’s Role in the Fate of the World. I was incredibly grateful for the sun because the first three chapters are grim. She covers the media’s role in the Rwandan genocide, the Holocaust and the Bosnian war. Thankfully I could look up and see hummingbirds after every chapter. Then she moved onto where the media worked constructively by aiding the peace process in Northern Ireland, rebuilding democracy in Chile, bridging ethnic divides in South Africa, improving the lives of women in Senegal –by changing the attitude toward female genital cutting (FGC), and boosting transparency and democratization in Mexico and Taiwan.

This really has been the week when the non-stop chatter about the Presidential election has begun. It’s a small solace that it started a bit later this year than it did four years ago. I think I’ve seen enough stories about Rick Perry (including the tire swing stuff) that I’m already sick of the guy and he’s been in the race four days. (I do think the fact that he’s militantly pro-fracking matters, I guess.)

Some links from the long weekend.