Larry’s List: Afghan Surge Edition

All eyes are on the president and his planned escalation of the war in Afghanistan, but there’s plenty else worth clicking on, such as Uganda’s “execute gays” law, zombie Reagan and more.

Every day, Truthdig brings you the news items and other odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

We’ll continue to update this entry with new items as Larry sends them to us, with the newest links on top.

Israel’s prime minister emphasized Tuesday that his 10-month freeze on new housing in the West Bank is a one-time measure that will not be extended.

Despite New Technology, TV Is Still the Main Medium The holiday shopping season is just one weekend old, but word is, tech products already have been selling briskly.

Movement Under Way in California to Ban Divorce Till death do us part? The vow would really hold true in California if a Sacramento Web designer gets his way.

What’s Wrong With This Picture? “Everybody in the family played Scrabble and took great pride in hoarding Ks and Qs and slapping them down in long, fancy words on triple-letter scores.” — “Going Rogue,” p. 12.

Reprise? Obama and Afghanistan The president had a difficult decision to make. The war had been raging for a long time. The U.S. and its faraway enemies had fought to a stalemate — but people just kept dying.

FAIL: Rick Warren Tries to Take a Neutral Position on Uganda’s ‘Execute Gays’ Bill Pastor Rick Warren attempts to straddle a volatile issue — Uganda’s legislation that calls for the execution of gays — and commits a double twist, backflip FAIL by saying “As a pastor, my job is to encourage, to support. I never take sides.”

Roll Over, Sarah Palin, and Give Glenn Beck the News

Buddhism in India Documentary Online Buddhism in India has yielded a legacy of many remarkable cultural heritage sites, many of which are an active part of the country’s living fabric. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century B.C., Buddhism spread throughout India and beyond over the following centuries. Its followers built temples, shrines and monuments all over the country.

From Tom Paine to Glenn Beck — the Perversion of Common Sense Conservatives would have us believe that they hold a monopoly on common sense. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and many other right-wing rabble-rousers regularly portray themselves as defenders of the good, old-fashioned common sense of average Americans against an out-of-touch liberal elite.

Quantity vs. Quality (of Papers) and Econ Profs Our new study poses a conundrum: In a professional market (for economists), having more scholars pay attention to your research raises your reputation and your salary.