Jonathan Rowe, 1946-2011(Jon was Senior Editor at WhoWhatWhy)

Jonathan Rowe was, by inclination, an unobtrusive man. He moved through this world quietly, and he left quietly.

He did not promote himself. He was not comfortable seeking recognition. He concentrated instead on substance.

Jon died the other day, abruptly, with no warning of any kind, and left behind a wife, Mary Jean, and an 8-year-old son, Josh.

In part because of his modesty, and in part because celebrity and valor are not the same, you very likely did not know of him. Or, if you did, not nearly enough.

WORTH READING: No Shots; Baby Frankenstein; Money & Problems; BotPuppets

How the GOP will penalize children. Why kids who play more are smarter. Money, it turns out, really does not lead to happiness. And another bad idea from the Pentagon.

Israel and Gaza: A Tough Story to Get Right

Side-takers in the Israel-Palestine situation, here’s some kindling! Footage of Israeli Navy seizing weapons it says are destined for Gaza.

When Things Were Different: READERS Please Weigh In

DC news veteran Sam Smith on today compared to his previous 58 years reporting: Most conservative Dem President; most radical and irrational GOP; most political nastiness; most apathetic youth. And more…

America and Nuclear: Obama’s Forgotten Track Record

With the nuclear crisis in Japan, suddenly the safety of nuclear energy is of interest everywhere. What will the United States do under Obama? If forgotten history is any measure, perhaps not nearly enough.

What to Do About Japan—And What Not

Anyone watching the devastation in Japan must certainly wonder what we as individuals should be doing to help. For some insight, we turn to Richard Walden, a most unusual leader of a most unusual humanitarian relief group, called Operation USA. His organization’s efforts are well known to WhoWhatWhy, and they tend to be practical and modest and effective. In a just-published item on Huffington Post, Richard cuts against the conventional mass reaction to a crisis like this. We reprint his remarks here in their entirety:

NPR Scandal Reversal: The Raw Footage Shows Something Else

When I wrote a piece the other day about a scandal rocking National Public Radio over “inappropriate” comments NPR fundraising executives make on edited hidden-camera footage, I wondered whether raw footage might provide some useful context. I did not know at the time that such raw footage was there to be scrutinized.

Divide & Conquer The Internet, Populist Motorbikes, Why We Fight: Libya Edition

Today’s edition of Worth Reading includes two videos “Worth Watching”. Sometimes a picture, or in this case film, is worth a thousand words. Warning: The video on the conflict in Libya contains graphic images.

NPR Scandal: The Real Story, Please

The uproar over indiscretions by NPR executives misses the real story: what really did the NPR folks do wrong? And who is behind the attempts to embarrass the network, and why?

WORTH READING: No One Need Apply, Best Place to Work?, Where to Get Sick

Corporations are hitting record profits this year so where are all the jobs? Despite massive tax incentives for job creation, companies like Verizon and GE are cutting back their workforce rather than increasing it. Perhaps it’s time to provide them with some disincentives to turn the tide for America’s unemployed.

Wisconsin, Meet the Military

Anyone concerned about excessive government spending—and looking to make cuts to be financially prudent—would look at the biggest cost categories. Right? Wrong.
In all the talk about the outrageous salaries and benefits of teachers and government employees, how much discussion is there about the budget for the military and the spy establishment? Well, um, almost none at all.

Worth Reading: ShoeThrower Index, KochesLoveACLU, OrganicFoodFight

Next Mideast revolts predicted. The Koch Brothers Love…the ACLU(?) And FYI on GMOS.