The Rundown: AP Reading Poll, Scoble on Facebook and Wag the Dog

I have been having a hard time deciding what to blog about lately, just too many ideas and not enough discipline, so instead I’ve decided to post a smattering of topics and links that I think you might find interesting. At some point I’d like to elaborate on several of these topics, but with Hawaii, San Diego and a cross-country road trip coming up, time is a bit of a rarity.

The New Republic Baghdad Diarist

I’m more than surprised that this story hasn’t really made its way past the blogosphere and political pubs. Some of the major dailies have covered it, but for the most part, TNR is doing a great job and keeping the roar down to a whisper.

Check out these links for a bit of background. (The Slate link in particular has some astonishing blog quotes regarding the situation)

Slate Blog Rundown
Most recent Slate article
Huffington Post Response

AP Poll: One in four adults say they read no books last year

In a recent AP Poll, researchers unearthed that just shy of 27% of adults did not read one single book last year. Out of the people that did read, most where women and seniors, and even then they were mostly gobbling up religious works and best selling fiction. In a time when baby boomers and Gen-Xers are complaining about the lack of literacy Gen-Yers bring to the table, they may want to take a long look in the mirror.

Check out this blog for an interesting take.

Menial Summer Jobs and Affluence

I’m late to the party on this one, but it still caught my eye. A few weeks ago, the WSJ published an interesting opinion piece about menial jobs and the growing income gap in America. According to the piece, low-income kids are stuck working menial jobs, while privileged kids are building expansive resumes with worldly experience. The writer makes a strong argument why this is damaging to the economy. Ben Cashnocha, a 19-year-old serial entrepreneur, writes a wonderful critique of the post here.

Why Wag the Dog was so right on

I just watched Wag the Dog again after a few year hiatus and was instantly reminded why that movie never made it past the critics desks—It was too right on. Of course there are obvious plot falls and the story would never work with today’s Internet, but what did stick out was Robert DeNiro always yelling “This is nothing!” Powerful words when the shit is hitting the fan. If only a majority of our bosses were this optimistic.

A list blogger Robert Scoble continues to cum over Facebook

Facebook was cool two years ago when I first found it. There were only college students on the site, and groups were stuff like, “I live in Northern California and don’t shave my arm pits.” Now the mainstream media has gotten a hold of Facebook and done what every large ‘no it all’ group does—ruin it.

Don’t believe me? Read Scoble’s posts. He talks about some way cool stuff that really no one cares about. That is unless you make your living in tech and are addicted to a screen.