Various Items with Lincoln and Super Moon

photo: Saturday's "Super Moon" rising near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, from space.com.
After a week from hell for Japan, in which the Japanese not only suffered from the unprecedented but perhaps prophetic combination of massive earthquake, massive tsunami and massive nuclear plant crisis, but were criticized in the U.S. for their culture (among other alleged sins, not being forthcoming enough) comes Nicholas Kristoff's column titled "The Japanese Could Teach Us a Thing or Two":

"So maybe we can learn something from Japan, where the earthquake, tsunami and radiation leaks haven’t caused society to come apart at the seams but to be knit together more tightly than ever. The selflessness, stoicism and discipline in Japan these days are epitomized by those workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, uncomplainingly and anonymously risking dangerous doses of radiation as they struggle to prevent a complete meltdown that would endanger their fellow citizens."

Meanwhile, as news in the US focuses exclusively on Japan and particularly the ongoing air strikes in Libya, things are moving fast in Yemen, which could result in just as dangerous a situation for its people as in Libya.

Back in the class war at home, the new proto-fascist laws in a couple of GOPer governed states may be illegal as well as illogical and immoral. A judge has blocked the Wisconsin union-busting law, on procedural grounds, as violating Wisconsin's open meeting law. Michigan, operating pretty much under the radar, passed a law that provides dictatorial powers to the state, including the voiding of local elections and elected officials. But Think Progress makes a good case that it's unconstitutional in at least one respect: it allows the state to void contracts (aimed at those with union agreements), which is expressly forbidden by Article 1. This post (by Ian Milhiser) suggests practical possibilities as well:

"If a state is free to break contracts whenever they feel like it, than no one will agree to do business with the state. Investors will refuse to buy the state’s bonds, and state contractors will demand all payments upfront out of fear that the state will accept their work and then tear up the contract requiring the workers to be paid. Creditors will charge the state enormous interest rates to secure against the risk that the state will just waive its hand and make its obligation to repay go away."

Visible evidence of Saturday's "Super Moon"--the biggest, brightest full moon in 18 years--was one of many casualties of our current spell of near-constant rain and cold here on the North Coast. But lots of places were clear enough for people to see and photograph it. There are more photos and a video explaining the convergence of phenomena that caused it, at Space.com.