Political withdrawl (5×8 – 11/8/12)

The political bends, the moment of victory, nature’s path, seeing adversity and conquering it, and space shuttle alerts.


1) THE POLITICAL BENDS

I know many of you are suffering political withdrawal in the aftermath of the 2012 election. Soon, we will have to return to our lives, start speaking to our neighbors again, and go back to posting cat videos on the Internet. The sweating and shakes and dry heaves you may be experiencing are normal. Still hitting F5 at fivethirtyeight.com? Fight through it! It takes time and this process cannot be rushed. It’s dangerous to come to the surface quickly.

So, here:

Now, about that media…

Related: Voting is bad for the political business.

By the way, one of the depressing thoughts in the election afterglow is by 2016, there will be many, many more Nate Silver wannabees as the media tries to reinvent the wheel.

2) MOMENTS

Election night leftovers: A funny thing happened on the way to saying the same-sex marriage amendment race was too close to call: The AP called it.

The videographer writes a postscript on today’s The Volokh Conspiracy.

(h/t: Tom Weber)

Last evening, the opponents held a rally at the Capitol. And MPR’s Jennifer Simonson provides her usual compelling photography.

3) NATURE’S PATH

The Army Corps of Engineers this week distributed this video of its challenge to make things the way they were on the Jersey shore. But it raises a significant question: When nature rearranges the landscape, is it better to try to rearrange it back or live with her new intentions?

4) SEE ADVERSITY. CONQUER ADVERSITY

The unequaled Ruben Rosario of the Pioneer Press profiles 17 young people in Minnesota, winners of the year’s Optimist Club of St. Paul’s $1,500 college scholarships. “Mostly inner-city high school kids from low-income homes, few if any of the winners have the dough to afford four-year college tuitions. But they have the smarts and the can-do attitude that’s needed to overcome tough odds,” he says.

5) SPACE STATION ALERTS

What brings people together? Looking up and seeing a little dot cross the sky. For years, the International Space Station has been circling the globe and it never fails on Twitter when I post that it’ll be overheard. People still look up and are reminded that there’s cool around us. Now, NASA has started providing emails to people when the ISS will be visible overhead. Go here. Then go look.

Related space: A new app lets you write poetry like William Shatner.

Bonus I: The Beatles’ surprising contribution to brain science. (NPR)

Bonus II: What’s with all those dangling bras in Fargo? (Minnesota Prairie Roots)

bras-on-broadway-first-avenue-side.jpg

Bonus III: Psst: These aren’t the old Timberwolves. (Highlight of the night here)

TODAY’S QUESTION

Minnesota voters rejected the voter ID and marriage amendments, returned control of the Legislature to the DFL, and handed 10 electoral votes to President Obama. Today’s Question: What does it all mean?

WHAT WE’RE DOING

Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: The fiscal cliff.

Second hour: A closer look at the legendary play, “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Third hour: Reviewing campaign coverage.

MPR News Presents (12-1 pm): A debate from the Intelligence Squared series: “Should end-of-life care be rationed?”

Talk of the Nation (1-2 p.m.) – What we learned from the election.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – As the contract dispute continues for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minneosta Orchestra, one musician from each orchestra has made the decision to leave, and they think others will follow them, because they see the writing on the wall and don’t like the contracts being offered. MPR’s Euan Kerr will have the story.