Apparently there's some suspicious chatter: A bulletin to travelers and expatriates, issued by the State Department, came less than a day after the department announced that it was closing American diplomatic missions in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere through the weekend because of an unspecified terrorism threat. "The Department of State alerts U.S. … Continue reading Be careful out there

The Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Exclusive Economic Zone is a phenomenal idea. If you're unfamiliar with the plan, here it is: The House Natural Resources Committee will likely approve legislation Wednesday that would name 3.4 million square nautical miles of ocean and thousands of miles of coastline after the late President Ronald Reagan. Rep. Darrell … Continue reading Finally, a legacy worthy of Bonzo’s Daddy

FAIR courageously looks into the heart of our infotainment media, finds an article in the New York Times (of course) written by Jonathan Martin (of course) called "Some Democrats Look to Push Party Away From Center," and dares to ask, "What the hell do you mean by 'center'?" One of the most important tenets of … Continue reading Center of the universe

Iraq Body Count figures for July 30: 50 killed IBC total to-date for July, 2013: 941 civilians killed The AP reports 26 more dead today in several shootings (the deadliest in two Shi'i neighborhoods in Baghdad and in Mosul), but they're not quite getting the story correct: Attacks including bombings of Shiite and Sunni mosques … Continue reading The Daily Iraq: 31 July 2013

There was a piece in the Guardian over the weekend by John Naughton that has really generated some buzz, and rightly so. He's pushing the media to cover the Snowden leaks for what they say about the internet, rather than "OMG WHERE IS SNOWDEN NOW?" or "OMG GLENN GREENWALD IS A TRAITOR," which since it … Continue reading The World’s Only Remaining Stuporpower

Iraq Body Count figures for July 29: 60 killedIBC total to-date for July, 2013: 891 civilians killed22 more reported killed today:On Tuesday, gunmen killed three police and wounded two in an attack on a checkpoint south of Baghdad, while bombings in Kirkuk province, north of the capital, killed a policeman and a civilian, and wounded … Continue reading The Daily Iraq: 30 July 2013

It hasn't been a peaceful few months in North Africa. Most everybody (right?) knows what's been happening in Egypt, where an already difficult situation may have become unfixable early Saturday when police killed at least 72 (this is the official figure; the actual number is likely much higher) protesters while trying to contain/repress/massacre a rally … Continue reading (Muslim) Brothers Gonna Work It Out (OK, probably not): Part I

Iraq Body Count figures for July 28: 12 killed IBC total to-date for July, 2013: 831 civilians killed In what Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Foreign Policy each described as a "wave of car bombs," at least 17 separate attacks killed at least 60 Iraqis. Reuters: The 17 blasts, which appeared to be coordinated, were concentrated … Continue reading The Daily Iraq: 29 July 2013

Egypt: The obvious top story this week was the horrific massacre of pro-Morsi protesters by Egyptian security forces early Saturday. At least 72, and probably many more, protesters were killed in the fighting, which seems to have begun when protesters attempted to block a major Cairene bridge, so naturally security forces did the reasonable thing … Continue reading This Week in Oppressive Government Violence: July 28, 2013

Iraq Body Count figures for July 27: 6 civilians killed July 26: 6 civilians killed July 25: 48 civilians killed IBC total to-date for July, 2013: 819 civilians killed At least 12 killed today in bombings in Tuz Khormato, where a suicide attack targeted Kurdish security forces, and in central Baghdad.