Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
by Adam L Silverman| 95 Comments
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Iran, Military, Open Threads, Silverman on Security, War
Over the past couple of days Iranian backed Shi’a militia in Iraq, which describe themselves as Islamic Resistance, have attacked the heavily fortified US Embassy in Baghdad in what appears to be an attempt to besiege or occupy it or parts of it. It is important to keep in mind that US Embassy Baghdad is …
The Assault on US Embassy Baghdad Has Ended. For Now…Post + Comments (95)
by Adam L Silverman| 46 Comments
This post is in: America, Civil Rights, Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Silverman on Security
If you’ve not seen the news yet today, Congressman John Lewis has been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. That is not good news. He is already receiving treatment. Here is his statement: “I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never …
John Lewis’s Speech at the 1963 March on WashingtonPost + Comments (46)
by Adam L Silverman| 124 Comments
This post is in: America, Domestic Politics, Media, Open Threads, Politics, Religion, Silverman on Security
Bret Stephens, last seen passive aggressively picking a fight by calling someone who is Jewish an anti-Semite and, like someone named Karen, demanding to see that person’s manager (contacting the provost of the university of the professor who called him out on his stupidity), has written something VERY STUPID again! This is what we call …
Bret Stephens Was Never a Bedbug, Just an Overprivileged, Mediocre AssholePost + Comments (124)
by Adam L Silverman| 137 Comments
This post is in: Absent Friends, Balloon Juice, Open Threads, Silverman on Security
This post is dedicated to Cam-WA! Love you dude or dudette! Don’t ever change! I spoke to Cole about two hours ago and have been given the all clear to log in and stay logged in. I’ll be back to regularly scheduled posting most likely this evening. Until then we can clearly use a new …
by Adam L Silverman| 32 Comments
This post is in: Absent Friends, Balloon Juice, Events, Open Threads, Silverman on Security
Due to technical difficulties with the site, I’ll be logged out of WordPress for ten days to two weeks. I’ve asked that someone send me an all clear email when (if?) they get the problem fixed. But for the next fortnight or however long it takes, I won’t be around as I’m not going to …
by Adam L Silverman| 65 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
You normally don’t see a snowman with this type of core strength! Also, who wants to tell him about the ritual circumcision requirement? off to get some chinese- as an atheist I am almost Jewish so good enough — John Cole (@Johngcole) December 25, 2019 I hope that everyone who is celebrating has been having …
Merry Christmas! Also, Never to Early to Start on Your New Year’s Fitness GoalsPost + Comments (65)
by Adam L Silverman| 115 Comments
This post is in: Cooking, Food, Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes
My family has just left. I’m exhausted. I’ve been cleaning and cooking since about 11 AM this morning. Though I did my baking last night. One of the butcher shops in the area where I get meat and chicken from regularly has grass fed beef short ribs for a reasonable price. Since my brother, sister …
Hanukkah 2019: A Festival of Lights in FoodPost + Comments (115)
by Adam L Silverman| 22 Comments
This post is in: America, Civil Rights, Criminal Justice, Domestic Politics, Election Year, Impeachment, Open Threads, Organizing & Resistance, Politics, Silverman on Security
I’m sure a number of you are planning to join one of the various marches tomorrow night in support of impeachment. So I wanted to re-up my post on personal security at protests, marches, and demonstrations for anyone that missed it the first several times I posted it. I really don’t know what to tell …
Peaceful Assembly & Personal Security: RepostedPost + Comments (22)
by Adam L Silverman| 147 Comments
This post is in: America, Civil Rights, Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Religion, Silverman on Security
Last night I did a post decrying a forthcoming Executive Order (EO) that would, based on The New York Times‘ reporting about the forthcoming EO, redefine Judaism as a race and nationality. Specifically: Religion was not included among the protected categories, so Mr. Trump’s order will have the effect of embracing an argument that Jews …
by Adam L Silverman| 93 Comments
This post is in: America, Civil Rights, Domestic Politics, Election Year, Open Threads, Politics, Post-racial America, Religion, Silverman on Security
Updated at 2:00 PM EDT on 11 December 2019: The central premise in the post below is inaccurate. It is inaccurate because The New York Times‘ reporting it is based on what factually inaccurate and misleading regarding the text of the forthcoming Executive Order. For a full discussion of this, please see my post at this …
by Adam L Silverman| 170 Comments
This post is in: America, Domestic Politics, Election 2016, Election Year, Foreign Affairs, Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Politics, Russia, Silverman on Security
Michael Horowitz, the DOJ Inspector General, has released his long awaited report into the origins of the DOJ’s and FBI’s investigation into the President’s 2016 campaign. The report can be found here and I’m uploading it below. DOJ_IG_Investigation_DEC_2019 The bottom line up front: the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the four related investigations, including those into …
by Adam L Silverman| 86 Comments
This post is in: America, Domestic Politics, Education, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Military, Politics, Saudi Arabia, Silverman on Security
NBC/MSNBC is now reporting that the shooter at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola is a Saudi national. Which will, of course, turn a tragedy into an absolute shitshow. I wanted to just take a moment and provide some context here for our readers and commenters who don’t have a lot of exposure to the US …
Some Context on the Naval Air Station Pensacola ShootingPost + Comments (86)
by Adam L Silverman| 16 Comments
This post is in: Bleg, Cat Blogging, Open Threads, Pet Blogging
From commenter TomatoQueen: Edith’s black kitty, Merlin, is ready to come live with me. Travel will be from Minnesota to Virginia in December. The flight parent is Schlemazel’s niece LauraToo, who is presently visiting Australia but will be home in time to bring me Merlin on December 11th. Here is the PayPal link to help …
Cat Transport Bleg: Minnesota to VirginiaPost + Comments (16)
by Adam L Silverman| 126 Comments
This post is in: America, Domestic Politics, Election 2016, Election Year, Foreign Affairs, Information Warfare, Open Threads, Politics, Russia, Silverman on Security, War
* Ken Vogel at The New York Times has reported that Rudy Giuliani, the President’s personal attorney, is in Kyiv via Budapest. Vogel’s reporting clarifies Giuliani’s tweet from yesterday about a collaboration he is working on with One America News Network (OANN), which is a niche, far right news outlet. Working on an important project …
by Adam L Silverman| 68 Comments
This post is in: America, Election 2016, Election Year, Foreign Affairs, Military, Open Threads, Politics, Russia, Silverman on Security, War
While everyone is focused on all the President’s, his political appointees’, his personal attorney’s, and the variety of post-Soviet state oligarchs’/post-Soviet state mobsters’, and various other riffraffs’ ongoing attempts to screw around with and screw over Ukraine until President Zelensky announces an investigation into the Bidens, which he’s not going to do, and Guiliani and …