Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
by Adam L Silverman| 10 Comments
This post is in: Bleg, Changing Climate, Climate Change, Open Threads
The Mighty Trowel sent me the following update for you all: While there’s still lots of bad news coming out about the impact of the new years fires, here’s some good news updates from a country on fire. All of the missing people from Victoria have been accounted for and are alive. Also the Bureau …
Australia is Still Burning: An Update From The Mighty TrowelPost + Comments (10)
by Adam L Silverman| 40 Comments
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Iran, Open Threads, Politics, Silverman on Security, War
Bill Arnold in the comments to BettyC’s earlier post asked for some short reading about Iran. While they’re no longer posted on an outward facing website at USAWC, I’m attaching the three cultural assessments I did on 1) the Syrian Civil War, 2) Iran and Hezbullah, and 3) Iraqi sectarian violence. These were all done …
The Levantine Problem Set: Some Light(ish) ReadingPost + Comments (40)
by Adam L Silverman| 184 Comments
This post is in: Election Year, Foreign Affairs, Iran, Military, Open Threads, Silverman on Security, War, Cybersecurity
Cole muses: and if they were smart, they would ignore the big cities, who have the law enforcement to handle the chaos. Attack middle america where all the people are scared shitless already — John Cole (@Johngcole) January 4, 2020 christ, they'd have all the gun humpoing gomers out in force, probably end up killing …
Iran’s Response: Unconventional and Most Likely EmbarrassingPost + Comments (184)
by Adam L Silverman| 313 Comments
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Iran, Military, Open Threads, Silverman on Security, War
BREAKING: #IRAQ OFFICIAL TV ANNOUNCES #IRAN IRGC LEADER QASSEM SULEIMANI IS ASSASSINATED. ALSO KILLED HEAD OF KATAIB HEZBOLLAH ABU MEHDI MUHANDIS https://t.co/K0cJn9rMIc — Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 3, 2020 Iraqi state TV is reporting the "martyrdom" of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Mohandis on the Baghdad airport road. — Liz Sly (@LizSly) January 3, 2020 …
by Adam L Silverman| 129 Comments
This post is in: Changing Climate, Climate Change, Foreign Affairs, Guest Posts
Commenter The Mighty Trowel, who lives in Australia, sent me a guest post on the Australia fires: I’m mostly a lurker these days; but this seemed an apt time to stick my head above the parapet. I’m an American, but I’ve lived in Australia for the last 8 years. I’m sure by now you’ve seen …
Australia Is Burning: A Guest Post from The Mighty TrowelPost + Comments (129)
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 …