Say it ain’t so — looks like we actually squeaked into positive territory here this afternoon. Two degrees above zero. Why, that’s practically balmy. Or maybe that’s just me. Two consecutive days of trainer rides in the office do little for one’s mental health, no matter what’s on the iPod.
Speaking of mental health, what in bloody hell is going on in the Middle East? Did everybody wake up on the wrong side of the bed all at once? Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan — all of a sudden the streets are full of pissed-off people and the boss-fellas are peeing themselves, spazzing out like a herd of cats trying to cover turds on a tile floor.
Not even the CIA can push ’em over wholesale like this. They have enough trouble working retail. And the NYT doesn’t seem to think it’s jihadis, either.
Is it truly an “Arab spring?” Not so fast, says Roger Hardy, Middle East analyst at the Woodrow Wilson Center:
“Analysts would do well to exercise a little humility. My own guess, for what it is worth, is that this is not the beginning of an Arab spring, but of something more messy and drawn-out. The old order still has plenty of fight in it.”
Mad Blog Media 
I’m cheering for the mobs, myself.
I definitely vote for the “messy and drawn out” and none of that is good news to the clowns who like to keep hold of all of our strings. Its that old Chinese curse–may you live in interesting times.
The bottom line is that when strong men and juntas run countries, shit eventually hits the fan. No one is vested in success except the powers that be, and everyone else is waiting in the wings with knives for someone to show weakness. Iran, Yugoslavia, etc.
Especially in an age of Islamic fundamentalism, economic change, and Internet-bred aspirations for improvement, its not hard to see why the shit is hitting the fan all over Northern Africa and the Middle East. May the ghost of Mohammad Mosaddegh be with them.
I’ll side with the mobs too. The real interesting thing will be once they run the dictators out, how will they feel about the folks (us) whose tax dollars funded so many years of these repressive regimes? The Saudi princes ought to be mighty nervous right now as well as the thugs who run things in Iran. My hope is bloodshed can be kept to a minimum but I’m not optimistic in this regard.
Meanwhile, ol’ “HotAir” McQuaid proclaims there’s NEVER been any corruption in the UCI. How can he say that with a straight face?
Speaking of bad news, some cities in Northern New Mexico just ran out of natural gas.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/New-Mexico-cities-losing-natural-gas-supplies
Apparently the “mobs” in Cairo have taken note of the “made in USA” stamps on those F-16s and tear gas canisters. So as far as giving thanks to those who propped up repressive regimes with guns and/or money, this will be deja vu all over again, eh, guys?