Several days ago I received a bad report on the cottages I built last summer on country property.  Seems that not enough care was taken to insulate the pipes from the deep freeze that has engulfed the Great Plains. The pipes froze and burst. Now as the frozen pipes thaw out water is leaking everywhere and is not reaching, for example, the commodes--which is probably a good thing because the commodes are cracked.

I haven't seen any TV in a week, and have kept up with developments in Cairo via newspaper headlines and newscasts. Admittedly, this presented for me a "story among other news stories" kind of perspective on the matter.

We - and by we I mean the Western world and most especially the USA - have a nasty habit of forgetting some of the past history that makes us uncomfortable. This is especially true when it comes to the Middle East. The current situation in Egypt can trace its roots back to just after WWII.

Bring on the goons

Omar Suleiman (Arabic: عمر سليمان‎; born July 2, 1936) is an Egyptian politician and military figure who was appointed Vice President of Egypt on January 29, 2011. Previously, he was Minister without Portfolio and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), the national intelligence agency, from 1993 to 2011. In his role as Director of EGID, the British Daily Telegraph dubbed him as "one of the world's most powerful spy chiefs". Foreign Policy magazine ranked him the Middle East's most powerful intelligence chief, ahead of Mossad chief Meir Dagan.

 

Dr. Marouf Suleiman al-Bakhit (Arabic: معروف البخيت‎, born 1947) is the current Prime Minister of Jordan. He first served as Prime Minister from November 27, 2005 until November 25, 2007. He was previously the Jordanian ambassador to Israel and the national security chief. Appointed as Prime Minister by King Abdullah II less than three weeks after the 2005 Amman bombings, Bakhit's main priorities were to maintain security and stability in Jordan. He was reappointed as Prime Minister by the King on February 1, 2011, following weeks of protests.

When an opaque "security state" (name for military and police backed oligarchy) is falling apart, it is much more important to observe what people do, than what they say.  Only a fly on the wall would really know what is happening inside the regime... quick bring me a fly on the wall! In  a military dictatorship even the flies, especially  the flies work for the regime.

My daughter Barbara Bush, offered her endorsement of gay marriage in an interview. While my knee jerk reaction is to oppose it, I think I am beginning to understand her position. I mean, we want gays to change their sinful ways and how better to do that than getting married? The wife will be watching Mr. gay to see that he avoids hanky-panky and, in the meantime, he'll be developing the habit of living the straight life.

Hosni Mubarak had reportedly been preparing today's "concession" announcement for days. Man, does he need some new speechwriters! After the briefest nod to "the legitimate worries" of young Egyptians, he basically slammed the ongoing protests as the work of political agitators. Not a good start toward calming the waters and creating dialogue.

"Sir, are you a singer-songwriter?''

The question came from a Greeneville High School senior who shall remain anonymous because I don't want to embarrass him. We were at a play-group reunion. Last time I saw him, 12 years ago, he was sporting a Batman cape.

"Now think about it,'' I replied, "if I really looked like a singer-songwriter, would you call me 'sir'?''

Batman didn't miss a beat. "Well, maybe if you were knighted, like Elton John.''

Ptolemy
An early Baroque artist's rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus.

MISS PALIN BACHMANN CONJURING