A good day for Libya: US recognition for the NTC, oil fields repaired
I'm sort of surprised not to have seen this mentioned here: the United States has officially recognized the leadership of the Libyan Revolution as the legitimate government of Libya, potentially...
View ArticleUpdate from Athens
George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, is actually fulfilling one of his campaign promises, that of green development. A recently enacted real estate tax to be collected via electricity bills has...
View ArticleUpdated x 8: Greek Government close to collapse
Following yesterday's announcement of a referendum on the latest bailout/surrender of sovereignty by Greek PM George Papandreou, discussed here on dailykos, political developments have been...
View ArticleUpdated x 8 final: Greece has a new government
And that is about all that is certain. Papandreou will not lead it. Details to follow.UPDATE 22:30 Athens time.The outgoing prime minister of Greece, George Papandreou and his right of center opposite...
View Article"Elephant mourns friend", updated with more video
"Elephant mourns friend" was one of the headlines I clicked on at newsbeast.gr a Greek tabloid site I was perusing a in search of information about the new Greek government that is to be announced...
View ArticleGreece has a new Prime Minister!
After several days of operatic farce alternating with tragedy, the major non-leftwing parties agreed to form a government led by Lucas Papademos. So, who is he?A cautious, soft-spoken technocrat who,...
View ArticleThe Rules of Revolution.
Revolution is NOT war and the rules that indicate when one should go to war, declare victory or defeat are not the same as the dynamics that govern when a populace will revolt.In the comments to...
View ArticleAn Observation about Interest Rates
When I was growing up in post-Junta Greece in the 70s and early 80s and then when I came back in the 90s, inflation and interest rates were high but the interest rates were always higher than the...
View ArticleUpdate from Athens, December 12, 2011 edition
Since the last time we touched this subject, things have gone south. Â Kids have fainted in class because they have not eaten in a few days. Consumption of heating fuel is down 50%, even in places like...
View ArticleBenghazi, next stop, Athens, I'm out of here
I have a job offer! Teaching English to young kids in Benghazi, Libya for six months (extendable on mutual agreement), accommodation and car supplied, an allowance for local expenses and salary paid in...
View ArticleBenghazi calling.
I was going to post this yesterday but I was sick in bed and stuck out in the outskirts of town so I really had no personal feel for the celebrations. Now though, while still not terribly well, I am...
View ArticleAn Open Letter to Chancellor Merkel
The following is an open letter to Chancellor Merkel from Thanos Tzimeros, leader of the small liberal party Dimiourgia Xana (literally, Creation Again), a voice of sanity in Greece. It clearly and...
View ArticleShhh... black ops... Clint is one of ours...
On the front page it says that BHO remains a huge fan of Clint Eastwood. Well, of course. Mr Eastwood was an undercover agent who accomplished his mission. Romney's PR movie and speech were completely...
View ArticleBack to Benghazi
I have failed you. The photo rich diaries and insightful political posts I had promised never materialized. I finished my first stint and just went on vacation, neglecting all of you. I am truly...
View ArticlePrime numbers deep connection proof? Updated
Twitter called my attention to this (hastily written and error-prone, according to the comments) post in SciAm. The picture looks beautiful (though the link to a larger version doesn't work) and it...
View ArticleBreaking: Attack on US consulate in Benghazi, Updated x 4 US Ambassador killed
MAJOR UPDATE: Just woke up to this:The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff were killed in a rocket attack on their car, a Libyan official said, as they were rushed from a consular...
View ArticleMy uncle, the family legend, took advantage of the GI bill.
I barely knew him so this post by my mother brought tears to my eyes. I won't have much to add and I really think anybody interested should follow the link and perhaps even read some more of her stuff....
View ArticleAssociated Press-GfK poll: Obama up by 15 among all adults, up by 10 among RVs
Changed title and edited to correct a misapprehension.Good Moorrrniiing America. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll has Obama up 52 to 37 among all adults and an approval rating also over fifty....
View ArticleBrutal police intervention in Istanbul. #occupygezi
Turkish anti-riot police are brutally trying to suppress protests in Istanbul, Turkey against the destruction of the city's last remaining green space in order to build yet another mall. They are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cairo! 'Massive' doesn't do it justice.
So far relatively peaceful. All pics from Twitter. A year ago the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate won the presidential election in Egypt. The contest was initially a fourway and went down to a runoff...
View Article