August 17, 2012 Summer silly season is upon us. First, three girls from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot are on trial in Moscow for the heresy of mocking Vlad Putin and the Orthodox Church. Second, a Swedish public relations firm dropped teddy bears over Belarus, making fun of its […]


July 28, 2012 The embattled regime of Bashar Asad just managed to shoot itself in both feet, provide ammunition to Syria’s enemies, and give them yet another excuse to intervene in its raging civil war. A senior Syrian government spokesman just confirmed his nation did indeed possess chemical weapons, and […]


July 21, 2012 Jamaica’s Port Royal used to be called the wickedest city on earth. During the 1600’s, it was a favorite lair for pirates, buccaneers like Henry Morgan, , cutthroats, and assorted criminals. To paraphrase Somerset Maugham’s wonderful quip about Monaco, “a sunny place for shady people.” In 1692, […]