New Online Map-Building Tool

Boy have I wished for exactly this tool many times: mapinseconds.com. Thanks developer! I haven't tried it yet so I can't endorse it but wanted to blog it here so I remember it next time I'm grumbling I can't find the map I want for a post.

The Revolting Syrian

Coverage of the Syrian uprising. In the links at right also.

The Drought in East Africa is Bad; You Can Help

They need our help in Somalia and the refugee camps in Kenya. You can be a good guy. Every bit counts. Best of all, Operation USA is a reputable charity that makes sure "it gets there".

From Reuters.

Being completely pragmatic from a foreign policy standpoint, Kenya and Ethiopia are regional allies who both border Somalia, and in addition, bordering Ethiopia there's a brand-new country nearby (South Sudan) that doesn't need this stress early in its life, and would certainly draw closer to the communities around the world that helped it in its infancy. (In fact here's their Cassava beer.)

A New Resource for Drug Violence: Wikinarco

The cartels in northern Mexico are determined to prevent Arab-Spring-inducing technology from reaching their part of the world. Here is WikiNarco (in Spanish).

If you measure "news blackouts" in terms of low news-stories-per-death regions, northern Mexico has to be #1. There on our border and we hardly ever read about this alarming approach to state failure. More Americans should post these things, because one thing the narcos seem to be afraid of is the possibility of international attention from U.S. law enforcement.

The tried-and-true best and fastest way to rob these gangs of their revenue? Legalize.