Saturday, February 12, 2011

Nate Silver, the number-crunching wunderkid, does the math for how much a blogger or freelancer is likely to make from any given post to Huffington, now an AOL property — which offers prospective writers the chance to churn out 5-10 articles every day for five dollars a pop.

Silver: “…you find that the average blog post — which we estimate generated a couple thousand page views — was worth about $13 in advertising revenue. The median blog post, with several hundred views, was worth only $3 or $4.”

Fantastic.

Thursday, February 10, 2011


“All people yearn for ... the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed”
— President Obama in Cairo (2009)

A stark contrast from what is being disseminated from State and, of course, the White House. The transition does not appear to be meaningful... yadda yadda. Tomorrow brings the test of whether the revolution grinds to a halt due to a (possible) military takeover or is reinvigorated by the words of the obstinant autocrat, or both, or something we cannot predict.
Tahrir now appears to be almost liberated and 100s of thousands await Mubarak who is being famously late.

AJ is calling this a revolution. Questions of a military coup waiting in the wings are ubiquitous.

More as things develop. Suleiman is heir apparent but no one knows what will happen.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Tahrir Square in Cairo is sounding more like Tiananmen, as pro-Mubarak forces are trying to put down the popular revolt by force. There are now reports of serious casualties, according to people on the scene via Twitter feeds.

Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) and Noor Khan talk about what has been brewing in the streets up until it all erupted.

Meanwhile, Stephen Carter wonders aloud if GWB was right about his professed desire to expand democracy in the Arab world, and Anshel Pfeffer tells fellow Israelis to calm down about the alleged prospect of imminent Islamist rule.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011


“Okay guys, synchronize your watches to zero hour and high-tail it outta here”

(Photo by Pete Souza/WH)