LfT

Trash day: http://lettersfromtitan.com/2011/01/28/theres-so-much-snow-we-cant-even-see-the-trash-day/

Contains some overlap of recent links here.

LfT

I had a cab ride today that was really awesome. Until it really wasn't. Although that might have been my fault. But maybe not.

http://lettersfromtitan.com/2011/01/28/practical-intersectionality/

Egypt

"UPDATE 35, 4:30 p.m. EST: Al Jazeera reports that top regime and NDP party officials are leaving Egypt on private jets. No word on Mubarak. Also, the Speaker of the Egyptian parliament is supposed to release a statement soon. It remains to be seen whether that will actually happen. It's now nearly midnight in Egypt."


I think we can assume that the Mubarak regime in Egypt has fallen.

I actually called Patty at 3am last night to tell her what was going on (she's fine, she's in India, she just has no news flow there).


ETA: Mubarak has said (in a pre-recorded speech, so we don't know when it happened or where he is) he will appoint new ministers tomorrow and has reaffirmed his government's response to the protests. Out of touch doesn't begin to cover it.

ETA2: Obama had 30 minute call with Mubarak, is taking him at his word re: reforms, is speaking now seemingly to reaffirm US support of Mubarak, although this is probably the "hedging our bets" dance, although I'm not quite grokking our poker in all this right about now because I really don't think Mubarak can hold on. Tanks in the main square in Cairo now, chasing out protesters, who are still all over the side streets in defiance of curfew and have formed human chain around museum to save from looting.

ETA3: I've seen reports of protests in Jordan and now a self-immolation in Saudi Arabia (these are being watched across the Arab world, because a suicide like this (Muhammad Bouazizi) is credited with starting the Tunisia uprisings) -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12260465

ETA4: Can anyone verify reports of net shutdown in Syria?

i have a lot to say about this later

But I probably can't until about 3am, because of stuff I'm working on.

But via @maddowblog on Twitter - "the most amazing video on the Internet"

Contains scenes of violence from Egypt (there's blood in this, but I don't think any death -- it's less severe certainly than some of the raw footage I've seen). Has music and some speech in both English and Arabic -- some of the English is also in English subtitles, but video is not fully accessible.

This made me bawl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThvBJMzmSZI