This is how weird the news is getting.

When I was a kid, this place was the symbol for the most faraway isolated place in the world. When we wanted to describe the absolute end of the earth, it was this place we pointed to.
And now it's in the news just like any other place.

http://tinyurl.com/bzbbalp

Terrible...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/mali/9845807/Timbuktu-the-women-singled-out-for-persecution.html

I guess the French did the right thing, for once. We balked on using our Aerial Tankers with the French aircraft. From what I have read (on the Internet, of course), the French will be leaving soon, after kicking ass and taking names... and it appears that the US has some mud on our face for not cooperating more.

There has been lots of mayhem in Mali. The Islamic Rebels joined with the Toureg and been enforcing Sharia Law (cutting off hands and feet, etc.) on mainly dark black Africans.

It makes me appreciate what we have.