Eid Mubarak To Everyone! And If You’re Wondering What To Get Me…
Thought this Abu Mahjoob caricature was pretty uplifting for the (political) season! So Eid Mubarak to you all and I hope you have a great holiday. Stay safe, do something fun, enjoy your family time, and go some place warm! Oh, and if you were wondering what to get me for Eid (as I know you all are), feel free to go over to the Brass Crescent Awards and vote for The Black Iris in the Middle East category. Make sure to check the confirmation email after you vote! There’s only one day left and every vote counts, so thanks in advance!

Photo Of The Day: Our Newly Unemployed Members Of Parliament
AP Photo - A Jordanian driver removes the Parliament plates of the car of one of the Jordanian lawmakers at the Jordanian Parliament offices in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. (more…)

King Abdullah Dissolves Parliament And Calls For Early Elections
It’s the political news of the week, perhaps even the year here in Jordan, and it’s come as a surprise to most. HM King Abdullah’s decision to dissolve the Lower House of Parliament and call for early elections is a move that few anticipated. At least in any realistic context. Criticism of the Parliament in the press has indeed increased in recent months, specifically since its last session. But that’s nothing new. Parliament has always been treated like the straw man of the Jordanian state and so much of the criticism that is intended for higher powers wil

More On Jordanian Motorcades & Traffic Rantings From Zahran Street
A few months back I wrote a post about Royal and Official motorcades in Jordan, which I felt put the average Jordanian driver at risk. I have to admit that since writing the post, these motorcades have toned down their approach. About a month back, a motorcade swerved in sharply from a side street and on to the fourth circle. For the first time, I noticed that they stuck to the right side of the road, didn’t travel at unnecessary speeds and didn’t use the bullhorn for shouting purposes. Instead, a rear tinted

Thursday Feel Good Post: Stop. Motion. Go.
I haven’t published a feel-good post in a while and it feels like it’s due. It’s been a hectic week, which I’m sure is true for at least 90% of those of you who are reading this. So that being said, here’s an end-of-the-week pick-me-upper. Or at least, my attempt at one. Lately, I’ve been fascinated with stop-motion videos. I think there’s something innocently nostalgic about this kind of film making that it reminds me of the third grade, when someone teaches you how to draw a stick man on the edge of a pad of paper, and then a bunch of other stick men on all the other pages, before f