A script for this year's Middle Eastern/North African uprisings has kinda/sorta been uncovered. The Obama administration revealed a secret 2010 report on unrest in Arab nations, and how to nurture it discreetly. It said several, from Bahrain to Yemen, were ripe for revolution.

And here we are: Bringing shotguns, tear gas and tanks to a sleeping camp of democracy protesters, Bahrain's military decides it's seen enough demonstrations for now—killing at least five people and wounding 200 in a brutal crackdown.

For those keeping track, yesterday saw action in five other countries: strikes continued in Egypt, demonstrators massing in Libya (not against Muammar Qaddafi's TWA stewardess hat) were killed, fights kept on in Yemen, a protest briefly flared in Iran, and now Iraqis, upset about their country's lousy "post-war" economy, have also taken to the streets.

Iraqis have other grievances. They're pissed that Baghdad, a world heritage city and cultural treasure (except with lots and lots of slums), has been turned into a giant, grim military base. They want the United States to hand over $1 billion to make someone's Swiss bank account(s) feel better.

Back in the good ol' U-S-of-fuckin'-A, there's also been some protestin'. Pinko teachers in Wisconsin didn't show up for school, canceling classes—part of huge rallies against state legislation there that would do away with most collective-bargaining rights for government workers.

Beating today's meme to death, even British Petroleum is angry. Its executives are complaining that damage settlements awarded after the company pooped in the pool (Gulf of Mexico!) have been too high.

So who's happy? Gay couples in Hawaii. One, they're in Hawaii, even if bread and other basic shit costs a gazillion dollars because someone has to ship it to a remote Pacific island chain. But two? The governor is poised to sign a civil-unions bill that his predecessor rejected last summer.

Same goes for some South Waterfront neighbors pleased when the city council, despite tentatively blessing new ICE offices in the area, also demanded deeper review of the building's proposed holding cells.

The Bus Project and the Mercury put on a Brewhaha last night where four state lawmakers dished on this year's legislative session. KGW was there.

Because we ought to note this kind of thing when it happens, a two-hour standoff with armed man outside a Clark County hospital ended without the fellow winding up shot.

Oh, and remember how it snowed/hailed/sunshined/rained yesterday? The weather will remain weird, and possibly snowflake-y.

And, yes, Watson had his way with Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Sure, we can crown our computer overlords and kiss their cold, plasticky feet. But maybe, just maybe—in a magical world where there's no such thing as money and we only war with people who look different than us—maybe we can help them... feel.