Lots going on out in the world. I could either write about it or do my real job this afternoon. I need to eat, so I'll do work. Feel free to discuss the following or anything else in the comments. What's on your mind?

- The UAE port sale hysteria. Is it xenophobic to pitch a fit about selling American ports (currently under British management) to the UAE when China already owns some? Is Dubai friendly to terror or just friendly to dollars? And why is Bush defending this so vigorously when he was unaware of it until he saw it on the news last week?

- South Dakota's abortion ban. Some in my home state floated a similar bill, but it was immediately shouted down by the pro-life lobby. They were afraid that if the SCOTUS shot it down, it would be a huge setback and a big net win for the pro-choice side. (They advocated a slow-erosion approach.) Indeed, many observers agree that even with Roberts and Alito, the court is unlikely to overturn Roe in one fell swoop. It looks possible (maybe even likely) that SD is going to throw caution to the wind and go for all the marbles. Smart or doomed?

- Iraq civil war. Already being called the "Iraqi 9/11," the destruction of the golden dome of the Askariya shrine has sparked violence that has killed hundreds and brought the country to the brink of civil war. Is such a clash inevitable, or can a government be imposed on the country as it exists now? Is the set of borders called "Iraq" an unsustainable construction?

- And finally, an unsuccessful suicide-bomb attack on a Saudi oil facility has sent prices soaring again. With the market this jittery, what happens if Iran's oil goes off the table?