The fact that Bahrain is set to tap a Jewish female as its next ambassador to Washington is interesting in itself, but I can also buy the speculation that it might be a message to the US, Israel, and even Iran and about its intentions and sympathies. I’ve heard indications from people who would know that Bahrain and a number of other Gulf Arab states are doing whatever they can to implicitly support anyone who might oppose Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which deeply scare most of the Arab world. (Of course, it’s worth noting that Bahrain is a majority Shiite country, ruled by Sunnis.)

This little gesture probably doesn’t mean all that much, but it might point to fault lines in the Middle East that don’t always lie where they first appear.

Last night, because we’re all visiting LA for various publishing-related events, I had dinner with some of the other new authors representated by the same literary agency as I am. It was interesting to see how everyone has the same concerns about the same things — our own work, the publishing industry, and the way you people and your internet are destroying it all. Also, everybody likes sake, it seems.

TODAY IN RADIO: I’m doing an in-studio interview on LA’s Airtalk.

I’ve just landed in Los Angeles for the chapter wherein our hero partakes in something a little different.

When I was on The Hour last week, and found out that the other guest on the show was Crispin Glover, my friends’ reactions were either:

1. I love him! Can you get me his autograph?

or

2. He scares me! Don’t let him look at you directly in the eye.

Anyone who had the latter reaction (and some of those who had the former too) brought up this appearance of his on Letterman:

Thankfully, nothing like this happened last week.  

TODAY IN RADIO: As usual, I don’t know exactly when it will air, but today I’m doing an interview on Beyond 50 radio.

It always seems optimistic to say that even half of what DEBKAfile reports is actually accurate, but it’s definitely always entertaining. One new item they have seems to have the ring of truth, though: they’re reporting that some in the Bush administration are fuming over the recent Israel-Syria talks and “reassessing” Israeli-US relations . Debka is framing it in characteristically hyperbolic terms, but my guess is that there are certain segments of the Bush team that are tremendously unhappy with this development.

Last night I was on CBC TV’s late show, “The Hour.”  In case you’re wondering, yes, they had licorice in the green room. You can watch the clip here. Not of the licorice — of me on the show. Sorry to disappoint you if you thought the clip was going to be of the licorice.

(Thanks go to feared attorney, and Friend-of-the-Blog, Michael C for sending me the link.)

Also, the Jerusalem Post has a review of my book by Michal Lando, and it’s one of my favorite ones that have come out yet. Take a look. 

If you’re in Canada, you can watch me on CBC’s The Hour tonight.

If diplomacy fails, a military attack on Iran may eventually be necessary and the rational decision on the part of Israel, the United States, or a coalition of Western countries. Maybe, though, it’s not such a good idea to suggest that such an adventure would be without much risk, as one recent study is doing.

Then again, I suppose, what could possibly go wrong in attacking an oil-rich, Middle Eastern country beginning with the letter “I”?

Related:

• 101 Bad Ideas: Idea Number Six
• 101 Bad Ideas: Idea Number Five

It was the Spinster Aunt’s birthday yesterday, and I’m a huge fan of her birthday resolutions.

On a completely unrelated note, if you happen to be in Canada, you can catch me tomorrow night on CBC’s The Hour.

So Israel and Syria are officially indirectly talking, whatever that means.

I’m not sure what to say about that, except that I hope it produces something of value, and isn’t just a convenient thing to announce at the moment given the, well, circumstances. I’m sure very soon everything will be neatly solved, one way or the other.