North Korea’s Fearless Leaders’ Chicken Nephew

Earlier this afternoon, Cerise and I were lying in bed at my home in Great Falls, Virginia with all the windows open enjoying the marvelous brisk spring air and sunny weather, combined with the afterglow of a black truffle omelette, Dom Pérignon champagne blood orange mimosa and Beluga caviar brunch, with its natural consequents, when… Continue reading North Korea’s Fearless Leaders’ Chicken Nephew

Tom Discovers what Hamid Karzai’s been Smoking

Late Friday afternoon, as I was crunching some numbers for the Federal Reserve, Gretchen politely interrupted me.  “Mr. Collins,” she announced, her blonde head poked discreetly into my office between the heavy oak doors separating me from the reception area, “Khus Dihugami Dadamizo, Special International Policy Emissary of His Excellency President Hamid Karzai for the… Continue reading Tom Discovers what Hamid Karzai’s been Smoking

Kim Jong Un’s Secret North Korean Surprise

Around one forty-five on Thursday afternoon, while concluding a consultation with a Slovakian economic analyst, I heard my desktop computer chime softly announcing an IM from Gretchen.  It said that a “Mr. Kim” wished to speak with me immediately.  Seeing that, I turned to my guest and made a polite excuse concerning a request for… Continue reading Kim Jong Un’s Secret North Korean Surprise

Argentina’s Falkland Tempest in a Tin Pot

Friday afternoon, I was visited by Dr. Pedro “Pete” Tontogrande Chupacerdo y Boludo del Alcantarilla, former Juan Perón Professor of International Peace, Tolerance and Diplomacy at the University of Buenos Aries and current Primary Counselor for Political and Economic Policy at the Embassy of Argentina here in Washington, DC.  As regular readers of this Web… Continue reading Argentina’s Falkland Tempest in a Tin Pot

Welcome to the Hotel Ecuador, Mr. Assange

Julian Assange, charismatic leader of Wikileaks, desperate fugitive from Swedish justice and now the latest member of Interpol’s Most Wanted List, has been sleeping on an air mattress in an office at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June 19.  Today, he emerged onto a balcony (which is, technically, in Ecuador) above the street outside… Continue reading Welcome to the Hotel Ecuador, Mr. Assange