Anatomy of a Hellfire missile

Those poor Korean cars!

Bald and Bankrupt goes to Soviet exclave/enclave

This is thoroughly fascinating. Be sure to watch to the very end.

Afghanistan today

This is worth a watch during winter break. France24 interviewed female activists, opium growers, local officials, and many others to show what Taliban rule is like.

Afghanistan pavilion at Expo 2020

I want to go to Dubai so badly to see all 192 pavilions. Afghanistan's slogan is: 

A journey through ancient cultures and modern successes

Because the Taliban took over unexpectedly, the pavilion does not fly a flag. And the exhibit was cobbled together last minute from a rich expat's private collection.

Kabul today

I check on this YouTube channel once in a while. The guy shoots 4K video of random street scenes in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Brave Afghan university student

1989 LA Times article about Afghanistan

 

Kabul getting ready for Taliban

This is so sad and scary.

Afghans fleeing to Kabul

 

Taliban making huge advances

 

Far From Home podcast

On the recommendation of @DasPretzels, I downloaded Season One and listened to the whole thing during my three-day Lost Coast road trip. It's about an ex-NPR reporter and his photographer brother driving from London to Ulan Ude in a red (and very unreliable) Nissan Micra for the Mongol Rally.

Before I listened to it, I kind of turned my nose up at the rally because I assumed it was a Jackass-type race with little regard for the safety of and respect for the local population. I was wrong. 

This podcast is perfect for long drives. Enjoy!

Mongol Rally 2016 highlights from scottgurian on Vimeo.

Pakistan-Afghanistan border fence

 

Protestors versus cops in Kyrgyzstan

 Wait for it...

Sovietskaya/Kievskaya. Video from friend. Looks like the protestors overwhelming the police. pic.twitter.com/x7lqav2meA

— Christopher Schwartz (@schwartztronica) October 5, 2020

July 15 blog

At this point, I would rather live in Turkmenistan than America.

Turkmenistan's president goes fishing, with mask (because of "dust," not coronavirus), catches many fish, gives fish to orphans, who look at fish, then clap, then eat fish, then clap again pic.twitter.com/pNsfdzjK85

— Eurasianet (@EurasiaNet) July 15, 2020

How about an Aston Rapide shooting brake?

And it's for sale!

This song was on the 90s XM station in the minivan tonight. I have not heard this song in a quarter century.

A virtual trip along the Silk Road

We all need a distraction. I can smell the lamb kebabs already. H/t Chester.

Turkmenistan president very much alive

He had been missing for a month and rumors swirled. So the government released this video to show that he is well.

China Belt & Road documentary

You know all those huge infrastructure projects you read about built with Chinese loans in Pakistan, Oman, and Sri Lanka? You get to see them in the documentary. Needless to say, the locals are not happy.

How to spend $10 in Afghanistan

Check out this guy's channel. He is documenting visiting every country in the world.

Chinese government admits to Uyghur re-education camps

After months of denials, this 15-minute news documentary aired on CCTV. It's a re-education camp near the city of Hotan, where the "guests" are indoctrinated and given vocational training. You don't need to understand Chinese to see what's going on there. All the young people interviewed say how their parents are happy for them and they are happy for themselves. And that they never want to go back to their past lives.

It's maddening to see an entire people erased before our very eyes. And the Uyghurs in charge of the camps-- there's a special place in heck for these collaborators.

Here is a Guardian article about the video.

Kyrgyz woman sings feminist song, receives death threats

More info here.