Tammy Swofford

According to those briefed, the POTUS may resort to a broad and unprecedented (ab)use of his powers to include multiple executive orders as part of his comprehensive plan to “reduce gun violence”. Whilst acknowledging the script for public consumption, the following public service announcement is now given as a warning shot. Read my lips. You […]

Americans are flocking to Washington for a whirlwind of inaugural balls and sumptuous dining experiences. The powerful craving for need-to-be-seen celebrity will raise the festivities to gale force winds of delusion. But eternity crooks her finger to us all. Rapid ascents to power carry less weight than a lifetime of influence used for the common […]

What is on the page today is a sketchbook rendition of the 236 articles of a legal charter. We will look at some of the deficits, challenges and oddities within the various articles. Those that provide a unique strength will not be discussed. I trust Daily Times readers to form their own conclusions. During the […]

*What you will read is used with permission. It is archived correspondence from a Shi’a colleague. The backdrop is needed to discuss policy issues. Enjoy this look back in history. I guess a good place to begin would be to take things back and perhaps post-WWI. The Ottomans had been thrown out of Iraq and […]

The drumbeat is constant. July 26 and August 6, 1945 are thrown in my face. There is no mention of December 7, 1941. My face is slapped with the history of slavery in the United States of America. There is selective amnesia regarding January 1, 1863. Civil rights initiatives and policies, which began in full […]

In 1846 Sir Austen Henry Layard was digging around the ruins of ancient Nimrud (known as Calah) when he discovered a black limestone obelisk. This amazing discovery is known today as the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. It is an archeological treasure. The hand-carved relief panels are accompanied by cuneiform inscriptions, which give homage to […]

An arrest warrant had been issued for Egyptian television host Bassem Youssef. His days of political lampoon and biting satire may be coming to a close. The penalty for freedom of expression must be paid when residing within a state that functions under a flawed constitutional document. Undoubtedly, the boy must be taught a lesson. […]

August 1947. The leashes of the Doberman and the Mastiff strained tightly against the hand of their master. The creature made of smokeless fire issued a command. “Shadow! Echo!” The animals relaxed their haunches and awaited their duty with hushed expectancy. The tide of the ocean began to recede from the shore to reveal her […]

Dipping my fingers into what looked like a bread dumpling floating in a pool of milk, I popped the unfamiliar Indo-Pak culinary treat into my mouth. Hmmm. It tasted like it had a bit of cumin. I will always try a new food once, and ask about it later. Wiping my fingers on the napkin, […]

Egypt has a new constitution. An intellectual flare was sent up to Washington, D.C. for an English-language translation of the document. A professional colleague graciously expedited the request. There is an initial need to acknowledge the obvious, prior to examining this nascent and hastily scrambled constitution. Translation of documents defining legal governance can be lacking. […]