In the news:

There are a number of interesting stories in the news, so I'll keep commentary brief:

Ruling Egypt After Mubarak: Presidential Contenders Emerge

So who are the contenders for president? Taking cues from who's who among the protesters' heroes in Tahrir, you can start with the usual suspects.

At the top of the list may be Amr Moussa. State TV reported Friday that the former Egyptian foreign minister would be stepping down as Secretary General of the Arab League, where he has served for nearly a decade, renewing speculation over a presidential bid. The long-time diplomat has a large popular following in Egypt because of his habit of publicly criticizing policies of the U.S. and Israel, in marked contrast to Mubarak's quiescence.

But there's also wildcard Mohamed ElBaradei, the nobel laureate and former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who captivated Egyptian and foreign media with his return to Egypt early last year to mount a fresh challenge Mubarak's dictatorship and abuses. Others have gone so far as to accuse ElBaradei of trying to hijack the revolution.

For some, the imperfect opposition leader they know - such as Ayman Nour, who ran against Mubarak in 2005 in the first multi-candidate presidential race and was subsequently jailed by the regime...

Egypt military dissolves parliament, suspends constitution

Troops pushed aside a dwindling band of protesters who do not want to abandon their encampment in Tahrir Square, fearful that the generals entrusted with a transition to democratic rule will not fulfill their pledges

The article below engages in a discussion of ElBaradei - someone who we should be watching closely, as he is the biggest supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood - definitely a "wolf in sheep's clothing", as the MSM is already fawning over him:

ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood: Waiting in the Wings?

Iran ran circles around ElBaradei during his tenure as Secretary General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as did North Korea, with both countries initiating robust nuclear weapons programs that the IAEA was powerless to slow, much less stop. ElBaradei, who doesn’t actually reside in Egypt, has coyly stated that if called upon to lead Egypt, he would be happy to shoulder the burden.

But ElBaradei will soon find himself a pawn of the Muslim Brotherhood, the real force behind the events culminating in Mubarak’s ouster.

And in the true spirit of all community organizers’ admonition to never let a crisis go to waste, The Muslim Brotherhood quietly fomented revolutionary rhetoric and fanned the flames of civil unrest.

Essam el-Erian, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, claimed at a recent press conference that Muslims hold nothing against Jews; it’s Israel and Zionism they have problems with. And Western media outlets dutifully reported this as fact.

It’s much more likely that the Egyptians are going to wind up trading a headache for a bleeding ulcer, as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is superbly organized and motivated, seizes power and imposes a strict theocracy on Egypt, much in the way the Mullahs have done in Iran. If this comes to pass, then all bets for a stable Middle East are off, as Israel will be forced to defend itself on its northern and southern borders.

This is a second Holocaust waiting to happen, thanks to a US administration that has no understanding of geopolitical forces. It’s ineptitude bordering on criminal negligence.

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Now we move away from the Middle East for a moment:

Could an Eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano Destroy The United States As We Know It?

When most Americans think of Yellowstone, they tend to conjure up images of Yogi Bear and "Old Faithful". But the truth about Yellowstone is much more frightening than that. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is actually sitting right on top of a massive supervolcano.

This supervolcano has erupted before, and scientists tell us that when it fully erupts again it will destroy the United States as we know it.

Well, scientists tell us that Yellowstone is actually overdue for a major eruption

In addition, scientists that monitor Yellowstone have been quite alarmed that some areas of Yellowstone have risen by as much as ten inches over the past few years. So yes, there are some good reasons to be really, really concerned about what is going on at Yellowstone.

Meanwhile, we see quake activity elsewhere:

Strong Quake Jolts Chile

Magnitude 6.6 quake hits Jolo

Birth pains indeed. We are seeing exactly what we would expect, as we view the world in these last days, while approaching the tribulation era.