New plans for a new year

As we start the new year, Evan and I want to take a moment to thank all of you -- our readers. We're flattered by how much our traffic has grown over the last six months, and we appreciate all of your comments and e-mails (even the ones that call us "Zionist tools" and "filthy Saudi proxies").

We want this site to evolve into more than just a blog in 2010. We plan to bring you more original journalism: Evan and I will travel this spring to a couple of hotspots in the region -- more details to come -- where we'll bring you on-the-ground reporting and analysis. We're also working to line up a few overseas freelancers.

All of this costs money (a round-trip plane ticket to the Gulf goes for US$1,300 or so). And so we'd be incredibly grateful to any readers who are willing to help us defray some of those costs. You can make a donation now using the button below, or anytime by clicking the "Donate" link at the top of every page.

Any amount is appreciated; it will go a long way towards helping us bring you original reporting.