This is a side of America that foreign audiences don’t usually get to see.

This year's Eurovision Song Contest was a microcosm of regional dynamics.

A satirical op-ed about the merits of invading Disney's Agrabah.

A series of tweets defending the musical Hamilton to the public.

Chris Hassaan Francke is annoyed that “F*ck ISIS Punch,” which comes with an optional bacon garnish, is his most famous invention.

Among the historical precedents set by Thursday’s announcement of a tentative basis for a nuclear deal with Iran, government-run television stations in the country broadcast President Barack Obama’s address from the White House in full.

Jason Hamacher has spent almost a decade on a project to preserve the sacred music of Syria’s embattled religious minorities, for which he credits lousy cell reception and an overactive imagination.

I discuss the state of American paranoia for Fare Forward’s “Unfinished Business: 2015 in Preview.” Read on Fare Forward.

Egyptians and foreigners alike criticized a crackdown on gays in a country where homosexuality is legal, following a raid on a public bathhouse in Cairo.

Three years ago or so I received a Facebook message from a thoughtful young friend-of-a-friend. After studying Christian history, she concluded that she knew too little about the Orthodox Church, so I answered her questions as best I could.

I also admonished her to discover the Church through its liturgical and communal life, not the abundant resources available about Orthodoxy online. In North America, where Orthodoxy is a tiny minority, it is often easier to learn about the faith through the Internet than from the nearest Orthodox priest, who may be a long drive away, speak poor English, or be baffled by the very existence of a “regular American” interested in the Church.

Happy Thursday! Yesterday we introduced our crash course on the Eurovision Song Contest. Today’s installment: the politics of Eurovision.

Each participating country has 12 votes to spend in the final round, whether or not they make it in themselves. Half of those 12 votes comes from a jury, and the other half comes from phone voting within the country. The scoring system is very confusing, but maximum score a country can award is all 12 of its votes — the famous “douze points.”

A Wonkistan discussion of food and privilege.  View on YouTube.

Part of Vlog Every Day in April 2011.  View on YouTube.