This item kicks off a series of blog posts in which I will explain why I am not interested in the latest PR come-on that just washed up on my voicemail or email.

Event: “Syria in Transition”

Type: Press conference

Date and time: Not quite sure—I deleted the voicemail before that information was offered.

Why I am not interested: To be sure, transitions of all kinds in Syria are critical things. It’s a pivotal player in the Middle East, volatile region, etc., etc., [insert Op-Ed boilerplate here]. But Washington City Paper is a relentlessly local outfit. We’ll care about Syria when one of its nationals gets abused by the D.C. Jail or opens a restaurant in town. Or maybe if someone proposes a sister city arrangement with Damascus. Didn’t Anthony A. Williams try that?