We're really bad about evaluating good analysis from conspiracy theory. We were way behind on calling out the Killian memos, and we didn't learn enough from thatincident to be anything but way behind - again - on the Reuters photo-manipulation scandal. Every time, we end up thinking "no, no one could both have such a stupid ideology and not know enough not to be a caricature of that ideology" (CBS can't be this obvious about pathologically hating Bush and do something so stupid because of it; Reuter's can't be this obvious about pathologically hating Israel and do something so stupid because of it; etc).
So the August 22nd meme - Iran is going to do something incredibly stupid on August 22 because it's a mystical date involving the lost 12th Imam that Ahmadinejad thinks sits on his shoulder and whispers geopolitical advice to him - is something that we've been loath to pass on.
Except that two days ago, Iranian police started going door to door destroying satellite dishes. And except that today, the Iranian army held large military exercises in anticipation of an Israeli attack that would be unprecedented, desperate, and massive.
Sleep well.