Marco Polo's India

Marco Polo's India

3quarksdaily

I liked this article. A good defense of Polo's views which are summed up at the end of the second to last paragraph; "He had no role models in his writing and the result such as it is, warts and all, is nothing short of a miracle."

In the Middle: ITM: now, learngasmic

In the Middle: ITM: now, learngasmic


I agree Online Degrees are falling, and falling quickly. But at least they're erotic.

Digg

I am now submitting HNN headlines to Digg. You have to categorize each submission and the options for say, Entertainment are: Celebrity; Movies; Music; Television; Comics & Animation. Does it say something about us as a people that the word 'Book' does not appear under any of the categories?

‘Lawfare:’ Another Weapon in the Jihad Against Israel

‘Lawfare:’ Another Weapon in the Jihad Against Israel

Though I don't necessarily agree it is an interesting new take on how International Courts are one-sided in the case of Israel. A wit may claim that the Palestinian state will be tried once one exists.

I'm very confused on this subject and though I fully acknowledge the pain and depth of the Holocaust and the need for the Israelis to now protect themselves I think the line, "only democratic state" is telling. Israel certainly has committed its own crimes in the past and I fear that we sometimes turn a blind eye because it is our only 'success' with the Great Western Experiment in the Middle East.

Coffeehouses

Coffee amazes me. It has for sometime now. Not only is it my personal drink of choice, but to me it also resembles so much in this world. A symbol of globalization, manual labor, empire, democracy, the public sphere, not to mention aroma and flavor.

Coffeehouses are similarly notable. While the men waiting at Lexington for the British passed the time in a tavern, the seeds of revolution are born in such coffeehouses. Why? Because of the ancestor to the iron newspaper stand sitting across from me. Coffeehouses became a communal place for people to read the news (or have it read to them) and then discuss it. A bloke (I like British slang) pissed at the government only discovers that he's pissed because of the coffeehouse.

I'm starting a reading course this semester where I will study various pieces of literature dealing with the 18th Century (primarily focusing on the French Revolution) one book will deal with Coffee, another the public sphere - the two are inseparable. Coffee is and has always been a commodity. As such it was not grown in Europe and had to be imported. Namely from the Turks. So now we have globalization. The Middle East has given Western Civilization so much, one wonders why they are not counted in the picture - it would certainly lead to a more interesting picture of Western Civilization. But I digress.

A reference to James Schmidt's audio commentary on the Enlightenment seems due. He has greatly influenced my thoughts on the subject. As Schmidt points out, coffee had its opponents then as it does now. They used to argue it caused impotence and was not nearly as communal as a pint (it was too expensive to buy a round for everyone) now usually the detractors are parents, most will let you drink your weight in Mountain Dew but not touch coffee. One wonders though, if there is something in this warm brew that causes a spark in the synapse and leads one to think outside the box. Wish for change, hope for it, and then fight for it. Maybe the Reign of Terror was then simply a caffeine high, or conversely a symptom of withdrawal.

Much of this sounds ridiculous but I'd be willing to bet someone who reads this will eye his fellow patron at Starbucks a little differently, probably while calling the ATF or FBI.

The Death Feud

I just finished reading Nelson DeMille's The Lion's Game, featured prominently in the book is an old Arab war song (pre-Islam):

Terrible he rode alone,   With his Yemen sword for aid; Ornament it carried none   But the notches on the blade.
ATTRIBUTION:	The Death Feud. An Arab War-song

Though I'm certainly not condemning the Arab people, there are certainly worse practices than feuds in the world, I think it helps one get into the mindset of an Arab who is a cultural and religious fundamentalist. While distorting Islam and expounding upon this song the fundamentalist finds all the justification in the world. For them it is not moral relativism it is simply justice.

Obama considers linking Defense Dept. with NASA | Cutting Edge - CNET News

Obama considers linking Defense Dept. with NASA | Cutting Edge - CNET News


I have mixed feelings on this. As an agnostic I have the benefit of not making up my mind on anything. I'd like to point out that no one seems to have read Dan Brown's Deception Point. According to the book, NASA doesn't want to be apart of the defense establishment.

On the one hand, the military (in all countries) has been the source for countless scientific advancements. I do feel the need to point out the argument put forward in Mr. Brown's book, that we will never go to Mars if NASA is under the defense department. Unless, of course, we are fighting over it.

Something to keep in mind.

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