Does Osama Bin Laden have a Hari Seldon complex? This article examines the (possible) links between Al Qaeda and Isaac Asimov‘s Foundation series. (Via Julian’s Jabberings.)
Category: World at Large
Yao’s Trial By Fire.
#1 pick Yao Ming looks decent in yesterday’s US-China matchup, going for 13 and 11 in a 30 point loss. More to the point, he didn’t let Antonio Davis dunk on him, which should bolster his ego a bit coming into his first NBA season.
Bye Bye Barr.
With Bob Barr and Cynthia McKinney hitting the road, among others, is DC getting dull? Well, I can think of more apt criteria to judge our Congresspersons, but they probably wouldn’t do any better in those categories either.
Et tu, Scowcroft?
While Maureen Dowd reads Oedipal strife into Brent Scowcroft’s recent decision to pooh-pooh Dubya’s bellicose policy on Iraq, Tom Oliphant thinks the rift’s been overstated. In related news, Trent Lott belatedly sees the wisdom in a congressional debate on an Iraq war.
The Road to Kashmir.
My friend Seth kicks off a new Slate column with a lousy flight into Leh.
No, not yet.
“Wanted: Roman rooftops, terraces or other elevated perches that will frame St. Peter’s perfectly in the backdrop, with its dome just over Peter Jennings’s or Dan Rather’s shoulder.” Frank Bruni surveys the journalistic dead pool surrounding Pope John Paul II.
Better Bombing Through Chemistry.
Giving new meaning to the term “War on Drugs,” the Air Force is giving pilots uppers and downers for bombing raids. If it’s anything stronger than a Red Bull, it’s probably not a good idea, as no doubt many Afghan civilians can attest. (Via Genehack.)
An Oxford Stroll.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Oxford, interactive. Also, those well-to-do folks out there looking for a more substantive piece of Middle Earth’s history should go here. (On a related note, how great is it to finally have Fellowship legitimately on DVD? No more “Property of New Line blah blah blah” scrolling over the best parts.)
Hello again.
I’m back from a week-long sojourn on the lovely garden isle of Kauai. (I would’ve mentioned the trip here, but some members of my family didn’t know I was coming, so I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.) Much snorkeling, hiking, and other outdoorsy fun was had, and I now feel quite recharged for the semester to come. Alas, I managed to hideously (sun)burn my feet on a Catamaran cruise we took. (Think hot dogs in the microwave too long…swollen, bubbling…well, you get the idea.) Fortunately, I have so much research work to do this week that I can spend much of it propped up at the PC. At any rate, forgive me if I blog a few things today that may seem stale…I have quite a bit of catching up to do.
Druids Rejoice!
Stonehenge will be getting a retro makeover for the new millennium.