What Am I Reading?

I am currently reading "A Short History of Progress," by Ronald Wright.

His publisher, Anansi Press explains what the book is about thusly:

In A Short History of Progress Ronald Wright argues that our modern predicament is as old as civilization, a 10,000-year experiment we have participated in but seldom controlled. Only by understanding the patterns of triumph and disaster that humanity has repeated around the world since the Stone Age can we recognize the experiment's inherent dangers, and, with luck and wisdom, shape its outcome.

Love the book so far. Ronald Wright writes clearly and eloquently about subject matters and sources of which I don't have the slightest clue. Nevertheless, Philistines like me, can still follow the main strand of his thesis and wonder why I didn't come up with that thought myself.

What Am I Reading?

I am currently reading "The Foreigner's Gift: The Americans, the Arabs, and the Iraqis in Iraq," by Fouad Ajami.

I last wrote about Ajami on October 11, 2006. Here is that post in its entirety:

I first noticed Fouad Ajami during the Iranian Revolution. (Wikipedia also carries an extensive article on Ajami). He was a mainstay on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather at the time.

Ajami is eloquent, sharp, incisive and learned. His opinion cannot be ignored, but lately I have come to have my doubts about the Lebanese-born American university professor. He is a staunch supporter of the Bush presidency and its hawkish agenda. To get a taste of his lyrical writing style read his tribute to Bernard Lewis in the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal.

Now I come upon an article on the Foreign Affairs web-site entitled, "The Falseness of Anti-Americanism." You may have to register to view this article for free or you can go to the"wired new york" web-site for a copy of the same article.

This article highlights for me the ridiculous lengths to which Ajami seems to go to interpret almost all American actions as benign. Is it any wonder that he is the darling of the Bush administration. "Condoleezza Rice has been known to summon him to the White House for advice." "(Wikipedia)"

Like him or not I just can't help reading his stuff. Judge for yourself.

That was then. Now: I simply cannot continue reading The Foreigner's Gift. Does he know his subject? Absolutely. Does he write well? No...he writes lyrically. But why is he so blinded by the dust kicked up by the only super power?

Read a review of The Foreigner's Gift here. The review is by R. Stephen Humphreys, a professor of Middle Eastern history and Islamic studies at the University of California. An excerpt from that review follows below:

Ajami's treatment of anti-Americanism is strikingly dismissive; he sees it as a kind of pathology, the perverse irrationalism of a perverse people who cannot recognize that the foreigner has offered a real gift. Anti-Americanism is a complex phenomenon, but it does not rise out of nothing, and it surely merits a more searching treatment than it receives here.

'Nuff said.

28 Days Smoke Free!

And not craving it!

Hey, wot!

My hat (sorry about the shine) is off to Allan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking!

Ironically, Allan Carr died of lung cancer in November of 2006.

Have I mentioned Allan Carr!!!

Free Hugs Oshawa

Finally went out to the Oshawa Centre to give out free hugs. The inspiration for the idea came from a video I came across on youtube. As you will see the premise is quite simple: Most people like to get hugs, it makes both people feel good and breaks barriers without forcing the issue. A good feeling ensues and it's fun!

Below are pictures of Chris (a friend from work). Curly haired kid in some of the pics is my son, Seth. I was behind the camera.

Chris and Seth with that guy who wears lipstick.

Chris stepping out at the Oshawa Centre with Seth in the foreground.

Chris begins a hug outside the Oshawa Centre

Chris completes hug still outside the OC.

Thank You...Thank You...Thank You

Finally someone has said what I have been thinking all these years!

I have been validated by Slate's very own, Timothy Noah. Lewis Lampham, Harper's erstwhile editor, is a very intelligent writer -- of this I have no doubt. But he is also a pompous windbag, cursed with a habit of quoting some very, very, long-dead figure in order to make his point about present day society.

Here's an excerpt from Timothy Noah's article where he quotes sentence after lengthy sentence written by Lampham:

The swarm of cameras following Monica Lewinsky on her progress through a Washington airport or a New York restaurant wouldn't have surprised the Roman mob familiar with the expensive claques traipsing after the magnificence of the Emperor Nero, their eager and well-fed sycophancy presumably equivalent to the breathless enthusiasms of Barbara Walters.

What? Come on Lewis, how about writing for the most of us?

For Paul and Laura M.

Congratulations!
On the birth of your possibilities!

Schmap Philadelphia

Once again, fame has sought me out!

Received an e-mail for Schmap (Philadelphia) wondering if they could use a photograph I had taken of Tarah and the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland having tea together at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.

No royalties involved. Just the narcissistic pleasure of knowing someone out there thinks my pictures and, in the past, some of my blog posts, were worthy of attention.

Here's a screen shot of the page where you will find the Tarah having tea photo.

The Latest On Darfur

Eric Reeves recently wrote what amounts to confirmation of what is already known to most everyone about the genocide in Darfur. The article appeared in The Guardian (on-line). Here is a short excerpt:

Khartoum - which had announced with much fanfare a unilateral ceasefire when talks opened on October 27 - launched the very next day what may be a final solution to its Darfur problem: the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and journalists in the region are all reporting Khartoum’s assaults on camps for displaced persons, including violent relocation of civilians to insecure areas
....
But the real reason for the failure in Sirte is that neither the UN nor the AU is willing to confront Khartoum with meaningful consequences for its serial violation of UN resolutions and its continuing obstruction of humanitarian aid and the deployment of the hybrid UN/AU peace support operation authorized by the security council in July. Nor has Khartoum paid a price for its systematic reneging on the north/south comprehensive peace agreement of January 2005.

Turtle Love

Sunday Out

Gained one hour today due to daylight saving time.

Went to church with the wife and kids and later, to McDonald's for lunch and to let the kids burn some energy off at the Play Place. We then went to Ajax and then Pickering Mall looking for a snow suit for young Tarah. While at the mall, we took a rest on a bench in front of the Laura Secord store. Pralines and Cream....yum, yum!

Later still, drove by my parent's place to drop some stuff off and to pick some stuff up. Apparently, all this driving around did not count as a "real drive" for Seth. His idea of going for a drive involves going to a busy location far from home...like downtown, or The Danforth or Queen Street West.

We ended up at the Beach and had some Swiss Chalet, before finally driving back home. At home, the kiddies had their bath and Marsh got on the phone and here I am on the computer trying my best to write and pay just enough attention to Tarah to keep her entertained.

So, McDonald's, Laura Secord, Sears and The Bay, Swiss Chalet, Danforth and the Beach. Wow! Can you say Canadian? How about Toronto? All in all, a great day.