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Showing posts from October, 2011

Death of a Strongman

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I am not a fan of Gadhafi. All I know is that he was one of the world’s “insane” dictators, as portrayed by, well, almost everybody, what with his all- female virgin bodyguards and outlandish lifestyle and wardrobe. Not to mention the fact that he coddled terrorists. But the way he was killed is soul- shakingly , disturbingly savage . That scene reminds one of wild animals feasting on a prey.  But the animals are killing for food , because they had to eat .  What's these people’s excuse? The man was already helpless, wounded, bleeding, and being dragged on the ground. And they fell on him, like in that Shirley Jackson story. You can read more about his killing here . Granted, the man did worse things to his subjects;  he certainly inspired such a monumental outrage and hatred on his fellow Libyans. But still .  Viewing that video leaves me shaken up. People are scary enough as they are; put them in a mob, and they become the stuff of nightmares. We

Revenge of the Mongols

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Khwarezmia was a bustling Islamic empire during the 1200’s when it made the terrible mistake of pissing off Genghis Khan.  Then ruled by Shah Ala ad-Din Muhammad, Khwarezmia was a huge, sprawling empire that encompassed the lands of Greater Iran . The Shah had at this time just extended the empire’s borders, and was involved in a pissing c0ntest of a sort with the Caliph of Baghdad. Many historians agree that the Mongolians originally had no intention of obliterating the empire, but were only interested in trade and even saw a potential alliance with the Shah. After all, the Empire was the Mongolians’ first contact with the Islamic Middle East. In fact, Genghis Khan sent his messengers to the empire with a message that basically acknowledges the Shah’s authority: “You rule the rising sun and I rule the setting sun,” which is like having the biggest, meanest bully in the schoolyard ask you politely if it’s all right to, you know, hang out with you. So how did the Khwarezm

One More Thing...

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iSad Day. What else is there to be said of the man who revolutionized personal computing? A remarkable man, a remarkable life. Here are my favorite quotes from Steve Jobs: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results