The Aula Point of view
2002-2004 Archives
Waiting for the Barbarians
It is hard to know how to respond to John Ashcroft’s frequent terror alerts. I myself have taken to reading poetry. See what you think of this poem written in 1904 by Constantine P. Cavafy: Waiting for the Barbarians.
Jun 22, 2004 by Abbas
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Drunk Indian Elephants
Breaking news: Drunk Indian Elephants on Rampage.
Jan 23, 2004 by Husain
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Iraqi cocks
Iraqi cocks . Nuff’ said.
Dec 02, 2003 by Husain
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Mark Frohardt’s and Jonathan Temins’s
Mark Frohardt’s and Jonathan Temins’s analysis focuses on the role of media in vulnerable societies.
Media can be manipulated in an effort to move a society toward conflict or toward non-democratic rule. Perhaps media have generally been overlooked in analyses of conflict because, on their own, they are rarely a direct cause of conflict. Nonetheless, as part of a larger matrix of factors, media can be extremely powerful tools used to promote violence, as witnessed in Rwanda, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, the former Soviet republic of Georgia, and elsewhere. As Jamie Metzl observes, “mass media reach not only people’s homes,but also their minds, shaping their thoughts and sometimes their behavior” (“Information Intervention,” Foreign Affairs, November–December 1997, p. 15). Use and Abuse of Media in Vulnerable Societies
Oct 27, 2003 by Petteril
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“The Stone Age did not
“The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil.” This intriguing prediction is often heard in energy circles these days. The future of energy The end of the Oil Age (Econ.)
Oct 27, 2003 by Petteril
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The NYT takes a position
The NYT takes a position against the aforemetioned Lt. Gen. William Boykin, who “called the war on terrorism a Christian battle against Satan and disparaged a Muslim adversary as an idol worshiper.” Needless to say, Aunt Aula was on top of it before the big boys.
Oct 22, 2003 by Husain
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As Malaysian prime minister Mahathir
As Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, take potshots at Jews, Lieut. Gen. William Boykin, the American deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence, blows away Muslims. On either side of the divide, there are those who make sure that the clash of civilizations persists. Can’t we all just get along?
Oct 21, 2003 by Husain
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Breaking news: Bigfoot’s Got Big
Breaking news: Bigfoot’s Got Big Feet.
Oct 02, 2003 by Husain
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In the modern cinematic masterpiece,
In the modern cinematic masterpiece, The Talented Mr. Ripley, a chauffer tells Tom Ripley that “The Greenleaf name opens a lot of doors.” The fictitious Greenleafs are like the today’s Johnsons, Trumps or the Bloombergs—powerful business families that have come to comprise the emerging, 21st-century American aristocracy. Tom, like you, like the audience and perhaps like us, is drawn to the mystique of the arriviste, the bon-vivants, the great American myth of the Great Gatsby. Of Vanderbilt and Whitney descent, Jamie Johnson has no such base compulsion. Jamie’s new film (that has been snapped up by HBO), however, Born Rich, is taking the piss. Apparently, the protagonists of the film—the likes of Ivanka Trump, Georgina Bloomberg and Josiah Hornblower—find themselves compromised: “‘This has been a total nightmare,’ said one of the film’s subjects on the condition of anonymity. ‘I look like a total moron, and that’s not who I am.’” You sure could have fooled us, buddy. We’re sure that they’re all kindred spirits, intellectuals, trimalchioes.
Oct 02, 2003 by Husain
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Christopher Hitchens recently published an
Christopher Hitchens recently published an attack on Edward Said’s Orientalism in The Atlantic. Here is his fairly sensitive obituary of Said.
Oct 02, 2003 by Asad
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» The Aula Point of View (POV) began its life as the digest of the Aula member weblogs in 2002, edited by Abbas Raza and coeditors. The POV covers topics in literature, philosophy, politics, science, and of course gossip.
» The POV continues as 3quarksdaily.com. With original bloggers (Abbas Raza, Husain Naqvi, Marko Ahtisaari) and new faces (Robin Varghese, Morgan Meis, Azra Raza, J.M. Tyree, Ruth Kikin-Gil and others).
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