I have easily a hundred ebooks on my Kindle that I’ve never read. Either they were freebies, or I made them from files off Project Gutenberg, or I got them as part of a bundle where I was interesting in only two or three specific titles, or I bought them cheaply from one of theContinue reading “Into Syria with the Doctor aboard the TARDIS”
Tag Archives: Syria
Skittles, Syrians, and Accidental Genius
Last night on Twitter I saw Donald Trump, Jr.’s tweet about Syrian refugees and Skittles. This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016 It struck me as a stupid and crass thing to say, and I watchedContinue reading “Skittles, Syrians, and Accidental Genius”
When the World Overwhelms…
Several years ago, one afternoon at work, I was reading an article on The Guardian about the Arab Spring and the violent reprisals various Arab governments launched, especially in Syria. The specificity of the memory — where I was, what it was about — is striking. What followed has stayed with me. There was aContinue reading “When the World Overwhelms…”
Unfairy Tales
I sat at my desk today and wept. My day at the office was spent writing; today I started on the text for my 108th catalog. I listened to minor league baseball games through the day as my background noise, and at four o’clock — and ten thousand words later — I’d wrapped up workContinue reading “Unfairy Tales”
Syrian Refugees, Meme Wars, and Ethical Imperatives
I tried to steer clear of the Meme Wars over Syrian refugees on Facebook last week. I saw things on both sides that irritated me; from friends on the right I saw things that were occasionally racist, and from friends on the left I saw things that mocked both religion and culture. I learned aContinue reading “Syrian Refugees, Meme Wars, and Ethical Imperatives”
Embracing Refugees and Our Common Humanity
In the summer, I saw a link to a news article about the civil war happening right now in Yemen. I had known for a few months about the fighting there; the BBC World Service covered it on Newshour when it really kicked into gear in February. I was aware of it, I could tellContinue reading “Embracing Refugees and Our Common Humanity”