When Reading Becomes a Caricature of Itself

I was disturbed to read this morning of the announcement that Barnes and Noble will be closing up to a third of its stores over the next decade (approximately 20 a year). Although I was a big fan of Borders, with the demise of that book store I diverted my hopeful glance to Barnes and Noble.

I suppose with the surge in popularity of Kindle, iPads and other platforms for digital reading, we shouldn't be surprised. But no matter how you phrase it, the experience just isn't the same. As Joyce Carol Oates so eloquently put it, "Ebooks are to actual books as pictures of cats are to actual cats curled and purring in your lap as you read."

George Mallory and Mount Everest

Mount Everest

Today I finished reading Wade Davis's masterful monograph Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest. This magnificent work (I apologize for the alliteration...it apparently is an "M" day!) provides perhaps the most detailed look at the 1922-1924 expeditions of the regal Mount Everest. We all know how it ends: Mallory meets his demise there in June 1924, but this book reveals the insipid, cavalier and ethnocentric attitude of the patrician Everest Committee which overshadowed the military accomplishments and pedigree of most of the expeditions' participants. Davis reveals the pettiness and classless behavior of several of the committee's members while directing an exacting focus on the expeditions, each with their own personality conflicts and problems. Juxtapose with the politics involved in trying to get to Mount Everest, the treatment of local Sherpas, some disdain to Tibetan culture on the part of some of the expedition, and you have the workings of a very compelling novel....only this is not fiction!

I had only a very basic knowledge of the expeditions to Mount Everest and this book really opened my eyes to the politics involved and what those men suffered through to come close to, but not reaching the summit of this most formidable of foes. I am still in awe at what Mallory and his team were able to accomplish given the fact that they did not have the equipment or technology so readily available today.

Check out the National Geographic interview with Wade Davis available here.

Author Wade Davis

I doubt that Mount Everest will ever lose its fascination. Recently China and Nepal resuscitated the debate about the true height of the mountain (measurement of rock vs. measurement of snow. Check out "Mount Everest to be Re-measured."

A Tale of Two Secessions

The word "secession" evinces different reactions from different people. From people whose states in the US formed part of the Confederacy, the Civil War is known to them as "The War of Secession," while to northerners it is remembered as the "Civil War." Oftentimes "secession" is confused, comingled or conflated with "cessation," meaning an end to something.

Recently, a couple of secessionist movements have made the news. Catalonia, Spain's northeastern autonomous region, has sought independence for some time, while Texas has sought to secede from the US every time a Democrat becomes president or if the Cowboys don't make the Superbowl. Both regions have different reasons for attempting secession, but by far, Catalonia makes the better case.

This beautiful region makes up 20 percent of Spain's GDP and one-third of the total industrial production and exports. This is significant and Spain realizes the danger of losing this vital component of its very identity. Culturally, it has its own language and culture. The Usatges Laws are said to pre-date the Magna Carta and, more recently, its team, FC Barcelona are a world power. If the Uruguayan Eduardo Galeano's claim that 'soccer is the Esperanto of the ball' than FC Barcelona is quite fluent. The recent 60 Minutes special on FC Barcelona is testament to growing interest and recognition of Catalonia and what it is trying to do.

Texas does not offer anything as legitimate as the case made by Catalonia. It has no language other than Texas slang and its very existence can be attributed to illegal incursions into Mexico and a dubious 19th century war, long rangers. It would be ironic if the people pushing for secession decreed Spanish or even Spanglish the official language! Yes, Texas has its sports, mostly college football teams, but they do not even come close to matching what FC Barcelona has done.

For  an excellent and prescient analysis of Catalonia's attempt at secession read Europe's Stateless Nations in the Era of Globalization: The Case for Catalonia's Secession from Spain by Josep Desquens. It was written in 2003, but makes many relevant points.

Catalonia can make many legitimate arguments for independence whereas the case presented by Texas smacks of pettiness and mean-spiritedness.

I have good friends who are Spaniards and those who are Catalans. If Catalonia secedes from Spain, what do I say?

Class versus Crass and Our Obsession with Attractive Women

Like many people I watched a significant football game on Sunday, January 6. The FA Cup between Premier League powerhouse Liverpool FC and Conference League team Mansfield Town FC, exemplifies the beauty and spirit of the FA Cup where teams from the lower leagues (Mansfield is 93 places behind Liverpool) challenge the powerhouses (imagine a team from Class A playing the New York Yankees) in pursuit of the FA Cup trophy. In this realm, draws are highly sought after and victories over the big times are rare, but when they happen, they are to be cherished.

Unfortunately, Mansfield lost to Liverpool 2-1, the second goal coming after a hand ball by striker Luis Suárez. Somehow, the referees allowed it and Mansfield lost their moment in the sun. However, one thing struck me while watching the game and I will return to it in a moment.

Another significant game took place this past Monday between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In this BCS championship the Crimson Tide walloped the Fighting Irish, but like in the other game, there was something that caught my attention here.

Despite winning by nearly 30 points toward the end of the game, the Crimson Tide coach, Nick Saban, berated and yelled at officials, throwing a tantrum that for a neutral fan was embarrassing. Why the melodrama? Why not win with class? Paul Cox, who had every reason to feel aggrieved by the hand ball-no call, was classy and dignified, even defending Suárez! Even better Mansfield remained positive after the horrific call and really pushed Liverpool back on defense. They say teams embody the philosophy and spirit of their coaches. When A.J. McCarron visibly and strongly expressed his displeasure toward one of his teammates, I could see that he really did reflect Saban's ethos. When Mansfield fought back against Liverpool with class and quiet dignity, this was an extension of Paul Cox. I think Nick Saban can learn a thing or two from him.

Another similarity between both games is that the television camera men focused on two attractive women, albeit for different reasons: Katherine Webb, the girlfriend of McCarron, and Carolyn Radford, of Mansfield Town. One is a former Ms. Alabama while the other is the current chief executive of Mansfield Town FC. The difference being, that one commentator, Brent Musburger gushed about Ms. Webb while the cameras at Mansfield Town focused on Ms. Radford to catch her reaction to the efforts of her team. While Mr. Musburger is catching flack for his comments, the folks in Mansfield Town are celebrating the fact that they have the youngest chief executive in the league.
It seems no matter what we do, we are always drawn to the attractiveness of a woman. But if they bring more attention to the programs they support and root for, all the better.

Old Reliable

Tommy Henrich, the right fielder for the New York Yankees from ( 1937-1942, 1946-1950), earned the nickname of "Old Reliable" for his timely hits. I was born well after he played, but I remember my father always telling me stories of "Old Reliable." I loved the nickname...as it embodies loyalty and dependability. No one these days has that nickname, but after seeing the play of Danny Graham, the striker for Swansea City, I think we now have someone worthy of that moniker.

A good striker has the innate ability to change the complexion of a game simply by stepping on to the field and in the space of a few days, Graham has done this twice for Swansea: first, scoring the game tying goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time (second half) against Aston Villa on January 1st; then he scored the game tying goal with three minutes to go in the game against Arsenal on January 6. Incredible!

Swansea City is a fun club to watch play and I think somewhere up there Tommy Henrich is saluting Danny Graham, a worthy successor to the title of "Old Reliable."

An International Family Vacation

Among the more popular New Year's resolutions that people make is to travel more often. Have you ever thought of just dropping everything and taking your family on a year-long trip around the world? What a wonderful idea! Noah Van Loen and his family have embarked on a 13-month jaunt across the globe with stops in Peru, Chile and Australia. Check them out via their blog at: http://www.anvl.org.

If you are thinking of doing something similar with your family, I highly recommend you read The New Global Student by Maya Frost for some innovative suggestions to prepare your children (and you!) or wonderful international experiences.

Le Tre Orfei

In the United States these days, it almost prohibited to talk about anything related to Iran. Yes, we have the Ben Affleck movie, Argo, but beyond that it is very seldom and difficult to start a conversation about Iran without having someone scream at you. Last year when the American snowboarder Hannah Teeter agreed to participate in a "Boarders without Borders" feature in Iran with host country peers, she was the object of "under the rug" criticism and hostile ad hominems from the "virtually" virtuous denizens of the Internet (Internauts or perhaps "Inter-naughts" would be more accurate?). "Under the rug criticism" manifests itself through individuals posting anonymous and usually vituperative comments on a websites comment board critical of someone or something. These criticisms are "under the rug" because they almost never reach the ears, the eyes, computer screen or cell phone of their intended targets, preferring to lie low in the depths of obscurity and cyber shadow. These "criticisms"are marked by allegations that the target is a communist or a whore, etc. It really becomes ridiculous.

Source: http://www.letreorfei.com/gallery/index.php

Sorry, I rambled there. Now, back to my point. In this day and age where it seems to be du jour to criticize and pillory Iran, it is nice to have something positive to consider. Take Le Tre Orfei, the Three Sopranos. These three young ladies from Iran are opera singers of the utmost quality and have been quite popular for some time. Check them out at: Le Tre Orfei. Their music will affect you (in a good way!). I wish more people would put back their negative stereotypes of Iran for a moment and consider this beautiful group of singers. It is well worth it. Please spread the word.

Another Side of Dr. Seuss

One of the reasons I enjoy going to the library to browse books is that I never know what I will find. The other day I came across a book whose title made me do a double take. It read "Dr. Seuss Goes to War" and features cartoons by the world-renowned author pushing for war with Germany (World War II). Given his reputation for creating some of the most famous figures in children's literature, it is hard to reconcile him with images of Hitler. While reading this book I learned, interestingly enough, that Theodor Seuss Geisel started going by the name Seuss after a run with college officials over bootleg liquor.

This book by Richard Minear features editorial cartoons that Dr. Seuss produced during World War II. They are poignant and powerful and make it very clear what the author felt about isolationism and labor dissent at the time. It is worth reading, if nothing else to see another side of this almost mythical man.

Owning Property in Space

Photo taken from The New Atlantis

We never really think about it, but the day will soon come when people own property in space and take real estate development to the final frontier. For years we have entertained as mere fantasy the idea of driving cars through the air and living in floating high-rise buildings. The day when all that futuristic building and transportation takes place may arrive sooner than you think.

Beyond the news of the Mars Rover exploration, little mention is made in the media about the politics and economics of harvesting the many resources that space offers us. In an excellent piece in The New Atlantis titled "Property Rights in Space" Rand Simberg reviews the history of space law and some of the potential scenarios that will come up as governments take a very hard look at finding ways to benefit from space.

I must admit I know next to nothing about space property law and I found this article enlightening. As an international educator I find myself troubled by something however. Since the next logical step after after development in space is travel and study abroad, what term could we use to replace "study abroad" since by then it will be inaccurate and antiquated?

Poem by Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa

This is a lovely poem by the Portuguese Poet Fernando António Nogueira Pesso (1888-1935). His style is a thing of beauty and I wish more Americans would become acquainted with his work. Check out this poem by him (in Spanish):

Nunca Por Más que Viaje

Nunca, por más que viaje, por más que conozca
el salir de un lugar, el llegar a un lugar, conocido o desconocido,
pierdo, al partir, al llegar, y en la móvil línea que los une,
la sensación de crispación, el miedo a lo nuevo, la náusea
–Aquella náusea que es el sentimiento que sabe que el cuerpo tiene el alma–,
Treinta días de viaje, tres días de viaje, tres horas de viaje
–Siempre la opresión se infiltra en el fondo de mi corazón— 

....in Portuguese...

Nunca, por mais que viaje, por mais que conheça O sair de um lugar, o chegar a um lugar, conhecido ou desconhecido, Perco, ao partir, ao chegar, e na linha móbil que os une, A sensação de arrepio, o medo do novo, a náusea — Aquela náusea que é o sentimento que sabe que o corpo tem a alma, Trinta dias de viagem, três dias de viagem, três horas de viagem — Sempre a opressão se infiltra no fundo do meu coração.

Thank you to Carlos Ciro for posting this on his blog at http://networkedblogs.com/GyPyy.

The Return of the Argo-nauts

It was no accident that I chose to allude to Jason and the Argonauts in this post because the producers of the hit movie  Argo certainly fleeced us. In their quest to capitalize on the timeliness of a move about a significant event in Iranian-American relations, the producers glossed over (or perhaps I should write, "pulled the wool over the eyes"  of moviegoers) a very important fact.


John Sheardown, the Canadian Immigration Officer based in Tehran who provided shelter to six American diplomats who escaped capture during the assault on the US Embassy, passed away on Monday, December 31. He played a vital role in providing safety to the Americans leading to their safe return to the US with the use of Canadian passports. Unfortunately, the movie downplays his role to that of a mere bystander. In fact, I don't recall that Ken Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador to Iran, made an appearance in the film, even though he also provided a safe haven for the Americans.

It is disappointing and dispiriting that Hollywood continues to revise history to suit its production needs. At the very least the producers should have done much more to honor the role played by John Sheardown.

The Immortality of the Little Things

With the New Year we create new expectations, new resolutions and renewed visions for a high successful and meaningful year. We hope to remember big things, often discarding "minor" moments to the dustbin of disdain. How sad.  Sometimes that half-second glimpse or spontaneous moment of reflection can resound with an imperturbable resonance whose echo emanates through our being and our soul for a long time.

I recently read a passage from the Thomas Wolfe book, Of Time and the River that captures this sentiment perfectly:

A thousand times thereafter the tone of that rich voice would return to him and reverberate in his memory with the haunting, strange and wonderful recurrence with which the "little" things of life--a face seen one time at a window, a voice that passed in darkness and was gone, the twisting of a leaf upon a bough--come back to us out of all the violence and savage chaos of the days--the "little" things that persist so strangely, vividly, and inexplicably when the more sensational and "important" events of life have been forgotten or obscured.

Enjoy a successful 2013, but take a moment to take in all the 'little' things. You would be amazed by all the wonderful things around you.