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The Tsengel Tuvans (11/07)
To reach the homeland of the Tsengel Tuvans one has to travel to the furthest western corner of Mongolia, to the High Altai mountains to a province the size of the Netherlands, bordering China. More than 90% of the population of the area are Kazakh Muslims, the remaining 10% are Khalkh, Urinakhai, Khoshuud and Tuvans.
The Tuvans are a ...
Robert Kagan (11/07)
Robert Kagan is senior associate at the
Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, transatlantic fellow at the
German Marshall Fund, and a columnist
for The Washington Post (he writes a
monthly column on
international affairs). He is also a
...
Hamlet Summarized (11/07)
It's not at all necessary to be familiar with Hamlet to appreciate The Dead Fathers Club, but for those who would like to freshen their memories, here is a quick outline:
Hamlet's father, King Hamlet of Denmark, is recently dead. Claudius, the dead king's brother, becomes King and quickly marries King Hamlet's widow, Gertrude. Young Hamlet...
The sad tale of Ron Williamson & Dennis Fritz (11/07)
Ada, Oklahoma local boy
Ron Williamson achieved hero status when drafted by baseball's Oakland
Athletics in 1971, but within a couple of seasons his baseball dreams had been
dashed and he took to drowning his sorrows in alcohol. In 1978, having
twice been charged with rape and found not guilty, and having been left by his
...
Flamenco Dancing (11/07)
Flamenco, which can be divided into cante ('the song'), baile ('the dance') and guitarra ('guitar'), is the traditional song and dance of the Gypsies (flamencos) of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is believed to have developed over several centuries from Gypsy, Moorish, Andalusian, and other roots (probably including northern India, as ...
A Brief History of Auschwitz (11/07)
Auschwitz was the name the Germans used for the Polish city of Oswiecim when they occupied it in WWII. The concentration camp was established nearby in June 1940, taking the name of the nearby town. The camp quickly expanded into three main parts: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III-Monowitz - a group of about 40 sub-...
The Knowledge (11/07)
It takes a central London cab driver an average of 34 months to gain
The Knowledge required to drive a licensed London taxi. Before they can receive their license they must know every street and the route between every street in a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross station (that's about 113 square miles) - and they need to be able to describe ...
The Mobile Bay Jubilee (11/07)
In "Titan" a man recalls a boyhood vacation spent on the coast of Alabama in which he experiences a
"Jubilee".
Jubilee is a natural phenomena that occurs in Mobile Bay from time to time, usually before dawn on a warm summer night, when large numbers of fish, crabs and shrimps swarm close to shore, making themselves ...
A Short History of Modern China (10/07)
- In 1911 the Qing Dynasty was
overthrown, ending 2000 years of
imperial rule. There were many
revolutionary groups but the most
organized was founded by Dr Sun
Yat-sen.
- In WWI the Chinese government
sided with the Allies. In return
...
What is a Gothic Novel? (10/07)
Definitions of a gothic novel abound but most sources agree that it is one in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of terror are pervasive, and where the action usually takes place in a dark, mysterious building, typically a castle built in the Gothic architectural style*.
Horace Walpole's
The Castle of Otranto (1764) is considered...
Pigeons and Doves (10/07)
- Pigeons and doves are one and the same thing, 'pigeon' is simply a French translation of the English word 'dove'.
- Pigeons have been domesticated for at least 5,000 years, probably closer to 10,000.
- It is said that a pigeon delivered the results of the first Olympics in 776 BC.
- Pigeons are credited with saving thousands of soldiers' lives ...
Background (10/07)
There is a regrettably short excerpt from
All Aunt Hagar's Children at BookBrowse, but here are links to three complete short stories,
originally published in The New Yorker:
Bad Neighbors
A Rich Man
Old Boys, Old Girls.
Did you know?
- Edward P Jones has dedicated all three of his books to his mother, Jeanette.
- The '...
Background (10/07)
Michael Weisskopf is a senior correspondent for Time magazine,
working out of Washington D.C. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner
of a number of awards for journalism including the Daniel Pearl Award for
Courage and Integrity in Journalism. As an investigative reporter for the nation
section. he has scored many scoops, ...
The 1950s (10/07)
While many in the USA experienced an unprecedented economic boom in the
1950s, what was happening elsewhere?
Europe: The division of Europe into West and East persisted.
The foundations for the European Community were laid. Rationing continued
in some Western countries (e.g. in Britain up until 1953), but post-war
...
A Short History of Ethiopia (09/07)
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (historically known as Abyssinia) is located in east Africa, on the 'Horn of Africa' (
map).
Once an important trade route due to its location on the Red Sea, it has been landlocked since 1993, when the province of Eritrea gained independence. It is the oldest independent country in Africa (and...
A Short History of Kenya (09/07)
Kenya is located on the East Coast of Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia (
map). The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was the first European on record to visit the area in 1498. Portuguese rule officially began in 1505, bringing the Portuguese a useful revenue source from tribute payments, ...
A Short History of Biafra and Nigeria (09/07)
Located on the west coast of Africa,
Nigeria (
map)
is the most populous country in Africa
(~122 million in an area about double
that of California). It became a
state in 1960 when it declared its
independence from Britain. In 1966 a
series of coups ...
A Short History of Sierra Leone (09/07)
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a small country with a population of about
5.3 million on the west coast of Africa (
map) bordered by Guinea and Liberia (For more about Liberia visit
The Darling at BookBrowse and click the 'BookBrowse Says' link). The life expectancy of men is 39 years and women 42 years. The name is an
adaptation ...
A Short History of Iran (09/07)
If your recollection of the recent history of Iran is a little rusty, this brief background should refresh your memory of the events that form the backdrop to Maryam's childhood:
Iran's 4,000 year history is summed up by Dr Saeed in
The Saffron Kitchen. Referring to Iran before and after the 1979 revolution he says, 'We were welcomed ...
George P. Pelecanos (08/07)
George P. Pelecanos was born in Washington, D.C. in 1957. He worked as a line
cook, dishwasher, bartender, shoe salesman, electronics salesman, and
construction worker before publishing his first novel in 1992. He is the
author of fourteen crime/noir novels to date, all set in and around Washington,
D.C. In addition to his books ...
The Trail of Tears (08/07)
In the early 1800s, the US felt threatened by England and Spain, who held land in the western part of the North American continent (See
map: Oregon Country was British owned, while Mexico was obviously Spanish). Meanwhile, American settlers on the East Coast clamored for more land. So Jefferson proposed the creation of a buffer zone ...
Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS - MI6) (08/07)
According to
SIS's informative website, a formal and permanent British intelligence service was first established in 1909; but the history of British intelligence organizations engaged in foreign intelligence goes back at least to the 15th century (Thomas Cromwell ran secret agents in Europe on behalf of Henry VIII and Sir Francis ...
The Better Farming Train and the Mallee (07/07)
The Better Farming Train did exist just as described in
Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living; it steamed out of Melbourne for the first time in October 1924 and returned for the last time in 1935, making about 38 tours in total. At each of its 10 stops between 500 to 2000 farmers and townspeople would attend the exhibits. You can ...
Edgar Allan Poe (07/07)
Edgar Allan Poe was born Edgar Poe in 1809 to Elizabeth and David Poe, both
actors. They died when he was three and he was taken in by John Allan, a tobacco
merchant living in Virginia. He became estranged from his foster father in the mid to late 1820s and joined the US Army under the name Edgar Perry - he served for two years before...
Household servants in Victorian Times (07/07)
According to
The Victorian Web if a
Victorian household could afford only one servant it would likely be a 'general' maid-of-all-work (usually a girl of 13 or 14) similar to the role Bessy takes on. Next would come a house-maid or nurse-maid, followed by a cook. Only once this female trio was in place would the first manservant be ...
Cuba and Guantánamo Bay (07/07)
Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean (780 miles long, 140 miles at its widest point) with a population of about 11 million; and infant mortality, life expectancy and literacy rates on a par with the USA (6.45 deaths per 1,000 live births, 77 years life expectancy, 97% literacy). It suffered a severe economic recession in the 1990s...
William Henry Ireland Forger of Shakespeare (07/07)
William Henry Ireland was born in London in 1777. His father, Samuel Ireland, was a successful publisher of travelogues and collector of antiquities. At an early age William became a collector of books and while apprenticed to a mortgage lawyer he started to experiment with forgery - forging signatures on genuinely old paper.
In 1794 he...
Background (06/07)
Meg Mullins was born and raised
in New Mexico, where she now lives with
her husband and their two children. The
story that formed the basis of The
Rug Merchant appeared in The Best
American Short Stories 2002.
About Tabriz
Ushman is from
...
Animals on Trial (06/07)
The idea of canine testimony being accepted in court is not without precedent
(e.g. drug smugglers who are convicted on the evidence of sniffer dogs), but
what about the idea of putting an animal itself on trial?
These days, animals are not tried on the basis that they lack the ability to make moral judgments and therefore cannot be...
Identity theft (06/07)
According to the
Javelin/Better Business Bureau Survey
of February 2007, 8.4 million USA adults
were victims of identity theft fell in
2007, although this is down about 2
million since 2003 it is still an awful
lot of people! The total fraud
...
Background (06/07)
The Interpretation of Murder is
inspired by the real-life mystery
surrounding Freud's one and only
visit to America in 1909 when he came to
deliver lectures at Clark University.
The trip appeared to be a tremendous
success and Freud was portrayed
glowingly...
Background (06/07)
Tom Zoellner has worked as a
contributing editor for
Men's Health
magazine and as a reporter for the
San Francisco Chronicle. He is also
the co-author of
An Ordinary Man, the
autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina,
whose actions during the 1994 ...
A Brief History of the Amish (06/07)
The Amish are direct descendants of the Anabaptists of 16th century Europe who rejected infant baptism and believed in the separation of church and state (which were entirely conjoined at the time). They became known as Mennonites after the Dutch Anabaptist leader Menno Simons (1496-1561). In the late 17th century there was a schism over ...
The Ad (06/07)
The Ad are believed to be an ancient Arabian people who became rich through the production of frankincense and as a trading point for spices from India. The Qur'an says that the prophet Hud was sent by Allah to the city of Ubar/Iram (famed for its tall towers) to warn them that the city would be destroyed if they continued to worship ...
A Short History of Iraq (06/07)
map showing Kurdish and Shia areas or Iraq
The Republic of Iraq (about the size of California) spans the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, (between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers), the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and parts of the Syrian Desert. Mesopotamia was home to the world's first known civilization, the Sumerians...
The Republic of Bolivia (06/07)
The Republic of Bolivia is a mountainous landlocked country that boasts the highest capital city in the world at 4km above sea level. It is bordered by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. It's population of about 9 million people enjoy three official languages - Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. It's per capita GDP ...
Twins (04/07)
Conjoined twins
occur in about
40,000 births
but only about
once in every
200,000 live
births. Craniopagus-twins
occur in only
about one in
every 10 million
...
Coal (04/07)
Facts & Stats according to Big Coal
- More than 1/2 of the USA's electricity comes from coal.
- The USA burns more than a billion tons a year - an average of 20 lbs per
person per day.
- Coal plants account for 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the USA.
- According to alternate energy guru Amory Lovins of
The Rocky Mountain ...
Parsis (03/07)
Parsis are Zoroastrians, most likely descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to Indian from the Middle-East to escape Muslim persecution. Zoroastrianism is both a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (c.1200 BCE) who proclaimed Ahura Mazda to be the one divine authority and ...
The Siege of Leningrad (03/07)
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the 900-day siege, lasted from
September 1941 until January 1944 (a total of 872 days). In 1942 alone 650,000 died in Leningrad, some from German shelling, but mostly from starvation, exposure and disease. Although some supplies did get through across Lake Ladoga - by barge in the summer and by ...
The Republic of Rwanda (03/07)
The Republic of Rwandais a landlocked country in East Central Africa bordering on Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa; about 80% of its 8.5 million people are Hutu, most of the remainder are Tutsi, with a few Twa (pygmies). The majority religion is Christianity (75%), and French...
All About Water (03/07)
Did you know?
- The earth contains about 1.1 quadrillion acre-feet of water, but 97% is
seawater.
- Of the remaining 28 trillion acre-feet of freshwater on or near the
surface, two-thirds is locked up as ice.
- Only the remaining 9.7 trillion acre-feet is in liquid form, mostly in
underground aquifers.
- However, what is ...
John Wilkes Booth (02/07)
Booth's father, Junius Brutus Booth, emigrated from England in 1821 and
quickly established himself as one of the great actors of the day. Most of
his children were born out of wedlock, and most followed him onto the stage.
John Wilkes Booth started his career in 1855 in Baltimore, and then in
Philadelphia. Initially, he didn't ...
A Brief History of The Renaissance (02/07)
The Renaissance period (from the French word 'rebirth', Il Rinascimento in Italian) was a period of scientific and cultural changes. The Renaissance was triggered by a new interest in the ancient classical texts and a desire to learn how they could be applied to the arts and sciences - the result was a rebirth of European culture as a ...
Greenland and ther Vikings (02/07)
Greenland Then: There is evidence of habitation in Greenland up until about 200 AD, but then the islands appear to have been uninhabited until the Norse settlers from Iceland arrived led by Eric The Red. Around 1200 Inuit from North America migrated southwards and appear to have coexisted peacefully with the Norse. However, by the mid ...
Multiple Personality Disorder (02/07)
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th
Edition, the primary characteristic of
Disassociate Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as
Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is the existence of more than one distinct
identity or personality within the same individual. The identities will ‘take...
The English Grammar School System (02/07)
Established in medieval times, the original purpose of grammar schools was
to educate select members of the young in the grammar of Latin and other useful
topics.
In 1944 England established a tripartite education system
which placed grammar schools at the top of the heap. Less gifted children
(as defined by those who failed an ...
Ayelet Waldman (01/07)
Once a year for the last five years, former public defender Ayelet Waldman has
turned out a volume in her Mommy Track mystery series, starring Juliet
Applebaum, ex-public defender and 'self-employed mother'. In mystery
genre terms the Mommy Track books are best described as 'cozies'
(mysteries with low body counts, with the ...