Search Results for: one hundred years ago

A walk around Isfahan

I was in Iran for the first time in December 2008 and January 2009, one of my traditional Christmas/New-Year getaways, hoping to escape these awkward festivities. However, many people still wished me “merry Christmas” or “a happy new year”, with some Iranians … Continue reading

Posted in History, Iran, Islam, Photography, Religion, Travel | Tagged , | 21 Comments

“The New Yorker” confirms my warning about terrorist geeks

Exactly three years ago, I had outlined the way to detect terror suspects. Without racial profiling (which is illegal and doesn’t work), without torture (illegal and doesn’t work), carpet bombing (costly and cannot be applied in North America and Europe). In … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Technology, Terrorism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Soviet Military Cemetery

When I am looking for a quiet place to read, there aren’t as many options available as it may seem: In the park, noisy children are playing. In the forest, man-eating bears are roaming. At the library, some of the girls are … Continue reading

Posted in History, Photography, Romania, Travel, World War II | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Bahai and their Rules

If I may join the English-speaking tour at 12 o’clock, I inquire from the guard in front of the iron gate. The enormous gardens of the Bahai religion dominate the cityscape of Haifa. The landmark of the third-largest city of the … Continue reading

Posted in Iran, Israel, Photography, Religion, Travel | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Am I too late for the war?

Sorry, but my tank got stuck on the Golan Heights. But let’s get serious now: why haven’t I written anything yet on the skirmish between Israel and Gaza? There are two reasons. First, I had been on holiday, and when I … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Military, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged | 74 Comments

Laziness

Thanks to laziness I don’t learn languages very well, I never applied for any scholarship, I missed the deadline for that exchange year in the USA, I never finished the PhD in law which I had begun, I do less exercise … Continue reading

Posted in Life, Philosophy | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Salaspils – A Train Ride to the Countryside

The local train which departed in Riga is almost fully occupied this Friday noon. It stops every few minutes, at every possible stop. I am going to Dārziņi, a stop in the middle of the forest. A beautiful Baltic pine and … Continue reading

Posted in History, Holocaust, Latvia, Photography, Travel, World War II | Tagged , | 6 Comments

You think you travel a lot?

You may think that you travel a lot because you have already been to Bali and to Australia. Or, if you are American, you may think you have seen the world after your trip to Rome and Paris. Even I … Continue reading

Posted in Military, Poland, Russia, Travel, World War II | Tagged | 4 Comments

Will the World come to an End in December 2012?

You have 42 days left to live if you believe the wackos who misinterpret the Maya calendar and believe that the end of the world will come on 21 December 2012. Thanks to the film “2012”, people are preparing for the worst. … Continue reading

Posted in Time | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Take your time with good books

I love to read books. So much that I sometimes even read several books at the same time. I also like to talk about books with other readers, I like to receive new suggestions on what to read next and make … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Language | Tagged | 7 Comments