Until the summer of 2014, La Paz had lived up to its name, which means ‘the peace.’ The coastal city on the Baja peninsula seemed immune from the drug trafficking violence of the mainland, which is estimated to have claimed 120,000 lives since 2006. But on July 31st, that bloodless exemption vanished. On the side […]
August 30, 2015 Under the banner “Picture stories from here and there,” the Beirut collective Samandal publishes local and international comix. For the uninitiated, comix imply countercultural, illustrated tales for adult audiences. Personal, quirky, and rebellious, comix have no boundaries. The underground art spans from word-heavy narratives in ink to wordless sequential illustrations, reminiscent of […]
The New York Times – Andrew Tabler was quoted in Michael R. Gordon’s recent piece on rising US-Russian tensions over Syria. Tabler commented on the differing views in Russia concerning support for President Bashar al-Assad, saying; “The escalation is completely in keeping with hard-line Russian positions on Assad, which are juxtaposed with more conciliatory positions by the […]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The Sultanate of Oman’s economy is driven by oil, but seafaring has always been the original industry: at its peak, the Omani trade empire spanned the Persian Gulf, southern Iran, Pakistan, and East Africa. Today, Oman is in the process of re-asserting its maritime prowess in the realm of diplomacy, trade, and security, with […]
We arrived in Puerto Escondido last night, a large natural harbor. It was my first good night of sleep since leaving La Paz; even the lightning storm that cruised by in the night couldn’t keep me away. (This was our first night with no swell or wind waves to toss us around inside the boat while […]
Foreign Affairs – In his latest article, Neri Zilber discusses the surprising lack of a third intifada, or uprising, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. An intifada has not broken out since the second intifada in 2000 despite the firebombing of a Palestinian home in the village of Duma of by Jewish terrorists in late July of this year. Zilber […]
Reuters – Gregory Feifer shares a fascinating look at Vladimir Putin’s public-relations tactics in his latest article. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was recently reported to have been enjoying a lavish and expensive honeymoon on a yacht and to have worn a $620,000 watch at his wedding ceremony, spending several times the yearly salary of a typical civil […]
The Huffington Post – In a fascinating article, past Fellow Eve Fairbanks delves into the philosophy and relationship of John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, creators of the Gottman Method, a science based method for building and improving romantic relationships. Using John Gottman’s highly academic research, the couple teach seminars and have published books on the empirical secret to […]
We are anchored at Agua Verde, just 23 nautical miles south of Puerto Escondido. This place is called Agua Verde for its turquoise waters–but it must have been named in the winter, since the hot summer water seems to have made the bay truly green. We haven’t ventured to the tiny town yet, as we […]
National Geographic – Past Fellow and photographer Tyrone Turner has taken an innovative approach to photography and storytelling in New Orleans. He photographed one person in the Lower Ninth Ward and asked who to meet and photograph next, following a trail of recommendations throughout the community. This project is part of National Geographic’s “The Long […]