Knowledge Brush Up

by Erik Olsen on

With problems in the Gaza Strip making big headlines all the time these days (and days past), perhaps its time to brush up on your knowledge of Middle East history. As every cognizant being knows the battle over Jerusalem, the establishment of the state of Israel, the settlements, terrorism…all these things have had a major impact on the 20th and 21st centuries. On OUR lives. Whichever side you are on, you can’t deny that it is a major global issue that affects us all in some way. So it is surprising sometimes how little people know about thr roots of the Mid East conflict. How did Israel get there? Why is Jerusalem so important? How can so many people see the same issue in so many different ways?

Well, it is obviously a very complex series of issues that I don’t purport to explain here. But I can provide you with some useful links to help you understand it better. One place that you should go for a simple, and elegant overview of the problems in the Middle East is this National Geographic site called Xpedition Hall. Using a clever device called “Culture Goggles” they show how different religions view the same issue, in one case, the city of Jerusalem. Another well-done piece called Lines in the Sand by Nat Geo gives an overview of the Gaza issue, so big in the news right now. Of course, no online history lesson would be complete without checking out Wikipedia. Here is a superb discussion of Jerusalem, as well as links to articles on the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, both of which are of immense importance in understanding what is going on over there. I realize these just scratch the surface, there are scores of books to recommend as well (including several superb ones by Tom Friedman) but it is never a bad idea to brush up on your understanding of such important issues.

Jesus’ Bones Tour

by Iva Skoch on

If you missed the press conference at the New York Public Library, where filmmaker James Cameron announced his new Discovery Channel movie, you might want to read up and do a little digging yourself.

If you hadn’t heard the hype, Cameron’s movie The Lost Tomb of Jesus, airs this Sunday. In it, he apparently argues that a couple of caskets, ossuaries actually, once contained the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Not only that, but, ala Dan Brown, he suggests they were a family…with children. The ossuaries made the trip for the press conference (hopefully not on JetBlue), as did a few experts.

Now, the discovery of the ossuaries is not new. They were found in 1980 in a Jerusalem ‘suburb’ of Talpiot. And, forgetting the multiple controversies that surround the whole thing (including the assertion by the lead archaeologist that the movie’s claims are baloney), you can visit the town yourself.

The modern town is pure 20th century, and includes a vibrant club culture (where you can shake your own bones), but there’s also more distant culture and history. For example, walk along the Haas Promenade for sweeping views of the old city.

Detour Worth Making: Virgina City’s Red Light Museum

by Willy Volk on

Gosh, nothing screams sexy like cowboy prostitutes from the 1860s. Named after the most famous prostitute of Virginia City, Nevada, the Julia C. Bulette Saloon now stands as a tribute to that city’s “favored soiled dove.” Open daily from 10am-9pm, a $1 admission gains you access to the so-called Red Light Museum, which displays a variety of vintage erotica — like a lipstick tube condom case and a, um, self-pleasuring device — as well as a gruesome, yet pleasantly chiffon’ed, diorama displaying Bulette’s death, a crime for which the French perpetrator was summarily hanged.

After the Museum tour, you’ll no doubt be parched. Fortunately, right down the street from the Museum is the gorgeous, if not creepily-named, Bucket of Blood Saloon. Mosey on down and grab you a sarsaparilla.

It sure looks like it’d be a fun stop, if the city weren’t haunted. Yup, The Silver Terrace Cemetery reportedly has a glowing headstone, and the Gold Hill Hotel has ghosts that greet guests.

Are Americans Really Dumb?

by Erik Olsen on

Making fun of Americans and our insularity (aka blinkered ignorance) about the world has become almost cliche. These days everywhere you travel you hear the familiar refrain: Americans are stupid and they know nothing about the rest of the world. As an American, I constantly try to defend my countrymen. These are the insults of insecure foreigners who dislike the fact that America is the world’s sole superpower. Not all Americans are that way, just those in Red States. Or, we are far too busy in our lives maintaining the most powerful economy in the world to be bothered by knowing what is the capital of Senegal. And other such arguments.

But the fact is, I tend to agree with what these people are saying. I am constantly surprised by how little time people take to educate themselves about the world when they seem to know EVERYTHING about the people up for Oscars. Well, given the fact that the Oscars just took place and this topic was on my mind, I figured y’all out there would enjoy this video that seems to confirm all the stereotypes. Yes, I watched this and still felt the desire to defend Americans (it has obviously been edited to reflect on us poorly), but it’s hard to watch and even a little depressing.

Black History Month: Harriet Tubman and Underground Railroad Tours

by Jamie Rhein on

When I was a kid I was enthralled by Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. I remember it took a little while for me to understand that the Underground Railroad wasn’t actually a railroad under the ground, but a series of “safe” places for slaves to stop for the night or get help as they fled from the southern part of the United States to their freedom in the north.

Harriet Tubman, often called the “Moses of her people” led hundreds of slaves along the Underground Railroad in several trips from the south to the north. Since I live in Ohio, a state that’s rich with Underground Railroad history, every once in awhile, someone will mention to me about some house or church they know of that was a railroad “station.” It’s possible to take in several of them on an Underground Railroad tour. Here is a list of tours I found in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Canada. Also, in Auburn, New York you can visit Harriet Tubman’s house.