Back to writing something on the webpage again. I’ve adopted the McSweeny’s motto. Some days there will be something here, and other days there won’t.
I’ve been reading Benny Morris’ excellent book Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab conflict 1881-2001. Like most people I’ve become re-interested in the Middle East post September 11. I found myself talking to a lot of people about the Middle East and felt I had to brush up on my history. Though the book has a narrow focus, it does not deal with events outside of Israel, it is still a very valuable introduction to the most lasting conflicts in the Middle East.
For those who’ve been following along, the CFA is done now (at least the exams). I’ve also been spending a lot of time hiking around Switzerland. The sheer beauty of the mountains is one of Switzerland’s redeeming qualities. The souvenir stores full of kitsch are not. The Swiss have perfected the art of packaging local tall tales into cheap entertainment for bands of nodding tourists. On the other hand, my Swiss Army knife complete with altimeter is a source of seemingly endless joy.