كانت أوروبا قبل الثورة الفرنسية مقسمة إلى ممالك لا دول وطنية ترسم حدودها حول شعوب بعينها وفي العادة لم يحكم الشعوب ملوك من أوطانهم. وقد حاول “بونابرت” بعد غزوه لأوروبا إقامة دول وطنية وانتشرت الفكرة بين شعوب أوروبا. ولكن بعد هزيمة “بونابرت“، اجتمعت العائلات الملكية في مؤتمر فيينا سنة 1815 لتقسيم أوروبا مجدداً إلى ملكيات […]
Europe & The DAESH Within
“One day not very far, Europe will wake up to a nightmare”. I made this comment to friends during a 2012 visit to Europe. They swiftly dismissed it. Yet just two years later, with DAESH (Islamic State) supporters demonstrating in Europe’s streets, and European citizens joining DAESH to fight in Syria and Iraq, the nightmare […]
Installing Node.js/npm on Linux (Ubuntu-Mint-Deb) – Best Way
After a few hours of trying to install the latest version of Node.js / npm and failing to do it using the package manager because the package on the repositories is not the latest. I came across a few tutorials and below are the steps that are guaranteed to work. Open your terminal window and run the […]
Climate Change & Social Media: Redefining ‘Realism’
A response to “Unraveling the Enigma: Western Expert Community Seeks to Explain Russian Policy” by Dr. Igor Istomin published April 8, 2015 by the Russian International Affairs Council. It is no small task to appreciate the enigmatic and emotionally evocative nuances of Russian literature or diplomacy. It is equally challenging to respond to Dr. Igor […]
Cold, in the End Zone
In one 24-hour period I watched the finals for three major sporting events: the 2015 Asia Cup, the Australian Open and the American Super Bowl. Consider cutting me some slack since I’m writing a thesis and sports are, by far, my healthiest distraction. The Australian Socceroos defeated the tough Korea Republic team 2-1 in extended […]
12 Days Before Christmas
Tucked away on the ground floor of a modern mall in one of Hanoi’s several upscale leafy neighborhoods recently I watched Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life again and yes, I cried – again. At one point while watching this 1946 classic black and white version of Depression-era America I turned and shared a hankie with a […]
With You, There
A revolution is happening in the United States in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown, 18, of Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August 2014. There is a meaningful, calm and cross-generational dialogue about race, justice and failed national policies taking place on the streets, in the news and on social media. This is […]