Mt. Hertzel

Please lay down your weapons

Please respect fellow man.

I am taught a lesson

The way only graves can.

 

The somber silence

Hangs o'er the land

Where soldiers lie

Slain by fellow man's hand.

 

Why can't we learn

That we all can live as one.

We cannot unite

Until that is done.

 

May 17, 2022

 

    Likely to no one's surprise, I wrote this after visiting Mt. Hertzel, the Israeli equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery. Because of the conscription, most of the ages listed on grave markers were about the same as mine, many even younger. Just a really somber place. 

Life Repetition and Concerns about Bias

 Last summer, I read Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger. This summer, I decided to carry on reading the works of past Secretaries of State by listening to the audiobook format of Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright. It was the second to last book that she authored prior to her death in March 2022.

Somehow I'd never heard about her. When I'd picked up Diplomacy, I'd known about Kissinger, and was planning to read it because of the author's reputation. Here, I was just intrigued by the title. However, after finishing it, I'm incredibly impressed by her. Going from a refugee escaping Nazi occupation to the Secretary of State under Bill Clinton is quite the life trajectory, and set her up to be, in my opinion, uniquely positioned to comment about fascism. The book discusses the movement, and specific leaders, from the rise of the political ideology, through the second world war, and into the modern age. I don't feel like getting too into the work itself, since I still need to process it (but I do recommend it, both written and narrated since she was the one reading the audiobook).

There is one theme that arose and really made me think, though. It feels like humanity, for all it's progress, really can't move on from the past. At least when it comes to politics. Albright tries to make a point about fascism never being far, which is fair, but I carried something else away - politics, at least since the advent of media, has been all about division. Politicians seek to divide, provoke anger, and sow discord. Obviously this applies to the tyrants of the 20th century. But even Albright falls into this trap. For one, she states that Trump's famous phrase "Drain the Swamp" came from Mussolini saying 'drenare la palude'. The issue is that Politifact says that 

"Mussolini does not seem to have used the Italian version of Trump’s "drain the swamp" term. Indeed, the phrase’s origin appears to be as American as apple pie."  [Politifact]

There is a certain irony in calling out politicians for acting in a divisive manner or being disingenuous, and then doing the same. On the other hand, the book is fairly insightful. It's worth a read, but just keep in mind the bias. Just another thing to consider, even in my own writings.

Might

My mind is my sword

My honor- my shield

No greater power

Could I ever wield.

September 25, 2018

 

I was told, that it would be interesting to hear about the backstories of some of these poems. This one in particular came to me as I watched the sun set while sitting on a hill in the desert. For some reason I was thinking about the Game of Thrones (G. R. R. Martin) quote:

“A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. That is why I read so much.”  

 Eventually, that resulted in this short stanza. Side note, Game of Thrones has some incredible quotes.

 

Bomber Mafia

The Bomber Mafia, by Malcom Gladwell, is unusual in many ways. I'll preface this by mentioning that it's an incredible tale of aviation, ingenuity, courage, and bombs. It was released as an audio book prior to its print publication (I used the audio version) and so it includes voice snippets from some of the people whose histories were being told.
I'm probably pretty much smack dab in the middle of the target audience: fascinated by both aviation and military history. And I learned a lot of new information.
Curtis LeMay is a... difficult figure, to say the least. And all too often, he is portrayed as a rather one dimensional figure, a brutal, gung-ho commander. But there turned out to be a lot more to the man. From his willingness to personally lead his squadrons when other pilots protested that the 6 minute bombing runs were to dangerous, to his willingness to lead distraction squads, drawing the fire from defending fighters. Even the brutality has a positive spin - well after WWII he was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun of the highest level for his help in "coercing" the surrender before land invasions by the USSR and USA began.
It's both hard and easy for me to recommend this book. On one hand, the niche subject matter is only interesting to a few folks. However, it also does an incredible job of discussing the evolution of strategic bombing - from the intial concepts by the bomber mafia in the early twentieth century, to the transition to area bombing, and to the modern ability to bomb specific rooms of a house. And most importantly, in this regard, it also talks about how the ability to target (or the inability to do so) affects the willingness to drop said bombs. All I can say is, I really enjoyed it. And the audio book is very well produced.

Занавесы будущего

Будущее скрыто

И недоступно глазу.

Не то, что в любой книге

Где всё узнаем сразу.

 

Книгу можно пролистать

И прочитать конец.

И узнать кто жив, кто нет,

Кого взяли под венец.

Но жизни ты не можешь

Пролистать на год вперёд.

Не заглянуть нам в будущее

И увидеть что грядёт.

И занавес красный

Спрятал за собой

Артистов в представлении

Написанным судьбой.

 

September 11, 2018 - January 29, 2019

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

 As I've previously discussed, the intersection of food, history, and anthropology fascinates me. The diffusion of customs among disparate groups can teach an attentive observer much about the commonalities between groups, be they ancient, through ancestors, or in the moment via contact such as trade. Moreover, not only do changes in culture lead to alterations in cuisine, but the opposite is true as well.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage studies the way that drinks and culture affected each other during the development of society. It starts with beer and the way it improved the safety of beverages in the first civilizations, like Sumer. Then, it continues with wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Some of the tales were familiar to me, such as the importance of coffee houses in English society leading to still renowned organizations such as Lloyd's of London (from Lloyd's Coffee House), the London Stock Exchange (initially from Johnathan's), and many others. 

However, many of the histories related by Mr. Standage were entirely new to me. I don't want to reiterate all that I learned (this post would be novel-length), but one story was particularly fascinating to me. Apparently, the American Civil War that we all know wasn't the first attempt at secession from the union. Even as I write this, I'm envisioning the incredulous look on your face, dear reader. I know, I was startled as well. The first attempt occurred during the presidency of George Washington. Yeah, that didn't take long. Oh, and in a great example of history rhyming, these mutineers were unhappy due to taxes on beverages. No drinks ended up in the harbor, though there was a large mobilization of state militias sent to suppress it. And all because Alexander Hamilton 

Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (waiting in the wings for you)
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time!

decided to levy a tax on whiskey production in order to raise funds. It is really worth reading- the language is easy and it is relaxing, informative, and just all around enjoyable. On my desk next to me is another book by Tom Standage, An Edible History of Humanity. I just got it in the mail yesterday and I really look forward to reading it (not next in the queue, but soon I hope).

Anyway, 2 random thoughts to finish the night- first the word "queue" literally only has 20% of its letters pronounced. Secondly, Hamilton has an amazing soundtrack. I got to watch it on Disney+ a couple years back when it was briefly released there (I actually subscribed to the service for a month just for access). I still can't think of the name Alexander Hamilton without mentally breaking out into song. Helpless is just such an amazing song. Actually the whole soundtrack is great. Bucket list item: go see it live.

I can keep rambling on about this, but probably shouldn't to avoid scaring off my readers. To quote Critical Drinker, "Anyway, that's all I've got for today. Go away now."

V-22 Osprey

     Occassionally, life throws a curve ball or two at you. Sometimes unpleasant, other times it can make your day. Can't say I expected this as I got out of bed this morning... The V22 was about 50-60 meters from me. Please enjoy these photos as I try to get the dust from under my shirt, out of my ears, and, well, everywhere else.

At the Horizon

The sun sets again

Just like it always has

And brings to an end

Their search for their paths.

 

The dark brings terror

Of losing one's way

Faint lights and noises

Will lure them away.

 

They sit and cower

Afraid of the fall

We remain standing

Like a granite wall.

 

That moment in time

Before the sun's end

Will show you who you

Should call a friend.

Rather than fear, they

Will stand up with you

Support and guide towards

The way that is true.

 

August 30, 2018

A Quick University Jaunt

Introduction

During spring break in March 2022, I participated in a study abroad called Culture and Commerce in Central Europe, traveling to Germany and Holland. As part of the course, we needed to publish daily posts on the professor's blog. In fact, it was this trip that inspired me to start the Bear Den. Unfortunately, my writing was significantly worse then, so the quality will be much lower. I thought about rewriting the posts, but decided to preserve them, as is.

3-13 Munich Day 1

Beginning the trip with a visit to Dachau is a rather sobering experience. Whilst surrounded by the gray concentration camp buildings, one can’t help but feel the chill of the past, a sort of spiritual unease that comes with a place that is haunted by so many dark memories. Although not ‘enjoyable’ in the conventional sense of the word, there is definitely something special about the opportunity to visit such memorials to the tragedies that mankind can inflict on itself. In a more positive cultural memory, dinner at the Hofbrauhaus heavily played into the stereotypical German image both in terms of the cuisine and music. I never thought about it before, but the merry and laid-back attitude that comes with this atmosphere is in stark contrast to the rational, humorless attitude represented by the low indulgence score on the Hofstede rankings. It’ll be interesting to continue to observe how this contradiction plays out.

 

3/14/2022- Munich Day 2

One of the traits that the Hofstede rankings emphasized for Germany was practicality. This plays well with (a rather interesting) law in Munich- that 1% of construction costs need to be earmarked for art. Thus, to dedicate money to heritage preservation while still fulfilling this requirement, TUM (one of Munich’s technical universities) used the art fund to save old stained-glass windows during their remodels. I just found that to be a creative way to complete both tasks, while saving some beautiful windows.

This morning, I got up a little earlier to be able to wander around the city center for a while before joining the group for a walking tour. The weather was incredible and the tour guide was very knowledgeable, describing Munich’s history in substantial detail. Next, we visited BMW Welt and the Olympic Park. Unfortunately, Corona restrictions canceled the tour of the BMW factory which I had been really looking forward to. At least we were still able to explore BMW’s largest showroom.

 

Innsbruck – Day 3

Innsbruck – the bridge over the river Inn. Today’s day trip into the crossroads city located about 30 minutes from Germany and Italy was a brief, but incredible look into the city nestled in the Alps. The capital of the Tirol region is both beautiful and full of history and the walking tour and free time were enough to provide a taste of the atmosphere and culture of the city, but hopefully I’ll get another chance to spend some more time here in the future. 

 

Day 4 – Rotterdam                   

Prior to leaving Munich this morning, I took one last stroll through the quiet morning streets. It really is a pleasant city. Train travel is a greatly underappreciated form of travel in the United States. The ICE system provides an efficient, smooth, and quiet way to move between cities and countries. Using a series of these trains, we shifted our base of operations from Munich to Rotterdam. After checking into the hotel, we went out for a walking food tour to try traditional Dutch foods and learn about the history of Rotterdam. Apparently the Dutch are very into fried foods, because it seemed like everything we were eating was fried- Poffertjes, Krokketen, etc. At least the cheese wasn’t fried?

Day 5- Rotterdam    

After an early start and a bus ride to Delft, a walking tour through the slowly waking city unveiled the historic city. Severe damage during the second world war led to a very modernized Rotterdam, so Delft’s antiquity made it an interesting contrast. The windmills we visited next were also rather scenic.

The collaboration with Erasmus was quite interesting. It was my first time taking part in a case competition and it was a great experience. It was also followed up with what was probably the fanciest restaurant meal that I’ve ever had.

 

Day 6 – Hague, Amsterdam

Another early start to an exciting adventure-filled day. The morning commenced with a trip to the Hague. Apparently, some sort of government meeting was bound to go on because while we were there, we saw the minister of the environment and the minister of health. The openness with which we could stand a few dozen feet from government officials giving interviews with minimal police presence is really astounding, especially when compared to the security preserves at the White House or the Capitol. Then, during a visit to an art museum, we were able to see original Rembrandts and Vermeers.

After taking the train to Amsterdam, the walking tour continued. Of the cities in the Netherlands that we’ve visited, Amsterdam is, without a doubt, the most chaotic and bustling. I do mean it in a positive way, as it felt very much alive. Once again, I must complement the local public transportation- every city to city transit was smooth and convenient.

Day 7- Rotterdam                                      

Today was one of the latest start times of this trip. To take advantage of this, I still woke up extra early to wander through the morning city. I hadn’t accounted for it to be sleeping though (early Saturday morning). On the bright side, empty streets let me enjoy the quiet time.

The group bike tour was informative and brought me closer to their harbor than I had ever been before. No matter how many times one hears about the size of these ships, it doesn’t do much to prepare you for getting up close to them. An incredible sight to behold.

After being set loose on the city again I got to do one of my favorite things- just wander and look around. In my experience, this is one of the best ways to see a city- not too informative in terms of history, but gives an honest look at the everyday lives of the local citizens.