Clipmarks | ratilfar's 'empire' clips

"What We Are Seeing Is the Fall of America"

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:40:20 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Harold Bloom speaks...

Harold Bloom, Yale literature professor and cultural critic, is one of America's most prominent and provocative intellectuals.

Speaking at his home in New Haven where he is recovering from a recent health scare, a pale and weak Bloom seems to have symbolically embodied what he calls the "poor state of the nation."

"I am 77 years old and I have never seen this country in such a bad state. It is madness. What we are seeing is the fall of the Roman Empire, only now it is the fall of America, the glory of our Empire. This war is what Parthia was to Rome.

"We have caused a monstrous mess. We don't even count killed Iraqis. God knows how many Iraqi women, children and men have been killed by our accidental shootings, which we are such experts at, or by other Iraqis. No, 'Benito Bush' (Bloom's pet name for President George Bush) deserves, if we had a functioning civil law in the world, to be condemned for crimes against humanity. Bush is ultimately responsible for this war," Bloom says

Tags: iraq war, united states, middle east, chaos, war

Empire State Building struck by lightning

Fri, 18 May 2007 03:08:54 GMT

clipped by: ericw
clipper's remarks: Seriously. Photo taken during yesterday's storm.

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Tags: new york, nyc, empire state, lightening, storm, weather

Learn from the fall of Rome, US warned

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:09:21 GMT

clipped by: sam.reckoner

Clip Source: www.ft.com

Learn from the fall of Rome, US warned

The US government is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country’s top government inspector has warned.

Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were “striking similarities” between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.

“They need to make fiscal responsibility and inter-generational equity one of their top priorities. If they do, I think we have a chance to turn this around but if they don’t, I think the risk of a serious crisis rises considerably”.

Tags: politics, government, finance, economy

World's Tallest Building to Rise Higher than Mount Fuji

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:39:12 GMT

clipped by: mcgraf

Clip Source: inventorspot.com

World's Tallest Building to Rise Higher than Mount Fuji

At 13,123 feet high, the massive, mountain-shaped building envisioned by Japan's Taisei Construction Company would overshadow Mount Fuji itself by nearly 700 feet. That's the equivalent of NINE Empire State Buildings stood one upon the other!

Tags: japanese, technology, buildings

Why America Will Survive George W. Bush

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:53:01 GMT

clipped by: Kore7
clipper's remarks:

Otto von Bismarck saw how American blunders led to American power and allegedly said that God has a special providence for drunks, fools, and the United States of America.

Walter Russell Mead (of the Council on Foreign Relations) puts Bush's 8-year stint in the White House into proper perspective.

America's foreign policy has been short-sighted and often self-defeating from the get-go, alternately collaborative, passive, and interventionist. And, yet, miraculously, we always come out ahead.

With the unstoppable rise of a global capitalist economy, Mead makes the case that America, for all its past and current faults, will continue to be the inevitable leader of this new international buoyancy. Not even our latest mistakes (unprecedented though they may be) can derail such a powerful incentive that is the modern American world trade system.

Which means, more than ever, we're literally all in this together.

Clip Source: www.tnr.com

Failing Upward

Nothing in the field of international affairs is as scandalous and as perplexing as the fact of American power. From Revolutionary times to the present, virtually all observers foreign and domestic have agreed that Americans don't do foreign policy well.

Moralistic, uninformed, unsubtle, alternately isolationist and hyperactive, hamstrung by a clumsy constitutional process and a public that oscillates between fatuous idealism and ignorant bellicosity, U.S. foreign policy has been shocking the world for more than 200 years.

And, worse still, we win. For two centuries, the United States has astounded critics with its bad foreign policy--and, for two centuries, the United States has steadily risen to an unprecedented level of power and influence in the international system.

The spectacle is often surreal. The United States seems to wander nearsightedly but relatively unscathed past one hazard after another

like a version of the chronically oblivious cartoon character Mr. Magoo.

Tags: america, usa, bush, foreign policy, world, history, war, empire, trade, economy

Clip Title Deleted

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:16:15 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: It's for "National Security."

Screw our own rights and liberties and security and privacy, as long as the tyrannical, paranoid, fear-driven Empire is happy. Right?

America's behaviour is alarming, annoying, paranoid and ridiculous, to say the least, and very unbecoming of a so-called "free and brave" nation.

"It's one thing to say it's reasonable for government agents to open your luggage. It's another thing to say it's reasonable for them to read your mind and everything you have thought over the last year. What a laptop records is as personal as a diary, but much more extensive. It records every Web site you have searched. Every e-mail you have sent. It's as if you're crossing the border with your home in your suitcase."
-----
One law firm has instructed its lawyers to travel to the United States with "blank laptops" whose hard drives contain no data
-----
Lawyers cannot fully advise people how they may exercise their rights during a border search.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Clarity Sought on Electronics Searches

U.S. Agents Seize Travelers' Devices

Nabila Mango

was detained at customs and her cellphone was taken from her purse.

after her phone was returned, Mango saw that records of her daughter's calls had been erased.

earlier in the same airport, a tech engineer

objected when a federal agent asked him to type his password into his laptop computer. "This laptop doesn't belong to me," he remembers protesting. "It belongs to my company." Eventually, he agreed to log on and stood by as the officer copied the Web sites he had visited

a marketing executive

flying from Dulles International Airport

said the agent told her he had "a security concern" with her. "I was basically given the option of handing over my laptop or not getting on that flight,"

The seizure of electronics at U.S. borders has prompted protests from travelers

They also want to know the boundaries for asking travelers about their political views, religious practices and other activities

Tags: screw you, big brother

eClips!

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:56:07 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: Compared to this, I feel like Uriah Heep:
"Ever so 'umble".

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

A view from the top of Beachwood Canyon with Griffith Observatory in foreground.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

At about 8 p.m., the moon glows orange above Indio during the eclipse.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

The eclipse in progress over Huntington Beach.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

The moon is seen partially eclipsed at is rises in cloudy skies over the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

The moon glows orange as it is seen above the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

A partially covered moon during the eclipse from Mexico City.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

A fully-eclipsed moon is seen next to the Empire State Building in New York.

Tags: lunar eclipse

Some Badass Bitches

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:36:37 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: listverse.com

This is a list of the greatest female warriors through history. In order to be selected for this list, the woman has had to be someone who fought in battle herself, not just commanding from a distance, and she had to be real - for this reason people like Hua Mulan are not included as there is a lot of doubt about their historical existence.

Gudit (also known as Judit) was a non-Christian queen who ruled Dʿmt around 960 AD.

Triệu Thị Trinh

225 AD

Triệu Thị Trinh was a Vietnamese warrior from the 3rd century who successfully resisted the occupying forces of the Wu Kingdom during their time in Vietnam

Boudicca

1st Century AD

Boudicca was a Queen of the people of Norfolk who lead an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.

Trưng Sisters

1st Century AD

The Trưng Sisters were Vietnamese military leaders who managed to repel Chinese invasions for over three years.

Artemisia I of Caria

Artemisia I of Caria became the ruler of Ionia as a client of the Persians

Mosaics

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:59:33 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.thejoyofshards.co.uk

mosaic goes back some 4,000 years or more

the Greeks

raised the pebble technique to an art form

Roman Empire took mosaics further afield, although the level of skill and artistry was diluted

The inter-twined rope border effect here is called "guilloche

Click for a list of Roman mosaics you can see on this site

Byzantine mosaics

Eastern influences in style and the use of special glass tesserae called smalti

They are sometimes backed with reflective silver or gold leaf

Islamic mosaic art

motifs are mainly geometric and mathematical

Clip Source: www.thejoyofshards.co.uk

Medieval to modern

tiling patterns in abbeys and other major religious buildings

19th century

a revival of interest

in the Byzantine style

Art Nouveau movement also embraced mosaic art

the stunning ceramic mosaics of the Guell Park

a technique known as trencadis in which tiles

covered surfaces of buildings

Mosaic is in a healthy state in the early 21st century

Clip Source: www.thejoyofshards.co.uk

La Maison Picassiette is the extraordinary result of one man's work between 1938 and 1964

Armenia: The Epic Land

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:04:04 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

(Khorvirap Monastery with Mount Ararat, photo by Andrew Behesnilian)

Armenia is one of the oldest countries on Earth, its rich history apparent at every turn, from the capital city of Yerevan to the outskirts of the nation. It survived the Roman Empire, Alexander the Great, the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and dozens of other attempts at conquest - remaining largely independent throughout its history.

Armenia was also among the first post-Soviet countries to readily embrace capitalism, which served to improve somewhat the standard of living, but brought with it a score of other problems. However, regardless of (presently improving) economic situation, the point of this article is to remind the reader (and maybe the future visitor) about the incredible natural and cultural wonders of this country.

Feel the deep poetry of stones:

(Armenia's mystical old churches & monasteries)

Garni Temple - This temple was constructed over 2,000 years ago and was likely paid for by Emperor Nero of Rome.

Yerevan

Tags: interesting

The most comprehensive list of Maps

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 23:53:46 GMT

clipped by: sohil
clipper's remarks: Wow!

Clip Source: www.fsmitha.com

Maps

to home page

The Ancient World ... index of places

The Fertile Crescent, 9000-4500 BCE

Mesopotamia to 2500 BCE

Africa, 2500 to 1500 BCE

Sargon's Empire

West Asia to 1200 BCE

Israel and Judah to 733 BCE

India to 500 BCE

Shang Civilization, 1200 BCE

Qin and Its Conquests

Europe

Empire of Cyrus II

Aegean Region, to 300 BCE

Greece

Hellespont

Alexander in the East

Empire of Asoka

Han China, circa 100 BCE

Italy and Sicily

Aegean Region, 185 BCE

Roman Empire, 12 CE

Roman Empire, 150 CE

Judea, Galilee, Idumea

Sassanid Empire

Roman Empire, 500 CE

Gupta Empire

China, Korea and Japan

Mesoamerica and the Maya

Africa to 500 CE

Oceania

to the top

6th to 15th Centuries

16th to 19th Centuries

1901 to World War War II

Tags: maps, map, history, ancient history, list, india, china, greece, alexandar, ancient, rome, korea, japan, spain, russia, france, turkey, australia, modern, africa, asia, europe, america, world war, middle east

Bush: 'God told me'. ...BBC TV program

Fri, 23 May 2008 09:38:08 GMT

clipped by: righthand
clipper's remarks: Where's his god now? What a nut. Don't they lock up religious freaks like this in America? Surely a snake-oil salesmen have more credibility now. When will they ever learn? I'm embarrassed every time I hear him speak. What must it be like to have been a one time Bush-lover? God!

More from the BBC program...
Bush is quoted as telling the two, "I feel God's words coming to me: 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And by God, I'm gonna do it."

Mr Abbas remembers how the US President told him he had a "moral and religious obligation" to act.
...BBC

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bush: God told me to invade Iraq

President 'revealed reasons for war in private meeting'

Bush has claimed he was told by God to invade Iraq and attack Osama bin Laden's stronghold of Afghanistan as part of a divine mission to bring peace to the Middle East, security for Israel, and a state for the Palestinians

made the assertion during his first meeting with Palestinian leaders in June 2003, according to a BBC series which will be broadcast this month

Bush launched an impassioned attack yesterday in Washington on Islamic militants, likening their ideology to that of Communism, and accusing them of seeking to "enslave whole nations" and set up a radical Islamic empire "that spans from Spain to Indonesia"

programmeElusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, which starts on Monday

President: "I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George go and end the tyranny in Iraq,' and I did."

Tags: religion, bush, iraq, invasion

Extraordinary Collection of Russian Empire Color Photographs

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:00:14 GMT

clipped by: tpq62
clipper's remarks: The fact that they are color gives one a weird feeling. They don't seem so "historical". These are just a small sample. Wonderful stuff.

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Exhibition of early color photographs from Russian Empire by S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky

Austrian prisoners of war near a barrack. Karelia.

1915

The village of Kolchedanskoye.

1912

Hut of a settler Artemii nicknamed Kot (cat) who has been living on this place for more than 40 years.

1912

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Laying concrete for a sluice dam.

1912

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Tea factory in Chakvi. Chinese master teagrower Lao Zhang Zhou.

1905 – 1915

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Mullah with schoolgirls at the Artomelin Mosque in the town of Artvin.

1904 – 1912

Armenian woman in national costume. Artvin.

1904 – 1912

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Dagestan Types.

1904 – 1905

Dagestan Types.

1904 – 1905

Shamil's village. Dagestan.

1904 – 1912

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Emir of Bukhara.

1911

. .

Unidentified. No print in the albums.

1906 – 1907
Five inmates stare out from a zindan, a traditional Central Asian prison—in essence a pit in the earth with a low structure built on top. The guard, with Russian rifle and bayonet, is attired in Russian-style uniform and boots.

. .

Unidentified. No print in the albums.

1905 – 1915
Two prisoners in shackles. Bukhara.

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

A group of Jewish boys with the teacher.

1911

A Sart old man (babaika).

1905 – 1915

Bayga. Samarkand.

1906 – 1911

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Nomadic Kirghizs.

1911

1907 – 1915

Unidentified. No print in the albums.

1907 – 1915

Clip Source: sechtl-vosecek.ucw.cz

Unidentified. No print in the albums.

1907 – 1915

Tags: history, russia, photography, anthropology

Gandhi and Martin Luther King no longer part of UK History

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 23:27:59 GMT

clipped by: sohil
clipper's remarks: I think it's increasingly important for students to learn about people like Gandhi and King who preached love and kindness, at the same time never to go down the path Hitler laid (I would personally add Churchill to the never go down list)

Clip Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and Adolf Hitler have been cut from a list of key historical figures recommended for teaching under a radical new secondary school curriculum in the UK.

Under the new curriculum to come into force next year, schools in UK will no longer be advised to focus on Churchill, Gandhi, Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Benito Mussolini in their lessons on 20th century history.

Specific periods such as the Wars of the Roses have been cut from the notes accompanying the curriculum. Pupils aged 11 to 14 will, however, study broad topics including the First and Second World Wars, the Holocaust, the British Empire and slave trade.

The new list of recommended authors for 11 to 14-year-olds includes contemporary writers such as Douglas Adams and Alan Bennett, 20th century writers including T S Eliot and George Orwell and earlier writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Tags: india, gandhi, king, history, world wars, united kingdom, uk, britain, education

Art of the DEAD: Ancient Irish High Cross Art

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:38:28 GMT

clipped by: righthand
clipper's remarks: "About 200 of them survive, in varying condition, many of them decorated with scriptural scenes. This iconography, some of it simple, some of it ingeniously complex, has been meticulously explored by archaeologist/art historian Dr Peter Harbison in his definitive three volume study, The High Crosses of Ireland (Bonn, 1992). It is a major work which is yet to be published in Ireland. In it Harbison has identified ancient Christian Rome from AD 400 onwards as the most likely inspiration for the Irish crosses, "but the figure sculpture may have come to our shores largely through the filter of the empire of Charlemagne and his sons in central Europe". The compositions for the biblical panels on the Irish crosses are often similar to those found on frescoes in continental churches.

" During the past 20 years or so, several of the high crosses have been moved indoors in an attempt to prevent further erosion. One of the first to be relocated was the cross at the Rock of Cashel which was re

Clip Source: www.ireland.com

Ancient art in high crosses

The high crosses of Ireland are the most enduring legacy of a Christian past and a major contribution to medieval European art

They stand in ancient church yards, in the grounds of ruined monasteries or in some cases, are found in solitary isolated spots, all traces of the places of worship they once adorned long gone

Many are marked by time, and the relentless rain, wind and frost; others appear almost impervious

They all tell stories, the hands of forgotten master craftsmen once carefully carved episodic sequences of narratives onto their stone faces, leaving the viewer to gaze and think; grasp their meaning and consider their message

The magnificent high crosses of Ireland are among the most beautiful and enduring legacies of our Christian past

Hewn from various stone, including sandstone and granite, they also represent a major contribution to the sculptural art of medieval Europe

They are Ireland's first great public sculptures

artist

art historian

archaeologist

Tags: irish, archaeologist, culture