Category: History

Lines, lines, everywhere lines

I noticed the other day that the border between Israel and the Sinai is not a straight line.  About halfway across, between Gaza and Aqaba, the border has a couple of protrusions into the Egyptian side (there are other places, but these are the most noticeable).  Does anyone know the history of how this border …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/12/10/lines-lines-everywhere-lines/

Border forts

It’s interesting how news about the war in Iraq dribbles out. Today’s local paper has a front-page story about a James Vandenberg, a Little Rock architect who serves in the Civil Engineering Corps, U.S. Navy Reserve Seabees. He recently spent 10 months in the Al Anbar region of Iraq. Here’s the part of the story …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/09/29/border-forts/

Moose Turd Pie

… … … Thinking there had to be a better way to evacuate large populations in the path of hurricanes (Katrina was then in the news), I suggested the following: Couldn’t our rail system (passenger and/or freight) move lots more people — further distances and on a semi-continuous basis — than trying to rely on …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/09/22/moose-turd-pie/

Why Calvin is Cool

Michael, I just read your infomercial and browsed through your e-monastary and related e-inn. I’m still giggling, albeit to myself lest my wife think me mad. You are one unusual fellow — a calvinistic Baptist (odd enough) doing pulpit supply at a Presbyterian church! I had heard that Baptists and Presbyterians co-congregated back in the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/08/29/why-calvin-is-cool/

All imperialism

Monroe, It’s Sunday morning. Why aren’t you in church? I hate to bring this up again because I got flamed big-time on the last occasion, but here’s an excerpt from Charlie Reese’s editorial in today’s local paper: All imperialism, even the American form, is ultimately based on social Darwinism, a belief not openly stated these …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/08/14/all-imperialism/

Evangelism 101

… … … This is from part of President Daniel Bliss’ speech when the cornerstone of College Hall was dedicated at the Syrian Protestant College (now American University of Beirut) in 1871: “This college is for all conditions and classes of men without regard to color, nationality, race or religion. A man, white, black, or …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2005/06/09/evangelism-101/

Trolling for fools

With Trembling Finger By Hal Crowther, circa November 2004   I used to take a drink on occasion with a network newsman famed for his impenetrable calm — his apparent pulse rate that of a large mammal in deep hibernation — and in an avuncular moment he advised me that I’d do all right, in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2004/11/02/trolling-for-fools/