Tyre (Sour), Lebanon

Tyre (Sour), Lebanon

The southern city of Tyre, Lebanon, during the 2006 war with Israel: The use of the word “Sour” in the title is not a commentary on the taste of Tyre, but rather is an alternative name for Tyre… Tyre’s origins are thought to date to around the 3rd millennium BC, when the original founders are … Continue reading »

Agrigento, Sicily

Agrigento, Sicily

Agrigento is located on the southern coast of Sicily and is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas. So, I’ll focus on that first… In its day, Akragas was one of the richest and most famous of the Greek colonies. Ancient Akragas covered a huge area — much of which is … Continue reading »

Photo Of The Day: A Late Night Cafe In Italy

I can’t recall if this is Rome or Catania. Either way, it is Italy and a scene one will see recreated every night in thousands of locations across Italy. I liked all of the motorcycles parked out front, suggestive of later excitement to come…

California Ghost Towns: St. Louis

California Ghost Towns: St. Louis

It took me a while to find St. Louis as there is, unfortunately, little left of this once-thriving town to lead one to it. To get here (on the road leading to Howland Flat which one picks up a little outside of La Porte) travel for about a mile past the St. Louis Bridge up … Continue reading »

Sculpture Of The Day: Rakshasas

Rakshasas c. 10th century Sandstone India (probably Madhya Pradesh) Feasting on human body parts, these cadaverous rakshasas (malicious spirits) are also attendants of terrifying yet protective deities such as the goddess Kali (and her variant Chamunda). In fact, this sculpture is a fragment from a large image depicting such a deity who once wore a … Continue reading »

The Best Pickup Line?

Written: Winter 2012, New York Occurred: Summer 2001, London   Over the summer of 2001 I worked as an intern at an American investment bank in London. After work, I would frequently join my co-workers in a pub down the street that we had locked down. One evening while hanging out with my usual group, … Continue reading »