From Eric Margolis’ latest article ‘US trains its guns on China’: America has been at war for decades. Its aircraft and warships are aging rapidly. Equally threatening, Congress may force deep military spending cuts as deficits worsen – at a time when the US military is being ordered to keep China bottled up on the…… Continue reading In relation to China
My intellectual/spiritual/academic mentor, Professor Akbar Ahmed, has done it again. And it’s sheer brilliance! Brookings Institution Press has just released an e-mail highlighting their forthcoming Fall publications. Showcased in this e-mail is Professor Ahmed’s latest book ‘The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam’: The United…… Continue reading Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed
This archive documents my writings from the ‘Journey into America’ book and documentary project. The writings here are my own personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect the overall message of ‘Journey into America’. Most of these entires are ‘notes in the field’, but you may also find published articles. In addition, included here are short…… Continue reading My diary: 1 year, 100 cities, 75 mosques, and one question…
Note: Christian Smith of the University of Notre Dama recently wrote an important piece in Footnotes of the American Sociological Association on the importance of taking the sociology of religion seriously. Essentially, Smith wonders ‘why, when it comes to religion, do so many sociologists suddenly stop being sociological and become ideological and ignorant?’ The…… Continue reading Religion: The science of the sociology of religion
By Patrick Lane You miss your woman when she’s gone. You sleep on her side of the bed even when you say you won’t, imagine her cut under you like strange wool newly clipped. And fold away, fold away. There’s broken things around you you can’t fix. Blood in a boy’s head and a bullet…… Continue reading Breaking
One of my best friends Jonathan Doar (we call him JD) is an exceptional chef who appeared on the Food Network’s popular show Chopped (This fact alone sets him a part from most chefs out there). JD’s clearly a young, enthusiastic, and of course up-and-coming chef in the ranks. Now that he has spent the past many…… Continue reading Friends: Chef JD’s video demonstration in Bosa, Sardegna
A few pictures from a great homemade lasagna dinner. Check the video as well.
Jackie MacMullan, ESPN And so here we are. The team nobody said could win this series — and yes, that absolutely, positively included me — the team that is too old, too fragile, too hurt, whose margin of error is too small, whose bench is too anemic, whose lack of athleticism is too much of…… Continue reading What they’re saying about the Celtics’ HUGE Game 5 victory
I’ve blogged about this many times, but just to reiterate, I served as the Editor for the Trinity College Dublin Journal of Postgraduate Research, Volume XI. Here are some action pictures from the launch event, which were taken by friend and great photographer, Robbie Fry. © Robbie Fry Photography
… in a way poetry is stronger than death but it’s like love in that somebody two hundred years later could know you somehow through your words. – Medbh McGuckian An amazing line.
This was an outstanding event and, according to many, the best launch of the Journal of Postgraduate Research (JPR) to date (no doubt the cover was the best ever). Many thanks to our panel members, especially Senator David Norris, for lighting up the audience with his wit and charm. I also can’t forget to congratulate our…… Continue reading Pictures of TCD JPR Vol. XI launch
The slippery and elusive Untouchable and invisible Thing. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack or Bringing peace to earth for eternity. * Have you ever held a little kitten? Your arms wrapped around it, held ever so tightly Then the kitten wiggles away and escapes Just as you think you have it wrapped…… Continue reading T***t
Mel and I decided to take a day trip to Dún Laoghaire, partly because we wanted to, but also because our buddy Robbie Fry (great photographer) had to give me a CD of pictures from an event last week. Will blog about that soon. Mel had been to Dún Laoghaire, but this was my first time. I…… Continue reading Day trip to Dún Laoghaire
One of my favourite aspects of Dublin is the evening time in spring and summer, when the sun is still out at 9:30, even 10:00, where I can enjoy the European ‘beer garden’ atmosphere at my home in the Liberties. On this occasion, Melony and I decided to try something new – some homemade pizza, of course…… Continue reading Homemade pizza
When Afghan or Pakistani civilians are murdered by drone strikes, US bangs on about ‘collateral damage’, but when Syrian civilians are murdered by Assad regime/militias, US cries about ‘war crimes’. Let’s not forget that a war crime is a war crime is a war crime, regardless of the context in which war crimes are committed.…… Continue reading A gross double-standard
Drone warfare, especially the US’s illegal use of it in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has bothered me greatly since I first started writing about it for World Can’t Wait in 2010. As it is with others, my main concern with the use of drone warfare is that drones more often than not kill civilians and not the…… Continue reading It’s dangerous stuff when the US arms Italian drones
Source: You Tube Soomo Publishing’s ‘Animated Introduction to Social Science’ defines the broad-spectrum discipline of social science. You can see more of Soomo Publishing’s educational videos by visiting http://www.soomo.tv.
A mysterious song here.
I took this at Kadikoy, Turkey at the Sali Bazar in January 2012.
I visited this dude every day. I enjoyed sitting and listening to his soothing rhythm.
One of my favourite journalists, Eric Margolis, recently published a piece titled ‘Facing the Writing on the Wall in Kabul’. Here is an excerpt. Link to article below. The objective of war is to achieve political goals, not kill people. The US goal was to turn Afghanistan into a protectorate providing bases close to Caspian…… Continue reading Margolis on the clear defeat in Afghanistan
According to the BBC, a US drone strike has killed at least eight people in a volatile tribal area of north-west Pakistan. This is the second strike in the area in 24 hours. At least four suspected militants were killed on Wednesday. US drone strikes in Pakistan are highly controversial. Are they legal? What about the…… Continue reading Drones over the ‘suspected militants’ in Pakistan
I’ve just created a new page to showcase some of the photographs I’ve taken throughout the course of my travels since 2007. You can check it here or see above.
Now that my role as Editor for the TCD Journal of Postgraduate Research (Volume 11) is practically finished, I want to reflect back on the experience, share the negatives and positives, but more importantly, touch on the wealth of knowledge I accumulated throughout the arduous process of putting together an academic journal. I’ve broken this…… Continue reading Lessons I learned as Editor
I rented a cheap little car and was told ‘not to go off-roading’. But what did that mean? What is considered ‘off-roading’? These are two questions I certainly contemplated before taking the car down a dangerous path to the famous and isolated Kambia Beach in the middle-of-nowhere, Santorini. Would I make the car back up…… Continue reading My ‘Dirt road in Santorini’ video
I shot this on May 8th on a bright and sunny day in Athens. Of course I tipped him and asked for permission to film.
Bahrain has been in the news over the last year or so for largely negative reasons – shooting and tear-gassing peaceful protestors that were fighting for the so-called quintessentially American value of democracy. The Guardian reports that at least 30 protestors have been killed, more than 500 people detained, and up to 2,000 people have been dismissed…… Continue reading So THAT’S why the US supports Bahrain
I’ve done my fair share of traveling since graduating from college in 2007, from researching around the U.S. for one year with Ambassador Ahmed, to my own personal adventures throughout Europe and eastern Asia. I’ve been to some amazing places, from the Château de Padiès in Southern France, to the hills of Honolulu, to the famous…… Continue reading Photo-journal documenting trip to Athens and Santorini
It wasn’t my job as Editor to put together the front and back cover for TCD JPR Vol. 11. That task was Mary O’Connor’s, the President of the Graduate Students’ Union. She did what I think is an amazing job. Take a look at the front and back cover. Now we just have to get…… Continue reading Radical and yet professional
Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? Tough questions to ponder. * To find the answers You better not ask For action and not thinking Defines you.
Oia is a small village on the northern tip of Santorini island. It’s a famous spot for its sunset. Indeed, that was clear when the people around me started applauding when the sun was gone.
The title above means paradise in Greek. It’s where I’m at right now.
The first destination I visited was Syntigma Square. There were loads of young people gearing up for the protest which happens to be in a few hours. Huge flags and large ‘pow wow’ groups filled the area. I plan on watching it go down and catching it all on video. I feel another potential CNN…… Continue reading Travels: First reaction in Athens
My jam for the day.
The steadfast peer review team and I have finally wrapped up the final articles for publication in TCD Journal of Postgraduate Research, Vol. 11: Ireland’s Research on the World Stage. You can view the abstracts here. The next week or so will be dedicated to giving them one last careful proofread. It’s a pain, but it…… Continue reading Finally, but the work continues
By Chad Howse from www.chadhowsefitness.com 1. They didn’t use excuses. 2. It wasn’t just about them. 3. Early morning and late nights. 4. The greatest commodity. 5. Principles. 6. Wavering, yet unbreakable faith. 7. A reason. 8. They persevered when others didn’t. 9. Great people relentlessly studied their craft. 10. Risk. Read WHY at addicted2success.com
Stumbled across this powerful voice on the street while coming home from a night out on the town. Quite impressive, though I can’t translate one word.
Hagia Sophia was perhaps the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen in person. This mosaic of Jesus was one of my favourite parts of the trip.
I shot this in December 2011
It’s a true shame I can’t remember its name, but like most mosques in Istanbul, this one was beautiful. The best part of the visit was the complete silence (though that really doesn’t come across in this video). Strangely, you will also notice the banging going on in the background. I feel like it’s well…… Continue reading Beautiful mosque in Istanbul
On May 5th, I’m packing my bags, which will absolutely include one of my all-time favourites, Plato’s Dialogues, for a much needed vacation away from the cold and rainy (but still beautiful!) island of Ireland. It has been a hell of a few months with fieldwork and editing this Journal, so this trip couldn’t have…… Continue reading 8 spots I seek to visit around Greece
I was in Istanbul, Turkey for New Years 2012. One evening, whilst staying in a hostel in the ‘Old City’, a few of us were hanging around when a local young man, who happened to be living at the hostel, decided to play us a tune on his clarinet. Notice the slow pace in which…… Continue reading Clarinet in an Istanbul stairwell
Some thought-provoking questions which sprang from my reading of: The Politics of Multiculturalism in the New Europe by Tariq Modood and Pnina Werbner (1997). 1. What are the key features of ‘Islamophobia’? 2. How would you compare ‘Islamophobia’ to anti-Semitism? What about anti-Judaism? 3. To what extent would you agree that ‘Islamophobia’ is more a form…… Continue reading Study Questions to Guide Discussion on Islamophobia
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