Excerpt: The commercial traveler, a personage unknown to antiquity, is one of the striking figures created by the manners and customs of our present epoch. May he not, in some conceivable order of things, be destined to mark for coming philosophers the great transition which welds a period of material enterprise to the period of intellectual strength? Our century will bind the realm of isolated power, abounding as it does in creative genius, to the realm of universal but leveling might; equalizing all products, spreading them broadcast among the masses, and being itself controlled by the principle of unity,--the final expression of all societies. Do we not find the dead level of barbarism succeeding the saturnalia of popular thought and the last struggles of those civilizations which accumulated the treasures of the world in one direction?...

The Unbearable Bassington was the first novel written by Saki (H. H. Munro). It also contains much of the elegant wit found in his short stories. Comus (The Unbearable) Bassington, is a charming young man about town. His perversity however thwarts all his mother’s efforts to advance his prospects and lands him in hot water. Like many a “black sheep” he ends up being sent off to one of the colonies to fend for himself. This book showcases Saki’s wonderful writing and that ability to be so very funny and terribly sad at the same time. (Summary by Noel Badrian)...

Fiction, Humor, Satire

The Mudfog Papers was written by Victorian era novelist Charles Dickens and published from 1837–38 in the monthly literary serial Bentley's Miscellany, which he then edited. They were first published as a book as 'The Mudfog Papers and Other Sketches. The Mudfog Papers relates the proceedings of the fictional 'The Mudfog Society for the Advancement of Everything', a Pickwickian parody of the British Association for the Advancement of Science founded in York in 1831, one of the numerous Victorian learned societies dedicated to the advancement of Science. Like The Pickwick Papers, The Mudfog Papers claim affinity with Parliamentary reports, memoirs, and posthumous papers. The serial was illustrated by George Cruikshank. The fictional town of Mudfog was based on Chatham in Kent, where Dickens spent part of his youth. Mudfog was described by Dickens as being the town where Oliver Twist was born and spent his early years when the story first appeared in 'Bentley's Miscellany' in February 1837, making it a continuation of The Mudfog Papers, but this allusion was removed when the story was printed in book form. At the conclusion of his fir...

Fiction, Short stories

This reading is in Hebrew.Yosef Haim Brenner (murdered by Arab terrorists in 1921 at the age of 40) presented in his book From Here and There a piercing, soul searching portrayal of the second aliyah, the dominant immigration into Palestine at the beginning of the twentieth century. The following words have influenced many at the time, and are still thought to represent Brenner's literary will: Life is bad, but always secret ... Death is bad. The world is conflicted, but also diverse, and sometimes beautiful. The world is miserable, but can also be wonderful. The nation of Israel, by the rules of logic, has no future. One must, nonetheless, work. So long as you have a soul, there are sublime acts and uplifting moments. Long live Hebrew human labor! (Summary by Omri Lernau)...

Fiction

This booklet describes various incidents of oil and natural gas wars between different countries. There is no connection between the booklet's chapters. Each chapter was written as an independent short essay....

Nursultan Nazarbayev, in full Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev also spelled Nazarbaev (born July 6, 1940, Kazakhstan, U.S.S.R.), president of Kazakhstan (from 1990), a reformist who sought regional autonomy for his Central Asian republic. Nazarbayev was the son of Kazakh peasants. He graduated from a technical school in Dneprodzerzhinsk (now Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine) in 1960, from a technical school of the Karaganda (now Qaraghandy) Metallurgical Combine in Kazakhstan (1967), and from the Higher Party School in Moscow (1976). He worked as a steelworker and engineer at the Karaganda plant off and on from 1960 to 1977. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1962 and rose through the ranks, becoming a full member of the Kazakhstan Politburo in 1979, chairman of the Kazakh Council of Ministers (1984–89), first secretary of the Kazakhstan party (1989–91), and full member of the CPSU Politburo (1990–91). In 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Kazakhstan elected Nazarbayev president of the republic....

Nursultan Nazarbayev, in full Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev also spelled Nazarbaev (born July 6, 1940, Kazakhstan, U.S.S.R.), president of Kazakhstan (from 1990), a reformist who sought regional autonomy for his Central Asian republic. Nazarbayev was the son of Kazakh peasants. He graduated from a technical school in Dneprodzerzhinsk (now Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine) in 1960, from a technical school of the Karaganda (now Qaraghandy) Metallurgical Combine in Kazakhstan (1967), and from the Higher Party School in Moscow (1976). He worked as a steelworker and engineer at the Karaganda plant off and on from 1960 to 1977. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1962 and rose through the ranks, becoming a full member of the Kazakhstan Politburo in 1979, chairman of the Kazakh Council of Ministers (1984–89), first secretary of the Kazakhstan party (1989–91), and full member of the CPSU Politburo (1990–91). In 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Kazakhstan elected Nazarbayev president of the republic....

Nursultan Nazarbayev, in full Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev also spelled Nazarbaev (born July 6, 1940, Kazakhstan, U.S.S.R.), president of Kazakhstan (from 1990), a reformist who sought regional autonomy for his Central Asian republic. Nazarbayev was the son of Kazakh peasants. He graduated from a technical school in Dneprodzerzhinsk (now Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine) in 1960, from a technical school of the Karaganda (now Qaraghandy) Metallurgical Combine in Kazakhstan (1967), and from the Higher Party School in Moscow (1976). He worked as a steelworker and engineer at the Karaganda plant off and on from 1960 to 1977. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1962 and rose through the ranks, becoming a full member of the Kazakhstan Politburo in 1979, chairman of the Kazakh Council of Ministers (1984–89), first secretary of the Kazakhstan party (1989–91), and full member of the CPSU Politburo (1990–91). In 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Kazakhstan elected Nazarbayev president of the republic....

With boundless gratitude to the peerless Chatla Sreeramulu, the director–actor of Telugu theatre, who had opened the wide windows to the grand stage the sneaking view of which enabled me to shape these plays ...

Scene – 1 Voice Over: Under the British Raj in India, the self-indulging Nizams of Hyderabad abdicated the administration of their vast principality to doralu, the village heads, letting them turn the areas under their domain into their personal fiefdoms. While the successive Nizams were obsessed with building palaces and acquiring jewelry, the village heads succeeded in ushering in an oppressive era of tyrannical order. Acting as loose cannon from their palatial houses called gadis, the doralu succeeded in foisting an inimical feudal order upon the downtrodden dalits. Besides making these dalits toil for them as cheap labor without impunity, the doralu had no qualms in making vassals out of the hapless women folk. What with the police patels and the revenue patwaris in nexus with the landed gentry and the moneyed shaukars making a common cause with the doralu in their unabated exploitation, their sub-human condition ensured that the dalits were distressed economically, degraded socially and debased morally. Ironically, lending the privileged few the muscle power to perpetrate the inimical social order were their henchmen f...

Slighted Souls A political stage play by BS Murthy On one side Dramatis Personae On the other Muthyal Rao, Dora of Rampur. Yellaiah, a peasant. Papa Rao, Police Patel. Mallamma, Yellaiah’s wife. Rami Reddy, Patwari. Narsimma, Yellaiah’s son. Papi Reddy, landlord. Sarakka, Yellaiah’s daughter. Shaukar Suryam, moneylender. Maisamma, Mallamma’s mother. Veeraiah, Head Constable. ...

De ce fotojurnal? Fiindcă suprafaţa pozelor se-ntinde aproape la jumătate sau mai mult din întreg volumul! Răsfoitorii acestei cărţi măcar vor privi ilustraţiile colorate din CentroAmerica, iar pe lȃngă imagini vor citi cel puţin cȃteva rȃnduri edificatoare... Fiindcă nimeni astăzi nu mai are timp! De ce instantaneu? Pentru că jurnalul e scris la primă mȃnă, pe locul vizitat, cu idei scurte ca nişte blitz-uri, cu economie de cuvinte – în această lume în care vremea trece rapid. Memorialistică fără retuşări. Viaţă brută. Fraze scurte şi simple, fără multe verbe… Şi la ce concluzii am ajuns după ce-am vizitat 40 de ţări? Că nu-mi place să mă stabilesc în nicio parte. Ci să locuiesc câte puţin în fiecare loc, apoi să mă mut în altul. E prea monotonă viaţa sedentară. Voi fi un migrator permanent: un călător la infinit! Cât mai mare diversitate vrem în operă. Să ne deschidă orizontul la maxim! Why fotojurnal? Because pictures are surface stretches nearly half or more of the entire volume! Răsfoitorii this book will look even Centroamerica colorful illustrations and the images will read at least lȃngă rȃnduri clenched for a fe...

Este periculos de mers prin pădurea tropicală din cauza şerpilor şi-a insectelor care pot provoca boli tropicale. Trebuie echipament special: bocanci contra şerpilor, un toiag cu care să ţii şerpii la distanţă, repelent (o substanţă cu care să te ungi pentru a îndepărta insectele) şi... un localnic care cunoaşte terenul şi pădurea. Aşa procedează cercetătorii ştiinţifici care purced în expediţii. It is dangerous to walk through the rain forest because of snakes and insects that can cause tropical diseases. Need special equipment: boots against snakes, a rod with which to keep snakes away, repellent (a substance with which to anoint you to remove insects) and ... a local who knows the land and the forest. That's how scientists who proceed on expeditions....

Fotojurnal instantaneu (prefaţă) - 4 NICARAGUA - 7 COSTA RICA - 33 PANAMÁ - 64

ACTUALITATEA PARADOXISMULUI Prefață Polemici privind paradoxismul și diverse interviuri vă prezentăm ȋn prima parte a acestei cărți. Ȋn cea de-a doua parte, veți constata actualitatea paradoxismului ȋn FOLCLORUL contemporan. Și anume: - Devieri derizorii de proverbe, făcȃnd astăzi hazul de necaz al omului de rȃnd: Fie pȃinea cât de rea, tot ți-o fură cineva. Ai carte, ai cu ce să te ştergi la fund. Lasă pe mâine ce poţi face azi, că poate mâine nu mai este nevoie. - Reinterpretări de aforisme. - Limbaj ȋn răspăr. - De asemenea, paradoxuri semantice: Totu-i infinit, chiar și finitul [de pildă, un segment de dreaptă este limitat ȋn ambele părți, ȋnsă conține o infinitate de puncte]. Nimic nu-i perfect, nici chiar perfectul! sau: Nimic nu-i absolut, nici chiar absolutul! - Calambururi bazate pe omonimii, dar și pe contrarieri ale clișeelor lingvistice… - Celebrele CULMI sau poante populare sunt ȋn esență paradoxiste… - Dar și paradoxismul ȋn imagini cotidiene preluate din folclorul Internetului, cu parabole și ironii politice, cu această modernizare… primitivă a țării! O lume reală care este… cu fundul ȋn sus! Iată cȃ...

Desigur, m-aștept acum la noi invective din partea clanului mafiot al său și al acoliților săi (călăii de serviciu). Cu cȃt ȋnjură mai tare, cu atȃt ȋi plȃtesc noii lor stăpȃni mai bine. Dar ȋmi va face o deosebită plăcere să le răspund! Provocȃndu-mă, ei ȋmi mențin verva creatoare. Doar că aceste publicații sunt plătite din bugetul poporului pentru acești șarlatani. Romȃnii ar trebui să se revolte ȋn toată țara contra acestei umilințe naționale la care sunt supuși. Of course, I now look at us invective of the mob clan and his acolytes (executioners service). With cȃt ȋnjură louder with their new stăpȃni pharma ȋi plȃtesc better. But ȋmi will be pleased to answer them! Provocȃndu me they ȋmi maintain creative verve. Only those publications that are paid from the budget of the people for these charlatans. Romȃnii should bet on around the country to rebel against this national humiliation they are subjected....

Prefață: Actualitatea paradoxismului: 3 Din nou despre paradoxism: 5 Alex Ștefănescu și Totalitarismul care se instalează ȋn Romȃnia: 31 Democrația celui mai puternic: 43 Neutrosofia și Paradoxismul (Dialog cu M. N. Rusu): 47 SCRIEREA PE DOS! (Interviu cu Maria Diana Popescu): 50 „Emigrant la infinit” (Interviu cu Mihaela Muscă): 54 PRO și CONTRA (Dialog cu Mircea Monu): 57 Chat paradoxist ȋn calambururi (Cu Janet Nică): 66 Chestionar despre paradoxism: 69 Preface: News paradoxism: 3 Again paradoxism 5 Alex Stefanescu and totalitarianism that installs ȋn Romȃnia: 31 Democracy fittest: 43 Neutrosophy and Paradoxism (Dialog with Rusu MN): 47 Writing on DOS! (Interview with Maria Diana Popescu): 50 "Emigrant to infinity" (Interview with Mihaela Musca): 54 Pros and Cons (Dialogue with Mircea Monu): 57 Chat paradoxist bet on puns (With Janet Nică): 66 Quiz paradox: 69...

Florentin Smarandache records his account of his emigration from Romania to America in this journal.

Aşa cum m-aţi sfătuit, iată-mă la Istanbul. Am reuşit să fug. Acum cred că e mai simplu să mă ajutaţi să emigrez. Aţi putea contacta Consulatul American din Istanbul telefonic sau printr-o scrisoare? Scuzaţi-mă pentru acest deranj. Eu am completat deja nişte hirtii la acesta, în care am cerut AZIL POLITIC (motive: interzicere congrese, doctorate,. interzicere publicare). Soţia şi copilul sînt in România, niCi nu ştiu de fuga mea. (Chiar astăzi am sosit). Le voi face chemare cînd ajung in SUA. Deocamdată stau la OTEL ŞAN (un hotel), apoi voi fi cred, mutat intr-un campus pentru refugiaţi politici [Comisia Internaţională Catolică de Migraţie (ICMC), Kalipci Sokak 146/2. Tesvikiye, Istanbul, Turcia - adreşă la care m-aţi putea găsi in viitor]. Am mare nevoie de sprijinul cuiva din America. Poate vă interesaţi la vreun avocat. În orice caz, cu azil politic se poate uşor intra. Vă mulţumesc mult, mult de tot. Al d-voaStră, Florentin Smarandache. As you advised me, here I am in Istanbul. I managed to run away. Now I think it's easier to help me migrate. You may contact the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul by phone or by letter? I'm sorry for...

Nepal has been blessed with heavenly natural beauty. However, the plate tectonics that gave birth to this natural beauty will one day cause massive loss of life and property. A majority of people living in Nepal are largely unaware of their vulnerability to a massive earthquake. Ironically, foreign diplomats seem to be more active in preparing Nepal for this imminent and unpredictable natural disaster: recently the US embassy funded the construction of a blood bank that can survive the impact of an earthquake, Nepal government and some UN agencies are collaborating to prepare critical infrastructures (like airport, emergency shelter, etc.) for a massive earthquake that is bound to hit this beautiful Himalayan kingdom that has already been cursed with a bloody past and a youth-less present. This short story (fiction, 2200 words) describes the home coming of a youth after a massive earthquake in Nepal. It also tries to emphasize the importance of letter writing in current age of instant communication (email, telephone, etc)....

The dead bodies recovered from the rubble lay all along the road side like a victory medal of the God. Pulverised concrete had turned the whole city into a dark and grey place. As Alok entered inner parts of the city, roads turned into small mountain of rubble; motionless hands, legs and expressionless faces peeked from these rubble. All the human remains were completely washed with powdered concrete dust and they silently recited the violent tale of furious Mother nature. Bricks had broken free from the tyranny of cement and lay scattered everywhere while naked concrete pillars shamelessly displayed their steel skeletons. A mist created by pulverised concrete floated everywhere like a recently freed spirit and, without any remorse, it flirted with strong smell of decaying human flesh. Stains of dried blood splatted over broken concrete spoke of the bloody feast organised by the Gods. Amid this aftermath of the festival of death, some hope emanated from the light of the pyre of some fortunate dead bodies whose relatives had survived to offer them the last Hindu rites....

A brief history on America's Library of Congress.

Water Margin, also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Attributed to Shi Naian, whom some believe to be Luo Guanzhong, the novel details the trials and tribulations of 108 outlaws during the mid Song Dynasty. It is a novel based on the outlaw Song Jiang and his companions. The group was active in the Huainan region and surrendered to the Song Dynasty government in 1121. They were recorded in the historical text History of Song....

Top secret United States government UFO documents released to the public. Routing and Transmittal Slip from Louis E. Foster, DIA with a DIA summary sheet and US Defense Attache report on the sighting of a UFO in Iran on 19 September 1976....

The Cometa report is a private initiative, though its style and contents give it an official look, and several members of Cometa have held (and some still hold) important posts in defense, science, and industry. At any rate, one effect of this document has been to renew interest in the official government research on UFOs in France....

The briefing was requested by Senator Smith (R-NH and Chair of the EPW) and Mr. David Conover (Chief of Staff-EPW) because of the need to look at energy and technology issues over times scales of 5-20 years. The briefing was organized by Dr. Theodore Loder and was held on Oct. 18, 2000 in the Senate Dirksen Building, Washington, DC....

Over the past few years I have had the responsibility of briefing senior government and scientific leaders both in the US and abroad on the UFO/Extraterrestrial subject. The evidence regarding this subject is clear and overwhelming: It has not been difficult to make a compelling case for the reality of UFOs per se. What is a greater challenge is elucidating the architecture of secrecy related to UFOs (see the exposition of this matter contained in the paper entitled "Unacknowledged" by this author). But the greatest challenge is explaining the ‘why'. Why all the secrecy? Why a ‘black' or unacknowledged government within the government? Why hide the UFO/ET subject from public view? The ‘what' or evidence is complex but manageable. The ‘how' or nature of the secret programs is more difficult, much more complex and Byzantine. But the ‘why' - the reason behind the secrecy'- is the most challenging problem of all. There is not a single answer to this question, but rather numerous inter-related reasons for such extraordinary secrecy. Our investigations and interviews with dozens of top - secret witnesses who have been within such programs...

There is no way to assess an ET agenda without first grasping the covert human agenda. We cannot discern what is real and what is Memorex – what is ET and what is pseudo-ET disinformation, unless we penetrate the halls of smoke and mirrors that is the vast shadow government’s propaganda machine....