flattery is the best form of imitation

isn’t that how the saying goes?  at any rate, flattery buys me more time while i get my second post together, which will be up by the end of the week.  perhaps even with pictures added.  for the later post, that depends on whether someone gets me the trip pictures she promised…

how’s the weather over there?

Let me try to give a better impression of how hot it was in the Middle East.

Middle East trip (intro)

The category “journal and notes — Middle East” contains journal entries and notes from my middle east trip from June through July 2008, in chronological order.  The first entry, below, is a brief history and overview of the original purpose of the trip, including why the hell I was in the region in the first place.  Names may or may not have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty, and when all else fails, the naive (mostly me…).