>The Geography of Starbucks


>Thanks to Dante Chinni for an interesting article on the geography of Starbucks. Here we go: Stereotypes. Some people believe that the “Wal-mart Nation” favors John McCain; the “Starbucks Nation” favors Barack Obama. Probably not true. What I found immensely fascinating was the division of the United States into 11 Starbucks Communities. I am not…

>Movie Review: Noise


>ThinkFilm production has a new Tim Robbins movie available for rental, “Noise.” Car alarms are annoying. Just one car alarm going off is enough to send many people into a state of incoherent babbling. Imagine multiple cars or trucks going off simulatenously or consecutively. Madness, shear madness, could result. And this is what sends David…

>Iran and the Debates


> I hope everyone has been watching the debates. They are informative in their content, and, conversely, informative in what they do not contain. Listen for comments about China and India. Are there any ??? Let me be clear, I am not going to use this venue to support either party. I do want to…

>Repairman Jack Geography


>On a whim, I bought my first Repairman Jack novel, “Harbinger.” Anyone who has read a Repairman Jack novel, by F. Paul Wilson will realize what came next. I bought my second Repairman Jack novel, “Hosts.” And then I bought “Gateways” and “Crisscross,” which I am reading now. I bought “Infernal” on Friday. No, I…

Can you really see Russia from Alaska?


Can you really see Russia from Alaska? – By Nina Shen Rastogi – Slate Magazine Thanks, Nina, for a great geography article! At the beginning of each semester, I have students do an exercise, to help them refresh their knowledge of the world. Name the continents, name five most populous countries, name the five largest…

>Fannie Mae Breakdown


>I have to be honest, when I heard about the imminent bankruptcy of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, I passed this off as just another financial crisis, similar to the mortgage crisis, and the bailout of some banks recently. Boy, was I wrong. When I hear economists say that they would rather see the United…

>Movie Review: The Kite Runner


>My wife and I watched The Kite Runner the other night, the last DVD in a multi-movie and Guitar Hero ’80s weekend. We didn’t begin watching until late, around midnight. My hopes on staying awake throughout the length of the movie were pretty low. Once the movie began, however, we were riveted throughout the entire…

>A Country Called Europe


>I like this title better than the original title, “It’s the end of Britain as we know it”. My title is not accurate, but neither is CSM’s. However, we are both heading in the same direction. The European Union is growing closer to becoming “a country” by my estimates. Europe has been evolving towards a…

>Iraq and Iran: Together for the First Time


>Folks, I see this as a big deal. I have read numerous international articles, within the Arab world and without, and I see this as a concern. Iraq and Iran spent the better part of the 1980’s fighting over the Shatt al-Arab waterway in the southern part of Iraq. Oil, of course, was the contention.…