Terrorists

We would like to encourage potential terrorists, which we think reside mainly in the Middle East, to dull down, take up some interesting activities in your own back yard. We think sand collecting is fun. If this is too dull for you, however, how about camel racing? We set out below some links to sand collecting and camel racing. We hope you enjoy these.

COLLECTING SAND

Welcome to Sand Collecting

Expand Your Sand Collection

Sand Collecting in the U.K.

CAMEL RACING

Sport of Sheiks

Camel Jockeys in the Middle East

International Order of Camel Jockeys

Impact of September 11 on the DMC

On the morning of September 11, many of us, as usual, were watching the Weather Channel. Word reached us to switch to the news. When we saw the first hole in the World Trade Towers, we thought it was a TV show. When we heard that it was an accident . . . we thought probably a small plane . . . perhaps a glider. But then when we saw the second tower hit and explode, we realized it was most likely terrorists.

Perhaps from Libya (several of us had just finished reading Nelson DeMille’s The Lion’s Game). But more likely bin Lauden and al-Qaeda with their larger resources and wider network.

Awful Misuse of Talents

Our next thought was what a pity . . . that these guys had to get their kicks in such an awful way . . . that they are not content like we are to enjoy simple, ordinary things. These guys carried excitement-seeking to the ultimate and awful extreme.

It made us appreciate more than ever our dull way of life.

Why couldn’t these terrorists use their talents, energies, and resources in productive ways — improve the economies and lives of people in their countries?

Left Behind?

A commentator said recently that the Modern World has left the Muslim World behind. He was referring to inventions, technology, economic development, more comfortable living — in short, creativity. Our reaction when hearing this was that they didn’t keep up, that it was not the role, not the obligation, of the Modern World to pull the Muslim World along.

We realize, however, when looking back over our list of dull activities and events, that we in the DMC might have left the Muslim world behind . . . most of the items on the our list that many in the Muslim World cannot relate to.

We have been enthusiastic about airport carousels. We now have the world’s largest data base on the way carousels move. Many parts of the Muslim World do not have airports. Or, if they have airports, bags are handled by hand.

We’ve been writing about tub spotting. But there probably are no bath tubs in the caves where many of the terrorists live.

We have pictures of park benches on our site. We like to sit on park benches or anywhere else. Sitting is a fun thing to do. But the pictures we see of the terrorists show them sitting on the floor.

We’ve been reviewing the new book The Forgiveness of Nature, The History of Grass. There’s no grass out there in their desserts.

Dulling Them Down

We’ve done some research. We have some dull things that the terrorists might like to do — things that do not kill people or harm property.

Sand. Watch the wind blow it around. Collect sand. Take pictures of sand. Go to our Links Page (click here) to find web sites about sand — where they can learn all about sand, see different kinds of sand, and see sand from different places around the world.

Go to barber shops in Afghanistan to watch beards being shaved off.

	Take pictures inside their caves. Caves are similar to tunnels. We could put the picture on our Tunnels Page (click here).
	Fly kites. The Taliban banned kite flying. (What were they afraid of? That they would discover electricity?)
	Play with their beads.

Women

We’ve been asked whether we aren’t being hypocritical in criticizing the Taliban when we, like the Taliban, do not have women members. We think there are big differences. We have nothing against women learning how to read, women going to schools, women going out of the house by themselves. And we do not want women to cover their faces, We like t look at women, including/especially their faces. And we hear that women like us and support us (they know we are predicable, reliable, and save).