Or Ferdinand. Either way I am set to begin circumnavigating the globe.
So, dear friends and readers, drop me a line if I am in your neck of the woods at armscontrolwonk [at] gmail.com
1. Istanbul, Turkey. June 6-8. Attending the Financial Services Volunteer Corp dialogue Expanding Policy Connections: Strengthening Ties Among the United States, Russia and China.
2. New Delhi, India. June 9-10. Attending the CSIS–ICWA conference on Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons.
3. San Jose, CA. June 12-16. Attending the New America Foundation Senior Staff Retreat at the Dolce Hayes Mansion.
4. Beijing, China. June 17-18. Meetings organized by the Brookings Institution.
5. Shanghai, China. June 19-20. Yet more meetings organized by the Brookings Institution.
Should be fun. Will try to send pictures.
You can show up in HKSAR and I promise you wouldn’t catch SARs.
Just thought you would not be thrilled to be reminded of how Magellan met his end:
“Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off his head twice… A native hurled a bamboo spear into the captain’s face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the native’s body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it out but halfway, because he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide. When they wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether we were all in the boats.”
You sure you don’t want to be known as Columbus or something else?
Dear Ferd,
Have a good trip. Be sure you take some personal down time in Istanbul, as you’ll find it a fascinating place. See if you can fit in a dinner at the Seven Hills roof top restaurant. Food’s OK; the view of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (it sits between them) at dusk is magical and unforgettable. Hotel is across from Ritz Carlton.
And wander down to the dock area on the Golden Horn!
Just remember, Magellan didn’t make it home.
So, how many hours are you going to be airborne this month?
Dear Jeffrey,
Safe Journey! And do not miss this new article in one of our favorite publications:
“New Insights about 2007 Israeli Air Strike in Syria” , written by Richard Weitz – Hudson Institute
at http://www.wmdinsights.com/I25/I25_ME2_NewInsights.htm
Yours!
So this “CSIS” conference is apparently organized by an Indonesian think tank with the full name of “Centre for Strategic and International Studies” and a website, presently down, at http://www.csis.or.id, and a logo with the letters “CSIS” and a globe. The resemblance to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, including the nearly identical name, nearly identical logo (at least the old CSIS one that has just been retired), and nearly identical website URL, is pretty uncanny. Is it really plausible that the Indonesian institution either predates the DC CSIS or that its founders hadn’t heard of CSIS? What’s next…Brooking Institution or American Enterprises Institute?
Safe travels!