Quick History.

Here's a video that shows the empires that have imperialized the Middle East since 3000 BCE. It's only 90 seconds long but worth each. Found via gawker.com.

This reminds me of the creepy taxi driver in Albania who told me that his country's woes came from its location. "Everybody imperializes Albania. Now Europe imperializes Albania. They have to have a country to launder their money and sell their drugs in."

It also reminds me of the extraordinarily ancient and eclectic history of Alexandria, Egypt, where churches, mosques, and synagogues all dot the city.

It is easy to admire the cultural richness that such a long imperialized history brings to these cities and places, that is until you encounter the armoured trucks outside Alexandria's synagogues or spot the domed, circular bomb shelters that intermittently cover Albania's countryside like the pox. Some of these shelters still serve as homes to Albania's poor.