A little Mongol history from Jon Stewart

Carmen brought home from the library Jon Stewart's (or his team of writers') new book Earth (the Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race. On one page is a supposed birth announcement that I will quote in full, because it appeals to my sense of humor and they get the history right, mostly.

Genghis and Chaka Khan
are pleased to announce
the birth of their son
JOCHI
November 5, 1185

At the Khentti Maternity Yurt

May he be a blight on the World!

This is hilarious if you are into Mongol humor.

Carmen and I once named a dog Jochi (though later he had to change his name to Riley-ugh)

Poetry Nook

A poem by Longfellow retelling Marco Polo's story of the destruction of the Caliph in Baghdad by Alau, better known as Hulagu Khan, grandson of Chinggis Khan. His brother was Kubla Khan who did "a stately pleasure-dome decree" in another pretty good poem.

"I said to the Kalif: 'Thou art old,
Thou hast no need of so much gold.
Thou shouldst not have heaped and hidden it here,
Till the breath of Battle was hot and near,
But have sown through the land these useless hoards
To spring into shining blades of swords,
And keep thine honour sweet and clear.
* * * * *
Then into his dungeon I locked the drone,
And left him to feed there all alone
In the honey-cells of his golden hive:
Never a prayer, nor a cry, nor a groan
Was heard from those massive walls of stone,
Nor again was the Kalif seen alive.'
This is the story, strange and true,
That the great Captain Alau
Told to his brother, the Tartar Khan,
When he rode that day into Cambalu.
By the road that leadeth to Ispahan."

A common problem

Well, at least for me.

Carmen brought this cartoon back from her three week trip in that pestilential swamp-hole to our south. It reminded her of me.

OK - I see her point.

Genghis Khan again...

... No one can get enough of the Great Khan.

But really, picking John Wayne or Richard Tyson to play the great Asian warlord is almost as stupid as ... as.. well, picking an Arab who got his start in Egyptian soap-operas.


little Mr Miggs could do it better!

Return of the "Conqueror"

Anybody out their remember "The Conqueror" - it was about Genghis Khan, played by John Wayne and a cast of hundreds, most of whom died of cancer. It was filmed on an atomic bomb testing site. It also won the Golden Turkey award for really awful movies.

Now someone seems to want to repeat the experience.


minus the a-bombs, one would hope