You Can Change the World Edition

Farewell to Templehof

In case you've missed this in the election frenzy, Berlin's Tempelhof airport--site of the famed 1948-49 Berlin Airlift-- has closed, despite the best efforts of protest groups. "Two vintage airplanes, a DC-3 and a Junkers Ju-52, took off shortly before midnight as the final flights from the airport, which had been the focus of a legal battle that went on for several years. Tempelhof, although built by the Nazis, is best known as the site of the Berlin airlift of 1948 and 1949, after the Soviets blocked land access to the city. The United States and Britain brought in supplies by air, over 2 million tons of food, fuel and even machinery. It became a symbol of the Allies' commitment to protecting the city and indeed Western Europe."

I'm sad to hear that the airport has closed-- to me, it's a symbol of how much you can do in an impossible situation. Berlin was the site of Obama's landmark speech in July, where he referenced the airlift: "People of the world, look at Berlin!"

News of the world

And in this crazy time, another reminder that human history is long--very long. Just trying to gain perspective. "An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he says is the earliest-known Hebrew text, found on a shard of pottery that dates to the time of King David from the Old Testament, about 3,000 years ago. Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says the inscribed pottery shard -- known as an ostracon -- was found during excavations of a fortress from the 10th century BC. Carbon dating of the ostracon, along with pottery analysis, dates the inscription to time of King David, about a millennium earlier than the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, the university said... The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa is located near the place where the Bible describes the battle between David and Goliath -- the Elah Valley, which shares its name with the fortress."