To Scheme the Improbable Scheme!

An example of an ancient civilization that wasn't based around a river. I've grown up accepting the orthodox view that a year-round river is a necessary prerequisite for a city-state to arise. This is getting surprisingly little notice in the news at large. I'm sure you'll see the fallout in fantasy and SF stories soon enough.

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Interestingly, the people in Mosul are putting up anti-ISIS propaganda in English. I have to believe that this is aimed at an Anglo-American audience, rather than at ISIS itself. Quite unexpected, regardless.

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Buddhist monks lighting themselves on fire. Just like old times!