Queen Noor

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan was born Lisa Halaby in Washington, DC, in 1951. She attended Princeton University, where she played ice hockey and received a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and urban planning. While working for Royal Jordanian Airlines as the company's Director of Facilities, Planning and Design she met Hussein of Jordan, and in 1978 became his fourth wife and queen consort.

"No Prisoners!"

One hundred years ago, when the oil-thieving English lied to the Arabs in their quest to push the Ottoman Turks off the Arabian peninsula.

And now England's up in arms about a guy its media have dubbed "Jihadi John"?

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

I don't remember Yusuf Islam performing this song during his Cat Stevens days.

Western Dissidents

In October, 2014, CNN asked, "Why is ISIS so successful at luring Westerners?" and proceeded to give us five reasons why -- none of which include a dissatisfaction with Western life.

When will the West's big media outlets make Western malaise the focus of their coverage? But if one or more of them has -- and if you, dear reader, have knowledge of this -- please provide me with links, and I will post them.

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North Main

The Mainstreeters roamed the southern part of Main Street. At the north end was Chinatown, Hastings Street and Japantown.

In this 1975 National Film Board documentary we meet Vancouver Police Sergeant Bernard "Whistling Bernie" Smith, whose beat was a two block stretch at Hastings and Main.

Note the red-and-black checked work shirt at 4:34.

The Gangs of Vancouver

In 1972 the Rolling Stones announced that their North American tour would begin in Vancouver. As we learn in Robert Frank's film Cocksucker Blues (1973), fans were upset with the high ticket prices the band was charging, and "riots," such as the one pictured above involving members of the Clark Park Gang (notable for their red-and-black checked work shirts), were common.