Two Things

When I was at this exhibition, I couldn't help but wondering about the similarities of the imperial Rome and the US of A. 520 years of the imperial power compared to the 231 years and counting of the existence of the USA. Will there be "The Rising and The Fall of the USA Empire"? This piece sort of gives a glimpse of an analogy between the two powers (via Dappled Things).

In May, I was looking for books written by Umar Kayam at a local bookstore in my hometown to no avail, they did not carry any. Instead, I was petrified by the selections of books with cartoonish illustration on the cover. Apparently, these genres, coined teenlit and chicklit, are the ones that are profitable enough to carry. On one hand, there is an increase in reading awareness among young people. On the other hand--I haven't read much of these books, so I might be wrong about the general content--it is a pity that people are bombarded by these "sugar-coated-empty-calory" entertainments. What about something a little bit on the heavy side? A grain of social criticism, of cultural awareness, of googol of other things to ponder?