An Amazing Memoir

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Muller

Some time ago, I came across the memoir of my dear colleague at Kuwait University, Professor Enosakhare Samuel (Sam) Akpata, originally from Lagos University in Nigeria. He joined a few days after me. It was just after 9/11 and I was quite anxious when having arrived in the oil-rich small emirate in the northeastern corner of the Persian Gulf. But there were friendly people there, highly esteemed colleagues and so many support staff which made my commencement of work in a new academic environment really a sort of soft landing.

While I served six years at the new dental faculty at Kuwait University, Sam stayed ten after which he retired and relocated to Nigeria. The Faculty experienced a golden time then with an international staff hired by the highly competent Kuwaiti Dean, Professor Jawad Behbehani. I have written about my short time in the Middle East, my encounters with locals, both indigenes and expatriates, my traveling, my hopes and fears, here on this blog and on its precursor.

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Big Things Have Small Beginnings

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Muller

A day after the illegitimate (according to international law) abduction of Venezuela’s illegitimate president Nicolas Maduro on orders of US president Donald Trump, the wife (Katie) of Stephen Miller, Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, posted the map of Greenland on X (formerly Twitter) covered by the US American flag. Adding, SOON.

Big things have small beginnings, said Mr. Dryden to General Murray in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia of 1962, referencing the potential of T.E. Lawrence’s and Bedouin insurgence (the Arab Revolt) in the larger war between the British and Turks in WWI. So are we heading for war?

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Mercator Projection

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Muller

When in high school, there were still Nazi jokes being told among us students and in the family. Most must not be told today, in particular on my blog. But a cute one went, Somebody got a globe and was looking for The Reich. Someone else pointed to Germany, and the first one asked, Does the Führer know? being stunned how small it was. 

I had to think about it when wondering why on earth does the man in the White House want to get his hands on Greenland? 

Maybe someone has shown him Russia, then the US on a map. Then he discovered Greenland.

He knew already that these tiresome tiny European countries are dispensable, just a nuisance. In his new National Security Strategy, Africa only played a role for exploiting its rich resources of rare elements. Russia was well equipped according to its sheer size, true. Even China (but not so much). 

But, gasp!, how tiny were actually the US!, as compared to Canada and that WHITE ISLAND in the north. 

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If the Nobel Committee in Oslo Only Had Courage…

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Muller

…it would award this year’s Peace Nobel Prize to USAID.

The award must go to the person or organization that has done the most “for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses,” according to Alfred Nobel’s will. Certainly not to Donal Trump.

As USAID has been “dismantled” in February, it has already gathered nominations, for sure. It has done the most for fraternity between the nations and all of Nobel’s desires for decades. It is one single reason, among so many, that young people in the entire world have envied the United States of America for their cosmopolitanism, generosity, Democracy within, goodwill. There are many reasons why we, and many, were skeptical, even adversaries of the US, though. But USAID was a lighthouse.

See what’s left when googling USAID:

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Time is Running Out For Nobel Peace Prize

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Muller

UPDATE below

Sitting in his Golden Office like an adolescent with ADHS, the United States’ new KING, Donald Trump, desperately tries to finally force Russia’s dictator and Ukraine’s deplorable president to the negotiation table. So sad, time is running out for being announced the new AWARDEE of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025.

There were nominations by long disgraced Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on the Wanted list of the International Criminal Court; by Pakistan (yes, Trump made PEACE between Pakistan and India over Kashmere but India disagrees; so more, now secondary, tariffs. And both are NUCLEAR states!). And, just today, by Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (oh, Trump made peace in the border conflict with Thailand).

But more nominations are WELCOME!

Norway is the country which awards the Nobel Peace prize: according to Alfred Nobel’s will, “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” So, why not to HIM?

Maybe Trump does not know that Norway does not belong to the European Union. Thus only 15% tariffs, same as the countries of the EU. Let’s be NICE, at least until the Committee will meet. In contrast, Trump slapped 39% on non-EU-member Switzerland (why NOT?), and nobody actually knows how he got to that number.

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