The Middle East is a historical and cultural subregion of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be countries or regions in Southwest Asia together with Egypt. In other contexts, the region can include other parts of North Africa and/or Central Asia.

Characteristics

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In the Western world, the Middle East is generally thought of as a predominantly Islamic Arabic community defined by frequent war. However the area encompasses many distinct cultural and ethnic groups, including the Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Berbers, Chaldeans, Druze, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Maronites, Persians and Turks. The main language groups include: Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian (also known as Aramaic and Syriac), Hebrew, Persian, Kurdish and Turkish. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner.

Most Western definitions of the "Middle East" — in both established reference books and common usage — define the region as 'nations in Southwest Asia, from Iran (Persia) to Egypt'. Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is often considered part of the 'Middle East', although most of the country lies geographically in North Africa. North African nations without Asian links, such as Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, are increasingly being called North African — as opposed to Middle Eastern (Iran (Persia) to Egypt-Asia) — by international media outlets.

One widely used definition of "Middle East" is that of the airline industry, maintained by the IATA standards organization. This definition — as of early 2006 — includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian Territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. ^* This definition is used in world-wide airfare and tax calculations for passengers and cargo.

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NYT > Music

What I Did This Summer. And You Can, Too.
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:24:11 -0000
Staff members of The New York Times offer some suggestions: a wave goodbye to a favorite season, receding into the rearview mirror — no gas required.
Music Review: Rock’s Voice of Rage Finds a Fierceness in Quietude
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:39:58 -0000
Trent Reznor made his alienation an arena-scale spectacle at the Izod Center on Wednesday.
Music Review | Toby Love: A Large-Size Show in the Most Local of Places
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:38:09 -0000
In Washington Heights, with its large Dominican population, Toby Love is a star, thanks to his versatile readings of bachata.

NPR Topics: Music

Aimee Mann: Heartache And Hope
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:09:00 -0400
Mann's seventh solo album, @#%&*! Smilers, offers another look at dark and eccentric characters, complete with introspective looks at heartbreak, fading hope, and even Virginia carnivals. Mann recently sat down with World Cafe host David Dye to perform some of her new material.
Ra Ra Riot Navigates The Hype
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:24:00 -0400
The young band overcame the accidental death of its drummer to release its widely hailed debut full-length, The Rhumb Line. Ra Ra Riot performs in the studio and talks about nautical charts, string sections and the influence of Kate Bush.
Ahmad Jamal On Piano Jazz
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:06:00 -0400
Ever since his 1958 live album from Chicago's Pershing Lounge, Ahmad Jamal has been recognized as a major force in jazz. In this program from 1985, Jamal reprises two signature pieces from that session in duets with Marian McPartland: "Poinciana" and "But Not for Me."

Rolling Stone: Features

How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:58:32 -0700
A president driven by ideology. A Congress rife with corruption. A political party hellbent on a "permanent majority." A leading scholar examines the radicals who hijacked the GOP — and wrecked the longest conservative ascendancy in American history • Video: Five Ways Bush Sunk the GOP The failure of the administration of George W. Bush — and the accompanying crisis of the Republican Party — has caused a political meltdown of historic proportions. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Bush enjoyed the greatest popularity ever recorded for a modern American president. Republicans on Capitol Hill, under the iron rule of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, fattened their coffers through a fearsome...
Artists to Watch
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:29:00 -0700
Six acts who are defining rock and pop in 2008 LOW VS DIAMOND West Coast quintet craft widescreen rock anthems built for stadium singalongs Click above to watch Low vs Diamond's Lucas Field and Anthony Polcino perform "Heart Attack" live Few young american bands attempt the unabashedly grand cinematic rock that L.A.'s Low Vs Diamond play on their eponymous debut — and frontman Lucas Field sees that as an opportunity. "I felt like there was a hole in American anthems," says Field, 28. "British bands do this big, melodic stuff...
Fall Movie Preview
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:52:34 -0700
The Smart Season: First looks at fall's 31 hottest movies by Peter Travers Buzz off if you think the big fall whoop is "High School Musical 3." Or Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson trying to steal scenes from a dog in Marley and Me. Or Robert De Niro and Al Pacino slumming in another paycheck movie in Righteous Kill. My admittedly selective guide to what's up in film for the rest of 2008 is all about punch and provocation. Sequels get the shaft, including Saw V (enough already), but Quantum of Solace (November 7th) earns a pass because Daniel Craig is so damn...

Ultimate-Guitar.Com [News]

Megadeth Preparing To Record Next Album
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:26:52 -0000
Acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap will fly over to Southern California on September 8 to start recording their next album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Album In Early 2009
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:21:40 -0000
Lynyrd Skynyrd are reportedly eyeing an early-2009 release for their next studio album.
Tommy Bolin Biography To Be Released
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:17:56 -0000
Tommy Bolin, the late guitarist of 1970s rock heavyweights James Gang and Deep Purple, is the latest rocker to receive the memoir treatment.

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