Lewis, who was born in London and was a longtime professor at Princeton University, was a Cold War hawk, a strong pro-Israel Jew, and influential among White House and Pentagon planners of the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq.

His books included “The Arabs in History” (1950), “The Emergence of Modern Turkey” (1961), and “The Crisis of Islam” (2003).

Critics, however, derided what they said was his Eurocentric “clash of civilizations” view of the Middle East.

Among supporters of Lewis is America’s newly-minted top diplomat.

“Bernard Lewis was a true scholar & great man. I owe a great deal of my understanding of the Middle East to his work,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Sunday.

“For some, I’m the towering genius,” Lewis told the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2012, according to the Post. “For others, I’m the devil incarnate.”

One critic, the late Columbia University Middle East expert Edward Said, slammed Lewis as “active policy scientist, lobbyist and propagandist” in a 1982 reply to Lewis in the New York Review of Books.

Lewis in turn accused Said — author of the influential book “Orientalism” (1978) — of unleashing an “unsavory mixture of sneer and smear, bluster and innuendo.”

IT’S THE SIZE of a grain of rice but could hold the key to many aspects of your life.

A tiny microchip inserted under the skin can replace the need to carry keys, credit cards and train tickets.

That might sound like an Orwellian nightmare to some but in Sweden it is a welcome reality for a growing number who favours convenience over concerns of potential personal data violations.

The small implants were first used in 2015 in Sweden – initially confidentially – and several other countries.

Swedes have gone on to be very active in microchipping, with scant debate about issues surrounding its use, in a country keen on new technology and where the sharing of personal information is held up as a sign of a transparent society.

Twenty-eight year-old Ulrika Celsing is one of 3,000 Swedes to have injected a microchip into her hand to try out a new way of life.

To enter her workplace, the media agency Mindshare, she simply waves her hand on a small box and types in a code before the doors open.

“It was fun to try something new and to see what one could use it for to make life easier in the future,” she told AFP.

In the past year, the chip has turned into a kind of electronic handbag and has even replaced her gym card, she said.

If she wanted to, she could also use it to book train tickets.

Sweden’s SJ national railway company has won over some 130 users to its microchip reservation service in a year.

Conductors scan passengers’ hands after they book tickets online and register them on their chip.

A man gets a chip implant in his hand at Epicenter, a technological hub in Stockholm. / AFP 

Sweden has a track record on the sharing of personal information, which may have helped ease the microchip’s acceptance among the Nordic country’s 10 million-strong population.

Citizens have long accepted the sharing of their personal details, registered by the social security system, with other administrative bodies, while people can find out each others’ salaries through a quick phone call to the tax authority.

The implants use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, also used in credit cards, and are “passive”, which means they hold data that can be read by other devices but cannot read information themselves.

Although still small, they have the capacity to hold train tickets, entry pass codes as well as access certain vending machines and printers, promoters say.

When Celsing’s innovatively minded media company organised an event where employees could get the implants, she followed the crowd.

She said she felt nothing but a slight sting when the syringe inserted the chip into her left hand, which she now uses on an almost daily basis and does not fear hacking or possible surveillance.

“I don’t think our current technology is enough to get chip hacked,” she says.

“But I may think about this again in the future. I could always take it out then,” she adds.

However, for Ben Libberton, a microbiologist working for MAX IV Laboratory in the southern city of Lund, which provides X-rays for research, the danger is real.

The chip implants could cause “infections or reactions of the immune system”, he warns.

But the biggest risk, he adds, concerns the data contained in the chip.

“At the moment, the data collected and shared by implants is small, but it’s likely that this will increase,” the researcher says.

The real question, he added, is what data is collected and who shares it. “If a chip can one day detect a medical problem, who finds out and when?” he asks

Libberton worried that “the more data is stored in a single place as could happen with a chip, the more risk it could be used against us.”

But Jowan Osterlund, a piercings specialist and self-proclaimed champion of chip implantation, brushes off fears of data misuse and conspiracy theories.

He advocates the opposite view, arguing that if we carried all our personal data on us, we would have better control of their use.

Despite unanswered questions however about how the technology will progress, the appeal of being part of a futuristic experience is a strong draw for some users.

“In Sweden, people are very comfortable with technology and I would say there is less resistance to new technology here than in most other places,” Libberton says.

At an “implant party” organised by Osterlund in Stockholm, 59-year-old Anders Brannfors stands out with his salt-and-pepper hair among the curious 30-something hipsters.

Delighted to have become a 2.0 version of himself, he has yet however to find a use for his chip several weeks after the implant.

ONE MAN’S junk is another man’s treasure, they say, and, sure enough, the 79 items on exhibit at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) – all made from household waste and other debris – are “Pure Gold”.

“Pure Gold – Upcycled! Upgrade!” is the name of the show continuing through July 22. First mounted last year in Hamburg, Germany, it’s touring the world, with Bangkok as its first stop.

Germany’s ifa-Institut (the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations) organised the exhibition for its centennial, assembling works by 65 designers, including nine Thais. Volker Albus, a professor of design, made the choices in consultation with six curators around the globe.

“Recycling is about using technical processes to return objects to their original materials, such as discarded plastic bottles being recycled as fresh new plastic,” he says. “Upcycling gives them an entirely new function and adds to their value with aesthetics and functionality.

“All the works in the show were made either entirely by hand or with the help of just simple tools.”

Matali Crasset turns those familiar check-pattern plastic bags into couch modules.

French designer Matali Crasset has seen her “Digestion No 1” – check-patterned, squared-off plastic bags filled with foam that serve as handled modules for couches and armchairs – put to commercial use by high-end Italian manufacturer Edra.

Rip the tape out of an old-fashioned movie videocassette, says Waltraud Munzhuber, and you’ve got an eye-catching handbag.

Fans of “Forrest Gump” will get a kick out of the shiny handbag made of the magnetic tape salvaged from an old videocassette of the 1994 Tom Hanks movie. German Waltraud Munzhuber wound strips of the tape with such textile-like density that it forms a stable, durable material.

Juli Foos of Finland made a “Large Donut Rug” by cutting used cardboard into donut rings, wrapping them thickly in white plastic so they’re soft, and wove the rings together with strips of blue, green, yellow and black plastic bags. The result is a dazzling geometric assemblage and cushy on the feet.

Used cardboard and plastic bags fuse into a soft, donut-shaped rug in the hands of Juli Foos. On the left, plastic untensils and the like become a three-tiered stand thanks to Brunno Jahara.

Brazilian Brunno Jahara fashioned a colourful three-tiered stand that holds snacks or fruit from cheap, mass-produced plastic utensils and discarded water-supply connectors.

Two Lebanese designers sharing the name Junk Munkez turned the rotating drums from scrapped washing machines into “Knit-Knacks” stools, with yarn fed through the perforations in geometric Arabic patterns and a comfy cushion on top. Inside you’ve got some handy storage space.

Inside this elaborately decorated stool by Junk Munkez is an old washing machine drum.

“This kind of stuff can be made in the smallest workshop or in the home,” Albus points out. “They offer lots of different perspectives on making use of waste with an eye to aesthetics. If they look outlandish, they fire curiosity, creativity and the imagination.”

Eggarat Wongcharit’s stool 

On his curator team is Thai designer Eggarat Wongcharit, who’s also showing his “Dondo Ottoman”, a footstool made from layers of cotton fibre, coated with rubber latex and moulded into shape. That’s covered in defective fabric tossed aside in the mass-production of garments. The pieces of fabric are smocked together and attached to the latex skin.

Another Thai, Jarupatcha Achavasmit, uses defective safety belts to create an elegant textile useful in home furnishings, and has in fact been used at several residential estates such as Ashton.

Detail of wall covering made from defective safety belts by Jarupatcha Achavasmit

“There’s tremendous waste in industrial production,” says Jarupatcha, who owns the Ausara textile brand. “I found tonnes of rejected safety belts at the Wongpanit recycling company and realised they could be used as wall coverings – it’s tightly woven nylon, so there’s great tensile strength, and it’s resistant to flame and bleaching from sunlight. The seatbelts are cut into strips and woven with strips cut from plastic bottles.”

Biodegradable tableware by Roongtip Luilao began as dehydrated fruit rinds.

Roongtip Luilao, who teaches agricultural science at Kasetsart University, has made biodegradable tableware from the rinds of watermelon, pomelo and other fruits. It’s a perfect zero-waste concept.

The flesh is scooped out and the rinds are dehydrated at a specific temperature and for a specific period of time so they harden, but don’t get too dry. After long and careful observation, Roongtip reckons a melon rind will be ready for upcycling after three to four hours at 100 degrees Celsius.

“The rinds’ natural fibres makes them tough enough to hold liquid foods, like soup,” she says. “I’ve attached wooden handles and bases that can be removed.”

Detail of Suwan Kongkhunthian’s “NETT Glass Jar Cover” fashioned from ribbons of pineapple paper

Suwan Kongkhunthian’s “PA.Baco Chair” is built with the leaves of pineapples discarded during the canning process. Stacks of coloured pineapple paper bound with flexible string makes the seat pliable and bouncy.

And his “NETT Glass Jar Cover” is also fashioned from ribbons of pineapple paper. The sheets are glued together in a honeycomb pattern, forming a sheath that can stretch to fit atop any size of glass container.

Saran Yen Panya satirises the social hierarchy with chairs composed of cheap plastic baskets and fancy wooden legs.

Saran Yen Panya, who was born in Bangkok but is now based in Stockholm, created a chair installation with the naughty name “Cheap Ass Elites”.

Mass-produced household objects like plastic storage bins and laundry baskets join in a satirical comment on the gap between rich and poor and between good taste and bad. The cheap, white baskets forming the backs, bases and arms of the chairs are the “low class”, while the fancy, Victorian-style wooden legs signify stereotypical upper-class preferences.

Curator Volker Albus is ready for the seaside with his cork rugby ball and volleyball.

Albus gets in on the act with a set of sports balls made of cork – the football, rugby ball, basketball and volleyball are ideal for the beach because they’ll float on the water and aren’t as easily blown away as plastic balls. He’s used wine corks, finely ground, pressed into blocks with synthetic resin and cut into the desired shapes.

“These came out of my own experience on a windy beach,” he says. “The plastic ball was always flying away, but this cork ball is solid enough to resist the wind and it can float too. That’s why I call the collection ‘www/www’, which stands for ‘we want wind/we want water’.”

Paul Cocksedge’s “Styrene” pendant lamp puts hundreds of disposable plastic coffee cups to continued use.

Albus personally admires a stunning “Styrene” pendant lamp by Briton Paul Cocksedge, its irregular surface formed by heat-shrinking hundreds of disposable plastic coffee cups.

Sawdust becomes as sturdy as concrete for these chairs made by Marjan Van Aubel and James Michael Shaw.

And the “Well Proven Chair” by London-based Marjan Van Aubel and James Michael Shaw looks so sturdy that it might be made of concrete, but it’s actually sawdust. They mixed sawdust with organic resin and water to produce wooden foam that’s shaped into smooth seats and backrests, with the rough surfaces kept between the four wooden legs.

NOTHING IS WASTED

““Pure Gold – Upcycled! Upgrade!” continues until July 22 in the Gallery Room on the first floor of the TCDC.

Admission is free.

The TCDC is in the Grand Postal Building on Charoenkrung Road and open daily except Monday from 10.30am to 9pm.

Learn more at (02) 105 7400 or http://www.TCDC.or.th.

IF YOU’RE ALWAYS telling your little ones not to use paint on the wall, you can now invite them to do precisely that and turn all-white walls into their own art world with the new comprehensive DIY painting kit Dulux Far Away Places.

The kit comprises of stencils, stickers, masking tapes, six paint samples and how-to-do guide with a choice of eight magical themes for the little ones to choose from City of Heroes, Princess Castle, Into the Wood, Under the Sea, to Up in the Sky, Safari Land, Into Space and Treasure Island. It is for indoor use only and is suitable for walls measuring from 2.5 x 3 square metres.

Princess Castle theme

By using simple taping techniques, geometric patterns and stencils, together with vibrant colour palette, kids and parents can help create an energetic and inspiring space of their own. Whether they are off on a mission to unexplored planets or donning a cape and saving the world, a palette of grey punctuated with bold yellow and red gives their imagination the atmospheric backdrop it needs to thrive.

Stylish stencil and some clever use of masking tape make it easy to add a few elements like planets, rockets and aliens for a space theme or caped crusaders and skyscrapers for a superhero theme.

Treasure Island theme

If your little one is more inspired by a fairytale, give her bedroom a hint of magic with hues of colours of purple, blue, pink that work together rather than clash. Use block pastels on all four walls for a look that is soft and pretty. Contrast the powdery tones with neutral accessories to make them pop. Natural materials and white finishes will work wonders. Go neutral on the walls in soft and subdued grey, and offset this with subtle pink or accessories. Violet works well as an alternative and makes for fresh, grown-up hues as your little one grows up, too.

Bolder colours work well for a whimsical theme, too. From fire engine red to emerald green, be confident with a bold palette by only painting part of the walls. Contrast with pure white for a look that stays fresh and retains a sense of space.

Into the Woods theme

The how-to-do guide also suggests a set of colour palettes that can complement each magical theme. For the Take Into the Woods theme, for instance, the palettes of red brick, luscious moss and coral are selected to bring in the forest vibe while the shades of Krimson lake, smoke grey, and Mississippi moon can bring the Into the Space theme come to life.

The paint is washable water-based emulsion that helps protect walls from stains and bacteria, allowing for easy clean ups. It comes with the added benefit of anti-bacterial formulation, adding a layer of protection to inhibit bacteria growth on walls. A set of the wall paints is sold separately.

The paint company AkzoNobel has also launched the Dulux Colour Play Tester, a palm-sized tester that is integrated with an easy-to-use mini roller. It enables consumers to test out colours on their walls to ensure that the hue they like colour is best for their home. Its handy roller design allows surfaces to be applied quickly and evenly, as opposed to traditional brush-application tool.

Consumers can opt to customise their own tester packs from more than 2,000 tester colours.

The Dulux Far Away Places kit, the wall paint kit and the colour play tester are available at http://www.Lazada.co.th /dulux.

Find out more at http://www.Dulux.co.th.