Mesopotamia's hoods have been updated again, courtesy of City Builder, Leah Enkidu. Now open for visitors are Sidon and Byblos in Phoenicia. If you would like to check the status of all the city states in Mesopotamia, please check out the chart created by yours truly. Please note that several of our city states are seeking volunteer city builders. Interested? Please leave one of the Mesopotamian Scribes a message at their bitum.

Hosted at the Mesopotamia Board by those not-so-normal folks over at A Confederacy of Dunces (this month's Featured Group), who are in some sort of "lovefest" with 80's music!! *grin*

Date: 1/28-1/30
Time: 24 hours a day
Note: Savory Victuals and Vintage Beverages welcomed!

Here we go again! The zanies at the Kash Bowl have become even more courageous than this reporter would ever have imagined. They've actually taken the plunge *gasp* and have eaten the CHEESE! What cheese, you ask? Why, the cheese from the new cheese business Apil and Ioannis started. (I don't recommend asking about the ingredients *wince*)

As for the ostriches....well, that's a long story *dramatic sigh* with lots of action and shenanigans and whatnot. By the way, did you know ostriches are really good kickers? *eek* Oh yeah, they taste pretty good, sorta like chicken, once you roast them over a barbecue. A bowl of kash finishes off the meal quite well!

Curious? Then come on down to the Kash Bowl! Bring yer money, cos the drinks and the cheese are only free now and then, depending on the mood of the bartender and the regulars. *grin*

We'd like to recommend The British Museums's section on Mesopotamia. Attractive, creative, informative!

Mesopotamia would like to broaden its scope of articles available to AW members and readers of this classy, cute and informative paper. Yes, I'm referring to the ACTA! *g* So, if you'd like to submit an article, please contact Caileadair, your Mesopotamia ACTA Editor.

Helpful Links for New Citizens

• Our Welcoming Committee
• Our Announcements
• New? Introduce Yourself Here!
• Arachne's Web FAQ
• A Beginner's Guide to AW

Featured Articles: Early Sumerian Warfare by jojo Nebuchadnezzar
Cunieform by Leah Enkidu

Group Spotlight: Well, of course we have to have the unusual in Mesopotamia (witness the Kash Bowl *grin*), so this month's featured group is A Confederacy of Dunces! Can one even begin to describe this extraordinary group? NO! Just take a look, then you'll understand. Aren't the balloons cute? :)

Member Spotlight: What would Mesopotamia be without the infamous Brewmaster of the Kash Bowl, Apiladey ApilSin? Heck, we certainly know it wouldn't be as much fun or as informative!! Apil has been a staunch supporter of Mesopotamia for ages and he's a fount of historical knowledge to boot. He now is one of our venerable Scriba Emeritus! Wanna chat with him? Stop by the Kash Bowl and take a look on the floor by the bar; that's his second home in AW.

Featured Location: Dare one say that Babylon is the "heart" of Mesopotamia? Its rich and epic history is both colorful and fascinating! Acknowledging its pivotal role in Mesopotamian history, this month's featured location is the city of Babylon in the Babylonia neighborhood, one of the winners of the Best Place Awards for 2004.