An American Stem Cell Researcher in Tehran

In recent issue of Nature, this month, The MIT Professor Rudolf Jaenisch reports on his visit to Tehran, and "Enthusiastic stem-cell researchers in Iran face plentiful funding but a shortage of equipment."

Read the rest of his travelog

"During my time in Tehran, however, I encountered only enthusiasm and hospitality. Other Westerners, such as Emory University's Sarah Berga, who has spoken at this conference before, were treated equally well. My only regret is that there were not more Americans there. Despite my colleagues' concerns, I felt safer than if I had been a tourist in a large American city. There were no panhandlers or aggressive touts to harass me, and the country is beautiful."

This is not the first time Iran is featured in the prestigious journal Nature!

What Is Hegemonic About Iran? (CIA factbook)

Please be sure to compare Iran's military expenditure to that of Saudi Arabia and Israel. Also the public debt!

See Critical Montage's contextualization of Iran's military expenditure in more details

Looking for my avatar ...

What I like about Persian depiction of women is that it doesn't objectify the woman as the subject of gaze, but that it mystifies her as the muse of spirit.

Visit Mahmoud Fashchian's e-Gallery

Our Hitler?

"It is easy to understand the revolt of slaves but difficult to comprehend the evil of tyrants." Hans-Jurgen Syberberg

A few years ago, as the Americans were gearing up for Iraq, I saw one of the most extraordinary documentaries of my life: Our Hitler: A film from Germany (1977).

The reason why I thought of this post is Wally's introductory course to Neoconservatism:

Neoconservative is a commonly misunderstood word. It has been around since the 1800s, and it's meaning has changed many times. It was started by liberal Democrats who were unhappy with some of the stances of the Left. It picked up momentum in the Goldwater years, on through Reagan, Bush41, Clinton, and Bush43.
...
It has become a well-embedded myth, that: Liberal=Democrat; Conservative=Republican; and Neoconservative=Conservative.

Neocons are faithful only unto their own fascist ideology. Power and world domination is their goal. They gather under the banners of Democrats and Republicans alike. This is the reason the Republicans are pushing hard for Hillary Clinton. Remember what they did for LIEbermann? The MSM has already given her the 'annointing' as the Democratic Presidential Candidate. It's a win-win situation for the neocons. Neocons aren't that interested in 'which' party is in power, but 'who' that person in power is."

In his epic film, Hans-Jurgen Syberberg's (a historian as well as a filmmaker) reflect on Adolf Hitler, the cultural mechanisms underlying his mythic rise, and the effect he continues to wield over Germany. The problem that film raises, chills your spine, when you realize how similarly the history is repeating. This is how the circus starts:

"Ladies and gentlemen,
now that we're rid of the Kaiser and God -- off we go.

The Song of Songs, the greatest story ever told. Let's give him his chance, let's give ourselves our chance. Taboos, this show's about taboos. The greatest show of the century, big business, the show of shows ... No human story, but a history of humankind, no disaster film, but disaster as a film. The end of the world. Deluge, the cosmos biting the dust."

George Hunka:

"Hitler: A Film from Germany is an attempt to divorce Hitler and the Third Reich from a simple narrative and historical summation through a marriage of the Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk and the Brechtian alienation effect, an unlikely alliance but a profitable one: Film as the art form of the 20th century, the epic theater providing its principal dramaturgical devices."

Doron Altaratz:

"Syberberg is using puppets to represent the third Reich leaders in his film. ... I believe that this representation is beyond the scope of the theatrical experience. The historical figures become mannequins of the different uses of society. They have lost their individualism and became actors in the theater of history."

It is not a coincidence that after almost 25 years of obscurity, the film is being released in DVD format only recently.

You may legally download the entire film from Hans Jurgen Syberberg's official website.

Enjoy!

Halloween headlines

Breaking news: Bush's psychosis confirmed!
Illogicals: If we (Europeans) don't starve Iranians, Cheney will bomb them! Let's starve Iranians to prevent Cheney's war!!!!< Uhhmmm ... how about starving Cheney and Israel for a change?! Shame!
Is there something amusing about Americans accusing others of "terrorism" ?

Checkout these headlines!

Bomb Iran LA Times (last year)
We must Bomb Iran, says US republican guru The Telegraph, UK

Bomb, Bomb Iran New York times
Podhoretz secretly urged Bush to Bomb Iran Politco
Likud members: Bomb Iran Ynet News
Bomb Iran? U.S. Requests Bunker-Buster Bombs ABC news
We may have to Bomb Iran Times (last year)

The Case for Bombing Iran, I hope and pray that President Bush will do it. Wall Street Journal
Bolton Calls for Bombing Iran The Guardian
We must attack Iran before it gets the bomb The Telegraph, UK
US plans to Bomb Iran, inspite denials The Independent
The Plane that will Bomb Iran The Atlantic
Bomb Iran Now Jewcy.com
US planning contingency plan to Bomb Iran Reuters

And this is the extent of criticism:
Bomb Iran: For Israel and America!CounterPunch
Dowd: Bomb, bomb Iran International Herals Tribune
Let's go Bomb Iran Znet

Bomb Iran Music Video

American Hypocrisy!

Just as Iran and the EU announce "satisfactory negotiations", Rice announces new sanctions against Iran!

I am still reading the Treacherous Alliance and the footsteps of Israel in this are just too repetitive and clear to deny. (Read pages 180-190, and just replace the dates in 1994-1995 with 2007.)

Shame!

Israelis are hilarious!

Tony Karon reports that the American defenders of the Zion have recently identified a new threat: Haaretz! Turns out the Israeli liberal daily is the latest “threat” to Israel, because it tends to report the truth about Israeli actions.

Showdown With Iran!

Let's see what Cheney wants to bomb:

Richard Armitage concluded correctly: "I have never seen such an ethnocentric country. For these people, Persepolis is not something of 4500 years ago. It is today!"
The Frontline documentary was a timid one: it only shyly exposed the Israel lobby, the American Enterprise Institute, and Bush's ignorant incompetence!
Watching this, I thought of America with the same disdain that I think of a rapist.

Iranian Parliament's warning to Ahmadinejad:

Update (Wednesday, oct 24)
Just as Iran and EU start talking about Iran's willingness to consider the "constructive proposal" of the EU, Rice goes to congress to threaten Iran more! Which is telling me the Iranians are quite righ to say "Americans are not interested in negotiating to solve problems but only in negotiating for the sake of negotiation!

Also, the CNN didn't show the woman who confronted Rice with bloody hands, Calling her "War Criminal"

==============================================


Update (Tuesday Oct 23): Talks in Rome held, and successful too, According to Solana.
In this picture, he is shakinh hands with the resigned negotiator, Dr. Larijani. Iranians showed a united front, and willingness to negotiate peaceful solution.

I am beginning to romanticize the cleverness of the Iranian government, wondering with a satisfied grin: was the resignation a part of the choreography?

=================================

More than 180 Iranian MPs have signed a letter praising former chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who has resigned from his post.

The deputy speaker of Iran's parliament has said that Mr Larijani resigned because he could no longer work with Mr. Ahmadinejad, confirming suspicions that they had fallen out on policy, and possibly personality as well.

This means Ahmadinejad's in trouble!

This indicates that if Ahmadinejad deviates from the expressed wishes of the supreme leadership and the parliament, he will be in constitutional trouble! That, Larijani attended the Rome talks as representative of the supreme leader is already alluding to to exposed rift between Iran's ruling factions. However, it seems that the so called "islamo-fascist-dictatorship" in Iran is acting more responsibly and more democratically than that of the US of A!

Mr Velayati, the former war-time foreign minister- now senior foreign policy adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has expressed objection to Ahmadinejad accepting Larijani's resignation: "In the very important and sensitive situation where the nuclear issue is at the moment it would be better if this [resignation] did not happen, or at least it was prevented".

According to Velayati (read the voice of supreme leader on foreign matters) pragmatists believe in negotiating with the international community and talk of following the path of Japan.

It would be becoming worrisome however, if Ahmadinejad takes a radical stance against the supreme leader. He has been showing Komeini-ist megalomaniac symptoms, and he has been capitalizing on the capitalist corruption of those who are opposing him at this moment. Khomeini's radicalism has done great harm to Iran. I doubt this rookie is afraid to fall in the same Neo-Con trap that his spiritual leader fell, 30 years ago!

Amercan Evangelists pay Iranian Jews to immigrate to Israel!

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/104803.html

Iran's top negotiator resigns.

Here is what the Iranian pundits say about Iran's next step in European negotiations

=================================
In spite of resignation, Larijani will attend the upcoming talks in Rome.

Apparently Larijani and Ahmadinejad clashed after Putin's visit. Ahmadinejad was not pleased with Larijani's public declaration that "we will consider Putin's proposal"--which we heard the Supreme leader say himself to Putin: "we will think about it", he said througha translator!

However, Ahmadinejad has been maintaining that Iran's nuclear dossier is closed; and that there is no need for any negotiations beyond the commitment to IAEA. By clashing with Larijani, Ahmadinejad has tried to show presidential autonomy from the (un-elected) supreme leader!

Now you may find this funny, but Ahmadinejad is challenging the "foundation" of dictatorship in Iran! But, the supreme "dictator" is behaving milder and more reasonably than the "democratically elected" president! To be frank, i have been wishing for the "dictating" establishment in Iran to slap Ahmadinejad a little bit. This is an undemocratic wish, of course. But, if I have to choose between democracy and getting even ONE road in Iran bombed, I will choose dictatorship! (Isn't this consistent with the view advocated by Dick Cheney? So one needs to ask: is the US trying to make sure democracy will not be established in the middle east?!)

This is a clear clash between the supreme leader, Khamenei, and Amadinejad at this point! And the third axis of this group of conservative, Hashemi (perhaps the closest Iranian official to Ameircan administration!), has re-iterated just now that "Americans should learn from history. If Iran was interested in developing weapons of mass destruction, it would have retaliated against Saddam's chemical bombing of Iran."


===============================================


I am scrambling through Iranian news!

This seems to be a "trigger" to undermine Ahmadinejad officially. Apparently Ahmadinejad was not happy about Larijani's statement about "we are studying Putin's proposal" and wanted to say he's the one who is calling the shots!

Tomorrow, the parliament will begin investigating the reasons for Larijani's resignation. Already, a few Ahmadinejad opponents have expressed "regrets" and have stated their opposition to Ahmadinejad's confrontational attitude.

I suspect an impeachment is awaiting Ahmadinejad.

Borzu Dargahi, reports for LA times.

Contextualization:
Larijani's official objective for resignation is to pursue a different career in politics. The government's spokesman indicated that Larijani may still appear in the talks with Solana.

Will be back with more.

Savages talk again:

We can attack Iran!

WHAT FOR??!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I were an American, I would be blue with shame!
But if Bollinger is the kind of person who runs their universities, I am not sure they are aware of the concept of shame!

Olmert:The Halloween Messenger!

"The Iranians need to be afraid that something will happen that they do not want to happen to them," Thus spake the criminal of the July war, Olmert.

Is it just me, or is everyone finding the state of politics in this past 24 hours somewhat amusing?
Without chronological order:

Putin gets a death threat.
Rice gives a little smack to Israel.
Putin goes to Iran.
Putin shows a little finger to certain someones (Sarkozy, Merkel, Rice) by announcing Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.
Olmert threatens.
Olmert runs to Putin. (Maybe he feels finger deprived!)
US pisses off Turkey.
US pisses off China.
Indians are pissed off with US's nuclear deal and they are likely to opt out of the pact!
Turkey attacks US-installed Kurds!
And Bush's drunken look in this picture is cute!!

Israelis, being Israelis, must be stewing in paranoia that "peace" may happen to them, and that the world may actually stop hating them! Now how can they live WITHOUT the world's hatred?! That will be ruinous to their economy and security!
This is why Olmert is on a "scare and conquer" mission! This is the new world order!
==========================

Update:
A comment on Haaretz by Chris Linthwaite

Olmert threatens to Wipe Iran Off the Map!
So placing the same criteria as placed on Iran by the international community Israel is now a nuclear armed rogue state who has threatened to use its nuclear weapons.

Therefore an immediate imposition of sanctions on Israel must be imposed by the international community.

Israel is now an existential threat to peace and stability in the Middle East. Has access to weapons of mass destruction. The Iraq solution must be an option.

Cheney's Law

a Frontline Documentary

A moment of deep breath!

Pfewh!
Usrael didn't attack Iran on Oct15.
Putin didn't cancel his trip to Iran.
Putin was not kidnapped upon arrival!!
Hillary is like a confused bug, cannot decide what she wants to do with Iran!
Israel is being pushed to recognize Palestinian state (I am sure Mossad is plotting an upcoming suicide attack. There are plenty of gullible youth in that part of the world!)
So how about a fashion show, Iranian style?



Also, if you have heard about Iran's popular TV series on Holocaust, checkout Trita Parsi's op ed about A Sober Analysis of Iran.

By the way, did you know they made us chant: "Down with Amrica, Down with Russia, Down with Israel" when we were kids?!! Isn't this picture a proof of how hollow the slogans coming out of Iran are?! Now is time for neoconservatives and Israelis to stop fearing Iran, come to their senses, and come to the negotiation table!

Reading Club: the nuances of Iran and Israel relations!

Update: Read a review of the book by Peter W. Galbraith
. The Victor? New York Book Review, Vol 54, no 15, Oct 11, 2007


Last night I picked up the Treacherous Alliance, The secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the US, written by Trita Parsi and published by The Yale University Press.

After I raved about how hilariously the book was written and how true to reality of the Iranian state of affairs it was, my friend Nunya, the politicky bitch, rushed to buy herself a copy and encouraged me to read this book together.

Coincidentally, Ridwan dropped by and pointed out to a nice link on Rootless Cosmopolitan where Trita Parsi is talking about the research and the motivation behind this book.

Feel free to join in and to share your comments and concerns with us. The book is readily available from Amazon and perhaps in your local bookstore, as that is where Nunya picked it up. You can have it in hard cover, for only $18 and learn, for the first time, about the real nature of Iran/Israel and US conflicts. I hope it will disambiguate anyone who considers this conflict to be about oil or religion. The premise of the book is a very important one, and this line of argument, although well known to many Iranian political scientists, has hardly been given a discursive public attention.

Happy reading!

Be sure to read Tony Karon's Rootless Cosmopolitain.

Addendum:
Here's a a commentary by Doug Bandow , a Washington-based political writer and policy analyst and Robert A. Taft Fellow with the American Conservative Defense Alliance. He served as a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and as a senior policy analyst in the 1980 Reagan for President campaign. One would suspect he knows what he is Talking about! and he is calling Bush's unwillingness to negotiate with Iran Criminal!

Students of Tehran Polytechnique (aka Amir Kabir U.).

Oxford Research Group: take them seriously.

November 2002, four months before the Iraq War started, Oxford Research Group published Iraq: Consequences of a War that concluded that regime termination in Iraq was certainly feasible but that the occupation of Iraq by coalition troops would

• Result in the deaths of many thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.
• Lead to substantial regional instability, and increased support for al-Qaida.
• Draw US troops into urban warfare in Baghdad

September 2003, Winning or Losing? the groups challenged the delusional nature of claiming a victory against terror.
March 2005, the New Bush Administration's role in escalation of terror was reported.
February 2006, the groups published Iran, the Consequences of War that warned of the grave dangers of such an excursion.
October 2007, the group has produced the condemning report on the failure of the War on Terror.

I trust they will be heard. (have you seen the earlier posts?)

Iranian Children's message: Imagine Peace

Source: http://www.imaginepeace.com/iran.html. Please go to Blog of Revelations for more information.

============================
Can someone tell me why there is such a silence about the Oxford Research Group's report on the disasterous failure of the War on Terror?

Watch out for the New CHALABI: Farhad Azima

Farhad Azima is the CIA sweetheart!

To contextualize Azima (if you know this just skip to the end), here's some excerpts from Professor Gary Potter's CRIME AND PUBLIC POLICY:

Any government operation that is shielded from the public and hidden from Congressional oversight over a long period of time will inevitably become reliant on criminal activity to support and fund the operation. Covert operations provide the perfect setting for organized criminal activity simply because they are clandestine operations conducted with state sanction (Chambliss, 1986).

• Covert intelligence activities avoid the usual law enforcement scrutiny and surveillance.
• Passage through customs can be facilitated through official channels.
• Normal financial accounting procedures are not followed in covert operations.
• Investigators from law enforcement agencies can be diverted by claims of "national security."
• And finally, organizers of such operations recruit individuals with the skills necessary to carry them out, most of which are criminal skills.

State-Sponsored Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy

Iran: The CIA engaged in a massive conspiracy to overthrow the democratically elected prime minister of Iran, Mohammed Mossadegh, in 1953 (Beirne and Messerscmidt, 1991: 258-259; Prados, 1986; Simon and Eitzen, 1986). Following his election, Mossedagh had nationalized several foreign-owned oil companies. His government had offered compensation to the oil companies. But the Eisenhower administration was not tolerant of any independence by foreign leaders and began a campaign to overthrow the Mossedagh government and replace it with the monarchy of Shah Reza Pahlavi. In return for U.S. support for the coup d'etat, the Shah promised U.S. oil companies control over 50 percent of Iran's oil production. ...

While American oil companies and arms merchants profited from the Shah's reign (Iran purchased $17 billion in military equipment from the U.S.), the ultimate costs of the coup can only by calculated by considering the impact of the 1979 Islamic revolution which replaced the Shah's regime. ...

Organized Crime, The CIA and the Savings and Loan Scandal

The savings and loan scandal of the 1980s has been depicted in a myriad of ways. To some, it is "the greatest ... scandal in American history" (Thomas, 1991: 30). To others it is the single greatest case of fraud in the history of crime (Seattle Times, June 11, 1991). Some analysts see it as the natural result of the ethos of greed promulgated by the Reagan administration (Simon and Eitzen, 1993: 50). And to some it was a premeditated conspiracy to move covert funds out of the country for use by the U.S. Intelligence Agency (Bainerman, 1992: 275). All of these depictions of the S & L scandal contain elements of truth. But to a large degree, the savings and loan scandal was simply business as usual. What was unusual about it was not that it happened, or who was involved, but that it was so blatant and coarse a criminal act that exposure became inevitable. But with its exposure, three basic but usually ignored "truths" about organized crime were once again demonstrated with startlingly clarity:

• There is precious little difference between those people who society designates as respectable and law abiding and those people society castigates as hoodlums and thugs.
• The world of corporate finance and corporate capital is as criminogenic and probably more criminogenic than any poverty-wracked slum neighborhood.
• The distinctions drawn between business, politics, and organized crime are at best artificial and in reality irrelevant. Rather than being dysfunctions, corporate crime, white-collar crime, organized crime, and political corruption are mainstays of American political-economic life. ...
  

Potter then numerates several banks such as First National Bank of Maryland, whose
links to the CIA were exposed in a lawsuit filed in Federal District Court by Robert Maxwell, a high-ranking bank officer who was asked to commit crimes on behalf of the CIA, Palmer National Bank, founded in 1983 on the basis of a $2.8 million loan from Herman K. Beebe, the convicted felon who had served nine months in federal prison for bank fraud and had impeccable credentials as a financier for New Orleans-based organized crime figures, to Harvey D. McLean, Jr. and Indian Springs Bank where our wonderful Iranians, Farhad Azima's mob springs from.

In the Palmer National Bank Harvey McLean was partner Stefan Halper, George Bush's foreign policy director during the 1980 presidential primaries, keeping an eye on Jimmy Carter, making sure hostages will not be released before election .... During the Iran-Contra Affair, Palmer National was the bank of record for the National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty, a front group run by Oliver North and Carl "Spitz" Channell, which was used to send money and weapons to the contras.

Indian Springs Bank's connection to CIA come through the fourth largest stockholder in Indian Springs: the Iranian expatriate Farhad Azima, who was also the owner of an air charter company called Global International Air. according to Potter:

The Indian Springs bank had made several unsecured loans to Global International Air, totaling $600,000 in violation of the bank's $349,00 borrower limit. In 1983 Global International filed for bankruptcy, and Indian Springs followed suit in 1984. The president of Indiana Springs was killed in 1983 in a car fire that started in the vehicle's back seat and was regarded by law enforcement officials as of suspicious origins.

Global International Air was part of Oliver North's logistical network which shipped arms for the U.S. government on several occasions, including a shipment of 23 tons of TOW missiles to Iran by Race Aviation, another company owned by Azima. Pete Brewton, in his investigation of the Indian Springs bank collapse was told that FBI had not followed up on Indian Springs because the CIA informed them that Azima was "off limits" (Houston Post, February 8, 1990). Similarly the assistant U.S. Attorney handling the Indian Springs investigation was told to "back off from a key figure in the collapse because he had ties to the CIA."

Azima did indeed have ties to the CIA. His relationship with the agency goes back to the late 1970s when he supplied air and logistical support to EATSCO (Egyptian American Transport and Services Corporation), a company owned by former CIA agents Thomas Clines, Theodore Shackley, and Richard Secord. EATSCO was prominently involved in the activities of former CIA agent Edwin Wilson, who shipped arms illegally to Libya. Azima was also closely tied to the Republican party. He had contributed $81,000 to the Reagan campaign.

Azima, being the mobster, arm smuggler, country seller, good businessman moneymaker who he is, bets his fortune on wherever the winds of power are blowing to. Thus, he is now courting the Clintons (again)!

Stephen Pezzo's opEd asks:

But the question remained; what was Farhad Azima, doing there? Why would the Clintons expose themselves to bad publicity just a couple of weeks after Hillary was forced to return nearly a million bucks she took from felonious fugitive, Norman Hsu? (Another instance where a single Nexis/Lexis search by a curious reporter would have broken that story months ago.)

Admittedly Azima is a bit of a different kind of problem since he's never been charged or convicted of any crimes, as Hsu had. But, as you will see if read on, there might be a reason for that, a quite extraordinary reason. Still a few Google searches would net the curious reporter some pretty startling allegations -- and lots of them. Sure it's just smoke, but so much smoke it would trigger a five-alarm response from any fire department worths it's salt.

In lieu of a real media vetting of Farhad Azima he has become grist for the conspiracy theorists, who have now woven him into nearly every murky event short of the Lindberg kidnapping. In the world of conspiracy theorists 6% of separation is enough to throw their own grandmothers into the mix.

Maybe that's what's kept real journalists away. Anyone who's been a reporter for very long knows that the fastest way to ruin their career is to dive into one of these tales and try to sort the truth from the mis- and dis-information that swirl around characters like Farhad Azima. I personally knew two veteran reporters who were last seen following such bread crumbs sure they were onto the biggest stories of their lives. They're still out there -- somewhere.

But, since I am retired and no longer have a career to ruin, what the hell.

Besides, Azima and I have a history.

Then he tells the history and goes through the dubious records of this guy and concludes:

Some company for a guy suddenly cozying up to Bill and Hillary Clinton, wouldn't you say? Could Farhad Azima be positioning himself to be the Ahmed Chalabi of a new Clinton administration? Or is that giving the guy more credit than he deserves? I sure don't know. But Hillary did vote to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guards "terrorists," as the White House wanted. And she did so despite the political damage she still suffers for her vote four years ago that gave Bush the authority to go to war against Iraq. Interesting. Just a coincidence. Another one.

What's it all mean? That's the question working reporters should be asking, not a retired one.

So, why aren't they? Inquiring minds want to know; would a "President Hillary Clinton" be the agent of change the nation seems to be yearning for? Or would she just be more of the same in skirt?

Iranian expatriate, Farhad Azima, at least, seems to be betting it's the latter.

Excluding the conspiracy theories that link this guy to the Russian mob and discuss their hand in 911 hijackings, there's some more on this guy:

• Information clearing house reveals his link to USACC (United States Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce) whom Dick Cheney consulted on the Energy Initiative.
• Azima's link to Azerbaijan
• An interview with Azima, the NXT's Chairman and CEO, in 1999, after NXT shares soared 71% following the technology company unveiled a ground-breaking joint venture with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), part of the Ministry of Defence.
• His role in smuggling arms to Africa
• According to his CV he has a degree (meagre I would say) in Political science and business administration!

Giving thanks to the vultures!

This cartoon, from Iran Daily, broke my heart. This is a Persian way of expressing sentiments about sanction. It is not very Persianly to whine at the time of economic hardship. Not to others at least. Our culture is a stoic one that gives very little value to money. To be powerful, in Iran, is not synonymous with being rich, but with being trusted and respectable.

I spoke to mother today. How are things. "Good", she said. And after a pause: "so far", which she said with a bit of sadness.

You can of course sanction us as much as you wish. What else would be new? We have lived through your sanctions before, and your Saddam. There won't be butter, their won't be sugar, their wont be airplanes, we will line up to buy oil to heat our winter rooms, and will pull together to support each other more. We are stoic. We won't break under hunger. It only strengthens our pride!

I wish to give thanks to bloggers who cheer me up

In case you want to take a break fromCrooks and Liars as your humorous digg of the day:

• MarcLord, the Adored by Hordes writes:

A good rule of thumb in military history is to bet against a belligerent which hires mercenaries. For bad ideas, it generally ranks up there with press-ganging peasants into service and sending them into battle armored with straw, carrying scythes and pruning hooks. Commingling the former with the latter is more than a rule of thumb, the results as predictable as throwing a match into a keg of gunpowder which is lying under an outhouse near a propeller. Unless, of course, one adversary is determined to outbid the other in terms of simple stupidity. There is an undeniable element of luck in battle, as those who lived through them attest. The famous Hans Holbein engraving, attached above, conveys the image of confusion without the blood. Read more of his hilarious take on mercenaries and the Black Water case!

• Sophia of Les Politiques takes on the hypothetical nature of declaration of terrorist plots:

Despite all the talk and wars on Terror, can somebody tell me how many terrorists have been publicly tried up to now ? That's a legitimate question since we, citizens, are spending our tax money on these wars on terror, and we are renouncing our fundamental freedoms and rights because of the whole WOT business. Enjoy the humor of the common points she finds in all the foiling terror plots.

• Jolly Roger takes on Ann Coulter calling all women stupid!

• PoliShifter takes Bush to task on his We don't torture declaration!

• And of course, Brother Tim was nursing a sprained shoulder from patting himself on the back on a post dealing with Bollinger that his jaw droped to hear that a Roman Catholic University (Minnesota College) is taking it's 'marching orders' from the Zionists (after they cancel Nobel Laureate Tutu's speech on Peace and Justice).

Click on pictures for links to interesting stuff!
And give thanks ;)

Mo'aragh

Source/arttist: (please tell me if you know)

Moaraq is the wood art craft. The designs are completed with making precision cuts in different types of wood and juxtaposing them to create the image. The art of Mo'arag has been reviving in Iran over the past 15 years.
Origin of concept, perhaps China.
The earliest objects found, from the 13th century.

=====================================
I have been encountering weird people these days. With comments such as these:

The mullah regime would not be so stupid as to launch such weapons at first blush, but the very fact of having them will destroy stability in the entire Middle East, where, as we know, tempers are flammable in the extreme. Can you imagine a scenario with not only Iran and Israel possessing such hellfire, but also Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan and who knows who else?

To that end, and to my great dismay, if the mullah regime does not climb down from their atomic tree, EVERY MEANS is justified to stop them from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Given the choice between the destruction of the world and the destruction of one country, basic logic dictates that that country would, sadly, have to be sacrificed.

Such people sicken me! Regardless of how sophisticated they think they are! Looking back, at American paranoia about Russia, I just see this nation is not cured of the absurdity of their so-called logic!

The basic argument of the esteemed lady is that If Iran stands up for itself, then every other country in the middle east may do that as well, and therefore she CONCLUDES that since all these people are loonies, they will erupt into a nuclear hellfire, and THUS she wants to use EVERY MEAN to stop Iran, to prevent this "potential" hellfire! This level of paranoia is pathological! This level of disrespect is intolerable!

I am tired of all these humans who think themselves intellectually "advanced", yet they are so DUMB in their basic ways of reasoning.