taj nahal

"Not like you and me" - ROMA expulsions in Europe

2010-10-12T18:22:00.004-04:00

Riccardo De Corato, of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's ruling party, Milano's vice mayor and in charge of the Roma camps notes: "These are dark-skinned people, not Europeans like you and me. Our final goal is to have zero Gypsy camps in Milan."

The Washington Post notes, "Few nations, though, have gone as far as Italy, where the number of immigrants has more than doubled over the past decade, to more than 5 million."

France is taking moves to expel Roma as well, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern about this move.

I'm interested in how Europe is mishandling the "Roma problem": and why the solutions they're coming up with are so racist, xenophobic and utterly tragic, much less blatant human rights violations.

yes you can, yes you should

2010-07-01T18:56:00.002-04:00

In a recent NY TIMES article about the elitism that defines most French Grand Ecoles, the head of the business school ESSEC and chairman of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles, which represents 222 schools, Pierre Tapie, said: "We cannot be the scapegoat of any demagogic decision because we are the finest and most famous part of the whole system."

Um. Yes you can and yes you should.

Fewer minorities accepted at law schools

2010-01-07T06:08:00.000-05:00

The number of black and Mexican-American students applying to law school has been relatively constant, or growing slightly, for two decades. But from 2003 to 2008, 61 percent of black applicants and 46 percent of Mexican-American applicants were denied acceptance at all of the law schools to which they applied, compared with 34 percent of white applicants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/education/07law.html?hpw

Ivy education @ State Prison

2009-11-17T09:05:00.001-05:00

Today's Read:

What are your thoughts?

Boy refuses to pledge allegiance until there is truly "liberty and justice for all"

2009-11-16T18:25:00.000-05:00

“I was analyzing the meanings of it, because I want to be a lawyer.”

Watch the video at: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2009/11/16/am.boy.no.pledge.cnn.html

حق داریم

2009-11-06T18:00:00.001-05:00

حق داریم

one of my favorite frames from the Farsi version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Watch the vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85EaZIjen68

Round up, round up

2009-10-16T18:34:00.000-04:00

Horrific: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bessie16-2009oct16,0,7618199.story?page=1
Yummy: http://blog.quikchange.net/food-flags-3
Incredible: (because the baby survived) http://gawker.com/5383040/forget-balloon-boy-todays-all-about-train-baby
Lame: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/16/colorado.balloon.boy/index.html#cnnSTCText

eye tooth?!

2009-09-16T18:19:00.000-04:00

A 60-year-old woman blind for nine years has regained useful vision following a rare operation in Miami in which surgeons removed one of her teeth, drilled a hole in it, inserted a plastic lens into the hole and implanted the tooth-lens combination into her eye. It’s the first such operation in the United States, they said.

McDowell's rules!

2009-09-08T14:40:00.002-04:00

Today I read that the Federal Court in Malaysia ruled that McDonald's cannot have a monopoly on the prefix "Mc". This sets a precedent for other restaurants to use the "Mc" prefix, as long as they "distinguish their food from McDonald's.

Did anyone else immediately think of "Coming to America", and the infamous "McDowell's" where Eddie Murphy worked?

It all comes out

2009-08-20T18:35:00.000-04:00

Tom Ridge, the former Homeland Security chief, announces in his recent book, The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege ... And How We Can Be Safe Again, that he was pressured to raise the "terror alert" before the U.S. Presidential election in 2004. The pressure ultimately helped him decide to leave to the private sector. Read more here.

Depeche Live at Madison Square Garden

2009-08-06T00:19:00.002-04:00

Searching for a book

2009-08-05T02:12:00.001-04:00

کسی‌ "زنان بدون مردم" (اون کتاب شهرنوش پرسیپور) دارد؟

All I ever wanted, all I ever needed

2009-08-04T01:00:00.001-04:00

is here, in my arms.

Tomorrow, DM at MSG.

memories from their last show:

Thriller - as part of rehabilitation

2009-08-02T13:28:00.001-04:00

عسگری

2009-06-23T18:40:00.001-04:00

عسگری (Asgari), who worked oversaw security in the IT network of Iran's interior ministry was rumored to be killed in a suspicious car accident two days after he revealed in a memo that the Iranian election was rigged (Guardian.co.uk).

His secret letter has been leaked around the country, and is available on the internet.

Some say he designed the election software, some say that he simply leaked evidence about the rigging of the election.

More later....

Riots inIran

2009-06-18T18:00:00.003-04:00

From the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/17/fresh-iran-protests-planned1

"There were also unconfirmed reports that Mohammad Asgari, who was responsible for the security of the IT network in Iran's interior ministry, was killed yesterday in a suspicious car accident in Tehran. Asgari had reportedly leaked evidence that the elections were rigged to alter the votes from the provinces. Asgari was said to have leaked information that showed Mousavi had won almost 19m votes, and should therefore be president."

“but in the U.S., can you back up on the freeway?”

2009-06-18T17:59:00.000-04:00

Iranians drive fast and close. They run lights, play chicken, zoom motorbikes down sidewalks, make extraordinary use of reverse gear.
Two friends who had lived in the United States were chatting recently. “I miss the freedom,” said one. “Yes,” replied his friend, “but in the U.S., can you back up on the freeway?”

More at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/world/middleeast/17notebook.html?hp

I predict that the prices of macbooks will be dropping shortly

2009-03-29T11:43:00.003-04:00

in response to the latest ads by Windows - advertising the affordability of PCs.

see below:

Bratty AIG sues the govt for $306, after getting bailed out $200 billion

2009-03-20T18:20:00.000-04:00

NY TIMES reports:

While the American International Group comes under fire from Congress over executive bonuses, it is quietly fighting the federal government for the return of $306 million in tax payments, some related to deals that were conducted through offshore tax havens.
A.I.G. sued the government last month in a bid to force it to return the payments, which stemmed in large part from its use of aggressive tax deals, some involving entities controlled by the company's financial products unit in the Cayman Islands, Ireland, the Dutch Antilles and other offshore havens.
A.I.G. is effectively suing its majority owner, the government, which has an 80 percent stake and has poured nearly $200 billion into the insurer in a bid to avert its collapse and avoid troubling the global financial markets. The company is in effect asking for even more money, in the form of tax refunds. The suit also suggests that A.I.G. is spending taxpayer money to pursue its case, something it is legally entitled to do. Its initial claim was denied by the Internal Revenue Service last year.

What a spoiled brat!

The Israeli president also sends a message to the Iranian people for Norooz

2009-03-20T18:15:00.000-04:00

Today, the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, also issued an audio statement to “the noble Iranian people on behalf of the ancient Jewish people." He spoke at times, in Persian.

He noted,

“Unfortunately, these days, the relations between our countries are at a low that stems from the impulses leading the current leaders of your country to act against the State of Israel and its people in any way possible.

Therefore, I look at Iran on the one hand with admiration for its history, but on the other hand with grief for what has become of it and in hopes that it will recover.”

President Obama sends taped message to Iranian people, ending with "Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak"

2009-03-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

Incredible!

The transcript of his message is below:

THE PRESIDENT: Today I want to extend my very best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz around the world.

This holiday is both an ancient ritual and a moment of renewal, and I hope that you enjoy this special time of year with friends and family.

In particular, I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation have made the world a better and more beautiful place.

Here in the United States our own communities have been enhanced by the contributions of Iranian Americans. We know that you are a great civilization, and your accomplishments have earned the respect of the United States and the world.

For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together. Indeed, you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same way that we Americans mark our holidays -- by gathering with friends and family, exchanging gifts and stories, and looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope.

Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, the promise of opportunity for our children, security for our families, progress for our communities, and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are common dreams.

So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders. We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community. This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect.

You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right -- but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to build and create.

So on the occasion of your New Year, I want you, the people and leaders of Iran, to understand the future that we seek. It's a future with renewed exchanges among our people, and greater opportunities for partnership and commerce. It's a future where the old divisions are overcome, where you and all of your neighbors and the wider world can live in greater security and greater peace.

I know that this won't be reached easily. There are those who insist that we be defined by our differences. But let us remember the words that were written by the poet Saadi, so many years ago: "The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created of one essence."

With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new beginning.

Thank you, and Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak.

END

Pope: Condoms don't prevent AIDS

2009-03-18T21:25:00.004-04:00

The Pope traveled for the first time to Africa, and en route to Cameroon, he noted that,

"Handing out condoms was not the solution for combating AIDS."

Sure, handing out condoms, willy nilly is not the only solution to dealing with the AIDS epidemic -- but it doesn't hurt!

It is incredibly sad to see someone who is considered a major world leader (and whose influence on many is clear) making such idiotic comments - that are completely unfounded in science and hurtful to the movement working hard to end the epidemic.

We run the company. We should tell them leave.

2009-03-17T22:46:00.002-04:00

You've probably heard Obama ripping AIG for the $165 million in bonuses they have to provide to their "best and brightest talent" in order to retain them. On Monday, Barney Frank went on the Rachel Maddow show and argued that we shouldn't retain the very folks that had contributed to the financial mess.

The blog article on The Nation notes:

Barney Frank had a good idea: the government wouldn't have to order a private company to break its contracts; the owners of the company could do that. "I want the American government to assert its right of ownership in this company," Frank told Rachel Maddow. "We own 80 percent. We should run the company."

I think this is brilliant!

Prosecuting Israel for war crimes in Gaza

2009-03-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

"On the same day that the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan on war crimes charges, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opened an international conference in Tehran that will press Interpol to help Iranian prosecutors arrest 15 Israeli leaders on war crimes charges related to the recent war in Gaza."

More here.

Clinton invites Iran to conference on Afghanistan

2009-03-06T09:02:00.002-05:00

Perhaps the Obama administration thinks that Afghanistan's neighbor might have some helpful advice on deciding how to proceed within the country. Secretary of State Clinton and the Obama administration will be holding a major conference on Afghanistan, and

the Obama administration has proposed a major conference on Afghanistan this month that would include Iran among the invited countries, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday. The "a big-tent meeting" for anyone who is interested in or hold a stake in Afghanistan. Clinton noted, “If we move forward with such a meeting, it is expected that Iran would be invited, as a neighbor of Afghanistan.”

This is not only a strategy session for Afghanistan, but also a strategic diplomatic move for the Obama administration to "extend a hand" to Iran.

Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.1%, highest since late 1983

2009-03-06T08:52:00.003-05:00

Six minutes ago, it was reported that the unemployment rate in the U.S. last month had risen to 8.1 %, the highest since 1983.

In Iran, the unemployment rate hovers around 12% (this remains the official figure, which many dispute in reality is actually higher).

Secret Letter to Russia from Obama: We'll shut up if you get on our side

2009-03-02T22:53:00.003-05:00

Today the NYTIMES reported: "President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday...Moscow has not responded, but a Russian official said Monday that Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov would have something to say on missile defense to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton when they meet Saturday in Geneva. Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev will then meet for the first time on April 2 in London, officials said Monday...Missile defense has flavored Mr. Obama’s relationship with Russia from the day after his election, when Mr. Medvedev threatened to point missiles at Europe if the system proceeded. He later backed off that threat and it seems that Moscow is taking seriously the idea floated in Mr. Obama’s letter. Kommersant, the Moscow newspaper, on Monday called it a `sensational proposal.'

Mr. Medvedev hinted Sunday at the possibility of agreement. “We have received signals from our American colleagues,” he told the Spanish media, according to the state news agency, RIA Novosti. `I expect those signals will turn into specific proposals. I hope to discuss the issue, which is extremely important for Europe, with President Barack Obama.'"

Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping wins Green party nomination for NYC Mayor

2009-03-02T22:25:00.005-05:00

NYTIMES reports today, Reverend Billy was "was approached by leaders of the state’s Green Party in December. He decided to run last month and received the nomination late last week. He now has to get at least 7,500 signatures to get on the ballot in November."

Can't wait to see how this turns out!

I first learned about Rev Billy in college, when protesting Black Friday and excessive consumerism on Black Friday by participating in "Buy Nothing Day." Rev Billy's Church of Stop Shopping is based in NYC and educates the public about excessive consumerism, employing street theater and a gospel choir.

Learn more about Rev Billy here: http://www.revbilly.com/

Blackwater founder steps down

2009-03-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

On Monday, it was announced that the founder of Blackwater was stepping down as CEO as a move to help the company improve its image. Last month, the company changed its name to "Xe".

A few months ago, Blackwater's contract in Iraq was refused by Iraqi authorities because of the company's involvement with numerous incidents involving civilian casualties.

The State Department's contract with Blackwater is up in May, and the Dept. said it would not renew the contract.

You may remember Blackwater, a large private securities firm, because of its notorious reputation in Iraq - in October 2007, a Congressional report "depicts the security contractor as being staffed with reckless, shoot-first guards who were not always sober and did not always stop to see who or what was hit by their bullets."

Incredible - Auctioning off Pre-Islamic Persian Artifacts for survivors of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem

2009-02-24T18:41:00.002-05:00

The International Herald Tribune writes:

In an extraordinary battle unfolding slowly in federal court here, several survivors of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 1997 sued the government of Iran, accusing it of being complicit in the attack. They won a $412 million default judgment from a judge in Washington, D.C., and when their lawyer began looking for places to collect, he turned to the past.

He decided to try to seize the tablets, along with collections of Persian antiquities at the Oriental Institute and other prominent museums. The goal: Sell them, with the proceeds going to the bombing survivors." The tablets and fragments are currently on temporary loan to the U of Chicago.

The bombing, at a mall in Jerusalem, wounded 200 people and killed 5. "Hamas" took responsibility. Iran was accused, in the lawsuit, to have provided financial support and terrorist training to Hamas, and the judge found "clear and convincing evidence" that Iran was then liable for the injuries. The whole thing is complicated because several decades ago, a law was passed allowing American victims of terrorism to seek restitution in U.S. courts -- "if the attack occured in a nation considered a state sponsor of terrorism. Winning, though, doesn't guarantee payment." So why this unusual form of payment? The National Iranian American Council responded by urging folks to sign a petition, asking President Obama to prevent the auction of our cultural heritage!

It seems odd to me that this is the only means for remedy that the survivors of the tragedy can receive - and I'm not the only one.

"A European association of scholars — the Societas Iranologica Europea — has collected hundreds of signatures asking the president to stop the tablets from being sold or confiscated" notes the IHT. Additionally, it is a bit ironic, considering these are pre-Islamic pieces, and the case is purported to be by the current Iranian government, aligned with Islam. But of course, I wouldn't actually believe that folks could pick up on the irony or this "nuance" in Iranian history.

On top of it, the tablets are actually sought as payment in another lawsuit, where in 1983 over two hundred U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing in Beirut of a Marines barracks. In that suit, Iran is accused of support Hezbollah.

Isn't it intriguing? What if other countries began to take artifacts of our cultural heritage and historical objects as retribution for the acts of terrorism that the United States has caused around the world?

Jews in Iran

2009-02-23T17:32:00.004-05:00

In "What Iran’s Jews Say", columnist Roger Cohen touches upon a perspective rarely heard -- the lives of Jews living in Iran. He writes, "the reality of Iranian civility toward Jews tells us more about Iran — its sophistication and culture — than all the inflammatory rhetoric."

Read more here

30 years later

2009-02-11T09:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. In the next year that follows, I will be writing about the significance of this anniversary for myself as an Iranian-American, for the Iranian diaspora and the implications in world history here in my blog and on www.iranian.com.

For now, a thoughtful piece on Huffington Post to look at:

justin bobby gets his 15

2008-04-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

though he's still no Johnny Depp...

2008-04-10T23:10:00.000-04:00

always fun:

la chasse aux sans-papiers

2008-04-07T11:02:00.001-04:00

Leurs morts:

Le monde:

En août 2007, Ivan, un enfant de 13 ans d'une famille russo-tchéchène déboutée de l'asile, est resté quelque temps dans le coma après avoir tenté avec son père de fuir, par le balcon, la police venue à leur domicile. En septembre, Chulan Zhan Lui, une femme chinoise, est décédée après s'être jetée par la fenêtre de son immeuble, prise de panique à l'arrivée de policiers venus interroger son logeur. En février, John Maïna, un Kenyan, s'est pendu après avoir appris le rejet définitif de sa demande d'asile.

Leurs vies:

Ils ont tout pour être régularisés, mais…
LE MONDE | 07.04.08

ha! testicles!

2008-03-25T23:57:00.002-04:00

Campaign '08

2008-03-05T20:35:00.002-05:00

While the Democratic party is fighting between Obama and Clinton, the Republican party grows stronger...

I fear that McCain is too natural a transition from President Bush -- a transition out of many of the problematic policies, but not radical enough of a changer to do our country (and world!) good.

What are your thoughts?

Felicitations Marion!

2008-02-25T08:30:00.003-05:00

Tony Blair speaks about Palestine

2008-02-20T00:15:00.003-05:00

This happened a week or two ago, but I just stumbled across it while researching on the internet:

Tony Blair, while visiting Nablus, Palestine, stated: "Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories must come to an end, as well as military check points be removed in order to establish real peace.”

article available here: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=27708

a good intention, but misguided methodology

2008-02-16T21:21:00.003-05:00

Oh Sarko,
You just don't do things right!

Sarkozy makes efforts to enhance the education of the French youth regarding the Holocaust, but does it poorly:

The NYTIMES reports, "every French child should be `entrusted with the memory of a French child-victim of the Holocaust.'" Simone Veil (a Holocaust survivor and president for a organization for Holocaust remembrance) "was in the audience when Mr. Sarkozy spoke and said that when she heard his words, `My blood turned to ice.'" Veil was concerned about the weightiness of the the proposed program, especially for school children

One can consider the following:
1. France is not friendly towards Jewish people, and does need to make more efforts to change its issues of anti-Semitism.
2. Much needs to be done to talk about the Vichy government's cooperation with the Nazis.
3. Education about genocides and crimes against humanity are critical to children's education.
4. However France's anti-Semitism is not an isolated problem-- the Arab and African population in France is routinely discriminated against, subject to police brutality, and remains a stark reality rooted in the present.

Children are incredibly mature, but there is an issue of being able to comprehend such complex issues and outright morbidity when presented with such topics. Education efforts regarding the Holocaust (and other genocides) could go so much farther if they focused on survivors, resilience, underground revolutionary movements and heroes.

The point is that we should not traumatize children, or shock them into being political. They have just as much capacity to learn as they do to act from their lessons -- Sarkozy seems like he's trying to paint the whole picture, force his personal politics, and instead of letting the lesson permeate and go forward organically.

Article available here:

International / Europe
By Making Holocaust Personal to Pupils, Sarkozy Stirs Anger
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: February 16, 2008
France’s president has touched off protests with a plan to have students learn the life stories of children killed by the Nazis.

mr. bling bling gets played

2008-02-14T00:26:00.003-05:00

excellent article in the new yorker summing up the whole sarko-carlobruno situation:

More later on Sarko's public romantic romp through the press

Where is McCain's Daughter? and Why does the sound guy suck at Terminal 5?

2008-02-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

Two questions that are plaguing me at 1am:
1. Just where have they hid John McCain's daughter Bridget?
i.e. She's missing from press, public displays of family affection and only brought up as the "llegitimate black daughter" during smeary dirty campaigns (when in fact she's adopted from Bangladesh!). Where is she?

2. Why the hell did the sound guy at the Feb 6th Cat Power show at Terminal 5 in New York City suck? Though there were excessive and incessant feedback, weak vocal levels, lack of reverb on the vocals and plenty of interjections from BOTH the artists and audience to fix things -- nothing got better and at one point Chan Marshall laid down on the stage and sighs "this feedback is pissing me off".

stuck in my head.

2008-02-03T12:02:00.001-05:00

New Soul by Yael Naim, Israeli singer-songwriter based in Paris, featured in the Macbook Air commercials.
Terribly cute.

The Death of French Culture?

2008-01-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Take that TIME

Golden Globes results:
Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)
Marion Cotillard - La vie en Rose

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Foreign-Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

**while Julian Schnabel is New York based, the Diving Bell and the Butterfly covers the life of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of French Elle, who experienced locked-in syndrome after a stroke, lost all abilities to communicate save blinking his left eye, and was able to publish his memoir by blinking out one letter at a time.

Additionally, Persepolis was also nominated for Best Foreign-Language Film.

-----
Selon, Time's December cover issue:

discussing the death of french culture was a weak article which clearly ignored the literary, film, and other artistic accomplishments of France. Was it because these accomplishments were simply not known in the United States? Is this the litmus test for France's culture?

"All of these mighty oaks being felled in France's cultural forest make barely a sound in the wider world. Once admired for the dominating excellence of its writers, artists and musicians, France today is a wilting power in the global cultural marketplace."

But I beg to differ. Did Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris not grace the covers of T Magazine of the NY TIMES?

Is the problem with france's culture, the fact that it is not pumped to outside audiences, or simply that it lacks it?

The article asserts that France indeed retains its culture, produces numerous films, books, and other cultural products at staggering rates, except that this does not leave the country.
I'm not sure I agree with this argument. Even Bernard Henri Lévy brings up some interesting points in his article available here
(and I usually hesitate to agree with anything that he says)

Clearly the author has not read Yann Moix' Pantheon, seen some of the fantastic movies that have come out from French and francophone directors, or listened to french music in the last few years. In fact, on the movie front, French movies are generating buzz, getting awards, and being screened in the States. They just won awards in the Golden Globes and are rumored to make some noise at the Oscars this year.

Even Sarkozy is making several efforts to enhance the patronage of the nation's major museums, while the literary journals on TV never seemed to be lacking material while I lived in France.

Where, then is the problem? That france doesn't corner the market as it once did?

Yes, France had a mighty influence over cinema in the 20th century, produced some of the best writers, influenced philosophy and thought on an incredible scale, and created artistic masterpieces. While there may not be any current de Beauvoirs, Montaignes, or Sartres, we cannot dismiss the great works that are coming out today.

trop bien

2007-12-26T00:49:00.001-05:00

Beautifully animated, straight from the Persepolis books, and des yeux de petite Marjane...

Marjane says in a NYTIMES article: "For me, the movie is better than the book.”

the status quo for us is predominately violence...

2007-12-22T01:36:00.001-05:00

"You are a part of it no matter what you do. You're part of the political process. if you're not an activist, you're still buying Pepsi or meat or beans at the grocery store, there are political ramifications of everything you do. So you can be a part of changing it, or you can be a part of the status quo. And the status quo, for us++, is predominantly violence, psychology or physicality." - Brain Avery, American pacifist.
++ISM

There Needs to be Checks and Balances, Says Bush.

2007-12-20T12:31:00.001-05:00

While discussing Putin being on the cover of TIME, Bush states "My hope, of course, is that Russia is a country that understands there needs to be checks and balances.''

And Bush Still Won't Listen

2007-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

The LA and NY TIMES report today that U.S. intelligence confirms that Iran halted their nuclear weapons project in 2003. The consensus among 16 intelligence agencies was part of an ongoing and anticipated report. What's striking is the consensus amongst these agencies, and their ability to release their findings during an escalated push for military action against Iran.

Whether Bush, Cheney and other members of the Project for a New American Century will listen, is another question.

The IAEA and major American intelligence are insisting that (while it may be a threat in the next ten years) Iran's nuclear interests are not nearly as developed as Bush asserts, so it is now our turn to insist that this story not die down.

A change for Iran is necessary; a change for the Iranian people is due. However it cannot be initiated by a false claim that Iran is making and planning to use nuclear weapons. We have already gotten into huge messes based on false allegations concerning Iraq and Afghanistan. Let us now stand up and refuse to let it happen again.

French Kiss Ass

2007-11-08T12:43:00.001-05:00

Sarkozy visits Washington, and makes sweet love to Americans

French President Nicholas Sarkozy visited Washington this week,
purging oodles of praise for the American government and president.

On Nov 7th, during a visit to Congress he whipped out an eight foot
high American flag, drew in the Congress members tightly and made
sweet love to them.

Pépé le Sarko giggled, like a 12 year old school boy who had just
gotten lucky with his hot middle aged teacher, at the thought of being
(again) in the land that produced his idols: Elvis Presley, Ernest
Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Charlton Heston.

His enchanted visit included charming First Lady Laura Bush. Sarko was always the lover, even when those things he loved were running desperately from him...

And despite the whirlwind of events that sometimes is characteristic
of Sarkozy's schedule, the NYTIMES also reported that "He will also meet with American Jewish leaders", which may explain his recently
harsh stand on Iran its perceived threat.

Sarko l'Américain has never been shy about his love and adoration of
the United States, and since his presidential win has been doing
everything in his power (including several visits to the Bush home) to
draw the two countries together.

Perhaps his devoted tongue will work its magic this week.

Further reading:

Transcript of his address to Congress

NYTIMES Articles:

Sarkozy Throws Open His Arms to Bush, and U.S.

By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: November 7, 2007
The French president backslapped and hugged his way through
Washington, and proclaimed his determination to be a reliable partner
of the United States.

NY TIMES---- Congress Warms to France's New President
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: November 8, 2007
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France was greeted with cheers and
standing ovations from lawmakers on Wednesday.

a shame

2007-10-25T17:27:00.001-04:00

The Washington Post reports in its WORLD IN BRIEF

"Military Plans Gaza Power Cuts to Curb Attacks

Israeli military experts have formulated a plan to gradually cut off electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip in response to ongoing rocket fire from the Palestinian territory, military officials said on Wednesday.

Israel provides more than half of Gaza's electricity, and any power cutoff is sure to make life more difficult for residents. The move is also certain to draw international condemnation. "

And the slow starvation of the Palestinians continues...

Careless mistakes

2007-10-18T12:08:00.001-04:00

Highlights from the news in the last few weeks:

"Blackwater security guards often try to get Iraqi cars out of the way by hurling water bottles at them" ( http://nationaljournal.com/scripts/printpage.cgi?/about/njweekly/stories/2007/1012nj1.htm#).

That is far from the worst thing that Blackwater has done. Iraq is now calling for them to be expelled from the country stemming from last month's incident.

However, horrific incidents aren't contained to mercenaries. The American forces have made their share of careless and fatal mistakes.

The slow, uncertain process of military justice is little comfort to Iraqis who have seen American forces kill or injure loved ones. As a matter of cold-blooded counterinsurgency strategy, it is far better to avoid unnecessary shootings in the first place and to make amends directly to the survivors when they do happen. But basic cultural misunderstandings have hindered U.S. efforts on both those fronts.

Nowhere in Iraq have more noncombatants been killed by simple mistakes than at traffic checkpoints. When U.S. forces tried to keep civilian cars from blundering into the path of the invasion force in 2003, said Maj. Ben Connable, a Marine Corps foreign-cultures expert, "we started out just by trying to wave them down, by putting a hand out -- 'Stop!' -- with the palm forward. And this wasn't working at all. There were several incidents where we had shot up vans full of families trying to flee the fighting. It was an Army foreign-area officer who realized that [gesture] was the Iraqi symbol for 'Welcome, come forward!' We were actually motioning people to come forward and then shooting them, because we had no cultural training."

During the invasion, David Carletta, was a military lawyer placed with the 3rd Infantry Division and describes the inadequate procedures that may have led to unnecessary deaths.

But at first, procedures were lethally inadequate. Carletta himself was nearly shot by nervous U.S. sentries when he drove up on them in the dark. The first checkpoint shooting of civilians by his unit came one night when an Iraqi car sped past a makeshift traffic stop: a couple of large standardized shipping containers partially blocking the road, with U.S. troops nearby invisible in the darkness. (Both civilians in the car, though wounded, survived.) Carletta's unit did not have something as basic as stop signs to put up. "While we were in Kuwait [before the invasion], we actually tried to make signs saying 'stop' in Arabic," he said, but they could not even scrounge enough boards and paint to improvise some. "Would it have saved lives?" Carletta said. "Possibly."

Source:

http://nationaljournal.com/scripts/printpage.cgi?/about/njweekly/stories/2007/1012nj1.htm#

sarko and putin get drunk again

2007-10-17T20:25:00.000-04:00

The NYTIMES had an article last week about Sarko and Putin getting together again:

"[O]n his first presidential visit to Russia, Sarkozy struck a decidedly upbeat note after hours of talks with Putin on a battery of touchy subjects."

I remember the last time those two got together, and Sarkozy was definitely glowing after hours of vodka shots with Putin (this is bullshit, but after seeing Sarko slur giddily after first meeting with Putin)

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Russia-France.html?ex=1192680000&en=437980e065f930b7&ei=5070&emc=eta1#

barbie doll at its best

2007-10-17T20:22:00.001-04:00

no place like a heatherette show to find a disgusting affirmation of the pitfalls of plastic surgery and anorexia.

jenna jameson looking awful.

a little fun

2007-10-05T22:35:00.000-04:00

Ding dong the witch is dead!!

2007-08-15T06:45:00.000-04:00

KARL ROVE to leave White house by the end of August.
Rove, is credited to being the mastermind of Bush's presidency, and behind the war in Iraq, a little leakage regarding a CIA operative, yummy immigration policies, and other sketchy goingons. But I'll always remember dear Karl during his finest moments:

Rove decided to jump ship as Mr. Bolton, White house chief of staff, who "recently told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day he would expect them to stay through the remaining 17 months of Mr. Bush’s term" (NYTIMES).

Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead
Wake up you sleepyhead
Rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up the wicked witch is dead
She's gone where the goblins go
Below - below - below
Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead

Washington
Karl Rove, Top Strategist, Is Leaving the White House
By JIM RUTENBERG and STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: August 13, 2007
In an emotional appearance with President Bush today, Mr. Rove said he wanted to think about the “next chapter” in his family’s life.

something to think about

2007-08-12T19:11:00.000-04:00

taken from the nytimes

rick owens and me

2007-08-11T01:41:00.000-04:00

GoGoParis did an interview with Rick Owens where he highlighted all his favorite spots in Paris that all were near the vicinity of where we both lived in Paris -- in the 7th.

I kept seeing Rick around the neighbor haunts: le bourbon, walking down rue de l'université after a jog, and wondering why he looked so familiar. Once I figured out who he was, I started to wonder where in the 7th he lived, as the neighborhood I was in was filled with such stiffs and snobby bourgeois (the kind that drink champagne when Sarko was elected) that a fellow artsy type was compelling.

Karl Lagerfeld also lived on rue de l'université but i never seemed to bump into him during the two years (on and off) that I spent there. My friend maintains that he's just bought a place in Le Chesnay - but the NYPOST claims he just bought a few apartments on Quai Voltaire.

However Rick was not the first designer that lives in the 7th that caught my eye. There was a very sexy and humble party boy designer who had missed his plane to italy and came bleary eyed to the brasserie where I was having dinner and applying for jobs. I spent one night gaping over his gorgeous mansion and stayed up until 3 watching stupid movies and cracking jokes with him and his friend all night. He lived in this amazing palace of an apartment, the kind that you see in movies and rub your eyes voraciously once you're in them in real life -- refusing to believe that such a place could be real. I think his living room alone was triple the size of my entire apartment. It was covered in post post post modern furniture and filled with beautiful artwork, mostly done by his sweet artist friend. He was some hotshot fashion designer that traveled first class back and forth between Milan and Paris, but was a sweet, humble, generous soul. We listened to Amadou and Mariam and talked about gypsy music.

it still gives me the chills

2007-08-05T19:09:00.001-04:00

there is justice in the world afterall!!!!

2007-07-30T19:49:00.001-04:00

Paris Hilton

looses $60 million
of her inheritance from her grandfather, Barron Hilton, based on her recent 23 day sting in jail and her antics.

He claims that she's ruined the family name and he doesn't want her to touch their wealth.
i love it.

bill maher said it best.

2007-07-28T18:36:00.001-04:00

Bill Maher et la francophobie aux États-Unis
Uploaded by Liberlogos

This clip just seems to have come a few years late -- witty commentary like this was needed in the French Fry Law voting era -- when France's criticism of the US' invasion and war with Iraq was met with harsh hatred towards anything French. As if telling the United States that they were making a huge mistake calls for the revile of France.

I wonder if the French reacted in this way when Pres. Kennedy had written about France's (colonialist) involvement in Algeria as a young upstart Senator?

Actually they may have been almost as immature:

In Brest, French organizations conspicuously boycotted U.S. Fourth of July celebrations in protest. Rumbled irate Defense Minister André Morice: "I don't know if Monsieur Kennedy spends peaceful nights without nightmares, but I do know that [his help to the Algerian rebels] will cost many more innocent lives and help prolong a drama that would have ended long ago if thoughtless friends had weighed their words and acts." - taken from this Time article.

But who were these organizations? And were they just reacting as their political leanings dictated they should?

Le Figaro wrote a critique of the speech, however, Henri Pierre from Le Monde wrote to the NY Times, "Strangely enough, as a Frenchman I feel that on the whole Mr. Kennedy is more to be commended than blamed for his forthright, frank and provocative speech." Le Figaro is generally considered much more conservative than Le Monde, so the reactions by the newspaper staff seem appropiate for their beliefs.

The Europeen colonialist community in Algeria was enfuriated with Kennedy's speech, because it naturally dismissed their very right to be in the country. "Two days after the speech a bomb exploded outside the American consulate in Algiers."

Additionally, the US wasn't too pleased with Kennedy's speech either, and many dismissed it. Perhaps the speech was simply ahead of its time?

At the end of the day, as significant world leaders, the United States and France must take care to watch each other and ensure that the other is respecting human rights and advancing the lives of its citizens and those of the world. There should be an informal sense of checks and balances, so that one nation does not get too dogmatic, imperialist, and lost in the pursuit of "national security" and start killing any dissidents.

Actually this sense of checks and balances does exist (even in the formal sense), however it is rarely used - because the very countries that control it are the ones that violate its bylaws.

I'm talking about the United Nations. More later.

**Two Republican representatives introduced laws to change the name of French fries to Freedom fries. Here are some articles from the time:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries

ode to childhood

2007-07-28T03:40:00.001-04:00

a piece I wrote nearly a year ago, and just found tonight:

A few nights before I left for France I had a picnic in central park with old family friends.
Now to explain how I grew up:
My childhood was full of noise. Debate, arguments about who was going to wash the dishes, laughter and breaks from the pink floyd, led zeppelin, bob marley to dance to the gipsy kings.

The kids would occupy corners of the apartment away from the shouting mass. We would hang from the pull-up bar and impress each other in our attempts to do pull ups and back flips. When that was boring, we'd assemble legos, play monopoly or magic, invent games, and always head outdoors for tag.

Our setting was the Bronx, crowded into someone's apartment. 20 Iranian expats and Iranian-hyphenate Americans. My family actually lived in New Jersey but my childhood memories contain few memories of New Jersey; it is the four-block radius that our friends' apartments occupied in the Bronx. Moshulu parkway, marion, the corner where we played tag. My parents' brown rabbit was parked on the street, narrowly avoiding drive-bys, and the logo of the rabbit was often the base for tag. We'd dutch between passing cars, and slam our hands on each others back as hard as seven year olds could.
“YOU'RE IT!” we'd scream defiantly and immediately jerk our backs at 70 degree angles to avoid vengeful hands and book it back to base.

The Sounds.

My experience is atypical when it comes to Iranian childhoods in many aspects, and the particular group that I grew up with was left and secular, isolating us from many Iranians in general. The political debates were endless, we children would place ourselves farther and farther from the adults as they screamed at each other. It was a spectacle really, they would dismiss each other's arguments, wave their hands dramatically in the air, and would only pause to sip tea and eat dates.

The kids would gather around the television when every other game was exhausted, giggling as we flipped through the channels and would land on the porno channel. Usually it lasted a few minutes before some wary eyed parent would dutifully truck over to ask "vat arrre you vatching? ehhhh?!?! vat eeez dis?! pedarsookhteh!" and yank the remote from the couch and switch it back to nbc.

TV WARS
In retaliation we would raise the TV volume, their voices would get louder in response.... this war would last for a few hours until one of the parents would finally walk over and gently tell us to find a game to play and turn on the TV so that they could argue in peace. Defeated shoulders would trek back to the pull-up bar in the bedroom hallway, we'd turn this desperation into violence as we shoved each other over to get a spot on the bar.

The Real War.
Then the real fight would start, the fight over who would wash the dishes. Iranians are notorious for their hospitality; therefore serving your guests' every need is the ultimate goal.
Not only must you be the impeccable host, but the perfect guest as well. The guest's generosity must match their host's hospitality. Which really, is an impossible task.

Oftentimes you envision Iranians bowing before before each other, going through elaborate pains to prove that they're lower than the person before them and simply crashing to the floor.
This is accompanied by phrases thrown out between breaths such as "I'm your sacrifice. I'm your slave."

When it comes to washing dishes at someone else's house, the guest who can wrestle (yes, literally wrestle) their way into the front of the sink with a soaped up sponge in hand and declaration that they will wash the dishes is the ultimate victor. But this rarely occurs as the the host can usually sneak away quietly and begin washing the dishes secretly. All those awkward wall-flower Iranians are the best at these sneaky little tasks - and often use their quiet nonchalance to edge away during more interesting moments and start cleaning.
Today, we Iranians are experts at these tasks: quiet dish washing, and sly slipping of the credit card to the waitress while at a big dinner with family and friends. Watching an Iranian entertain is a fucking magic show -- while the host is being sawed in half, their sister is washing the dishes and the brother has brought out the prized cuban cigars.

There are few moments of silence. After the fighting over who will wash the dishes, the less violent loser will pick up a silver tray of tiny clear glass cups filled with tea up to an invisible line. The tea is Ahmad, and the honey brown color brings warm "mms" from all. The tray is followed by another, even more welcomed by the crowd. This one is heavily weighed down with the dominoes sugar cubes, dates, dried mulberries, and shirni [sweet pastries] ). But it is only a moment, ended by some snide comment --- a reference to an earlier political debate (and everything is political even dumb action movies) and the arguing starts all over again until the wee morning hours.

>>>
Years later, I was sitting at an outdoor cafe at my university (College ave abp), arguing with Pro-War Guy about the reason why blacks aren't doing as well in American society as Italian and Irish Americans, (the idiot was claiming that they were just lazy, to which I blew a fuse and started screaming).

I was suddenly interrupted by the guy sitting next to us, “Are you Iranian?” he asked me, and I answered yes, stupefied.
**This had never happened to me before -- I simply don't look Iranian, more Moroccan or even Brazilienne selon les Francais.

He nodded assuredly. “My Ex-girlfriend is Iranian," he responded, "and she argues the exact same way.”

>>>

That night in central park, the argument suddenly started based on a simple question of whether American or European society was more racist.

The yelling began, and we screamed at each other until the summer night grew cold.

This was beautiful to me and while I was laughing and then chiming in passionately (even while knowing that I could easily argue the other side), I suddenly grew very sad to be leaving it all for Paris.

While I was slipping into nostalgia and laughing my ass off at the familiarity of it all, my friend, another Iranian-hyphenate, was staring shocked at the spectacle. Other Central Parkers, who were leaving the park as it grew black, stopped and began to watch us. The crowd fueled the intensity. Eventually they moved on, as they couldn't keep up with the velocity with which the words were being spewed out. We were even asked to leave by the Park staff.

A brief explanation of what the Central Parkers were seeing:

The loud voices, the shouting, the pointing of fingers into the air and the standing up in the other’s face and breathing menacingly; why they're simply tactics in warfare to be employed by the seasoned debater.

The point is not to have one particular argument, rather to be able to defend yourself and destroy the argument of someone else. The interjections of “Motherfuckers” is automatic as much as it is necessary, and those who cannot handle it are left to tsk tsk and watch.

Three hours later we kissed each other good night and began to gather our bags and head out of the park –-- no matter how harshly you may argue, at the end of the day you still love the person you have just spent hours screaming at. We move slowly, making jokes about each other, trying not to part. That night we had successfully scared my friend, who stared with wide eyes as we argued. "It's ok", I assured her, "this is how we are". And it was a perfect goodbye.

God is my diet

2007-06-25T00:03:00.000-04:00

Apparently this woman has been making the rounds, talking about her Religious Diet.

Praying to be Thin
Uploaded by TheDlisted

Every time she gets hungry she sits down and prays. focus off of food, she claims, and focus on god.

This scary french fry looks like she's about to suck the blood out of any human around her who weighs more than ninety pounds.. I think her hair weighs more than her entire body, and I'm not sure how she's managed to stay her in concentration-camp-like state of skinny without croaking.

Her followers sound like real winners, including a couple who beat and locked up their 8 year old son in a wooden box, eventually leading to his death.

They're encouraged to "fast for as long as 36 hours, until they feel their stomach growl." Google her name + cult, and you'll find a nice list of results to keep you entertained for hours.

>>>>>>>
Speaking of anorexics, two years ago, I met someone who claimed that his friends who worked at Page Six had made Paris Hilton who she was. Supposedly it was all a project to make the media look like the shit that it was. They picked a random socialite and decided to focus on her every move, documenting the absurdity of the very practice. It completely blew up out of proportion and the satire became the reality. Or maybe the reality is a satire. I'm not sure.

Arrested Iranian Americans

2007-06-24T20:47:00.001-04:00

The recent arrests of : Ali Shakeri, Kian Tajbakhsh, Haleh Esfandiari, the barring of Parnaz Azima to leave Iran have been present in articles and discussions within the Iranian community. But the average American still has a limited understanding of the relationship between Iran and the United States -- these arrests, though unfortunate, may just be the tool with which Americans can finally bridge this gap.

Tension between Iran and the United States is nothing new; here are some brief highlights...

+++the US funded a coup d'etat in 53 based on the UK's pleading, and a nationalist minister was prompty replaced by a American friendly Shah. In the late seventies, following intense anger about Western influences from both the Marxists and the Islamists, the Iranian Revolution occured. Crazy shit ensued.
+++The US sends Saddam Hussein chemical weapons to be used on Iranians during the Iraq-Iran war
+++The blowing up of an Iranian Passenger jet
+++the Lockerbie incident, partially blamed on Iran by the US.
+++iran = axis of evil, according to Bushie
+++the holding of 5 Iranian officials by US govt officials in Iraq
+++The recent capture of British navy soldiers who had allegedly entered Iranian waters
+++oh, and that that whole nuclear thang...

The US govt is dramatically increasing their budget to bring democracy and liberty to Iran, naturally upsetting Iranian officials. So the jerks who run Iran get really pissed at the jerks who run the United States, and they start engaging in these arrests of the other, trying to wittingly paw over a really serious issue. The Iranian govt sees these Iranian-Americans as puppets for the American goverment -- fearing a people's uprising, they attempt to squelch the revolution. This party uses words to describe the Americans like corrupt, western imperialists, christian fundamentalists, immoral, racist, stubborn, ignorant, and waging a psychological war. The American govt sees the Iranians as crazy Islamists, and start yelling words back like Al Qaida, terrorist, nuclear bomb, and sand nigger.

It's hard to find good articles that actually explore the issues between Iran and the United States in western media, so I was thoroughly surprised by a recent article in the NYTIMES Sunday Magazine.
I was so entrenched within Negar Azimi's article, the "Hard Realities of Soft Power" that the rice I was boiling was burned black by the time I smelled it 30 minutes later.
Azimi, a Harvard grad student, is the senior editor of Bidoun, an artsy, socio-political magazine that covers the Mid East. Azimi talks about the $75 million that the US govt is spending to pump democracy into Iran (pun intended).
NY TIMES Magazine
Hard Realities of Soft Power By NEGAR AZIMI Published: June 24, 2007
The United States has dedicated tens of millions of dollars to promoting democracy in Iran. But for Iranian democrats and America alike, the effort may be more trouble than it’s worth.

Customer Service and French bureacracy bullshit

2007-06-24T15:37:00.000-04:00

There is one thing I don't miss about France, and it's those daily battles with French bureaucracy!

Oh, America, how it feels so good to be in your functioning arms once again!

Things FUNCTION so well in the States!! If a thing is broken, you call the place that you bought it from, complain a bit to a supervisor, and it’s taken care of. You can return things to stores even if you've opened the box, and people are generally friendly when you need to get things. If you need to get something from an office, the hours are posted on the internet, left on the voicemail, and you will actually receive any necessary materials from smiley receptionist.

Now I'm talking Customer Service (Service Clientèle), an ideology that simply does _not_ exist in France.
I think that this video does it best: Service à la Francaise

Final customer service
Uploaded by mickelino

he does the Parisian bored look oh so well...

If you are a Foreigner who's suffered through French bureacracy, I salute you. I wholeheartedly have felt your pain, suffering, and misery over lost paperwork, unreturned phone calls, bitchy receptionists, visits across town to get one piece of paper, and requests for additional paperwork. The Prefecture Carte de Sejour (impossible) approval, the never-ending-paper-requesting-from-foreigners-CAF, the evil visa-granters, the six month visa that ends a month before your job does, the internet that goes out, the bank account opening impossibilty, the damned EDF bill from the last 3 months, the OMI, the mean secretary at the L'inspecteur du travail, and all those people that contradict the very information their collegues have given you --- i've seen or heard it all.

I've even been a part of it, while working for anonymous evil company headquarters in Paris, I became that tightly lipped Parisian Woman with my hair pinned back into a bun. I gave the famous line "Je reviens vers vous dès que possible" to annoying clients who were asking impossible questions and never got back to them. Listen, if anyone ever gives you that line, you're fucked. Just give up any request you have, and move back to your country of origin. It's over. The fat lady has sung.

But one thing I do really miss, is Service Apres Vente des emissions, featuring omar et fred, who have this little skit during Le Grand Journal On Canal +

the 2nd half is ridiculously funny

a dead Iraqi = my 1993 Saturn

2007-06-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

The US military offers $2,500 MAX to families of killed Iraqis civilians as a result of their actions --- the same amount given if the car of an Iraqi is damaged or destroyed.

Apparently the price of cars and body parts are one in the eyes of the US military. And paying off the loss of either of them is ethical for the wrongdoings of the Army. (Why they're killing civilians or destroying civilian infrastructure or property is another question!)

This practice is actually quite common: the Foreign Claims Act, enacted in 1942 and stating that compensation can be given for those that were killed, or suffered personal injuries or property damages caused by US military personnel acting overseas.

In fact, the Army seems to be quite prepared for these circumstances, giving their soldiers these handy dandy cards just in case they kill some brownie.

and if the family accepts the money, well they better shut up and they won't get any more $$...

And what about Afghanistan?

In July 2002, after a US gunship attacked several villages and killed several wedding attendees, the US military/Karzai regime offered approximately 20 thousand dollars, averaging $100 per killed victim. Boy do those Afghanis have it rough: years and years of war and occupation, and now they have one of the most powerful richest nations in the world killing them one by one for a Benjamin Franklin.

But these days it doesn't look so bad for the Afghanis. Thanks to inflation, the army is paying quite a bit more. In May 2007, the Marines fired upon a suicide bomber and killed 19 civilians and injured several others. After this incident, the leading military official publicly apologized and the US military paid $2,000 per victim.

Either way, a dead Afghani or a dead Iraqi is still cheaper than my 1993 Saturn.

Ça fait un mois

2007-06-19T17:30:00.001-04:00

Ça fait un mois que je suis rentrée aux États-Unis et j'ai décidé de regarder les clips de « Paris je t'aime » sur l'internet. J'ai eu un malheur, une douleur dans ma poitrine qui a augmenté jus ce qu'a ma gorge. « C'est pas vrai », je me suis dit, « que j'ai vécu là-bas. Que j'ai fait les mêmes promenades, ait pris des verres avec des amis à Bastille après le boulot, que ma vie était si loin du cote est des États-Unis »…

Ça me fait toujours mal de penser que ma vie à Paris est du passé, d'un autre moment loin d'où je me trouve maintenant.

Il me semble que je n'ai jamais quitte ma vie aux États-Unis --- je me sens engloutie dans la nostalgie amère, une nostalgie familière et chaude et en même temps asphyxiante. Je reste chez ma mère dans une petite appart dans la banlieue de New Jersey, je vais souvent à New York pour trouver un peu de paix et m'émerger dans le bruit...

Earthquake in Tehran and Qom, Iran

2007-06-19T17:15:00.001-04:00

A search on google and the NY Times brings up few results for the quake that hit Qom yesterday / sunday.

"Quake Jolts Iranian Cities
Publicado - Published: 19/06/2007
TEHRAN.- An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook Tehran and the nearby religious city of Qom Monday, the news network Khabar reported.

It said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the two Iranian cities.

The epicentre was believed to be Kahak town near Qom, located 135 km south of the capital. "

Phew that there were no casualties, save a few canceled final exams....
Our family joked about the visibility of the quake in the Western news media, but its disappearance from major American news sources. Naturally, earthquakes do not sell according to the US media, but crazy Holocaust-denying Presidents do.

Speaking of Iran and the media, the recent arrests/detentions/disappearances/jailings of Iranian American exiles / lefties / expats upon their visits to Iran has been grabbing some media attention. More on this later...

drunko sarko

2007-06-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

Sarko = drunko at a press conference at the g8 was obviously lagging behind Putin in his vodka shots:

C GENIAL!

Quick Translation for the non-francophiles:
news anchor: at the recent g8, sarkozy wasn't only drinking wine.
sarko: ladies and gentlemen, please excuse my late arrival, (smirk) due to the long conversation I just had with Mr. Putin. What would you like? that I respond to your questions? Ok, so are there any questions? (awkward noise, shrug, look around, smirk, laugh, extra french combined eye roll + shrug and ear piece placement)

Dear Mr. McCain

2007-04-22T07:29:00.001-04:00

During your visit to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina on April 18, you responded to an audience member's question about when the US would send an "Airmail message (bombard) to Tehran", by singing "bomb bomb bomb Iran".

Later you defended your comments while in Nevada: "Please, I was talking to some of my old veterans friends," you stated, "My response is, Lighten up and get a life."
Later when asked if your joke was insensitive, you responded with "Insensitive to what? The Iranians?'

Actually yes, it was insensitive. To Iranians. As well as Americans, and I would venture anyone that is concerned about our future. Would we think it was appropiate if a presidential candidate running in Iran were to make a joke about bombing the United States? Of course not. Which is why your comments are so inappropriate.

Incompetent remarks about how to address the situation in the Middle East are dangerous. You had a great opportunity to reply to the question posed to you, and the occasion to speak to fellow veterans about viable solutions to a chaotic mess.
You could have spoken about Iran's pivotal role in world politics. You could have talked about America's actions in the Middle East. You could have even talked about what had happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ventured to guess the effects of similar actions in Iran.

Additionally Mr. McCain, it is not time to lighten up. Between two crazy presidents (Bush and Ahmadinejad) pumping nationalist fists in order to mask their insane and ideological causes, it is not the time to make brash, insensitive, and careless comments. Lightening up is a luxury that we cannot afford. Because war is serious. Dropping bombs on people is serious. Sending thousands of soldiers to to kill poorer soldiers in other nations is serious. I'm sure that anyone returning from Iraq would argue that their experience was serious as well. I'm sure that your war experiences were serious as well.

How about sending our nation's boys and girls to kill other boys and girls? How about addressing the medical and social needs of American soldiers as they return to the States and attempt to continue their lives? What about the absolute chaos that exists in Iraq today, and discussing ways to communicate with Iran and avoid similar results?

We've already seen the detrimental effects of brash decision making, and as a presidential candidate, you must demonstrate that you are able to remain collected, and diplomatic. Even when you are amongst your cronies. I want a president that is able to talk objectively about issues, and not just adapt his tune to amuse his audience on that particular night.

The reality of being a president is that you don't just follow others, or make stupid remarks. You gather information to make the best decisions possible, while considering your consituents and the effects of your actions. I believe that your comments did not consider the information available, did not consider your constituents, and most certainly you did not fully assess the effects of "bombing Iran". Your words were reckless, and not exemplary of who I want to lead my country.

And Mr. McCain, I do not appreciate the comment about getting a life. I do not appreciate how you talk carelessly about taking away lives, and then counter it with a smart remark about getting one. When you talk about bombing countries, you talk about destroying them as well as threatening civilian infrastructure.

Lighten up Mr. McCain? We simply cannot.

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sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/20/politics/main2709937.shtml
you tube videos

McCain later comments that "Iran is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. That alone should concern us but now they are trying for nuclear capabilities. I totally support the President when he says we will not allow Iran to destroy Israel."

Please, I'd love to hear more about how you'd like to proceed, but starting with a crude joke about bombing the country could never be fruitful.