© the eyeranian

Health & Happiness in 2004

Please Don't Stop Now!

Mercy Corps reached the $250,000 mark earlier today, thanks to all the web site and phone donations overnight. I thank all of those who have sent them a donation. Also we all need to thank all the sites and blogs who display their banners and link to their site.

Please don't stop, as help is still badly needed.

Mercy Corps' site now has pictures of their supplies being shipped to (above) and then used in (below) Iran. I also volunteered to translate a brief page for them to Farsi (since they had one in Arabic already) that should be up soon. Forgive my poor Farsi as it has been over three years since I have written anything that is not in English and my skills are rusty at best. Please consider linking to that page if you have a Farsi blog/site.

UPDATE - Yet another reason why I won't donate to Red Cross, who has stated they will hand all funds directly over to Red Crescent in Iran: Azar Nafisi reports "Red Crescent... banned female doctors and volunteers who tried to go to Bam."

Cleaning Up

New Year is traditionally the time most Iranians do a major clean up and get rid of the old. I know this is not the Iranian new year (that will come in March) but I will be doing the same with my ever so expanding list of Iranian English Blogs, with many of them inactive for way too long. Please don't be hurt if a link to your particular weblog is removed as I think the ones who have not had a post in months, need to go. This doesn't mean that if you are an occasional writer and post stuff periodically or have announced that you will be away for a while I will remove your link. But if you have been writing regularly for months and suddenly stopped writing last July, I will assume you are busy with life's other pleasures and just let me know when you may activate your blog again and you'll be added right away. Thanks for your understanding.

While we are on this topic, let me ask again for those of you who can write even with limited ability to start a weblog. I have always offered my assistance as I think it is vital for us to find ways of communicating with the greater world community out there and in particular use ways to express our point of view. This is the way I do mine and I believe many of you also have a prospective that needs to be heard. Contact me if you need help, but please seriously consider a blog as part of your new year resolutions.

Chariots of Gods

It was shortly after the Iranian revolution of 1979 when I first got my hands on the Farsi version of Erich Von Daniken's Chariots of God. The Swiss scientist's book was intriguing, fresh and downright radical. The flow of information was limited on both sides of the argument, so we never got to watch his "In Search of Ancient Astronauts" television show or received many of the arguments and evidence against his theories. In this situation, most of his assertions were taken as gospel and accepted without much critical debate.

I think Daniken was and is greatly instrumental in the way many Iranians of newer generation feel about religion, God and the universe. Perhaps it is also the reason certain cults have found an eager audience amongst young Iranians.

While I am not trying to argue for or against Daniken's theories here, I believe the lesson about limiting flow of information is a valuable one we should pay attention to. Limiting exchange of ideas has currently created a vacuum atmosphere, ready for any idea that may come across as legible and credible to spread like wildfire, be it Rev. Moon's church, Jesuit missionaries, Hare Krishnas or Islamist Cults.

Daniken may be busy at his park, but we will have a long way to go in breaking down the barriers set up by cultural, religious and governmental forces that will plague us for years to come.

Your Donations

We came pretty close. At midnight (my time), we were at just over $225,000 and less than $25,000 short of my personal goal of collecting $250,000 for Mercy Corps' relief effort in Iran. We are far from done though and still much more is needed. So I ask all of you once again to please pledge what you can and ask all those around you to also contribute what they are capable of. There should be no reason why tens of thousands who survived the original tragedy, are now battling the inadequate life conditions and suffer from lack of medication or cold. Click here to help.

The Reform Movement

Looking at the list of the latest hopeful candidates in the simulation exercise of parliamentary elections in Iran, it is obvious to me at least that the so called "reform movement" is officially dead.

What was essentially fired up by election of an insider who smiled often, promised a lot and made positive gestures towards the world, has died down so badly even some of its most prominent members have decided to step aside. They include brother of supreme leader, former mayor of Tehran, former minister of interior as well as minister of culture and Islamic guidance, plus a barrage of known political figures, popular journalists, academia and experts.

Instead, many of the "hard-liner" bigwigs are back on the scene and will probably win their seats for their side. They include the original vigilante Hadi Ghaffari, hated former information minister Fallahian, plus Badamchian, Parvaresh and Asgaroladi, the head hard-liners of Moetalefeh gang with others who have joined the list along with a few "opposition" figures who will probably be disqualified before even making the ballot.

Over 8,000 people have put their names up, of which only 806 are women. In some provinces, only 1, 2 or 7 women are on the list and only one woman from a religious minority has registered. This is all before a large majority of registered applicants are vetted by the conservative body that overlooks the elections.

Why the "movement" died takes a much deeper review and analysis but the major weakness of its head can be summarized in the inability or unwillingness (depending on your point of view) to keep up with the demand of the masses behind them and essentially falling behind the general public.

In short, their solution and extend of expertise for a severely ailing system was some plastic surgery, while a major operation involving amputations, exchange of primary organs and a complete blood transfusion is the only factor that may have saved this patient. The smile was a good start, but hardly enough to amount to anything.

The roots of this so called movement go actually further back, although the new wave was officially born in 1997. Right after the revolution of 1979, Iranian Communist Party (Tudeh) took a very similar position and even as late as mid-80's, when mass arrests and executions were in full force, still advocated a pattern of supporting the system, in hope of making gradual changes towards a goal more suitable to their agenda. Interestingly enough, some key members of the new wave have strong Tudeh connections from that era.

I am still not advocating a "revolution" and believe a long and steady movement towards democracy is the only long term solution Iran has to achieve freedom. I just hope we don't repeatedly get side-tracked by any weasel claiming to deliver us to the moon, but is only equipped with a paper plane and some big words.

URGENT!

Iran quake toll may hit 50,000; calls for more aid

The news continues to get worst and we need to do the little we are capable of doing to help out.

As many as 30,000 people may still be buried and there's an immediate need to offer help to those who have survived the catastrophe, but are injured and need urgent care or are homeless and in need of shelter and basic means to survive the upcoming weeks.

Mercy Corps just announced they have passed the $185,000 mark for donations sent by individuals, many of them from the Iranian-American community. Lets make an effort to bring that number up to $250,000 by the end of the day. That is only an extra $65,000 and can easily be achieved.

I urge all of you to please call them and send your $20 (thanks Chad), $50, $100 or $1,000 donations during this period. Please also use the banners below and link them to http://www.mercycorps.org?source=1702 on your sites and blogs and beg (yes, there's nothing wrong with begging if it isn't for yourself and to help in a humanitarian effort) everyone you know to send in a few dollars and make this mini-drive work.

Please help! Please!

More on Earthquake

When 30,000 lives come to an end in a mere 30 second window, does anybody hear?

Here are some facts I concede to:

The U.S. administration should be applauded for putting aside pity issues and offer help for the Bam earthquake victims. I hope they do more.

Enforcing sanctions in the midst of a colossal human tragedy is just asinine.

It is irrational to not accept humanitarian aid when it is most needed, even if it comes from an apartheid state.

Iranian government deserves much blame for the extent of damage and loss of life in this disaster.

It is great to see some countries donate millions in aid and disappointing to see others only make token contributions.

I have not asked a single Iranian for donation so far (if I run into you anywhere, be sure you'd be asked) who has refused to dig in his/her pockets or purse immediately.

Non-Iranians I have encountered have no idea help in form of donations and more are needed (thanks to the inept mass media). Please tell them.

We all need to learn first aid.

Earthquakes can not be stopped.

Buildings can be built to resist the destructive force of an earthquake to a great degree.

Structures can be built in ways to maximize the opportunity of occupants to survive, in the event of a collapse.

Governments can prepare better for the eventual disasters their people will face.

Bam's population; less than 200,000. Imagine when (not IF) Tehran is hit, with a population of 12 Million, plus.

We'll have plenty of time to discuss each of these topics and many more. For now, could you make a call to three friends, send an email to five, and make a little notice for your workplace's bulletin board or grocery store's community announcement wall to pass along Mercy Corps' information and ask for their help too?

I spoke to them earlier and they will gladly not add your name to a mailing list or sell/rent the information to others, if you only ask. Please do it now. Thanks!

UPDATE - Iran Quake Death Toll May Reach 50,000!!??!!

Suspicious Almanac Carriers

A friend sent this to me accompanied by this short but very illuminating comment: "I can not see the difference between the jokes and the real news anymore." He couldn't be more right!

The first line of the story says it all: "The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs..."

Apparently the admirals of our battle with terrorists have figured people may use anything that is a source of information as they "could be used for terrorist planning." Next will be dictionaries, encyclopedias, radios, TV sets and mother of all sources of information; the Internet.

After all, all these indispensable information such as "everything from abbreviations to weather trends" are much more available and accessible with a few clicks at your local public library or Kinko's. So why would you scare people into looking for bogeymen carrying Almanacs?

I just hope one day people will wake up and not let their intelligence be insulted so easily.

Bleeding Blue

Monday Morning Motivationals

Source

How to help?

Some of this information may sound repetitive, but here are some of the ways you can make a donation to help the victims of Bam earthquake:

If you live in USA:

The U.S. sanctions against Iran, make it rather difficult to be choosy about the way you help. In short, you can only donate to a U.S. charity that has applied and received special permits to transfer funds and/or supplies to Iran. Sending money directly, wiring it to a local charity with more direct control or transmitting funds to a relative to make the donation on your behalf can all be interpreted as violation of U.S. law and are subject to prosecution. Will all who may do this be charged? nobody knows. But you CAN be and who knows where it may be used against somebody. So, you basically don't have many choices as to how you wish your money be spent. I know this may be ridicules and unfair, but this is not the time to fight the system as urgent help is needed. My first choice still remain Mercy Corps. You can make a donation on-line, call them at 1.800.292.3355 ext. 250 and use a credit card to make a contribution, or send a check to: Mercy Corps, Iran Earthquake, Dept. W., PO Box 2669, Portland, OR 97208-266

Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi has accepted the task of collection of donations and overlooking its distribution. There has never been a doubt in her integrity and you can feel confident she will make the right choices when it comes to how the funds are best allocated. You can wire funds directly to her (even small amounts are important and welcomed) from any bank in your country by using the following transfer information: Name: Shirin Ebadi , Account No. 8080, Name of financial institution: Saderat Bank of Iran, Branch: Yousef-abad Ave, Kalantary square Branch, Location: Tehran, Iran.

I am told there are collection boxes and fundraising drives at many street corners, offices and other public places. Once again, I personally would not donate to Red Crescent (you make your own decision) as I have personal doubts about the sincerity and trustworthiness of those at the top that have control of the funds. If you can find a way to get money to those directly involved with the everyday rescue and medical tasks, I am certain chances of fraud are much lower.

Whatever you choose to do, please give generously and put aside your own political or personal feelings. The children who have lost their parents or the mother who lost all her kids don't have anything to do with whatever it is you may or may not like about the government of Iran and those in charge. Tonight in the freezing temperatures of desert night, they need a heating source and a blanket and our donations can buy both. I trust you will do the right thing.

Tony Undermines the Coalition?

The magnitude of what happened in Bam was so overwhelming, it made it impossible to focus on anything but the tragedy that is still being uncovered with each passing hour. And rightly so. This one however, I cold not pass on and as an ex fan of the Labour Party, it just made me scratch my head in disbelief.

If I understand this story right, on his Christmas message to British soldiers, Tony Blair stated that there was 'massive evidence of a huge system of clandestine laboratories' and The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) has finally found concrete evidence that Saddam had make an effort to 'conceal weapons'.

Then a day or two later, the American King of Iraq, Mr. Paul Bremer gets asked about this new evidence during an interview and without realizing the source of this latest lie, he emphatically denies it and goes much further:

"It was, he suggested, a 'red herring', probably put about by someone opposed to military action in Iraq who wanted to undermine the coalition. 'I don't know where those words come from but that is not what [ISG chief] David Kay has said,' ... 'It sounds like a bit of a red herring to me'."

Now do you think Blair opened his mouth and revealed something he wasn't supposed to, or is he either so clueless or desperate to come out with such massive fabrication?

Link via Aref-Adib

No More Questions?

Just a reminder that if there is anything you wish to ask me, I'll be closing the comments section of this post in a couple of days and then will try to answer some of your inquiries. I can see you have already left a few "interesting" ones too. This will be fun.

Nothing To Say!

What is there to say when most experts are now stating that limiting the number of casualties to 20,000 is being overly optimistic?

I suppose we could discuss why Iran has never been able to effectively make a major change in the way structures are built, although most of the country is prone to experience strong earthquakes. We could disagree on if not accepting donations from Israel makes any sense. We could elaborate on the Armitage-Zarif conversation that led to rescuers being sent there from US. We could wonder why a certain country with such huge GDP would donate less than half a million dollars to help the victims. We could also argue about our choice of charities and the most effective way to help. But I beg all of you to not do it.

Let us just focus on one issue for now: maximize our donations, period.

Please find it in your heart to send $20, $50, $100 or $1,000, whatever you can afford, to Mercy Corps Now! Please.

I thank you in advance for all your help. Thanks.

Please Help!!!

the eyeranian pleads for your generosity as a devastating earthquake has killed thousands and destroyed many homes in Iran and donations are badly needed to help in this humanitarian effort. Recommended method of sending donations is through Mercy Corps and they can be reached via their web site mercycorps.org or by calling 1.800.292.3355 ext. 250

Mailing address to send your checks is:

Mercy Corps
Iran Earthquake
Dept. W
PO Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208-266

Please mark your checks with “Iran Earthquake” so the funds are directed towards this effort. Thank you.

UPDATE - Another spot for your donations:

Natasha Behbahany of Relief International assures me that "there is a specific RI team on the ground currently offering humanitarian services to the victims." Also, they have some experience in this area, having "had on-going representation in Iran that has been working on long-term reconstruction efforts from the 2002 Qazvin earthquake and the 2001 Golestan flood".

They are accepting donations on-line right here. Options are good.

Arg-e Bam Pictures

I traveled to Bam with my family when I was 13. These 15 pictures were taken during that trip. I was being artistic thinking everyone has already done those pictures of the citadel from outside, I'll take my pictures from inside out. I don't know how successful that attempt was.

I hope the reports of the complete complex being destroyed are exaggerated.

UPDATE - Pictures collected by IranMania shows extensive damage to the citadel and of course seeing some of the victims is not easy. Please give generously.

Earthquake in Iran

The estimate for casualties range from 5,000 to 20,000. So far over 4,000 deaths are confirmed but numbers are escalating rapidly. A relatively strong earthquake devastated southeastern province of Kerman last night, destroying the historical city of Bam in the process. This isn't the right time and place to discuss why isn't enough done to prepare building across Iran for the inevitable earthquakes. After all, the California shake of last week was almost as powerful and caused only limited damage and 2 deaths. We will have plenty of time to argue about those points. For now what is badly needed is emergency relief.

Lat time I was in Iran in mid 90's, you could still BUY tents with Red Cross stencil on them that was sent to Iran for the last large earthquake earlier in that decade. They were brand new and sold at private stores. Obviously they were never used for their intended purpose and now someone was making money from them. This only highlights the serious concerns some have about the integrity of Iranian Red Crescent society, Red Cross's cousin organization that is unfortunately run under governmental influence.

A few bloggers are right now searching for other ways to collect some donations and send them via means, where it actually gets directly to he victims and doesn't line-up pockets of another connected fat cat. I will keep you updated on that effort within the next day or so.

Meanwhile, prey if you are religious, meditate if you're spiritual, send positive vibes if you are neither. Whatever you do, keep these victims from one of the most underprivileged and deprived region of Iran in your thoughts today and think of ways to send them some help.

UPDATE - I personally would not give a penny to Red Cross. Nothing against them, but their functioning arm in Iran is the Red Crescent Society which is known for corruption and fraud, just as most governmental organizations in Iran are. We will find other ways.

UPDATE - Aside from the human casualties, the old structure of Arg-e Bam, one of heritage sites recognized by the UN, an old city on the ancient Silk Road and the oldest mud structure surviving in the world has been completley destroyed as the early reports indicate. Very sad indeed.... I have some personal pictures of Bam I will try to put up somewhere, here is more on it's history.

UPDATE - Have been doing some more research on this as a few bloggers wanted to start a fund and were busy finding suitable NGO's inside Iran to give the money to, but apparently for those of us in USA to attempt to send donations through other means may be a violation of sanctions and subject to prosecution. In short, we aren't free to decide how our donations are spent. Red Cross (unfortunately) may be our only choice, although I have already contacted other charities such as Doctors Without Borders to see if they are able to handle the aid directly and not hand all the donations over to the Iranian government. Just in case I wasn't clear already, let me state that I have nothing negative to say about Red Cross and believe most of the Red Crescent people are also honest, compassionate people. But as a government entity, those with the influence and power to control the collected funds, are naturally proven cohorts of a corrupt and fraud-plagued system, and as an example of their misdeeds, you can look at my tent story above.

UPDATE - Some sources are reporting death tolls as high as 40,000 but so far it appears that about 20,000 are confirmed. The pictures are just heart wrenching. I am contacting more people regarding donations including Mercy Corps who appear to have their own presence in Iran. Will let you know.

UPDATE - I have it confirmed. Just spoke to the program director at Mercy Corps and she read me the confirmations straight from their VP that their own team of five has already landed in the Iranian city of Zahedan and they will be overlooking the job of spending all the donations, everything from distributing blankets, medicine and more all the way to allocating rebuilding money directly and no money will be transfered to any agent or employees of the Iranian government. I am sending my own donation through them and hope you do too.

You Won!

Notice anything different? It appears that you have won! How so? Look at the Google Ads! They seem to have suddenly re-appeared on permanent bases without any official word or acknowledgement from them. And it is all because of you. You wrote about it in your blogs, left your comments here, sent messages to Google administrators and made such a fuss that even prominent technology reporters were contacting me by yesterday to get some details. Well, a huge, gigantic THANK YOU!

Obviously somebody at Google stepped in and decided their actions were just unacceptable. I knew they would, if the bothered to look and listen for one minute, instead of sending pre-formatted replies that made no sense whatsoever. Well, you succeeded in proving the point and even if I was not involved at all, it must be re-assuring to watch the small guy be triumphant. I hope one day all "big guys" acknowledge that discrimination based on someone's opinion, is not acceptable. For now, it appears one has agreed. Once again, Thank You! You are the best readers any eyeranian blogger could possibly ask for.

UPDATE - I'm exhasted. Give me a day or two to recover.

Happy Consumption Season

The greatest holiday to honor cosmic dimension consumptions is here. This is the time of the year we are encouraged, even coerced into maxing out our credit card limits and spend every penny we may have saved on largely junk items, none of us really needs or uses to begin with. To further complicate the matter, we are somehow led to believe this is all in tribute to a great prophet who was actually born in January but we celebrate his birth in December. So, to remember a man who reportedly had nothing and what he had he shared with the less fortunate, we shall all buy stuff for those who need it least and spread the religion of consumption to our children by suggesting a saint would bring them the latest Hasbro or Fisher-Price thingamabob. Well, I hope you are all done with your shopping if you live as part of this enormous machine and enjoy sharing the following data with the other slaves you may know;

"Our enormously productive economy ... demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption ... We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate." Victor Lebow, Journal of Retailing, 1955

Percentage of American teenage girls who report store-hopping as favorite activity: 93%

In 1987 the number of shopping centers (32,563) in the US surpassed the number of high schools.

By graduation from high school, the typical American teenager has been exposed to 360,000 advertisements.

Proportion of housewares bought to replace worn-out items: 1981: 66-75%, 1987: less than 50%

In the US packaging (cans, bottles, cartons, wrappings, etc.) uses approximately:
50% of all paper, 75% of all glass
40% of all aluminum, 30% of all plastics

The US throws away more aluminum in the form of cans than all but seven other countries use for all purposes.

Worldwide, more than 200 billion bottles, cans, cartons and paper and plastic cups are thrown away each year.

In 1989 one company made 54 billion paper-foil-plastic disposable drink boxes!

Americans can choose from: over 25,000 supermarket items, 200 kinds of cereal

Kellogg's spends $32 million each year advertising Frosted Flakes.

On average, a pound of food in the US travels 1,200 miles.

It takes 3 times more energy to ship a head of lettuce from California to New York than it does to grow it.

Over their lifetime the average American uses:
540 tons of construction materials
3,375 barrels of oil
18 tons of paper (~ 650 trees)
23 tons of wood
16 tons of metals
32 tons of organic chemicals
and produces 52 tons of garbage

The World's Rich (the consumer class) are 20% of the world's people, but consume:
80% of the world's paper, iron and steel
75% of the world's timber and energy
60% of the world's meat and fertilizer
50% of the world's fish and grain
40% of the world's fresh water

The World's Rich (the consumer class)
Emit 23% of all carbon dioxide
Emit 34% of sulfur and nitrogen oxides
Generate 96% of radioactive waste
Release 90% of the Chlorofluorocarbons

Rise in per capita consumption in the US in the last 20 years: 45%

Median size of new house in the US
1949: 1,100 sq ft
1993: 2,060 sq ft

10 million Americans have 2 or more homes

6% of Americans earning more than $50,000 say they have achieved the American Dream

Decrease in Index of Social Health since 1970: 51%

More than 300,000 Americans are homeless.

5% of Americans earning less than $15,000 say they have achieved the American Dream

Parents spend 40% less time with kids than they did in 1965.

Bartlet For President

I need to get back into the habit of watching The West Wing on Wednesday nights. New episodes or re-runs, it's all good. If I had to make a top ten list of greatest television series of all times, this one would be near the top without a doubt. The writing is just insanely unbelievable. Perhaps only rivaled by The Sopranos and The Simpsons amongst what else is currently on television. Besides (and needless to say), if anyone like Bartlet ever came close to the oval office, I have no doubt the world will be a much better place.

My most favorite episode? That's easy. It will be the one when Bartlet walks into this White House gathering of radio talk personalities and as he begins to speak, he notices this Dr. Laura Schlessinger like radio psychologist character named Jacobs seated nearby. The exchange is just electrifying:

BARTLET: It's a good idea to be reminded of the awesome impact, the awesome impact... I'm sorry. You're Dr. Jenna Jacobs, right?

JACOBS (obviously pleased to be recognized): Yes, sir!

BARTLET: It's good to have you here.

JACOBS: Thank you!

BARTLET: ... the awesome impact of the airwaves, and how that translates into the furthering of our national discussions, but obviously also how it can ... how it can ... Forgive me, Dr. Jacobs. Are you an M.D.?

JACOBS: A Ph.D.

BARTLET: A Ph.D.

JACOBS: Yes, sir.

BARTLET: In psychology?

JACOBS: No, sir.

BARTLET: Theology?

JACOBS: No.

BARTLET: Social work?

JACOBS: I have a Ph.D. in English Literature.

BARTLET: I'm asking 'cause on your show people call in for advice ? and you go by the name Dr. Jacobs on your show ... and I didn't know if maybe your listeners were confused by that and assumed you had advanced training in psychology, theology or health care.

JACOBS: I don't believe they are confused, no, sir.

BARTLET: I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an "abomination!"

JACOBS: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.

BARTLET: Yes it does. Leviticus!

JACOBS: 18:22.

BARTLET: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I wanted to sell my youngest daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown Sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?

(Bartlet only waits a second for a response, then plunges on.)

BARTLET: While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGary, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? Or is it okay to call the police?

(Bartlet barely pauses to take a breath.)

BARTLET: Here's one that's really important, because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?

(The camera pushes in on the president.)

One last thing. While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building when the president stands, nobody sits.

(Jacobs sees that, in fact, the president is standing and she is the only one in the room sitting. After a moment, she rises, holding her tiny plate of appetizers. After the president exits, Sam Seaborn sternly approaches a thoroughly belittled Jacobs.)

SAM: I'm just ... going to take that crab puff.

(Sam snatches Dr. Jacob's crab puff, then hurries after the president.)

Ask Me Anything!

One of my dear friends and an avid reader of this blog is very upset (border line angry) with me. It turns out that somewhere in a post so long ago, he left a question for me in the comments section and I never replied to him.

Here's my take on this whole blog thing; there's the part that is designed for me to write something about something I feel I should share with the rest of the globe and then a link to what is called "comments". Remember, it says "comments" not "conversations" or "exchanges", etc. If you feel like saying something about what I have put up, you are encouraged to leave your own comment on that topic. On the other hand, there also ways for you to contact me directly, mainly by that email address set up under my logo on top. If you want to share something privately, ask something or offer a suggestion, that's the way to best achieve it. Don't get angry at me for not responding to a "comment" I may or may not have even seen. Am I wrong on this?

But seeing that he is an otherwise reasonable man and he sincerely feels offended, I'd like to offer my apologies to him publicly. And if there are anyone else who also expected a response to a comment, the same goes to you.

To clear up any bad blood and also clear the air, here's your chance to ask me anything you'd like. That's right! If you feel like I should've answered anything publicly and for whatever reason you wanted to ask something but didn't know how to use your email account, I will publicly answer any questions that is posted to the comments here in a separate post and truthfully too. But just this once!

So, go for it. Before I get sued by you know who and lose everything I have and wish to have had, including this blog, ask your questions. If there are none, I will at least feel less guilty knowing there aren't any other hurt feelings out there.

Situation Orange

Tom Ridge (not pictured above) raised the nation's threat level to "orange" but I am not sure what this means to me. I mean if this was for law enforcement and others involved with security issues, then there would be no point to a public announcement as they can be reached via different means. If this is meant for the general public, then tell me what to do. Do I start looking for suspicious packages left unattended? Do I scrutinize the people going in and out of this flight school I pass by on my way to work? Do I report the Arab guy that lives two floors down from my apartment and is a miserable freak that throws a fit if somebody blocks his parking spot? Do I stop my sister from flying here to visit? What do I do as "be diligent" is just way too vague for me when I know innocent lives may be in danger by a bunch of religious nuts.

Imagine....

I did not watch (and would not watch) the charade that was put together to supposedly honor the first Iranian winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on A&E for reasons I have explained before. But I just heard (from a reader that uses emails!) that they altered John Lennon's "Imagine" for the night and replaced "no religion too" with "no division too".

Wow! If true, you mean even the dead man's words were that scary to the religious extremists? When Lennon wrote "no religion too", he meant NO RELIGION TOO, period. If you don't agree or feel this is valid, or if your primary audience in the bible belt or occupied Babylon (the concert was obviously not broadcast in Iran) feels offended by the suggestion of one artist that the world may be a better place without religion, pick a different artist and a different song!

I often feel as if I grew up in a dogmatic country, spent many years in a society that is at least trying hard to break out of its past doctrine and moved back to a third country that is just as unbending and authoritarian as the first one. Wake up people!

Here's the ORIGINAL version of Imagine, the way the artist meant it:

Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Labatt's Blue

Although it may have some ramifications next time I'm applying to renew my Canadian passport, I admit that I don't drink beer. Never liked the way it tastes, smells or looks, so I never got into this North American guy tradition of downing a few cold ones at every possible opportunity.

But as Labatt Blue makes a big marketing campaign to grab more of the U.S. market, every time I see their banners, balloons or promotional giveaways at an eatery, it certainly reminds me of home. Here's a cool web site by them that allows you to suggest your own Blue related gizmo and aside from the cash prize for the winner, they may actually make a prototype of your very own doodad.

How 'bout a TV remote control that also hides a cooled flask to dispense cold drinks just when you need it most?

Winter is here...

I haven't spent enough time in the land of sun to actually miss snow yet, but the start of winter gives me an excuse to introduce you to one of my favorite sites by artist Ali Jahanian. Click on "Home" after watching his winter "card" and check out the rest of his brilliant work.

Google is Wrong!

I like to think I was one of the first converts to Google. When there was so many other options and these guys were the newcomers in the field, for some reason I liked the Sergey and Larry's new toy right away and got hooked on it before most. Their story is just remarkable and very inspirational for all those who believe business can be done in a non-traditional way and still succeed.

With that in mind, it was a no-brainer for me to sign up with their AdSense program. This is the feature you see on the top right corner of my main page. You basically provide them with the space on your site and they use their search engine to scan the content of your page and based on what they find, place related links of advertising to other sites that pay for referrals to their site. In exchange, Google will pass along part of the money they collect to the site owner. You also provide a percentage of all link to charities who do not pay for the hits and there is no fees collected by you either. It all should work rather smoothly. My readers get exposed to related other sites they may also find interesting, a few dollars in collected to pay for hosting of the site and Google ends up making money they deserve for putting the technology and infrastructure in place.

So, after applying and being accepted following a pre-screening interval by them, I started displaying their ads on December 10th. It worked pretty well too with links to Howard Dean's site (because of May's article), links to Iranian on-line stores (coming from all the references to Iran and Iranian in various posts) and even a couple to presidential doll vendors (presumably from my multiple mention of a few presidents and a certain former Governor). Just barely over $5 was made from the referrals when exactly one week later, I noticed only the freebie charity ads are listed. No problem. I don't mind paying for the space to direct people towards a few worthy causes. But that continued for the next day and the one after. I wrote Google to find out what the problem was and the answer just shocked me.

Google had pulled their ads from this site because as they put it: "We currently do not run paid AdWords ads on web pages that could be potentially negative, non-family-safe, or that advocate against any individual, group, or organization."

I wrote them back of course, asking for them to elaborate and since they obviously believe the eyeranian fits into the above category, find out "what is negative about it? how is it non-family-safe? or (how it) advocates against any individual, group or organization?"

This time they somewhat back paddled about my blog being any of the above, but made things even more problematical by stating their "system" finds my content unacceptable. In their words: "Although the nature of your content really may not fit into any of these categories, at times, emphasis of a some subject matters on a page can flag our servers to deliver public service ads to a page. Some examples of content that may be considered negative are: death, terrorism, car accident, injury accident, heart attack, diseases, weapons of mass destruction, nuclear etc."

I just ran a check on EVERYTHING that has ever been posted on the eyeranian. By my account, I have never discussed car accidents, injury accidents or diseases. The closest thing to a "heart attack" is this, about my father having a brain stroke. As for death, I suppose this is what I have said, trying to comfort a friend on the loss of her mother. So I don't think any of those could realistically be used to make my weblog "flagged". That leaves a few more "examples" they provided, namely: terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and nuclear.

This is a weblog. It's about my daily observations and thoughts on various topics. Over the past couple of years, could you imagine ANYONE not thinking about or discussing terrorism, WMD's or nuclear (weapons)? Of course I have too. Is that the example of negative or non-family oriented they are talking about? I just searched Whitehouse's web site, and they sure have plenty more references to terrorism than I do, would they also disqualify? One of Google's paying advertisers that had a link on my blog was Howard Dean's site and he sure has plenty more references to Weapons of Mass Destruction than I do.

Maybe it's not using these terms as "content" that bothers Google. Maybe they are worried about my take on them. I don't think they are Republicans exclusively, so they can't be too concerned about me believing the war on terrorism is gone the wrong direction or WMD's were just an excuse to start an illegal war. Many Democrats feel that way and they sure don't find themselves called "negative" or "non-family-safe" or "advocating against any individual, group or organization". Besides, since when is "advocating" against anything such a taboo?

Could it be that in some way, someone at Google considers me more extreme than millions of other tax-payers in this land because of my background? God forbid, they don't think I'm a terrorist or have WMD's just because I am eyeranian, do they? If not, why can somebody like Dean say it and they even accept his advertising without a problem but I say it and I'm "advocating"?

Would it be different if I was pro-war, pro-bush, pro-neocons? Pejman Yousefzadeh sure talks about the same topics, although from a very different point of view and yet has no problems with "negativity". Neither does Andrew Sullivan or hundreds of other blogs (like this) who have been spared the wrath of "The Google Team" and still carry their ads without being "flagged" by their system. Why is Google being prejudice against the eyeranian?

You see if from the get go they had said they don't want my business, for whatever reason, I would not have liked it but understood the right of a private venture to make decisions I may or may not agree with. But if they choose to now analyze the content of my weblog and then decide to categorize it in a derogatory way, I have serious problems with that. Google is a force on the Internet now and they need to understand that they are not privileged to decide who can say what and how they say it. What if they decide tomorrow to reflect this kind of judgment in their search results too? Will sites they consider not worthy be indexed at all or be placed much lower because the politics of what is represented does not agree with theirs?

This is where you come in; and I need your help.

If you feel the eyeranian is being targeted unfairly, regardless of your political belief, write to Google at adsense-support@google.com and ask them to reconsider their decision regarding banning ads on www.eyeranian.net. Please also forward a copy to their Iranian senior executive Omid Kordestani at omid.kordestani@google.com, I like to know what he thinks of this too.

If you get a real reply other than their pre-formatted form, please share it. I thank you all in advance for your help and for standing up for what is right. Thanks.

UPDATE – Dec. 23 @ 11:50 AM PST - Google’s last email reply has this tidbit of interesting information which also may be an admission of sort. In explaining that they will not use a similar policy of discriminating against sites based on their political leaning for their search results, they say: “We reiterate that the decisions we make concerning advertising in no way affect the search results we deliver. We will continue to deliver results for sites that advocate the full spectrum of political positions and personal opinions.” That sounds like confessing that their decision to remove ads from my site had nothing to do with their earlier suggestions and is purely based on my “political positions and personal opinions”. In short, a large multi-million (billion?) dollar company “flags” my personal weblog because I don’t agree with their political belief. Please 1) tell them you don’t agree and 2) leave your feedback comments here. I am reading them with great anticipation.

UPDATE – Dec. 24 @ 9:20 AM PST – For the past 12 hours or so, the ads have been back periodically. Not sure if this signals a reversal in Google’s decision or just a hiccup in their system. I don’t even know if they work when they do show up, as I’m not allowed to click on them. I am being positive, hoping this is indeed a good sign from people who may have actually listened to everyone’s requests, instead of just mailing back pre-formatted standard replies. Will keep you updated.

UPDATE – Dec. 25 @ 9:32 AM PST – Yesterday, by my account and a couple of friends who have been kind enough to check regularly, the ads were back about 10% of the times. Meaning that most of you still only saw the non-profit ads and there were only 3 “clicks” on the other ones. Today, so far, it looks like we are getting mainly the commercial ads. That could all change of course, but we are monitoring it all day. No new emails or other communication from Google to announce a change in their decision has been received. Write them again! Let’s keep the pressure up. Discrimination based on someone’s opinion is not acceptable, in commercial or any other arena. Meanwhile, if you have some time off today, please spend it with your loved ones. Love you all.

Monday Morning Motivationals

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

Take a moment to review and re-affirm your goals and chart
a new course. If you've wandered a bit off-course, so
what? If you've been tossed and blown away from your major
goals, note that fact, plot a new course and get back to
work. A New Year is about to begin, and the sun is coming
back! Start over, start again. Even nature says it's a
time for new beginnings.

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

"Love is a passport to the impossible, so do not be disturbed
if the seas are sometimes rough."
-- Lois Wyse --

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."
-- Linus Pauling --

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner."
-- Colette --

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny
can only be grasped one link at a time."
-- Sir Winston Churchill --

Source

Celebrating Yalda

Yalda is the ancient Iranian observance of the longest night of the year or Winter Solstice. Perhaps the birthplace of old European celebration of Yule, Yalda is still observed by most Iranian families, regardless of religion or ethnic background.

Growing up, typically this would be the evening we would all gather at home of family elders and honor the night with music, watching television specials and the ever so important; distinctive foods, snacks and fruits prepared for the experience. Most notably Pomegranates would be featured plus dried fruits/nuts mix and my grandparents always made Fava Beans we would have with lemon juice and a sprinkled with a mixture of herbs and spices called Golpar. Some years somehow someone would manage to find a decent watermelon that was not exactly in season and add to the flavors of the night. On certain years they would have a Korsee set up. This is a very short square table at the center of the room with a heating device (electrical, coal or otherwise) installed underneath. It was covered with a super sized comforter covering the whole set up plus most of the room and everyone would sit around it under the cover and enjoy the cozy, warm experience with my grandma reciting poetry or telling us kids an old story.

I started my elementary school in Jamshid Jam, an exclusive Zoroastrian school and If I remember correctly, my Zoroastrian friends also light candles and bonfires on this night too, although that could have been a family practice and not faith based. I am certain someone here will validate the actual tradition.

Years later, I have lived by myself for so long that all of these wonderful customs have become a distant memory more than anything actually paid attention to. I just hope my other countrymen and women will not let them be forgotten and practice all the silly traditions and cultural tales we all carry, as life is nothing but just a bunch of silly traditions that dictates our way of life and who we are as a community and individuals.

Enjoy Yalda!

Forbidden Iran

Mark your calendars from now. On January 8, at 9 p.m. FrontLine on PBS will show Forbidden Iran, a documentary by award winning Canadian journalist Jane Kokan. Already shown in Europe, the documentary has been the center of much discussion about human rights and Iranian government's horrendous record on that topic. I will reserve judgment on fairness and accuracy of the film 'til I've had a chance to see it.

What a Mess!

My baby sister is coming for a visit and I need to clean up the mess that has taken over my apartment. Normally I wouldn't be this cluttered, but the last few months have been rather unusual and as such I am living the typical single guy's disorganized and disorderly life. I promise to be back to normal though. Starting tomorrow! Maybe the MMM's will motivate me to do it. Nah, it's not needed and I'm already motivated enough. Watch for the results.

Sting's Fragile

Are you tired of Sting yet? All right! One last tune and we'll move on to somebody else. And what better song to end this on than my most favorite of his. Enjoy:

Enjoy Sunday Football!

Sand and Fog

Ben Kingsley's performance as Iranian Col. Massoud Behrani in House of Sand and Fog is already winning him critical acclaim and some suggestions for an Academy Award nomination, if not an outright win. Not having seen the movie yet, I can't really comment on that but just seeing the teasers and promo clips, I can already see how greatly he has mastered the accent and a certain body language to portray his character properly. Driving to work yesterday, I listened to this interesting NPR interview with him.

Jennifer Connelly also looks great in her role (as she usually does) but there should also be some credit given to Shohreh Aghdashlou, who is also getting her share of critical applause, even being mentioned as a possible Oscar winner. Shahreh is a beautiful and smart Iranian actress who is well known to Iranian audiences but will now become much better known to the rest of the world. She has certainly paid her dues, traveling with her husband Houshang Touzie and a small theatre group to various cities around the world for years to perform in numerous original as well as traditional plays. I wish her all the best and in the remote possibility that she is nominated and wins such major award, what a great year for international recognition of Iranian women!

Just Beautiful!

At the risk of coming across as some weirdo with strange fetishes, I need to confess something. In my eyes, there's absolutely nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman!

This is the stage where a woman is at her most feminine juncture. What's could possibly more feminine than pregnancy? It's one thing no man can ever be or experience. A lot of men can look great in women's clothing. They can be excellent in nourishing, nurturing and all other qualities attributed to the smarter sex. They can take on a feminine persona and act accordingly. But they can never be pregnant.

Women carrying a child are just most feminine and beautiful.

On a personal note: for my friend A ; you look great carrying your baby and congrats.

Conspiracy? Maybe.

Was Saddam held by the Kurds before being "captured"? There are certainly no shortage of reports about what may have actually happened to him before and continuing after the arrest.

Faramin is one of the people wondering about use of drugs and other methods on him and believes an international body should hold him before his eventual trial. I guess this is one of those things we will never really know the entire truth about and just have to rely on accounts from both sides and try to form our own belief.

Love Me Tender...

Parisian Vacation, ahhh...

A friend of mine is leaving for Paris tomorrow morning (yeah, I told her not to visit schools with a headscarf). She had a free first class ticket that had to be used this year, so she is gone for 4-5 days. This made me consider something; I have been to Paris at least a dozen times, but never in December, or January, February or March. Never in the winter.

Spending most of your life in cold and grey Toronto, the idea of vacations is summarized in one word: SUN! You vacation in chase of it and to worship its ever scarce presence. But when you live in the sun, suddenly vacationing in a damp and rainy winter in Europe is actually quite appealing. An opportunity to put on some of the winter clothes you haven't used in a while, ruin a couple of shoes that have never seen harsh weather and actually enjoy a hot drink after spending a day in the cold.

The weather changes EVERYTHING in your life. Including the way you look at your leisure time.

The Popularity Contest

Recently a well known blogger pleaded with his readers to please not leave, he will be writing more interesting stuff soon, promise. A few other bloggers got heavily involved into this contest, to see who has a more popular blog. They clicked and clicked, to see if they could manage more "votes" and make their blog the most popular. A few had more votes than they ever had visitors.

Just like many things in life, blogs have become a sort of a popularity contest to some. Day after day, one blogger or another brags about their "hits" or how influential they have become since so many people read them. The funny thing is, even those VERY popular ones, get somewhere between 3 to 10 thousand visits a day from all points around the globe, which compared to the greater population, is not even a speckle of dust in a mountain of sand. In other words, with very few exceptions, not a lot of folks read any of the blogs out there. With that, the level of influence any blogger holds, is at best questionable.

But that is exactly where they are wrong. The influence a blog holds is not in the number of visitors it gets, but is all about the quality of such visitors. For example, if you have a blog dedicated to poetry and only 10 people regularly read it but those ten are your colleagues and critics who appreciate and value the work you produce, then you have something of some value. Now go and start a blog with a bunch of one-liners, not a lot of original ideas and mainly borrowed work and links to other's creations, then get 5,000 visitors a day and your work is still of little value.

For Iranian blogs, this is also of most significance. I can honestly say that I took this seriously when I knew certain people of influence follow it. When something I wrote here gets quoted somewhere important or a staffer contacts me to say a certain person of some power carried a printout of an article of mine all day with him or a known writer contacts me to correct my poor grammar, then I don't really care how many people read this. I truly never have. If I did, I'd write far more popular things, believe me. I have learned during this one year of regular blogging that others often fall into that exact trap. In fact, the "hit counter" is the natural enemy of a honest and effective weblog.

I had to learn that and practice hard in dealing with my own counter. I have reached a stage that I totally block numbers out of my mind whenever I check the counter to either discover an unknown link back to the eyeranian, look up an abuser's information recorded or argue with my ISP about the bandwidth I am using. Otherwise, I only envision the few friends I originally started blogging for as my audience and know that their presence in this fashion, will keep me honest.

To those of you who write and keep a blog but are often discouraged because not enough people have discovered you yet, keep it up and get your thoughts out there. If they haven't found you yet, its their loss not yours.

Happy Iraqis

Is The Truth (Still) Out There?

I was three quarter of the way through something I had written about all the lies we have been forced to swallow this far about the illegal invasion of Iraq (and the new ones now coming out in the wake of Saddam's capture) when I took a break. During that break I came across this article by Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe that was so much superior to what I had written, I decided to not bother with mine and give you his version instead. Hope you enjoy it.

Still no mass weapons, no ties to 9/11, no truth

By Derrick Z. Jackson, 12/17/2003

THE INVASION was still a lie. The capture of Saddam Hussein changes nothing about that. There were too many forked tongues in the road to his lair. The way we removed the dictator, we became a global dictatorship.

No major reason for the war has been proven. The deadly WMDs became weapons of mysterious disappearance. In August 2002, Vice President Cheney said: "Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us."

In the 48-hour warning to Saddam on March 17, 2003, Bush said, "Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. . . . The terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country or any other."

On March 30, a week and a half after the start of the invasion, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld boasted about the weapons of mass destruction, "We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat."

Nine months later, no chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction have been found.

There were the administration's attempts to tie Saddam to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. They worked so well that nearly 70 percent of Americans believed Saddam was "personally involved" in the attacks. On March 21, two days after announcing the invasion, Bush wrote a letter to congressional leaders in which he said: "The use of armed force against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001."

By the fall, after Cheney revived a discredited claim that Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta had met with an Iraqi intelligence agent prior to the attacks, Bush was forced to admit, "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in September the 11th."

Bush scared Americans with fears of an Iraq armed with nuclear weapons. In his State of the Union address last January, Bush said: "the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." That claim had been discredited months earlier by many US intelligence sources. Bush used it anyway.

Bush was so successful in putting mortal fear into Americans that there never was a pause to wonder if this was carnage without cause. We could not wait for United Nations weapons inspectors to finish their job. We could not wait for diplomats to try a last appeal. As with the environment and arms control, there was no attempt to listen to the world at all. There is a thin line between arrogance and shame. Because we are the preeminent power in the world, we assumed that our arrogance would not shame us.

Bush told the world we were going to secure America and liberate Iraqis at the same time. With no weapons of mass destruction, with no nuclear weapons, and with no tie to 9/11, Saddam's capture could not possibly have been worth the lives of 455 US and 80 European soldiers. With no weapons of mass destruction, no nuclear weapons, and no tie to 9/11, it could not possibly been worth the lives of 7,600 to 45,000 Iraqi soldiers. With no rationale for the invasion, you could consider this a massacre.

As murderous as Saddam was, an invasion with no reason was not worth the killing of unknown thousands of Iraqi civilians. At the beginning of the war, Rumsfeld said: "To the Iraqi people, let me say that the day of your liberation will soon be at hand." Halliburton has been liberated to profit off Iraq, but I have yet to read a news report where a grieving Iraqi family clutches the body of an innocent loved one and hugs an American soldier in appreciation of their "liberation."

With no weapons, no ties, and no truth, the capture of Saddam was merely the most massive and irresponsible police raid in modern times. We broke in without a search warrant. Civilian deaths constituted justifiable homicide. America was again above the law. We have taught the next generation that many wrongs equal a right. In arrogance, we boasted, "We got him!" The shame is that we feel none for how we got him. The capture of this dictator, driven by the poison of lies, turned America itself into a dictator.

Derrick Z. Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@globe.com.

© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.

Orville and Wilbur Wright

Of course by now you all know that yesterday was the 100th anniversary of that original flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. There was an event to commemorate the occasion and except for the fact that not enough wind was available to allow the most perfect replica of the original plane made, to duplicate the feat, all else went smoothly.

There is no question that if there was no Wright brothers, somebody else would have eventually work the physics of this complicated yet seemingly simple endeavor by now, but that takes nothing away from these pioneers (That is if we overlook the Brazilian claim that Alberto Santos-Dumont accomplished the task three years before Wrights.) These two brothers may have changed the course of humanity's journey through its existence more than any other human beings in recent history.

As we look back at the events that shaped the 20th century, it is hard to not acknowledge the ability to fly as perhaps the most prominent and influential phenomenon of the period. With skills to make bigger and bigger planes fly more comfortably and safely, suddenly this planet shrunk to make it possible for all of us to interact with and experience other cultures and lands. We not only traveled to far places, but also used the new technology to share our products, our culture, our art and our knowledge with others around the world.

We owe much of that to the Wright brothers.

A few links

"God wants President Bush re-elected."

"Of course Saddam was responsible" for the 9/11 attacks.

How Saddam could embarrass the West

Man Faces Jail for Car Sticker

Mad Cow, Now Mad Nation?

The French have officially lost it! This new nonsense about banning Muslim headscarves, Jewish skull caps and large Christian crucifix ' is secularism gone mad. Just as wrong as it is for the Iranian government to force women to wear that scarf, it is equally wrong for the French to force them to shed it in public schools.

Where's the idea of personal freedoms in all this? and where does it stop? Will they also control what the student eat in case it's Kosher, or read to make sure there's no references to Allah? Even a member of Iranian Parliament gets it, but apparently Chirac does not. Iranian parliamentarian Ali Shakourirad said "The ban on headscarves is a measure to limit personal freedom. For a country like France, which has democracy, it is a major failure." He's right!

Maybe I am just not understanding this right. Enlighten me, please!

From My Dating Files III

So, I'm trying to stick to dating mainly Iranians only....

Her - Well, I just can't get involved right now.

Me - Hey, that's cool! I understand if you aren't interested.

Her - It's not that I'm not, but I just can't right now.

Me - It's okay, you don't have to explain.

Her - But I want to, please hear me out.

Me - Sure. I'll listen.

Her - Well, I sort of had to get married for my visa situation...

Me - So, you are married??

Her - Not really. I don't feel married but had to do it.

Me - I can understand that. If you have no feelings for...

Her - I didn't at first, but he's a great guy and I think I'm falling for him..

Me - So, you're married and probably in love?

Her - ...

Me - Can I ask what are you doing out on a date with me then?

Her - Well, he lives in Boston and I hate eating alone.

Me - ????

my eyeranian stuff

The stuff I ordered from the eyeranian store arrived today. The baseball cap is from rather very thin material, great for summer and I should've ordered the Khaki instead of white. But the rim is already perfectly shaped and stays on nicely too. The "baseball jersey" (long sleeve two colored t-shirt would be a better name) that warns people about what they do and say because it will be blogged is pretty cool too and I can't wait to wear it to this gathering I know will be VERY appropriate for it. All and all, not a bad present to myself and I'm sure the prominent "eyeranian" on both, will raise a few eyebrows. Just the way I like it! Did you order yours yet?

Until...

Sting is one of the rare rock stars that feels very comfortable picking up a guitar and playing just solo or with a small band at an intimate venue. I was privileged enough to watch him do just that once, but that's another story for another time. If you have a decent connection and windows media player, click here to watch him play a few songs in such setting, starting with the one featured below. Don't close the player after the first song, as the rest will automatically upload in turn.

Meet Your New Savior!

Michael Ledeen is at it again, trying to clean up the tarnished image of his Iran-Contra partner and known spy Manucher Ghorbanifar and present him as the new savior of Iran. This time, Ghorbanifar wants to be the hero who knows people who know where Saddam has hidden $340 Million in cash and would help us find it, if half of it is put at his disposal to topple the Iranian regime. To just show what kind of information this genius has access to he claims Usama Bin Laden is hiding in Iran and also says: "You won't be surprised if you find that Saddam Hussein is on one of the Iranian islands." Of course as we now know, the day after this article was published, Saddam managed to find an underground tunnel to take him all the way from his "Iranian Island" to the outskirts of Tikrit.

Other valuable intelligence the Iran-Contra team wants to share with us (but only vaguely, no concrete details) is about "Iranian nukes in Canada". You tell me what kind of a person would have access to information about money stolen from Iraqi people but will not share it with those who the money belongs to, and I'll show you someone who supposedly knows illegal nuclear weapons are at the heart of North American civilian population but holds back details! These guys are just pathetic.

Ledeen has tried once before to clear up the image of other friends who were caught with him in their illegal dealings. His Perilous Statecraft book was essentially just that; an attempt to exonerate criminal buddies. He even tried separately to cover Ghorbanifar's behind with more lies, all with little or no success of course. Now even the CIA won't trust the information generated from theses guys.

So, they try with the gullible media and this time, it's "Iran's Chalabi" and his "Secret Plan". Gods help us if these Demons are our saviors.

My Spy!

Arabian Nights!

Hey, I'm doing one of those aimless surfing thingies you do once in a while all over the Internet, going from link to link and searching for obscure stuff you aren't even sure how to spell, and I come across this site on animation on Polish television (I know!) and see the face of one of my most beloved characters growing up: Sinbad!

The Japanese version we watched growing up (and the site tells me is called "The Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures" in English) had Sinbad as this brave and smart little boy who often got into all sorts of situations but would somehow find a clever way out.

It was certainly a "must see" program every afternoon for me growing up and even today I can still close my eyes and hear the tone of his voice, along with the opening score in my head. I used to have a link to that tune somewhere, but just can't find it today. Please post it to comments if you do.

I know others must have memories of him as well, so this one's for you!

Me, Me and More Me!

More than a few of you have occasionally showed an interest in knowing who this Pedram Moallemian guy really is. I often get questions like how old I am or how long I have lived outside Iran or what do I think of this issue or other. So, it was with great pleasure that when Hamid Ahmadi wrote me to ask if he could 'interview' me for FreeThoughts, I accepted. I felt it was a great opportunity to answer some of those questions and also give myself a new excuse to promote their amazing group blog.

So, for those who may be interested, here are links to the email interview between myself and Hamid; Part One and then Part Two.

Thanks again Hamid and all the people involved with FreeThoughts.org.

Having Fun!

Saddam's Trial

Saddam Hussein is captured. Apparently he wasn't behind this amazing machine that controls the "insurgents" across Iraq, but was hiding in a little hole without even a telephone anywhere nearby (not to mention no bathroom) and is almost delusional by some accounts. He didn't even have the chutzpah to do the more honorable thing and blow his head off, before accepting a soldier's help in crawling out of his hiding place.

Most Iranians can't help but to at least breath a sigh of relief in hearing the man who devastated their country during the bloodiest war of this post world war era is now reduced to a crumbled and broken weakling. Many Iranian hospitals still care for soldiers who suffered unimaginable injuries as a result of his chemical attacks. There are also destroyed buildings preserved in many Iranian cities to remind residents of his rocket attacks on the civilian population. No wonder many Iranians can't forget that famous handshake and the ensuing co-operations.

However, his capture as part of this illegal invasion now brings the issue of justice to the forefront. The former Governor of Texas was quick to announce "the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions." Members of the so-called "Governing Council" could not agree on much, but agreed with most world leaders at least in principal, on a "fair trial". The extreme right, even those who pretend otherwise, went further by suggesting the Hague tribunal was not a suitable venue for such trial because Saddam should face death. Revenge and further violence, always the favorite tool of the extremists.

If we accept the brutality and extent of the crimes committed by Saddam, it is fair to suggest that no Iraqi trial could possibly be unbiased and fair in trying him. Where would you possibly find a jury or a team of judges in Iraq that have no preconceived notions about the man who ruled their country by an iron fist for 24 years? What law would apply here anyways? The war crimes tribunal set up by the Governing Council already has its own problems. Besides, as something set-up by a small group who were appointed by the occupying army, the Council itself has issues regarding its credibility and legitimacy. Besides, Saddam's crimes are not just against people of Iraq. I don't only mean his victims in Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other countries. Any dictator carrying his resume, with his actions commits crimes against the whole of humanity in general, not just any one nation or people. As such, the entire world community needs to prosecute him.

The solution is rather clear. This is the exact reason the Hague tribunal was set up to begin with. The same way a war crimes tribunal is set up to investigate the charges against former Yugoslavia's leaders or those from Rwanda, a court now needs to investigate and try Saddam and other Iraqi leaders too. People of Iraq will of course play a major role, as witnesses, experts, part of the prosecution team and more. Saddam should also be granted the best possible defense he world community can afford. At the end of it, there should be not a single shadow of doubt about the outcome and verdict. If he is convicted of the charges, which should probably be expected, there will never be a question about the fairness of his trial or his ability to offer a credible defense.

This, is simply just not possible in a trial held in Iraq.

Two Great Articles

Knowing what a great crowd of well-read visitors I get on this blog, I am certain you have all read Michael Moore's piece about Saddam's capture by now. However, you may have missed Greg Palast's version. Another interesting read for certain.

Communists of Iraq

Monday Morning Motivationals

The Political Compass

This whole concept of "left" and "right" in politics is such an inadequate way of describing people's positions in the political spectrum, it usually creates more confusion than providing clear communications. I am also guilty of falling for this trap myself, often using the same terminology to describe positions. But quite honestly, I am yet to find another set of simple terms to replace left and right with.

Trying to clear this confusion, this site gives you an opportunity to answer some questions and determine your own place in what they label a "political compass". In this format, a second dimension has also been added to provide a more accurate reading of someone's opinions.

My personal chart is the one below, which describes me deeply in the "Libertarian Left" section of the chart. Try yours and see where you fall in, if for nothing else, just for fun. Just remember to be honest with your answers to get a much clearer view.

Every little thing she does...

Saddam Too

My Makarenko Story

few months ago I heard from an old friend. This has probably been the best part of this weblog experience as a few people I had lost contact with, somehow found me here and we reconnected. This friend was one of the most important ones.

I say important for various reasons but most notably because he was a friend from that period of a couple of years in my life, that I had completely disassociated myself from and have very few connections to. If you have been reading the eyeranian regularly, you have read references to that period before.  

I was almost 12 when the Iranian revolution came to realization. Let me correct that; I was 12 when yet another chapter of the ongoing Iranian revolution came to an end in 1979. Between then and 1981, when I was forced to re-birth myself after the major crack-downs began, and then involuntarily leaving Iran in 1983 may all seem like a rather short window, but to me it lasted forever and has continued to be the most influential part of my life. 

This particular friend was from those first two years of that experience. What was amazing to me was how vividly he also remembered the period. He originally wrote me asking if I knew a “Pedram Moallemian” that went to Hadaf School, etc. To which I replied; “How many Pedram Moallemians do you think are out there?” stressing the fact that my name is rather unique even amongst Iranians. Shortly after that we were talking on the phone and he said that he was surprised I remembered him, to which I replied of course I did, after all didn’t HE remember me?. He said something that has been on my mind for months now and this post is part of my own self-directed therapy session about that. He said “EVERYBODY, remembers YOU. Just most would not expect you to still be alive.” 

The second part of that comment did not trouble me too much. I am often wondering about that myself and besides, trying to completely disassociate myself from certain circles and friends was by design and it would be natural for some of them to fear the worst. However, the first part was something I was completely unaware of myself. EVERYBODY would remember tiny, unnoticeable and unimportant me? 

To me, I was just another kid going to school everyday. Yes, I had two wall-newspapers going on at the same time and yes I did participate in military style workouts every morning often leading it too, and yes I did organize the biggest lunch cooperative ever, sometimes having hundreds of students participate in the daily exercise of sharing a humble lunch of Sangak bread with feta cheese and fresh dates, but other kids had their own stuff too and I never realized mine was so noticed. Well, apparently it was.
 
I am now more determined than ever to one day write a book. To include some of those memories and share the experiences. I don’t know yet if I am old enough to write an autobiography, I’m not even sure if the book will be all non-fiction. But I’ve promised myself to do it, if time and life-span allows it.

Consider this a brief sub-chapter:

y the start of the school year in fall of 1980, the brief period of social and political freedoms was quickly coming to an end. Although the government was not yet directly involved in large-number of arrests and eventual mass executions that were to begin within the next 9 months, the various pressure groups had made it impossible for any voices of dissent to function freely. The first few political prisoners had already been jailed, many of opposition publications were banned and official warrants had been issues for certain political figures.  

The main intensity of the onslaught was carried by vigilante groups. Known primarily as Falange (named after the Spanish Fascists) or Chomagh-Dar (stick-handlers, because of their weapon of choice), these were small groups of extremists who would attack bookstores, information tables, women who did not cover themselves to their standards and flyer-distributing teenagers and often severely beat them to the point of causing several deaths in various cities. It was a brutal and effective way, as by then there was an atmosphere of fear taking over the earlier euphoria we had all experienced.

At the time, I was between relationships. Meaning I was between supporting one group and going to another. Did this a couple of times back then. There was virtually no music on radio, movie-theaters only showed movies from 50 years ago and all of the chopped up by the censors, and television only showed religious teachings, Koran lessons and occasional reports from the warfronts, so what was a teenager supposed to do? Politics was our only entertainment and just as kids today would switch between being a fan of X rock/pop group to follow Z, we were all trying various ideas. 

More importantly though, I was suffering from a severe case of withdrawal. Before that, there were mini political debates in every corner, often literally blocking traffic as the crowds would gather to hear some lively discussions. There were also tables set up by various groups on busy intersections, where you could browse their latest flyers, buy a book or listen to a recorded speech on loud speakers. People of the “Chomagh” had already ended all of that. In search of an intellectual environment, I found a temporary but interesting refuge;

The Boulevard movie theater on Tehran's elegant Keshavarz Boulevard was showing a Russian movie called "Manzoomeye Pedagojiki". I have no idea what the original title of the movie is or who made it, but it was based on the teachings and theories of Soviet educator Anton Semyonovich Makarenko. The movie was mainly about Makarenko's experience in establishing the Gorky Colony, a home for children left homeless by the Russian Revolution and then Dzerzhinsky Commune, an institution for juvenile offenders. Makarenko who became a staunch Stalinist, focused on the importance of physical labor and discipline in education.

The theatre had become a favorite hangout of Iranian Communist Party (Tudeh) members and then the faction of Fadaeian Organization they had managed to separate from the rest of the group and now after they had all seen the movie, other intellectual types were hanging out there too. Most, like me, were not even communists, but had found a place to be relatively safe from the daily harassments and hung out after the movie to discuss Soviets, revolutions, education systems, freedom of ideas, etc.

After seeing the movie a couple of times, I started this new venture. Everyday, I would gather a bunch of kids from school, bribe the doorman to let us out, take the bus all the way down and spend a few hours in the Boulevard area before and after watching the movie. Sometimes there were only 2 or 3 of us, other times close to 20. I think I watched that movie at least 30 times, with no exaggeration. Most of the kids were just participating because of my talent in smuggling them out of school, then taking them down there and back, but a few actually wanted to see something intellectual. I didn't care. Everyone was welcomed and a mundane movie on Makarenko provided that needed refuge, the atmosphere to converse and think freely in that small theatre and much more.

I really enjoyed those visits, but more importantly made friends with a caretaker of one of the buildings nearby. He had let me use his gardening hose to wash up one time and the next day I brought him a sandwich from this shop close to nearby Val-Asr Square.

A few years later, I was to meet a friend at Laleh Park in close proximity. A meeting gone wrong as we both walked into a trap and within minutes there were foot chases, sound of gun shots and blacked-out Benzes swarming the area. I ran non-stop, without looking back and suddenly found myself in front of that very building with a friend's face poking through the cracked door, wondering what the commotion was all about. Without saying a word he let me in, hide me really well in this rather large commercial building and helped me sneak out later that night.

Watching Makarenko saved my life.

Cartoon

Them Boots

Read Again?

My original post "The problem with the Kurds" has been re-published in several other sites, including the blanket and iranian.com in case you would like a second reading.

And They Danced...

Them Damned Immigrants

Episode I
So the former Governor of Texas signs the bill to grant a bigger role in Medicare to health conglomerates that pay for his job and who is the biggest loser in all this? who else? those darn immigrants. It turns out that private health care providers who treat migrant-workers are now to receive a windfall of $1 billion. Yes, billion with a "b". They are also required now to report all "undocumented immigrants" to immigration officials. It's not enough that they hold multiple jobs nobody else wants and work for wages nobody can possibly desire to just survive. Now they won't be able to seek treatment if they get injured at those jobs as seeking treatment will bring an end to their livelihood.

Episode II
So an immigrant gets elected to the highest office in the state and some may assume he would be a protector of their rights. What is the first bill he signs into law? Banning a large portion of those immigrants from obtaining a simple drivers license. It's not enough for them to be subjected to all he prejudice and heartlessness that "different-looking" immigrants face here while taking demeaning and unwanted jobs only they would be willing to take. Now they cant drive to those jobs either, or break the law by driving an injured co-worker to a hospital, where they'll both be subjected to deportation procedures.

Episode III
So an old movie theatre (one I have several memories associated with) collapses and where does it crush on? An English as Second Language class next door where the new immigrants have gathered to improve their language skills in hope of getting better jobs and being allowed to participate more fully in their communities. Augusto Cesar Mejia Solis originally from Central America dies, while a number of others are severely injured.

Conclusion
Reminds me of a friend who used to refer to his own rotten fortune by stating; if two _-_ fell from the sky tonight, one would find its way immediately up his _-_ while the other one will await its turn to go there. It sure seems like whatever falls from the sky, somehow finds its way up one immigrant's _-_ or another.

Just When...

Thanks S.

Mohamed ElBaradei

Mohamed ElBaradei was the darling of certain circles when he was pushing Iran about their nuclear ambitions. It would be interesting to see how the NeoCons react to his call now for Israel to give up the largest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

The Question

Did you know in this free country, if you ask a certain question, the people you ask are required to report the question to the federal authorities? I don't mean a question like asking a child if they want to see what you are hiding under your overcoat, or asking a flight attendant about the best places to hide explosives on board jumbo jets. This certain question is seemingly far less serious and refers to no illegal act whatsoever, yet asking it must be reported. Wonder what the question is?

Well, it turns out you are not suppose to walk into any store and inquire about their products being made in Israel or of Israeli material. If you do, they are required to report it! Sounds outrageous? I'd say so.

Blogs, webs and more

Andrei Codrescu is the Romanian-born editor of Exquisite Corpse on-line magazine, as well as a regular commentator on NPR's All Things Considered. You'll love this episode as he "talks about a spider in his backyard and how it relates to Internet web logs, or blogs. The blogger is at the center of a web, like a spider. Both eventually die -- from the cold or from being unable to pay the server's bill." Click Here and then listen to the audio.

Thanks S.

Guest Column

the eyeranian has it's first ever guest blogger! ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you my cousin and just a great guy all around; May Moallemian.

First a bit of an introduction. My cousin (our fathers are brothers, English is so inadequate when it comes to explaining relationships, no?) May, is a couple of years younger than myself. The first few years of our lives, we were playmates (not the centerfold types) whenever we'd get a chance, usually at family gatherings and special occasions. The picture below, is from one of my birthdays:

Shortly after that picture was taken though, May's family moved to U.S. and we were almost completely separated. We didn't see each other, talked or wrote one another for well over 15 years. Even after re-uniting with one another after all those years, our contacts have been rather limited. I guess if you added all the time we have been able to spend with one another in the past 10-15 years, it wouldn't add up to even 24 hours. Not that we'd want it that way, but all the stuff we all keep ourselves busy with and call it a "life", plus the distance and other factors have really made it hard for the two of us to connect. So, imagine the delight in finding out that he's a regular reader of this blog, although I have no idea how he even found it. Now imagine the further pleasure of finding out that even politically, despite our separate environments, upbringing and experiences, we think along the same lines with many common inspirations.

When I saw May on thanksgiving, we talked much about his working from within the existing two-party system ideals and my Coke and Pepsi attitude. Quite honestly, I think he came out of those exchanges scoring better than I could. That's why I asked him to write a few paragraphs about the reasons for his solid support of Howard Dean. And here it is;

My politics have always been of the liberal persuasion. As such, I have generally voted with the Democratic Party as the only alternative to the shrill and corrupt Republicans. In the upcoming Democratic primaries, I have decided to support Howard Dean as the Democratic nominee to take on the monstrous Bush administration.

Why Howard Dean?

Initially, my support for Dean was based on his recognition of the truly corrupt nature of the Bush administration and articulating it publicly. Howard Dean actually gave voice to the immense groundswell of pure outrage and horror that ran through the Democratic base. Dean understood our anger and our DEMANDS that Democratic politicians stand up as the loyal opposition, regardless of meaningless push polls of "public opinion". Dean was as PISSED OFF as I was.

Then I learned a little bit more about Governor Dean and his record in Vermont. I liked the fact that he actually passed a basic health plan that covered all the children of Vermont while keeping the state budget solvent. Many candidates talk about it, but Dean did it. Health issues will dominate domestic policy in the next decade because of the aging demographic of baby boomers and i trust Dr. Dean to address this problem in a way that benefits the American people.

Dean also had the courage to sign the legislation extending the right of civil unions to gay couples, so that they may enjoy the same rights that married heterosexual couples have in their financial and personal affairs.

Howard Dean also expressed unequivocal opposition to the Bush administration's Iraq policy - from the very beginning. Dean never hedged his bets over this incredibly important issue. Dean articulated what many knowledgeable Democrats already knew - that the Bush administration was pushing an agenda of war on false pretenses and should not be simply trusted to do the right thing. Other Democrats in congress, like John Kerry, inexplicably decided to trust an administration that played loose with the facts from day one. They trusted Bush with dictatorial war powers and they trusted Bush on the Patriot Act. This is something that I find inexcusable. Dean has never changed his position on these issues. Needless to say that he's been spectacularly vindicated.

Dean has demonstrated his ability to raise significant campaign funds - an ability that will be critical to defeating an incumbent President who is awash in the mega-millions of big corporate donors. Unfortunately, our corrupt political structure demands this ability more than any other. And how did Dean raise the millions in his campaign coffers? From citizen donors like myself who sent in an average of $75 a contribution. Dean is not selling his soul to the filthy corporations that finance Bush and some of his Democratic rivals. Dean is beholden not to the corporate interests but to the people. I find this very attractive in the Dean candidacy.

Some other points include Dean's support of a balanced federal budget, a policy that helped establish the greatest economic expansion in U.S. history under the Clinton administration. His support of rescinding the most egregious aspects of the Bush tax cut for the wealthy that has contributed to record national deficits. Dean supports affirmative action and reproductive rights.

But most attractively, Dean doesn't take any shit. He's a tough guy with a good heart and he has the truth on his side. Dean has also created a genuine grass roots movement of actual people - a movement nobody else in the field can match. If this is not enough to dethrone king george, then the American people truly deserve whatever calamity this regime will "bring on" in a second Bush term.

The only thing that would make a Dean candidacy better for myself would be a VP candidate named Wesley Clark. With Clark's military and national security clout on board, Bush would be sent back to his fake ranch in Texas where, hopefully, we will never hear from him again.

ZaneIrani

Sheema Kalbasi, a friend and one of my favorite human beings as well as a blogger, lost her mother last night. My thoughts are with you and your family, dear.

Roberto Benigni

I just finished watching Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio. I must admit, this is not my favorite Benigni film. To begin with, I think casting him in the title role was a mistake. Somehow accepting his receding hairline to be that of a child never allowed me to look past the "reality" barriers and enter a world of make-believe.

What I found very interesting though is how Disney's Pinocchio has become the standard image we think of, when this famous story is told. The fairy, Cricket, Gepetto, the Fox and the Cat are all from this classic Italian story, something Benigni tried to re-claim (perhaps unsuccessfully) for his people.

It is still worth looking into, if you haven't seen it yet. The imagery is unique, so is the set and some of the scenes are just beautiful. My favorite Benigni film though, is still Life is Beautiful. The one that always reminds me of my sister, who is the true Principessa in my life, forever.

Bob's Our Uncle?

The Times of London reports that the U.S. is looking for a "strong man with a moustache" to get them out of the mess in Iraq. In other words, let's find another dictator, so he could serve our interest here and we'll get out.

I have the perfect man in mind! He is big and strong, even though it is reported he has lost some weight recently, so a brief period of "beefing-up" will be needed. He is strong also in the sense that he is a trained dictator! He has served many years in that capacity, proving his loyalty to the good ol' U.S. of A. on several occasions: including attacking a neighbor on our orders and waiting to get a green light from the U.S. ambassador before invading another. He can crush any uprising in Iraq, as he always has. The uppity Kurds will be too scared of him to make any demands, so are those no-good Shiites. If we supply him with new weaponry, including those of mass destruction type, as we did before, he is very capable of organizing his clan into a make-shift army and allowing soldiers from the coalition of few to leave Iraq, before we run out of soldiers to send there. We could even change his name and call him Bob, to make him more friendly to those in the Liberal media who try to make us look bad at every turn.

Maybe that's why we have those wanted posters all over Iraq, as we are already looking for Bob.

Bush Sr. Speaks

I need to admit that I have not been fair. After paying tributes to George W. Bush then Ronald Reagan and an assembly of our Presidents, even our military a while back, I have ignored one important person: George Herbert Walker Bush.

So, without any further delays, here are some verbal gems, attributed to Bush Sr.;

"We're enjoying sluggish times, and not enjoying them very much." -George Bush Sr., in 1992

"Fluency in English is something that I'm often not accused of." -George Bush Sr., in 1989

"It has been said by some cynic, maybe it was a former president, 'If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.' Well, we took them literally - that advice - as you know. But I didn't need that because I have Barbara Bush." -George Bush Sr., in 1989

"I hope I stand for antibigotry, anti-Semitism, antiracism. This is what drives me." -George Bush Sr., in 1988

"It's no exaggeration to say the undecideds could go one way or another." -George Bush Sr., in 1988

"When I need a little advice about Saddam Hussein, I turn to country music." -George Bush Sr., in 1991

"If a frog had wings, he wouldn't hit his tail on the ground. Too hypothetical." -George Bush Sr., in 1992

"And let me say in conclusion, thanks for the kids. I learned an awful lot about bathtub toys - about how to work the telephone. One guy knows - several of them know their own phone numbers - preparation to go to the dentist. A lot of things I'd forgotten. So it's been a good day." -George Bush Sr., in 1992

"Those are two hyporhetorical questions." -George Bush Sr., in 1988

"The Democrats want to ram it down my ear in a political victory." -George Bush Sr., in 1991

"To kind of suddenly try to get my hair colored, and dance up and down in a miniskirt or do something, you know, show that I've got a lot of jazz out there and drop a bunch of one-liners, I'm running for the president of the United States...I kind of think I'm a scintillating kind of fellow." -George Bush Sr., in 1988

"I don't want to get, you know, here we are close to the election - sounding a knell of overconfidence that I don't feel." -George Bush Sr., in 1988

Santa Claus is coming...

Thanks S.

The Mighty Europeans

Imagine this scene: I'm sitting quietly in the lunch-room at my place of work, trying to eat a very late lunch. The room is all empty and I hate eating alone. I look to see if there's something to read. Somehow reading and eating is not as bad as eating by yourself and staring at the walls around. Aside from all the Spanish papers, there's a few catalogues someone has brought from home and a few pages of this small paper from San Diego's suburbia. I grab that and start reading the letters to editor section.

There are a few of the normal red-neck, "bring-'em-on", we own the world type of letters. Stuff you only find in such conservative settings of ignorance. There's even one letter from some guy who suggests for Muslims to hold a "million man march in D.C." and chant "America is Great", so he'll be convinced that "Muslim religion (there's no such thing idiot, it's called Islam) is peaceful and doesn't want to kill the infidels". As if Muslims or anyone else owes this guy anything to try to "convince" him of anything. Oh, the idiocy.

Then I come across this letter, which is obviously a reply to a previous note I have not seen. Check it out:

All hail the mighty European

Byron Slater's letter of Nov. 5 was such a perfect history lesson. In fact, prior to the U.S. purchasing the virtually uninhibited states from the French and the Russians, there was only a handful of natives, who gladly gave up their worthless homelands and moved to Oklahoma, knowing the benevolent newcomers would be much better stewards of this empty land.

The truth is, before the Europeans came here, not only were there almost no people, there was no trees, plants, animals or water. They dug the rivers, planted the forests, carved the canyons, built the great mountains, complete with presidents' face on them. Why, they even imported all of the deer, bear, antelope, fish and a handful of buffalo. They even created the Eagle, just to have something on top of the flagpole.

No murder, no plunder, just improvement and civilization for this barren, empty desert. God bless America now that it is complete.

I hope Byron Slater gets to bed before midnight on Christmas Eve, or Santa won't bring him any presents.

BOB HAYWARD
Native American Church
Pala/La Jolla Chapter

I laughed so much, you know, one of those belly laughs you feel all the way through your entire body, I can't remember when the last time I enjoyed something so much was. There were people coming from all the rooms and offices next door o check out who was this crazy person laughing so loudly sitting by himself in this large empty room. I don't know who Hayward is, but I will make every effort to find him and offer him my heartfelt thanks for so cleverly making his point. Bob Hayward, if you are searching your name on the web one day and come across this post, please contact me. I owe you a huge thank you.

Animated War

As a friend once wrote me, I too am convinced that there will not be anyone I would consider politically acceptable chosen to lead this nation in my lifetime. However the closest would be if someone like Dennis Kucinich had a realistic chance of being elected, but he wouldn't even be allowed to visit the oval office, never mind occupying it.

Today I came across something from his campaign while checking out Me & Sassan weblog. It is a powerful animation (although a few weeks old) about the human cost of Iraq invasion. Very impressive and well-done. You can watch it here.

Bill Kurtis & Paul Winfield

I apologize to those of you who read this blog from all over the world and find many of the posts are rather North-American centric (is there such a word?) in nature. After all, what you see here is a reflection of my own life and is basically my "random observations and opinions", so it naturally includes much that would only make sense or be important to someone who lives in the "new world". I promise to understand the same point, when I read your blogs from New Zealand, South Africa and Lebanon.

I used to think A&E's Bill Kurtis had the ultimate dramatic voice for the type of shows he was doing. He started with Investigative Reports and American Justice, then moved on to Special Reports and the Cold Case files. It got to the point that the entire A&E channel looked like Bill TV for a while. Whatever show he hosted, his voice and mannerism carried it and it still does.

But then I discovered City Confidential and its "voice", that of Paul Winfield. This guy's voice was made for a show like this. If you haven't watched the show, you owe it to yourself to check it out. And maybe you get lucky and see the episode about your own city or town. They each have a secret or two. You'll see.

Monday Morning Motivationals

Source

Why I Have A Blog

Yesterday I received an email that was rather touching. I usually only get hate-mail; everything from "you're an idiot" to "leave America" and "you deserve a bullet", but this one was much nicer. It was nice, not because it came from a former hater or because it was complimentary. It was nice because it obviously came from the heart. There's a Persian proverb that says whatever comes from the heart, will eventually be received by the heart. This was certainly the case.

Without going into very specific details, the email came from someone that obviously reads the eyeranian semi-regularly and based on a few brief exchanges in the past, he does not agree with much I have to say. I will leave it up to him to introduce himself if he chooses, but in short we are talking about someone "white", with strong conservative Christian convictions and a military background.

He wrote me about the Tin Tin post. Apparently while a military kid growing up in Europe, Tin Tin was a hero of his too. He wrote to tell me how for the first time, he realized that despite our differences, how much we have in common. As he put it "if we are both influenced by Tin Tin so much, we couldn't be that far as human beings". I agree. This is why I insist so much on Iranians starting English weblogs. We need to get past our labels, diversity of opinions and prejudices to realize how close we are despite our differences. If it takes Tin Tin, so be it. Someone in the mid-west who admittedly never knew anyone from Iran, read that post and realized the guy growing up in eye-ran is not that different from him. Maybe next time he engages in an argument, he won't be so quick to resort to his 'bring-'em-on" or even "nuke-'em-all" mindset. Maybe he will now realize there are human beings on the other side. Human beings with emotions, with memories, with loved ones they care about too. (This suddenly reminded me of the lyrics to Sting's Russians that did the same in the height of cold-war.)

I was so happy, if I closed down this weblog today, I'd feel content that it made a difference somewhere (don't worry, I won't). This is one person I now know about and makes me hope there have been others too.

So, one of my regular features from now on, is going to be those mundane memories and anecdotes about everything and everyone. TV characters, commercials, songs, animated series, books, magazines, etc. Stuff we can all relate to and realize our common values and backgrounds.

And we'll start with one of my favorite animated series while growing up: Tennessee Tuxedo and his tales.

Tennessee was a Penguin who lived in a zoo with his pal, a walrus. My favorite character though, was their wise friend Mr. Whoopie, a man with all the answers.

While I'm at it, let's also mention another classic very familiar to eyeranian kids of my generation; Hanna-Barbera's El Kabong who was Quick Draw McGraw's alter ego, with his side-kick Baba Looie and loosely based on a Zorro-like character.

More to come soon.

My Tah-Chin

As a single guy, I don't cook that often anymore. To be quite honest, it's not worth the effort. The hassle of preparations, then cooking and finally clean-up for a meal for one (and in large part is the same if cooking for 4 or 10) aside, a good (or bad) meal is like a movie or a book or view. You like to share it with someone. Even if just to say "hey, it turned out horribly" or "let's try it with a bit more spice next time", or...

But over the past couple of weeks, I've made Tah-Chin twice! For those unfamiliar with this delicious Persian dish, I am including a recipe below. Here is a recipe in Persian also, if you prefer.

And if you want to see the first one I made, click on the picture below;

This is Pedram's recipe. For other versions, some made with lamb, click here.

Ingredients: Rice (two cups), Salt (to taste), Butter or your choice of cooking oil (one tablespoon), Boneless Chicken (4 pieces, dark or white), Onion (one small or half or a large one), Turmeric (half of a tea spoon), Plain Yogurt (one cup), Saffron (one smidgen, whatever that is), one Egg Yolk (can be omitted). Serves 4 small eaters or 2 normal people.

- Rice, Salt and Butter go into electric rice cooker with 4 cups of water.

- Chicken, Turmeric, Salt and Onion into a small pot with 4-5 cups of water.

- Rice is removed when almost all the water is gone, but it is still not fully cooked.

- Chicken is cooked on high heat for about 40 minutes.

- In an oven-safe pot or pan, you mix the Yogurt, Saffron and Egg Yolk (if you like) and then add the almost-cooked rice and mix well.

- Take the pieces of chicken out and insert them into the rice mix in separate spots, until covered.

- Pre-heat oven, put the pot/pan in there for about 45 minutes or until the top starts to turn goldish brown.

- Remove, either turn the whole thing over and serve like a cake (not for dessert though) or just cut into pieces and serve.

Enjoy!

Depeche Mode's Somebody

Hey, don't think I'm going romantic on you here. But I figured if I am going to post my much enjoyed tunes, Depeche Mode has to come up sooner or later and why not this, my favorite non-dance song of theirs:

Instruments of Torture

Some prisoner of conscience in Yemen, Jordan, Morocco or Thailand is tied up with shackles at this very moment and is preparing for his/her next torture session. A session where brand-new U.S. made equipment will be used. The equipment wasn't sent there by some clandestine and semi-legal organization within the U.S. government or even a private venture, looking to make a quick buck, despite knowing fully well how the equipment will be abused but committing the deed covertly. Both Commerce and State Departments approved of the sale in 2002, in effect shattering the human-rights defending facade of the Bush administration.

The news is not surprising, but one can't help but to be appalled still; recently Amnesty International issued a full report on the U.S. exports of Shackles and Electro-Shock technology to the tune of $20 million worth.

Other countries who received those shackles include Saudi Arabia, while Turkey picked up some electro-shock weapons. I am certain the democracy advocates in one of the most regressive regimes in the middle-east will surely enjoy those leg-irons, while the Kurd activists enjoy the feel of high voltage running through their proud statures.

The hypocrisy is just mind-boggling. How easily you can trumpet yourself as the champion of all that is good and pure, while helping the forces of most evil.

The full report in pdf format is here.

The Arar Inquiry

This story receives almost no coverage in U.S. and I hope this newest effort by NDP will cause some publicity for those in this country who still believe personal freedoms and accountability, along with social justice are the values far greater in importance than this fake and bogus security concerns causing limitations and suffering put on innocent people from around the world.

This is the story of a Canadian that while traveling from Tunis to Montreal had to change planes in NYC and that is where he was detained and within days got deported to Syria, that great Mecca of democracy and our partner in fighting terrorism. He was jailed and tortured for over a year, with not a single shred of evidence tying him to anything even suspicious. You can read the rest on the site linked above.

Cartoon

© Steve Bell 2003

Thanks S.

Click Chunky

I don't like to promote commercial products often , unless it's my own products. However, this seems like an easy way to make a large corporation's donation even larger. For every vote on this site, they are donating one can of Chunky Soup to charities fighting hunger across U.S.A.

San Diego Chargers helmet is the navy one with a white bolt of lightning through it, in case you don't have a favorite.

Thanks SF

Now For Some Fun!

Thanks NBT

Cool Eyeranian Stuff!

You always wanted a t-shirt, a mousepad, a clock or some thong underwear with the name and image of your favorite weblog on it, didn't you? Well friends, worry no more! the eyeranian store is here, with some of the coolest stuff you can buy for yourself or a loved one. ahhhh commercialism at its finest!

And just in time for the largest shopping period of the year too. Go crazy, buy, buy, buy! You'll look cool and get a few stares too. Guaranteed!

Let's Trade A Few Slaves!

Iranian revolution, the following catastrophe of hostage-taking, the Iran-Iraq war, the battle between various factions of Iranian government and finally what was going on in Lebanon and elsewhere familiarized the outside world with a new word and a new perceived sets of beliefs: Shi'a Islam. Suddenly people wanted to know who Shiites were and what they wanted. What portion of Muslims are Shiite in face of a Sunni majority, and more. In the midst of all these scrutiny, one point seemed clear to most; Shiites looked to be more radical and strict. Those who knew better, tried in every way possible to amend that perception, much of it with great failure.

September 11th suddenly introduced a new set of parameters into this predicament. The world was introduced to some extremist Sunni Muslims, led by the most extreme of extremes; the Wahabbi sect. Wahabbism, the religion of Saudi royal court, the Taliban and Usama Bin Laden with its literal interpretation of the Koran seemed far less flexible in its approach and outlook than even the most radical adaptation of Shi'a beliefs. Wahabbis strongly believe the world is divided in two camps: Salafis [Wahabbis] as God's people, and everyone else, including Christians, Jews, Shiites and others are infidels and heathens who deserve nothing less than God's revenge and a harsh death.

Saudi government was so scared of these facts being exposed, they hired public relation firms and experts trying to hide the reality. What they could not hide though was tons of actual documents, tapes and books detailing the teachings of prominent Wahabbis, including its 18th century founder Muhammad ibn Abd al - Wahhab. They also couldn't silence their own people who continued to offer a glimpse into this shadowy world of blind belief and extreme faith, that has been largely unknown to most outsiders.

As the latest example, here's the most recent gem from the current leading Wahabbi cleric Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan; His holiness has "expressed his unequivocal support for the legalization of slavery". You read right. Sheikh is captured on tape lecturing about how “Slavery is a part of Islam... Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam.”

I'm sure Sheikh would point out to verses in Koran that refers to slavery to advocate the divine nature of owning other human beings and he will soon also point to other verses to promote torture, oppression of women and having sex with a child under 10 years old. Oh wait a minute, he already has done that and the country built upon those teachings holds one of the most severe records of violating every basic principal of human rights known to mankind.

Suddenly, even those Shi'a extremists don't look that bad!

The American Justice

Against every principal of justice accepted globally, you take your prisoners to a remote part of the globe, with no access to the outside world, no charges and no right to seek legal help. You keep them for months, years, heck as long as you wish, then appoint some of your own people to defend them without offering the detainees any input in the process. The situation is so bad, your own people you appointed are disgusted by the unfair nature of the "trials" you are holding.

What to do, what to do? FIRE 'EM! That's what! Problem solved. American style!

Link via Braindroppings.

Guess I'm an "Irani-Looking Arab"

Prejudice and intolerance is a global nuisance. Iranians are no exception. For many Iranians, one of the primary targets of this version of narrow-mindedness is anything Arab or Arabic. The historical backdrops are rather obvious. There has been a tradition of hostility between people living in the Iranian plateau and their Arab neighbors for centuries. In particular, the invasion by the Muslim armies that led to Iran becoming a predominantly Muslim nation in the 7th century, has left such deep scars, it is still talked about as if it was yesterday.

Add to that the current situation: most Iranians dislike the current regime so much, the opposite of anything it does or says is accepted as the absolute fact. In this case, their strict adherence to certain Arabic traits and customs, plus their loyalty to Arabic language, Arab holy figures and a religion that is seen by many as foreign and "Arabic", has caused a further blind-hatred of Arabs by more than a few Iranians. As an example, Palestine and Palestinians are seen as a "regime issue" and as the regime is always wrong, then damn those Palestinian Arabs!. Israel's state-run radio is now officially claiming to be the most listened to foreign broadcaster of Persian programming.

With this background, it has been peculiar to watch the current debates about Iran's application to participate in The League of Arab States more commonly known as the Arab League as an observer member. This has caused a certain sense of paranoia in some Iranian circles. I got the original news story by an email with this subject line: "IR (Islamic Republic) want us to become Arabs?!". Then another individual emailed an interview by an Iranian "strategic issues specialist" that is the epitome of the word paranoia; "We are not Arabs, Why should we step on our personality, identity and nationality and become member of an organization that deals with issues of Arab nations...". A popular web log pointed to some comments by Iranian politicians in favor of the move by this belittling title: "Identify the Irani-lookig Arabs".

If this is not when paranoia crosses into predisposition and even hatred, I can't think of a better example.

Now let's get a few facts straight;

- Iran could not possibly become an actual member even if it tried, since the membership is open only to "Arab States" and none of the current 22 members or anyone else for that matter (with the exception of some people with a gun rack in their pickups) considers Iran a part of that category.

- "Observer members" of any organization have a very different role and obligation as opposed to full fledge "members" as the title essentially allows for participation in certain discussions with no member privileges or voting power.

- Two out of the three officially non-Arab nations in the middle-east, Iran and Turkey (the third being Israel) have both applied for the same arrangement. I doubt many Turks are suddenly worried about their country becoming an Arab state!

- For hundreds and thousands of years, Iranians have retained their unique culture, language and customs, despite various cultural and military invasions and attacks by foreign powers. Now sitting in a few meetings will not suddenly make us "become Arabs" or Turks or Polynesian.

Let's call a spade a spade. There would be not a single outcry of we are not Europeans or god forbid "becoming European" if Iran had applied to become an observer member of EU. So, why the big fuss with the Arab League? What other than the fact that "Ay-Rabs" are involved?

Get over it! In fact, go look at yourself in the mirror and bow your head in disgust. This is the same prejudice we suffer from ourselves and it is unacceptable no matter if it is directed towards us or is practiced by us.

Iran joining the Arab League or any other international organization is a very clever way to promote dialogue and co-operation. I wish we'd join every single regional and cultural organization globally. Particularly if they involve a whole bunch of our immediate neighbors where our own fate is also in the balance with the decisions made.

Yes, the Arab League does not have a very bright history. It was created during the height of the Pan-Arab movement with certain hostility by some towards certain nations and people, including Iran. It has also been dominated by certain repulsive forces in the past, like Saddam Hossein's stretch, the man who was fond of saying "God made two mistakes in creation by making two creatures who serve no worthy purpose in life; Flies and Iranians." So what? Iran is a country that has had its own share of prejudice attitudes and lousy leaders. Do we now hide from our neighbors because we don't like their race, heritage or language? puhleeease!

Let's go to as many meetings as they allow us to attend. Let's join any organization that welcomes us into their midst and wants to hear our opinion and provide us with theirs. Let's expand our dialogue with the world. Let's learn from others and offer our own views for others to learn from. Let's get rid of these old stupid prejudices some of us hold, as they only stop us from moving forward.

Now you wanna call me an Irani-Looking Arab? Go for it. Unlike you, I don't consider that an insult. Hundreds of thousands of Iranian Arabs, plus millions of other Iranians who have broken free of their bigotry will still know me as just a concerned Iranian.

Cirque du Soleil

IranFreeElection.com

So we had a long discussion about this today. Hossein Derakhshan has to be different in everything he does. He doesn't leave a comment for those who criticize him, he calls them. What we came up with, should be a very interesting project. Here's some generalities:

As I am writing this, Hoder is busy designing yet another web site. This one will be different. It's not about him, it's about you. You as in you, the Iranians who have been "left out" by this regime. This is what I mean; in the upcoming parliamentary elections, you can run as a candidate IF amongst other things, you pledge allegiance to Velayate Faghih (supreme leader) clause of the constitution, have a bachelor's degree or higher, are at least 30 years old (and not older than 75), and be able to see, speak and hear.

In other words, nobody with a different opinion, nobody from lower classes or smaller towns and villages who have little access to higher education, nobody from the 60% of the population that is born after 1979 and no person with disabilities can even apply. Not to mention that if you still fit into the narrow category above, then an ultra-conservative council will review your qualifications and decides if you are allowed to run or not. In summary, only the narrowest of the a very narrow portion of Iranians are even allowed to consider the option.

So, the question is not whether Hoder should or could run or not. It is basically to stress the fact that choice does not really exists in any election held under these circumstances.

The site being developed, is a symbolic response to just that issue. Since none of us can (yet) grant that chance to run for office to millions of "left out" Iranians, at least in cyber-space we can keep that choice alive. On this site, you will be encouraged to "run", as it is your basic human and political right to do so. Nobody will care what your stand is; you can be pro regime, anti god, in exile, zionist, certainly "differently-abled", semi-illiterate, 19 years old, liberal, anarchist, you get the idea. ALL Iranians can be nominated, just as if it was a proper and democratic election happening inside Iran. You will have YOUR own page to post YOUR platform and present YOUR ideas.

Let us show the "conservatives", the "reformers", the "progressives" and the "extremists" inside the Iranian regime, what they are missing. Let them see how wonderful the idea of diversity is. Let's look at the wild and crazy platforms, the insane and impractical. Let's experience what it's like to say "I believe I have a point of view that needs to be heard in the circle of power in Iran and I am willing to put my opinions and name up for people to decide if they'd like to choose me as their representative".

Can anyone think of a way to actually hold a mock election too?

And They Meet...

One Post For The Gipper

"The charge has been made that the United States has shipped weapons to Iran as ransom payment for the release of American hostages in Lebanon, that the United States undercut its allies and secretly violated American policy against trafficking with terrorists.... Those charges are utterly false.... We did not--repeat, did not--trade weapons or anything else for hostages, nor will we."
--President Reagan, television address, November 13, 1986

"A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not."
--Reagan in a television address is forced to acknowledge "the facts and the evidence" uncovered the Tower Commission, March 4, 1987

"I told you all the truth that first day after...everything hit the fan."
--President Reagan, June 11, 1987

Thanks NBT

Hossein Derakhshan, MP?

As someone who has also ran for office before, let me start by telling you what I think are the different types of people who actually put their names up for an election of this type. I divide them in 6 distinct categories:

- Those who only run to make a statement or take a stand and don't care if they are elected (or are even allowed to run as is the case here).

- Those who run for the publicity it generates, for a future project.

- Those who want to get elected to use the celebrity for other uses.

- Those who want the power being elected brings.

- Those who want the money or position associated with the office.

- Those who want to get elected to push forward an agenda.

Considering what I know of Hossein, I'm guessing he is of the first group, as I was. But there are some key differences and they are the reasons I could never do as he is. Take the following for example:

Like it or not, even applying to be considered, carries a certain baggage with it. By applying, you acknowledge at least two things: 1) This regime is legitimate. I think it is fair to believe the Islamic Republic is certainly not a Republic and there are serious questions about it being Islamic too. Also, as most important positions are held by unelected individuals who are not subject to public scrutiny and accountability, they are not the legitimate representatives of Iranian people and can't stand for the nation. In short, illegitimate to the bone. 2) Consider the election process to be justified and legal. Hey, even the "moderate" President says only those who agree with the regime have the right to be in the parliament (Farsi link courtesy of ZaneIrani blog). When the process is so flawed that only a small fraction of population is even allowed to run, participating in the charade only adds to the credibility of a fraud.

For those two reasons alone, I believe Hossein is making a mistake but still like do acknowledge that his running or the possible rejection of his candidacy, will certainly provide a podium for him to raise some important issues and I hope he is clever enough to use that to its maximum potential.

Longest Serving Prisoner

Having the title of "Iran's longest serving political prisoner" is a unique achievement by itself as many of Iran's political prisoners were executed within days and weeks of arrest. However Abbas Amir Entezam is still in custody, serving out his second sentence, this one for an unknown length and for expressing his opinion. Here's his latest statement, but you may also want to look at the background of his imprisonment here.

XTC's Dear God

Long before XTC was another name for those funky looking pills some of us may have experimented with, there was a band by that name. XTC is perhaps one of the least appreciated but most talented musical groups of the last few decades and here's one of my favorite XTC songs:

Monday Morning Motivationals

source