Wine is melted rubies, and the glass is like a mine. The carafe is the body, and the alcohol its soul. This crystal goblet that laughs with wine was formed from tears that concealed within themselves the heart’s own blood. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 105
Top Ten Reasons Israel tried to Censor Bob Simon’s Report on Palestinian Christians
Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren not only called the head of CBS news in an attempt to quash a report on the displacement of Palestinian Christians by the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but he briefed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the far right wing Likud Party on his attempt. Here are […]
Top 5 Stories from the Arab Revolutions Today
1. Syrian military forces subjected the Arba’in district of Hama to intensive machine gun fire on Monday, and some 28 civilians were killed by government forces even while UN military observers were touring parts of the capital, Damascus. More UN observers will arrive next week, but they appear mainly to be coordinating with the regime, […]
The Planet has a Fever: Al Gore and Jeffrey Sachs at Granholm
Jennifer Granholm interviews Al Gore and Jeffrey Sachs on carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change. At the liberal Current TV channel. Gore: There are 5 Big Oil lobbyists on Capitol Hill for every member of Congress and the Senate.
Was this 16-year-old Drone Victim Really a Terrorist? (Chatterjee)
Pratap Chatterjee writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism He walked quietly between his two friends as he entered the conference hall in one of the best hotels in an exclusive enclave of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The carpeted room filled with chairs draped in white as if for a wedding, usually hosted business […]
Drones, Drones Everywhere, and now we’ve given them to Iran
The American deployment of its thousands of drones or unmanned aircraft is one dimension of the breakdown of the rule of law. The US sends the spy craft over other countries without permission and in the teeth of ardent protests, violating their sovereignty. There are now plans to fly drones over US towns, as part […]
Earth Day means nothing if We Don’t Limit Carbon Emissions
The first observance of Earth Day was March 21, 1970. I was 17, and along with other students at Broad Run High School, went out with garbage bags to clean up the side of the road leading to the school. Even then, of course, the world faced much more serious pollution issues than roadside litter. […]
Yes, MEMRI, there is a Fatwa from Khamenei forbidding Nukes
I’m told that MEMRI, which has its origins in Israeli military intelligence, has put out a statement doubting that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ever issued a fatwa forbidding nuclear weapons. (MEMRI claims to be a 501(c)3 non-profit but is actually an effort to cherry-pick Middle Eastern news to present the most negative face of […]
Omar Khayyam (104)
Every place you see a rose or red tulip, they are tinted by the blood of a fallen king. Every violet petal that falls to the ground was a mole on the face of a stunning beauty. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 104
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