Now that the rose of your good fortune is blooming, why are you standing there with no glass in your hand? Have some wine– fate is a treacherous enemy, And a day like this is hard to come by. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 71
The Arab Revolutions Continue, its Just not Mostly on American TV
Friday is a traditional day of protest in the Arab world, and yesterday did not disappoint. In addition, there were some important developments in the two post-revolutionary societies of Egypt and Tunisia. 1. Tens of thousands of Syrians demonstrated in a number of Syrian cities on Friday, including in Idlib province and in the capital […]
Geraldo wears the Hoodies he Blames for Shooting
See also Geraldo in a hoodie
Omar Khayyam (92)
The sky is a belt woven from our tattered lives. The mighty river was formed by all the tears our eyes have shed. Hell is a spark from our searing pain. Heaven is a breath drawn from our moments of peace. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 92
Tron Dance from Japan: Homage to to the Modern Body
Japan’s Wrecking Crew Orchestra performs an innovative light dance in uniforms like those in the classic science fiction movie Tron. I see the performance as a celebration of science and technology, of the contemporary moment, and a rejection of the dead hand of tradition; and I therefore read it as highly political (see below). This […]
Is Iraq’s Arab League Summit being Overshadowed by Sectarian Violence?
Iraq is planning to host the summit of the Arab League in Baghdad next week, in a bid to underscore its reemergence as an independent Arab state and an integral member of the League. But, you couldn’t say things have gone well for the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the run-up to the […]
The US Congress’s UNESCO Problem: Daily Show
Comedy Central’s John Oliver sends up the US congressmen who stupidly and wickedly cut off funding to UNESCO because 100 member nations voted to admit Palestine to the organization. The US was a sponsor of the Oslo Peace Accords that created the Palestine Authority and set it on the path to statehood, and it is […]
Omar Khayyam (67)
They say that drunkards are consigned to hell; but that makes no sense and the heart cannot accept it. If lovers and lushes are going to hell, tomorrow heaven will be as empty as my hand. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 67
AH-64 Apache Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan
Apache helicopter crash in Afghanistan– incredibly no one was hurt. Apparently this video was leaked, and we don’t hear about woundings, crashes and other negative news in the US military in Afghanistan, only actual deaths. Unfortunately, our press doesn’t report much on even those deaths, and most Americans seem not to know or care that […]
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