What’s worse: to be persecuted and indicted for trying to expose an act of wrongdoing — or to be ignored for doing so?
Omar Khayyam (51)
I was deep asleep when a wise man said to me, ‘The rose of joy never bloomed for anyone from slumber! What are you doing? Life is short! Hit the bar, since you’ll get plenty of sleep when you’re six feet under. Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 51
The N. Korea/ Iran Nuclear Connection Fraud
The wingnuts are all in a tizzy about some German news article alleging that North Korea carried out a nuclear test for Iran. As with the Niger uranium story that helped underpin the Iraq war, it is all hype and there is nothing to it. Adam Cathcart has carefully traced the story to its origins. […]
Darpa Cheetah Robot beats Land Speed Record
“This video shows a demonstration of the “Cheetah” robot galloping at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour (mph), setting a new land speed record for legged robots. The previous record was 13.1 mph, set in 1989.” Humans typically sprint at 12-17 miles an hour.
McCain: Bomb Syria; But Iraq and Russia oppose Intervention
Senator John McCain called on Monday for US air strikes on Syria, but the Obama administration pushed back. McCain said on the Senate floor, “Foreign capitals across the world are looking to the United States to lead, especially now that the situation in Syria has become an armed conflict . . . But what they […]
Netanyahu 1992: Iran will Have the Bomb by 1997
Scott Peterson at the Christian Science Monitor did a useful timeline for dire Israeli and US predictions of an imminent Iranian nuclear weapon, beginning 20 years ago. 1992: Israeli member of parliament Binyamin Netanyahu predicts that Iran was “3 to 5 years” from having a nuclear weapon. 1992: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres predicts an […]
Omar Khayyam (52)
If the heart knew the secret of life as it really is, it would also know, in death, the divine mysteries. Since you know nothing of yourself today, what will you know tomorrow when you’re gone from yourself? Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 52
Libya Seeking Qaddafi Assets Abroad: Mathiason & Serle
Libya acts to seize £10m Gaddafi house in London by Nick Mathiason and Jack Serle of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism The Gaddafis spent four decades plundering Libya amassing private jets, fast cars and expensive properties the world over. But next Friday could see what international corruption experts claim is the first repatriation of a […]
Top Ten Dangers for Obama of Iran Sanctions on behalf of Israel
President Barack Obama addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference on Sunday, warning against loose war talk regarding Iran but also threatening violence against that country to stop it, he said, from getting a nuclear weapon ( not an ambition in evidence). The speech is here. Obama has ratcheted up US financial sanctions against […]