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Archives: March 2012
Omar Khayyam (73)
Clouds rolled in and wept tears on the field. Without wine, purple flowers cannot grow. The greenery provides pleasant scenery for me today. For whose delight will my remains nurture grass tomorrow?…
Happy Palestine Land Day: Israel Earmarks 10% of West Bank for Settlements: White
Ben White writes in a guest editorial for Informed Comment: It has just come out that the Israeli military has earmarked ten percent of the land in the Occupied West bank for…Redirect
The Palestine Land Day post is now here (click)Tomgram: John Feffer, Islamophobia, Obama, and the Art of Acting Muslim
John Feffer writes in Tomdispatch.com Creating the Muslim Manchurian Candidate The Right Wing’s Election-Year Islamophobia By John Feffer Those who fervently believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim generally practice their furtive…
Divided Arab League Won’t Call for al-Assad to Step Down
The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad for the first time in 22 years, in the absence of long-time fixtures such as Zein El Abidin Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of…
Omar Khayyam (96): Against Astrology
The good and bad that are in human nature, the joy and grief that are in fate and destiny-- do not attribute them to the movement of heavenly bodies; for according to…Medvedev slams Romney for “Number one Enemy” Slur
Below, the USG Open Source Center translates an article from Russian about President Dmitry Medvedev's reaction to Mitt Romney calling Russia the "number one geopolitical foe" of the United States. The Russian…Omar Khayyam (82)
Khayyam, your body is like a royal tent; your spirit is king and its residence is temporary. The angel of fate strikes this tent when the king moves on, in favor of…US Public Wants out of Afghanistan as 3 Western Troops Killed by Afghan Troops
There were two attacks on US and British troops in Afghanistan on Monday, by members of the Afghanistan armed forces. The American was killed in "the east," while the two British officers…
Bush Senior Also Promised Moscow more Flexibility after Election
President Obama was caught by an open mic Monday telling outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would "have more flexibility" in missile negotiations "after the election." Republicans jumped all over Obama…Omar Khayyam (80)
A codger staggered drunk out of the bar, a prayer rug over his shoulder and a wine glass in hand. I said, old man, what's come over you? He said, have some…
Basic Facts on Clothing and Murder for American Bigots
Dear American bigots: Basic Fact: Wearing a veil, as Iraqi-American Shaima al-Awady did before she was brutally murdered in her home as part of a hate crime, does not make a person…
Faster than Expected Climate Change means drought, war, famine for Middle East, Africa
A new study just published in Nature Geoscience has found it plausible for the first time that the world's average surface temperature could rise by as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit (3…Omar Khayyam (78)
You ignoramus! This bodily form is nothing. and this speckled dome of the nine heavens is nothing. Be happy that in the realm of being and corruption we are dependent on…
Israeli Peace Marchers Protest Iran War Talk in Tel Aviv
Haaretz reports that hundreds of Israeli peace activists marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest all the talk of striking Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities. Their placards demanded "No to War with…Western Intelligence Analysts Worry that Iran Sanctions are Hurting West: IRGC
The USG Open Source Center translates an article from Javan, an organ of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC: Iran's National Guard), analyzing alleged Western intelligence summits that question the effectiveness of…Omar Khayyam (71)
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…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.…
Geraldo wears the Hoodies he Blames for Shooting
See also Geraldo in a hoodieOmar 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…
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…
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 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…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…
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,…
Obama, GOP won’t Tell Americans that Iran Sanctions drive Gas Prices
President Barack Obama campaigned on energy issues on Wednesday, visiting a handful of oil wellheads on Federal land in New Mexico and a solar installation in Boulder City, Nevada. The subtext of…
Etch-a-Sketch Romney (Cartoon)
"Can Romney shake off his aide's gaffe?"Omar Khayyam (66)
I don't drink wine for sheer enjoyment nor to corrupt my morals nor for irreligion or bad character. I want to tame my carnal soul and make it selfless. That's why I…SBC’s Land: Romney’s Mormonism “Like Islam” (Here we go Again)
It turns out that from a hard-right American evangelical point of view, the US public may have a choice between two Muslims, or two 'may as well be Muslims' for president this…
The “Real Mitt Romney” (to the Tune of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady”)
Hugh Atkin's cute amalgamation of Mitt Romney flip-flops and gaffes a la Marshall Bruce Mathers III.Tomgram: William Hartung, Republican Math and the Pentagon Budget
William D. Hartung writes Throwing Money at the Pentagon A Lesson in Republican Math By William D. Hartung If you’ve been fretting about faltering math education and falling test scores here in…
Obama’s Hypocritical Message to Iran
President Barack Obama addresses the Iranian public on the occasion of the Iranian New Year (Now-Ruz). Shorter version: The US and Iran are on the brink of war because you have a…Is Anti-Immigrant, Islamophobic Campaign Rhetoric fomenting Antisemitism in France?
As French police launch a massive manhunt for the person who shot down a rabbi, his two children, and another child outside a Jewish school in Toulouse, the modus operandi of the…2010 Hottest Year Yet, 70 ft. Sea Rise Virtually Assured
The hottest year on record is 2010, not 1998, according to new calculations of the major British climate study unit. The findings have just been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research,…
Damascus sees first signs of Guerrilla War
Syrian opposition forces fought the fiercest battle with government loyalist troops yet on Monday, in the tony El Mezze district of Damascus. Damascus, the capital, has not seen huge demonstrations. This violence…
Barack Obama Look-alike Contest in Colombia
Barack Obama look-alike contest held in Colombia: ITN:
Why don’t we have better Reporting on the Afghanistan Army? It is our Best Hope for Getting Out
With the Qur'an-burning scandal, the Panjwai massacre, repeated demonstrations against the United States, and Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai's increasingly strident anti-American pronouncements, it seems clear that the US is likely to be…Tomgram: Karen Greenberg, A New Age of Enemies
Karen J. Greenberg writes at Tomdispatch Ever More and Ever Less The Unstoppable Legacy of the War on Terror By Karen J. Greenberg By now, you’d think we’d be entering the end…
Paul Conroy Speaks at Syria Rally in London (Covered Baba Amr)
British journalist Paul Conroy, who covered the Baba Amr massacre in Homs from the scene, speaks at a London rally against the Syrian Baath regime:India Trade Delegation Bucks US Sanctions on Iran
A major Indian trade delegation to Iran has pronounced the trip a success. The development underscores how difficult it will be for the Obama administration and the European Union to impose 'crippling'…Top Ten Catholic Teachings Santorum Ignores [Reprint Edn.]
Rick Santorum is claiming that if he wins the Illinois primary, he has virtually won the Republican nomination. It seems an appropriate time for this golden oldie: The right wing Republican politicians…
Top 7 Ways Bin Laden Underestimated Joe Biden
Captured documents from Usamah Bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout show that the terrorist leader urged an associate to attempt to assassinate President Barack Obama so that Vice President Joe Biden would come to…Omar Khayyam (65)
Even though my sins have jinxed me and made me unlovely I have not lost hope, like a pagan in his temple. But in the wee hours when I sober up I…Despite Negative Hype, Green Energy Revenues Rapidly Expanding
Solar, wind and biofuels saw global revenue expand by 31% in 2011. With all the negative hype put out by Big Oil and its acolytes, you'd have thought the green energy market…Israel to Demolish Solar Energy panels for Palestinians
The Israeli Occupation authorities are planning to demolish renewable energy installations in Palestinian villages in the Occupied West Bank. The projects were installed by an Israeli NGO, ME Comet, and paid for…Omar Khayyam (61)
Your evil self is like a household dog, barking for no good reason. It is like a fox dreaming of a rabbit. It roars like a tiger and is tricky as a…
Syria Revolt Enters Second Year as World Stands Feckless
The Syrian uprising is a year old, and France 24 has a collage of videos chronicling these dramatic and bloody events. The world community has failed Syria, just as it failed Rwanda…
Israel’s Atom Bomb Factory in 3D
An Israeli news magazine reported in 3D animation on Israel's Dimona nuclear facility, which produces enough plutonium every year to make another 10 nuclear weapons (Israel is thought to have 400 atom…Omar Khayyam (63)
Every heart in which the light of love shines-- whether worshipper in a mosque or member of a church-- and those who write their names in the book of passion are liberated…
US Public to Israel’s Likud: On Iran, Negotiate or you are on Your Own
A new poll shows that the US public, showing a broad consensus across parties, wants the Iran nuclear enrichment issue dealt with through negotiations. They even want to entrust the issue to…Afghanistan Senate Chants Against US, Speaker Threatens to Evict it
The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Afghan Islamic Press news agency in which the speaker of the Afghanistan parliament threatens to throw US out of Afghanistan they way…Omar Khayyam (60)
I am not suited to the mosque nor fitted to the church The Lord knows what he made my clay from. I am like an atheist mystic or an ugly prostitute: Neither…Tomgram: Michael Klare, Why High Gas Prices Are Here to Stay
Michael Klare writes at Tomdispatch.com: A Tough-Oil World Why Twenty-First Century Oil Will Break the Bank -- and the Planet By Michael T. Klare Oil prices are now higher than they have…Cheney afraid to speak in “Dangerous” Canada
Dick Cheney has cancelled a talk in Toronto because, he says, "Canada is too dangerous." This is the ultimate chicken hawk, who had 5 deferrals from serving in Vietnam, and who sent…
Afghanistan Massacre: Unstable Soldiers, Untreated Brain Injuries, PTSD
AP is reporting that the staff sergeant who killed 16 Afghan villagers near Qandahar on Sunday morning had suffered a head injury in a vehicle incident in Iraq, before being deployed to…Lebanon debates laws protecting women from domestic violence: Zambarakji
Angie Zambarakji writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism Analysis: Lebanon debates laws protecting women from domestic violence by Angie Zambarakji Domestic violence cases in Lebanon are currently dealt with by religious…
How to Cuddle with an Elephant Seal
Another seal meets girl story (environmentalism, not a Heidi Klum gossip piece). Seal meets girl. Seal falls in love with girl. The end. from Bob Dobalina on Vimeo. This is cute, but…Omar Khayyam (58)
My creed is to drink wine and be happy; my faith is to be devoid of unbelief and religion. I said to the bride of fate, "How big a diamond would you…
Afghans to US Military: Be at Least a Little Ashamed
This is one Afghanistan newspaper's reaction today to the story of the massacre by a US staff sergeant of 16 villagers, including 9 children, near Qandahar. It is a medley of photographs…Tomgram: Engelhardt, War as the President’s Private Preserve
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch Tomgram: Engelhardt, War as the President's Private Preserve Posted by Tom Engelhardt at 5:19pm, March 11, 2012. The 0% Doctrine Obama Breaks New Ground When It Comes…Changing Iran’s Nuclear Calculation with Green Energy: Buonomo
Thomas J. Buonomo writes in a guest column for Informed Comment Changing Iran's Cost-Benefit Analysis on Its Nuclear Program The announcement last week by Chinese officials that China is interested in building…Omar Khayyam (57)
We are pagans of love; the orthodox are something else. We are like puny ants; the splendor of Solomon is something else. Our faces are sallow and our clothing is tattered; the…President Hadi, Yemen’s New Leader, Lays out his Vision (al-Sharq al-Awsat)
The USG Open Source Center translates an interview at al-Sharq al-Awsat with new Yemeni president Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. He succeeds overthrown dictator Ali Abdallah Saleh Yemen: President Hadi on Form of Gov't,…Omar Khayyam (56)
I spent a lifetime romancing with wine and roses, but none of my efforts ever went right; since none of my desires was fulfilled through wine, I've given up on what is…
Bahrain Demonstrations Echoed in Iraq on Eve of Arab League Meeting
Tens of thousands of demonstrators came out in villages and along highways in Bahrain on Friday, reviving their protest of the islands' absolute monarchy. Among the organizers was the Shiite Wifaq Party,…
Poll: Majority of Republicans Expect War with Iran in 2012 (Infographic)
The Poll Position has done a scientific poll of the American public on how likely they feel war is with Iran in 2012. They were split, but what is really interesting is…
The Rush Fish
From Jamiol's WorldOmar Khayyam (55)
Bartender, since fate has defeated you and me, and this world is not a dwelling for you and me; but given that we have a glass of wine in our midst know…High Oil Prices Cushion Iran from Sanctions, Hurt Obama
So far, high petroleum prices are helping Iran beat the new, 'crippling' US and EU sanctions. And, ironically, it is the Obama reelection campaign that is suffering most from the sanctions, not…Ayatollah Khamenei and President Obama
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, gave an important policy speech on Thursday. In part, he was reacting to President Barack Obama's remarks on Iran in his Super Tuesday press conference. While…Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Praises Obama (Full Text)
The USG Open Source Center translates the speech of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reacting to the comments of US President Barack Obama in favor of diplomacy and against a rush to…Tomgram: Ann Jones, Playing the Game in Afghanistan
Ann Jones writes at Tomdispatch: Green on Blue Dead Americans, Dead Goats, and Half a Million Gunmen on the Loose By Ann Jones Recent weeks have brought yet another sad chance to…Romney ads anger Latinos, Slam Santorum for Sotomayor Vote
Political Ticker is reporting that Latino voters in California are annoyed with GOP front runner Mitt Romney over his ads attacking rival Rick Santorum for voting in 1998 to confirm Sonia Sotomayor…
Big Coal and Big Oil Wipe Kiribati off the Face of the Map
The first country to face being wiped off the map by climate change is Kiribati in the South Pacific. Its 100,000 residents live on flat atolls only a few feet above sea…
Iran’s Leader Seeks Control of Internet
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, having strengthened his position in the Iranian parliament, is moving to try to control the internet in Iran. He has appointed a committee including lame duck president Mahmoud…
Dear Rick Santorum & MSM: We’re just Not that into You
From Current TV, current home of Cenk Uygur and Ketih Olbermann: A twitter feed analysis shows that the US public was not nearly as interested in the themes promoted by the Santorum…Obama slams GOP for casual war talk re Iran, stresses Costs
President Barack Obama, in his Super Tuesday news conference, explained his thinking on Iran and tensions between it and Israel. The most impressive thing he said was, Now, what’s said on the…Tomgram: Eyal Press, Chilling Dissent on Wall Street
Eyal Press writes at Tomdispatch: Why No One Would Listen Corporate Whistleblowers Get the Silent Treatment From Washington By Eyal Press What’s worse: to be persecuted and indicted for trying to expose…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…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…
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…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…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…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…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…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,…Tomgram: Stephan Salisbury, Weaponizing the Body Politic
Stephen Salisbury writes at Tomdispatch How to Fund an American Police State Real Money for an Imaginary War By Stephan Salisbury At the height of the Occupy Wall Street evictions, it seemed…Omar Khayyam (50)
You've seen the world, and all you've seen is nothing; and everything, as well, that you have said and heard is nothing. You've sprinted everywhere between here and the horizon; it is…Khamenei Takes Control, Forbids Nuclear Bomb
Early returns in Iran's 9th parliamentary election since the 1979 revolution show that Ahmadinejad's lay populists have taken a drubbing, and that hard line supporters of clerical Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are…
Santorum Can’t Run Away from Limbaugh, who is just taking Santorum’s ideas to their logical conclusion
Rick Santorum is trying to distance himself from Rush Limbaugh's slander of Sandra Fluke. He maintains that Limbaugh is just an "entertainer" and that he was "being absurd." Limbaugh is not just…Oceans acidifying faster than anytime in last 300 million Years
About 55 million years ago, in the Eocene, volcanic activity spewed enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. The earth warmed by 4-5 degrees Centigrade. All surface ice melted, and every…Omar Khayyan (49)
In monasteries, seminaries, retreats and synagogues, they fear hell and seek paradise. Those who know the mysteries of God never let that seed be planted in their souls. Translated by Juan Cole…Tomgram: Andy Kroll, The Unlikely Oracle of Occupy Wall Street
From Tomdispatch How Empires Fall (Including the American One) A TomDispatch Interview With Jonathan Schell By Andy Kroll When Jonathan Schell’s The Unconquerable World, a meditation on the history and power of…Limbaugh and the best argument for Birth Control
Best argument for birth control: If Rush Limbaugh's mother had used it, imagine how much better the world would be.
Dear President Obama: On Iran, Listen to the Israelis, not the Likud
It is often the case in democratic societies that reasonable people get saddled with extremist governments. Israel is in such a situation at the moment. Shibley Telhami, the Sadat Chair at the…Dear MSM: Andrew Breitbart was not a Blogger
Dear Mainstream Media: Andrew Breitbart was not a blogger. He was a political trickster, a serial frame-up artist, a con man, a fraud, a flimflam man. In the Nixon days he would…Hizbullah: Israeli attack on Iran would “ignite the region”
Sheikh Naim Qassem, the number two man in Lebanon's Hizbullah, told Reuters on Wednesday that any Israeli strike on Iran would spin out of control and "ignite the region." Qassem said that…