Monday, May 31, 2004
Last night, an old college roommate i haven't heard from in years, angela davis, and morrissey all make an appearance in the same dream.
i'm staring at a dirty aquarium and morrissey, who in my dream looks something like Ira Glass is pressing against my back. i yell for my college roommate as angela looks on, and later, the ira glass looking morrissey walks me home, going on and on about a book he has written. i'm not feeling very happy, and i wake up in a bad mood.
hmm, well, let me change the topic, i know, listening to people's dreams is boring...
Why haven't any iranian blogs in english written about the iranian journalist who was bitten by a representative of the iranian judiciary?
When i saw this picture of the bite-mark, i remembered my friend telling me about a parody Hadi Khorsandi did of the old iranian national anthem. He changed the former anthem, ey iran ey marz-e por gohar (roughly: oh iran oh land that is full of gems) to ey iran ey marz-e por kotak (roughly: oh iran oh land that is full of beatings).
funny, but also depressing, right?
in all honesty, i haven't read the full details on the bitten and beaten journalist, which is why i was hoping some english speaking blogger would take it up. the accounts i've seen in persian so far are from the usual suspect "opposition", and i am in no mood for their hyperbole. you'd think man-bites-man would be dramatic enough as is, but no, our beeroone marz mobarezan have to amplify the drama ten-fold, no matter what the original story.
sorry, i'm sounding like a real jerk this morning. i told you i woke up in a mood...I'll stop now.
i'm staring at a dirty aquarium and morrissey, who in my dream looks something like Ira Glass is pressing against my back. i yell for my college roommate as angela looks on, and later, the ira glass looking morrissey walks me home, going on and on about a book he has written. i'm not feeling very happy, and i wake up in a bad mood.
hmm, well, let me change the topic, i know, listening to people's dreams is boring...
Why haven't any iranian blogs in english written about the iranian journalist who was bitten by a representative of the iranian judiciary?
When i saw this picture of the bite-mark, i remembered my friend telling me about a parody Hadi Khorsandi did of the old iranian national anthem. He changed the former anthem, ey iran ey marz-e por gohar (roughly: oh iran oh land that is full of gems) to ey iran ey marz-e por kotak (roughly: oh iran oh land that is full of beatings).
funny, but also depressing, right?
in all honesty, i haven't read the full details on the bitten and beaten journalist, which is why i was hoping some english speaking blogger would take it up. the accounts i've seen in persian so far are from the usual suspect "opposition", and i am in no mood for their hyperbole. you'd think man-bites-man would be dramatic enough as is, but no, our beeroone marz mobarezan have to amplify the drama ten-fold, no matter what the original story.
sorry, i'm sounding like a real jerk this morning. i told you i woke up in a mood...I'll stop now.
Monday, May 24, 2004
A thinking student of mine (imagine that, a student who thinks!), said in class the other day: "information is just static in the brain".
she meant: it is not enough to know that, what matters is what you do with the information. we were speaking specifically about political and social change, and i thought she was right on.
so there you have it, lots of static in my brain. what to do before it becomes just white noise, dulling my senses instead of sharpening them?
****
ok, enough self-indulgence, how about more static?
as much as i loathe him, chalabi's so-called fall from grace didn't really sit well with me.
the conspiracy theory wheels started turning, so i ignored myself, and tried not to think too much about it.
then came the rumors that Chalabi was a secret spy for Iran, which, believe it or not, i sort of bought in the heat of the moment.
in practically every other post, i make some mention of how crafty i think the IRI is, and so when i heard these rumors, i thought "damn it, the IRI has really out-done itself this time, getting its public enemy number 1, the Great Satan, to take out its public enemy number one junior, the spawn of great satan (aka saddam hossein)."
i heard someone say that if the rumors prove true, then iran has managed to orchestrate one of the greatest intelligence coups of all time.
what a dilemma for anti-IRI ultra-nationalists: in their deepest darkest secret moments, they might find themselves blushing with pride at the IR's brilliant plot for overthrowing the most blood-thirsty enemy the iranians have seen in the last 100 years.
but you know, it is rather convenient isn't it, to place the ultimate blame squarely on iran's shoulders?
it is the bush administration who are really the crafty ones here: not only do they somehow exonerate themselves for the bogus intelligence on which they made a case for moving against iraq, they also manage to further lay the groundwork for attacking iran. in other words, instead of a retreat from war, we are egged on to prepare for more of it. time to get the "Nuke Iran" and "let's kick the Shi'ite out of Iran" posters out of the garage, where they had been sitting since the 1980 hostage crisis.
oh yea, one more thing, a conservative U.S. publication is claiming that Jordan gave the tip off on Chalabi's dealings with Iran.
i mean, really, am i supposed to keep my conspiratorial thinking under control with a mix like this?
but anyway, for an admittedly wittier take on all of this--Chalabi, Iran, and yes, even jordan--check out what Ra'ed wrote today.
she meant: it is not enough to know that, what matters is what you do with the information. we were speaking specifically about political and social change, and i thought she was right on.
so there you have it, lots of static in my brain. what to do before it becomes just white noise, dulling my senses instead of sharpening them?
****
ok, enough self-indulgence, how about more static?
as much as i loathe him, chalabi's so-called fall from grace didn't really sit well with me.
the conspiracy theory wheels started turning, so i ignored myself, and tried not to think too much about it.
then came the rumors that Chalabi was a secret spy for Iran, which, believe it or not, i sort of bought in the heat of the moment.
in practically every other post, i make some mention of how crafty i think the IRI is, and so when i heard these rumors, i thought "damn it, the IRI has really out-done itself this time, getting its public enemy number 1, the Great Satan, to take out its public enemy number one junior, the spawn of great satan (aka saddam hossein)."
i heard someone say that if the rumors prove true, then iran has managed to orchestrate one of the greatest intelligence coups of all time.
what a dilemma for anti-IRI ultra-nationalists: in their deepest darkest secret moments, they might find themselves blushing with pride at the IR's brilliant plot for overthrowing the most blood-thirsty enemy the iranians have seen in the last 100 years.
but you know, it is rather convenient isn't it, to place the ultimate blame squarely on iran's shoulders?
it is the bush administration who are really the crafty ones here: not only do they somehow exonerate themselves for the bogus intelligence on which they made a case for moving against iraq, they also manage to further lay the groundwork for attacking iran. in other words, instead of a retreat from war, we are egged on to prepare for more of it. time to get the "Nuke Iran" and "let's kick the Shi'ite out of Iran" posters out of the garage, where they had been sitting since the 1980 hostage crisis.
oh yea, one more thing, a conservative U.S. publication is claiming that Jordan gave the tip off on Chalabi's dealings with Iran.
i mean, really, am i supposed to keep my conspiratorial thinking under control with a mix like this?
but anyway, for an admittedly wittier take on all of this--Chalabi, Iran, and yes, even jordan--check out what Ra'ed wrote today.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
I wont bother linking to those disgusting torture pictures, you all have seen them already I am sure and have had the range of emotions I suppose are typical of any decent person.
Was it the neo-fascist Silvio Berlusconi or was it that other Italian, the journalist Oriana Fallaci (whose submerged ethnocentrism has come into its full racist bloom in the last few years), who were publicly raving and ranting post-9/11 about the moral superiority of the West?
I don't remember, it is quite likely that it was both of them.
In any case, I was reminded of such arrogant proclamations when I viewed those photos, but I hold no illusions that even such stark evidence will shake people out of their sanctimony. Instead, it will be either ignored or dismissed as an aberration, as the exception, as the work of the few bad apples.
Almost half a century ago, Aime Cesaire opened his classic work "Discourse on Colonialism" with these words:
A civilization that proves incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization.
A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to its most crucial problems is a stricken civilization.
A civilization that uses it principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization.
And long before the devastating U.S. interventions in Chile, Vietnam, Panama, Laos, Cambodia, Granada, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq (to name a few), Cesaire wrote in this same work:
To go further, I make no secret of my opinion that at the present time the barbarism of Western Europe has reached an incredibly high level, being only surpassed--far surpassed, it is true--by the barbarism of the United States.
I have nothing more to add for now.
Was it the neo-fascist Silvio Berlusconi or was it that other Italian, the journalist Oriana Fallaci (whose submerged ethnocentrism has come into its full racist bloom in the last few years), who were publicly raving and ranting post-9/11 about the moral superiority of the West?
I don't remember, it is quite likely that it was both of them.
In any case, I was reminded of such arrogant proclamations when I viewed those photos, but I hold no illusions that even such stark evidence will shake people out of their sanctimony. Instead, it will be either ignored or dismissed as an aberration, as the exception, as the work of the few bad apples.
Almost half a century ago, Aime Cesaire opened his classic work "Discourse on Colonialism" with these words:
A civilization that proves incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization.
A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to its most crucial problems is a stricken civilization.
A civilization that uses it principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization.
And long before the devastating U.S. interventions in Chile, Vietnam, Panama, Laos, Cambodia, Granada, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq (to name a few), Cesaire wrote in this same work:
To go further, I make no secret of my opinion that at the present time the barbarism of Western Europe has reached an incredibly high level, being only surpassed--far surpassed, it is true--by the barbarism of the United States.
I have nothing more to add for now.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Word to the wise: on days when you are not feeling particularly emotionally stable, stay far away from the work of the late, sad, and soulful Fereydoun Foroughi.
now excuse me while i go listen to Ghasedak and this live recording of Do ta Cheshme siah dari another 12 times in a row.
*******
and, now, maybe an hour or so after writing the above, i feel the urge to write for you the lyrics of ghasedak (to which i have been continuously listening) along with another one of my quick translations.
First, the persian version:
Ghasedak
marge-an laleheye sorkh
kafan-e khande be rooye lab bood
kard-e on ayeneha
shabah-e fajehay-e dar shab bood
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
khabari az shoomi kar midad
nafasash naleyey gham dar sar midad
ashian roo be kharabi miraft
tan-e poosede gavahi midad
khoob be een harf nemiandeesheed
ke kafan bayad bord
ke nafas bayad dad
va be jaye hameye boodanha
hameye didanha
lahzeha mande be yad
shekle andeesheye marg dar oost
hameye hasti-e oo rafte be bad
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
oo saraseeme be donbale talafi miraft
be delash zakhme ghadamhaye tajavoz mande
oo nadanad ke pey mordane khod
mikeshad harche esalat bagheest
marge-an laleheye sorkh
kafan-e khande be rooye lab bood
kard-e on ayeneha
shabah-e fajehay-e dar shab bood
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
And here is the translation below. Persian, of course, is a largely gender-neutral language, so insert whatever gender you wish, i will go for "she".
Dandelion
the death of that red tulip
was the shroud of laughter on the lips
the dust on the mirrors
was the ghost of a tragedy in the night
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
was an omen of what was to come
her breath was a sigh of agony
the nests turned to destruction
her withered body gave proof
she did not contemplate this:
that shrouds must be carried
that breaths must be given
and that instead of all the beings
all the seeings
moments remain in the memory
the idea of dying has taken shape in her
all of her being has gone with the wind
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
in her confusion she sought to make up for it all
in her heart remains the wounds and footsteps of rape
she doesn't know that following her death
she will take with her whatever authenticity and honesty remains
the death of that red tulip
was the shroud of laughter on the lips
the dust on the mirrors
was the ghost of a tragedy in the night
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
now excuse me while i go listen to Ghasedak and this live recording of Do ta Cheshme siah dari another 12 times in a row.
*******
and, now, maybe an hour or so after writing the above, i feel the urge to write for you the lyrics of ghasedak (to which i have been continuously listening) along with another one of my quick translations.
First, the persian version:
Ghasedak
marge-an laleheye sorkh
kafan-e khande be rooye lab bood
kard-e on ayeneha
shabah-e fajehay-e dar shab bood
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
khabari az shoomi kar midad
nafasash naleyey gham dar sar midad
ashian roo be kharabi miraft
tan-e poosede gavahi midad
khoob be een harf nemiandeesheed
ke kafan bayad bord
ke nafas bayad dad
va be jaye hameye boodanha
hameye didanha
lahzeha mande be yad
shekle andeesheye marg dar oost
hameye hasti-e oo rafte be bad
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
oo saraseeme be donbale talafi miraft
be delash zakhme ghadamhaye tajavoz mande
oo nadanad ke pey mordane khod
mikeshad harche esalat bagheest
marge-an laleheye sorkh
kafan-e khande be rooye lab bood
kard-e on ayeneha
shabah-e fajehay-e dar shab bood
mordan-e on shaparakha
koshtan-e ghasedakha
And here is the translation below. Persian, of course, is a largely gender-neutral language, so insert whatever gender you wish, i will go for "she".
Dandelion
the death of that red tulip
was the shroud of laughter on the lips
the dust on the mirrors
was the ghost of a tragedy in the night
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
was an omen of what was to come
her breath was a sigh of agony
the nests turned to destruction
her withered body gave proof
she did not contemplate this:
that shrouds must be carried
that breaths must be given
and that instead of all the beings
all the seeings
moments remain in the memory
the idea of dying has taken shape in her
all of her being has gone with the wind
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
in her confusion she sought to make up for it all
in her heart remains the wounds and footsteps of rape
she doesn't know that following her death
she will take with her whatever authenticity and honesty remains
the death of that red tulip
was the shroud of laughter on the lips
the dust on the mirrors
was the ghost of a tragedy in the night
the dying of the butterflies
the killing of the dandelions
Friday, April 23, 2004
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Like many of his fans, I was really disappointed when i found out about Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi's show for Radio Voice of America.
but that guy's sense of satire is so brilliant that i couldn't bring myself to boycott him. i mean, i don't follow his stuff on Voice of America, but i still check his regular posts on the Gooya Newsletter.
anyway, his list of "political diseases" was so funny and accurate, that i can't help but post my hasty translation below. For the original text in Persian, just click here.
Political Diseases
by Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi
Given the existence of numerous political diseases that have arisen from an excessively contaminated environment, lack of preventive care, and the old age of the patient (i.e. the Iranian political scene) as well as the lack of medical treatment, some of the diseases existing among Iranian political groups and forces have been identified as follows:
Strabismus: The patient suffers from errors in vision and cannot apprehend reality-- the Iranian Left abroad.
Stress: A sense of constant worry and anxiety--the people of Iran.
Schizophrenic Disorders: Having dual or multiple personalities--Intellectuals in general.
Depression: feeling hopeless about the future, lack of motivation accompanied with staring at walls and fences, a constant desire to sleep--the Reformists.
Post-Partum Depression:A sense of impotence in relation to the post-birth situation, lack of appetite and constant fatigue in the face of the duties the patient must perform--The Reformists after the election of the 7th parliament.
HIV/AIDS: The destruction of the body's immune system and constant feeling of weakness. This disease may remain dormant for years but suddenly break out and peak--The Tudeh Party.
Tirchnosis: Feeling weak accompanied by constantly feeling hungry and over-eating, tendency to persecute others and to shed numerous worms--The Judiciary Branch.
Earwax Blockage: Swelling around the ear drum causing the inability to hear various and dissenting voices--The Guardian Council.
Alzheimers: Loss of memory, forgetting the past, and making bizarre claims that do not match the blood group of the patient's political party--The Leaders of the Islamic Republic.
Parkinson's Disease: Shaking of hands and body due to very old age, inability to control movement and behavior--Groups working in Coalition.
Hypertension: Feeling constantly hot accompanied by a feeling of agitation and suffocation, desire to quarrel with others and rip them to shreds--The Hardline Right Wingers, Hossein-Allah Karam and friends
Brucellosis: The patient occasionally runs very high-fever, gets the chills, and becomes delirious. The patient becomes well after a while, disappears for several months, and then once again runs a fever-- The Mujahideen Khalgh.
Heartburn: Feeling a burning in one's stomach due to the behavior of others. The patient gets a burning stomach because of what the people of Iran do, begins to shout, and takes to brawling in the streets for no reason-- The Hizbollah.
Rabies: The patient is stricken with the desire to bite others. He foams at the mouth and attacks. Those who are attacked become ill and are in turn stricken with the desire to bite others-- The editorial staff of Keyhan Newspaper.
Nanism: Due to physiological and historical reasons or due to the brain drain, the patient does not grow and is happy with this result---The administrative system of the Islamic Republic.
Multiple Sclerosis: Progressive degeneration of nerves. The patient completely loses his ability to defend himself and cannot make ordinary movements--Mr. Khatami, the respectable President of the IR
Epilepsy: In various situations and for no apparent reason, the patient acts violently and inappropriately, then passes out-- Ansare Hizbollah and the Communist Worker's Party.
Paranoia: Feeling that the enemy is conspiring against you and suffering from delusions of grandeur--The majority of Iran's leadership from the time of Cyrus and Darius to the present have had and continue to suffer from this condition.
Cultural Rashitism: The patient suffers from softness in the bones, when he is sitting he can act normally buthe cannot get up and walk--The Student Movement (in reality the country's student in-action) and the Tahkeem Vahdat
Down syndrome: Retardation, inability to understand, and abnormal movements--Professor Mesbah and friends
Astigmatism: Blurriness in vision and distorted views of history, reality, and the world--the followers of Dr. Shariati and the intellectuals of Melli Mazhabi
Gigantism: Excessive and abnormal growth of the body without the growth of the mind--The political heroes of the nation (I am in no mood for arguments, otherwise I would name names)
Whooping Cough: The patient constantly makes horrendous noises, gets blue in the face, and with his constant noise-making causes great suffering to others-- The Official IRI Media
Gout: Due to excessive consumption of meat and fat over a long period of time, the patient loses his ability to move, constantly sits and can do nothing but talk--The Monarchists.
Melancholia: The patient has strange feelings, constantly imagines things and understands everything in a disorderly and distressed way, his words are incomprehensible, and he is pointlessly enraged--The Los Angeles bases Satellite t.v stations
but that guy's sense of satire is so brilliant that i couldn't bring myself to boycott him. i mean, i don't follow his stuff on Voice of America, but i still check his regular posts on the Gooya Newsletter.
anyway, his list of "political diseases" was so funny and accurate, that i can't help but post my hasty translation below. For the original text in Persian, just click here.
Political Diseases
by Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi
Given the existence of numerous political diseases that have arisen from an excessively contaminated environment, lack of preventive care, and the old age of the patient (i.e. the Iranian political scene) as well as the lack of medical treatment, some of the diseases existing among Iranian political groups and forces have been identified as follows:
Strabismus: The patient suffers from errors in vision and cannot apprehend reality-- the Iranian Left abroad.
Stress: A sense of constant worry and anxiety--the people of Iran.
Schizophrenic Disorders: Having dual or multiple personalities--Intellectuals in general.
Depression: feeling hopeless about the future, lack of motivation accompanied with staring at walls and fences, a constant desire to sleep--the Reformists.
Post-Partum Depression:A sense of impotence in relation to the post-birth situation, lack of appetite and constant fatigue in the face of the duties the patient must perform--The Reformists after the election of the 7th parliament.
HIV/AIDS: The destruction of the body's immune system and constant feeling of weakness. This disease may remain dormant for years but suddenly break out and peak--The Tudeh Party.
Tirchnosis: Feeling weak accompanied by constantly feeling hungry and over-eating, tendency to persecute others and to shed numerous worms--The Judiciary Branch.
Earwax Blockage: Swelling around the ear drum causing the inability to hear various and dissenting voices--The Guardian Council.
Alzheimers: Loss of memory, forgetting the past, and making bizarre claims that do not match the blood group of the patient's political party--The Leaders of the Islamic Republic.
Parkinson's Disease: Shaking of hands and body due to very old age, inability to control movement and behavior--Groups working in Coalition.
Hypertension: Feeling constantly hot accompanied by a feeling of agitation and suffocation, desire to quarrel with others and rip them to shreds--The Hardline Right Wingers, Hossein-Allah Karam and friends
Brucellosis: The patient occasionally runs very high-fever, gets the chills, and becomes delirious. The patient becomes well after a while, disappears for several months, and then once again runs a fever-- The Mujahideen Khalgh.
Heartburn: Feeling a burning in one's stomach due to the behavior of others. The patient gets a burning stomach because of what the people of Iran do, begins to shout, and takes to brawling in the streets for no reason-- The Hizbollah.
Rabies: The patient is stricken with the desire to bite others. He foams at the mouth and attacks. Those who are attacked become ill and are in turn stricken with the desire to bite others-- The editorial staff of Keyhan Newspaper.
Nanism: Due to physiological and historical reasons or due to the brain drain, the patient does not grow and is happy with this result---The administrative system of the Islamic Republic.
Multiple Sclerosis: Progressive degeneration of nerves. The patient completely loses his ability to defend himself and cannot make ordinary movements--Mr. Khatami, the respectable President of the IR
Epilepsy: In various situations and for no apparent reason, the patient acts violently and inappropriately, then passes out-- Ansare Hizbollah and the Communist Worker's Party.
Paranoia: Feeling that the enemy is conspiring against you and suffering from delusions of grandeur--The majority of Iran's leadership from the time of Cyrus and Darius to the present have had and continue to suffer from this condition.
Cultural Rashitism: The patient suffers from softness in the bones, when he is sitting he can act normally buthe cannot get up and walk--The Student Movement (in reality the country's student in-action) and the Tahkeem Vahdat
Down syndrome: Retardation, inability to understand, and abnormal movements--Professor Mesbah and friends
Astigmatism: Blurriness in vision and distorted views of history, reality, and the world--the followers of Dr. Shariati and the intellectuals of Melli Mazhabi
Gigantism: Excessive and abnormal growth of the body without the growth of the mind--The political heroes of the nation (I am in no mood for arguments, otherwise I would name names)
Whooping Cough: The patient constantly makes horrendous noises, gets blue in the face, and with his constant noise-making causes great suffering to others-- The Official IRI Media
Gout: Due to excessive consumption of meat and fat over a long period of time, the patient loses his ability to move, constantly sits and can do nothing but talk--The Monarchists.
Melancholia: The patient has strange feelings, constantly imagines things and understands everything in a disorderly and distressed way, his words are incomprehensible, and he is pointlessly enraged--The Los Angeles bases Satellite t.v stations
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
For some reason, i couldn't get the logo below to appear on my side-bar, and i tried no less than 30 times. so i have to reconcile myself to having it in the body of the post.
i have much to say on the so-called 'repatriation' of Afghans, especially when it is portrayed as an orderly and happy return back to one's home, but i have no time to go into it in depth tonight.
for now, it should suffice to say that if a population is seeking refuge in Iran rather than from it, one can only imagine the extent of the misery they are fleeing. It is the humanitarian and neighborly responsibility of the IRI to allow the refugees who wish to remain in iran to do so until the situation in afghanistan truly improves.
Other iranian bloggers have pointed out the hypocrisy of iranians who lament the treatment of iranian refugees in europe and elsewhere but who are silent when the same things happen to afghans in iran.
I think we have to look into what is happening to the afghan refugees in iran and not let this become another PR victory for the IRI (which can claim that is facilitating their joyous return to their homeland) or the United States (which can claim that they have constructed a free afghanistan to which refugees can safely return)
i have much to say on the so-called 'repatriation' of Afghans, especially when it is portrayed as an orderly and happy return back to one's home, but i have no time to go into it in depth tonight.
for now, it should suffice to say that if a population is seeking refuge in Iran rather than from it, one can only imagine the extent of the misery they are fleeing. It is the humanitarian and neighborly responsibility of the IRI to allow the refugees who wish to remain in iran to do so until the situation in afghanistan truly improves.
Other iranian bloggers have pointed out the hypocrisy of iranians who lament the treatment of iranian refugees in europe and elsewhere but who are silent when the same things happen to afghans in iran.
I think we have to look into what is happening to the afghan refugees in iran and not let this become another PR victory for the IRI (which can claim that is facilitating their joyous return to their homeland) or the United States (which can claim that they have constructed a free afghanistan to which refugees can safely return)
