1358 all over again!

On April 1, 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran was established. Things have never been perfect as any human made society isn't. But things have never been this bad.

Unless you've been in a coma, under a rock or tripping on something I don't even want to smell, you already know that many Iranians are protesting the results of an allegedly rigged election. (Trying to compare this to our 2000 election). The year 1358 is the year in the Islamic calendar when the the previous regime ending revolution occurred.

FUBAR on SNAFU

Heh. Interesting day today. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد) visited Columbia University in New York. He was invited to the campus to speak before going to the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow. Its likely that the speech he gave today will be what he'll give tomorrow.

He questioned why the Palestinians should pay for the crimes of Germany. He also said that he thought the way the US managed the world is wrong.

Before he got the chance to speak, the president of the University, Lee Bollinger, had plenty to say, much of it insulting, about the leader after defending the school's decision to host Ahmadinejad on Good Morning America today. He said "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator". He also told the president that there is no reason to research the holocaust: "The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history".

Despite he past claims that Israel should be wiped off the map, he would not go so far as say that here. The likelihood he would not escape New York City with his life or something like it may have been a motivation for the omission. He did comment that the Palestinians deserve self-determination and free elections. To read more on this, there's a large article on CNN.

See that? POTUS?! What a weird name, right? Well it's a new channel on subscription satellite radio service XM radio. This channel is on number 130 and will likely have a 14 month or so life. This will take it through the election of the President of the United States next November. That's right, POTUS stands for the President and his (her) title. After previews and such it has finally gone on the air. Yay!!! If you're a subscriber, tune in!

Recently, maybe today, there was a story about protest songs. Back in the day, there were heaps of songs protesting the Vietnam conflict. One such song was "Save the Country" by the 5th Dimension. Apparently, there is a line in the song that refers to the Kennedy's:

"Come on, people
Sons and mothers
Keep the dream of
The two young brothers

Take that dream
And ride that dove
We could build the dream
With love, I know"

It made me pause. I forget, and I think many people do, how much of an affect the Kennedy's had on the country. I dunno...

Marcel Marceau, the famous French mime, died at the age of 84, on September 22nd. He left no last words.

Back on this day in 622, Muhammad completed his pilgrimage or Hegira. This would be the first on many for Muslims. It continues today and is a major tenet for Muslims the world over.

In 1664, the Netherlands surrenders New Amsterdam to England. It is now known as New York.

In 1890, The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints denounced polygamy with purpose being Utah becoming a state. It never goes truly out of practice and the debate around the practice continues to this day.

On this day in 1906, US President Theodore Roosevelt made Devil's Tower the first national monument.

In 1957, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower orders the 101st Airborne to go into Little Rock to enforce desegregation at the high school there.

And in 1991, Nirvana released their album Nevermind. Rock music would be never be the same.

عصر بخی

Asr be kheyr!
(That's "Good Evening" in Farsi)

Iran, Russia and a Mexican Hurricane

Why must I always write about Iran? They always seem to come up somehow. There was a fire on a plane in Mashhad, Iran today. Eigthy people died, none of whom were crew members. The plane was carrying 147 passengers. The plane in question is a Russian Tupolev 154. Incidents with planes, whether crashing or what not, are a common occurrance in Iran. Economic sanctions make it very difficult for the country to import the spare parts it needs.

Regions in Russia are making Russian Orthodoxy a subject in school. The Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Smolensk regions will make it compulsory while 11 other regions will make it an optional course. The curriculum stresses history rather than theology. However, opponents point out that the Russian constitution clearly states that there is a seperation of church and state. Moreover, the Muslim minority, who constitute at least 10% of the federation, are feeling slighted. They say that the same measure should be extended to Muslim students with Islamic history an optional subject.

The European Union apparently is growing faster economically than Japan or the good ole USA. However, their ability to create jobs is less than stellar. It is expected to lessen somewhat as we go into the end of the year. Another African country banning homosexual parties, Ghanian Information Minister Kwamena Bartels noted that since it is illegal to by gay in Ghana, there shouldn't be a conference for homosexuals there. The conference is set to take place next month. My question is why they choose Ghana, a place that does not accept Homosexuals in the first place, for that kind of party?

Tropical Storm Ernesto came ashore at Long Beach, North Carolina. It is now headed northward. Norfolk, Virginia better look out.

Hurricane John is a Category 3 storm and headed for Baja California. Cabo San Lucas is in the bull's eye.

I'll have more later.

"You with the wells... GET OUT!"

Chad (تشاد) has taken the step to order oil firms out of it territory. Chevron Texaco and Petronas (from Malaysia... those wonderfaul towers belong to them) have been given their marching orders because they failed to pay taxes. Exxon Mobil is the only remaining oil company and the rest of the will be controlled by the state. I thought President Idriss Deby had taken a page from the book of Bolivia's President Evo Morales. If so, good on him.

Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ايرا) still claims their nuclear facilities are for peaceful energy only resources. One cannot help but distrust the oligarchic theocracy. They do not have a great record and their President challenges the existence of the Holocaust. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی نژاد) continues to say nuclear weapons are not on the table while touring a Heavy Water plant in Arak (اراک). The BBC quotes him as saying "There is no discussion of nuclear weapons. We are not a threat to anybody, even the Zionist regime which is a definite enemy of the people of the region." Supposedly this plant will also be beneficial to health institutions as well.

In Gaza (again) Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל )made some interesting airstrikes. They dropped some ordinance on a Reuters van. Two journalists were injured. The IDF claims they were driving suspicious and in a combat zone. They also claim it was not clearly marked but "the armored car was clearly labeled as a media vehicle, with signs on all sides, including the roof". Good job boys!

Up North in Canada, the leader of that country's Green Party is calling for a renogotiation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Elizabeth May, elected at a convention on saturday, compared the free trade deal to cancer by saying "unlimited economic growth is the ideology of the cancer cell". In other words, economic growth should be checked rather than be free wheeling. Gotcha.

Remember a few days ago when Pluto was still a planet? Not anymore! Now, just like Plan B, there are opponents to this unthinkable decision. Some scientists find it embarrassing. There are of course those who believe its the right way to go. Because of new technologies there are other distant objects that rival Pluto's size, new definitions must be written and agreed upon. Though this makes sense, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) waited until the end of the convention in Prague to vote on the resolution. Most of the delegates weren't there had left. Of the 2,700 attending, only 424 voted. That's roughly 15.7%. Hardley a majority. We'll see what happens to poor Pluto. I still think we've pissed off the Plutonians who will one day strike back with their death ray.

Last but not least, I want to chime in on George Will's declaration that Article 9 of Japan's constitution be reconsidered. For those that do not know, General MacArthur wrote the Japanese constitution back in those dark occupation years and in it was a stipulation that Japan (日本国)could not have military forces. It could retain some for self-defence (自衛隊) mind you and it needed it considering China (中國) and later Korea (조선) and Viet Nam. However, the events in the past decade or two have raised the amount of self-defence Japan must do. Its budget for said self-defence is "$45B". That's enormous. We, the United States, are supposed to provide the bulk of defence but with two wars and various conflicts and operations, that is untenable. Will, writing for the Washington Post, asserts quite correctly that the time has come to change things. With increased tension in East Asia and the long ongoing dispute over Taiwan (中華民國), there is a need for Japan to be a true military power again. Its dubious they'd go a mad rampage of the Pacifc since they are predominantly pacifist. They beat us economically anyway. Will also keenly points out that we need a pro-American ally. Japan is that ally. Just adding my two cents.

On this day back in 55 BCE, Julius Caesar landed in Britain. It would never be the same.

On this day 15 years ago, Moldova declared itself free of the USSR.