Displaying 11,281 To 11,310 Of 11,789 Comments Well, thanks everyone for your compliments. Truth is, it’s not false modesty that I’m a little embarrassed, because I still feel there is so much more for me to learn. I am very sorry for my absence. I burned away the midnight oil on this, got little sleep, got caught in this sandstorm to get to Phoenix and watch the Moscow Ballet’s “Nutcracker” (exquisite, btw); then today, attended a late basketball game (we won a tight one!, as if anyone cares ;-)). This was the first time I have gotten to respond. Some corrections (others are too minor, or not essentially ‘untrue enough’, to merit being corrected, more like tweaked a little). I totally goofed at least once on his name inverting “Hossein Ali” with “Ali Hossein”. Also, I almost feel like doing a forward to each of these with a disclaimer on the peculiarities of Farsi transliteration. I should have kept closer to my standardization by writing monafeghin [Mousavi, Moussavi, Musavi are also all transliterated from and back into Farsi the same, if any have wondered about that], and I seem to go back-and-forth between ‘hard-liner’ and hardliner’. I also should have noted that the words in the Ashura video (I should ask here out of curiosity if anyone else knows Arabic or any Arabic derived scripts?) predominantly included a lot of “Oh Hossein!”, and “Oh Hossein, Mir-Hossein!” – but was made before Montazeri’s death. To be sure this wasn’t lost on the mourners, if you take a listen to this (and notice the crowd – looks like it could have been more than 5,000 people to me, how about you guys?!):
I also messed up on the evening funeral commemoration’s planned location, it was to be at A’zam Mosque, not the Ma’soumeh shrine (which I was so tempted to link pictures of, the interior is resplendently breathtaking). I must admit, I don’t exactly know the layout of Qom well, or where all the mosques are and this was a wholly preventable error on my part. From very general descriptions though, it comes across as Appalachian culture set in Yuma, Arizona; which most urbane Tehranis avoid like the plague. I also get wind that in addition to harassing a mourning Montazeri family with heated invective, the Basijis invaded Sane’i’s home [a major no-no in Persian culture to trespass the walls of someone’s home, especially against a high-ranking cleric’s one at that]. Also, because info, as I’ve mentioned before, is hard to come by, since the initial writing it has come to my knowledge that around 50 were arrested and there were more clashes according to some sources than originally reported – though the intensity is unconfirmed – may have been minor scuffles with police as far as I know. [And will I tell you, the IRI apologists really use their belov » Posted By Khirad On December 24, 2009 @ 5:33 am 🙂 If you cross the film, it is also well done, but pretty much puts Persepolis I & II together, and follows them fairly tightly. Either will do (though the film has Catherine Deneuve as the grandma, which is a plus, although missing a Persian accent). I’m glad you guys liked them. I especially think, though there a bits that might not be appropriate depending on age, that it is a very positive story for girls. Marjane Satrapi’s gift was in writing an accessible history around her personal story. With every new book I read, I realize just how masterful she was in distilling modern Iranian history. » Posted By Khirad On December 23, 2009 @ 11:35 pm On Montazeri’s quote regarding the Hostage Crisis for 13 Aban (the anniversary) which I mentioned in part in my piece for that: The occupation of the U.S. Embassy after the victory of the revolution was supported by most of the revolutionary groups and the late Imam Khomeini, but with the sensitivity and negative reaction shown by the American people, which still remains to this day, it has become clear that this was not the right thing to do. The embassy of a country is regarded as part of that country and [since] that country was not at war with us, the occupation of the embassy was a declaration of war, and this is not right. Some of the committed young people who carried out this act now also believe that it was wrong. On the Houthi thing. I read a little bit about that about two books back, but I won’t feel fully prepared to comment until I get through the Robert Baer book I have lined up next. Needless to say, the Islamic Republic and House of Sa’ud have a long, tense relationship and Yemen is a conduit to that, in addition to supporting proxies in the Levant, a foothold in the Gulf has been a long held goal. As with the current Lebanese Hezbollah, my initial hunch is that they aren’t ‘taking orders’ from Tehran, but are backed with other support like, monetary, intelligence, and possibly small arms. » Posted By Khirad On December 23, 2009 @ 11:21 pm I use the Brookings Institution and Century Foundation quite a bit, as their foreign policy analysts are usually top-notch. » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 4:09 pm I » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 4:07 pm Hi Abby! » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:48 pm Health Care Bill Clears Senate Test Okay, I thought it was that (in the days of dial-up I wrote out my own web page, but my memory is rusty). Don’t worry I’m not brushing you off, I’m just sorta private. I promise I’ll get to it in the next couple days. INFP thing. Hope you understand. 😉 » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:49 am Yup, that pretty much summed up my take – in more detailed fashion than I could have produced. The political capital on this, I fear, is lost. We won’t be allowed a do-over any time soon. Best to treat it as an initial step to future improvements. » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:47 am So, he’s not just posturing for his conservative district, but really that nutty? » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:24 am » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:20 am The 7 Mountains of Influence In Culture and Why You Should Be Concerned Where I grew up it was the Mormons. And they were very good at it. I went to a really uptight High School. I’m damn jealous of other people’s cooler experiences. That’s really cool about you best friend. I’ve been thinking about hanging out with a Bible school teacher, and kinda get weird, ’cause he admits having battled with his faith, and I keep my mouth shut because I sort of think it gets him through his day. Also, that’s why I was getting really ticked off with HP’s Facebook crap. I honestly don’t want some of my Facebook “friends” to know what a flaming pinko heathen I am. » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:33 am Totally, they’ve got their dog-whistles, but this level of subterfuge is way over their heads. Christian Rock… *giggles uncontrollably* That and Chuck Norris reminds me: http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/wikiality/images/c/c5/Chucknorrismessiah.jpg » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 3:28 am You may have mentioned that, but I didn’t recall so. I haven’t read a Hindu-related book for over six months, but it’s one of my fortes as far as my broader interest in World Religions go. I think the comparison made most often is to Kundalini – though Hindu metaphysics encompasses so much more in complexity than just that element, gunas and such, etc. BTW, I always make the same disclaimer. It’s not just you, but people who are sympathetic to, oh, I don’t know, authenticity and not fads. I don’t know if you’d find this accurate but it’s always seemed to me to Judaism what the Hare Krishnas are to Hinduism. » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 9:03 pm No, of course it isn’t, but the hermetic traditions adapted (or bastardized, in the rabbinic view – I’d say Madonna’s done more to damage it though) it. The language was very reminiscent to reading Crowley, is all I was saying. Plus, I’ll admit, the commentary on Revelation had me thrown off. BTW, Hindu metaphysics has some interesting comparative similarities with the superficial Kabbalah I do know. » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 8:41 pm Okay, that was too cool. Unfortunately, we don’t have unicode capability here, but I can see the Hebrew letters in my head. That was a most elaborate reading of the Whore of Babylon (whom could I have been quite obliquely referencing? mwahahaha!). It all reminded me of my days when I pored over Occultic texts… I’m sure Shahr will have something to say on this, as well! 😉 » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 8:01 pm This is why I see the music off-topic threads as a sort of cleansing – a just act of disobedience. I think there are plenty that are wise to it. The rest seem to love to revel in their own outrage – almost for its own sake. » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 7:27 pm Anybody here interpret prophecy?! Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. …I thought that was so much better than any seven hills of Rome crack. » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 7:21 pm Does Anyone Feel the Same as I? I tend not to get too invested anymore. I remember one time, lord, what was I tweens, or early teens? Anyway, I would wrap myself in the magic of the season, shiny like foil wrapping paper, and when it came to take the Christmas tree down… then, spiraling depression. Come to think of it, it must have been around 13-ish ’cause I would be diagnosed with pretty severe depression (a family trait) not long after. I remember huddled outside on the porch, getting my gaze lost in the amethyst glow of the stars and the pinch of a soft cyan moonlit night at my cheeks, but too numb to feel much. Then I started thinking about the fact that my parents would die, I would die, we are ultimately alone in the world… if you never get your hopes up too high, you’ll never be crushed… I think that’s when I officially transitioned from child to adult, though it would of course take me longer to mature and figure out that life is worth living, even with all the setbacks and tribulations which come your way. Anyway, I try not to get too emotionally attached to the lights and the glitter, but do appreciate my time with family all the more, time which is precious. My favorite holiday songs, as such, are those tinged with irony; bittersweet, but with a glimmer of hope, of warmth, in these, the shortest days of the year. It makes me ponder back to the origins of the holiday season. That of the victory of light over darkness. That we must store the flame in our hearths until our Spring comes again. The story of Jesus’ birth and Resurrection, of course, is couched nicely into this as well for those whom religiously observe Christmas. — In any case, I still haven’t gotten used to Christmas in the desert, though luminarias and Santa caps on Saguaros are pretty nifty. Perhaps that’s another reason it’s hard for me to get lost in the season. All the mnemonic cues I grew up with are no longer around me. -Save, of course, the ever ANNOYING music at the mall. And I think that’s another aspect to our feelings this time of year which is all too readily appreciated already. » Posted By Khirad On December 19, 2009 @ 4:17 pm LOL, I’d always assumed it was some biological thing or something. My mom is the same way. Except we were always pretty chill. Just a palpable stress which would hang heavy in the the air. » Posted By Khirad On December 19, 2009 @ 3:51 pm Cher, don’t take this the wrong way, it’s actually a compliment, I have nothing to say. You pretty much nailed it, in fact, formulated things I knew, but wasn’t able to formulate (and organize) so coherently! So please don’t be offended if I pivot. You mentioned Beck. For this guy to say offensive stupid stuff (and at this time, I’d like to mention my dad shares his hometown with this loon (Mt. Vernon). Anyway, once in a while, when nothing else is on I play a little game: how much Beck or Hannity can I sit through and endure? Well, apparently Media Matters has picked up on the same thing here as I did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b84cDbZrFIk The South Asian/Indian-American community isn’t pleased. My god this asshole is an effing racist. No doubt about it. He’s learned how to play with words better with the black folk, and maybe even the Latinos, but when it comes to Indians and Hindu sacred sites, I’d like to point out that the angel Moroni sounds a lot like moron ==Rant Over== Anyway, thanks. I was wondering what the polls on likely voters was. I knew that the right was more energized, but I just hope that within 11 months we’ll see improving unemployment numbers, and the campaign season in full swing (it is sort of silly in some respects to look into the crystal ball this far ahead, though for long-term thinking, vitally important). I can only wish for a Tea Party Party to have all the success in the world. FM or javaz, up there, maybe even BITO could correct me, but I’d gotten wind that polling from McCain’s primary challenger was surprising. And yes, you’ve done what we wonks often lose sight of (though never me, as I have a lot of friends and family members like this – as I’d imagine do we all) – we are not the ones we have to worry about. Nor is it even those who are mad (or feel “duped”, as the concern trolls would have us believe) – it’s people who simply go back to their lives and lose interest in politics altogether again. I know my sister only started asking questions about Obama like one or two weeks prior (to her apolitical credit, on Sarah Palin – and it would be funnier if you knew my sister – she just quizzically said, “where did they find this woman?”). I can’t imagine her voting in midterms regardless, though who knows, she’s finally starting to come around on that stuff. She’s not exactly my barometer, but sort of the low end of what we should be worried about. Not the mostly apolitical, but the nominal Dems by default – but not passion. The ones who bother to register but not vote. And, for a workin’ class guy or gal, struggling, coming home from a hard days work at one job or two, or whatever part-time work they can find, didn’t go to college, are common sense good people, but not too interested in ‘political talk’, well, I can’t blame ’em. We need to find a way to get them to take interest again… and while I found the answers for our own malaise intriguing and worth pursuing, I don’t know what the strategists would say could be done about this demographic. One last thing from your article: “After all, the actual act of voting is not really all that easy, what with the lines, the weather, whatnot.” That is so true… but, everytime I see people in the snow waiting in lines I am puzzled. Why doesn't every state do what Oregon does? I do it here, too, where it's optional. They encourage it (and we Arizona Dems encouraged it, too, since it's a vote that can be tallied off early) and it's made easy. Mail-in! In Oregon everything is mail-in. There is NO excuse not to vote (“oh I lost it in the mail”, yeah right, I heard that a few times on the phone until they looked under a stack of bills and I helped them fill it out). Thing is, voting can be easy. Super easy. Sure, you miss the fuzzy feeling of standing in the booth, but now, I’m so used to voting in my jammies, it ain’t no thang. Only been to the polls twice: my first election in 2000, and after first moving to Arizona, once. Voted in every little election and proposition and special council election whatnot since. I’m still bewildered why there isn’t a greater move to get every state and every friggin’ Democrat signed up to vote by mail in the country. If you so feel like it, you can keep it around and drop it off, or go to the polls instead later. ==Okay, Rant #2 Done== Turns out, I had more to say than I had thought. 😉 —- BTW, from Wiki: “He [Joe McDermott] is one of six openly gay members of the Washington State Legislature, serving alongside Sen. Ed Murray (D » Posted By Khirad On December 20, 2009 @ 2:27 am Un(der)reported News—Weekend Edition Where’s the morning thread? I can’t wait any longer! Huge Turnout Reported in Iran for Cleric » Posted By Khirad On December 21, 2009 @ 5:09 am So, pretty much html works? Lemme see… are you telling me that this is just html? Edit – Haha! I wish I had of realized this earlier. Oh, what fun!!! I started to get the hunch when Shahr was gettin’ all fancy-like. » Posted By Khirad On December 19, 2009 @ 4:20 pm I agreed with it when there was one thing here and one thing there, but by god, they’ve gutted it so completely and are turning it into an anti-abortion vehicle that the phrase has turned sinister in its folksy admonitions. » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 9:32 pm Yes, on the substantive stuff. I’m here to read it. As to all the Western folks here, I don’t know what’s up. Either some aren’t observing boycott and are over at the-place-that-shall-not-be-named, or, they have actual lives on a Friday night. Tough call… 😉 » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 9:28 pm How come we can’t keep anybody hanging around? » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 9:07 pm That made me chortle too. » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 8:25 pm Funny how it is with that with loyal posters, huh. What other business model follows that course? On the edit – it is GOOD there isn’t one, because the trolls would bait you then change theirs. I’ve wished I had an edit, but I just reply to my own comment, fastidious as I can be about spelling and such. » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 8:15 pm I just realized that too. Dang! I knew it was Friday too, but it escaped me that it was ‘Friday’. Ever done that? » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 8:12 pm Friday Music Thread – Mood Enhancers Reflection Lycia – Drifting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpqMnDNOWAM Romantic Sisters of Mercy – Marian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe76GLHQCPM Holiday Faith & The Muse – A Winter Wassail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdW30gvruoA Honestly, I’m working on uploading more from these Christmas albums. They deserve more exposure. I’m not shilling, they’ve just been with me for a while and make my holidays complete. This one has an age limit, but this is who always revs me up. Rammstein – Wei » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 8:04 pm At your service. » Posted By Khirad On December 18, 2009 @ 7:33 pmComments Posted By Khirad
Achtung! German lyrics, shredding guitars and pyrotechnics. You were warned.
«« Back To Stats Page
Home Stats
