Iran has just elected a new President--Hassan Rouhani. As the World was observing Iran's version of "Democracy in Action" the people came out in droves. There was a lot of dancing, a lot of music..and remembering all who fell...It was just beautiful.....
6/13/2013
View of the Week: Brief Notations On Events Half-Way Around The World
I continue to be concerned yet fascinated by the debate over PRISM. has been dominating the headlines in the United States. I was quite fascinated by the hearing over the National Security Agency Budget as the head of the NSA, General Alexander was grilled by Senators. I nearly fell off my chair when the Chair of the Committee interrupted the hearing when she acknowledged a tweet by the reporter for Buzz Feed when the reporter criticized how she was running the meeting. She said, "Hi..and everything is on the table..."...and will be in touch!! The leak has forced a debate on privacy and the extent of Government Control which must happen here and now. The power of twitter and social media was also very much in focus here. But beyond the "daily tirades", the issue of the 4th Amendment and the fact that the NSA wants to keep "everything" is a problem.
Beyond the shores of the U.S., the Middle East continues to be ever more challenging. Iran yet again is at a cross-roads as shown by the depiction of it being at a
critical juncture. The Economy is on the brink of total collapse. People have not
been paid for months. People have lost hope and there is a lack of confidence
in the system. The leading reformist in the race, Mr. Rohani, noted this. He
has talked about mistakes during the last election and has noted how the
current prisoners need to be freed. An interview with the former President, Mr.
Khatami, has underscored it.
The current out-going President was an absolute disaster. It appears that Khameini, the Supreme Leader (known in Iran as the leader of the revolution) has finally realized it. It is interesting how he's stayed quiet and has underscored that he only has one vote. He also did note that he would comment on some of the claims during the campaign after the campaign comes to an end.
Mr. Khatami has become the leader
of the opposition within the Country. He has noted that he would be voting for
The "Diplomat Sheikh", Hassan Rohani. The question is whether the
conservative establishment will allow the true results to stand after the new
elections commission certifies and the Guardian Council signs off on it.
Khatami and the "reform" faction within the ruling establishment are
of the view that they can continue to reform the system from within. The
non-violent movement that began in 2009 continues to be vibrant as ever.
I am right now listening to analysis by Voice of America analysts on their view of internet access and the steps being taken to circumvent Government Control. What Khameini said was also telling. He urged all (including opponents of the Islamic System) to vote. The fact that he has implicitly acknowledged the challenge faced by the Country is quite telling.
There are "cyber initiatives" going on right now. A beautiful site called Vote4Zahra has been established to document some of the challenges. Gary Kasparov, the World Chess , has created a site to have a "Cyber Presidential Vote". The Voice of America analysts were skeptical about the true nature of it being secure. One thing is for sure: change is in the air. Whether they can change from within is an open question.
Beyond Iran, there is Turkey. Turkey continues to be besieged by protests. I welcome what has been announced by the Government for a referendum. I remain hopeful that Edrogan will cement his legacy and prove the skeptics wrong.
Never a dull moment....more to come in a few days.....
I am right now listening to analysis by Voice of America analysts on their view of internet access and the steps being taken to circumvent Government Control. What Khameini said was also telling. He urged all (including opponents of the Islamic System) to vote. The fact that he has implicitly acknowledged the challenge faced by the Country is quite telling.
There are "cyber initiatives" going on right now. A beautiful site called Vote4Zahra has been established to document some of the challenges. Gary Kasparov, the World Chess , has created a site to have a "Cyber Presidential Vote". The Voice of America analysts were skeptical about the true nature of it being secure. One thing is for sure: change is in the air. Whether they can change from within is an open question.
Beyond Iran, there is Turkey. Turkey continues to be besieged by protests. I welcome what has been announced by the Government for a referendum. I remain hopeful that Edrogan will cement his legacy and prove the skeptics wrong.
Never a dull moment....more to come in a few days.....
6/12/2013
An "M-Thought" 4 the Week: Wake Up Everybody!! :-)
I reflected upon our World as I was making the "Social Rounds" for the night & wrote about it and noted how, "...I was thinking about our World....as Iran awaits the results of the election...Turkey is in Turmoil, Syria Burns and the daily struggles go on..and as the debate over PRISM gathers steam...the need to "wake up"..and work to do what we can is so crucial..and John Legend says it soooooooooo eloquently....eager to see what June 15 brings about for Iran...will that beautiful Land finally see a ray of hope? Anyway, hope friends enjoy this..and have a wonderful rest of the week..."....
Seth's Blog: The weird tail continues
Had to share this--he sure has been a trailblazer: Seth's Blog: The weird tail continues
6/11/2013
"Thoughts 4 the Week": An Admonition For All...
Remembering...
“If you wish success in life,
make perseverance your bosom friend,
experience your wise counselor,
caution your elder brother
and hope your guardian genius.”
make perseverance your bosom friend,
experience your wise counselor,
caution your elder brother
and hope your guardian genius.”
~ Joseph Addison
& Noting....
6/10/2013
Another Day Around the Middle East: Iran and Turkey.....
Iran is going to the Polls in 4 Days. It is suddenly becoming very very interesting. Rachel Maddow did a very nice job during her show Monday reflecting upon the election and the last minute twists & turns:
The one that seems to be the surprise of all is Hassan Rohani. He has been--just like the rest of the candidates--been a fixture in the Islamic Republic during its' 34 Year Reign. But, the reformists seem to be uniting behind him especially as one of the other reformists, Mohammad Aref, withdrew at the behest of the Former President, Mohammad Khatami. The key reformists leaders within the system have come out in support of Mr. Rohani.
The election is also a slick battle on Social Media as exemplified by this from Mr. Rohani's Campaign:
It is not easy to be hopeful in light of what happened four years ago and what the latest moves have been by the Government. I wonder if the Leader of the Revolution will live up to his commitment when he noted that "I only have one vote". Will the people's voice be heard and can there be a renewal this time?
Beyond Iran, I am right now watching live coverage from Istanbul. The Government has made its' move against the protesters to clear out Taksim that has evolved into a nationwide movement. Edrogan seems to have made the decision that the protests have to stop. It is, to say the least, an utter disappointment because of earlier reports I saw that The Turkish Prime Minister wanted to meet the protest organizers. It appears that the reports I saw and tweeted earlier were in vain. The protesters seem to be putting up a valiant fight. It is a very very scary scene.
Never a dull moment....
The one that seems to be the surprise of all is Hassan Rohani. He has been--just like the rest of the candidates--been a fixture in the Islamic Republic during its' 34 Year Reign. But, the reformists seem to be uniting behind him especially as one of the other reformists, Mohammad Aref, withdrew at the behest of the Former President, Mohammad Khatami. The key reformists leaders within the system have come out in support of Mr. Rohani.
The election is also a slick battle on Social Media as exemplified by this from Mr. Rohani's Campaign:
It is not easy to be hopeful in light of what happened four years ago and what the latest moves have been by the Government. I wonder if the Leader of the Revolution will live up to his commitment when he noted that "I only have one vote". Will the people's voice be heard and can there be a renewal this time?
Beyond Iran, I am right now watching live coverage from Istanbul. The Government has made its' move against the protesters to clear out Taksim that has evolved into a nationwide movement. Edrogan seems to have made the decision that the protests have to stop. It is, to say the least, an utter disappointment because of earlier reports I saw that The Turkish Prime Minister wanted to meet the protest organizers. It appears that the reports I saw and tweeted earlier were in vain. The protesters seem to be putting up a valiant fight. It is a very very scary scene.
Never a dull moment....
A "Thought 4 the Week" As the New Week is Before Us...
“No man needs sympathy
because he has to work,
because he has a burden to carry.
Far and away the best prize
that life offers is the chance to
work hard at work worth doing.”
because he has to work,
because he has a burden to carry.
Far and away the best prize
that life offers is the chance to
work hard at work worth doing.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt
6/08/2013
"Thoughts 4 the Week-End"
May we all be so blessed!!!
True Friends Movie: A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you forgotten the words....
and also never forgetting this admonition:
Wishing all the very best :-)
6/06/2013
Notations on "The World This Week"....
The past week has been quite a week in many ways. I was working on the latest "World Watch" for this week to focus on Turkey and Syria, the Scandal-Industrial Complex in the US and the IMF on Greece as it admitted its' mistakes on Greece. I have also been focused on the US Economy as there has been some troubling signs of a slowdown. The UCLA Anderson School came out with a very pessimistic forecast on employment and job growth. This is as Washington continues to be swept up in the Scandal-Industrial Complex. Barack Obama made a few audacious moves to nominate judges and to basically promote Susan Rice to be National Security Adviser. . I have had to preempt it with this breaking development that I find scary: The revelation of PRISM and the continued rise of "BIG BROTHER" Government in the United States.
The story, as reported by the Guardian and the Washington Post, has me frankly scared as I have worked on developing the "outsiders" site and other projects in the Virtual World. I have been assessing the reporting done by the Guardian of London and the Washington Post on a program called PRISM and the revelation about the turnover of data by Verizon to the US Government on cell phone data as mandated by the US Patriot Act. From the reporting I have reviewed, I understand that all Verizon Phone Records were turned over to the Government.
As I understand it (and I have noted the [LINK=http://tinyurl.com/mopj3bo]Guardian[/LINK] newspaper link), PRISM has been designed to allow the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor in real time all email and social media traffic by Americans. Based on the inteview that Glenn Greenwalrd of the Guardian just concluded with MSNBC's Lawrence O Donnell, apparently "Virtual" conversations between Americans in the United States is exempt from monitoring unless a warrant is actually issued by a FISA Court.
The PRISM program is quite worrisome. I have been quite concerned about the sweeping program what is worrisome is the PRISM program. The PRISM program was revealed to the folks at the Washington Post and the Guardian by an apparent National Security Agency (NSA) official who was appalled by the broad view of the program. What was also quite striking was that the program was authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Courts that have been authorized by the US Congress. What I also find even more striking was how key senior Senators (including Senator Feinstein of California). Senator Reid, the US Senate Majority Leader, noted that everyone had to take it easy.
Some elements of this program were "refined" from the initiatives launched during the Bush Administration. James Comey, the current nominee to be FBI Director, was Acting Attorney General during the Bush Administration when he expressed profound reservations about the program and had to face down the White House Chief of Staff and the Counsel at the time with a resignation threat unless the wireless warrant program was changed.
There are supposed "Checks and Balances" in the process based on Congressional Briefings and the supervision of the so-called FISA Courts. But the secret nature of it should give all a moment of pause.
I have always viewed that I need to insure that a sense of self-censorship had to be practiced. I view the work here as solemn and a responsibility. I will be curious to see where Glenn Greenwald goes with this reporting that he has done.
Also available @ http://www.outsiderviews.com,
The story, as reported by the Guardian and the Washington Post, has me frankly scared as I have worked on developing the "outsiders" site and other projects in the Virtual World. I have been assessing the reporting done by the Guardian of London and the Washington Post on a program called PRISM and the revelation about the turnover of data by Verizon to the US Government on cell phone data as mandated by the US Patriot Act. From the reporting I have reviewed, I understand that all Verizon Phone Records were turned over to the Government.
As I understand it (and I have noted the [LINK=http://tinyurl.com/mopj3bo]Guardian[/LINK] newspaper link), PRISM has been designed to allow the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor in real time all email and social media traffic by Americans. Based on the inteview that Glenn Greenwalrd of the Guardian just concluded with MSNBC's Lawrence O Donnell, apparently "Virtual" conversations between Americans in the United States is exempt from monitoring unless a warrant is actually issued by a FISA Court.
The PRISM program is quite worrisome. I have been quite concerned about the sweeping program what is worrisome is the PRISM program. The PRISM program was revealed to the folks at the Washington Post and the Guardian by an apparent National Security Agency (NSA) official who was appalled by the broad view of the program. What was also quite striking was that the program was authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Courts that have been authorized by the US Congress. What I also find even more striking was how key senior Senators (including Senator Feinstein of California). Senator Reid, the US Senate Majority Leader, noted that everyone had to take it easy.
Some elements of this program were "refined" from the initiatives launched during the Bush Administration. James Comey, the current nominee to be FBI Director, was Acting Attorney General during the Bush Administration when he expressed profound reservations about the program and had to face down the White House Chief of Staff and the Counsel at the time with a resignation threat unless the wireless warrant program was changed.
There are supposed "Checks and Balances" in the process based on Congressional Briefings and the supervision of the so-called FISA Courts. But the secret nature of it should give all a moment of pause.
I have always viewed that I need to insure that a sense of self-censorship had to be practiced. I view the work here as solemn and a responsibility. I will be curious to see where Glenn Greenwald goes with this reporting that he has done.
Also available @ http://www.outsiderviews.com,
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