Notations On the Eve of The Week-End: On #Iran, #IranTalksVienna & #DiplomacyIsPersonal

We here @ #Outsiders have been continuing to monitor the talks in Vienna.   As reported by +i24News earlier this evening, there are comments attributed to US officials that ssignificantgaps remain and that the Secretary Kerry may propose another extension.    As the meetings are continuing, we were gratified to see the handshake between Dr. Zarif and Secretary Kerry as witnessed by Baroness Ashton who continues her role as the meditator despite no longer being the European Union Foreign Policy Chief.   We wanted this picture to be at hand (courtesy of the team at +i24News just in case some dead-enders in Tehran or Washington decided not to have it available .    Although the agreement is the first step, getting it through a hostile US Congress and going through the "worried" in Iran is a whole different matter.

It will be an interesting and challenging Week-End.  The team at the National Iranian American Council has undertaken a concerted effort to help push for an agreement which we here @ "outsiders' were happy to lend our support to with the hashtag #DiplomacyisPersonal that we had noted earlier. This Twitter feed was to help lend further support to Congressman Rohrbacher earlier tonight:

@DanaRohrabacher hoping to count on support for #IranTalksVienna in how #DiplomacyisPersonal...Happy Thanksgiving :) pic.twitter.com/bAkolPsCVH
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) November 22, 2014

Despite the apparent low expectations, we here @ #Outsiders remain hopeful for a deal. It will be a welcome respite for a region in turmoil especially as we just reviewed late breaking reports of riots again breaking out in the occupied West Bank and as Syria and Iraq continue to burn.

Notations on Our World: On the "Grid" reflecting upon #Iran.....

It has been another interesting 24 hours as the World awaits what happens on November 24 whether #IranTalksVienna (One of the many hashtags prevalent on Twitter) will succeed or not.   As noted before, it will be only half the battle as the New York Times' Thomas Erderink noted in his usual even keel analysis of the minefields ahead:

 

Beyond #IranTalkaVienna Real Hurdles May Be in Tehran, not selling @JZarif & @HassanRouhani short yet 🙏via @nytimes http://t.co/5TWf2GJnoy
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) November 21, 2014

It is not at all helpful when Friday Prayer sermons are said to undermine the goodwill that seems to be continuing onward--as noted in a recent outreach by the folks @ MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute).    We here @Outsiders noted how it was all "noise"--but it does underscore the challenge being faced by President +Hassan Rohani  and Foreign Minister +javad zarif  as the negotations continue.   One interesting signal of potential change, too, was the pardoning of the so-called #Blogfather of Iran by Ayatollah Khamenei--we here @ "outsiders" were gratified to see his Tweet and ever so happy to see him set free:

“@h0d3r: Pardonded by Ayatollah @khamenei_ir. Freed from prison, finally after 6 years, last night. #iran”glad u r back bro.🎉💥🙏😁
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) November 21, 2014

The struggle continues...and it is ever so fun to be witness to history...

View of the Week: Remembering Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols passed away earlier today.    He leaves a legacy of talent and beauty as exemplified in films that will endure.  The team @The Jewish Daily Forward put together a very nice retrospective on a remarkable life. We here @ "outsiders" also remember him and pray that his soul RIP:

 11 Greatest Mike Nichols Moments