Notations On Our World: On #Iran, the Middle East & #Greece

Our team has been assessing the state of Negotiations So far in Vienna.   From all the reports we have reviewed so far, it appears that they will not finalize a deal by midnight Washington, D.C. Time which in turn will trigger the 60-Day Review Cycle.    As We went to press with our latest edition of "notations" here in #Outsiders, the official word from the White House was the same as well--although all parties seem to be optimistic.  The Russian Foreign Minister is not there because he is at the BRICS Summit that is also being attended by the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani.

Beyond the immediate in Iran, we received distressing news about the death of former Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud.   He was the long-standing Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia who was in declining health for years.    One of his thoughts our team was quite fond of was this as the Iraq war raged on--If this is Democracy, we don't want it.    He was also instrumental in stopping the carnage in Lebanon during 2006--as soon as he landed in Washington, somehow Israel stopped its' aggression in Lebanon and an uneasy truce has persisted ever since.    Although the reality of the Middle East has changed drastically with IS/Daesh, the civil war in Syria and the civil war in Egypt (and we here at outsiders are prepared to call it a civil war).

The tragedy in Greece is also ever so in our minds.    There was just a report on @Al Jazeera within the past hour about basic necessities in Short Supplies.   This is as Greece has promised new proposals because the EU has given the Greeks a final deadline.   The @Economist depicted the drama in ever so dramatic a terms as only the Economist can:

An #Outsider Newsflash: On the Latest on the #IranTalks

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif at an Islamic Center in Vienna

 (Source ISNA//Radio Zamaneh)

Today was the deadline to come to an agreement on the Iran Nuclear Deal.  The deadline has been extended again.     The Iranian Foreign Minister, Dr. Zarif noted at remarks when he appeared at a Religious Ceremony at an Islamic Center in Vienna late Sunday  that differnces continue to linger on and that prayers were needed by all.     

According to +i24news EN , The Russian Foreign Minister has said that 8 issues remain.    It does appear quite a number of issues have been resolved.     Our team has been reviewing all sorts of developments attributed to anonymous sources.    Not withstanding the "lowering of expectations" that has been the order of the day, the real work to "sell" the argument will begin the day after with major opposition from the Israeli Lobby  in the United States.

Notations On Our World: On #IranTalks (the Latest)

The drama around the Iran Talks continues in earnest.      Earlier, our team released this from Israel on the @DailyOutsider Twitter Feed:

1. 
   
2. The Daily Outsider ‏@DailyOutsider  26m26 minutes ago

   As the #Irantalks deadline looms #Israel looking to Congress to scuttle #Iran deal | i24news - See beyond http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/77356-150706-israel-looking-to-congress-to-scuttle-iran-deal …

There has also been some interesting news coming out of Iran on this question. Jamaran, the offical website of the Khomeini family, has been underscoring how Europe is ready to "sweep in" by reporting on over 100 French companies ready to "sweep into Iran" as the spokesman for the Iranian Interior Ministry has said that the Government has no plans to hold any sanctioned national celebrations.   It has also been striking how the Islamic Republic News Network has been running ads every 15 minutes over the past 36 hours about how the people are behind the negotiators and the confidence they have in that the Iranian negotiators will not give away the "store".

What was also another interesting note was a program that aired on VOA Farsi.  The program "Last Page",  reports on all the transgressions of the Islamic Republic over the past 36 years.    The latest program was on the Iran Nuclear Program and the progression that has ultimately led to the current round of negotations.   It was chilling how it depicted statements by Ayatollah Khameini on the peaceful intentions of Iran's nuclear program with similiar statements by Pakistani Leaders until they actually acquired the bomb through the A.Q. Khan network.  

As we went to press with this early edition of "Notations", we reviewed reports on the Foreign Ministers converging on Vienna.     If the deal is in fact signed, the real work begins the day after as ever so epitomized by the View of Israel.

Notations For the Week-End: On #Greece & #Iran

It has been a busy Week-End on the international scene and our team has been on the "Prowl" assessing some pressing issues before us:  #Greece & #Iran.     Our team has been monitoring the results of the Greek Referednum as indications are that the Greeks have heeded the call of the Greek Prime Minister to vote No.    The Greek Prime Minister has noted that he will be on a plane if the results go the way that they are--and we will have an update on it early On Monday California Time here in #Outsiders on it.    

The Greek Economy is weakeaning by the hour and Greek Banks and capital markets continue to be closed.   They are supposed to be opening on Tuesday--but it is questionable.    The Greek Government is asking for a new bailout that is subject to a mandate by European Parliaments--this is as the Greek Finance Minister just called what had happened to Greece terrorism.       As we went to press, the no vote is at 64% and the margin continues to spread--a profound challenge for Germany and the IMF.    The question is whether Greece will leave the Euro?    Will Russia Help?  What about China?    This is a China has been opposed and this in the China Daily underscored the official position of China on it:

  

Beyond Greece, there is Iran.    The Foreign Minister of Iran issued this that was shared widely on what we have deemed here @ #Outsiders the "Social Grid" over the Week-end:



He underscored Iran's commitment to deal with the menace of Daesh/IS especially as the war continues with no clear end in sight.    We reviewed reports of new airstrikes by US-Led coalition in Iraq and as Assad forces supported by Hezbollah have launched fresh attacks on the outskirts of Damascus.    In the meantime the campaign to derail the negotations continue in earnest.     The Israeli Prime Minister came out earlier this morning underscoring how the deal is a sell-out.    We also reviewed reports that a number of the International Atomic Energy Officials (as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency) are being dispatched to Tehran to discuss the on-going military concerns.      Despite some of the optimism, the same Islamic Republic News Agency also quoted John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, stating that they are prepared to walk away if there is no progress on a deal.   

Challenging Times.....

Notations On Our World: On #America; #Greece, Iran & Other Thoughts

It is eve of 4th of July Week-End in the United States as Americans celebrate the day that America declared independence.   It is going to be a day of  community events and family barbeque traditionsi which will culminate in the beautiful display of fireworks that would light the skies of America throughout Saturday Night. 

As we prepare to go "dark" throughout #Outsiders over the 4th of July Week-End, our team will continue with on-going key initiatives we have commented on.    We will continue to assess the progress of the Iran Talks as the July 7 deadline looms.    Earlier this morning, we reviewed comments by the Chinese Foreign Minister noting his optimism about the enactment of a deal.  We also just received an update here at our Virtual Studios as we went to press that Foreign Minister Fabius of France is headed to Vienna later on in the Week-End to help facilitate a deal.   Our team is viewing all these developments as very hopeful as the weekend looms.    We also found quite encouraging interesting comments by Iran's Judiciary Head that the Green Movement leaders, Mr. Mousavi and Mr. Karoubi, may be released--especially as we reviewed a very interesting encouraging letter by the current gadflay and thorn in the side of the conservative Majlis, Ali Motahari, who spoke up once again for their release in an open letter.    

Within the broader Middle East, we also have been assessing the situation on the ground in the especially in the aftermath of the horrific assassination of the Prosecutor General of Egypt and the horrific attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia which we have commented on in our "Notations" series.   There is a war that is going on in the Sinai and we reviewed reports of anti-aircraft missles being deployed by Daesh/IS militants battling Egyptian forces.   There is speculation that the missiles. This is as Assad continues to lose ground to the vast array of forces aligned against him over the ensuing weeks.     We also found quite an interesting comment being raised in a recent +Al Monitor article on the question being posed on whether Turkey will invade Syria or not.    This is as Jordan's role continues to be evolving as well in the midst of the inferno engulfing the Middle East Right now.

Beyond the wars, there is also the economic wars as well.    The United States just announced the latest job numbers.    The figure 223,000 seems to be a solid number--but as analysts have noted in the +New York Times and the +BBC, it is a lot weaker than it seems.    The rate of participation is the lowest since 1977.   People have simply stopped looking for work.    Wages have also stagnated--all worrying signs for the future health of the economy.    This is as Greece is on the edge of the abyss as the referendum looms.  As we went to press, IMF came out with a report noting that Greece will need an additional 50 Billion Euros thru 2018--with an implicit attack on the Greek Government for failure to enact reforms.    Although some have said that Greece itself may not "matter", the domino effect is what needs to be thought of especially as the challenges in Puerto Rico with its' $ 74 Billion Dollars in debt presents the same challenge in America's  backyard.   This is why we're quite excited as we begin a new project here at #Outsiders on EB5 program in the United States that has the opportunity to help navigate some of the very minefields before us and the possibilities it represents to help Educate & Empower both potential investors and the opportunities it represents as we continue our on-going work in Outsiders.   Although there are resources at hand virtually on the EB5 program, as we discuss the current state, we also will be assessing the proposed reforms which we hope and believe Congress will enact to spruce up Economic Activity in lieu of the perceived weakness evident today.   We will also be continuing our development work on the current US political scene as we assess the state of the campaigns.  As we went to press, we received reports here at our Virtual Studios that Hillary Clinton raised $ 45 Million Dollars (shattering the record by the Obama Re-Election Campaign).    It will quite interesting to see how other perceived top-tier candidates fare.   

We leave all with this from W.E.B DuBois as we wish all in the United States a Happy and Safe 4th of July and all a safe and enjoyable week-end and remembering the admonition of Junipero Serra, the founder of the California Missions, as he noted to us all:  "Always Forward":

“Believe in life!
Always human beings will progress
to greater, broader, and fuller life.” 
~ W.E.B. Du Bois

As we look forward to the opportunity to be of continued service as our regular features including the Friday Musical Interlude will return next week and noting this!!!

Notations From the Grid (special edition): On An Outreach by Prominent Iranian-Americans

We have been working on gearing up for our latest quarter as we just finished a meeting with our founder.    He advised us of a tweet he released on an open letter by Prominent Iranian Americans coordinated by +PAAIA-a prominent Iranian American Group that drafted an open letter to all Presidential Candidates for 2016 which our team wanted to report on here as talks with Iran continues through July 7:

Thank you @PAAIA !!! Open Letter to 2016 Presidential Candidates from Prominent Iranian Americans - PAAIA http://t.co/i8tIFT6a4F via @paaia

— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) July 1, 2015

We also wanted to make sure that Iranian-Americans currently detained in Iran are not forgotten including Amir Hekmati and Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post.       We also wanted to report on another high note:  The opening of the US Embassy in Havana which we look forward to comment on over the ensuing days.

Onward.....

Thought 4 the Week: Step beyond the limitations

As the quarter comes to a close throughout #outsiders,  our team chose this to underscore an implicit objective we have had throughout Outsiders as we look forward to the on-going development and engaging work ahead:

Step beyond the limitations

Don’t take refuge in seeing yourself as a victim. Take pride in getting yourself to do good and valuable things. 

Everybody has problems and limitations and extenuating circumstances. Yet progress is always possible no matter what.

Sure, there is unfairness and there is injustice in the world. Work to right those wrongs but don’t fall into the trap of using them as excuses.

When you choose to move forward, there are all kinds of things that could go wrong. But that is no reason to hide from life or to remain stuck where you are.

You don’t have to be defined by your disappointments, injuries or limitations. Choose instead to define yourself by your highest visions, your dreams, goals and ambitions.

You are a unique, creative bundle of positive possibilities, so live your life that way. There is so very much good you can do, so let go of the excuses, step beyond the limitations, and make more of the goodness happen today.

— Ralph Marston