Friday, 12 February 2010

If this is 'the answer'...it must have been a particularly bloody stupid question!!! (Just kidding!)

Firstly, I must apologize for the lateness of this post, but I assure you, I have a LEGIT excuse. The Swine Flu floating amidst the airwaves of general Somerset West/Stellenbosch surroundings made it hard, nay, impossible for me to leave the house or do anything of value these last few weeks.

But before this whole flu pandemic, there was a time of peace; a time of tranquil beauty. A time in which close friends, all brothers and sisters in arms, left their homes and journeyed to Klein Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch to see a… well… I’m not quite sure what you’d call them. And therein lays their appeal.

Die Antwoord sprung out of nowhere. They really did. Okay, so there was Max Normal and then Max Normal TV, but none of that really came close to the intensity and general vibe that Die Antwoord has so successfully captured.
It seems as if Die Antwoord have found a niche in the South African market; a gap somewhere between black, white and coloured people, in which to slip their hilarious skits, filthy Afrikinglish rap lyrics and super smooth attitude. The public are eating it up. I still maintain that another reason they are gaining momentum at such a rate is the fact that their album is available for free download and viral distribution, greatly increasing their coverage. Have you noticed the recent upsurge in aggressive Afrikaans wannabe-gangsters screaming ‘FOK JOU’ out their car windows? Die Antwoord has nothing to do with that…

Upon arrival at Klein Libertas I made my way straight to the bar and then into the building where the gig was to be held. One of the things I love so much about Die Antwoord is the effort they go through in stage-design and lighting. There had to be at least five strobe lights mounted at strategic locations on the walls and stage (if not more), smoke machines, and those SMART light things that like… change colour and shit bru; effectively making the venue an epileptic’s nightmare.

I walked into the venue to the sonic-genius of DJ Solarize, possibly one of the most interesting people I’ve ever not met in my life.
DJ Solarize (Leon Botha) was born with Progeria (rapid aging syndrome) but don’t let that alter your view on him. This guy ROCKS the decks like a jedi-master. Not only that, but upon looking into Solarize’s other projects, you will notice that he is all kinds of genius. No shit. Check his art out on Facebook – Leon ‘Solarize’ Botha I hope to see more of Solarize in the future.

Before long, and strategically placed at a point in the night where people are at a respectable level of drunkness (there is such a thing), Die Antwoord decided to make their appearance on stage, to the (adoring?) screams of about 200 Stellenboschians (official collective noun from now on).
Waddy Jones (now known solely as ‘Ninja’) and Yo Yo Yo Yo-landi Visser walked on stage, evidently in full character, ready to rock. Ninja took the stage with his back facing the audience and started with something along the lines of:

“I am black. I am white. I am coloured. I am English. I am Afrikaans. I am Xhosa. All FUCKED into one person.”
Ninja

Despite the tongue-in-cheek-ness of it (only reinforced by Yo-landi’s cheeky: “whatever…” in reply) it was still pretty epic; not only that, but it also pretty much sums up their entire act.
Which brings me to my next point: this is not a band; so much as it is a performance. And I, for one, love it. It’s hard not to love it, or at least appreciate it. The characters these guys have all conjured up for themselves are so believable and genuine; whether or not they’re 100% ‘the truth’? Perhaps we’ll never know.
For example, Ninja, is just laaik, THE most hardcore, zef, gangsta-rapper this side of the equator, but every now and then (not often, mind you, these guys are GOOD at what they do) you can see him break character very briefly.
One such moment was half-way through their set when the band invited some crazy peeps onto stage for the most-zef-dressed competition; I’m not too sure how it happened, but a large topless guy decided, this would now be the perfect time to behave like a dick. So he hopped up on stage to start causing problems with anyone within reaching distance and eventually, inevitably, people got pissed-off; Ninja being one of them. Now there was the problem that there was a fat, drunken dude on stage, and the only feasible way of getting him off was to push him, which would also lead to possible future court cases. So the band was stuck with the mission of trying to get him off safely (obviously the guy wanted to stage dive… would it be any other way?)…
Needless to say he ended up stage-diving anyway, during which you could see a brief moment of worry in Waddy Jones’ and Yo-Landi Visser’s eyes. The crowd parted like a monumental divorce and he landed flat on the floor, stomach-first. No damage done.
I would just like to extend a big ‘FUCK YOU’ to that guy. You were inches away from landing on me. If you can’t behave like a human you don’t deserve to be one. Okay: rant-over.

All-in-all, the gig was pretty-much flawless. The sound and lighting was superb, the performance from the band members individually and as a group was amazing (guests included the pirate-like swagger of Afrikaanse romantiese rap superstar uit die rowwe gange van N1 City, Jack Parow, and new-comer, Isaac Mutant, probably one of the best flow-rappers there on the night).

Once Die Antwoord had left the stage to the grief of their dedicated Stellenbosch fanbase, the stage was once again populated by two guys wearing matching Steri-Stumpie T-shirts. I, for one, thought this was hilarious. They were the ‘Wedding DJs’ and I’m sure they were very good, but alas, I decided to revisit the bar, in hopes of re-lubricating my mouth after all the screaming during Die Antwoord.

Never a dull moment whilst at a ‘Die Antwoord’ gig, and I went home feeling satisfied, with the new ambition of learning Afrikaans better, in hopes of actually being able to sing along to their anthem-like choruses next time.

“Party, party, party, party, party, party, party!”
Die Antwoord, Doos Dronk

@'The Wild West'

The zef side of the force

Michael Dustdevil & Bendle - Garden Shed (Rough Mix)

Though there have been many posthumous releases from Jimi Hendrix's archives since his tragic death, the recently-announced 'Valleys of Neptune' isn't meant to be a "lost" album. Rather, it's a look at the creative period in Hendrix's life between the 1968 release of 'Electric Ladyland' and his legendary appearance at Woodstock the following summer.

"In the aftermath of 'Electric Ladyland,' he made a series of recordings with the original Experience," co-producer, author and Experience Hendrix catalog director John McDermott tells Spinner. "When they effectively stopped working as a three-man recording unit, he brought in [bassist] Billy Cox -- this album captures that transition. We don't want to over-dramatize it. This is that missing period of time."

The dozen tracks on 'Valleys of Neptune' reflect a time where Hendrix, finding his way with a new band while fighting contractual problems, was blossoming creatively. Featuring reworked hits like 'Fire' and 'Red House' as well as fully-realized songs that have never officially been released, the album shows that Hendrix was embarking in a new direction, one that would later be heard on 'Band of Gypsys.' While the album is due out on March 9, check out Spinner's exclusive premiere of the title track below to hear what McDermott refers to as a "snapshot" into a part of Jimi's life that's rarely been heard.

Listen to 'Valleys of Neptune'

Hendrix 'Valleys of Neptune' Producer Interview@'Spinner'

Links to Spirituality Found in the Brain

Scientists have identified areas of the brain that, when damaged, lead to greater spirituality. The findings hint at the roots of spiritual and religious attitudes, the researchers say.

The study, published in the Feb. 11 issue of the journal Neuron, involves a personality trait called self-transcendence, which is a somewhat vague measure of spiritual feeling, thinking, and behaviors. Self-transcendence "reflects a decreased sense of self and an ability to identify one's self as an integral part of the universe as a whole," the researchers explain.

Before and after surgery, the scientists surveyed patients who had brain tumors removed. The surveys generate self-transcendence scores.

Selective damage to the left and right posterior parietal regions of the brain induced a specific increase in self-transcendence, or ST, the surveys showed.

"Our symptom-lesion mapping study is the first demonstration of a causative link between brain functioning and ST," said Dr. Cosimo Urgesi from the University of Udine in Italy. "Damage to posterior parietal areas induced unusually fast changes of a stable personality dimension related to transcendental self-referential awareness. Thus, dysfunctional parietal neural activity may underpin altered spiritual and religious attitudes and behaviors."

Previous neuroimaging studies had linked activity within a large network in the brain that connects the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortexes with spiritual experiences, "but information on the causative link between such a network and spirituality is lacking," explains lead study author, Urgesi said.

One study, reported in 2008, suggested that the brain's right parietal lobe defines "Me," and people with less active Me-Definers are more likely to lead spiritual lives.

The finding could lead to new strategies for treating some forms of mental illness.

"If a stable personality trait like ST can undergo fast changes as a consequence of brain lesions, it would indicate that at least some personality dimensions may be modified by influencing neural activity in specific areas," said Dr. Salvatore M. Aglioti from Sapienza University of Rome. "Perhaps novel approaches aimed at modulating neural activity might ultimately pave the way to new treatments of personality disorders."

@'Live Science'

Iggy and the Stooges to Release Massive Raw Power Reissue Box Set

Previously unreleased Iggy and the Stooges tracks: They still exist! The punk rock forefathers' catalog has been mined incessantly in the past 40 years or so, but a new reissue of watershed 1973 album Raw Power will unearth a few more tracks that still haven't seen commercial release, if you can believe it.
On April 13, Columbia/Legacy will release Raw Power: Legacy Edition. Two weeks later, on April 27, they'll follow it up with the even more deluxe Deluxe Edition.
The Legacy Edition will include a remastered version of the original album, featuring David Bowie's original mix, on its first disc. The second disc, titled Georgia Peaches, includes a complete recording of a heavily bootlegged Atlanta live show from 1973-- with two previously unreleased bonus tracks to boot: the studio outtake "Doojiman" and a studio rehearsal performance of "Head On". It'll also include a 24-page booklet with essays about the band and introductions from surviving members.
All that stuff will also show up in the Deluxe Edition. Both discs will share space with a third disc, Rarities, Outtakes, & Alternates From the Raw Power Era, which will include eight tracks from different sources (five of them previously unreleased). The fourth disc is a 30-minute documentary DVD called The Making of Raw Power.
And yeah, there's more. You'll also get a reproduction of a rare Japanese picture sleeve 7" single of "Raw Power" and "Search and Destroy", five 5x7 photo prints, and a 7" softcover booklet with an essay by Henry Rollins and testimonials from prominent folks like Lou Reed, Joan Jett, Tom Morello, and others. Before the April 27 release date, the box will be available exclusively through the Stooges' website. Stooges nerds, start saving your money.
We've got the tracklists for all three CDs included in the Deluxe Edition below. (The Stooges will play Raw Power in its entirety at ATP New York this fall, by the way.)

Raw Power (Deluxe Edition):

CD1 (Raw Power):

01 Search and Destroy

02 Gimme Danger

03 Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell

04 Penetration

05 Raw Power

06 I Need Somebody

07 Shake Appeal

08 Death Trip

CD2 (Georgia Peaches):

01 Introduction *

02 Raw Power *

03 Head On *

04 Gimme Danger *

05 Search and Destroy *

06 I Need Somebody *

07 Heavy Liquid *

08 Cock in My Pocket *

09 Open Up and Bleed *

10 Doojiman (outtake) *

11 Head On (CBS Studio rehearsal performance) *

CD3 (Rarities, Outtakes, & Alternates From the Raw Power Era):

01 I'm Hungry (outtake) *

02 I Got a Right (outtake) *

03 I'm Sick of You (outtake)

04 Hey, Peter (outtake) *

05 Shake Appeal (alternate mix version) *

06 Death Trip (alternate mix version) *

07 Gimme Danger (alternate mix from the 1996 Iggy "violent" remixes)

08 Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell (alternate mix from the 1996 Iggy "violent" remixes)

* previously unreleased

@'Pitchfork'

Information in War

A copy of one of my favorite books on intelligence has appeared on Google Books. This is Information in War: Its Acquisition and Transmission by Colonel George Armand Furse, published in London in 1895 by William Clowes & Sons, Limited.

There are a number of things I find interesting about this book.

It is a remarkably modern work, suffused with a sense that intelligence and reconnaissance can be effective in meeting the information needs of a commander and contributing to success on the battlefield. Interestingly, Furse draws extensively upon Clausewitz. The Prussian, of course, was famously skeptical about the utility of intelligence but Furse stands him on his head in this regard. Furse also makes the entirely sound and modern point that intelligence work requires a lot of up-front effort and the country that wishes to have a good wartime service must establish and maintain this service in peacetime.

Despite his generally modern approach, Furse does have some amusing things to say in his chapter on “Spies.” On the one hand, he argues that the use of spies is necessary in wartime. One the other hand, he finds their use distasteful.

In war spies are indispensable auxiliaries; and, when we are precluded from obtaining information by any other means, we must discard all question of morality. We must overcome our feelings of repugnance for such an unchivalrous measure, because it is imposed on us by sheer necessity. Necessity knows no laws, and means which we would disdain to use in ordinary life must be employed in the field, simply because we have no other that we can turn to profitable account. Information has been sought through spies in all wars, and we can plead in our favour that the enemy will not scruple to employ them in his behalf.

Also interesting is Furse’s extensive use of the American Civil War as a source of historical illustrations. This came at a time when the American experience was not generally thought to be of tremendous interest or relevance to Europeans. The Europeans, after all, had Prussia’s recent wars and the wars of Napoleon to draw upon. What could a bunch of amateur American generals have to teach the greatest, most sophisticated military powers in the world?

The final thing I find interesting about this book relates to the specific copy that Google Books has posted. This copy was at one time in the “Officers’ Reference Library” at the British naval base at Portsmouth. At some point it was sold off. It eventually made its way to the Columbia University Library which stamped it as a “Gift of Gen. William J. Donovan APR 2, 1958.” Donovan, of course, was the head of the Office of Strategic Services, the wartime agency that is generally considered the predecessor to the CIA.
My assumption is that this copy never belonged, per se, to Donovan, but rather that he made a donation which allowed the library to acquire a collection of books of which this is one. (I’m quite prepared to be wrong here. I’d be interested in hearing comments on this from readers who may be more familiar with how libraries work.) However, I have a specific reason for thinking that this copy did not come from Donovan himself. I know for a fact that Donovan already had a copy of this book and it seems unlikely to me (though it is certainly possible) that he’d have had two in his personal collection.
How do I know this? A few years ago I requested this work through inter-library loan as part of my dissertation research. The particular copy that came to me had originally been in the City of Detroit Public Library (entered into their collection on July 21, 1898) and then later in the Duke University Library. In between, however, it had belonged to Donovan. The book was not only stamped “Gift of Gen. William J. Donovan MAR 17 1958” but it had Donovan’s bookplate in it.
@'On War & Words'

Blackwater accused of defrauding US government

حضور بسیار گستردهٔ نیروهای امنیتی در خیابان - ۲۲ بهمن

Alexander McQueen dead

Designer Alexander McQueen. Photograph: Martin Godwin

The British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead at his London home at the age of 40.

His body was discovered at his property in Green Street, in the West End, shortly after 10am today. Paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A postmortem has been scheduled but police said his death was not being treated as suspicious. They would not comment on reports he had killed himself.

A spokeswoman for McQueen said: "Mr McQueen was found dead this morning at his home. We're devastated and I hope you understand that out of respect to his family and his colleagues we're not going to be making any further statement."

The death comes days before the start of London fashion week and a month before the designer was to unveil his new collection at Paris fashion week.

His family asked for privacy to come to terms with the death of McQueen, whose first name was Lee.

His company, Alexander McQueen, issued a statement saying: "On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family."

"Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this."

Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue, said McQueen had influenced a whole generation of designers. "His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs," she said.

"At one level he was a master of the fantastic, creating astounding fashion shows that mixed design, technology and performance and on another he was a modern-day genius whose gothic aesthetic was adopted by women the world over. His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who didn't."

Born in London in 1969 as the youngest of six children, McQueen left school at the age of 16 and was offered an apprenticeship at the traditional Savile Row tailors Anderson and Shephard, then at neighbouring Gieves and Hawkes.

At 20 he was employed by the designer Koji Tatsuno. A year later McQueen travelled to Milan where he worked as a design assistant to Romeo Gigli. He returned to London in 1994 where he completed a master's degree in fashion design at Central St Martins College. His degree collection was famously bought in its entirety by Isabella Blow, a leading figure in the fashion world who died in 2007.

In less than 10 years McQueen became one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. In October 1996 he was appointed chief designer at the French label Givenchy where he worked until March 2001.

In December 2000, 51% of Alexander McQueen was acquired by luxury brand Gucci, where he became creative director. Expansion followed and included the opening of flagship stores in New York, London and Milan.

McQueen was a four-time winner of the British designer of the year award as well as the international designer of the year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He was awarded the CBE in 2003.

@'The Guardian'

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Updates:

How Iran's political battle is fought in cyberspace

Ahmadinejad just said that human rights is a cover-up for the West trying to control the world... !!!

Now there are reports that Khatami was also attack in Tehran, awaiting confirmation #IranElection 2 minutes ago from web ePersian radio is reporting a young man may be hit by direct bullet on Ashrafi Esfehani #22bahman #IranElection via @iran88 less than 20 seconds ago from web

Information:

22 Bahman (11 February)

EnduringAmerica

IranNewsNow

The Daily Nite Owl (Josh Shahryar)

Homylafayette Iran News in English

StreetJournalist

Persian2English

The Hype: Dissected News for a Curious World

Mehdi Saharkhiz

Mardomak (Farsi)

Iran Unfiltered

Also check these YouTube channels:

• onlymehdi

• onlymehdii1

• peive17

• freedommessenger20

• madyariran

• iran09twitter

• TheBistoon

• UNITY4IRAN

تهران امروز

Reports that Karroubi has entered Sadeghie in Tehran and has been attacked. Unconfirmed so far #IranElection less than 20 seconds ago from webIRIB is showing doctored footage of previous years' revolution day celebrations to fool media #iranelection less than 20 seconds ago from web
Source in #Iran: Tor no longer working #IranElection less than 20 seconds ago from Tweetie

خبرگزاری های ایران گزارش داده اند که میدان آزادی تهران از ساعت ۸ صبح پر از جمعیت بوده است

PressTV reports that Ahmadinejad is now at Azadi Square - No video footage... #IranElection less than a minute ago from web

Reports that people have been beaten by Sec. Forces at Azadi Sq as well now #IranElection 2 minutes ago from web

Crowds are reportedly gathering at Azadi Square right now. People slowly coming out #IranElection 3 minutes ago from web

Overview: Reading 22 Bahman by HAMID FAROKHNIA in Tehran

[ analysis ] February 11 may mark a decisive day for the Iranian regime. Its leaders hope to prove to domestic and international audiences that they are in full control and that the protest movement that arose following last June's election is a spent force. To achieve their objective, they must make sure, in contrast to what took place on Ashura and other recent occasions, that protesters cannot congregate in large numbers and upstage the regime's well-choreographed processions. In turn, all the protest movement need accomplish to register a victory is to produce even a modest display of vigor and vitality.

Background

Ashura (December 27) proved to be a pivotal day all around. First, it forced other governments, beginning with the Obama Administration, to reevaluate the prevailing view of the pro-democratic Green Movement as an ineffectual force. Second, it allowed the hardliners in Iran to claim that the Green Movement presented a mortal threat to the entire regime. Certain moderate conservatives and important traditionalist high clerics in Qom had previously been leaning toward some version of a grand compromise--a trend especially evident after the huge funeral march for the late Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri right in the heart of the holy city.

However, the militancy of the anti-regime protesters on Ashura changed those sentiments, at least temporarily. Many of the centrists were terrified, while others were forced into adopting strong positions against the protesters. Taking advantage of the situation, hardline forces who had been divided and demoralized hastily mounted a large counter-demonstration on December 30, in which calls were made for the immediate arrest of opposition leaders and the execution of those earlier detained. What made this development particularly ominous was the information that seeped out which pointed to the creation of death squads by forces specifically tasked with the elimination of opposition leaders and activists. The death squads would have taken the form of "independent," "spontaneous" lynch mobs claiming to represent ordinary Muslims outraged by the despoiling of Islamic values.

On January 9, Ayatollah Khamenei took a stand against this development, probably under pressure from Qom grand ayatollahs. "Any roguish activity helps the enemy," he told a visiting crowd from the holy city. "The involvement of those without legal status or responsibility only compounds the problem." The result has been an ongoing stalemate.

What is at stake

The main objective of the regime is to announce that on February 11 the people of Iran by referendum have cast their verdict against the protest movement and in favor of the current regime, reaffirming the message of the December 30 counter-demonstration. Once this occurs, authorities would move to arrest Mousavi, assuming that he hasn't already caved in on his own accord, and forcefully clamp down on the whole Green Movement.

To succeed, they must (a) contain the pro-democracy protesters, (b) fill the surrounding streets with their own people, and (c) make things appear calm and orderly to the state media and ideally to the international media (some foreign journalists and television crews have been allowed in for the event).

What is planned

The regime's hopes of maintaining full control over Thursday's events rest on a set of logistical plans. A complex scheme is to be implemented in which the routes to the northern and eastern sides of Azadi Square, from where protesters customarily emerge, will be blocked for several kilometers in each direction. People trying to make their way to the square via those routes will be diverted away from the eyes of the international press, who will be confined to designated areas within the square. The diversion strategy will be executed with dozens of Basij contingents from the provinces that have been brought to Tehran. Each group has been assigned to one section of the city's northeast quadrant, using Azadi Square as the reference point.

At the same time, supporters of the regime will be marshaled en masse from the western and southern ends of Azadi Square. Two days prior to the ceremonies, the square's famous inner ring was already sealed off by special partitions. In the early hours of Thursday morning, the plan is to fill the space with die-hard supporters while checking the bags and pockets of the others wanting to gain entry to the protected zone to make sure they don't carry any Green paraphernalia.

Campaign of Intimidation

In preparation for the February 11 event, a campaign to intimidate potential protesters has been conducted over the past two weeks. Elements of the campaign include:

(A) The execution of two political prisoners, the first such executions carried out in a long time. Nine others have also been given the death sentence.

(B) Tehran's police chief has on several occasions gone on record claiming that everyone's emails, telephone calls and text messages may be accessed, and that those engaged in anti-regime activities will be immediately arrested. Other top law-enforcement officers have claimed that many people have been arrested based on photos taken of them during the Ashura protests. Indeed, a wave of arrests has taken place in the past two weeks.

(C) Those taking part in protests are now referred to regularly as "mohareb," meaning they are engaged in war on God, an act punishable by death.

(D) The regime now asserts that it will respond very harshly to those protesting. It is hard to accurately gauge the exact impact of these threats and the actual use of violence on the protesters.

Analysis

What the protesters may not realize is that most of the gestures are mere bluffs. Why? The government cannot simply choose to apply severe force on a large scale on February 11 -- after all, the Revolution whose anniversary is being celebrated was supposed to have inspired by the reaction to the violence and injustice of an oppressive regime in the first place. It would look monstrous, even to some supporters of the regime, if unarmed civilians were subjected to indiscriminate attacks recalling those seen in the films of the revolutionary period that have aired incessantly in recent days. On Thursday, up to 250,000 ordinary supporters of the Revolution may come out to the rally, including small children and the elderly. When the line between protester and supporter blurs, as is virtually certain, given such numbers, it will be extremely hard for security forces to throw tear gas and administer beatings.

It is important to know that the security forces have not used the same standard riot-control tactics for every protest action in the last few months. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the issue of quelling unrest. For the security establishment, each protest has its own special dynamic.

For example, on June 20--after Khamenei's first ultimatum--the protesters were considered fair game. This was no official holiday or national day of ceremonies and the Leader had made his threat public. This day, on which Neda was murdered, saw the largest number of casualties of any day in the past eight months. By contrast, on July 17, the day Rafsanjani was the Friday prayer leader, the protesters had virtually full protection against the regime's predations until about one hour after the conclusion of Rafsanjani's sermon. On September 18, Qods Day, the official celebration of solidarity with the Palestinians, there was relative restraint for many hours. The large-scale employment of violent tactics against protestors in broad daylight on the streets of Tehran would have terminated the utility of the Qods Day once and for all. Of course, by mid-afternoon, after the pro-regime crowd had dispersed, it was an altogether different story. On the national students' day, the regime has traditionally tolerated some protest activity on the country's university campuses. During this year's event, held December 7, students were again able to protest and rally relatively unmolested on campus, but those demonstrating outside school compounds were mercilessly beaten and arrested.

Given this history and the circumstances of the February 11 event, severe, large-scale attacks on protesters are quite unlikely, at least until the regime's loyalists have left the demonstration area. That can be expected to take place around 2 p.m. In sum, despite the recent announcements by various government and senior security officials -- clearly intended to demoralize -- we should not in fact expect systematic violence in the early part of the day.

Aside from this, those recently arrested have all been under surveillance for quite some time and were picked up in the past few days only as an intimidation tactic. This had nothing to do with the police forces' alleged ability to monitor all phone conversations and emails.

Finally, the two executed political prisoners had been arrested before the June 12 election. Unfortunately, they were probably involved with a group connected to the bombing of a mosque in Shiraz last April, and their trial and sentencing were postponed for many months in order to implicate the entire protest movement in their rogue act.

The important fact is that there is no consensus within the regime for executing any of the protesters on death row for the crime of "mohareb" before February 11. Had such a consensus been reached, the regime would have almost certainly carried out the ghastly sentences.

However, the cumulative effect still may be to frighten the parents of the young protesters to stop their children from going out on Thursday. Aware of these maneuvers, Mousavi issued his sharpest criticism of the regime yet in an attempt to offset the impact of its terror tactics. Among many observations, he stated bluntly, "Dictatorship in the name of religion is the worst kind of dictatorship."

At this moment it is impossible to know what may happen on Thursday. All eyes will be on the turnout and the resiliency of the green-clad protesters. Will they defy the threats and fulminations of a desperate dictatorship, or will they remain in the safety of their homes while the regime's henchmen prepare for mass reprisals?

Hamid Farokhnia, who is using a pen name, is a staff writer at the Iran Labor Report.

@'PBS'

Google users in Iran report problems, as rallies loom

Google says its e-mail traffic in Iran has dropped sharply, amid reports access is being restricted for the Islamic Revolution's anniversary.

The web giant said that the decline had happened even though its networks were working properly.
Opposition websites have urged major demonstrations on the most important day of the nation's political calendar.
Iran's police chief said that some activists had been arrested as they prepared for protests.
Google said users of its Gmail had experienced difficulties following a newspaper report about official restrictions.
'Permanent suspension'
"Whenever we encounter blocks in our services we try to resolve them as quickly as possible," the California-based company said in a statement.

We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people preparing to disrupt the rallies were arrested

Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam
Police chief

More sanctions on way for Iran?

"Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control."
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran's telecommunications agency had announced "a permanent suspension of Google Inc's e-mail services".
Washington - which on Wednesday extended sanctions against Tehran - said any efforts to keep information from Iranians would fail.
US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said: "Virtual walls won't work in the 21st century any better than physical walls worked in the 20th century."
The 31st anniversary of the revolution could see protests from opposition supporters who say last June's re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged.
Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have called on their supporters to rally on Thursday.
Anti-government websites have urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed election.
Fatal violence erupted after the poll, and sporadically since then.
The micro-blogging site Twitter and other social networking sites were used extensively during the post-election protests.
Tehran rally
Official events will be held across Iran but the main gathering will be at Tehran's Azadi square, where President Ahmadinejad is expected to speak.

Opposition supporter wearing a green mask in June, 2009

Opposition supporters have been urged to wear green as they did last June

Anti-government websites have urged their supporters to attend the rally too, raising the possibility of a confrontation.
Ahead of the commemorations, police chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam said the Revolutionary Guards and Basij Islamic militia were ready for any trouble.
"We are fully prepared for holding a safe and glorious rally," he told Fars news agency, according to Reuters news agency.
"We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," he said.
The anniversary comes a day after the US extended Iranian sanctions, aimed at the Revolutionary Guards.
The US Treasury will freeze the assets of a senior Guard commander, as well as four subsidiaries of a construction company he runs.
The move follows the announcement by Iran of its decision to further enrich uranium for its nuclear programme.
Tehran insists it is a civilian energy programme, but the West suspects it of trying to develop nuclear weapons.

@'BBC'

Baloji - Karibu Ya Bintou (feat. Konono N°1)

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Invade a hospital

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The Revolution Will Be Mapped (What discrimination looks like)

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To get to the headquarters of the Cedar Grove Institute for Sustainable Communities, visitors have to navigate a lengthy dirt road past white picket fences, grazing horses and a variety of outbuildings in various stages of disrepair. Set in a one-room former Primitive Baptist church on a 43-acre spread in rural Orange County, N.C., the institute holds a collection of old, ergonomically incorrect wooden desks and metal filing cabinets. The only signs of modernity are computers atop the desks.

Institute founders Allan Parnell and Ann Joyner, who live in a modest country house a stone’s throw from this office, are dressed in their everyday summer attire, T-shirts and shorts. But when they begin pulling maps off printers, Parnell and Joyner step decidedly out of the last century. “Our daughter tells people we work for the CIA, because what we do is so hard to describe,” Parnell says, only half-joking.

Joyner displays a series of maps showing the Coal Run neighborhood, a handful of streets located just outside the city limits of Zanesville in central Ohio. The first map provides a simple baseline, showing the city water plant and the boundary between the city and Coal Run, a part of Muskingum County. The second map adds water lines, which serve only the northern half of Coal Run. Successive maps add the residences in Coal Run, note which residences have water and which don’t, and break down their occupancy by race.

The last map puts all the data together, and the picture suddenly comes into sharp focus: Almost all the white households in Coal Run have water service, while all but a few black homes do not...

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@'Miller-McCune'