Vanity Improves

It took me several hours to change the setting so that I can have another column. As you see, now I have a third column; still empty. I learned some things I wanted to learn for a long time. And for the millionth time I discovered that I am really creative. I also changed the background a little bit. I don't think you can guess what I changed. I gotta go sleep...

Israel kills - this time by mistake

The tribune, lunch time, Che Cafe (today, stake boritto). Israeli army killed a 4-year-old kid in a west bank check-point by error! One of the Israeli soldiers signals that the car has been checked and is OK to pass. But the latter starts shooting at car. Israeli official said they were sorry. They also killed two unarmed Arabs last week. Let's pray that they are in cease-fire. Now just imagine what would have happened if the same had happened by the other side.

by the way, I wanted to find the news online. searched for "Israel Kills". Here is the Google search result! I think this is a record, isn't it?

SCENT OF A WOMAN

I believe Al Pacino is more than spectacular in this movie and stands one head and shoulder above all his roles in other movies. I saw the movie 4 times so far, still keeps me excited and stunned during movie. His character "is both intolerable and completely lovable in this Oscar-winning role of a lifetime." Moreover, I am really impressed by his strong, adventurous and leading character. and of course the fact that he can sense and appreciate "scent of a woman" is admirable to me! Could be in my Top 10 list.

"I have come to cross-roads in my life several times. Each time, I knew what the right way was. I knew it for sure. But I didn't take it. you know why? Because it was too damn hard. It was hard." Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) says in a stunning speech in movie.

Can ya feel me?

My reply to Kristy's email the other day:
(I think she was flying to Chile.)

Sitting on his chair in the dark now for more than 20 hours, he is so exhausted and intoxicated by video clip that nothing could move his motion-less body.
Even when he wants to check his emails, he minimizes the email window so that doesn't miss the video-watching for the thousand time. ...checks out down the list...Of tens of new emails, he opens one. it reads.. "...and if I die before then on a plane, I have written you a letter...". His cold face and eyes find a little motion. his lips feel something very close to a smile after hours...
The video catches him very soon again. his eyes stare again...the wall, alienation, woman, worms, uprising, hope, The WALL; Roger still cries:

Hey you
Out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?

Hey you
Standing in the aisle
With itchy feet and fading smile
Can you feel me?

Hey you
Don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight

Hey you
Out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?

Hey you
With your ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?

Hey you
Would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home

But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high, as you can see
No matter how he tried he could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Hey you
Out there on the road
Always doing what you're told
Can you help me?

Hey you
Out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?

Hey you
Don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall...

"Hey you, don't tell me there is no hope at all"

Here is the story. I saw the movie "Pink-Floyd The Wall" last week. No..no..I hadn't seen it before..I know I know... And for such a visual person like me, it very soon became an obsession. It's now one week that every single sentence of mine ends with either "can ya feel me?", "it was a fantasy" or "don't tell me there is no hope at all".

Then after watching the movie- sitting in Che Cafe waiting for my Chicken Cesare Sandwich- I started calling my buddies all around the world to tell them about the video. Well, I made a mistake and began with Ardavan. I could barely hear him (everything in Jersey is broken). But that was enough for me to understand that he claims he was born with Roger Waters and I was too much behind that he didn't want even to talk to me about it. I could have challenged anybody in this case. Anybody except him! I just shot up! I got the same response almsot from others. The last comment I got was "this is bullshit". (it was just like being kicked in the mouth with a steel-toe boot! )

Anyway, I kept listening to the music, having my mouth shot.

But I still believe that this is a new impression. It is all about the context. Listening The Wall in 80s is something; watching Hey You clip for an Iranian in 2003 is a waaaaaaaay different thing. Please don't tell
me that "Hey you, don't tell me there is no hope at all" means and feels the same for all as does for Iranian youth who has gone through the last five years' events. please don't try to convince me that the scene of "anti-riot police beating people" in the clip when they sing:

"But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high, as you can see
No matter how he tried he could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain"

has always brought pricks of tears into fans' eyes. You have to be graduate of University of Tehran seeing cops attacking the dorms, beating, breaking and injuring; demolishing not only students' homes and bodies but also their hearts and honors; you have to be losing last glimpses of a great hope that you had fought for during last five years; you have to be an isolated son of a nation in a moment of great pain and danger;... you got to be dissappointed by the greatest democracy of the world to be shaken when it sings:

"Hey you, don't tell me there is no hope at all"

...to relate to every single moment of the song.

Some times I think that new generation in West(excluding minorities) is deprived from feeling an all-times-beloved gift: freedom. They never fought for freedom. Only fighting for freedom can make something feel what freedom is. May they also sometime start fighting for their own freedom! "Together we stand, devided we fall."

Iran - 100 Years of Constitutional Experience

Saeid Hajarian, a unique influential figure in Iranian reformist front, has published a classical article (Persian) in Emrooz, one of many political news and analysis web sites which popped up after un-elected parts of the government banned reformist papers. In this article, Hajarian, who survived an assassination (shot right in his face) calls all journalists, historians, and politicians to re-read and review the first constitutional establishment of Iran, as we reach the 100th anniversary of the event.

In addition to this important call, he puts forward his findings of the first notions of Islamic Republic and boldly strikes the current system as a backward even to the first constitutional system.

He eloquently explains that first constitutional revolution (1906) crashed the absolute power of the kingdom in favor of the emerging concept of "Citizenship Right". The new educated generation wanted to have say in government and didn't want to be subjects of the king anymore. Although some powerful clergy's agitation, he believes, were successful to insert another element in the system later: Islamic legitimacy.

"The divine right of kingdom", "Islamic legitimacy" presented by clergy's oligarchy and "limited republic democracy" were the three fundamental elements for years. The revolution of 1979, he argues, was a major step ahead towards a "Republic" in its modern definition, since it seemed to remove one of the two traditional elements of the system. Then he writes today but situation is worse than even first constitution: the whole constitutionism has been undermined by an absolute power. "We suffered the hardship to be able have a pact for governing ourselves; now 'they' claim that the pact authorizes one person to do anything, even beyond the pact!" He refers to conservatives who believe the religious Supreme Leader can do anything even beyond the constitution.

I believe he has pointed a very critical issue while the government is losing the last shrinks of its legitimacy and the prevailing frustration forces for fundamental change.

To be AND not to be!

I just figured out that according to the federal and state tax rules and regulations, I am a resident of the state Illinois and the same time, I am not a resident of the United States!

By the way, I filled out my tax return forms just now! If you expect a refund from IRS, you don't need to rush for April 15th deadline. IRS will be happy to refund you later.

An Affirmative Action!

Sandra Day O'connor sided with more liberal judges in this case.

Today before I left home for my office, I was watching the news regarding the case of University of Michigan being handled by the Supreme Court. Two white applicants (in two different cases) had sued the University Law School for racial discrimination in favor of minorities on the ground of Affirmative Action. The Supreme Court, this morning, upheld, with a vote of 4-5 with Sandra O’Connor providing the swing vote, the use of race as a factor for admission, which is a very exciting victory for U. Michigan and liberal supporters. Although, it overturned the point system which is used to apply affirmative action principle at the school undergrad program.

I am happy that public universities in US still have the chance to help minorities, which usually lack an affluent household income, to have representatives in high-quality high education. I think this is much closer to justice. Selections should be done on the base of merits. That might seem generally convincing in first place. But justice involves more complications. Why those kids who have been enjoying a comfortable, providing, easy life and, of course earned higher-standard merits should be able to go to best schools and at the same time, those who had difficulties should remain behind the doors? At U. of Michigan Law School undergrad program, even with affirmative action policy applied, only 17 percent of this year’s freshmen are minorities, which is much less than their proportion in the country's population.

In Iran, we have had a similar idea, which has been criticized for many years by the majority of the people. The war veterans and their families have enjoyed a wide quota (20-40 percent of high education overall capacity) to pass the very tough Universities’ National Entrance Exam. They are not ranked in the same pool of normal applicants, e.g. if the number of applicants of veterans' families are less than 20 percent of the capacity in a program, they all will be admitted while the acceptance rate for others is almost less than 5 percent!

I believe it is good, not only good but essential, to apply the affirmative action principle to balance the social inequalities to some extend. At the same time, I believe very subtle process should be considered for implementing such programs.

*The Supreme Court Judges' profile