March 09, 2008
Consultative Assembly: Shake-up?
This week, Iranians vote in Consultative Assembly elections. Hopes that reformists might make a comeback and that the poll might become a referendum on President Mahmoud AhmadiNejad's controversial presidency have been dashed by the disqualification of key opposition candidates, although I began to feel that it's no longer reformists against conservatives in Iran but pragmatic conservatives against the hardliners perhaps.
Despite his dismal economic record, and his failure to deliver on populist redistributive campaign promises, AhmadiNejad's hard-line conservative faction enters the elections in surprisingly good shape. The UN approved a third round of sanctions on Iran last week, but the evaporation of the US threat to take military action against Iran after the publication of the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) in December is widely viewed in Iran as vindication of his uncompromising stance on the issue. He has seen off his main rival on the nuclear front, Ali Larijani, and seems to enjoy more solid backing from Supreme Leader, who ultimately calls the shots.
Last week also, he made a historic visit to Iraq. The open and 'normal' style of the trip was in sharp contrast to the furtive and unannounced visits of US leaders, all no doubt designed to show that it is Iran which really counts in the Persian Gulf.
January 09, 2008
Cry Harassment
A cartoon from the Guardian, following the speedboat-warship incident in the Persian Gulf.
November 22, 2007
Love, Sex, and Androids*
AI (Artificial intelligence) researcher David Levy at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands recently completed his Ph.D. work on the subject of human-robot relationships.
His work reminds me of "The Caves of Steel", from Asimov, where Elijah Baley, the human detective, and R. Daneel Olivaw his number 2 robot detective, introduce in 1954 the story of an human-robot relationship bearing a great likelihood to what Levy today proposes. In his thesis, "Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners", he conjectures that robots will become so human-like in appearance, function and personality that many people will fall in love with them, have sex with them and even marry them. "It may sound a little weird, but it isn't," Levy said. "Love and sex with robots are inevitable."
⇒ Continue reading "Love, Sex, and Androids*"…
November 06, 2007
Pakistan's problems, silence of the media
I find it absolutely shocking and appalling that all major English-language media are covering Pakistan's current turmoil but do not make even one reference to the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power, and not a member of the NPT.
What will happen to all that nuclear arsenal in such an unstable environment which is the biggest exporter of violent extremists in the region? Perhaps "some" are embarrassed to talk about it openly because they supported not only Pakistan's access to the nukes, but also its corrupt military government for years.
October 30, 2007
Dying to get in...
A while ago I read about American scholar Richard Frye. He likes Iran so much, his will is to be buried in Esfahan. Watch CNN's Iranian news presenter interviewing him.
October 29, 2007
The Missing Link
I was listening to the speech of someone I've come to respect, when I heard him saying the following quote. Then I thought, that's exactly what's missing in Iran to a great extend:
“Two things above all make a country prosperous. The development of its people &mdash the human capital — and a competitive advantage. If you do the first without the second then you end up educating people to move else where...”
October 20, 2007
Save the Last Dance*
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and the head of the Supreme National Security Council, viewed by the West as a moderating influence in Tehran, resigned before crucial talks with Europe this week over Iran's nuclear programme. This has been announced today morning by President Ahmadinejad's spokesman. Despite the announcement, it was not clear whether Ali Larijani was let go because of his differences with President Ahmadinejad or if he had resigned voluntarily. Deputy foreign minister "Saeid Jalili" apparently has been appointed to take his place.
Little information has surfaced thus far about Larijani's reasons and I believe the man named to replace Ali Larijani could present the West with a harder line in a long-running dispute over Tehran's atomic stance. Little is known about Jalili except that he is one of the new faces in the foreign ministry and has a promising diplomatic career. Observers believe that the new chief nuclear negotiator is expected to adopt the same line with Mr. Solana as his predecessor, but many question whether he will have the same charisma and diplomatic skills as Ali Larijani.
⇒ Continue reading "Save the Last Dance*"…
October 17, 2007
Bush hallucinating!
Not sure if he really believes in what he says, or he really thinks Americans are THAT stupid?
September 30, 2007
Hatred!
Britsh MPs visiting the Pentagon to discuss America's stance on Iran and Iraq were shocked to be told by one of President Bush's senior women officials: "I hate all Iranians."
From Another Irani Online.
September 22, 2007
Life goes on in Tehran
"... regardless of what any president would have you imagine, despite what any media outlet would have you believe, life goes on in Tehran and elsewhere in Iran."
September 14, 2007
Moon 2.0
The X-Prize Foundation and Google have launched a new project, Moon 2.0, a $30 million dollar prize for the first private firms that can land a robot rover the moon.
You may also read about Moon 2.0 in X-Prize Foundation PR and BBC News.
Earlier on this blog:
Moon 2.0 (West Ender)
b-to-b e-payment system in the UK (Amir)
New Cold War? (Parthisan)
Doctor Who and the half-blood Persian (West Ender)
Dr. Waldemar Gorzkowski died in Esfahan (Parthisan)
To access all the entries in this blog, please refer to the Monthly Archives links on the right column of this page.
