Irreplaceable

 

Surrounded

By all possible realities

We wait, breathlessly

For one, or another

 

And which one

Matters not

 

As this life

Or that death

This moment

Or that

 

Bleed on

 

Each one

Meaningless

 

Yet each one

The center

Through which all else

Must pass

 

And therefore

Irreplaceable

Grow And Eat Local

Up until recently – at least for the food stores referenced in this CBCNews article by Alison Crawford - you could buy a jar of store brand pickles made in Indonesia but you could not but locally farmed meat. I have nothing against Indonesian pickles or the people who produce them but something sure seems off kilter when corporate policy dictates that a food store cannot sell from local production.

Some stores have broken off from Soebys, the parent company, and have formed the independent Hometown Growers Co-Op to free them from these restrictions.

Canadians are increasingly subscribing to the “buy local” and “100 mile diet” philosophies due to concerns over imported food, Kropf adds. “The pressure was always mounting — the more recalls, the more bad press from China or wherever the product was coming from. I know that in our case, our private label pickles are made in Indonesia. I couldn’t believe that.” As a franchisee for a large grocery chain, Kropf says, corporate policies stipulating that he only buy federally inspected meat prevented him from stocking local products. Most federally inspected meat in Canada comes from large corporations such as Maple Leaf, Cargill and Tyson.

“Most of our beef was Alberta beef. Chicken and pork could be U.S., so to me, that was a concern that, you know, we’ve got all these farmers in our back yard,” Kropf says.

 Mmmm.  “all these farmers in our back yard,” Kropf says. So what is it about the owners and decision makers of the parent company (however high that goes) that they would arrange such a situation? Only some unholy mix of government policy and business manipulation all wrapped up in Free Trade and delivered with a Corporate Globalism singsong mantra could possibly lead to such a bizarre scenario.

Could this be an example of Forced Trade? 

Whatever the accumulated reasons, I see the creation of the Hometown Grocers Co-Op as a shot across the bow of Big Food and the Neo -Liberal government mind set that buys into the Corporate agenda of Free Trade/Globalism without realizing – or realizing all too well – that Corporate Globalism and Peoples Globalism are often two very different and opposing forces. 

I hope that the people living in those areas will support the Hometown Grocers Co-Op .

Former Canadian Govt. For Sale

 Wanna buy a used government? Some of the parts are a little rusty, but the influence peddling and boardroom style personal money laundering components are as strong as ever. Prime Ministers - Ministers - high ranking civil servants,  political aides and advisors are all available for your latest eco- stripping, resource destroying Capitalist Dream Project.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien has joined the ranks of those who appear to believe that Canadian Politics and the spirit of this great land can also be a great quid pro quo back scratcher between the money/business/corporate class and the former servants of the people.

From The Canadian Press via The Globe and Mail:

The Canadian Press Last updated on Wednesday, Jul. 08, 2009 02:12PM EDT

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien has been named as senior international adviser to Ivanhoe Mines (IVN-T9.350.384.24%) and its affiliated companies, the Vancouver-based international mineral developer said Wednesday.

Mr. Chrétien will provide advisory services to Ivanhoe Capital Corp.’s affiliates through a contract with Global Mining Management, a private service company based in Vancouver.

Global Mining is jointly owned by several companies, including: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and its subsidiaries, SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd. (SGQ-X12.00––%) and Ivanhoe Australia Ltd.; as well as Ivanhoe Energy Inc. (IE-T1.440.010.70%) and the privately held Ivanhoe Nickel & Platinum Ltd.

Mr. Chrétien has been active in Canadian and global development circles as a lawyer with the Canada-based international law firm, Heenan Blaikie, since retiring from politics in 2003.

“Jean Chrétien was instrumental in advancing relationships between many Canadian businesses and rapidly industrializing China and its neighbour nations through his hands-on, prime ministerial leadership of a series of successful Team Canada trade development missions,” said Ivanhoe executive chairman Robert Friedland.

“We believe that Mr. Chrétien’s experience and knowledge will be a prime asset in assisting the Ivanhoe companies to continue to build their businesses through opportunities that will be encountered in the energy and mineral resource sectors around the world during what is becoming the Asian Century,” Mr. Friedland added.

Ivanhoe Mines, an international mining and exploration company, is focused on mining, development and exploration projects in the Asia Pacific region, including Mongolia, China, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.

The Brian Mulroney model of used government is still available at fire sale prices but its lost a little luster and influence over the years. No one is interested in the Mulroney version these days, because – as is obvious – influence and access is the name of this game.

For the record, I have no doubt that Mr. Chretien will conduct himself in a manner above reproach as he involves himself in this unseemly activity.

Also for the record – a former Prime Minister of Canada has no business acting as a paid lobbyist for anyone.

Read Loon Theory posts Firewall The Lobbyists (O5/02/09) and Our Leaders Have Always Been Fools… (06/24/08)

 

Update: This is the link to the Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. website. As is usual with these resource stripping corporate websites, the pictures and images are superb – sometimes breathtaking – and you could be forgiven if you thought you’d stumbled onto a Eco or spiritual site. Enjoy the pictures but recognize you are being manipulated and don’t be fooled.

Update: Here is the Wikipedia page on Robert Friedland, the owner of Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. I can’t vouch for Wiki accuracy but I find it both amusing and unsurprising that Friedland is apparently known as “Toxic Bob” and “The Ugly Canadian”. Figures.

What’s Done Is Done – Word Cloud

Click on image for full size version.

A Wordle Word Cloud of the lyrics to What’s Done Is Done (New Reality)

Celebrate Canada!

Canadian flag courtesy of 4 International Flags

Lions In The Face Of Tyranny (3)

This picture is one of the Icons used by the Iranian source of these messages.

Quotes from an Iranian demonstrater via Twitter:

Today we are lions in the face of tyranny

I think Rafsanjani will make a move soon, this is like chess, he has the next move, what will he do? little change? semi-secular?

We have to give info, there is no other way to get news out, some are affraid,i am ready to hurt, if thats the price for freedom

Close friend released mngd to get out save and clean,no info leak,only some injuries beaten up,said he was just bystandr,suffered alot

Reason i post more at night and every 24 hrs is for reasons i can’t tell, I was among our ppl again Shouted brave karoubi! Very brave

Our youth is 50 years ahead of Goverment clerics, we are at the level of U.S youth regarding music, movies, creation, know-how science

I have also books from David Icke,who’s books are controversll in West, let stand here, so don’t ask how i got the books

We in Iran are very well aware of the world, space,history,science,but islam goverment is not democratic,strict,we have to hide info 4rm gov

Reading Zacharia Sitchin’s book,”The Lost Book of Enki”about Annunaki sky gods coming from planet x to Earth”almost lost life for this book

Arrests, Human Rights Abuse in Iran

When mass arrests are reported in a despotic, theological, totalitarian state such as Iran, human rights abuses will assuredly follow as the veil of secrecy and fear slowly suffocates awareness of the dire situation for the individuals under detention.

Allegations of brutal beatings designed to elicit made for TV confessions implicating both American and British governments are surfacing as the list of those killed, detained or missing grows longer everyday.

As of this writing, no word could be found about Iranian/Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who has reportedly been arrested by the Iranian government. Bahari – who works for Newsweek among others -  holds both Iranian and Canadian citizenship and because of this Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is meeting with the Iranian charge d’affaires:

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon called in the Iranian charge d’affaires to meet with Canadian officials “to express our grave concern about the arrest of a Canadian journalist and about the general situation,” said Foreign Affairs spokesman Andre Lemay.

For what it’s worth (which could be Bahari’s life), Canadians must – through their Members of Parliament - pressure Minister Cannon and Prime Minister Harper to intensify pressure and use any finance/ trade sanctions and diplomatic avenues available to free Bahari and other detainees.

 

Update : (12/07/09) - Via impolitical on Twitter – Canadian New Democrat Party leader Jack Layton does the right thing in agitating for a high level delegation to demand Iran release Iranian/Canadian citizen and journalist Maziar Bahar:

“It’s not just about a Canadian,” Layton said Sunday afternoon on CTV News Channel. “It’s about the whole issue of journalists around the world who are trying to report the truth being imprisoned and, in some cases, held for long periods of time and some of them have not survived.”

Keep up the pressure, Jack.

The Last Parade

The Last Parade

Such a memory, not here, but never gone.

The Last Parade (5:31) Underground Sun (2004)
Music and Lyrics by David Archer

Download mp3
(right click – save target as)

Lyrics/Notes

The Tide Is Turning

The Tide is Turning by Roger Waters

 

I’m not saying that the battle is won
But on Saturday night all those kids in the sun
Wrested technology’s sword from the hand of the war lords
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning

 

Music and Lyrics by Roger Waters

I used to think the world was flat
Rarely threw my hat into the crowd
I felt I had used up my quota of yearning
Used to look in on the children at night
In the glow of their Donald Duck light
And frighten myself with the thought of my little ones burning
But, oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
The tide is turning

Satellite buzzing through the endless night
Exclusive to moonshots and world title fights
Jesus Christ, imagine what it must be earning
Who is the strongest
Who is the best
Who holds the aces
The East
Or the West
This is the crap our children are learning
But oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
The tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning

Now the satellite’s confused
‘Cause on Saturday night
The airwaves were full of compassion and light
And it’s silicon heart
Warmed to the sight of a billion candles burning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
The tide is turning Billy

I’m not saying that the battle is won
But on Saturday night all those kids in the sun
Wrested technology’s sword from the hand of the war lords
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
The tide is turning Sylvester
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
Oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning

Notes On “Bombs Falling/Nowhere To Go”

Bombs Falling/Nowhere To Go became international in sound and nature in a rapid and ineveitable way as it was being assembled and could not exist at all were it not for that fact.

The words – and to be honest, the entire emotional content -  are from Gaza.

But I truly believe that same emotional content could be from anywhere. 

The voice – though computer generated with an Indo/Asian accent –  is meant to be anyone and indeed becomes the voice of a Universal Motherhood as well as fear, love and acceptance, anger and courage. That fear, love, acceptance, anger and courage all belong to Jawad Harb, his family and neighbours and all those who have lived and died these same ways.

The first sound is the the bass drum, representing the impossible anti-human violence of what can –  but will not – be altered from it’s white hot, black hearted depths of despair, anger, hatred and destruction.

The guitar is the onlooker, watching on television, alternately relentless and hesitant, charging forward and pulling back but determined, for once, to stand witness to the truth.

The child’s cry is from a train station in North America and by its very sound represents something we all know in our hearts.

The air raid sirens are from Israel and are the voices of warning coming from all those who have experienced the history of terrible violence and oppression.

There is an unknown Turkish man reading poetry way back in the mix toward the end. He represents the voices of people that no longer have names and will never be heard.

Then the awful, terrible sound of explosions – lifted from a YouTube copy of CNN’s live coverage of the bombing of Baghdad - like murderous, demonic laughter ripping darkness into your soul, stealing fire from heath and heart and blazing hatred and anger, hatred and anger, hatred and anger across the sky and the flesh and the bones of innocent children. Deafening, hideous, sickening thunder and lightning  torn from humanity’s darkest recesses, dripping bloody venom and poison onto everything that means anything to anyone.

The droning low-mid synth is the spine and the spirit of human compassion, empathy and the horrified muted moaning, keening and crying pulled out from the center of the very soul of a Mother’s grief and yearning. Like history, it spans hope and human time in the past and present but ventures into pure unknown in the future and the final fade.

The bottom end of the piano is the rock of the earth, the heat of technology and science, mankind through our collective history, evolution and religion, and the hope and hopelessness of time moving on. The high end of the piano represents the tears of the witnesses, the sorrow, the sadness, the pain of knowing, the guilt and remorse and the anger at helplessness in the face of such an storm, such an onslaught.

And it’s when I go back and listen, when it’s late and I’m alone and my ability to resist is at it’s lowest, and the acceptance and the understanding that the wolf must tear at the throat of the deer stares back at me from the mirror,  I ask myself ”how can such things as this come to be?”

And I fear that as I say those words out loud, someone else will say to me “How dare you presume to create such a thing, you who know nothing of this.”

Lions In The Face Of Tyranny (2)

This picture is one of the Icons used by the Iranian source of these messages.

 

Quotes from an Iranian demonstrater via Twitter:

Today we are lions in the face of tyranny

 

Iranian on CNN :”Policestate has changed in Terror state”

Urgent: Turkey has (lightly) condemmd Iran crackdown on ppl and desired peacfull solution soon to contribute to more democratic institutions

Rafsanjani poised to step in, possibly to make statement On Friday as Khamenei tales Friday Prayers again

MOUSAVI: Gun V greatness of God, armed forces V mobile phones, baton V mourners, national TV V twitter, who wins?

State TV said today 50 to 100 people protested in Baherestan, Eyewitness to Voa News: “3000 to 5,000 people in Baherstan alone”

We saw some people being shot in the head some beaten so hard their bones we could hear crack, where is god in this time where is the world!

made sm more protectn getting high lvl help from friends to protect id, one friend of us still with us in high risk lost lot blood

only leg injury, cut places with knife? i dont know how, much chaos,but some people i was with died, it was a black day #neda

Where is the help, we can’t survive more than one week, two week, everybody is killed, prisoned, tortured, beaten, help after genocide?

Tehran Food and Water Supply

Photo from Payvand Iran News

So far, I can find no information – or even opinion – on when or if food and water supplies will become a major issue for the protesters Heroes of Democracy in Iran, especially in Tehran or other urban areas.

Is the besieged Iranian government trying to control access in and out of Tehran as Iraqui and American troops tried in Baghdad? Is it even possible to do?

Surely such vital and vulnerable choke-points as food, water, electricity, transport and road or rail access would be a high priority for a repressive authoritarian government and presumably strategies for control would have been worked out long ago.

Considering much of the region is apparently in the grip of drought and the resulting poor crop yields and grain shortages, I have to wonder.

Messing with basic and essential life requirements is a long and storied tactic from historical sieges of towns and cities from the outside to more recent versions including Lebanon and Gaza.

A government laying siege to it’s own Capital and people from the inside as part of the larger crack-down may still be in the cards.

Included in a statement released in 2005  by Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food under the banner of  The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

 13. International law prohibits the use of food and water as weapons of war or as instruments of political or economic pressure, in order to safeguard the right to food of all people.

I’ll keep digging around and something should turn up on this subject soon.

Update: A Twitter message earlier today from from Iran:

all shops was closed – nowhere to go – they follow ppls with helicopters – smoke and fire is everywhere

#Iranelection  about 9 hours ago from web

Communicate

Certainly not yer average rock song, Communicate (All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes 1982) has more in common with audio performance art, emotional reductionism or a sort of staccato, static laced lyrical abstractism emphasizing the randomness and the incompleteness of the lonely island of individual communications at the far end of modern technology that is yet forced to bend to the wheel of all original forms of human interaction. It also highlights the constant assault of information that WILL breakthrough in one form or another – comprehensible or not – wanted or not.

Opening with a fast paced, frantic yet irrepressible beat, the song has many of the usual Townshend sounds including high energy but smooth as silk acoustic strumming (best right arm in the guitar biz) basic song structure and a “pop art” solo section (intentional, controlled disaster by guitar) reminiscent of the Tommy plane crash sequence.

The somewhat abstract, poetic spoken word sections  – reduced musically to a trademark repetitive synth line over a drone bass and bass drum - suggests a conflation point where truth, beauty, poetry, history, mis-information, image and technology collide.

There are obviously clues all over this piece but where they might lead is just as obviously open to interpretation and it’s quite possible that, for example, the opening lines are themselves purposeful misdirection. (Selbstdarstellung -  Gay Talese -  Euthanasia -  I find nothing on Google about Ronald Rocking – maybe it’s Ronald Reagan)

In the video, Townshend is holding a phone yet he is not speaking into it. So perhaps it is a broadcast of a private conversation meant to be overheard, or an acknowledgement that in this modern time there is no such thing as private communication or private lives. The man in the suit doing sign language, the studio meters and screens showing flashes of info all add to our awareness yet also establish the theme of broken comprehension – of words and meanings that are beyond our control.

I post this song today in light of the vital but fractured universe of communication coming out of Iran (and everywhere else) involving Television, cell phones, the Internet, Google, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter etc.

Live the communication age, step right up, everyone’s a winner, you might as well, you have nothing to lose and more importantly, you have no choice.

Never, Never Hesitate.

 

Lyrics and Music by Pete Townshend

Comma comma comma comma
Commai commai commai commai
Commu commu commu commu
communi communi communicate

Selbstdarstellung
Gay Talese
Ronald Rocking
Euthanasia

Use the words like flowing river touches
Embraces parting hard steel surfaces reveling pages
Beneath the water skin broken like ice flows
Smashed by iron bows on the back of a whale

Comma comma comma comma
Commai commai commai commai
Commu commu commu commu
Communicate

Selbstarstellung
Open hearted
Soon forgotten – never parted

Com com communicate
Communicate communicate
Communicate communicate
Via satellite and solid state
Never never hesitate
Communicate communicate
Communicate communicate
Never never hesitate

Reaching leaning scratching vainly
Faces dancing locked lipped and between thigh secret
Briolette tears drip from frozen masks
As all those death row questions don’t get asked

Comma comma comma comma
Commai commai commai commai
Commu commu commu commu
communi communi communicate

Communicate communicate
Communicate communicate
Via satellite and solid state
Never never hesitate
Communicate communicate
Communicate communicate
Never never hesitate

To Err On The Side Of Compassion

Overall, I am reasonably satisfied with Loon Theory’s tenor and tone during the Embassy story fiasco. We moved with an important breaking story, made our first foray into Twitter, tried to glean real news from multiple sources and (hopefully) coined the term Twitter Burn.

But let’s face it, although Loon Theory was miles away from the hysterical foaming at the mouth we saw some places – and though we advocated caution with rumours, and restraint regarding government policy and the tactical Embassy situation on the ground – we nonetheless passed on erroneous information and in an honest attempt to both learn and inform we likely muddied the waters to some extent.

This comment from an earlier post still best represents my view during the weekend and it continues to be my view today:

Of course we can’t know the situation and logistics on the ground – or even the specific policy involved but if at all possible, I believe we should open our Embassy doors for injured people seeking help.

It’s not as if the current Iranian government has a deep love and respect for Canada as I understand it, so fallout from this is perhaps not such an issue.

Besides, from here in Toronto, and with the above considerations in mind, it looks like the right thing to do.

Perhaps Former Canadian Ambassador to Iran Ken Taylor, in his well documented heroics during the U.S./Iran Hostage crisis, inadvertently created an over romanticised view of what an Embassy can and should do.

Here is Wikipedia’s background on Embassies or Diplomatic Missions.

So my position remains the same: if we are possibly able to help those in need of humanitarian assistance, then we should do our best to do that.

For some, the over-riding position seems to be fear of the reaction from a disputed and possibly completely dis-credited Iranian government leading to an “international dispute” caused by our actions.

When there is a crisis and people need medical assistance, a Canadian citizen does not ask “What does the rulebook say?” or “What are others doing?”

A Canadian offers any help they can reasonably and safely provide and though the safety of Embassy staff is a very serious concern, our own Ambassador Taylor has shown that sometimes we do the right thing regardless of perceived consequences.

Over the years I have very rarely agreed with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on anything, but during a so called “Boat People” situation that occurred on his watch, he went against policy and furious dissent and allowed those seeking refuge to come to our shores.

 I believe he paid a political price within his own party and with many Canadians for this action, but he made this Canadian proud when he stated that:

“We don’t want people jumping to the head of the line . . . (but) if we err, we will always err on the side of justice and on the side of compassion“. (bold added)

When Mr. Mulroney said that, he had his hand directly on the pulse of our shared Canadian identity.

He did the right thing.

So too, with our Embassies in Iran and around the world.

Canadian Embassy Follow Up

Now What?

Well, the  Embassy story gets crazier by the hour and shows us that modern communication (maybe all communication) is a wild, perhaps ultimately uncontrollable beast at the best of times and worse than that in times of crisis and high traffic.

Throw in human nature –  and what do you expect? 

On Sunday morning, in the second last update on a previous post I wrote that:

Kameel Ahmady, a freelance journalist interviewed on CBC suggested that the Canadian Embassy in Iran is accepting a limited amount of demonstrators in need of medical assistance. He also posited that the Embassy’s refusal and/or inability to accept those seeking aid was on Saturday was simply based on policy in-place.

Mr. Ahmady, who  I’m sure is a fine sort, spoke with such conviction in his report and I wanted too much to believe it, but I’m now of the rather uninformed opinion that our Embassy in Tehran is likely not taking in any who seek help and is, as noted several times, possibly not currently staffed or set up to be of any assistance.

Mr. Ignatieff has chimed in with his statement suggesting he believes we are able to – or should be able - to offer at least some assistance on the ground:

“Canada should join other countries in keeping our embassy open for the humanitarian needs of the people of Iran.”

Now a Sullivan post entitled “Twitter Fraud” points to an article by Steve Clemons (highly recommended) on Twitter’s role in the mis-information overflow that also mentions the Canadian Embassy issue and appears to be the final word (yeah, right) on whether or not the British Embassy was, as reported, taking in Iranian protesters. They were not. I’ll probably be correcting that in a few hours.

From the sublime to the ridiculous is just a starting point when it comes to communications of any description between crazy humans in a crazy world.

I know there are Foreign Affairs statements and other informed opinions out there but it’s late so I’ll update as needed tomorrow.

UPDATE: Two words – Twitter Burn

Queens Park Iran Demo

Toronto Demo : Support Iranian Protesters

While surfing around, I came upon Iran Watch Canada  and news of a public assembly in support of the Iranian Protesters at Queens Park (111 Wellesley St. W) in Toronto at 2:00pm Sunday June 21 2009.

Lions In The Face Of Tyranny

Quotes from an Iranian demonstrater via Twitter:

Today we are lions in the face of tyranny

 We are not affaid anymore, the demon of khamenei has shown its face, now we are witnessing the exorsism of the Islamic Republic

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. John F. Kennedy

“Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.” M. Gandhi  

 

if i am among the ones that dies today for the sake and symbol of freedom then remember my last words:” only love lasts eternity”

 

I will show my face i will name my name i will chant death to khamenai!  Tehran, i am ready martyrdom im ready for eveything!

Let This Be My Rooftop

From a secular Canadian in Toronto – let this be my rooftop.

I respectfully add my voice in honour of the brave people in Iran.

 Aloha Akbar.

بدنبال غذا اطلاعات / آب / برق در تهران ، جاده مسدود شده و یا دسترسی به راه آهن؟ بازار مواد غذایی را باز؟ آیا این / از این به عنوان صادر شود؟

Twitters, Rumours And Tanks

I have had a Twitter account for approximately 12 hours and though I am blown away by the first hand info I see and the things I have learned, I am also already overwhelmed by the unconfirmed, the unsubstantiated and even the personally confirmed (but how do I really know) rumours, guesses and other forms of intentional and unintentional mis-information coming at me at a rate I have never experienced before.

I believe I have unwittingly passed on a few myself, though like many others I try to emphasize that they are indeed unconfirmed.

I have no doubt the the next ramp up by the embattled Iranian government – if it hasn’t already happened –  would be to send the tanks into the city.

And of course, now the rumours of tanks in Tehran are everywhere.

I’m not putting anyone or any particular message down – I am too new to this and simply do not know enough about how Twitter works to make an informed judgement.

So I will sit back on this (unlike on the Embassy issue) and wait for confirmation.

That’s not so hard to do, is it?

Canadian Embassy Seeks Doctors?

(5:45 pm  est) CNN just showed an unconfirmed Twitter message stating that the Canadian Embassy is attempting to locate Doctors so they can offer help to injured Iranian citizens.

 

Latest updates here

Embassy List

A list of Embassies in Iran that are said to be accepting injured protesters via ElderCato’s Blog  and Nico Pitney at Huffington Post.

For whatever reasons, Canada is not on this list.

Australian Embassy : No. 13, 23rd Street, Khalid Islambuli Ave – Telephone+98 21 8872 4456

-Belgian Embassy No.3,Babak Alley, Shabdiz St.,Shahid Fayyaz Bakhsh Ave.

-British Embassy 198, Ferdowsi Avenue Tehran 11316-91144

Dutch Embassy – Onbol Street #7, Farmanieh

-Finnish Embassy-  Qeytariyeh in Haddadian 2, Mirzapour St. (prev. Soheil St.), Dr. Shariati Ave., Tehran.

-German Embassy: Avenue Ferdowsi 320-324 -

-Irish Embassy – North Kamranieh Avenue Bonbast Nahid Street, No. 8 19369  (98 21)-22 80 38 35

-Italian Embassy accepting injured at 81, Neauphle Le Chateau Ave.

-Norway: No. 201 Dr. Lavasani St. (Ex. Farmanieh St.) Corner of Sonbol St. Tehran, Iran – (0098 21) 22 29 13 33

-Polish Embassy: Ambasada Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w Teheranie
No. 1/3, Pirouz St., Africa Expressway,
Tehran, Iran, PO Box 11155-3489
tel: +98 (21) 8878 7262 do 64
fax: +98 (21) 8878 8774
Sekcja Konsularna – fax: +98 (21) 8887 2627

-Portugese Embassy No.30, Nezami St., Abbas Pour St., Valy-e-Asr

-Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Tehran No 30, Narenjestan 8th Alley Pasdaran Avenue

-Swiss Embassy – Elahieh Ave. Sharifimanesh  Yasaman Street No. 2  P.O. Box 19395-4683  19649 Tehran – 98 (0)21 22 00 83 33

And a reprint of my comment from another post:

Of course we can’t know the situation and logistics on the ground – or even the specific policy involved but if at all possible, I believe we should open our Embassy doors for injured people seeking help.

It’s not as if the current Iranian government has a deep love and respect for Canada as I understand it, so fallout from this is perhaps not such an issue.

Besides, from here in Toronto, and with the above considerations in mind, it looks like the right thing to do.

 

Latest updates here

Canadian Embassy In Tehran

A twitter message on Protesterhelp:

ProtesterHelp Canadians – call Foreign Office to request opening of Embassy 1-800-267-8376  3 minutes ago from web

 The phone number is valid (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada) but there is no one answering and voice mail boxes appear to be full.

The Foreign Affairs  website shows an error message when attempting to send email through their  system.

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan shows a twitter message saying it is confirmed that Canadian Embassy is “rejecting” injured protesters.

2.31 pm. Canadians, call your foreign office. It’s confirmed Canadian Embassy rejects injured protesters

Bill, in the comments section of the previous post, notes the same thing.

UPDATE:  Email address for Canadian Embassy in Tehran is tehran@international.gc.ca

UPDATE:  The embassy email address is returned undeliverable.

Canadians call or email your Member of Parliament.

UPDATE: Sunday June 21:   Kameel Ahmady, a freelance journalist interviewed on CBC suggested that the Canadian Embassy in Iran is accepting a limited amount of demonstrators in need of medical assistance.

He also posited that the Embassy’s refusal and/or inability to accept those seeking aid was on Saturday was simply based on policy in-place.

Latest updates here

Embassies In Iran Accepting Injured

There are lots of reports – some saying confirmed – that Embassies in Tehran including the British and Dutch are taking in wounded and injured protesters who are unable to access hospitals.

If this is true, I commend the decision makers in the Embassies and their home countries.

That is the right thing to do.

I’ve seen nothing of the Canadian Embassy – shown on the map above – but I hope to find out and update here later.

UPDATE: As noted in the next post Canadian Embassy In Tehran, several sources are suggesting that our Embassy is refusing injured protesters.

 

Latest updates here

Words From Iran

Twitter messages from Iran. I believe these are authentic but no one really knows.

 PPL chanting ” Death to khamenai” “We don’t believe the goverment!” they beat everyone to death, ppl are angry and affarid ” #GR88about 1 hour ago from web

What the hell is this idiot saying on CNN , how many dollar has the islamic republic paid mr..ahmadi?about 1 hour ago from web

The Guardian: Khamenei talked about the threat of terrorism in his speech yesterday. =he layed down basis for inside job #iranelection about 1 hour ago from web

 

Very important: PDKI Spokesman ” Not us, not any kurdish party, not any iranian opposition responsible for blasts, this is inside job” #gr88about 1 hour ago from web

 

  analist on CNN : ” Inside job, we expected this to happen, this is plan to crackdown on people” #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

http://bit.ly/uScnR today new video please share with the world #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

bombing is inside job i repeat “inside job” over and out #iranelection about 2 hours ago from web

    

PMOI leader marjam rajavi right now on live TV : “‘ This is clearly desperate GOV inside job to blame on opposition” #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

timing of the bombing because PMOI leader was due to have her first important speech for the ppl of iran so gov tries to blame in PMOI!about 2 hours ago from web

    

two blasts hit Imam shrine. This is gov not Mousavi. Attempt to blacken name of Mousavi etc as anti Islam. #iranelection #GR88 #Mousaviabout 2 hours ago from web

    

They try to make us look as criminals and terrorists they were the ppl behind the blasts #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

this was not work of any oposition or country we saw only state agents and basiji, not reasons why opposition will kill own ppl, only gov!about 2 hours ago from web

    

from what i saw at least 3 people on the ground death..basiji are beating a man who is already on the ground death in gods name stop this…about 2 hours ago from web

    

we just heard a huge explosion sound minutes ago, still smoke can’t see anything in window we try the rooftops…#iranabout 2 hours ago from web

    

lot of smoke water over ppl , chaos everywhere, we need to get this to the world, women scream, heavy gun fire very much noise #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

now at my friends house, street was full of blood we wear islamic namaz clothing not to be beaten, bu they have my arm is liitle cut bloodabout 2 hours ago from web

    

Heavy clashes on azadi street, chants of death to khameni! The street is full of rocks and fire. #IranElectionabout 2 hours ago from web

    

don’t belive cnn or other TV all get info from gov or fake mousavi protesters,i saw thousends of ppl hour ago now in the millions #gr88about 2 hours ago from web

    

Ayatolla Khamenai just on radio about mousavi: “Given order to stop or be arrested” #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

Khamenei: The Big Lie and The Big Threat

 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who appears poised to confirm his totalitarian credentials as a lying, murderous thug – has thrown down the challenge to the brave citizens of Iran in a speech given Friday in Tehran. Distancing himself from the will of the people and from any form of reality that might be recognizable to the mostly sane among us, the deeply deluded, heavenly entitled and egocentric crazy man posing as a world leader has decided the best route for saving his repressive regime of lunacy from the angry hordes of dust and debris in the streets of Iran is to turn to the favourite weapons of brutal, cowardly, frightened men throughout history – The Big Lie and The Big Threat.

Khamenei’s beautifully loony, nut-bar logic holds that the sheer size of the election fraud proves that there has been no fraud and Ahmadinejad is the President because that is the peoples choice; the peoples victory.

 As is always the case with the authoritarians of any so called political stripe, hot is cold, black is white, up is down and The Big Lie is one of the few things they have left to protect themselves and most importantly, their privileged position of power.

The will and the best interests of the Iranian people simply do not enter into such equations.

 The Big Lie is then followed by The Big Threat. This supposedly religious man (I don’t think that term actually applies to this power mad political despot) has threatened direct bodily harm and death to those thousands of Iranian citizens who have the nerve to disagree with his ugly, benighted rule. And if violence, bloodshed and death are visited upon the innocent, this then is the fault of the people and the will of God.

Because of men like Khamenei, the pages of history are stained and bloody from the tortured bodies and souls of millions of innocent people.

Today, my heart remains with the people of Iran.

 

An English translation of Khamenei’s delusional threats to the Iranian people can be found here. 

Is Ahmadinejad In Exile? (No, He’s Not)

There’s very little out there regarding Ahmadinejad’s status though I expect that will change shortly.

 A Google search result leading to a Captaindemocracy.wordpress.com blog (though it’s titled Architecture & Environmental Design) includes the words “C.I.A. confirms the escape to exile by President Ahmadinejad to Russia” from June 16/09 but the link leads to a page not found notice.

I tried digging around the blog a bit but could not find anything of further interest. I didn’t spend much time there and I vouch for nothing found on the site in question or Captain Democracy himself who I’m sure is a fine sort and appears to be an architect working out of California.

The Google cache is no more illuminating.

A dead end, I’m sure, but an interesting one nonetheless.

Update :  This Guardian article (via Nico Pitney) says that the Iranian press has reported that Ahmadinejad is back in Iran but there is speculation on his location. 

Speculation is intensifying about the whereabouts of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who claimed victory in the Iranian presidential election but has not been seen in public since Monday, when he was in Russia for a conference.

Iranian media have reported only that the president was greeted by a number of senior government officials when he arrived home late on Tuesday.

 

Update : CNN has just shown recent footage of Ahmadinejad apparently giving an interview in Iran.

So, to answer my title question, no, Ahmadinejad is not in exile.

 

 

Point Of No Return

My guess is that the protesters in Iran have indeed passed the point of no return as I suggested in response to a comment by a Loon Theory visitor :

Well, if things begin to calm down a little I would then likely agree with your assessment, BraveJ.

Looks to me like the people on the ground are seeking to push this past the point of no return. We’ll soon know because this can’t continue indefinitely and something will break one way or another.

We know these folks are intelligent, brave and determined. I believe they are fully aware of the concept of the point of no return in this regard and are doing their level best to get there before this chance slips through their hands.

They may have reached that point already.

I also find it totally bizarre that Ahmadinajad is out of the country right now.

Totally. Bizarre.

I try to be aware that hope and wishful thinking is colouring my views green right now.

Still, I see the situation as too unstable for any obvious route back to a sort of a pre-election status-quo with penalties as you suggest.

Amazing times.

I find myself wondering about three things this morning: How long can the urban demonstrators hold out if the government blocks food delivery, why does there appear to be a News blackout on the subject of Ahmadinajad’s absence from Iran and when is he due to return?

I’ve done a quick search around and can find little to no information on these issues.

I will continue to urge Loon Theory visitors to check in with Andrew Sullivan for a clearinghouse source and quality analysis on the Iran uprisings.

Today Loon Theory proclaims solidarity with the good people of Iran.

Iran Prognostication

Depending on which of many inscrutable lines the situation in Iran will follow, Ahmadinejad’s arrest – or flight - may be a real possibility.

Loon Theory’s foolish prognostication is Ahmadinejad in exile or under house arrest this time next week.

UPDATE:  June 29/09

Yes, well, I was completely wrong on not only Ahmadinejad but also wrong on how things seem to be generally trending.

So I ammend my prognostication (big word for guessing wrong) to Ahmadinejad’s eventual ouster and the eventual collapse of a badly weakened and discredited government.

I believe Nostradamus was smart enough not to place specific dates and time frames on his predictions.

Very smart and lesson learned. ( Til the next time)

Our Brothers And Sisters In Iran

 

 The more I watch the videos of events in Iran, the more I read the Twitter messages and hear the cries and the voices of freedom rising up from a beleaguered populace, the more the Iranian people appear to me as brothers and sisters.

What I really mean is: They are us, we are them.

Not much difference at all.

For Iranians, it is a very visible extremist theocratic government. For Westerners it is the very slippery and often well hidden Corporate/Military/Industrial interests who clearly control our politicians and bend and warp our minds via the most effective propaganda dissemination system ever devised.

In the west we have more in common with the protesters on the streets of Tehran than we have ever had with politicians, lobbyists and the damned “Captains of Finance and Industry” who infest Washington, Ottawa, Paris or London.

My heart swells with pride at the courage and passions of our Iranian brothers and sisters.

The Courage Of Iranian People

As thousands of Iranian people take to the streets in pursuit of justice and democracy, I am once again stunned by the courage and passion of those who must take such risks as they seek to attain that which we in the West seem to have forgotten we possess.

Loon Theory humbly supports the students and people of Iran as they strive to take their rightful place in this world.

Imagine how the entire world would benefit if one of history’s greatest cultures were able to free themselves from the parasitic and dangerous yoke of religious and totalitarian oppression.

UPDATE:  As usual, excellent coverage of events in Iran can be found at Andrew Sullivan’s “The Daily Dish”.

T.O. Skyline

What Of Loon Theory?

I think I will take a little break while I try to figure out why Loon Theory exists.

As always, there is music available along the right side-bar or by clicking on Original Music or my picture.

Thanks for swinging by.

Michaëlle Jean

 

Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean has received a lot of attention for taking part in a community ceremony that involved Ms. Jean eating a piece of raw seal heart.

I understand that some object to this action but I believe in this case they are misguided.

The Governor General did exactly the right thing in honouring her hosts by accepting an invitation to experience a vital aspect of their community life.

Loon Theory fully supports Michaëlle Jean.

Calling Foul On Loon Theory

I am totally ticked off at myself for the nastiness of my last post on Loon Theory. I  condemn this sort of writing when others do it and here am I launching vitriolic little attacks on Stephen Harper.

Words like that advance no reasonable cause or purpose.

When I read it later I was taken aback.

Completely unacceptable.

No excuses.

I offer my apologies to Prime Minister Harper.

Harper: Leading Canadians To The Gutter

I do not like the politics of Stephen Harper. I see little in Mr. Harper’s words and actions that are reflective of this country. I see a mean, narrow politician of immense ego, with a massive victim complex and severe control issues who is bereft of  ideas now that his Neo Con Lite daydream has imploded and his hard right wing ideology has proven bankrupt of any Canadian graces.

So to see Harper reduce himself and this country to gutter level political grandstanding and sleazy innuendo regarding supposed tapes of Ignatieff that Harper claims to possess does not surprise me.

I am saddened that this man represents Canada.

I look forward to the end of his pointless, witless governing.

Big Ideas And The Long Now

TVOntario’s Big Ideas and The Long Now Foundation are both fantastic sites for free podcasts of seminars that will leave your head spinning.

If you want to expand your horizons there are few better sources.

Over the past several months I’ve had my mind blown by speakers such as Ray Kurzweil, Stephen Lewis, Daniel Suarez, Gwynne Dyer, Gavin Newsom, John Ralston Saul, Neal Stephenson and many others.

The knowledge, experience and the artfully high octane imagination presented in these lectures is stunning.

Best Canadian Song? What?!?

For reasons I do not understand, The Globe & Mail feel that these 10 songs are representitive of the Canadian Soul and are the finalists in the contest to choose the best Canadian song of all time. (Edit: Actually, it appears it is organized by Luminato)

I’m glad they said best Canadian song of all time and not just of historical time because – though I like each of these songs for different reasons –  judging by this list the best Canadian song has not been written yet.

Kidding aside, it is hard to take a list of Great Canadian Songs seriously if it does not include the quintessential Canadian folk song Four Strong Winds by Ian Tyson.

If you pointed a gun at me and told me I had to pick one off this list or else, I still couldn’t do it.

I have a hard time seeing these songs as particularly or even partially representative of the Canadian Soul.

For example, Leonards Cohen’s Hallelujah is an incredible songwriting achievement but it’s purview is far, far more than the spirit of Canada. It is a great song but it does not belong on this list.

Helpless? What a bummer. That song may reveal a slice of a certain aspect of Canadian life but it is not even mariginally representative.

The Weight? You’re kidding me, right? I don’t care where Robbie was the day he was born, that song is as American as you can get.

Robbie Robertson:
When I wrote ‘The Weight’, the first song for ‘Music From Big Pink’, it had a kind of American mythology I was reinventing using my connection to the universal language. The Nazareth in ‘The Weight’ was Nazareth, Pennsylvania. It was a little off-handed – ‘I pulled into Nazareth’. Well I don’t know if the Nazareth that Jesus came from is the kind of place you pull into, but I do know that you pull into Nazareth, Pennsylvania! I’m experimenting with North American mythology. I didn’t mean to take sacred, precious things and turn them into humour.

Cuts Like A Knife? What?!?

Ok. It is obvious that those who created this list have confused songs written by Canadians with songs that are indicative of the Canadian identity.

My earlier jest may be the truth: The song in question may not have been written yet.

 Updated - If the requirement is simply that the song must be written by a Canadian – well, what can I say – if I were to compile such a list I am pretty sure none of these 10 songs would be on it.

Updated -  Ok. I guess I should proffer a few suggestions based on the criteria of  a writer holding (at the time the song was written?) Canadian citizenship. I need to think about this so I will assemble the list slowly, in no particular order, starting with:

1) Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell

I believe Joni’s early creation is one of the most beautiful and finely balanced songs ever written.

2) Four Strong Winds – Ian Tyson

3) Suzanne – Leonard Cohen

Update: Still thinking………..zzzzzz………..

4)

Penguins

As a native of Toronto, I am only able to enjoy watching hockey when the sad-sack Leafs are not on the ice.

So quite naturally I enjoy the play-offs as a guaranteed Maple Leafs free zone. (Hey MLSE – when you lose me as a fan, you lose me completely) 

Loon Theory is amazed at the skill and competitive spirit shown by Sid Crosby and everyone else on the team and we are now officially backing the Pittsburgh Penguins to beat (probably) Detroit in seven games to win the Stanley Cup.

May Opus look down kindly on Pittsburgh.

 

Updated - Wow. Carolnina is an excellent team but the Pens are explosive. In the last minute of the first period Crosby, Malkin, Guerin  etc, unloaded on the Hurricanes turning a tightly fought 1 – 1 tie into a 3 – 1 lead with two goals in 31 seconds.

Intesity and skill.

No offense to Chicago - I often support the Blackhawks -  but it looks to me as though only Pittsburgh can beat Detroit.

Don Cherry just said no one can beat Detroit if they bring their best game.

Loon Theory has no official position on Don Cherry.

 

Updated -  Eaves laid a nasty elbow on Malkin. No call. Malkin gets a skate in the face, just battered tonight.

Adams just took a shot from the face-off, scoring on the empty net. Amazing.

Pittsburgh seems to have no problem running up the score to 6 -2. Wonder what Don Cherry thinks of this?

Game over. Malkin dominates. Crosby plays an excellent game.

Carolina down 0 -3 in the best four of seven series.

Today’s Loon Theory: Forced Trade

It is neither Fair Trade nor Free Trade but rather Forced Trade wherein markets are opened and forced into existence where they have no natural reason to be.

Markets not based on the needs of the citizens in a region but based instead on convincing the found ”consumer” to buy what the seller happens have for sale.

When done en masse, it is easily mistaken for culture.