nts: find a title.: 05/29/2005

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Global Voices Online

GVO is the new WikiPedia.
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/

Or, GVO is to journalism what WikiPedia is to libraries.

Reza Pahlavi's Press Conference in Paris

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&amp;amp;y=2005&m=06&d=04&a=2

Saturday, June 04, 2005
Reza Pahlavi's Press Conference in Paris
June 04, 2005
Iran va Jahan

Reza Pahlavi
Translation of Reza Pahlavi's speech (Audio)

Two weeks from now the Islamic Republic of Iran holds its 9th presidential elections. Across the political spectrum, virtually every group, party and persuasion has declared their intent to boycott, not wanting to take part in the elections, realizing that in a theocracy elections are meaningless.

True, there are many countries that cheat in elections, disrespect their own laws and systematically violate rights of their citizens. But there is only one in the entire world whose written constitution, specifically denies that sovereignty belongs to its citizens, instead it awards it to representatives of “God on Earth” who can do with their people and on behalf of their people what ever they please – oppression at home and terrorism abroad. That is why today in Iran, inspite of the aspiration it 50 million youth, the clerical leadership talks about the actual use of a nuclear weapon against another country while its economy nose-dives and social indicators enter the zone of utter desperation.

But, as a Persian proverb says, “There is light at the end of the dark nigh.” (Payane shabe siyah sepideh ast.)

Since the massive disqualification of “reformist” candidates from the 7th Islamic Majles, some 15 months ago, there has been a gathering of political forces, from republicans to constitutional monarchists, from the “left” to the “right” of the Iranian political spectrum to agree on the process whereby Iran can transition from Theocracy to Democracy, from a threat to international peace and security to a contributing partner of free nations.

We will succeed because it is the will of the Iranian people.

However, our request from you, the people of the free world is not to ignore our cry for freedom as you sit down at the negotiating table with our brutal oppressors. We are anxious to see whether, true to your ideals, you emphasize human rights and democracy in Iran or you are content to down grade those ideals as you cut deals on arms and trade.

We will watch, learn and remember.

Why am I posting this?

GoogleBomb for Akbar Ganji

From reporters without borders:
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13356

Akbar Ganji goes on hunger strike : "No one should be imprisoned - not
even for a second - for expressing an opinion."

Journalist Akbar Ganji announced yesterday in a statement issued through
his lawyer, Youssef Molai, that he has begun "an unlimited hunger
strike" to protest against his imprisonment, the Iranian Students' News
Agency (ISNA) reported.

Reporters Without Borders reacted by warning the Iranian authorities
that they will held responsible for any deterioration in his already
poor state of health.

"It is insane that a hunger strike is the only recourse for imprisoned
journalists who are trying to obtain their rights as detainees,
including the right to make phone calls or to be let out of the prison
for short periods," the press freedom organization said. "Ganji's case
is serious because he has not even been able to have the treatment which
is required by his condition and which has been recommended by his doctors."

Ganji said in his statement : "I protest against my illegal and unjust
imprisonment, all the more so because I cannot even pursue my treatment
outside Evin prison. I am beginning an unlimited hunger strike this
evening. No one should be imprisoned - not even for a second - for
expressing an opinion."

Why is this here?
1. To help http://mrbehi.blogs.com/i/2005/05/google_bomb_for.html - a campaign to raise awareness to the case of Akbar Ganji by pushing Google ranking of the story. Which, apart from being a just cause, puts a positive twist on the concept of mass media.

2. As explained in http://regimechangeiran.blogspot.com/ Iran blocks access to any known dissident site. However, they can't block access to all blogs. So, by replicating news items from blocked sites you can help the democratic voices of Iran.

I mean, did you ever think you could do some real good by Blogging?

Friday, June 03, 2005

Friday riddle

Question: what does a NY hairdresser read?

Wow!!!!

yay for Google!

The Summer of Code is Google's program designed to introduce students to
the world of Open Source Software Development.
This Summer, don't let your programming skills lie fallow...Use them for
the greater good of Open Source Software and computer science! Google
will provide a $4500 award to each student who successfully completes an
open source project by the end of the Summer. (payment details can be
found in FAQ)
By pairing applicants up with the proven wisdom and experience of
established prominent open source organizations (listed below), we hope
to make great software happen. If you can't come up with a great idea to
submit, a number of our organizations have made idea lists available.

Literature.org - The Online Literature Library

Friday literary puzzle: where this is from?

It is a subject also of additional interest to the author that this
story was begun in the majestic region where the scene is principally
laid, and in society which cannot cease to be regretted. I passed the
summer of 1816 in the environs of Geneva. The season was cold and rainy,
and in the evenings we crowded around a blazing wood fire, and
occasionally amused ourselves with some German stories of ghosts, which
happened to fall into our hands. These tales excited in us a playful
desire of imitation. Two other friends (a tale from the pen of one of
whom would be far more acceptable to the public than anything I can ever
hope to produce) and myself agreed to write each a story founded on some
supernatural occurrence.

The weather, however, suddenly became serene; and my two friends left me
on a journey among the Alps, and lost, in the magnificent scenes which
they present, all memory of their ghostly visions. The following tale is
the only one which has been completed.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

I still love wikis. But after adding a links to http://www.shovrimshtika.org/
and http://www.machsomwatch.org/ I was banned from the Efrat wikicity, on account of "defacement".

I mean, I thought that when I was patrolling the Judea hills I was giving these people a vital service, and was sure they will be happy to know about the nature of this service.