They provide loads of humour. Iran’s ‘Friday Prayers Leader’ says no one should interfere in the arrested British sailors issue:
“Britain is an aggressor and Iran has confronted it. Therefore, no third party — neither the United Nations Security Council nor any country — has the right to interfere in the issue. They should be aware that their interference will make the matter more difficult and complicated,” he said.
Addressing Britain and the country’s enemies, the prayers leader said that Iranian border guards will tackle any aggression against Iran’s borders.
How’s that for lum pah (see earlier post about British and Iranian lum pah). AGGRESSOR. ENEMIES. I think it’s funny that in the British press, the claim that the sailors were arrested in Iraqi waters is virtually fact, and in Iran,
“Based on the information obtained from the British Global Positioning System (GPS), the arrested British servicemen themselves admitted to trespassing Iran’s territorial waters,” he added.
Does anyone in Iran really believe the bad propaganda that the sailors have been speaking freely? The Iranian lum pah must be so big they can’t walk.
I don’t talk much about Harry Potter, but I am a fan. Not a rabid fan, I enjoy reading the books and watching the films, but I’m not obsessive about it. I don’t have book seven on pre-order, for example. I’ll wait till Borders is selling off their excess stock to get a bargain.
I’m not looking forward to the series ending, but all good things must. I don’t need to read about a middle-aged Harry trying to organise a has-been life. Although, I must say that I did enjoy reading Sue Townsend’s renditions of Adrian Mole from age 13 and 3/4 to his early middle age (sheer ordinariness has never been so entertaining).
What I find most amusing is other authors being super concerned about Harry’s fate:
U.S. authors John Irving and Stephen King were sufficiently concerned about the fictional hero’s fate to urge Rowling to spare him.
I quote because John Irving is my favourite author in the whole wide revolving world. And I’m glad he likes Harry Potter, too.
Or, why my lum pah* are bigger than yours.
Iran says Britain can only resolve the issue of 15 British personnel arrested and taken to Tehran if they admit they were in Iranian waters. Britain says their GPS data shows they were in Iraqi waters. The Brits are extra cheesed that footage of the personnel was broadcast on Iranian teevee. Iranian officials have since offered British officials access to the sailors.
Craig Murray, a former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan (and very vocal critic of the UK government), says the border between Iranian and Iraqi waters is murky (sorry) at best. And that the border shown in the British evidence was, well, decided by the British government.
So the issue is much more complex than it appears (as if it wasn’t already complex enough). I’d be interested to see what the Iraqi government has to say about where they think the border is. Because surely the border should be a decision made between Iran and Iraq, not Britain. If Britain then turns around to say they have the authority to decide on the border (and I would be FLOORED if they say that), well well.
* Lum pah refers to a man’s testicles.
Jesus H Fucking Christ.
Members of Parliament have voted to give themselves £10,000 each a year to spend on things like websites to boost “public understanding” of Parliament.
The new allowance comes on top of the £20,000 office running costs allowance and £7,000 for pre-paid envelopes.
Holy fuck, all those IT consulting companies must be coming in their pants.
Pardon me for being a little paranoid. I love conspiracy theories, and the prospect of Iran’s Ahmedinejad planning war through secret phone calls with Bush and Blair for some really nefarious reason (oil prices, control through instability, a new Cold War) is truly hair-raising.
The United States is adopting a relatively quiet attitude, perhaps by agreement with London that a strong US position against Iran might not help.
If Iran still shows defiance and won’t let the Brits go, it may be considered casus belli to launch an invasion / rescue mission. The world quakes in its boots, the Senate / Congress gives the Bush administration even more money to prosecute war, elections are delayed, anyone who’s had any contact with Iran is under suspicion (I’m lookin’ at you, Jeff). And so on.
Neil says no one reads them. Here they are. For the major parties, anyway. I can’t be arsed to link to every party standing for election.
Hehe. I wonder if any Singaporean students will dare to be amongst the protesting crowd (earlier), or if they’ll all be too paranoid that they will be photographed and when they go back to Singapore, die die cannot get job.
LKY will probably enjoy it, knowing that these protesters can essentially do fuck all beyond assuaging their conscience. He would HAVE to engage with them if they were in Singapore, challenging them to start their own party or whatever it is he likes to say to people posing uncomfortable questions, but in Australia? He can maintain a dignified silence, rise above the rabble, etc.
OMG. I can vote because I’m from a Commonwealth country and resident in the UK. Now I have to start reading the policies from the other parties (I’ve read and heard enough of the SNP to know they HAVEN’T got my vote because even if it’s bloody time it’s not THEIR bloody time).
Come on, 3 May!
(There a delicious irony about being able to vote in a parliamentary election in a foreign country while I have been eligible to vote in Singapore for a decade but have never had to. Which is why I am relishing the prospect so much.)
Discovered via a commenter on What’s New, Pussycat?