04 September 2010
Forough Farrokhzad - In the green lake of summer
In the Green Lake of Summer
In the green lake of summer,
lonelier than a leaf,
with my pack of olden joy,
I slowly ride to the land of void.
In the cold shore of fall,
I gave into the pale shade of pines:
This shade of fleeting loves
This shade of brief laughs
This shaking blind of life…
At nights,
while this down roof, the sad sky, is tapped
by the cold breath of a wandering breeze;
At nights,
when a wide, wounded haze is poured
in the blue lanes of our drained veins;
At nights,
at nights of our intimate meets
with bouncing vibration of our souls
a sore feel of life is heaved
only in pounds of our pulse;
an odd, ailing feel of life.
“The hopeful core of the vales is loaded by painful secrets.”
This saying is carved on firm face of peaks.
This saying is carved by whom that one night
all at once, sliced this constant silence of the mounts
by sharp echo of their truthful shouts.
“I like this calm in the lonely heart of the remains.”
A woman recited this verse,
in the green lake of summer.
A woman rhymed this chant,
with all swings of tides,
a women who occupied for a while,
that deserted deepness of the wild.
She sang:
"We poison each other
with warmth of our every word:
this toxic air of delight of life.
We are scared of the parched song of waft.
We are faded in the dark fright of doubt.
We are shaking, shaking, shaking
in daydreaming nightmare of collapse of roof
on the secret, golden garden of our love."
"Now you are with me,
Now you are with me:
Expanded, spread like fine scent of rose
in neat lanes of dawn.
Now you are with me,
intense on my chest
burning in my hands
fainting, blazing, mad,
all over my curls,
Now I am with you."
"Something,
Something massive of darkness, of shades
Confusing, unclear, vague,
like an onwards hymn of the old days
is rotating, inflating in front of my closing eyes:
I feel being spent, cornered, captured,
far from my lakes,
distant from my boat,
after the final gates…
I feel…scared."
" We had grown on this vain side of turf.
We met with that flying white knight of void,
ruling over all tads of routes."
"We are content, glad and calm.
And we are still, sad and silent.
We are content since we are indeed in love,
We are cheerless because in fact love is doomed."
Translated by Maryam Dilmaghani and appearing on her superb website on Forough Farrokhzad The Sad Little Fairy
03 September 2010
Photo Hunt - Hot
The theme for the week's Photo Hunt is hot Here is a flame spurting from the top of our incinerator. You could feel the heat from a fair distance
Baseej thugs attack opposition leader
I know it hardly comes as a big surprise to read that the Iranian regime's hired thugs are using violence to destroy dissent but they are at it again. This time the target is Mehdi Karroubi
AP reports that Pro-government militiamen attacked Karroubi's home with homemade bombs and beat one of his bodyguards unconscious.
Karroubi has remained a public dissenter — with his car being the target of pro-government mobs several times. But authorities also have directed pressure on Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and former President Mohammad Khatami.Crowds also encircled Karroubi's residence for several hours Friday as Iranians filled Tehran's streets for the annual state-sponsored rally known as Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day.The government uses the occasion as an anti-Israel outpouring and to show its support for the Palestinians. But last year, Karroubi and other opposition leaders marked the day by gathering tens of thousands of their own supporters into the streets, and violent clashes broke out with security forces.
Crowds of hard-line protesters have gathered at the gate of Karroubi's home for several days, apparently because they believed he would try to attend the rally again this year, though none of the opposition leaders has called for demonstrations.
Mousavi condemned the attack on Karroubi's home, saying it proved the government's "enmity against Israel is an excuse" for attacking opposition figures. "Karroubi and figures like him and other freedom-seekers are the real enemies of authoritarians."On Thursday, Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia told the semi-official Fars news agency that police forces would be deployed in several parts of Tehran to maintain security during the rallies. There were no reports Friday of any opposition gatherings.
Maintain security? For that read shoot and beat the shit out of anyone who doesn't support the mullahs and their revolting regime. I still have hope that the regime is thrown into the gutter
02 September 2010
Something to make fellow insomniacs lose more sleep!
According to National Geographic men with chronic insomnia have a higher risk of early death than "normal" male sleepers who get more than six hours sleep
After decades of mixed findings, the new report shows that insomnia is a "serious disease with significant physical consequences, including mortality," said study leader Alexandros N. Vgontzas, director of Penn State University's Sleep Research & Treatment Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Study leader Vgontzas and colleagues randomly selected 741 Pennsylvania men between 20 and 100, with an average age of 50, to participate in the initial phase of the study, between 1990 and 1995.
First, the volunteers identified themselves as either insomniacs or non-insomniacs. Then they spent a night in a sleep lab, where scientists confirmed how long the subjects slept.
By combining the subjects' self reports and the lab data, the team determined that 6 percent of the men had chronic insomnia.
Between 1994 and 1997, the sleep researchers studied a thousand women with a similar age range to the men. The team found that 9 percent of the women had chronic insomnia.
By the time the scientists checked in on the subjects in 2007—14 years later for the men, 10 for the women—51.1 percent of the male chronic insomniacs who slept fewer than six hours a night had died, versus 9.1 percent of the normal male sleepers.
The findings suggest that chronic male insomniacs are four times more likely to die early—even after taking into account risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and sleep apnoea,
There was no such link between insomnia and premature death in women—insomniacs and healthy sleepers both had a mortality rate of just over 2 percent during the study period.
Causes of insomnia are still poorly understood—it may be that some people are just "born poor sleepers," Vgontzas said. But even more mysterious is how to treat the condition.
For instance, insomnia medications are mostly geared toward combating occasional sleeplessness, and psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy don't seem to work for severe insomniacs, he said.
Oh bugger now I’ve got another reason to be awake into the wee small hours!
After decades of mixed findings, the new report shows that insomnia is a "serious disease with significant physical consequences, including mortality," said study leader Alexandros N. Vgontzas, director of Penn State University's Sleep Research & Treatment Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Study leader Vgontzas and colleagues randomly selected 741 Pennsylvania men between 20 and 100, with an average age of 50, to participate in the initial phase of the study, between 1990 and 1995.
First, the volunteers identified themselves as either insomniacs or non-insomniacs. Then they spent a night in a sleep lab, where scientists confirmed how long the subjects slept.
By combining the subjects' self reports and the lab data, the team determined that 6 percent of the men had chronic insomnia.
Between 1994 and 1997, the sleep researchers studied a thousand women with a similar age range to the men. The team found that 9 percent of the women had chronic insomnia.
By the time the scientists checked in on the subjects in 2007—14 years later for the men, 10 for the women—51.1 percent of the male chronic insomniacs who slept fewer than six hours a night had died, versus 9.1 percent of the normal male sleepers.
The findings suggest that chronic male insomniacs are four times more likely to die early—even after taking into account risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and sleep apnoea,
There was no such link between insomnia and premature death in women—insomniacs and healthy sleepers both had a mortality rate of just over 2 percent during the study period.
Causes of insomnia are still poorly understood—it may be that some people are just "born poor sleepers," Vgontzas said. But even more mysterious is how to treat the condition.
For instance, insomnia medications are mostly geared toward combating occasional sleeplessness, and psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy don't seem to work for severe insomniacs, he said.
Oh bugger now I’ve got another reason to be awake into the wee small hours!
From the coughers to the coffers
From the age of 16 until my late 30s I did my bit to raise the Government’s coffers by smoking at least a pack of cigs a day (at one point nearly two packs). It was only the choice between breathing and smoking that made me reconsider my position (and by hell it was a tough decision!). In all that time did Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson, Kenneth Clarke, The Prince of Greyness, , Badger Lamont or Gordon Brown once thank me for paying more tax while reducing the amount of time I would draw a pension?
A typical Chancellor, note the lack of gratefulness...
Russian counterpart Alexei Kudrin has announced increases in duty on alcohol and cigarettes, However the Telegraph reports that he has acknowledged the sterling, nay, STAKHANOVITE efforts of Russian smokers and barflies!
He is reported to have said that that by smoking a pack, “you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates. People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,” he told the Interfax news agency.
Alcohol and cigarette consumption are already extremely high in Russia, where 65 per cent of men smoke and the average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcoholic beverages per year, mainly vodka, according to official statistics.
Duties on cigarettes are among the lowest in Europe, with most brands priced at around 40 roubles (85p) per pack and unfiltered cigarettes selling for much less.
Once again there you have it. Perhaps I should have been awarded at least an MBE for my past services to the Exchequer! Add to that the heroic amounts of alcohol I used to drink, especially while part of the Immigration Service and perhaps it should be upgraded to at least a CBE!
Strange even after the best part of 10 years of not smoking I still think that they float down from heaven on the wings of Cherubim… Until I smell one of the bloody things any way!
A typical Chancellor, note the lack of gratefulness...
Russian counterpart Alexei Kudrin has announced increases in duty on alcohol and cigarettes, However the Telegraph reports that he has acknowledged the sterling, nay, STAKHANOVITE efforts of Russian smokers and barflies!
He is reported to have said that that by smoking a pack, “you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates. People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,” he told the Interfax news agency.
Alcohol and cigarette consumption are already extremely high in Russia, where 65 per cent of men smoke and the average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcoholic beverages per year, mainly vodka, according to official statistics.
Duties on cigarettes are among the lowest in Europe, with most brands priced at around 40 roubles (85p) per pack and unfiltered cigarettes selling for much less.
Once again there you have it. Perhaps I should have been awarded at least an MBE for my past services to the Exchequer! Add to that the heroic amounts of alcohol I used to drink, especially while part of the Immigration Service and perhaps it should be upgraded to at least a CBE!
Strange even after the best part of 10 years of not smoking I still think that they float down from heaven on the wings of Cherubim… Until I smell one of the bloody things any way!
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