Iranian Moment: Alireza Sadaghdar and Sadredin Taheri

- Sadredin Taheri - ای یار من

 Album: Hidden Beloved
 Year: 2006
 Country:Iran

 Buy: Ubuntu One ; iTunes;

The lyrics of the song are one of Rumi's poems.
Because of an error the columns are reversed, the order is left to right, sorry for the inconvenience.

ای یار من ای یار من ای یار بی‌زنهار من		ای دلبر و دلدار من ای محرم و غمخوار من
ای در زمین ما را قمر ای نیم شب ما را سحر		ای در خطر ما را سپر ای ابر شکربار من
خوش می روی در جان من خوش می کنی درمان من		ای دین و ای ایمان من ای بحر گوهردار من
ای شب روان را مشعله ای بی‌دلان را سلسله		ای قبله هر قافله ای قافله سالار من
هم رهزنی هم ره بری هم ماهی و هم مشتری		هم این سری هم آن سری هم گنج و استظهار من
چون یوسف پیغامبری آیی که خواهم مشتری		تا آتشی اندرزنی در مصر و در بازار من
هم موسیی بر طور من عیسی هر رنجور من		هم نور نور نور من هم احمد مختار من
هم مونس زندان من هم دولت خندان من		والله که صد چندان من بگذشته از بسیار من
گویی مرا برجه بگو گویم چه گویم پیش تو		گویی بیا حجت مجو ای بنده طرار من
گویم که گنجی شایگان گوید بلی نی رایگان		جان خواهم وانگه چه جان گویم سبک کن بار من
گر گنج خواهی سر بنه ور عشق خواهی جان بده		در صف درآ واپس مجه ای حیدر کرار من

Alireza Sadaghdar

Art is the most magnificent song of creation, transcendent story of love and the most fluent means of expression and communication 

 Official website: http://www.alirezasadaghdar.com

2004 - Autumn

2002 - Awaiting

2012 - Graceful Door

1995 - Heaven's Gate

2001 - Images of Life

2007 - In Tune

1983 - Intimates

1999 - Memories

1984 - Resurrection

1990 - Ring of Affection

Full Iran - 5+1 Agreement Text

Joint Plan of Action

(Iran - 5+1 Geneva Agreement reached on 24 November 2013)

Source: IRNA

Preamble

Zarif (Foreign Minister of Iran) and
Kerry (Secretary of State of USA)

The goal for these negotiations is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iranˈs nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek or develop any nuclear weapons. This comprehensive solution would build on these initial measures and result in a final step for a period to be agreed upon and the resolution of concerns. This comprehensive solution would enable Iran to fully enjoy its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under the relevant articles of the NPT in conformity with its obligations therein. This comprehensive solution would involve a mutually defined enrichment program with practical limits and transparency measures to ensure the peaceful nature of the program. This comprehensive solution would constitute an integrated whole where nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. This comprehensive solution would involve a reciprocal, step-by step process, and would produce the comprehensive lifting of all UN Security Council sanctions, as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iranˈs nuclear program.

There would be additional steps in between the initial measures and the final step, including, among other things, addressing the UN Security Council resolutions, with a view toward bringing to a satisfactory conclusion the UN Security Councilˈs consideration of this matter. The E3+3 and Iran will be responsible for conclusion and implementation of mutual near-term measures and the comprehensive solution in good faith. A Joint Commission of E3/EU+3 and Iran will be established to monitor the implementation of the near-term measures and address issues that may arise, with the IAEA responsible for verification of nuclear-related measures. The Joint Commission will work with the IAEA to facilitate resolution of past and present issues of concern.

Elements of a first step

The first step would be time-bound, with a duration of 6 months, and renewable by mutual consent, during which all parties will work to maintain a constructive atmosphere for negotiations in good faith.

Iran would undertake the following voluntary measures:

* From the existing uranium enriched to 20%, retain half as working stock of 20% oxide for fabrication of fuel for the TRR. Dilute the remaining 20% UF6 to no more than 5%. No reconversion line.

* Iran announces that it will not enrich uranium over 5% for the duration of the 6 months.

* Iran announces that it will not make any further advances of its activities at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (1), Fordow (2), or the Arak reactor (3), designated by the IAEA as IR-40.

* Beginning when the line for conversion of UF6 enriched up to 5% to UO2 is ready, Iran has decided to convert to oxide UF6 newly enriched up to 5% during the 6 month period, as provided in the operational schedule of the conversion plant declared to the IAEA.

* No new locations for the enrichment.

* Iran will continue its safeguarded R&D practices, including its current enrichment R&D practices, which are not designed for accumulation of the enriched uranium.

* No reprocessing or construction of a facility capable of reprocessing.

* Enhanced monitoring:

- Provision of specified information to the IAEA, including information on Iranˈs plans for nuclear facilities, a description of each building on each nuclear site, a description of the scale of operations for each location engaged in specified nuclear activities, information on uranium mines and mills, and information on source material. This information would be provided within three months of the adoption of these measures.

- Submission of an updated DIQ for the reactor at Arak, designated by the IAEA as the IR-40, to the IAEA.

- Steps to agree with the IAEA on conclusion of the Safeguards Approach for the reactor at Arak, designated by the IAEA as the IR-40.

- Daily IAEA inspector access when inspectors are not present for the purpose of Design Information Verification, Interim Inventory Verification, Physical Inventory Verification, and unannounced inspections, for the purpose of access to offline surveillance records, at Fordow and Natanz.

- IAEA inspector managed access to: centrifuge assembly workshops; centrifuge rotor production workshops and storage facilities; and, uranium mines and mills.

In return, the E3/EU+3 would undertake the following voluntary measures:

- Pause efforts to further reduce Iranˈs crude oil sales, enabling Iranˈs current customers to purchase their current average amounts of crude oil. Enable the repatriation of an agreed amount of revenue held abroad. For such oil sales, suspend the EU and U.S. sanctions on associated insurance and transportation services.

- Suspend U.S. and EU sanctions on:
Iranˈs petrochemical exports, as well as sanctions on associated services. (5)
Gold and precious metals, as well as sanctions on associated services.
Suspend U.S. sanctions on Iranˈs auto industry, as well as sanctions on associated services.

· License the supply and installation in Iran of spare parts for safety of flight for Iranian civil aviation and associated services. License safety related inspections and repairs in Iran as well as associated services. (6)

· No new nuclear-related UN Security Council sanctions.

· No new EU nuclear-related sanctions.

· The U.S. Administration, acting consistent with the respective roles of the President and the Congress, will refrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions.

· Establish a financial channel to facilitate humanitarian trade for Iranˈs domestic needs using Iranian oil revenues held abroad. Humanitarian trade would be defined as transactions involving food and agricultural products, medicine, medical devices, and medical expenses incurred abroad. This channel would involve specified foreign banks and non-designated Iranian banks to be defined when establishing the channel.

* This channel could also enable:

a- transactions required to pay Iranˈs UN obligations; and,
b- direct tuition payments to universities and colleges for Iranian students studying abroad, up to an agreed amount for the six month period.

· Increase the EU authorisation thresholds for transactions for non-sanctioned trade to an agreed amount.

Elements of the final step of a comprehensive solution*

The final step of a comprehensive solution, which the parties aim to conclude negotiating and commence implementing no more than one year after the adoption of this document, would:

· Have a specified long-term duration to be agreed upon.

· Reflect the rights and obligations of parties to the NPT and IAEA Safeguards Agreements.

· Comprehensively lift UN Security Council, multilateral and national nuclear-related sanctions, including steps on access in areas of trade, technology, finance, and energy, on a schedule to be agreed upon.

· Involve a mutually defined enrichment program with mutually agreed parameters consistent with practical needs, with agreed limits on scope and level of enrichment activities, capacity, where it is carried out, and stocks of enriched uranium, for a period to be agreed upon.

· Fully resolve concerns related to the reactor at Arak, designated by the IAEA as the IR-40. No reprocessing or construction of a facility capable of reprocessing.

· Fully implement the agreed transparency measures and enhanced monitoring. Ratify and implement the Additional Protocol, consistent with the respective roles of the President and the Majlis (Iranian parliament).

· Include international civil nuclear cooperation, including among others, on acquiring modern light water power and research reactors and associated equipment, and the supply of modern nuclear fuel as well as agreed R&D practices.

Following successful implementation of the final step of the comprehensive solution for its full duration, the Iranian nuclear program will be treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT.

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(1) Namely, during the 6 months, Iran will not feed UF6 into the centrifuges installed but not enriching uranium. Not install additional centrifuges. Iran announces that during the first 6 months, it will replace existing centrifuges with centrifuges of the same type.

(2) At Fordow, no further enrichment over 5% at 4 cascades now enriching uranium, and not increase enrichment capacity. Not feed UF6 into the other 12 cascades, which would remain in a non-operative state. No interconnections between cascades. Iran announces that during the first 6 months, it will replace existing centrifuges with centrifuges of the same type.

(3) Iran announces on concerns related to the construction of the reactor at Arak that for 6 months it will not commission the reactor or transfer fuel or heavy water to the reactor site and will not test additional fuel or produce more fuel for the reactor or install remaining components.

(4) Consistent with its plans, Iranˈs centrifuge production during the 6 months will be dedicated to replace damaged machines.

(5) ˈSanctions on associated servicesˈ means any service, such as insurance, transportation, or financial, subject to the underlying U.S. or EU sanctions applicable, insofar as each service is related to the underlying sanction and required to facilitate the desired transactions. These services could involve any non-designated Iranian entities.

(6) Sanctions relief could involve any non-designated Iranian airlines as well as Iran Air.

* With respect to the final step and any steps in between, the standard principle that ˈnothing is agreed until everything is agreedˈ applies.ˈ

Thoughts

This agreement is truly a historic landmark moment because it validates, for all the world to see, Iran's increased power and influence in the region and around the globe. Ahmadinejad's strong will and impressive courage in the face of an almost unbeatable foe offered time for an unprecedented leap in scientific development. Rouhani's current presidential administration will apparently focus on Iran's soft power, promoting it's values in a degrading world and spreading justice and faith to all those in need, this is Iran's mission in the world.

Late Night Post #8

Earth Could Not Answer - by Adelaide Hanscom (1875-1931)

  - by Mohammad Reza Shajarian

This meadow is our happiness just today,
but who will play in the meadow of our dust?

Omar Khayyam

چون ابر به نوروز رخ لاله بشست

بر خیز و به جام باده کن عزم درست

کاین سبزه که امروز تماشا گه توست

فردا همه از خاک تو بر خواهد رست

ابر آمد و زار بر سر سبزه گریست

بی بادۀ گلرنگ نمیشاید زیست

این سبزه که امروز تماشا گه ماست

تا سبزۀ خاک ما تماشا گه کیست

Reference:
Omar Khayyam; the hedonist; the mystic ;the heretic ;the sufi by Sophia Khan
Quatrain 6 by Barney Rickenbacker


Late Night Though

Many years ago I had the habit of walking alone at night through the most obscure of places and through some unexplained innocence I felt protected from any kind of harm. All I had with me was a small poetry book, a CD player and an old mobile phone. During those walks I wrote down my thoughts in the phone in the form of verses, I was in a bubble floating through the streets, I was observing but unperceived. Moments of pure madness in which I declared myself a refugee, a rebel in a world of illusions, a soul forever in conflict with diversions.

Time passed and that teenage rebellion morphed into a strong desire to learn and to know God. Slowly, I was forced to accept this world's cold embrace and bow down to her will. Wherever you go, God is with you.  

Passing Thought: Man

by Lesser Ury (1922)

I know his thoughts,
his eyes are mine.
I see his life
flow down with time.
This is our joy
of breathing the air
of lies, we are
the night.

                           Lyrics / اشعار: 
(Soheil Nafisi - Oh, Human! from the album Rira)

آی آدم ها که بر ساحل, نشسته شاد و خندانید
یک نفر در آب, دارد می سپارد جان
یک نفر دارد, که دست و پای دائم می زند, روی این دریای تند و تیره و سنگین
آی آدم ها که بر ساحل بساط دلگشا دارید!
نان به سفره, جامه تان بر تن
یک نفر در آب می خواند شما را
موجِ سنگین را به دستِ خسته می کوبد
باز می دارد دهان با چشمِ از وحشت دریده
سایه هاتان را ز راهِ دور دیده
آب را بلیعده در گود کبود و هر زمان بی تابیَش افزون
می کند زین آب ها بیرون گاه سر گاه پا
آی آدم ها
او ز راه دور این کهنه جهان را باز می پاید
می زند فریاد و امیدِ کمک دارد
آی آدم ها که رویِ ساحل آرام, در کار تماشائید!
موج می کوبد به رویِ ساحل خاموش
پخش می گردد چنان مستی به جای افتاده بس مدهوش
می رود نعره زنان وین بانگ, باز از دور, می آید:
آی آدم ها

Late Night Post #7

Chinese representation of Fu Xi by an anonymous artist.

Lei Qiang - The Flickering of the Candle Flame
Chinese music might  be somewhat of an acquired taste for some so be patient, give it time and it will grow on you.

Life is a gift, however this gift is reserved for a few, lucky enough to be born under more auspicious circumstances than others. For the vast majority life is a challenge, a contest, a fight for survival and so they made their philosophies and religions accordingly. In my short existence, till now, I have made a few conclusions which I would like to share with those who care. Trust is most often a Trojan horse and maybe that's why people tend to place their trust in the most "nonhuman" places like trust in God, trust in science, trust in philosophy and so on. A divinity, universal and personal at the same time, a concept or a branch of human activity and even objects end up with our trust more often than other humans or even ourselves.

Novalis, Marx, Lenin were all right when they said in their own ways that religion is like opium for the people. However I tend do disagree on the actual significance of such a statement, as I have seen, without a religion to either dominate through fear or enlighten through example, humans are indeed the most savage animals on this planet, it is simple as that, it's in our nature.  We bring destruction to ourselves but we don't see, actually it's even worse, we tend to seek dark and muddy places because the actual concept of enlightenment is very distant from most of us.

For me it's hard to see suffering and violence because it's all based on lies, on suspicions or on misunderstandings, greed and power. People dying for what... for nothing. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or not, the story of why and how Christ was crucified is the story of our species, the story of the few that have to live in a world of savages, divine grace can only do so much when it comes to the wickedness of man.

Art should be the creation of a well balanced mind and a worm soul like that of ancient Chinese scholars who used to retire in the mountains, often alone, and painted only to express their spiritual experiences and philosophical ideas (Dao), like they also did with music. Antiquity, generally, viewed art as it truly should be viewed, now we live in a world where this form of expression is with nothing less different from the cinema in the book "Brave New World", an experience for the senses packed with action and grotesque emotional drives. This is the art for the masses. While some artists try to uplift people, most like to see others dance in their slime, they usually are the stars because the "people in the markets" simply love them. As I have stated in past articles, I don't place myself apart from the "people in the markets", however I have glanced at better things and I have faith.

This site was planed to galvanize people around a few simple ideas and grow from there into a community of men and women who seek God and want to understand and help others to understand. God can stand for enlightenment, for inner peace, generally understood as opposing ignorance. During these years I have indeed met great people who helped me in my journey and I hope that I was a good influence to at least one of you. I apologize for my shortcomings. This being said I plan to take some time off from writing, maybe if conditions will prove favorable I will someday return. All the best to you all.

Passing Thought: Synthetic Meat

The first synthetic meat burger has been cooked and eaten, what next? While most people are arguing whether this type of food is healthy and others imagine it will end hunger once it's price will be drastically lowered, some think this technology will prove more useful in space exploration. NASA has been experimenting with this technology for some time, however the pioneers of synthetic foods are the Russians. Seeing how the US no longer has an active manned space exploration program, Russia, China and private projects like Mars One will most likely pick up on the technology and ultimately put it into practice.

Late Night Post #6

  Music: Crown of Thorns - Pictures

There is a deep void of spiritual and intellectual understanding of the world, acting like a black hole engulfing everything in its vicinity. Apparently this situation is not limited to our time, from Confucius to Nietzsche the vast majority of scholars agree that when it comes to the "people in the market" there aren't many things you can expect. I'm one of them from time to time, like most of us, we can't actually break free from ourselves and self-overcoming can only do so much.

Our lives are centered around technology, our education is mostly centered around technology and this wouldn't be a bad thing if it wouldn't neglect spiritual development. Through this spiritual aspect I understand both religious education and philosophy, helping everyone develop in their own way and own pace. Less standardization and more efficient usage of man's capabilities. The most difficult aspect of this reform would be finding all the right teachers. We are so busy with building better machines that we have stopped ourselves from climbing to our own heights, we are even contemplating falling in a valley of emotional hypocrisy and violence.

[Crown of Thorns was a Canadian New Wave / Synth-Pop band, the song is from 1983]

Late Night Post #5

Strange ways by Mikko Lagerstedt

-  Сиануквиль by СПЛИН 

There are some who think they are the bearers of the ultimate truth, their opinions transforming into unshakable certainties and with any occasion, compelled to give the final verdict. Sick people, people who regard their mirror image as the source of everything, their essence, a child of countless trivialities. This place should only be regarded as a stepping stone across the river of trivialities, find inside yourself that place which will set you free and keep it secret.

Passing Thought: Atomic Age

The flower's blossoming is faster than her withering, her colors never cease to change. Sparks fly around me and grow through me. Here I am, in Chernobyl, drinking a cup of tea as my throat is slowly burning.

The Whistles of Revolution

At the moment we have an evil witch and everyone knows she's evil but nobody dares to confront her. Edward Snowden's actions didn't only show the extent of the illegal American global surveillance but also clearly proved that the United States of America are not a partner of dialogue, instead they demand and the rest must deliver. This is exactly what happens when too much power is concentrated in the hands of a few, leads to abuses and corruption. Thanks to Snowden we know which governments bow down to threats and what governments stand up for their people and for principles like justice and liberty. Sadly the outcome is far from the expected one.

"On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic 'wheeling and dealing' over my case. Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the president ordered his vice president to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions. This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me." - Edward Snowden

This is not the first time when Obama lied in the most brutal and disgusting manner. Related only to this case I would like to remind you about a time when he ran for office under his "Change" motto and among all the points he had a "Project Whistleblower", what could that be?

"Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process. " - Barack Hussein Obama campaign

As it turns out, yet again, Obama apparently underwent a fundamental shift in his consciousness once he saw himself in the Oval Office, could he be suffering from multiple personalities and only now his evil twin took control or is he a look-alike propped by the financial ruling elite?

For me, the fact that the NSA, CIA, FBI (and the rest) are going through incredible amounts of data snooped from unsuspecting citizens didn't came as a shock (in Communist countries it was normal), what actually shocked me was that Snowden revealed to the American nation that they are one of the main targets of this surveillance program and no mass protests are being planned. This is exactly the case of totalitarian and autocratic states where the governing "elite" consider themselves to be superior from the rest of the people and in many ways have reasons to fear them.  But this surely can't be the case... America is the land of liberty and justice for all, the birthplace of modern democracy, the land of the free,  the last bastion of humanity, the human rights protector, the policeman of the world... such bullshit. I recommend we take Obama's example and while reading thing like "land of liberty and justice" understand "cesspit of prisons and injustice", and "land of the free" consider it as "land of the sheeple".

European media and some European politicians have begun making waves over this scandal after evidence that EU diplomats have been (are) under NSA surveillance. I don't know if they are acting freely and truthfully or are just acting in order to show that they are doing something and in this way tempering popular reaction. Just like in totalitarian systems, where the few need to control the many,  the few in charge of America have to know that their European colleagues are eating from their hands, meaning that they can be blackmailed.

When Snowden arrived in the Moscow airport and the US began pressures on Russia to hand him over and Putin gently refused, I immediately came out and supported Putin over his position, funny enough, even his opposition gave him credit for that. However, Putin's condition for Snowden that he will be permited to stay in Russia if he stops harming America (a declaration that came after Rafael Correa said the ball is in Putin's court) is disappointing but also intriguing.

I would like to end with a quote:

“No matter how many more days my life contains, I remain dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world." - Edward Snowden

We are with you Snowden, you fight in our name and we will not forget and we will not forgive.

Late Night Post #4

Josh Garrells - Resistance

We, the ones that choose not to dance their dance choose to be alive, through our resistance let's be free and liberate.

Noi, cei care alegem să nu intrăm în hora lor să alegem să fim vii, prin rezistența noastră să fim liberi și să eliberăm. 

 کسانی که رقصیدن رقص انها انتخاب نمی کنیم زنده بودن انتخاب می کنیم بواسطه مخالفت ازاد هستیم و ازاد کردن

---

Now it seems more then ever that the human mind became a precious target for various groups, there's a great weight on your shoulders, it's the need for you to free yourself. Even if inertia continues to liberate people from their constraining minds which seems to have followed us like a shadow, at least in Europe and it's colonies, obstacles stop most people somewhere in the middle. Partially awakened they have an incomplete understanding of events and so can easily fall in the traps of a world built on illusions. My intention is not to throw dirt on religions and philosophies because these are our keys to the cells, it may be a paradox for some, but our freedom lies within them. All we have to change in our mind is the way in which it functions, we must give her the power to search, search for a way.

Recent events and the reactions people had to them made me think of how low the level of perception is for the population of the world. I'm talking about the perception of life, the exoteric and esoteric aspects of it. Surprisingly, the people consider educated have not escaped this plague or maybe they're just cowards.

Two people however instantly come to mind as heroes in their own ways, Chomsky and Hawking. God bless them, even if, ironically, they don't believe.

---

Acum parcă mai mult ca oricând mintea umană a devenit o țintă prețioasă a diferitelor grupuri, asupra umerilor tăi se află o mare povară, e obligația de a te elibera. Însă chiar dacă există o inerție în eliberarea oamenilor de gândirea constrângătoare ce parcă ne-a urmărit ca o umbră, cel puțin în Europa și în coloniile ei, obstacolele îi opresc pe mulți la jumătatea drumului. Parțial treziți din somnul lor, ei înțeleg lucrurile pe jumătate și pot cădea ușor în capcanele unei lumi ridicată din iluzii. Intenția mea nu este să arunc în religii și filosofii cu noroi fiindcă, paradoxal pentru unii, eliberarea noastră se găsește în ele. Tot ce trebuie să schimbăm în mintea noastră este modul în care ea funcționează, să îi dăm acesteia curiozitatea și libertatea să caute.

Evenimente recente și reacția publicului la ele m-au făcut să mă gândesc în mod serios la nivelul îngrozitor de scăzut al percepției pe care populația lumii o posedă. Este vorba de o percepție a vieții, a exteriorului și al interiorului nostru și în mod surprinzător, cei pe care îi considerăm elită intelectuală nu au niciun cuvând de spus, sunt oare ignoranți sau sunt doar lași?

Totuși, un interviu cu Cristian Tudor Popescu m-a făcut să-l apreciez cum nu credeam vreodată, există și speranță.

Passing Thought: Path

You've traded your chains for handcuffs and now you pride yourself to others while they look at you with envy, there is a way for all of us however few have the courage to walk their untraveled path.

Ți-ai schimbat lanțurile pentru cătușe, bucuros le porți prin mulțime și mulțimea te invidiază, există o cale pentru toți însă puțini au curajul să meargă pe un drum neumblat.

زنجیرهایی تو از دستبندهای سرد تبدیل کرده ای. سربلند می شوی وآنها حسادت می کنند. یک راه برای همه مردم است اما چند از آنها تجاعت دارند روی راه آنها بروند

Finished reading "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", including the daunting forth part.  Assimilating the text was harder then I anticipated mainly because I approached the work with distrust (a distrust on my apparent understanding of it) based on the long tradition of misunderstanding Nietzsche with special attention to the idea of "Overman", as it might of been obvious, and to Nietzsche's perception of humans with their society and culture.

Late Night Post #3

"The Train" by Andy Pulmer

"Remembrance" by Delerium, "Karma" 1994

Watching them I see myself. Fearful, patient like in an almost abandoned station; the train will surely come, they don't know when, what happens here, ephemeral like the rest.

Maybe that`s why we invented dances, so we can dance while we wait, maybe that's why we created music so we can have something to dance to, let's see the world through art, through the eyes of dices thrown on tarot cards while sipping from a cup of coffee in the morning light.

There`s no such thing as depth, there are only surface cuts in varying degrees, yet they believe they've seen the deepest depths.

---

Privindu-i mă văd pe mine. Temători, răbdători ca într-o gară aproape abandonată; trenul cu siguranță vine, ei nu știu când, ce se-ntâmplă aici, efemer ca restul.

Poate de aceea am inventat dansul, să dansăm cât așteptăm, poate de aceea am creat muzica, să avem pe ce dansa, să vedem lumea prin artă, prin ochii zarurilor aruncate pe cărți de tarot la o ceașcă de cafea.

Nu există profunzime, există doar tăieturi pe suprafată mai adânci sau mai fine însă ei se cred în adâncimi.

Late Night Post #2

Fragment from "Outstanding in the field" by Anna Keibler

Kerogen - "Sirens"

I watch the sky change its color into gray and how the sun transforms into a piece of coal, our attraction for degradation has been deeply seeded in us until it climbed to the rank of religion.

Our search for meanings often leads us to tough conclusions, the understanding of them we can not guarantee. How lucky are the ones who live in simplicity, they don't have reasons to burden themselves with all the shades of color. Anything, in theory, has an infinity of ways in which to be viewed, perceived and understood and trying to see everything as a whole can get you lost; but if you can unlock the locks then you will become someone else, maybe better.

What is a pen? It can be a weapon in the hand of those who see only its sharpness and who have in their soul the need for freedom or revenge. The man in front of you, what is he? Is he an animal, a gift, an accident or maybe he's what you want him to be. 

---

Privesc la cer cum devine gri și soarele se transformă-ntr-un cărbune, atracția față de degradare este adânc sădită în noi, până la rangul de religie a ajuns să se ridice.

Căutarea noastră pentru semnificații ne duce adesea către concluzii grele, pentru a căror înțelegere nu putem garanta că suntem pregătiți. Cât de norocoși sunt cei ce trăiesc în simplitate, nu au de ce să se-ngreuneze cu atâtea nuanțe de culori. Orice lucru are, teoretic, o infinitate de moduri de a fi văzut, receptat, înțeles iar căutând să vezi totul în ansamblu riști să te pierzi; dar dacă reușești să desfaci lacătele, vei deveni altcineva, poate mai bun.

Ce este un stilou? Poate să fie și o armă albă în mâna celui care-i vede numai ascuțimea și are-n suflet dorinta de libertatea sau răzbunarea. Omul din fața ta ce este, e un animal, un dar, o întâmplare sau poate e ceea ce vrei tu sa fie.

Late Night Post #1

Scene from Equilibrium.

- Music: Nu - Man o to (Persian for "Me and You")

We surround ourselves with ideas, concepts and opinions, we carefully study other
people's thoughts till we consider ourselves experts but it could all be just a wall raised around our souls.

Or, maybe, these ideas and intellectual endeavors have the purpose of lifting us higher by opening doors toward knowledge or just by giving us examples which to copy either knowingly or unknowingly. Maybe even what we want, what we search for (if indeed we search for something) are things seeded by accident, by chance or through the will of someone else. So, who are we, who am I and who are you? Could we be the prisoners of concepts and ideas or can we consider ourselves free and above any kind of destiny. Ultimately, the things I wrote here are themselves ideas which I will not assume as mine.

When it rains is a time I like the most, I open the window and listen, there isn't a happier moment than rediscovering yourself in every drop of rain.

---

Ne înconjurăm cu idei, gânduri, concepte și păreri, studiem atenți anumite domenii și devenim experți, dar totul este ca o armură pe care o croim în jurul sufletelor noastre.

Sau, poate, aceste idei și strădanii intelectuale ale semenilor au drept scop să ne înalțe și pe noi la nivelul lor, fie copiindu-i conștient sau inconștient, fie deschizandu-ne porți către cunoaștere. Poate până și ceea ce dorim, ce căutăm, ne-a fost cumva însămânțat in mințile noastre de copii prin cine știe ce accidente, întâmplări sau din voința altora. Așadar, cine suntem noi, cine sunt eu și cine ești tu? Suntem oare prizonierii unor concepte și idei sau putem sa ne considerăm liberi, deasupra oricărui destin. Până la urmă și cele ce le-am scris aici sunt doar idei pe care nu mi le pot însuși însă am vazut cum s-au copt de-a lungul zilei și am considerat util să le împărtășesc cu voi.

Cel mai mult îmi place când plouă și deschid larg geamul și ascult, nu există lucru mai frumos ca a te regăsi în stropii de ploaie.

Overview of Caravaggio's Christian Art

Sometime in the early 13th century, between 1227 and 1234 [1], a liturgical drama was composed now known as "The Play of Daniel" (Ludus Danielis). Out of several versions only one survived complete with musical notation and that is the version from Beauvais.  The play dates back to ~1140 [2]. What you are listening to now is only a small part of it but the part which in my opinion clearly stands out from the rest because of its unforeseen power. How much of the original composition was altered, maybe none, maybe a lot, I don't know, but this does not alter the experience of hearing it.



I doubt Caravaggio would of had the chance to listen to this song, but who can know such things. Born as Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1571 studied in Naples under Simone Peterzano, he remainde in the history of art a very intriguing character and an exceptional painter who had a formative influence on Baroque painting. His biography is quite entertaining in the sense that he was a veritable rock star of his time, if I could say so and apparently I can.  Among the highlights of his eccentric behavior I can remember that he used a well known prostitute as his model for St Mary and that he killed a man. He died in 1610. He didn't have many years of painting but what he eventually painted is truly art at its highest. I don't know what his painting habits were but I don't think he was following the method used by Byzantine painters while working on their icons, immersed in prayer. This being said it is safe to assume that many of his religious works are not entirely religios, meaning that they also have roots in his personal life, in fact there are studies done on this which I am sure you can find on the web.

1600 - The Calling of Saint Matthew - 322x340 - Contarelli Chapel

1600 - The Martyrdom of St Matthew - 323x343 - Contarelli Chapel

1601 - Supper at Emmaus - National Gallery London

1602 - St John the Baptist (Youth with Ram) - 129x94 - Pinacoteca Capitolina Rome

1602 - Taking of Christ - 134x170 - National Gallery of Ireland Dublin

1602 - The Incredulity of Saint Thomas - Schloss Sanssouci Potsdam

1602 - The Sacrifice of Isaac - Galleria degli Uffizi Florence

1606 - St Francis in Meditation - 128x97 - Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica Rome

1607 - David with the Head of Goliath - 91x116 - Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

1608 - Beheading of Saint John the Baptist - 361x520 - La Valletta

1609 - Nativity with St Francis and St Lawrence - 268x197

1609 - The Raising of Lazarus - 380x275 - Museo Regionale Messina

1609 - The Annunciation - Musee des Beaus-Arts Nancy

1610 - David with the Head of Goliath - 125x101 - Galleria Borghese Rome

[1] according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music
[2] according to wikipedia

Emil Cioran | امیل چیوران | Эмиль Чоран

While men are haunted by the memory of paradise,

angels are tormented by longing for this world.

	امیل چیوران، فیلسوف رومانیایی است که در ۱۹۱۱ متولد شد , و در ۱۹۹۵ درگذشت . آنچه که در نوشته او را ببینم یک ذهن روشن است که از طریق یک زبان شخصی شاعرانه و گاهی اوقات خنده دار و طنزیتصویر از جهان ما را توصیف که مانند تعداد کمی از ما، می توانیم دیدن بدون حجاب که چشم و ذهن ما را پوشش می دهد

My first serious encounter with Cioran's work was during high-school (lyceum). It all started with my sister giving me a couple of books by Romanian writers, among which was Cioran. These books stayed in the shelf for a couple of weeks before I began to read them, after that, everything changed.

Reading him was unlike anything else prior to that because I found in his books many of the same thoughts and feelings that made me prefer being alone and contemplating. Cioran's style is very personal, poetic and witty if compared with his contemporaries which makes it a much more organic reading experience, where thoughts and images flow like streams through valleys, cutting through mountains.

Ceea ce văd în scrierile sale este o minte limpede care printr-un limbaj personal, poetic și ocazional glumeț și ironic ne descrie o imagine a acestei lumi cum puțini dintre noi mai putem să o vedem, spulberând voalul ce ne acoperă ochii și mintea.

Pessimism is not what I see in his writing, I see a clear mind showing the hypocrisy in which we live, the lies we happily tell ourselves everyday in order to survive our routines and the simple truths that we often fail to perceive.

I started my series of "People" with Emil Cioran because he made me question the way in which I look at things, and in the same time gave me confidence when I needed it the most. What I admire in him is that he opened his heart, not only his mind and his questions regarding our existence and our struggle here have an origin deep inside himself, maybe in the soul.

Apocalypse

fragment from "On the Heights of Despair" (1934)
Persian version from http://www.outofharmony.com/

دلم می‌خواهد یک روز مردم را ببینم، پیر و جوان، خوشحال یا غمگین، زن و مرد، متأهل یا مجرد، جدی یا سبک‌سر، [روزی که مردم] خانه‌ها و کارهای‌شان را رها کنند، از وظایف و مسئولیت‌هایشان‌ چشم‌پوشند، در خیابان‌ها جمع شوند و دیگر از انجام هر کاری سر باز زنند. آن وقت بگذاریم اسیرانِ کارهای پوچ که زیر لوای وهمِ شومِ محض رضای بشیریت حضور داشته‌اند و برای نسل‌های بعدی رنج کشیده‌اند، انتقام خود را از میان‌مایگی پوچ و عقیم زندگی، و از زوائد عظیمی که هرگز جواز تغییر شکل معنوی را نداده‌‌اند، بگیرند. آن وقت، زمانی که تمامی ایمان و تسلیم از دست می‌رود، بگذاریم زرق و برق زندگی میان‌مایه یک بار و برای همیشه فروپاشد. بگذاریم آنهایی که بی‌صدا رنج می‌برند، و حتی به شکایت ناله‌ای نمی‌کنند، با تمام توان‌شان فریاد برکشند، غریوی ناآشنا و رعب‌انگیز و بدآهنگ برسازند تا خاک را برآشوبد. بگذاریم آب‌ها سریع‌تر جاری شوند و کوه‌ها هراس‌انگیزتر بجنبند، درختان ریشه‌های‌شان را همچون یک رسوایی ابدی و وقیح، عریان سازند، مرغان همچون کلاغان قار قار سردهند و جانوارن از ترس و خستگی متفرق شوند. بگذاریم آرمان‌ها بی‌اعتبار، باورها کم‌بهاء، هنر ناراست و فلسفه یک شوخی اعلام شود. بگذاریم همه‌چیزی در اوج و قهقرا باشد. بگذاریم کلوخ‌های خاک به هوا پرتاب شوند و در باد فروپاشند. بگذاریم گیاهان در آسمان، اسلیمی‌های غیرمتعارف و هراس‌انگیز و بد ترکیب برسازند. بگذاریم لهیب آتش به سرعت بپراکند و همهمه‌ای هراس‌انگیز همه چیز را دربر گیرد تا حتی کوچک‌ترین حیوان نیز دریابد که پایان نزدیک است. بگذاریم هر ترکیبی، بی‌شکل شود و آشوب، بنیاد جهان را در گردابی عظیم فرو بلعد. بگذاریم دهشت و تخریب و همهمه و هیاهویی مهیب باشد و بعد بگذاریم سکوتی ابدی و فراموشی مطلق باشد. و در این واپسین لحظه، بگذاریم تمامی بشریت که تاکنون امید، افسوس، عشق، یأس و کینه را احساس کرده ‌‌است، با چنین نیرویی که چیزی از پی‌اش باقی نمی‌ماند، ‌نابود شود. آیا چنین لحظه‌ای پیروزی فنا و واپسین عروج به نیستی نخواهد بود؟

How I would love one day to see all people, young and old, sad or happy, men and women, married or not, serious or superficial leave their homes and their work places, relinquish their duties and responsibilities, gather in the streets and refuse to do anything anymore. At that moment, let slaves to senseless work, who have been toiling for future generations under the dire delusion that they contribute to the good of humanity, avenge themselves on the mediocrity of a sterile and insignificant life, on the tremendous waste that never permitted spiritual transfiguration. At that moment, when all faith and resignation are lost, let the trappings of ordinary life burst once and for all. Let those who suffer silently, not even uttering a sigh of complaint, yell with all their might, making a strange, menacing, dissonant clamor that would shake the earth. Let the waters flow faster and the mountains sway threateningly, the trees show their roots like an eternal and hideous reproach, the birds croak like ravens, and the animals scatter in fright and fall from exhaustion. Let ideals be declared void; beliefs, trifles; art, a lie; and philosophy, a joke. Let everything be climax and anticlimax. Let lumps of earth leap into the air and crumble in the wind; let plants make strange arabesques, frightful and distorted shapes, in the sky Let wildfires spread rapidly and a terrifying noise drown out everything so that even the smallest animal would know that the end is near. Let all form become formless, and chaos swallow the structure of the world in a gigantic maelstrom. Let there be tremendous commotion and noise, terror, and explosion, and then let there be eternal silence and total forgetfulness. And in those final moments, let all that humanity has felt until now, hope, regret, love, despair, and hatred, explode with such force that nothing is left behind. Would not such moments be the triumph of nothingness and the final apotheosis of nonbeing

Marturisiri și Anateme 

fragmente 

- 1987 -

Omul nu este mulțumit că este om. Dar nu știe la ce

 să revină și nici cum să reintegreze o stare ce nu i-a lăsat vreo 

amintire distinctă. Nostalgia acelei stări constituie fondul 

ființei sale și este puntea dintre el și ceea ce, în el, 

rămâne din vârsta lui străveche.

Să devorezi biografie după biografie ca să te convingi și 

mai bine de zădărnicia oricărei făptuiri, a oricărui destin. 

Cea mai bună dovadă că individa este universală - faptul

 că ea răbufnește chiar și la nebuni în scurtele lor 

răstimpuri de luciditate. 

De fiecare dată când văd un vagabond beat, murdar, 

cu privirile rătăcite, împuțit, prăvălit cu sticla lui la

 marginea trotuarului, parcă-l văd pe omul de mâine 

încercând să-și atingă țelul și reușind.

The Trouble (disadvantage of) With Being Born

fragments 
click for more

- 1973 -

DURING the centuries, man tried his best to believe, he passed

 from dogma to dogma, from one delusion to another and reserved

 very little time for doubts, short respites between his periods of

 blindness. Properly speaking, those were not doubts, but

 interruptions, moments of rest, that followed the weariness

 of belief, of any belief.

YOU don't envy the ones that have the power to pray, while

 you are filled with malice against property owners, against 

those that know wealth and glory. It is strange that you live

 with the redemption of another, but not with the passing 

advantages that he can enjoy.

All my life, I have lived with the feeling that I have been kept

 from my true place. If the expression "metaphysical exile" had 

no meaning, my existence alone would afford it one.

As art sinks into paralysis, artists multiply. This anomaly ceases

to be one if we realize that art, on its way to exhaustion, has

 become both impossible and easy.

Quran 001:002-007

Verses

2. [ro] Laudă lui Allah, al lumilor Stăpânitor
[en] All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Universe;
ستایش مخصوص خداوندی است که پروردگار جهانیان است.
[ru] Хвала Аллаху, Господу миров,

[ge] Lob sei Gott, dem Herrn der Welten,

3. Cel Milostiv, Îndurător,
the Beneficent, the Merciful;
(خداوندی که) بخشنده و بخشایشگر است
Милостивому, (и) Милосердному
Dem Erbarmer, dem Barmherzigen,

4. În Ziua de Apoi Stăpânul Cârmuitor,
Lord of the Day of Judgement.
(خداوندی که) مالک روز جزاست
(Единственному) Царю [Правителю] Дня Воздаяния!
Der Verfügungsgewalt besitzt über den Tag des Gerichtes!

5. Numai pe Tine Te adorăm, numai la Tine cerem ajutor,
You alone we worship, and to You alone we turn for help.
تنها تو را می‌پرستیم؛ و تنها از تو یاری می‌جوییم
Тебе мы служим  и  к Тебе обращаемся за помощью
Dir dienen wir, und Dich bitten wir um Hilfe.

6. Pe drumul drept Tu fii-ne Călăuzitor,
Guide us to the straight path:
ما را به راه راست هدایت کن
Веди (Ты) нас Прямым Путем,
Führe uns den geraden Weg,

7. [ro] Drumul celor cu care fost-ai Tu dăruitor, nu al celor pe care Tu Te-ai mâniat, nici al rătăciților.
[en] the path of those You have blessed; not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
راه کسانی که آنان را مشمول نعمت خود ساختی؛ نه کسانی که بر آنان غضب کرده‌ای؛ و نه گمراهان.[fa]
[ru] Путем тех, которых Ты благом одарил, (а) не (путем) тех, которые под (Твоим) гневом, и не (путем) заблудших.
[ge] Den Weg derer, die Du begnadet hast, die nicht dem Zorn verfallen und nicht irregehen.

Words

- Laudă - Praise - ستایش - Хвала - Lob
- Lumi (pl.) - Worlds (plural of "world"; in this translation "world" is translated as "universe") - جهانیان (plural of "جهان") - миров (plural of "мир") - der Welten (plural of "die Welt")
- Stăpânul ("Stăpânitor" in the verse, "stăpân" is the dictionary form and can be interchengable with "domn", depending on the context) - Lord - پروردگار - Господу (Dative form of "Господ") - dem Herrn (obviously also in the Dative case)
- Ziua de Apoi - Day of Judgement - روز جزا - Дня Воздаяния - den Tag des Gerichtes!
- drumul drept - straight path - راه راست - Прямым Путем - den geraden Weg
- mânie - wrath - غضب - гневом ("гнев", dictionary form, masculine, has no plural) - dem Zorn ("der Zorn" dictionary form)
- rătăcit - (those who have gone) astray - گمراهان - заблудших ("заблу" is the dictionary form, "to lose one's way") - irregehen ("gehen" = to go ; "Irren" = to be wrong ; "irr" = lunatic, mad). 

Meanings

For this section I based my analasys mostly on the commentaries of Ali Unal, Turkish author, member of the Gülen movement. We can look at this Sura as having two parts (could also be considered three), it seems that God, through the prophet said “The half of al-Fātihah belongs to Me, while the other half to My servant”. The first part is composed of verses 1 to 4 and consists of praise to God, while verses 6 and 7 are the worhiper's prayer for guidance. The fifth verse belong both to God and to his servant.

There are a couple of key words and concepts here, including: the Worlds, the Day of Judgement, the Straight Path, the blessed, those who have incurred His wrath and those who are astray. As you can see, in the Wahiduddin Khan edition I have used, the word Universe takes the place of worlds. The reason I chose this translation is because it's easier to understand by most people, although it might diminish its meanings. I say this because, as Ali points out, the worlds mentioned in the Quran are not only limited to our physical universe. Borrowing from Sufi cosmology, he cassifies the levels as: Lahut (the High Empyreon, the region of pure light and fire, the highest heaven); Jabarut (another of the immaterial worlds where the Divine Realities which exist in the Lahut are manifested in their pure immaterial form); Malakut (the world of the pure inner dimension of existence) ; Mithal ("the world of the symbols or ideal, immaterial forms of things"); Shahadah ("the corporeal world, including the visible world and the firmaments"). 

The Day of Judgement can also be found in other religions like Christianity and Zoroastrianism although with greater or lesser differences. Ali Unal writes: "He (God) has included in the 'dough' of our existence certain elements that, however seemingly negative or destructive, will, when disciplined, cause us to rise to higher ranks of perfection."

The Straight Path "is the middle way, having nothing to do with any extremes", "in educating people, it disciplines and ennobles the intellect, saving it from the extremes of demagogy, cunning and stupidity, and so leads to sound knowledge and wisdom". The true importance, difficulty and beauty of this path can not, obviously, be summed up in a simple phrase, it's the first step in our development to reach our potential and taking it requires great responsibility and patience.

Grammar

To understand the meaning of a phrase we should know the cases. Romanian, Russian and German all share a number of four cases, English has only Genitive and Nominative (of what I know) while Persian basically has none.
The Nominative marks the subject of a verb, the Accusative indicates the direct object of a verb, the Dative indicates the indirect object and Genitive is a possessive case.

Reference

Quran versions:
Romanian: - George Grigore
                      - The 5-th edition published by the Islamic and Cultural League in Romania
English:  - Yusuf Ali
          - Sahih International
          - Reformist version
          - Wahiduddin Khan
Persian:  - مکارم سیرازی
                  - مجتبوی
Russian:  - Абу Адель
German:   - Abu Rida
          - Amir Zaidan
          - Adel Theodor Khoury

Links

A great German <> English dictionary