Iranian foreign ministry spokesman announced Sunday December 19 that intelligence minister Ali Younessi would “soon” report to the government on an eight-member spy ring that gathered information for Israel. Spy Circle
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: It's a Small World, After All
Americans don't read many foreign writers... Politically, America has become infamous as the beast that feeds only its own appetite.
Well, it looks like the big kahunas of contemporary literature have found a new cause. Responding to the America-first Zeitgeist that has spilled into our political discourse, they're hitting back with New York's first international writers' festival, PEN World Voices, to be held April 16-22 in the Big Apple. Luminaries such as Ha Jin, Vaclav Havel, and Wole Soyinka have already signed on, all in apparent support of the sponsor's underlying concern: the increasing political and cultural isolation of the United States.
We ourselves have experienced the fallout of the world's growing suspicion and antipathy to U.S. policies, says Larry Siems of the New York-based PEN American Center, which is hosting the event. In the post-9/11 world, Siems says, writers here are dealing with negative reaction to America's literary exports, while writers abroad are finding it tougher to obtain visas to come to this country.
• Post-9/11 world [The Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has two dogs, named Marx and Engels because "they are German, hairy and have no respect for property." Naming Convention]
• · Artificial life' comes step closer: NSW Premier Bob Carr, government ministers and Westfield tried to cover up their involvement in the Orange Grove affair Grove Saga ; Former NSW gaming and racing minister Richard Face today pleaded guilty to lying to the state's corruption watchdog, saying he was under severe stress and panicked. Professional Politicians at State Level Total Political Amateurs at the Local Level: Tzar of Crookedfield (sic); [A Sydney mayor stood down today over allegations he accepted a wad of cash from a developer. Cr Alfred Tsang ; - Cold Revenge Sydney Style: New mayor accused of entrapment ; Those who break the law, pay for the law, ensuring the safety of the community Alfred Tsang said Strathfield Council is part of the State Government's Supplementary Policing Trial... ]
• · · Gross National Happiness. New economic measure: Happiness ; [Now, I can't do an Erin Brockovich and sue a company and I'm no Bob Geldof to organise 'Bandaid' but I need to send a message to the premier, Bob Carr. Professor John Thompson, head of melanoma worldwide ]
• · · · MASSACHUSETTS HAS a tough reputation to live down with the rest of the nation: loony-left liberals, lousy drivers, failed presidential candidates. To top it all off, everyone thinks we're cheap bastards, too. Generosity Index
• · · · · Many of those who were successful under communism were wonderfully prepared to succeed in many a modern corporation Great Expectations ; [Prime mover: John Winston Howard the second longest survivor ]
• · · · · · Boris: My mobile has been throbbing for the past hour with calls from the nice telly people wanting me to go on and gloat about the extinction of David Blunkett, and for the past hour I have been sitting here trying to work up some enthusiasm. It wasn't Nannygate: it was telling the truth about Labour ; [We're all little people in little houses I hope you run the country better than you've managed over the last 15 minutes ]