Olympic Ideals: Truer, Deeper, More Humble

In spite of all the commercialisation, the professionaslisation and the patriotisation, something of the true Olympic spirit survives, as these pictures show.

Hat-tip to Red Horse Down: Post #310 - Olympic Ideals: Truer, Deeper, More Humble


And three Russian gymnasts (Afanasyeva, Komova and Mustafina) give thanks for their achievements in the Games:

War and peace

h, and if you like the message, you can click in those little squares below to propagate it on Twitter I think this cartoon applies to a lot more places than Israel and Iran.

An American president (I think one of the Roosevelts) once said that the secrecy of diplomacy was to "talk softly and carry a big stick." Now the politicians seem to shout loudly while brandishing their sticks.

Oh, and if you like the message you can click on those little squares below to propagate it on Twitter or "like" it of Facebook. Or you could put it on your blog too. Pass it on.

Iran war speculation and oil prices

Ron Paul, the US senator who was running for the Republican Party's presidential candidate has said that speculation about an Iran War is driving the oil price up.

Informed Comment: Paul: Iran and Energy Crisis:

Ron Paul on Iran and the energy crisis. He argues that speculation about a US or Israeli strike on Iran is driving some of the increase in oil prices.

The OPEC president should know a thing or two about what drives oil prices and he agrees.

The speculation has been going on a long time ago -- according to some, the war should have started two years ago or more, so it can't be the only thing that's driving the oil price up.

Hat-tip to Mard.

Iran rejects nuclear inspections unless Israel permits them, too

Seems like common sense to me, says Monte Asbury.

And to me too.

clipped from www.democraticunderground.com Source: Associated Press Associated Press By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS – 3 hours ago GENEVA (AP) — An Iranian envoy said Monday his government will not submit to extensive nuclear inspections while Israel stays outside the global treaty to curb the spread of atomic weapons. "The existing double standard shall not be tolerated anymore by non-nuclear-weapon states," Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh told a meeting of the 190 countries that have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Nuclear safeguards are far from universal, he said, adding that more than 30 countries are still without a comprehensive safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure full cooperation with that U.N. body. "Israel, with huge nuclear weapons activities, has not concluded" such an agreement or submitted its facilities to the IAEA's safeguards, Soltanieh said. Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gvr7j491Cmq9QVFPn-gL...