Iranian Foreign Minister: "We Love Israel, Our Translator Is To Blame If It Says Otherwise On The Ayatollah's Website"

This morning, on This Week With George Stephenopoulos, the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif explained to George that of course there was a holocaust, and of course, Hitler was a bad bad man. Welcome to the new Iran.
However, then, George went on to ask him to explain why on the Ayatollah's website, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamanei is quoted as referring to the holocaust as 'the myth of the massacre of the Jews". Where upon, wait for it, it's good, Zarif says, that's not what he said, it's a translation problem. It's tough to translate Persian into English and get it right. It's like the movie Lost in Translation. Really. REALLY.
What you don't see in the article published on the shows' website at

 http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/iranian-foreign-minister-javad-zarif-holocaust-a-heinous-crime-and-a-genocide/ is the next question that George asked, "will the translation be changed?"...and the answer, with a big Cheshire Cat grin on his face, "I'll talk to him". (start watching the video at around the time 14:20).
So now for some more breaking news. EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER SAID, that is, if you don't think it's funny or disagree with it, is incorrect. IT'S A TRANSLATION PROBLEM. My native tongue, backslang, you know,
English -'Hello there, how are you?' 
Backslang -'Ellohay heretay, owhay reaay ouyay?'
is to blame. What I meant to say in English was either brilliantly thought out and provocatively stated, or very very funny.
Thank you Zarif for getting me out of years of bad blogging.

Smartphones Shown to Combat Dementia

Every week we hear about another study that claims this or that combats dementia. To name a few, there's hot chocolate, playing puzzle games, learning a new language, and on it goes. I am excited to announce that by observing me, my team of crack reporters now adds the Smartphone to that list of Dementia fighting remedies.
Let me explain. When I got my new smartphone, it came with an app called Clock.

This is the greatest. It has the ability to set multiple alarms, with repeat functions, and with conditions,

And, each alarm can have its own specific alarm, or song.

Now that you understand how it works, here are some examples of how I use my Smartphone Clock app...

To Wake Up

Brush My Teeth

Walk the Dog

(editors note: I just learned that Rufus is Carla Thomas' father, wow!)

Time for Work

Meet the Grandkids After School

Work is Over

Time for Bed 

And then, there's the conditional alarm

(editors note: Parenthood TV show running joke)

Should the U.S. Go It Alone In Syria?

While watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos last Sunday, September 1, Tavis Smiley very eloquently reminded us that just days before President Obama said that the U.S. must strike Syria, the world was celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King's, "I Have a Dream" speech, and celebrating the success of his non-violent equality movement. Now, as Mr. Smiley points out, we are dishonouring Dr. King by  asserting that violence is the only course of action. George Stephanopoulos retorted that while non-violent movements can work in a civilized society that recognizes behavioral norms, he didn't think it would work in Syria.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/tavis-smiley-u-s-dishonoring-mlk-with-deeds-in-syria/

I'm undecided.

What I am decided about is that regardless of the atrocities committed by the Assad regime, the U.S. should not go it alone. If the rest of the world doesn't want to participate, the U.S. should not take it upon itself to be the policeman of the world.

As more food for thought, here are some non-violent protests that achieved success:
1. Gandhi's Independence Movement
2. Martin Luther King's Equal Rights Movement
3. Flower Power Anti-Vietnam War Movement
4. Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience Movement
5. Women's Suffrage Movement
6. United Auto Workers "Flint Sit-In"
7. Tiananmin Square Protester (ongoing)

In Memphis, Tennessee, on the sight of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was gunned down now stands The National Civil Rights Museum dedicated to his honour and the honour of nonviolent protest movement. It is a very moving tour that takes you through the motel and ends up in the room where Dr. King was staying when he was gunned down. Go see it, it's special.
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/