from yahoo! news-
"iaea: iranian cooperation significant"
read the whole thing, but the sections of particular relevance are quoted below:
The U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday that Iran was producing less nuclear fuel than expected and praised Tehran for "a significant step forward" in explaining past atomic actions that have raised suspicions.
in related news, the league of nations praised germany for 'efficiently invading poland in such a way as to minimize civilian casualties.'
At the same time, the report confirmed that Iran continued to expand its uranium enrichment program, reflecting the Islamic republic's defiance of the U.N. Security Council. Still, U.N. officials said, both enrichment and the building of a plutonium-producing reactor was continuing more slowly than expected.
Iran promptly touted the report as supporting Iran's stand that the U.S.-led calls for a third round of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment were unjustified.
oh, that's rich. (get it?)
more seriously, there are two things that leap out and smack the reader:
1. iran is being praised for decreasing its production of nuclear fuel that can be used for civilian and military application.. while expanding its enrichment program which has been the biggest controversy thus far. or, more simply, the iranians have less capacity for commercial nuclear fuel than expected and a proportionally (and possibly absolute; too bad we don't have access to data) higher weapons capacity. if the cognitive dissonance in the iaea's statement doesn't make you squint your eyes and shake your head in confusion, sit back, and think it through again. perhaps the iaea should consult merriam-webster. or if they don't like them, go for the gold and use oxford.
2. iran comes off looking just as foolish. "you shouldn't sanction us on our enrichment programs because your (toothless) nuclear watchdog just confirmed that we're expanding them in defiance of your earlier resolutions.. umm, wait.. let me check and see if there's a typo.. nope, that's right. take that, western imperialists. "
International Atomic Energy Agency Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen, who brokered the cooperation deal with Iran, highlighted the importance of the agreement, noting that Tehran's past refusal to answer the IAEA's questions triggered Security Council sanctions in the first place.
well that's something new. so, olli, let me get this straight: if I, in defiance of non-proliferation treaties and all that jazz, develop a nuclear weapons program and discuss wiping certain random nations off the map, it's all good as long as I answer your questions about how and why?
no, olli, no.
France, a close U.S. ally on Iran, said cooperation by Tehran was not enough to eliminate the threat of new U.N. penalties.
"As long as there is not a clear ... decision from Iran about the suspension of activities linked to enrichment, we will pursue ... looking into a third sanctions resolution," French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said in Paris.
wait. did I just see that phrase: "france, a close u.s. ally on iran"?! I need to sit back for a minute to take that in. whoa.
Iran immediately praised the U.N. agency for "its professional approach toward the case."
"This report ended all the baseless U.S. accusations against Iran," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted as saying by the state IRNA news agency. "Once again the agency confirmed validity of Iran's stances," he said, adding that "the U.S. had deceived the world over Iran's nuclear activities by claiming that Iran was reprocessing plutonium."
oh goody. professional u.n. agencies as praised by hyper-fundamentalist, potentially genocidal rogue states. there's a complement you work for years to get.
that's almost as funny as reading the list of the countries on the u.n. commission for human rights. or what obama's reaction must have been after getting endorsed by the man who oversaw the [mis]management of the iranian hostage business (who, for good measure, demonstrates his irrelevance in his writings on the ISG and of course on israel [anyone who sees the iranian problem as synonymous with that of israeli-palestinian peace has a few minor issues in the head], where he has the virtue of not being as intellectually/morally depraved as carter himself).
One of the U.N. officials also noted that construction of the plutonium-producing reactor at the city of Arak had slowed in recent months.
He said that "design difficulties, getting equipment, materials and components, and fuel technology, plus perhaps some political considerations," could be causing the delay.
The allusion to "political considerations" appeared linked to reports that Iranian officials might be considering stopping construction of the Arak reactor in another sign of good will calculated to blunt the threat of new U.N. sanctions.
so, properly understood, iran is being praised for alluding to slowly defying unsec resolutions for reasons unrelated to technical difficulty?
what the hell?
right now the enlightenment is hurting. metaphysically.
these twin pillars of life are what conversations among men of God always seem to come back to, drawn in by the inexorable grip of their majesty and/or bewilderment: women and theology.
this principle is how derek webb can start writing a song about a woman and finish by singing about martin luther. it's how I know that a conversation with dave/bryan/russell/etc. still has a long way to go. at least one must be discussed; preferably both.
so we have both today on this most enjoyable sabbath.
---
we're still trying to determine when we became 'official,' but as of either august 7th or july 16th, a lovely woman named sheena kern and I are in relationship. which is pretty stinking awesome. she hasn't realized that she's far too good for me, but she maintains that I'm too good for her. this probably indicates a (mutual) healthy wonder before either of us say another word.
she's a wondrous gift. and because of that she's tremendously distracting: physics has become exponentially harder to do the last month here.
also because of that, I find myself just sitting here and stopping. which is all well and good, but fails to convey the joy and excitement we feel at what is growing between us here.
and so I'll write a small list of observations as a substitute for expressing that which I don't yet know how to do on something so revelatory as a weblog.
- I now know that sheena (and likely women in general) possess a unique superpower that I was never warned about. I gather that she's never used it before now, but I also gather that she enjoys it. this mighty power is this: the ability to render a previously normal and self-respecting man (perhaps only one) into a sappy, corny, romanticized sack of goo before the woman he beholds. I think it's a good thing that she's used this power responsibly, otherwise the world might cease to function.
- physical intimacy is important and also representative. certain pieces of it make a great deal of sense in a way they never did before.
- vulnerability (emotional, spiritual, physical) is a choice and not something that can be expected. it is not a negotiable quid pro quo. it should never be demanded nor feel required. it is hers (mine) to give and mine (hers) to joyfully receive and wisely steward; both of us glory in that.
- "all things in their time under heaven;" so important! to live presently before God and her with appropriate joy, not attaining to the future and what lies ahead before its time but satisfied with His current provision and gift in her and the present state of our relationship.. what relief and what blessing. to be casual and restrained when it is appropriate; to pursue and be pursued in its right time; etc. this is a piece of what it means to be live in His will - that all of this is attained by Him and without the slightest anxiety or overanalysis, that we have been thoroughly natural and Natural. glory!
- I have never found it so hard to be away from a person nor so easy to be around a person. again, what joy we find in living out what God has lovingly sanctioned.
- and also what wonder! my mind and reason feebly attempts to categorize and analyze, to understand the cause-and-effect here, the mechanism for the love slowly growing between us. and it fails; spectacularly. there is nothing I can point to that yields an explanation for why we feel so comfortable around each other (from not even knowing the other for that long), why she commands such attention, or why I feel the way I do around her. I pray that it is not merely (or at least, not only) the meeting of some deep-seeded and hither-to-unrecognized need, but meaningfully the growth of that which remains so mysterious to me. and the same in her.
- the time will come when we encounter each other's sin and flaws in the passive (recognition) and active (hurt). and He'll make us who He wants us to be for Him and the other in that: to be in His will and also to lift up the other. what happiness that that is His domain and that He will do it well.
- pleasure and happiness are majestic and part of God's sanction for our redeemed lives [!], where the pleasure is richly enjoyed as a gift the rich Giver with eyes on Him. so good.
- "what madness!"
---
and now for the other pillar:
- Godly things are those that are truly functional. the converse is also true, where we understand functional to mean the long-term (or, if you will, 'sustainable') form of it rather than a short-term phantom.
- for this reason, God gives balance as a gift that accompanies a walk with Him; making balance the object of our efforts makes it as crass an idol as a golden calf.
- ethics and morality are, insofar as the individual is concerned, synonymous: external conscience according to chosen criteria.
-> and this is yet again the uniqueness of Jesus: a psychologically robust (and functional!) alternative to the slavery of the category of conscience. for the rebellion that is slavery to sin is also slavery to the knowledge of sin and thereby the self-torment of mighty conscience (internal, external). LOVE!
- the modern failure for people to understand the limits of their knowledge is simultaneously responsible for (i.) the growing religiosity of science and (ii.) the growing scientification of religion. the former comes from an ignorance of science and the latter from shallowness.
-> the atheist scientifies religion by imposing an inappropriate and artificial set of criteria for knowledge. by a priori dismissing revelation from his knowledge-gathering and discussion, he reveals himself to be hopelessly self-absorbed and ignorant of his rebellion.
-> the religious scientify religion by treating that same revelation contemptuously and seeking methodical explanations for the fundamentally unreachable.
- deductive philosophy is supposition by another name.
- nondeductive philosophy glorifies the self to the status of Truth; for where does determination then reside?
- total depravity is this: that our 'love' is deadly to the point of the cross; that our response to true Love is hatred and violence.
-> this revelation is consistent through human history but only demythologized in and by Scripture.
-> and thus the vacuity of morality: our depravity is represented by our conduct but is rooted in a confrontation with Jesus Himself. doing nice things is deadly if that doing obscures this deep truth.
- 'suffering is a volitional enhancement upon preexisting pain.' and so Christian suffering is volitional and conscious.
- and so must Christian living be: volitional and conscious, for who claims to be unconscious of his deepest love?
"love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself"
- s.k.
carl von clausewitz:
one of the most influential military theorists in history.
to be measured against
a modern marvel, whose brilliance is certainly unique. for thousands of years, we've never seen a credible man articulate a vision that can be summarized by the credo "pander to your enemies, betray and kill your allies, and refuse to fight back."
that is, until now. may the free world please welcome barack obama to its center stage. bravo!
UPDATE: oh, and of course the credo is a bit over-the-top. but gaffes are to be enjoyed..
