Results tagged “middleeast”

Last Friday, Sarah Miller's Open Letter to Barack Obama in the LA Times Opinion section caught my eye. Got me thinking. Had me nodding my head. I'm not the only one, as the comments on her letter are getting heated. As an Obama supporter, she raised some concerns about his seeming inability to be concrete and clear about how he is different from Hillary Clinton. In short, Sarah Miller asked Obama to be specific so that people could know why they were behind him, other than wanting radical change in how our country is run.

Hope is an empty diversion without substantive, original arguments on issues. When will you discuss rebuilding New Orleans? Can you offer creative thinking on the Iraq war as it currently exists, instead of just reminding people you opposed it years ago? Why don't you demonstrate a respectful, nuanced view of the Middle East instead of referring to the "the terrorists," as you did in a recent debate? How do you envision the United States' role in Africa's many dire problems and conflicts? How do you plan to fix our decrepit infrastructure and invigorate the economy in just and environmentally responsible ways? Will you argue for the value of a well-regulated, domestically produced food supply, favoring produce over commodity crops, for our safety and environmental health? What are your positions on international trade agreements? Do you have creative ideas for generating more affordable housing in our cities? And how will you handle the responsibilities of the presidency when you can't unite and persuade, as will inevitably happen sometimes?

Author and USC professor Gina Nahai and actress Bahar Soomekh (Crash) read from Nahai’s latest book Caspian Rain – about a family falling apart just before the Islamic revolution in Iran. Immediately following, there’s a discussion of the changing lives of women of the Middle East, and relationships between Iran’s Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as how these communities interact in Los Angeles, “home to the largest population of Iranians outside Tehran.”

After debuting last week on the Internet, because I'm afraid I might like it and lose all credibility.

This LAist poster trudges through Union Station every day for work. Usually the long hallway that connects old Union Station to Gateway Plaza is bland, beige and just plain boring. But once in awhile, some advertiser will cover the walkway with wallpaper for eye candy for tired commuters.

It's Veterans Day, and, to commemorate, let's check in on Iraq and see how some Veterans-to-be are doing. Turns out, things weren't so festive today there. A civil war continues to rage and officials announced that, with the 853rd death this past week, 2007 is now the deadliest year yet for American troops in the ongoing Middle East quagmire, surpassing 2004's total of 850. So far, 3,860 U.S. soldiers and 4,164 coalition troops from...

Don't get me wrong, I love Beirut, but last Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend at Harmonia Mundi to the pre-screening of GYPSY CARAVAN...When The Road Bends. Written and directed by Jasmine Dellal of Little Dust Productions, the film is a documentary about five bands that play different kinds of Gypsy music, who united for a highly successful 6-week tour across North America. Descendents of the Roma, a group that migrated from Northwestern India around 1050, Gypsies are now spread over the Balkan peninsula, the Americas, the former Soviet Union, Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Artist: Warren Zevon Album: The Envoy Label: Rhino re-Release Date: 03/27/2007 Three and a half years after his death, Rhino has rereleased Warren Zevon's sixth album, The Envoy. An unlikely rock and roll star, the sometime Californian and LA denizen had risen to pop status with his 1978 release, Excitable Boy, but he had experienced some major alcohol and substance abuse rollercoaster rides since that peak. 1982's The Envoy was probably his most brilliant...

A fairly mundane week of new releases. is coming this Christmas. Kevin Dillon's career shows eerie parallel to Johnny Chase's. Psycho religious freaks raise normal son. The HD/Blu-Ray assault continues...

John Marshall Evans became the US ambassador to Armenia in August 2004. Six months later he visited California and was convinced by Armenian-Americans here to cut the political B.S. and simply say that the 1.5 million Armenians who were the victims of genocide at the hands of the Turks from 1915 and 1923... were indeed victims of genocide. Today President Bush will tapdance around the word in fear of insulting our ally Turkey, a...

A shadow falls on the moon during a lunar eclipse seen from Vodno Mountain, south of Macedonia's capital Skopje. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) I know, I know... This is LAist's second photo essay on this weekend's lunar eclipse. But I love astronomical phenomenon so much, I just couldn't resist. Besides, it was the first total lunar eclipse in three years. According to the AP, "Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes between the sun and...

UCLA Men's Basketball is NO.2 in the Nation -- According to the AP and Coaches polls. The Bruins came out strong at home this past Saturday against the Stanford Trees Cardinals. The Ohio Buckeyes comfortably sit at No.1 following their victory against Wisconsin on Sunday. Our friends over at USC moved up to No.23 following an impressive season both at home and on the road. The Bruins finish their season undefeated at home and...

Look. We know how it’s going to go down. By this time tomorrow, Oscar nominees will be announced and madness will ensue. There will be the campaigning amongst friends. The mad dash to see the films you haven’t seen. The endless questioning about who should win, who shouldn’t win and who should never be allowed to direct again. In certain circles, the mad “What will they wear? Who will they wear?”debating will also begin. You know how it goes, you do it every year. We do it too.

- Following up on Monday's story about a female high English teacher who was accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her teen male students... today we got a message from someone close to Alyssa Johnson who said that he had a better photo than the mugshot that we posted. And sure enough, on the right you will see the picture that was sent to us and sure enough Ms. Johnson does...

- Mob speaks out against Desert Arsonist - "The guy should be hung by his toes. Put him in a public park, get a stockade, let the people judge him. Trial by your peers? Go to a park, let us judge him." - NBC4 - After Bush and Cheney are Impeached, Nancy Pelosi is going to be able to enact Martial Law on every NASCAR event she wants. - - 2/3rds of the US...

Playing this weekend at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica is (The last three performances of) Lee Blessing's Two Rooms directed by Jamie Wollrab. The Pulitzer nominated play features Dominic Hoffman, Susanna Hall, Greta Seacat, Caleb Moody and music by MC Rai.

- Man killed when two trucks collide in a firey crash on the 5 - CBS2 - Pomona man shot in the chest as he was attacking a security guard with a chair - SB Sun - Days after LAist asks if Bush is an Idiot, the Washington Post asks the same question. - Washington Post - Americans more opposed to Iraq War than ever before: poll - CNN Think Progress has video and...

When the Ambassador Hotel was knocked down, parts of its pantry went into storage. The pantry, of course, is where Robert F. Kennedy was mortally wounded after speaking to supporters in the hotel's ballroom; he'd just won the 1968 California Democratic primary.

When the LA Alternative Press asked LAist to write 400 words "In Defense of Blogs" for a sidebar for their Blogs vs. Zines article, I did, somewhat reluctantly. I was once a Zinester: I spoke on zine panels, a zine sent me to SXSW (twice). But I stood up for blogs. Well, the paper didn't print my sidebar; instead, they used parts of it in the article; the issue is not yet online. Here it is, with actual links. Zines, try that.

Most people are familiar with the work of LA performance artist Paul Zaloom through his role as the host of the popular children’s science show “Beakman’s World” in the '90s, but he’s also a widely admired puppeteer/artist and imaginative satirist. His work incorporates techniques such as overhead projection, government document exposé, “picture performance”, and hand, rod, shadow, found object, and dummy puppets. On Wednesday, January 18, 2005, Paul’s latest project, “The Mother of All Enemies,” opens at the REDCAT. The show runs until January 22nd. “The Mother of All Enemies” uses traditional Middle Eastern “Karagoz” shadow play to mock current events involving US military initiatives in the Middle East.

Okay, so nobody has Showtime so you probably haven't seen Sleeper Cell, the premium channel's newest show burning through all it's episodes this month with the second round of episodes starting tonight. LAist had the show stored on it's tivo and blew through the first 4 hours this morning alternating between being completely enthralled and terrified by the characters and situations playing out on-screen. See, Michael Ealy plays a practicing American muslim FBI agent in deep cover with a terrorist cell run by Oded Fehr's Faris Al-Fark who also owns a security company and pretends to be Jewish. Now, that would all be fine and dandy and the potential for great television all on it's own except for one thing - the series is based in LA.

So, when you go see Syriana (and, really, just go. It's smart and complex and detailed and worth at least a great conversation with your movie date in the car afterwards) you should try and bring Stephen Gaghan with you. You'll have questions. Thankfully, Arianna Huffington hasn't lost our email address yet so we got to spend some quality time with the writer/director after the flick last night and hear his interesting but wordy explanations about the film and the process of making it.

If the idea of listening to George W pontificate about destroying social security and "rebuilding" the Middle East turns your stomach, tune out and souse-up with like-minded thinkers/drinkers. The local version of Drinking Liberally will be at it tonight from 6-9pm at Tom Bergin's on Fairfax. Look for the people with the "I only drink with liberals" buttons.

Khalife is internationally known for mastering the oud (the Arabic lute). He has toured the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States giving solo performances as well as performing innovative new works. Khalife also founded the Al Mayadeen Ensemble, which specializes in Arabic chorale and the musical heritage of Lebanon.

Has politics become the new religion?