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| Sent: | Tue 11/10/09 12:40 PM | ||||
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Rant Number 371 11 November 2009
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is the imaginative title of director Terry Gilliam’s latest, gloriously zany movie. Parnassus is a thespian magician a bit like Shakespeare’s Prospero. His wacky travelling theatre invites you to pass through a mirror – the Imaginarium - and enter the world of your dreams. Well, almost. And it depends...
Some horny middle-aged ladies are lured into Parnassus’ fairy tale world. Once inside, the first is rowed away by a gondolier. She comes back later in an ecstasy which tells it all. Other excited women rush in. They too emerge back rapturously contented. Gigolos galore waited for them in the Imaginarium, obviously.
A would-be rapist follows Parnassus’ pretty teenage daughter into the imaginarium. Stunning landscape, a sort of kitschy arcadia in fairy-tale, sickly colours. But the object of his lust eludes the beast. At last he sights an alluring motel. His tongue hanging out, he runs in. Boom! He is blown up. Serves him right! It seems Dr Parnassus’ theatre obeys a kind of moral sense, after all.
Terry Gilliam is a genius. But his hugely enjoyable plots are also esoterically dense and very convoluted. (I still wonder what the stupendous Brazil is about.) We learn of Parnassus’ dark side. Way back, he made a deal with the Devil. Parnassus got the coveted girl his Imaginarium could not yield, but at the cost of promising Old Nick his future, beautiful daughter, Valentia. And the Devil is powerful. He can frustrate the Doctor, manipulating events inside the mirror – the bastard!
I guess what drew viewers to the film was actor Heath Ledger. His last movie, literally, because he died during the shooting. RJP. But Ledger does not interest the priest. Rather the Imaginarium does.
The ideal world. That is, your world. The alternative reality you occasionally fantasise about. Children do it all the time. Adults aren’t supposed to but...ever heard of the inner child? Admittedly, a rather intellectual child...
An atheist’s Imaginarium. Say Dawkins’. There will be no God there, of course, just like, for him, there is none in this world. Above all, there won’t be this strange mania, this sickness, this delusion called religion. So, no temples, no churches, no mosques, no synagogues, no priests, rabbis, monks, imams, none of those votaries of unreason. Evolution, science are what people believe in. Rationality, cool, mathematical reason. Two plus two makes four. What else? So Dawkins rejoices. At long last, he has got rid of them. What a relief...wazzat? A call from the ministry? The government wants scientists to teach phlogiston science. Or Dr Lysenko’s Lamarckian genetics. Like under Stalin’s Soviet Russia. Or, say, Ron L. Hubbard’s dianetics. Dawkins is indignant. How dare they? But the cops pick him up. He has gone.
You see, in the atheist’s Imaginarium religion is no more. But it doesn’t follow evil is at an end. Communism too was anti-religion. Of course, communism has vanished but another, subtler, more insidious system of unreason could be round the corner – maybe it is here already. The point is that an ‘ideal world’ may not be all that ideal, after all.
The philosophical theist’s imaginarium. Say a world in which there is a knock-down rational proof that really convinces people that God exists. Like the hoary ontological argument. A theologian’s Eldorado. You follow the proof’s steps and the conclusion strictly, logically follows, ergo, there is a God. Jones, formerly a sceptic, listens and agrees: ‘Yes. I see now. You are right. God exists. Fine. Now let us go and have a drink.’ The believer is perplexed. Nothing seems to have changed in Jones. He does not make for the nearest church spire. What’s wrong? He is logically convinced, yes, he simply lacks that special, wonderful thing, faith. Too bad.
For Muslims, here is a reality in which Islam has triumphed worldwide. Allahu Akbar! Everyone has converted, apart from a few, obstinate dhimmis. And the Jews have cleared out of Palestine. Great. Huh! What’s that noise? Shias and Sunnis slaughtering each other? Blowing up each other’s mosques? Rulers like Sultan Hakim, Saddam, Mubarak – all Muslims – are still causing havoc. And there are plenty of nationalisms, too. Turks fight Arabs. Arabs fight Turks. Persians clash with both. And so on. It is a Muslim world OK but strife goes on. Innocent blood is shed, groan...
The evangelical Christian’s Imaginarium. Muslims worldwide have embraced Christianity. Believe in Jesus, God’s only Son. Flock to churches in millions to be baptised. Praise the Lord! A miracle! Yes, real good. But, wait a minute. The clergy tremble. Millions of fervent, devout and prayerful worshippers are pouring into their churches. Anglican vicars go pale. Quiet life, adieu. No more wishy-washy sermons about ‘caring and sharing’ before scattered, drowsy congregations. Tea with old ladies. PCC meetings discussing the lead on the roof. The keen new Christians demand total commitment. Changing society. Making Christianity impact on politics. Banning abortion, drugs, immorality...ye Gods! Bishops are terrified. This is too much religion. Fundamentalism has won. They’ll be out of a job soon. Why, o why, o Lord, did you make Muslims into Christians?
The racist’s imaginarium. All Africans, Asians and dark-skinned persons – why stop at that? Even East Europeans - are deported from Britain. The BNP has won the elections. Britain now almost looks like what it was 50 years ago. Perfect. So the racist chap goes out to work. The tube station is shut. Tube can’t run without immigrants. No coffee shops and restaurants either. Building sites are deserted. Service stations are closed. Roads are unswept. Rubbish is not collected Professionals are short too. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, nurses, hospitals...and so on. You get the picture, I think.
I don’t evoke the imaginariums of people like Gary Glitter, sadists and rip-off city bankers because it would be unsavoury. The question is: is there a right reality?
Long ago, a great mind called Leibniz wrote about this world being the best of all possible worlds. It has got to be, despite appearances, because it is God’s world. And God, the supernal Goodness, the All-Benevolent, the Omnipotent, brings about only the best. Scumbags like Voltaire mocked Leibniz in Candide but intellectually the German could have eaten the Frenchman for breakfast. Leibniz’s arguments are tough, rational and unsentimental. Less brilliant minds will always carp at them. However, they appear to me rather admirable.
Conclusion: God’s imaginarium is the true one.
Revd Frank Julian Gelli
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| From: | GIBRAHAYER e-magazine (gibrahayer@cyprusnewsletter.com) |
| Sent: | Wed 11/11/09 8:17 PM |
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| ARMENIAN SINGER MAY REPRESENT TURKEY
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| BRITAIN ACCUSED OF GENOCIDE
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| 03/09/2009 - David Leigh, The Guardian - Britain was accused of "genocide denial", today after the |
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 NEW SERVICE - With Cyprus Tickets, you can purchase your ticket online. It’s simple - choose the event you wish. Click on the relevant theatre. Click on your chosen seats. You will then register – this is a one time procedure. Pay & print your ticket. www.cyprus-tickets.com |
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| JOIN the SIPAN Armenian Dance Ensemble of the
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 A CALL TO MOBILISE THE DIASPORA
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| At its annual banquet on November 8, the Armenian National Committee (Western U.S.), honoured California Attorney General Jerry Brown, former governor and current gubernatorial candidate, with the Freedom Award; California State Senator Mark Wyland, and California State Assembly Assistant Majority Leader and candidate for L.A. City Council Paul Krekorian as Legislators of the Year; and Harut Sassounian, Publisher of the California Courier, with the Legacy Award. California State Assemblyman Anthony Protantino was master of ceremonies. More than 700 guests attended the event held at the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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| From: | RAG Mamoul (ragmamoul1@gmail.com) | ||||
| Sent: | Thu 11/12/09 10:21 AM | ||||
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| From: | ANCA (ancaupdate@anca.org) |
| Sent: | Thu 11/12/09 2:08 PM |
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| November 11, 2009 National Senate Call-In Day
Click here and call your Senators in support of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.Res.316) Check back daily for action items:
Countdown to Erdogan: Week 1 Nov. 9 ANCA WebMail Campaign for S.Res.316 Nov. 10 Watch & Write to End the Genocide in Darfur Nov. 11 Honor Veterans by Ending the Cycle of Genocide Nov. 12 National Senate Call-In Day Nov. 13 Using Social Networking for Genocide recognition Nov. 14 Does your Library have Armenian Genocide
Nov. 15 Collect Signatures at your Church or Community
> ANCA Chairman Defines the Stakes: Survival or
> Sen. McCain Recognizes Armenian Genocide > 2010 Colorado U.S. Senate Contenders Speak Out on
> Face to Face: ANCA Eastern Region Confronts Azeri
Thousands Visit anca.org/countdown for Month-long Countdown to Erdogan's December 7th White House Visit "The strong early response by Armenian Americans - and also a growing number of non-Armenians - to our 'Countdown to Erdogan' campaign has really broadened our community's civic engagement, with thousands of WebMails already being sent to support both the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and decisive U.S. action to end the genocide in Darfur," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We now urge team members to pick up the phone and call their Senators to thank those who have already cosponsored the initiative and urge others to take immediate action." Read More. . . "We must keep our aspirations burning bright, our moral compass aligned toward justice, and our nation moving forward. We must choose survival, not surrender."
WASHINGTON, DC - Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian called on Armenians worldwide to choose survival over surrender, in his remarks before federal, state, and local public officials, a broad array of coalition partners, and hundreds of community leaders gathered on November 8th at the Pasadena Convention Center for the ANC-Western Region's annual banquet. Read the full text of Hachikian's remarks. . . McCain Recognizes the Armenian Genocide Action Highlights President Obama's Reversal on his Pledge to Properly Recognize this Crime "I believe that genocide was committed against the Armenian people, and I think there is ample documentation of that," Sen. McCain told the Voice of America Georgian language service in an interview focusing on the Caucasus as well as Armenia-Turkey relations. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Sen. McCain issued two statements to the Armenian American community, both falling short of properly characterizing as genocide the Ottoman Turkish Government's deportation and annihilation of its Armenian community. "It is fair to say that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, has also been one of the most neglected. The suffering endured by the Armenian people during that period represented the prologue to what has come to be known as humanity's bloodiest century," stated Sen. McCain in a September 29, 2008, statement. Read more. . . 2010 Colorado U.S. Senate Contenders Speak Out on Armenian Genocide Recognition Romanoff, a longstanding and vocal advocate for Armenian Genocide recognition, announced his candidacy on September 16th, challenging Bennet, who has held this Senate seat since he was appointed earlier this year by Colorado's Governor Bill Ritter to fill the vacancy left when Ken Salazar departed the Senate to serve as Secretary of the Interior. During his service in the Senate, Salazar established a record, along with nearly all the other members in the state's Congressional delegation, of co-sponsoring the Armenian Genocide Resolution, advocating Armenian priorities, and supporting anti-genocide initiatives. In an exclusive letter to the Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates, Romanoff, the former Speaker of the Colorado House, reviewed his extensive record in support of Armenian American concerns and pledged, if elected, to be an original co-sponsor of a Senate Armenian Genocide Resolution. Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates co-editor and ANCA activist Vi Bashian Cooper praised Mr. Romanoff's steadfast record of support stating; "Speaker Romanoff has repeatedly demonstrated his longstanding loyalty to our community and our abiding wish to have the Armenian Genocide affirmed as United States policy. His actions as a Colorado state legislator, including his service as Speaker of the House, confirm his consistent dedication and honor to Colorado Armenian Americans. Mr. Romanoff is one of those rare shining lights of character and intellect on the Colorado political stage. He will represent our Rocky Mountain state and our national Armenian-American community with distinction should he be elected to the United States Senate." Read more. . . Face to Face: ANCA Eastern Region Confronts Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister NEW YORK, NY - ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director Garo Manjikian confronted Azerbaijan Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov on the Aliyev government's track record of war mongering and aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh, at an event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations and the Harriman Institute of Columbia University last week. Following intense criticism from attendees on Azerbaijan's human rights record and crackdown on pro-democracy institutions, organizers limited questions to three, cutting short discourse on a wide range of audience concerns. Manjikian, asking the second question of the evening stated, "It is very obvious the Azeri Government is working hard to portray itself as a stable, reliable and peaceful country in the Caucasus, while at the same time having an extensive track record of aggression and war mongering towards Nagorno-Karabakh." Manjikian then cited three specific statements that President Aliyev made in the past two years with direct threats to take Nagorno-Karabakh by force. Manjikian continued, "How do you reconcile these two points and can you, right now, state on behalf of the Azerbaijani government that it will not continue or renew any kind of war or threats to use force against Nagorno-Karabakh?" Azimov first answered by arguing that Manjikian's citations did not qualify as war mongering but are really statements regarding Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Instead, he accused Armenia of war-mongering, arguing that any statements made about the self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh is an attack on Azerbaijan. Azimov also added that statements coming from Azerbaijan are just a reaction to Armenia, and that there can only be self-rule of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. Read more. . . | |||||||||||||||||||
| From: | S.F. Bay Area ANC (emaillist@ancsf.org) |
| Sent: | Thu 11/12/09 3:32 PM |
17thDecember2009 7pm-9pm Tickets: £10(£8concession)
Tickets can be ordered by ringing 02082047336 or collection at the door.
StGeorge’sBloomsburyBloomsburyWayLondonWC1A2HRwww.stgeorgesbloomsbury.org.uk
www.hart-uk.org
How to get there.
Tube
St George’s can be reached from Holborn (Central/Piccadilly lines)
or Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central lines)
Walk
St George’s is located on Bloomsbury Way
which runs into New Oxford Street and parallel to Great Russell Street
(home to the British Museum)
Buses
The following buses (eastbound) stop directly outside the church:
1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242.
St George s
Church
Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)
3 Arnellan House, Slough Lane, Kingsbury,
London NW9 8XJ
Email: office@hart-uk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 208 204 7336
Fax: +44 (0) 208 204 5661
www.hart-uk.org
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CHRISTMASCAROLCONCERTwithMusicfromaroundtheworld,
withactsfromAfrica&AsiaInsupportoftheHumanitarianAidReliefTrust(HART)
17thDecember20097pm-9pmTickets:£10(£8concession)
Ticketscanbeorderedbyringing02082047336orcollectionatthedoor.
StGeorge’sBloomsburyBloomsburyWayLondonWC1A2HRwww.stgeorgesbloomsbury.org.ukwww.hart-uk.org
Howtogetthere.
Tube
St George’s can be reached from Holborn (Central/Piccadilly lines)
or Tottenham Court Road (Northern/Central lines)
Walk
St George’s is located on Bloomsbury Way
which runs into New Oxford Street and parallel to Great Russell Street
(home to the British Museum)
Buses
The following buses (eastbound) stop directly outside the church:
1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242.
St George s
Church
Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)
3 Arnellan House, Slough Lane, Kingsbury,
London NW9 8XJ
Email: office@hart-uk.org
Tel: +44 (0) 208 204 7336
Fax: +44 (0) 208 204 5661
www.hart-uk.org
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PanARMENIAN.Net 09/11/2009 - The process for who will represent the country in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest has already begun in Turkey. Turkish TV broadcaster NTV, during the second initial stage, asked website visitors to vote for their favourite contestant.
disclosure, of Foreign Office documents revealing the government's refusal to recognise the so-called Armenian massacre of 1915, in which up to a million people died.
Pasadena Convention Center.
“Nevertheless, today’s Turkish Government, the successor of the regime that committed the Genocide, continues to deny this massive crime, benefiting to this day from our looted assets and properties.
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) 'Countdown to Erdogan' moves from the internet to phone lines on Thursday, November 12 with the launch of a National Call-In Day to encourage Senators to cosponsor and work for the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, S.Res.316. 
ANCA Chairman Defines the Stakes: Survival or Surrender
