September 28

"Stengel is Obama's new propaganda chief."

--Commenter ahandout regarding Time editor Richard Stengel’s recent decision to leave his managing editor post at Time magazine and become undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Iran’s messenger has changed. Its message has not - Robert Menendez and Lindsey O. Graham, Washington Post: "Robert Menendez, a Democrat representing New Jersey in the Senate, chairs the Foreign Relations Committee. Lindsey Graham, a Republican representing South Carolina in the Senate, is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. We remain skeptical about Tehran’s intentions. Iranian leaders are skilled negotiators with expertise in delay tactics and obfuscation. Yet to ignore the overtures coming from Iran during this period of furious public diplomacy would have been imprudent, especially when a peaceful resolution preventing Iran from achieving nuclear capability is the outcome we all aspire to achieve. ... As [Iranian President] Rouhani returns home, diplomacy remains our hope and goal. But our resolve to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability remains unchanged."

Lake Titicaca - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "Lake Titicaca! I love to say it, and yes, I am 12 years old. It looks like I am heading to Bolivia

after Venezuela next spring to do some Hawaiian cultural diplomacy there. Such as teaching Bolivians in bowler hats to hula!" Image from entry

Azerbaijani political scientist: Authorities accuse opponents of sympathy for Armenians but talk about public diplomacy - panorama.am: "Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbul oglu stated that they need to 'continue looking for common ground between Armenians and Azerbaijanis' . ... According to the Azerbaijani political analyst Zafar Guliyev, the ambassador’s statements are certainly agreed with the authorities. ... ['] I am positive about the possibilities of the public diplomacy if they are initiated by the people, public officials. However, it is not effective when these games are held by the power structures,' the expert said."

RELATED ITEMS

Oral diplomacy at its best - John Brown, Notes and Essays: "Dental workers of various faiths and nationalities come together in the interest of peaceful international relations - Stanley M. Bergman and Dr. Amid I. Ismail, USA Today"

Now, the Hard Part - Editorial, New York Times: The Iranians haven’t actually done anything to satisfy concerns about their nuclear program. In fact, Mr. Rouhani has repeatedly affirmed Iran’s plans to continue enriching uranium. Moreover, it is hard not to worry about how crushing, and possibly dangerous, the disappointment will be if the two countries fail to settle differences over Iran’s nuclear program and begin to build a new relationship beyond that. Below image from

Charmed by Rouhani, but only to a point:The Iranian president's message was refreshing. Now comes the hard work - Doyle McManus, latimes.com: The main message to the U.S. and the rest of the world of Hassan Rouhan, Iran's new president, was undeniably refreshing: Iran wants to work quickly and seriously to end the dangerous confrontation over its nuclear programs. For all the haziness of Rouhani's rhetoric, at least one of his bromides was true: This is a window of opportunity, and we should seize it — if only to determine whether there's substance behind the charm.

AMERICANA

--Everything Wrong With America In One Simple Image (INFOGRAPHIC)

CATHOLIC (?) JOKE, OR GOD IS A WOMAN

Four Catholic men and a Catholic woman were having coffee. The first Catholic man tells his friends, "My son is a priest, when he walks into a room, everyone calls him 'Father'."

The second Catholic man chirps, "My son is a Bishop. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Grace'."

The third Catholic gent says, "My son is a Cardinal. When he enters a room everyone says 'Your Eminence'."

The fourth Catholic man then says, "My son is the Pope. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Holiness'."

Since the lone Catholic woman was sipping her coffee in silence, the four men give her a subtle, "Well?" She proudly replies, "I have a daughter, slim, tall, 38D breast size, 24-inch waist and 34-inch hips... When she walks into a room, people say, "Oh My God!”

--Via SL by email; image from