My Response To The Gesture Of Appreciation By The Egyptians

Early yesterday morning I watched a video made by the Egyptian Freedom Fighters titled "Thank You World Media". Here is the video:

This is a very sincere and beautiful gesture and I felt compelled to respond.

Here is my verbal response:


When I heard about Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the disgraced ex-President of Tunisia, fleeing his country after the uprisings, I, like many others, immediately thought about Egypt, but most backed off claiming it was not possible to overthrow Hosni Mubarak and Egypt is a nation of 80 million compared to 10 million in Tunisia so it would be harder for Protesters to mobilize. I continued to believe, went online to research, passed along information and then attended three Rallies in New Jersey and New York - two in January and one in February. In my very limited capacity, I did my best to spread the word of this Revolution on blogspot and youtube. Watching the Egyptians' video and recognizing its gesture of appreciation was very special for me. I was deeply touched. Love, Michael

Here are the blog entries for the three Rallies I attended in NJ and NY:
http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2011/02/freedom-for-egypt-rally-held-in-new.html
http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2011/01/freedom-for-egypt-rally-held-in-new.html
http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2011/01/freedom-for-egypt-rally-held-in-jersey.html

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Hypocritical Criticism Of Muammar Gaddafi's Brutality Toward Libyan Protesters

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the alleged President of Iran, has made headlines once again ... this time for his hypocritical condemnation of the way Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi has been handling the recent uprisings that have rocked Gaddafi's own North African nation.

I have included three articles ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41736967/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-23/world/iran.mideast.unrest_1_mideast-leaders-protests-opposition-leaders
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/368747,ahmadinejad-condemns-killings-libya.html

I will address a few of Ahmadinejad's statements (his statements will be in italics and quotes and my responses will follow) ...

1.) "I seriously want — from all heads of states — to pay attention to their people and cooperate, to sit down and talk, and listen to their words. Why do they act so badly that their people need to apply pressure for reforms?"
Ahmadinejad seriously wants this??? His desire for all applicable parties to cooperation is absolutely absurd given his, and his Republic's, complete lack of engagement toward the Green Movement. Has Ahmadi or anyone in his cabinet ever sat down with Reform Activists and Leaders? To the contrary - just last week members of Parliament were calling for the deaths of Opposition Leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The following video clip shows the lawmakers chanting against Mousavi and Karroubi:

Ahmadi asks, "Why do 'they' act so badly"? He need only to go the local Parliament Building in his own country to see people acting "badly". It is abundantly clear the savages in the video above are in no capacity, mental or otherwise, to "sit down and talk" to the Opposition, especially when they want to kill them.

2.) "This is very grotesque. It is unimaginable that there is someone who kills and bombards his own people. I strongly advise them to let nations have their say and meet their nations' demands if they claim to be the officials of those nations."
The word grotesque can be accurately used to describe Gaddafi's handling of the matter in Libya, but the word grotesque can also be accurately used to describe the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown of the protests that followed the disputed Presidential election of 2009 ... the grotesque crackdown that Ahmadi conveniently neglects to mention. This neglect is a combination of hypocrisy and delusion. The regime in Iran has killed many of its "own people". Some names of the victims of the Islamic Republic's campaign of slaughter include Sohrab Aarabi, Taraneh Mousavi, Neda Agha-Soltan and Amir Javadifar from 2009 and Sanee Zhale, Mohammad Mokhtari and Hamed Nour -Mohammadi from this year. I can name many, many more victims. Iran does not meet demands - it squashes dissent.

3.) "Instead of killing people, listen to them."
Can Ahmadi hear himself? Does he understand what he is saying? He certainly does not believe what he is saying and his regime's actions reflect this lack of belief and lack of all ethics and civility. It is of no surprise that the regime hastened executions once the uprising in Tunisia took place. It is believed that a person was executed every eight hours so far in 2011 (Source: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2011/01/iran-on-“execution-binge”-immediate-moratorium-urged). That amounts to three people per day. It seems the regime in Iran is exempt from Ahmadi's suggestion to other nations. Why are Human Rights Activists and Attorneys constantly arrested and threatened with execution? Is Iran exempt from the same standard Ahmadi is trying to apply to Libya and elsewhere? The truth is Iran kills activists rather than listens to them.

4.) "How is it possible that a state leader uses bombers, tanks and canons to kill his own people and again warn that whoever says something will be killed?"
Just this month, the regime has warned Protesters not to demonstrate multiple times. Here are two links: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/iran-rally/2011/02/09/id/385427 and http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/19/us-iran-opposition-rally-idUSTRE71I3IG20110219 ... yes, neither of these articles show regime members claiming people will be killed if they march in the streets, but, by now, everyone knows how the regime responds to such gatherings. There is no need for the regime to threaten to kill ... it is well known and expected the regime will kill.

5.) "Of course anyone who does not heed the demands of his own nation will have a clear fate."
This I agree with ... I know the regime in Iran will have a clear fate - it WILL fall and the end of the Islamic Republic Of Iran is at hand. I Am Michael The Researcher.
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George Washington's 279th Birth Anniversary

Once again, this blog has come to George Washington's Birthday and as usual, I have some old antique Washington items to show you. This entry features a Masonic Program as part of a Birthday Celebration from 1855 and a flyer advertising Washington products from 1925. Both give a glimpse at how some people of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries observed his Birthday.

The following photographs show the cover of the program, the table of contents, the final page and a close-up of the artwork on the last page ...











The following photographs show the flyer, the top half of the flyer and the bottom half of the flyer ...

George Washington's Birthday Celebration And Musket Drills In King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania

I returned to the Valley Forge National Historical Park once again. Today is considered President's Day so I will start this blog entry with a postcard that I purchased at the gift shop. It features all of the United States Of America's Presidents.



The Visitor Center of the Park hosted a Birthday Party in honor of General and President George Washington. He and Martha were portrayed by Living Historians. The first couple of photos show the musical portion of the ceremony.





Here is the cake with Washington's exact birth anniversary age listed (it was described as being from Martha's own recipe) along with some cards children made as presents:


He is looking at a card that was just handed to him:


Posing for photographs:


I went outside and walked up to the area where the Muhlenberg Brigade Huts are located to watch some Musket Drills and Demonstrations. Here is a video of a drill with brief introductory statements (you will note a misfire at 4:11):


The next few photographs show the Reenactors walking back to the audience and continuing the discussion ...









The next group of photographs show the step-by-step process of a drill created by Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben (his instructions were in official use by the United States Military until the year 1812). You will see the preparation, the dumping of the gunpowder, the shots, a repeat of the three, the charge with the bayonets and the return.





















He had misfired so he is going to try again ...



















A few more photographs can be found at this link: http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/portaltothepast/Reenactments/Revolutionary War/Valley Forge 2-21-2011

A large number of people turned out for this event. It was a great success. The Valley Forge National Historical Park has more fine events in future weeks and months. Information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/vafo and http://www.facebook.com/ValleyForgeNHP

Revolutionary War Encampment At The Valley Forge National Historical Park In Pennsylvania

The Valley Forge National Historical Park hosted an Encampment with various demonstrations today. I arrived very late due to massive traffic on Route 76 West, but I did get to see a few sights. The parking lot was filled ... there was a really great turnout. Here are some photographs of the tail end of the event ...



















The Valley Forge National Historical Park has more fine events in future weeks and months. Information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/vafo and http://www.facebook.com/ValleyForgeNHP

Iranian Protesters Set To Take To The Streets On February 20, 2011

Mere hours from now, the Freedom Fighters in Iran will once again take to the streets. Rallies, Demonstrations and Protests in honor of Sanee Zhale and Mohammad Mokhtari (two brave Protesters who were killed this past Monday) are scheduled all across the country. This day is specifically known as 1 Esfand in Iran (February 20 on my calendar).

This has been a very incredible week for the Protesters. The crowds have been the largest in number since December of 2009.

Here are a few videos from this past week's Rallies and Street Protests ...

Here is a brief clip showing an incredible Rally in Iran. Listen to the slogans! I wish I was there for this!


Here is a regime sympathizer or a plain-clothes Basij agent. He tried saving a poster which featured the image of Iran's "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. The crowd did not take kindly to his support of the gang of thugs currently holding their nation hostage.


Iranian Protesters tear down a large poster of Khamenei. They are chanting "Mubarak, Ben Ali, Now It’s Seyed Ali". The Freedom Fighters have broken a major taboo. Absolutely amazing. The fall of the regime is at hand.


As I was typing this entry, I was informed of some truly amazing news ... a regime Diplomat had defected! A high ranking Diplomat working for Iran's Consulate in Milan, Italy had joined the Green Movement, and expressed his Solidarity with the Pro-Democracy Opposition. This is an extraordinary development and will only aid in the growing tide in favor of the Freedom Fighters in Iran. Here is the article (in Persian/Parsi): http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2011/02/117912.php

In a final note, when one thinks the regime cannot sink any lower than it has to this point, it outdoes itself. At the funerals of the aforementioned Sanee Zhale and Mohammad Mokhtari, the regime claims they were on the side of the Islamic Republic and were killed by Opposition Forces. Evidence proves otherwise ... here is one article: http://www.payvand.com/news/11/feb/1164.html and another article by my friend Potkin Azarmehr: http://azarmehr.blogspot.com/2011/02/despicable-regime.html. As I stated in a previous blog entry (http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2011/01/islamic-republic-of-iran-spins-recent.html), the regime is known for being extremely delusional. In this case, they are delusional and disgusting. As for Sanee and Mohammad themselves ... NEVER FORGET the Matryrs who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Freedom! To Sanee, Mohammad and the steadfast Freedom Fighters of Iran, I am with you in spirit. Azadi Baraye Iran!

Vinegar Valentines - A Different Kind Of Valentine's Day Card

Today is Valentine's Day 2011 and I am going to introduce you to a different kind of Valentine Card. They are referred to as Vinegar Valentines. They are nothing like the lovely and beautiful cards I showed you the past two years (at http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2009/02/victorian-era-valentines-day-cards.html and http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-day-2010.html). These cards featured sarcastic, caustic and insulting messages for their respective recipients. Valentine's Day has not always been rosy and pretty! I only have two of these in my collection at present. One is called "Sugar Poppa" and the other is titled "The 'Regular' Fellow". The first dates to about 1940 and second dates to around the 1910s.

Here is a video discussing them in detail:

The url for the above video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIlf3R-A_Go

Here are some photos of the Vinegar Valentines ...

As you can see, I am shocked by the content:




The "Sugar Poppa" example is one of a series of sixteen made by the Panoco/Doubl-Glo Company:


The "The 'Regular' Fellow" example was published by the Auburn company as part of its Comic Knock Valentine series (Number 2117):


These messages are obviously far from sentimental ... they are, in fact, quite acetic. Still they represent the diversity of cards and ephemera available and the different intentions people have had with new inventions and technologies. Vinegar Valentines are no doubt a very interesting area of collecting. I look forward to acquiring more of these in the future.