S: Is for shedding light

I have spent the whole week talking about war, corruption and fighting for freedom. Today's column I want to highlight two people from each side who have not torn down society but contributed to it.

I start with the Persians: Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of Children's Rights Support Association in Iran. On December 10, 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women and children rights. She's the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive this prize. Ebadi lectures law at the University of Tehran and is a campaigner for the strengthening the legal status of children and women, the latter of which played a key role in the May 1997 landslide presidential election. As a lawyer, she's known for taking up cases others refuse. She represented the family of Dariush Forouhar, a dissident intellectual and politician who was found stabbed to death at his home. His wife, Parvaneh Eskandari, was also killed at the same time. The couple were among several dissidents who died in a spate of grisly murders that terrorized Iran's "intellectual community". She also represented the family of Ezzat Ebrahimnezhad, the only officially accepted case of murder in the Iranian student protests of July 1999. This case brought increased focus on Iran from human rights groups abroad. Ebadi has also defended various cases of child abuse cases and has also established two non-governmental organizations in Iran, the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child (SPRC) and the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC). She drafted the original text of a law against physical abuse of children, which was passed by the Iranian parliament in 2002. She has always come to the forefront and has never heeded the threat to her own safety.

I was introduced to the poet Rumi years ago and forgot about him until someone I once believed in re-introduced me. Though that person was a disappointment, finding Rumi again was not! Able to verbalize the highly personal and often confusing world of personal/spiritual growth and mysticism, he offends none, and includes everyone. The world of Rumi is neither exclusively the world of a Sufi, nor the world of a Hindu, nor a Jew, nor a Christian; it is the highest state of a human being — a fully evolved human. A complete human is not bound by cultural limitations; he touches every one of us.

by The drum of the realization of the promise is beating,
we are sweeping the road to the sky. Your joy is here today, what remains for tomorrow?
The armies of the day have chased the army of the night,
Heaven and earth are filled with purity and light.
Oh! joy for he who has escaped from this world of perfumes and color!
For beyond these colors and these perfumes, these are other colors in the heart and the soul.
Oh! joy for this soul and this heart who have escaped
the earth of water and clay,
Although this water and this clay contain the hearth of the
philosophical stone.


For the Greeks Odysseas Elytis' poetry ranges a broad spectrum marked with over forty years. He does not rely on Ancient Greece or Byzantium but devotes himself exclusively to today's Hellenism. His main endeavour has been to rid his people's conscience from unjustifiable remorse, to complement natural elements through ethical powers, to achieve the highest possible transparency in expression and finally,to succeed in approaching the mystery of light, the metaphysics of the sun of which he was an idolater —according to his own definition.In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

I know that all this is worthless and that the language
I speak doesn't have an alphabet

Since the sun and the waves are a syllabic script
which can be deciphered only in the years of sorrow and exile

And the motherland a fresco with successive overlays
frankish or slavic which, should you try to restore,
you are immediately sent to prison and
held responsible

To a crowd of foreign Powers always through
the intervention of your own

As it happens for the disasters

But let's imagine that in an old days' threshing-floor
which might be in an apartment-complex children
are playing and whoever loses

Should, according to the rules, tell the others
and give them a truth

Then everyone ends up holding in his
hand a small
Gift, silver poem


Dimitri Nanopoulos is a Distinguished Professor of Physics and holder of the Mitchell/Heep Chair in High Energy Physics at Texas A&M University, head of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) Astroparticle Physics Group, and fellow and chair of Theoretical Physics, Academy of Athens in Greece. He has made several contributions to particle physics and cosmology. He works in string unified theories, fundamentals of quantum theory, astroparticle physics and quantum-inspired models of brain function. He is author of more than 525 refereed articles, with an excess of 28,000 citations, placing him as the fourth most cited High Energy Physicist of all time. He has given more than 250 invited presentations at international conferences. With his disciples John Hagelin, a former U.S presidential candidate, and the British John Ellis he invented the flipped SU(5) model of the unification of forces. On 17th October 2006 he was awarded the Onassis International prize by the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine studies in Venice.

We all have something to contribute to society and we all have the ability to step outside ourselves and make a difference. The question is will we. I make a F.A.C.T to try and do this in my life and in this column. I wish you all peace!

T: Is for Political Tyranny

For this whole week I have talked about the 300 because so many have lost sight about what this film is truly saying. First of all to defend this film and productions like it, It is a FANTASY! I can guarantee you if you poll the American population and ask them if they knew the Persians were Iranians they wouldn't have a clue. If you polled them again and asked if they saw the monsters in the Persian army on celluloid as Iranians again the answer would be, that they'd be clueless. Look at the names and that should give those in an uproar a sense of peace. The Immortals, the undead, men who were more beast than man. This doesn't exist in real life. The bodies of the Spartans over exaggerated. The hunchback who in reality was a Herder and a non spartan. Again a figment meant to compel you to think. We live in a society where we are being told if you are not with us you are against us. These words were last heard of in Hitler's rein and look what happened to those who spoke against it. The fact is this movie is about a corrupt government in disguise of a war. There are three sections that speak the loudest. Lets address each one:

In the scene where the oracle speaks Theron takes a bribe from the Persians to not resist the take over. The religious leaders set this in motion. This is reminiscent of Judas and the bribe he took to betray his friend. What other connotations does it speak of???

The second scene is where Queen Gorgo speaks to the senate and the bribe is discovered. Being true to her husbands beliefs and supporting him in every way possible she sells herself to save her husbands life and that of her country. Theron who promises his support betrays her. She in turn kills him and the 300 pieces of gold tumble to the ground. The senate realizes it was wronged yet does nothing to help and thus lives are sacrificed.

The last scene is when Dilios returns and tells the story of what befell those 300 and states the King neither wants glory or fame but for the rest of Sparta to know this was for Democracy and for Freedom.

We judge other cultures with our own values but what ever made any of us God. For those Persians that are upset about the depiction of their ancestors I have one comment what were they doing in Greece in the 1st place? And in that vein what are we doing in Iraq? Nobody should be conquered by another country unless that country is violating the rules of humanity. We live in each other's countries and yet if you really look at the big picture where are we really from? That question alone should add compassion. The F.A.C.T is if we don't start getting along there will be nothing left to argue about or conquer.

C: Is for the clash of the cinema

The controversy that the film 300 is generating comes from all sides. Everyone wants their ten seconds of fame and jumps on the bandwagon at the slightest provocation. Though the team of 300 hired a leading authority others have sought to dispute his reputation. Which goes to show you can always be up for ridicule. Ephraim Lytle, assistant professor of Hellenistic History at the University of Toronto, states that 300 selectively idealizes Spartan society in a "problematic and disturbing" fashion. It also portrays Persians as monsters living in hedionistic society and non-Spartan Greeks as weak. He suggests that the film's moral universe would have seemed as "bizarre to ancient Greeks as it does to modern historians. Military historian Victor Davis Hanson, who wrote the foreword to a 2007 re-issue of the graphic novel, states that the film demonstrates a specific affinity with the original material. It captures the martial law of ancient Sparta and represents Thermopylae as a "clash of civilizations". He remarks that Simonides, Aeschylus and Herodotus viewed Thermopylae as a battle against slavery against a barbaric nation. He further states that the film portrays the battle in a "surreal" manner, and that the intent was to entertain and shock. Touraj Daryaee, associate professor of Ancient History at California State University, Fullerton, criticizes the central theme of the movie,%

A: Is for the art of marketing

Production for 300 started on October 17, 2005 in Montreal. By December 2005 The official 300 website was launched. The promotional aspect of this film is exceptional. At Comic-Con International in July 2006 the studio aired a promotional trailer of the film. The trailer was then "leaked" to the Internet. Originally the official trailer for 300 was slated for October 4, 2006. "Just Like You Imagined" by Nine Inch Nails was the background music and attracted another kind of audience. Knowing their market a second trailer, was attached to Apocalypto December 8, 2006 and released to a theatrical audience. January 2007 saw the studio launched of a MySpace page for the film. During prime time television on January 22, 2007 an exclusive trailer for the film was broadcast. These trailers have been credited with igniting interest in the film and contributing to its box-office success.

Commercial marketing doesn’t hurt your revenues either and a PlayStation Portable game, 300: March to Glory, based on the film was released simultaneously with the films release. The National Entertainment Collectibles Association produced a series of action figures based on the film, as well as replicas of weapons and armor. Warner Bros. promoted 300 by sponsoring the Ultimate Fighting Championship's of fighter Chuck Liddell, and joined with the National Hockey League to produce a 30-second TV spot promoting the film in tandem with the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now that’s entertainment!

There are several factors that make a film a success but without a strong marketing and or word of mouth your film dies a death to the land of netflicks and DVD. In layman terms this in now a technique termed as "viral marketing." The best marketing I know of was for a film called "The Blair Witch Project". I was staring in Nunsense in Philadelphia when these students were doing this film and had a chance to get to know about it first hand. First they created word of mouth. Then a website. Next a Blog and then they filmed. Originally it was a project in marketing that did so well that the studio's sat up and took notice. We live in age were we believe the hype and buy into others idea's instead of creating our own. The lesson here is to learn from others and forge new ground and make new F.A.C.T.S

F: Is for 300 reasons of film

It is said films shape and reveal our world that they speak what we are afraid to say. The more the media hits the target and is controversial the more the film is shown as a fantasy. The question is, is it? On March 9, 2007 a film broke box office records and although critics were divided over its look and style, they agree it as an original achievement. While some accused it of favoring visuals over characterization. Controversy has arisen over its depiction of the Persians. Saturday night I went to the IMAX Theater to see 300. It has been the talk of my community and friends and I now understand why it has been so acclaimed. Not being one for blood and guts and movies of war this one makes several points. The analogy of Bush and Iraq is a little hard to miss. When my friend David asked me why it had broken box office records my response was as a nation we are obsessed with war and freedom. We are being manipulated into thinking we are free but considering the recent events wouldn’t this be called tyranny.

The film is an adaptation of a comic book. Filmed in Montreal. It was shot over the course of 60 days in chronological order with a budget of $60 million. 300 was released in North America on March 9, 2007. It grossed $28,106,731 on its opening day and ended its opening weekend with $70,885,301. It broke the previous held record for March. 300's numbers so far have made it the 19th best in box office history. This film also set a record for IMAX cinemas with a $3.6 million opening weekend. 300 opened two days earlier, on March 7, 2007, in Sparta, and across Greece. The Greek gross of $2.9 million set a new box office record. In Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, the film opened simultaneously with the American release, with a total overseas gross of $6.2 million. 300 grossed $127.5 million after its second weekend, when it once again topped the box office despite a 56% drop in attendance. As of April 1, 300 has made over $308 million worldwide. Can you imagine the video sales and rentals? The marketing of this film is genius so tomorrows column is A:Is for the art of marketing. Director Zack Snyder stated in an MTV interview that "The events are 90 percent accurate. It's just in the visualization that it's crazy. I've shown this movie to world-class historians who have said it's amazing. They can't believe it's as accurate as it is." Paul Cartledge, Professor of Greek History at Cambridge University, advised the filmmakers. He has published works on Sparta and is an authority in this area. He praises the film for its portrayal of the Spartans heroic code, and of the key role played by women. However several of his colleagues dispute what he says so Wednesday's column is C: Is for the clash of the cinema.

In a nut shell the plot is as follows: In the midst of the Persian-Greco war, Spartan King Leonidas leads his army of 300 soldiers into battle against the invading Persian army during the Battle of Thermopylae. According to legend, their valor and sacrifice inspired all of Greece to unite against the Persian foe, leading to the origins of democracy.

The film's portrayal of ancient Persians has sparked a particularly strong reaction in Iran. Azadeh Moaveni of the Times reports that there was "outraged" following the film's release. The Iranians view the Achaemenid Empire as "a particularly noble page in their history." The Iranian Academy of the Arts submitted a formal complaint against the movie to UNESCO, labelling it an attack on the historical identity of Iran.The Iranian mission to the U.N. protested the film in a press release, and the Iranian embassy has protested its screening in France, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan. In absorbing this film one is struck with Bush's obsession with Iraq and his unwillingness to see the harm his rein is causing the American public. Once a country in power and sought after for advise, we have become in debt, hated and loathed and we sit in wonderment at why? My first impression of the Spartans and their ways had me disgusted for they seemed without loyalty, love and compassion except for country. As the film progressed I realized I was judging without all the F.A.C.T.S in place. These were a people who worked as a team and became one. Who were loyal beyond measure hiding emotion least they fail. These were men and women of honor who the word "Noble" was coined. For they stepped out of self for the greater good. They cared not about fame or glory but the betterment of mankind. They were selfless. My entire column this week will be on the issues in this remarkable film as there are just too many to cover. In a world where ego seems to be God, this story hopefully will shed light on humanity and open its eyes to the F.A.C.T democracy is crumbling.