Soccer politics, anyone? No thanks

June 28, 2006

By JASON REZAIAN
BLOGGING ON ARGUSCOURIER.COM
POSTED JUNE 11, 2006 1:32:00 PM

(Each week, we focus on one or two of our bloggers. This week, we spotlight Jason Reza-ian, an Iran-ian-Amer-ican freelance journalist whose blog is found at http://rezaian-blogs.arguscourier.com, and Bill Hammerman, an all-around Petaluma community enthusiast, whose blog is at http://hammerman-blogs.arguscourier.com.)

This morning Iran took on Mexico in the first round of the World Cup. At the moment the score is 3-1 with Mexico leading, late in the game. I'm not a soccer fan, so I'm not really paying attention.

But the whole thing has made me reflect on opportunities, most of them lost.

In the 1998 World Cup, Iran took on the heavily favored United States and won. I can't tell you a thing about the game, but I remember that before the game began the Iranian players presented their American counterparts with flowers. Essentially, it meant "We know our governments have problems, but this is a game, we have nothing to do with policy and neither do you, so let's just play."

I was proud to be Iranian-American that day. It seemed like brighter moments lay on the horizon for my two countries.

The feeling was short lived.

In early 2002, the Winter Olympics took place in Salt Lake City. As the athletes from each country were introduced during the opening ceremony, Bob Costas seized the opportunity to tell us, "Iran is a country President Bush called an 'axis of evil' in his State of the Union Address." Maybe it meant nothing to you, but it was just another example of American media missing the point and the further alienation of Iranians everywhere, and one of the only international events (besides the World Cup) where politics are supposed to be left at home.

Later that year I was in Iran during the World Cup and I realized a few things. As in Mexico this week -- where presidential elections have been delayed because national interest has been transferred to the soccer pitch -- in most countries around the world the next few weeks is a time to forget about their daily lives, to support their team and their country, and to see how people from other countries play, celebrate, lose and ultimately live.

* * *

Hammerhead No. 2 -- 'Walking vs. talking'

By BILL HAMMERMAN

BLOGGING ON ARGUSCOURIER.COM

POSTED JUNE 20, 2006 8:03:00 PM -->

"If your values are good enough to walk, aren't they good enough to talk? And, if you wouldn't want to be caught talking them, why the heck would you walk them?"

I've been participating in "Petaluma's Blogtown, USA" on the Argus-Courier Web site for a few months and have found myself wandering all over the map trying to find the niche that fits my area of community needs and concerns. The trouble is, I don't fit into one box. In a community like Petaluma, there are so many separate areas of interest, and in many ways they are interrelated and connected. Quite often it is difficult to talk about education without mentioning ICT (information and computer technology). How can you discuss our town's past history without thinking about the present? What about environmental issues and their impact upon Petaluma's growth and economic development? As the King of Siam once said, "It's a puzzlement."

As you learned by reading Hammerhead No. 1, this category of blogs seeks to find quotes that "hit the nail on the head." The above quote from the blog of "Dr. Free-Ride, Ph.D." caught my eye because I've been struggling with how to balance my "walking the walk" with "talking the talk."

I thought if I cut back on posting daily blogs, there would be more time for initiating pilot projects and putting my money where my mouth has been. It hasn't worked! I'm a lousy manager of time. It's impossible for me to separate the two.

For example, one of my community interest areas is emergency preparedness. Over the past few months, we have been involved in a collaborative project designed to help local neighborhoods be prepared for a disaster. Several of my blogs have been posted under various category headings talking about these initiatives. As the quote implies, you have to do both -- talk and walk -- at the same time. It's like trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. It's easier said than done.

OK, what's the bottom line for this blogger? How will he resolve this dilemma (or his addiction) of preaching vs. acting? Are they necessarily separate? Don't they belong together, like the "Sage on the stage?" Bottom line, we'll try and do both, but in a balanced way so that the message and the messenger are in sync. We will continue to post under the headings, Our Cyberplace, Our Community, Our Web of Life, Then & Now, Bill's Blog, Education, GLOB, Hammerhead, Remembering Bill Soberanes and the catch-all -- Miscellaneous.

(To find out what else Jason, Bill and other Petalumans are talking about on the Argus-Courier blogs, visit www.arguscourier.com/blogs.)