Fundraising // Paypal = terrible

I. Me. BriAnna just lost $360 thanks to Ebay/Paypal and that is totally NOT cool. I sold my phone to help pay for my trip to Berlin for Biennial Tehran. It sold on Ebay, money was delivered to my paypal account, and I went to Berlin. Then, as it turns out, the buyer claimed account fraud and the money was returned to him BUT HE ALSO KEPT THE PHONE. ugh. According to NoPaypal.com, this is quite common (the first post I saw had the same story). I have proof that this guy knew what he was doing, but Paypal won't listen and says I'm unqualified for protection. Then there is no human being at Paypal to actually talk to. And apparently they outsource their customer service halfway around the world.

That said, being also executor of the Iran projects account, I am obligated to suspend fundraising activities until instituting a new transaction system (I'm carefully looking in to Merchant Inc.) But please do check back soon and consider donating/buying a tshirt to help offset the thousands of $$ I've spent to make this project happen.

I'm back to the starving artist status that I thought I'd escaped- collecting pennies from the couch cushions, again. =)

Ok. Enough kvetching... back to superawesome things. 


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YouTube // Score!

I've just found this video on YouTube and it makes a grrreat companion to Sign at Ground Zero (the impetus for this project). By showing from someone else's point of view, it really helps put the day/video in context. You can even see some of the same people in both videos!! Go internet!

(also, someone's pix here.) 


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blogging bloggers bloggingly blogged

I hate to be too terribly meta, but I thought it'd be worth mentioning that this blog got a shout out from Global Voices blog, via the Pars Arts blog. See? Upon further investigation, I've decided that Global Voices rocks. 


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ParsArts.com - Feature!

Head on over to ParsArts.com to read the article! 


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the Reviews are in...

It seems that our presentation @ Cloud Club, Boston was verrry well received despite our lofty goal of covering an epic week in only a few hours. I just wanted to share some of that feedback- !


"I personally found the underground / progressive scene in Tehran to be of particular interest - fascinating that you guys were able to find it and gain access the way you did. And really valuable for Americans to see Iranian civilians as culturally alive and separate from their government, some pockets of them subverting the norms of their society. The presentation itself was unpretentious, yes, and refreshingly open-hearted, without self-conscious analysis / deconstruction or pomo irony chic that remains so pervasive in artistic circles. Also valuable is giving people the space to process information individually; we (westerners, Americans) are perpetually told what to think about the world and ourselves by the media. But I think what's actually important / universal transcends that sort of grasping."

"I have hugenormous respect and admiration for what you are doing and think it makes great art AND entertainment AND education AND fun hooray!"

"Well I think one thing you had going for you is the sort of unpretentious and unassuming way you've gone into this whole thing. Keep it simple. There was just something I liked about the whole idea of this cool, smart, attractive young American lady going to Iran and coming back to Boston to tell all of her freaky drunko cross-dressing artist friends what she saw. That's the way these things should be done, IMHO. There's too much "expert analysis" and political spin on everything you hear about the Middle East these days."



Loves it. 


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Unconditional Love Shirts // REISSUE

Back, by popular demand.
And as seen on TV! (BBC, really)
Unconditional Love Tshirts on American Apparel heather tri-blend.

Pre-orders by November 28 // $23
AFTER November 28 // $28
BEST. HOLIDAY GIFT. EVER.

------> Click here to get to the order page.

lovevolution.org/teeshirt.html 


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Life Goes on in Tehran - October Feature

A little something I wrote up about our trip was featured in Life Goes on in Tehran. Head over there to check it out .

Also, bonus points if you find Michael in one of the photos. 


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It's sort of like Christmas Eve

Michael and I had a day of last-minute errands-- blank books, cameras, clothes, plane snacks... laundry at the 24-hour laundromat.
Our flight to Dubai tomorrow is 13 hours long. When we arrive it will be 8AM in the U.A.E., but near Midnight Eastern Standard Time.
My body will be completely confused, I'm sure.
We have a day to spend there before our short (2 hour) flight to Tehran.
Hopefully it'll give us a chance to ease into Islamic society.

Bags are packed. Batteries are charging.
I'm feeling more sublime that anything else right now.

Watch out Tehran, here comes Super Awesome Adventure Club.




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Send Love to Iran is TAKING IT TO TEHRAN!

On Thursday, September 25 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran finally approved my visa.

I found out via email this morning and I immediately woke my traveling companion (Michael Pope) with a screeeeech.

We leave New York City on Monday October 6.


More details & more action... more later. 


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Matt from Indiana wins the MySpace Contest

There were 149 entries.
Matt won with artist Mina Agah and chose NIMANY shirt "Obsession".

This shirt was one of my favorites, for real.





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Persian Contemporary Artists - MySpace Contest

In my researching, I'm finding Iran to have a real solid roster of contemporary artists, so I've created a contest for my project's MySpace friends.

For each Iranian artist submitted, you're given 1 entry into a drawing to win a Xerxes or NIMANY T-shirt.

Pretty sweet deal.
Contest ends Valentine's Day 2008.

More here: myspace.com/sendlovetoiran 


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Published in Pars Arts!

Sepideh Saremi, the editor of Pars Arts, contacted me about writing a piece.

So awesome.

Click here for the article. 


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Photos for Sale

Lauren Goldberg-- a photographer in my network of friends, has offered to sell some of her rock and roll prints to help fundraise for the trip.

So sweet of her. Friends are awesome.

Photos Available can be found here. 


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"Unconditional Love is Global Security" T-shirts

I've created a limited run of teeshirts to help support/promote my ambitions.

You could purchase one here.




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27May: Sent Love to Iran Event Recap

ALSO: Check out this page for more MEDIA. 


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27May: Amanda Palmer & Hypernova @ Middle East

We are having an event at Middle East in Cambridge-
the reason is triple fold.

1. A public announcement to our Boston scene that I'm planning a trip to Tehran, as a self-described "Ambassador of Love". =)

2. A fundraiser to cover the cost of my trip (plane tix, hotel, translator, visas...).

3. A chance for Iranian rock band Hypernova to ROCK Cambridge, Massachusetts.



You should totally come. 


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"Send Love to Iran" on MySpace

I've joined the Web 2.0 revolution.

I have started a MySpace account for this project.

Visit here:
MySpace.com/sendlovetoiran 


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briBlog | UN Vote

Yesterday I created my first real video blog. I felt sort of silly, but maybe I'll get the hang of it. Talking to a machine? Silly. But alas, I think it will be good for me.

So, quite a bit happening on the Iran front. I went to the UN on Saturday while the UN Security Council was voting on new sanctions for Iran for refusing to suspend its enrichment program. The vote for another round of sanctions passed unanimously.

The five primary members of the council are: The United States, The United Kingdom, Russia, France and China. [These members all own Nuclear Weapons- precisely what they don't want Iran to have- but only the United States has used one in an act of aggression.]

CNN reported Dumisani Kumalo, the South African ambassador to the United Nations and current president of the Security Council, said he felt steamrollered into a Saturday vote on a resolution on sanctions against Iran.

Friday was quite a day for US/Iran relations.

For starters, the date and time for the UNSC vote was set to be held within 24 hours.

Also, the 78 visas that the Iranian Mission to the UN had been trying to get for their President and his entourage since Thursday March 15, finally arrived in Berne, Switzerland. Only they came in batches and the second set didn't arrive until 5:45p, which gave them less than 24 hours to get to New York City. It takes 5 hours to fly from Berne to Tehran and 12 hours to fly from Tehran to New York City. Ahmadinejad cancelled. I probably wouldn't have cancelled, but maybe I would have made a scene when I arrived late.

According to Mohammad Mohammadi, Russia and China were trying to postpone the meeting until Monday in order for President Ahmadinejad to address the Security Council. That didn't happen.

The Iranian ambassador, Dr. Javad Zarif, was quoted as saying "There was no time for the visas to be sent to Tehran in time for the president to be able to fly to New York." and the US spokeman Bob Grenell countered "Too late for what? The meeting hasn't even been scheduled yet. How can they say they are too late to come if the Security Council has not given a date and time for the event?"

The 3pm vote on Saturday. Duh, Mr. Grenell. Maybe Zarif is psychic or maybe Grenell is kept in the dark. Or, more likely, he's paid to act like that.

The other news is that 15 British soldiers were on patrol in the Persian Gulf and finishing the inspection of a cargo ship when they were arrested by the Revolutionary Guard for trespassing. Iran insists that the soldiers were on Iranian territory.

It is highly unlikely that Iran will comply with the new resolution.

Then what you ask? If I were to guess... more chest puffing, more media sensation, more opinions.

I must say that the visa thing really annoyed me. That could have been really easy to figure out, if the United States really wanted to be diplomatic about it. 


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Meeting with the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Today was officially my first day as an Ambassador (of Love).

I met with the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations' Press Secretary (try saying that 10x fast) Mohammad Mohammadi in New York City. We discussed the history of Iran and my upcoming trip. He was extremely humble, and very much loved Iran. I could tell it was very disappointing, albeit routine, for him to see his country demonized by another and on the brink of (question mark, question mark, question mark).

Today, Dr. Javad Zarif (their UN Representative) was in the process of trying to arrange for visas for President Ahmadinejad (and company) to address the UN Security Council, and it seemed that the U.S. was giving them the run-around.

I found an article HERE.
Regarding the last line, it was the US Representative to the UN, John Bolton, that claimed there was "no such thing as the United Nations".

Did You know that anyone traveling to the United Nations must be given a United States visa??

I did not. That sounds less like the United Nations and more like "The United States Presents: The United Nations" Maybe that's what John Bolton meant.

P.S. As an American I'm very used to being able to travel anywhere I want (except Cuba, where half of my bloodline is). And it is actually hard to imagine not being able to go somewhere (save not having enough money, another unneccesary barricade).

All in all a great meeting.

Dr. Zarif on Charlie Rose HERE
Dr. Zarif on NPR HERE

I find the media fascinating. It's amazing how an interviewer's personal perception of the world (or what s/he has been taught about it) shapes the entire piece. 


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A Personal Note

Hello there,

Allow myself to introduce myself.

I am an American twentysomething raised in a small town in the Midwest (Population 700!). I now reside on the East Coast.

As you are well aware, this planet is changing quickly and we are all being moved to facilitate (or resist) those changes. As opinions polarize, I have planted my feet firmly in Love. Not so much the daft way, but in the lets-look-for-(re)solutions and recognize-what-we-have-in-common sort of way.


Hello Iran.
I would like to meet you.


Love,
BriAnna

P.S. If you really want to get to know me you should email me: bri (at) lovevolution (dot) org 


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