2. My favorite 101

I know It’s the least Bob Dylan-type song ever but somehow I like it the most (no offense Bob!)
Since everybody knows both the song and the signer so well, I skip the introduction part. So This week’s pick is Things have changed from the album The essential Bob Dylan

Electronic voting in Florida

That is so great

Curious George…

Don’t miss this fabulous work of Chris Cox

Bill Maher's New rule!

Bluetooth headset users have to do something that lets me know that you’re just on the phone and not a dangerous schizophrenic! Right?! We don’t know if you’re talking to you secretary or the evil leprechaun who lives in your head!
You’re not the chief communications officer of the starship Enterprise, you’re a shoe salesman asking your mom if you can bring over your laundry!
If I wanted to overhear every tedious scrap of brain static, rattling around in your head, I’d read your blog!

Episode one
We were walking in the rain and almost alone in the street. On Saturday afternoon and when it rains like that, there are few people crazy enough to wander around the city but our days was short and even if we were not as crazy, we had no choice.

After an as-always-great brunch in L’avenue, coffee in amazingly unique café esperanza, we were walking in one of those so typical-of-Plateau, super charming narrow back –yard-streets and her shoes were utterly wet so were her socks and her jeans.

Right where most of the girls would nag the hell out of the guy and would kill the day by taking a cab home, she went to a shoe store, bought a 10$ pink rubber boots and a pair of socks.

Ten minutes later, her wet shoes and socks in a bag, we were back on those narrow streets and I was thinking to myself, I could have been the happiest man on earth!


Episode two
We were in Tamtam, almost completely high…she was sitting down on the green grass, my head on her lap. I was enjoying the rhythm, coming from far away, dancing of the leaves above me, gentle breeze on my face, massaging hands of the lately-so-scarce sunshine and most of all, her indescribably-pleasing company.

Then I saw my reflection on her sunglasses, right above her mysterious smile and I saved the moment on the memory card…the moment I knew wouldn’t last but was so beautiful, I didn’t want to imagine it otherwise.


Episode Three
Three is this seat in the bus, exactly over the tires, where right in front of the seat, there is an inclined surface; you can put your feet on. That’s the most relaxing hence my favorite spot in the bus.

She’d just left and I was coming back from Berri-Uquam station and was watching her numerous photos on my camera. Right beside me, there was this polite, classy lady with his super sweet, curious no-more-than-4-years-old boy on her lap and he was dying to see what I was doing.
And I, couldn’t stand him so willing to see the pictures, put the camera on slide show and in front him. Suddenly, he became amazingly quite, deliciously focused on the pictures, passing by every three seconds.
The mother, trying to appreciate my gesture, started asking him questions and he was charmingly nodding.

"Monsieur is so nice…did you thank him for showing his pictures to you?"
"The pictures are great, aren’t they?"
"She is so beautiful, isn’t she?"

Out of the blue, she looked at me and asked in a way, she couldn’t expect anything but confirmation in return, "Is she your girlfriend?"

I paused and then….smiled…I just didn’t feel like to say no…and she smiled back…To smart people, you shouldn’t explain everything and that’s what I like about them.

I looked back at the boy. He wasn’t looking at the screen anymore cause something equally irrelevant had caught his attention and he was so drowned in the new thing, you could hardly believe that a minute ago, he was eating the pictures by his curiosity.

How I wish I was a little boy!

a very funny comercial form Sprint

I just love his analogy!

Do one brave thing today

.. then run like hell

A fantastic place called TAM-TAM

Every sunny Sunday, the eastern slope of Mont-royal, is the place where the coolest people in the world gather, playing Tam-Tam or any sort of percussion that can create a moving afro-rhythm. Then, the rest of the crowd, already big-time high, dancing to this rhythm or just lying on the green grass and enjoying their Sunday afternoon!

The mood is so relax and friendly, you can hardly recall that you’re in always busy North America, and the style of the people, gives the impression of being in 60’s. it’s truly amazing.

Another interesting stuff about Tam-Tam (that’s not the name but that’s what people call it), is a game, very much like a Medieval Paintball in which geeks, dressed in ancient armors, equipped with foam-made war fare, simulate a medieval war! It’s so funny you’ll laugh your ass off…the two groups stand in front of each other, bump on their shields and attacking each other while screaming….
I’m going to gradually update some of the photos that I took from them, in my flickr. So , Check it out

World Cup…

Dear friends, guess the final scores of Iran’s three matches…I will announce the winner at the end of the competition.

A. Iran Vs Mexico
B. Iran Vs Portugal
C. Iran Vs Angola

Rules:
The exact result: 20 points
The winner and the correct goal difference: 10 points
Only the winner: 5 points

Good luck

a Haiku

New Year’s Day
Everything is in blossom!
I feel about average

The snow is melting
and the village is flooded
With children

Don’t worry, spiders,
I keep house
Casually

Issa

This is sooooo sweet!

Uncomfortable situations

That’s an invitation for you to share funny uncomfortable situations you have recently experienced . Be sincere, be impolite, be my guest!

So let me start first…

Public Bathrooms are among the very few places, I believe, should be separated based on genders. Men and women using the same public bathroom, BAD IDEA! and I tell you why.

To start with, every time you want to leave the bathroom to a lady, you’re faced with this dilemma: “Should I leave the toilet seat up or should I put it back down?”. Sounds funny ha?! Now, If you leave it down, she’d think you’re a pig, actually peed on the toilet seat, but if you leave it up, then she’d still be thinking, you’re just a natural stereotype male pig! You see, it’s not that funny!

Anyway, unfortunately mixed bathroom is the case in our office and today, when I entered the bathroom to wash my hands, it was like I entered the site of a medieval battle field where thousands of people got killed and their bodies have been left under the scorching summer sun for weeks! As if the guy had eaten some dead rats for breakfast!

Any way, I washed my hands as fast as possible, while holding my breath, and as I was getting out of the bathroom, guess what? I found myself, face to face with the only girl in the office whom I actually have a crush on, waiting to go after me!

Ok…I’m waiting for your bloopers!

Dear God,
That was a really cheap joke, and it wasn’t even funny!
Just so you know!

Movie of the week - Part Two

Wu ji (Promise)

If you have a reasonable tolerance for a corny Chinese fairy tale, can stand not-so-pleasing-to-the-ears Mandarin for two hours and can overlook some far-less-than-perfect special effects, invite your eyes to one the most extravagant feasts of colors and visual magnificence!

The latest work of Chen Kaige, was so unbelievably beautiful that I was frequently laughing out loud, just to discharge my self from the unbearable endless load of beauty, from heavenly landscapes, to every little colorful details in outfits, armors and even wall papers. Add to those, an exquisite music, and a gorgeous actress, and you will have an exhibition of everything your senses could wish for.

Just sit back, forget about the story and let your senses explore this sensual orgasm. (Why the hell I do sound like the commercials for shampoo!?!)

Movie of the week - Part one

UNITED 93


Remember that glorious scene in Bowling for columbine where Michael Moore, connects some of the most notorious US interventions in third world countries, like Iran, El Salvador and Chile from one side and the creation of Taliban and Bin Laden by CIA from the other side, to 9/11, sarcastically with the background song of What a wonderful world? Or that episode from 11'9''01, in which Ken Loach, who recently won the Palm d’or for The wind that shakes the barely, compares September eleventh 2001 to September eleventh 1973, when the airplane we thought was going to hit the world trade center suddenly turned out to be the one, was going to bomb Allende’s presidential palace? Or Sean penn’s short, overwhelmingly poetic and stunningly beautiful episode in the same movie?

Well, if you wish to see something quite different, see United 93, in which Paul Greengrass , has managed to make an extraordinary documentary-type movie, very much similar to his master piece Bloody Sunday.

The movie is simple, realistic and quite unlike anything else that we have seen so far. There is no love story, no degusting toast, no cheesy emotional speech of any kind, no hero, no irritating wise guy or superman, no criticism, no sarcasm, no bombarding audience with boring facts, and most of all, no demonizing of anyone whatsoever.

It’s just a real story, being told as non-judgmental as possible with performances so natural and believable that you can put yourself in place of anybody, from terrified passengers to puzzled and desperate personnels, in the control rooms.

Paul Greengrass, knowing the event itself has all the necessary elements for an emotional thriller to it, by simply retelling the September eleventh, has created a true masterpiece which is extraordinary observant, emotional and breathtaking.

So far, one of the best movies of the year.

1. My favorite 101

I start my favorites with a song called “Green Grass” by this young beautiful Brazilian, Cibelle, from the album The shine of dried electric leaves .
She sings in Portuguese, obviously, and also in English and French.
Although those in Portuguese, with a hint of Bossa Nova, are more typical of her, I can’t stop listening to this magnificent song, Green grass, which is immensely romantic, simple, melancholic and down right delicious. Very much suitable for this beautiful rainy Saturday evening.

Discussion of the week- Episode one

In most developed countries, a pregnant woman carrying a baby with Down ’s syndrome (the inoffensive term for rather rude and irresponsible word of Mongol!), is allowed to have an abortion. In England as an example, more than 95% of women, trapped in this condition, have used their legal right, terminated the life of their unborn children.

There are many people oppose to that decision, among which many families who have first hand experience dealing with Down’s children. They’re arguing, having a slow or crippled rate of growth, even though in the brain, doesn’t make those babies any lesser form of human being and certainly doesn’t give us the right to terminate their lives and some of these babies, having a chance to lead their lives, can live a long, happy one and can bring joy to their families as well. Depriving them from living, is killing someone just for being different.

Considering the fact that our world is being ruled by people with much more serious brain defects than Down’s syndrome, it seems not a bad argument. (Just kidding!)

On the other side of the spectrum, many believe that the life of the one with this syndrome is a wretched one, not only for the person alone, but for the family who will be doomed to bear an excruciating life-long responsibility. They also argue that, since some of these patients will outlive their parents, the devastating duty will eventually fall off on the shoulders of their brothers and sisters, who had no control over the decision in the first place. So it’s the right of every family, not to be forced, at least, to accept this huge task. Adding to this, most of these children, would suffer from serious physical defects throughout their lives and frequently should be subjected to some painful surgeries, which makes the life even more difficult for them and their families.

What do you think? Should parents be allowed to terminate the life of the fetus, knowing that the baby will be born with Down’s syndrome? And if you were in the same situation, would you do that?