This colleague of mine, who gave me and Sanam ride to Toronto, is a strange man. He drives aggressively and swears almost everybody in the road, yet very thoughtfully criticizes himself for being too aggressive and it goes on for the whole five hours from Montréal to Toronto and vice versa.
Once, when he was swearing the driver in front, for being too slow (and she was driving with the speed of almost 120 km/h!), he laughed at himself and said:
“Have you noticed that when you are in the road, those who’re driving slower than you are coward and stupid and those who’re driving faster, Maniacs? It seems that you are the only person who’s driving with the appropriate speed!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Bill Maher’s New rule
George Bush has to stop laughing at himself.
When your incompetence literally costs lives, giggling at it isn’t cute or funny.
When your incompetence literally costs lives, giggling at it isn’t cute or funny.
Revelations of the last remaining brain cell
Ladies,
We, men, have two organs in our body that consume hell a lot of blood. Our brain and our …well, you know. Unfortunately, there's always enough blood to run one at the time.
So, as long as we’re talking about eating and having fun and sex and how beautiful you are and stuff like that, you can consider the relationship as OK, but the moment we become philosophers, it simply means, we have all the blood we need in our brains, AKA, THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO BLOOD THERE!
So next time you hear “I’m at the point in my life where…”, “ I think I need more time to get to know my self…”, “ I have to focus on my career…”, “I'm looking for a more profound perception of life”, or craps like that, you have only two options,
either to accept that it’s over and move on, or keep on fooling yourself.
Either way, good luck!
We, men, have two organs in our body that consume hell a lot of blood. Our brain and our …well, you know. Unfortunately, there's always enough blood to run one at the time.
So, as long as we’re talking about eating and having fun and sex and how beautiful you are and stuff like that, you can consider the relationship as OK, but the moment we become philosophers, it simply means, we have all the blood we need in our brains, AKA, THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO BLOOD THERE!
So next time you hear “I’m at the point in my life where…”, “ I think I need more time to get to know my self…”, “ I have to focus on my career…”, “I'm looking for a more profound perception of life”, or craps like that, you have only two options,
either to accept that it’s over and move on, or keep on fooling yourself.
Either way, good luck!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
As stupid as American Dreams!
From the trailer, one could imagine, it’s either a smart, sarcastic comedy or simply flushing your valuable time down the drain! Guess what? It’s absolutely the second one!
A senseless, clueless stupid comedy that pathetically tries to be cute, political and socially critical, but in fact, it’s none of them.
The story is about a British man (played by Hugh Grant) who has a hit TV show called “American Dreamz” which is supposed to be a metaphor of Simon Cowell and his American Idol, but like other metaphors in the movie, it’s so closed to the reality that one wonders why the writer is not using the actual names and makes a documentary instead!
The Simon-like character, in attempt to attract even more audience, handpicks three rather bizarre character, a Jewish Hasidic, an Arab who’s living with his family in Orange county ( and has been put there by a terrorist organization) and a blond trash girl (played by Mandy Moore ). From the other side, the recently re-elected president of the united stated, a retarded character whom is constantly being manipulated by his vice-president ( Willem Dafoe ), accidentally has been attracted to the newspapers and is finding out that he has been deceived all the way, so he grounded himself in his office, reading newspapers. In response to public anxiety caused by the absence of the president from the public scene, vice-president talks Hugh Grant into putting the president in the panel of judges for the final round of the American Dreamz. Knowing that, terrorists try to convince and push the Arab guy, Omar, to reach to the final round so he can blow himself up and kill the president. That’s the story. Now details,
Hugh Grant is playing, as usual, one of the only two characters that he basically is able to play, either a handsome well dressed eloquent British naively-nice guy or a handsome well dressed eloquent British asshole! And this time, he’s doing the second one and honestly he’s good, but is it any wonder? He’s playing almost himself and he’s doing OK. Way to go!
The Iraqi guy, Omar (played by Sam Golzari), has a cousin who lives with his family in Orange County and they are clearly Iranian, although it wasn’t mentioned anywhere! I do not expect the writer and director of this movie, Paul Weitz , to know that, but couldn’t Shohre Aghdashlou (Nazanin) tell them that Dudes, Middle east is a region and not a country and not everybody in this region is somehow related to each other?!
And the the president's assassination plan, give me a break! You couldn’t possibly kill Miss piggy in The Muppet show with this plan! To chew plastic bombs like chewing gum and take them inside the theatre?! Are you kidding me?! Dear Paul, when you use metaphors so idiotically close to the reality, at least devise a plan which is closer to what’s happening around the world. Last time, the terrorists you are talking about, hijacked four passenger planes, destroyed twin towers and part of the Pentagon! Planning wise, Believe me, they need more credit!
and making fun of “American Idols”? Really? Isn’t it funny enough for anyone with the IQ level of, well, somewhere between carpet and door knob!? and does it have any benefit, explaining it to those who are clearly below that range?!
And finally, the political jokes in this movie are so superficial that they’re exactly like calling the fattest kid in the school, lardo! Seriously, how smart is that?!
Well, the only interesting point in the movie could be the fact that the naïve guy, Mandy Moore’s boyfriend and later a war veteran, is frequently being abused as a puppet! Not a bad idea but after the magnificent Jarhead , can anybody give any credit to this movie for portraying the same thing but in the most stupid way possible?!
Final word, the movie is absolutely rubbish and a huge waste of time to a point that even if you happen to encounter it while you're flying over seas, don’t even bother yourself, asking for a headphone. American Dreamz with a Z, is as bland and stupid as it can be, ironically, very similar to the actual one, with a S!
I’d seen another version of this, but the character was a naked woman and to be honest, unless you had necrophilia, it was not pleasant! This one though, is downright fun!
Friday, May 26, 2006
Museum of BAD art!
The world's only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.
The plague of the pop culture!
Funny, hilarious Jon Stewart, remember him?
I remember how happy I got when he deservedly received the Emmy award for the second time in a row and became the host of the Academy awards. Well, maybe I shouldn’t have, if I’d known the popularity will reduce him from a bright intellectual with an exceptional sense of humor to a mediocre joker who does anything to keep the now-a- much-wider audience happy.
What happened to those deep, sarcastic, layered jokes and harsh critics and politically incorrect (sorry Bill!) comments?
For god’s sake! to become understandable for the main stream, I suppose, he’s even simplified the vocabulary he uses, compare to a year ago or so.
This Jon Stewart is way too different than the guy who kicked Tucker Carlson’s ass in that famous Crossfire’s episode. This Jon is shallow, ball less and much too politically correct, with the humor that is more suitable for Shaggy dog, than Daily show.
Now, with Woody Allen has quit being Woody Allen and preferred to become a second hand version of Hitchcock/Dostoyevsky, and with Bill Maher has taken his vacation till the end of August, does anybody know any comedian who has anything more to say than cheap sexual or gay jokes, making fun of blonds and nagging about women?!
I missed the old Jon Stewart!
I remember how happy I got when he deservedly received the Emmy award for the second time in a row and became the host of the Academy awards. Well, maybe I shouldn’t have, if I’d known the popularity will reduce him from a bright intellectual with an exceptional sense of humor to a mediocre joker who does anything to keep the now-a- much-wider audience happy.
What happened to those deep, sarcastic, layered jokes and harsh critics and politically incorrect (sorry Bill!) comments?
For god’s sake! to become understandable for the main stream, I suppose, he’s even simplified the vocabulary he uses, compare to a year ago or so.
This Jon Stewart is way too different than the guy who kicked Tucker Carlson’s ass in that famous Crossfire’s episode. This Jon is shallow, ball less and much too politically correct, with the humor that is more suitable for Shaggy dog, than Daily show.
Now, with Woody Allen has quit being Woody Allen and preferred to become a second hand version of Hitchcock/Dostoyevsky, and with Bill Maher has taken his vacation till the end of August, does anybody know any comedian who has anything more to say than cheap sexual or gay jokes, making fun of blonds and nagging about women?!
I missed the old Jon Stewart!
Just a reminder
Dear folks,
First, as you may have noticed so far, despite my dead-busy schedule, I’ve tried my best to update both my weblog and photoblog everyday (ironically, the one who convinced me to do so, updating hers, hardly once in a month!). to fulfill this dedication to myself, sometimes I have to go through some inhumane conditions such as writing during lunch time or late at night so in spite of my efforts not to have any typo, it’s quite natural that it happens and I’d cordially appreciate if you inform me in case you noticed any.
Second, I write about a variety of subjects from politics and history to art and science, but somehow I can’t figure out why the article about ass-washing got so much attention?!
I just wanted to mention that in a diverse society like the one in Canada, how some minor, insignificant details such as wiping or washing one’s ass, could be qualified as a cultural barrier but it turned out to be not quite trivial. Apparently for some, it’s more important than seal hunting and global warming! so, with a deep remorse, I’m afraid to conclude:
“To wash or not to wash, that’s the question!”
First, as you may have noticed so far, despite my dead-busy schedule, I’ve tried my best to update both my weblog and photoblog everyday (ironically, the one who convinced me to do so, updating hers, hardly once in a month!). to fulfill this dedication to myself, sometimes I have to go through some inhumane conditions such as writing during lunch time or late at night so in spite of my efforts not to have any typo, it’s quite natural that it happens and I’d cordially appreciate if you inform me in case you noticed any.
Second, I write about a variety of subjects from politics and history to art and science, but somehow I can’t figure out why the article about ass-washing got so much attention?!
I just wanted to mention that in a diverse society like the one in Canada, how some minor, insignificant details such as wiping or washing one’s ass, could be qualified as a cultural barrier but it turned out to be not quite trivial. Apparently for some, it’s more important than seal hunting and global warming! so, with a deep remorse, I’m afraid to conclude:
“To wash or not to wash, that’s the question!”
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Bill Maher’s New rules
If turning on my cell phone can bring down your commercial airliner, build a better plane! I mean…the number of people who carry hand held electronic devices these days equals the number of people who have hands…to give them all veto power over whether passengers live or die, seems like a flaw in the system.
Montreal kicks ass!
As I speak to my friends who live in Toronto (not all of them for sure, but a considerably good portion of them), they have this vision of Montréal as if it’s an exotic city in the middle of Africa, surrounded by volcanoes! Cause every time I ask them to come for a visit, they respond with enthusiasm “ yeah, I’ve been there once and I’m really looking forward to visit again at the end of the summer or next year…”
So I thought it would be useful if I explain some apparently obvious facts about our city, Montreal.
Dear friends,
Don’t let the notion of “French Canada” fools you, it’s still, although rather reluctantly, Canada! meaning that you shouldn’t apply for a visa or something, and you can still use your Canadian money here, as well!
Sure we’re more fun and less workaholic, our girls are way too gorgeous, sexy, tasteful and open minded, in a very good sense!, our city is more beautiful and our roads are too crappy! but if you ignore the fact that you have to call “Shopper’s Drugmart”, “Pharmaprix”, and remember that “PFK” and “KFC” are “La Même Chose”, or you should by your alcohol from “SAQ” and not “LCBO”, it’s almost the same thing.
So, remember, you shouldn’t reserve tickets or plan a year ahead, it’s only five hours of driving away and will cost you about 80$ but you can bet your life that it worths every penny.
Just so you know!
P.S. We don’t have hot dog vendors in the streets but instead you can buy alcohols from grocery stores. I think it’s a fair trade off!
So I thought it would be useful if I explain some apparently obvious facts about our city, Montreal.
Dear friends,
Don’t let the notion of “French Canada” fools you, it’s still, although rather reluctantly, Canada! meaning that you shouldn’t apply for a visa or something, and you can still use your Canadian money here, as well!
Sure we’re more fun and less workaholic, our girls are way too gorgeous, sexy, tasteful and open minded, in a very good sense!, our city is more beautiful and our roads are too crappy! but if you ignore the fact that you have to call “Shopper’s Drugmart”, “Pharmaprix”, and remember that “PFK” and “KFC” are “La Même Chose”, or you should by your alcohol from “SAQ” and not “LCBO”, it’s almost the same thing.
So, remember, you shouldn’t reserve tickets or plan a year ahead, it’s only five hours of driving away and will cost you about 80$ but you can bet your life that it worths every penny.
Just so you know!
P.S. We don’t have hot dog vendors in the streets but instead you can buy alcohols from grocery stores. I think it’s a fair trade off!
Over the Hedge
About a year ago, I think it was before Shrek 2, I saw a quite intriguing coming-soon-trailer about an animated cartoon called Suburbia. Characters, dialogues and techniques were promising an interesting movie. I didn’t hear about the movie since last night that I watched it with the new title of “Over the hedge”.
The movie is downright brilliant. Unlike “Ice age 2”, it has a well-written and thoughtful storyline (apparently from a comic strip). Characters are cute and adorable, animation is just right, not pretentious at all, and it completely serves the storyline, and most of all, the scenario is witty, I mean while it’s extremely funny, it has a dark, satirical tone to it, makes fun of the unleashed culture of consumption, shows our brutal intrusion into natural habitats and our inability to coexist as a part of the ecosystem. The fact that this Monday, when I was coming back from Toronto, was screaming itself to me by the numerous carcasses of raccoons and other animals, killed by the passing cars while they were trying desperately to get themselves to the other part of their split-by-the-highway’s habitat. And unlike my lecture, it all has been done in an artistically subtle way which was not annoying or boring whatsoever .
To me, the best character of the film was the fat lazy Persian cat who speaks with a hilarious Persian accent, done by Omid Djalili (the only international Iranian stand up comedian that I know) and it’s so funny that I was crying in the theatre!
I strongly recommend this movie and I guarantee that you will like it, adore it and will laugh your ass off! Enjoy
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
TO again!
I’m back again from TO and I don’t think that I go again anytime soon. Although it’s fun, I meet some new people every time and that’s additional to cool unexpected stuff that always happens in TO (at least for me), but too many drinks, too much smokes, too little sleep and 10 hours of driving is not something that I can take, every other week.
Now, interesting stuff from this trip:
1. A cool Woody Allen T-shirt that Naz made for me.
2. Maryam’s super healthy, somewhat bizarre but quite delicious cuisine.
3. Drinking and singing in a Karaoke bar.
4. Kaveh and Takin’s passionate discussion about some bird’s eggs! till 6 o’clock in the morning! fallowed by a more absurd experiment.
5. being introduced to some brilliant music at Golnaz’s place
6. Dizi and Ghalyoon in Patogh which was heavenly.
7. Having brunch at Rosedale with this lovely couple, Sam and Talayeh, followed by coffee at Doria, served by a cute Portuguese waitress with the sexiest voice ever!
8. Severe lack of sleep for about 10 to 15 hours.
So long TO, at least for couple of weeks.
Now, interesting stuff from this trip:
1. A cool Woody Allen T-shirt that Naz made for me.
2. Maryam’s super healthy, somewhat bizarre but quite delicious cuisine.
3. Drinking and singing in a Karaoke bar.
4. Kaveh and Takin’s passionate discussion about some bird’s eggs! till 6 o’clock in the morning! fallowed by a more absurd experiment.
5. being introduced to some brilliant music at Golnaz’s place
6. Dizi and Ghalyoon in Patogh which was heavenly.
7. Having brunch at Rosedale with this lovely couple, Sam and Talayeh, followed by coffee at Doria, served by a cute Portuguese waitress with the sexiest voice ever!
8. Severe lack of sleep for about 10 to 15 hours.
So long TO, at least for couple of weeks.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Proud ass-washer’s nation!
The first and the foremost concern of every Iranian girl that I’ve seen who was supposed to go out with a non-Iranian man for the first time, and far ahead of all those cultural differences and language barriers, simply was the fact that they don’t wash their asses!
I suppose the opposite concern holds at the other side of the table, since almost every non-Iranian girl who’s come to my apartment for the first time, wanted to know what the hell the sprinkler is doing in my bathroom!
Our argument is that their asses wouldn’t be clean enough without being washed thoroughly by water and theirs, well, they prefer to leave their asses crappy but their hands clean.
Anyway, the fact that they start to wash or we start to quit is one important indicator of who’s the boss in the relationship!
But how clean is clean enough? According to one of my friends, after you washed, you should be able to hear the squeaking sound when you rub your finger on it! What’s your criterion?
I suppose the opposite concern holds at the other side of the table, since almost every non-Iranian girl who’s come to my apartment for the first time, wanted to know what the hell the sprinkler is doing in my bathroom!
Our argument is that their asses wouldn’t be clean enough without being washed thoroughly by water and theirs, well, they prefer to leave their asses crappy but their hands clean.
Anyway, the fact that they start to wash or we start to quit is one important indicator of who’s the boss in the relationship!
But how clean is clean enough? According to one of my friends, after you washed, you should be able to hear the squeaking sound when you rub your finger on it! What’s your criterion?
Just a reminder
Dear people,
It’s 21st century. Era of blue tooth and wireless internet and almost every retarded living human being between the age of 6 and 86, knows what the hell the answering machine is!
If you don’t answer the phone, we surly can assume you are either not at home or not able to answer the phone (or you simply don’t want to) and you really don’t have to explain in detail what should we do after the beep in 4 different languages especially since the lady inside your machine is going to explain the same procedure again, right after you finished with yours.
Thank you
It’s 21st century. Era of blue tooth and wireless internet and almost every retarded living human being between the age of 6 and 86, knows what the hell the answering machine is!
If you don’t answer the phone, we surly can assume you are either not at home or not able to answer the phone (or you simply don’t want to) and you really don’t have to explain in detail what should we do after the beep in 4 different languages especially since the lady inside your machine is going to explain the same procedure again, right after you finished with yours.
Thank you
Revelations of the very last remaining brain cell, as promised
When a woman responds “Great” to an ordinary “How are doing” question for a couple of days in a row, there’s either a romantic affair or a sexual adventure involved. Girls can not feel great in a whole seven days of a week, if they’re not in love or getting laid!
For guys, it could be simply due their favorite soccer team being in a good shape, or two consecutive strait-flush in a row, in last night’s poker
For guys, it could be simply due their favorite soccer team being in a good shape, or two consecutive strait-flush in a row, in last night’s poker
Let’s be unpatriotic for a change!
I’m sick and tired of hearing about our troops in Afghanistan and their bravery and all those sacrifices they make on a daily bases!
Why the hell anyone anywhere wants to talk about anything in public involving our troops, should begin the sentence with raving about their selflessness?!
Dear folks, we’re not talking about “medecins sans frontiers”, we are talking about soldiers. They are soldiers and soldiers do not make sacrifice! In the best case scenario, they do their jobs! They are not men and women performing a compulsory military service, even if that was the case still couldn’t be qualified as sacrifice, they have been employed by the government to fight like any other employee doing any other job. Of course theirs is more dangerous than most of the jobs, but that’s simply their job description! They’re getting paid to work in dangerous situation. That’s why they carry a gun. That’s why they dress like bushes and trees and they don’t do it for the sake of humanity, they do that in exchange of money.
So please stop saying “They’re fighting for Canada”, cause the most perilous threats all around Canada are thunder storm and polar bears! and Global warming of course!
And enough with “They are helping people in Afghanistan”, cause soldiers do not decide where to go and what to do! That’s the definition of a good soldier. They’re helping people in Afghanistan, simply because they’ve been ordered to do so, exactly the same way they’re protecting a government of coup against a democratically elected president in Haiti!
If someone registered for army in the time of peace, either the person is naively dreaming about playing War-game!, for which to see a real battle field would be a suitable therapy, or he likes an adventurous and well-paid job or easily he hasn’t got any other options but to be a soldier and in either case, I can not admire him more than I admire any another person, performing any other service to society.
You know who I do admire? Those who leave their well-paid jobs to work for “Doctors or engineers without borders”, those who go to poor countries to fight against human trafficking, AIDS, Malaria, women being raped and children being abused. Those who tie themselves to trees, hinder the Whale hunting ships, trying their ass off to save the planet that does not only belong to us humans! That’s what I call sacrifice. Soldiers…not really!
Why the hell anyone anywhere wants to talk about anything in public involving our troops, should begin the sentence with raving about their selflessness?!
Dear folks, we’re not talking about “medecins sans frontiers”, we are talking about soldiers. They are soldiers and soldiers do not make sacrifice! In the best case scenario, they do their jobs! They are not men and women performing a compulsory military service, even if that was the case still couldn’t be qualified as sacrifice, they have been employed by the government to fight like any other employee doing any other job. Of course theirs is more dangerous than most of the jobs, but that’s simply their job description! They’re getting paid to work in dangerous situation. That’s why they carry a gun. That’s why they dress like bushes and trees and they don’t do it for the sake of humanity, they do that in exchange of money.
So please stop saying “They’re fighting for Canada”, cause the most perilous threats all around Canada are thunder storm and polar bears! and Global warming of course!
And enough with “They are helping people in Afghanistan”, cause soldiers do not decide where to go and what to do! That’s the definition of a good soldier. They’re helping people in Afghanistan, simply because they’ve been ordered to do so, exactly the same way they’re protecting a government of coup against a democratically elected president in Haiti!
If someone registered for army in the time of peace, either the person is naively dreaming about playing War-game!, for which to see a real battle field would be a suitable therapy, or he likes an adventurous and well-paid job or easily he hasn’t got any other options but to be a soldier and in either case, I can not admire him more than I admire any another person, performing any other service to society.
You know who I do admire? Those who leave their well-paid jobs to work for “Doctors or engineers without borders”, those who go to poor countries to fight against human trafficking, AIDS, Malaria, women being raped and children being abused. Those who tie themselves to trees, hinder the Whale hunting ships, trying their ass off to save the planet that does not only belong to us humans! That’s what I call sacrifice. Soldiers…not really!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Bathroom under new management
From next week, I’m going to make some weekly schedule for this blog. Every week, I will have a “movie of the week” and a “artist of the week” section in which I’ll write about new movies that I’ve seen, or my favorite artists.
“Revelations of the very last remaining brain cell” will be a small weekly article in which I’ll write down a conclusion about something, preferably funny and somehow stupid.
In another weekly section, I will write about interesting places in Montreal including Bars, cafés, restaurants, monuments, cools streets and lovely neighborhoods. Places that are not necessarily touristic but surly worth visiting
All of those will be in addition to regular bathroom stuff like daily links and articles.
And dear friends, whenever you come here and read something, leave some comments please. Short or long, thoughtful or stupid, kind or brutal, just do it! (sorry Nike!). It will help me keep going.
“Revelations of the very last remaining brain cell” will be a small weekly article in which I’ll write down a conclusion about something, preferably funny and somehow stupid.
In another weekly section, I will write about interesting places in Montreal including Bars, cafés, restaurants, monuments, cools streets and lovely neighborhoods. Places that are not necessarily touristic but surly worth visiting
All of those will be in addition to regular bathroom stuff like daily links and articles.
And dear friends, whenever you come here and read something, leave some comments please. Short or long, thoughtful or stupid, kind or brutal, just do it! (sorry Nike!). It will help me keep going.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Sorry Foroogh!
Dast-haaiat raa,
chon khaatere ii soozaan,
dar dast-haai e aashegh e man bogzaar...
Baad maa raa baa khod khaahad bord...
Baad maa raa baa khod khaahad bord...
(en shaa allaah!)
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Bill Maher's New Rules
If you’re playing a sport where most of the speed comes from gravity, you’re not an athlete, you’re a weight!
Get ready TO, I'm comming again!
It’s been three years, well exactly three years and a month, that I’ve been living in Montreal and I never forget the first day and the first glance. I cannot describe how discouraged I got when I saw the city for the first time. I mean, when you hear all those raving about how beautiful “Paris of the North America” is, discouragement is almost guaranteed! I don’t blame anybody. In fact, I should have guessed my self that a city which has been built by some fur merchants and has never had any form of aristocracy, let alone monarchy, can’t be as beautiful as Paris, Vienna or any other European city but one always tends to believe what he likes to believe. Even the first pictures that I took from Montreal were horrendous, reflecting my feeling toward the city. Some rusty air-conditioning fans, on top of an ugly ugly rooftop!
But like not-a-conventional-beautiful girl, who doesn’t catch your eyes at the first sight but the way she moves, talks and behaves will eventually makes you fall in love with her, I got soon hunted by the sexy and somewhat attractive character of this charming lady. An affair, which has been lasted till today.
This weekend, I’m going to Toronto again. She has also managed to change my view somehow drastically in the past visits and something’s telling me that she can do more.
But honestly, with this appearance, she got to have quite a personality :)
But like not-a-conventional-beautiful girl, who doesn’t catch your eyes at the first sight but the way she moves, talks and behaves will eventually makes you fall in love with her, I got soon hunted by the sexy and somewhat attractive character of this charming lady. An affair, which has been lasted till today.
This weekend, I’m going to Toronto again. She has also managed to change my view somehow drastically in the past visits and something’s telling me that she can do more.
But honestly, with this appearance, she got to have quite a personality :)
Stop testing on Animals...what does it really mean?
I like to call them insiders who sabotage every group from within by neutralizing all the efforts of sane and moderate activists, fighting for the same cause but in a much civilized manner. I’m talking about extremists. Those who give the people in charge, the luxury of diverting public’s opinions from the real problem by magnifying the act of bunch of anarchists, stereotyping anybody who talks about the same issue.
And this time, the case is the same old “fighting against testing drugs on animals”. A precious cause and some genuinely valuable efforts that have been tarnished by some who vandalizing properties, beating researchers and black mailing their families.
Just in England, they’ve gone so far that the government now has got enough support to publicly back up pro-testing movement to the point that Tony Blair himself signed a petition, supporting the continuation of the testing, something unheard of so far.
Well, that was exactly what we need. Some people marching in the streets, shouting “performing tests on animals are necessary for human’s sake” as if all those activists are some lunatics who want to save rats and guinea pigs at the cost of people’s lives!
So let’s make some points clear so you don’t think all those against testing are crazy, irrational or idealist. What they say (those with at least 80% of their brain cells still functioning!) simply are,
1. Test on animals should only be performed when it’s absolutely necessary to save lives. So it’s ok if you want to test anti-Cancer or anti-Aids drugs, but it’s not Ok when you torture and kill animals for heart burn medications or much worse, cosmetic products!
2. A huge amount of test being performed on poor animals is downright redundant. (they say 70%. I think it has been exaggerated but even 25% is already too much!). This is not hard to comprehend since anybody who has worked in an office has an idea about how much resources (paper for instance) is being wasted every day and there is no reason we assume the same pattern is not followed in labs! There’s only a small and minor difference and that is, those animals can feel the pain and they can’t be recycled!
3. Testing on animals is not a reliable way of insuring new drugs are safe since even those small genetic differences make some successfully tested drugs on rats, dogs and even monkeys, almost lethal when tested on human beings (they are hundreds of documented examples, all over the world). So it’s rational if one expect drug companies to invest on developing alternative ways and to support those methods that exist, not only to reduce the number of animals being subjected to tests, but also to secure the health of those volunteers in final stages of testing.
In other words, they are alternative ways, not for all procedures but for lots of them and also there are ways to maximize the efficiency of the methods, when performing a test on animals is essential.
The medical and pharmaceutical industry should realize that every life of every animal is precious and if it’s not absolutely necessary to take it, it’s absolutely unnecessary to do so. It may cost a bit more, but it worth it to the last penny! That’s all. Is it so much to ask?
Comment to my self: In fact, in the world that we can’t convince people not to buy fur coats, or SUV’s or at least not to vote for an anti-environmentalist stupid ass like Bush, maybe it is too much to ask. Sometimes I think if the slavery has not been abolished so far, there were certainly no way in this age that anybody could even propose that, considering its devastating effect on businesses and the economical growth and other craps! Think about it!
And this time, the case is the same old “fighting against testing drugs on animals”. A precious cause and some genuinely valuable efforts that have been tarnished by some who vandalizing properties, beating researchers and black mailing their families.
Just in England, they’ve gone so far that the government now has got enough support to publicly back up pro-testing movement to the point that Tony Blair himself signed a petition, supporting the continuation of the testing, something unheard of so far.
Well, that was exactly what we need. Some people marching in the streets, shouting “performing tests on animals are necessary for human’s sake” as if all those activists are some lunatics who want to save rats and guinea pigs at the cost of people’s lives!
So let’s make some points clear so you don’t think all those against testing are crazy, irrational or idealist. What they say (those with at least 80% of their brain cells still functioning!) simply are,
1. Test on animals should only be performed when it’s absolutely necessary to save lives. So it’s ok if you want to test anti-Cancer or anti-Aids drugs, but it’s not Ok when you torture and kill animals for heart burn medications or much worse, cosmetic products!
2. A huge amount of test being performed on poor animals is downright redundant. (they say 70%. I think it has been exaggerated but even 25% is already too much!). This is not hard to comprehend since anybody who has worked in an office has an idea about how much resources (paper for instance) is being wasted every day and there is no reason we assume the same pattern is not followed in labs! There’s only a small and minor difference and that is, those animals can feel the pain and they can’t be recycled!
3. Testing on animals is not a reliable way of insuring new drugs are safe since even those small genetic differences make some successfully tested drugs on rats, dogs and even monkeys, almost lethal when tested on human beings (they are hundreds of documented examples, all over the world). So it’s rational if one expect drug companies to invest on developing alternative ways and to support those methods that exist, not only to reduce the number of animals being subjected to tests, but also to secure the health of those volunteers in final stages of testing.
In other words, they are alternative ways, not for all procedures but for lots of them and also there are ways to maximize the efficiency of the methods, when performing a test on animals is essential.
The medical and pharmaceutical industry should realize that every life of every animal is precious and if it’s not absolutely necessary to take it, it’s absolutely unnecessary to do so. It may cost a bit more, but it worth it to the last penny! That’s all. Is it so much to ask?
Comment to my self: In fact, in the world that we can’t convince people not to buy fur coats, or SUV’s or at least not to vote for an anti-environmentalist stupid ass like Bush, maybe it is too much to ask. Sometimes I think if the slavery has not been abolished so far, there were certainly no way in this age that anybody could even propose that, considering its devastating effect on businesses and the economical growth and other craps! Think about it!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
A Sunday afternoon’s nostalgia
I don’t know if it’s the nostalgic mood of “Les poupées rousses”, which is the continuation of L’auberge espagnole’s story, or just a regular Sunday afternoon but I can’t stop thinking that only a year ago, I had the best people in the world around me. Form Kasra’s relentless efforts to gather everybody in one of the St-Laurent’s clubs on Saturday nights to Sunday afternoon’s tea and ghalyoon in “Gitana” with Leili, from tasting delicious roasted pork and horrendous Chinese pastry with Joubin in Chinatown to watching intellectual movies and talking about them for hours with Siamak. From playing Tennis with my best friend Ali and then laughing about almost everything in the world, to Kamool’s stupid comments and Maryam’s delcious “Khoresh Gheime”, from celebrating every Persian ceremony chez Azadeh to nearly every night’s discussions and laughers over an almost friendly Hokm, one of the best chapters of my life is so intertwined with you guys that without you, I can hardly enjoy this city anymore and I’m looking forward to Arash and Mana’s wedding to bring all of us together one more time, just like the movie “Les poupées rousses”!
Today, Montreal was as beautiful as can be, but I really miss our “L’auberge Montréalaise”!
Today, Montreal was as beautiful as can be, but I really miss our “L’auberge Montréalaise”!
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Bill Maher for president!
I think after our president and the United States president, this guy is the funniest man alive but unlike those he is as blunt as can be. I just love his attitude!
I think after our president and the United States president, this guy is the funniest man alive but unlike those he is as blunt as can be. I just love his attitude!
Friday, May 12, 2006
Rainy weekends in a row!
Oh God! Do you really think it’s funny to seduce people with beautiful sunny days when they’re working and then spoil their weekends with three days of consecutive rain?! Well I too, thought that it was funny for the first time, but this weekend would be the forth times and it’s not funny anymore! Believe me, it’s not!
I’m beginning to understand religious people! It’s much more amusing to blame God than a randomly moving low pressure system!
I’m beginning to understand religious people! It’s much more amusing to blame God than a randomly moving low pressure system!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
For those who really like this brilliant smart hilarious comedian “Bill Maher” and like myself, don’t have access to HBO, you can download his weekly program “real time” as a pod cast! I recently found out that he’s pod casting and I’m so excited…
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Whenever I feel tired, sad or bored, I check out this website. It gives me tons of energy every time I visit it. The cuteness is unresisitable!
Thanks Maryami for introducing me to this fabulous website!
Thanks Maryami for introducing me to this fabulous website!
Spasm Story
During the past decade, actually more than a decade!, that I’ve been dating,
just one time and only one time I had the luxury of being with someone who actually knew how to give a massage (to say the least!) and although one may not consider this ability as a decisive advantage, last night that I had this killer spasm in my shoulder, I really missed her with all my heart!
Today, I went with the second choice (first choice was not available in this area!) and I bought this super cool “Aquassager”.
If I wanted to describe the feeling, I’d rate it somewhere between sex and a delicate handmade chocolate truffle, still much below her heavenly technique but slightly higher than magnificent “L’auberge Espagnole” that I saw last night for the 10th times, and it just doesn’t lose it’s charm.
just one time and only one time I had the luxury of being with someone who actually knew how to give a massage (to say the least!) and although one may not consider this ability as a decisive advantage, last night that I had this killer spasm in my shoulder, I really missed her with all my heart!
Today, I went with the second choice (first choice was not available in this area!) and I bought this super cool “Aquassager”.
If I wanted to describe the feeling, I’d rate it somewhere between sex and a delicate handmade chocolate truffle, still much below her heavenly technique but slightly higher than magnificent “L’auberge Espagnole” that I saw last night for the 10th times, and it just doesn’t lose it’s charm.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Quote of the week, from myself!
Love always comes when it’s least expected and leaves when it’s most needed.
Madredeus
I’m sure anybody who’s a fan of “Wim Wenders” remembers, even if vaguely, the scene in “Lisbon Story” in which a lovely lady approaches the puzzled “Phillip Winter “ ,who was desperately looking for the source of some kind of mystical music he was hearing through the walls of his room, and tells him in a very charming way “I’m Teresa and we’re Madredeus!”.
What I’m not so sure about is that so many people got so intrigued by this magical voice and exquisite music that searched the whole world to get the records.
By using Fado (an almost melancholic, melodic and extremely beautiful style of vocal music in Portugal) and some other Portuguese styles and giving them a rather more international frame, Madredeus has managed to create a delicious fusion which is genuinely unique and stunningly beautiful.
Somehow sad yet delightful melodies, tasteful selections of instruments and above all, the magical voice of Teresa Salgueiro has made this band and it’s music, one of the most unique in the world to say the least.
I mean, just take a look at their pictures and the design of the website and read the rest. Abundant amount of taste is truly in the air.
Although I strongly prefer the early albums like Existir, O Paraiso and O Espirito da paz to the latest ones, but that is only a matter of taste. However If you want to go by my taste, try these songs first:
O Pomar Das Laranjeiras (From Existir)
A Andorinha Da Primavera (From O Paraiso)
Nao Muito Distante (From O Paraiso)
Um Raio de Luz Ardente (From Movimento)
O Pastor (From Existir)
Monday, May 08, 2006
Contest!
That was the headline:
Iranian officials confirmed that the president of Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad, has written a letter to the president of the United States about some new solutions for the nuclear issue and the full contents of the letter will be disclosed as soon as the reception of this letter is announced by the White house officials.
I want to hold a contest here in my blog. What do you think the content of this letter would be?
Here are some suggestions.
1. Asking some serious incentives in order to keep the enrichment in the experimental level and transfer the real procedure to Russia. End of the story
2. Warning him about the consequences of a possible assault to Iran and explaining to him how the combination of “Imaan” and “Emdaad e Gheibi” could destroy the US army, like one that happened in “Tabas”
3. Explaining why Islam is the best religion in the world while Christianity, also not so bad but it’s no Islam! Furthermore inviting him to become a Muslim.
4. Lecturing him about the history of the US (like some predecessor did) and informing him about the Americans historical coolness.
5. A letter that begins with “Ajjall-al allah ta’aalaa va farajah o sharif”, continues with “Down to USA” and some “Down to Israel” for two full pages, back and front, and ends with “Nasr o men allah va fath on gharib”!
6. Asking him to send back the umbrella, he left behind in UN.
7. sending him a letter bomb.
But seriously, if you picked the first one, either you’ve been in comma for the past 10 months or you need to see a Doctor as soon as possible.
Iranian officials confirmed that the president of Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad, has written a letter to the president of the United States about some new solutions for the nuclear issue and the full contents of the letter will be disclosed as soon as the reception of this letter is announced by the White house officials.
I want to hold a contest here in my blog. What do you think the content of this letter would be?
Here are some suggestions.
1. Asking some serious incentives in order to keep the enrichment in the experimental level and transfer the real procedure to Russia. End of the story
2. Warning him about the consequences of a possible assault to Iran and explaining to him how the combination of “Imaan” and “Emdaad e Gheibi” could destroy the US army, like one that happened in “Tabas”
3. Explaining why Islam is the best religion in the world while Christianity, also not so bad but it’s no Islam! Furthermore inviting him to become a Muslim.
4. Lecturing him about the history of the US (like some predecessor did) and informing him about the Americans historical coolness.
5. A letter that begins with “Ajjall-al allah ta’aalaa va farajah o sharif”, continues with “Down to USA” and some “Down to Israel” for two full pages, back and front, and ends with “Nasr o men allah va fath on gharib”!
6. Asking him to send back the umbrella, he left behind in UN.
7. sending him a letter bomb.
But seriously, if you picked the first one, either you’ve been in comma for the past 10 months or you need to see a Doctor as soon as possible.
Ça Ira
Last night, I finally got my hand on the long-anticipated “Ça Ira”, Roger Waters first opera, an opera in English about the French revolution in three acts that had been occupied his mind for almost a decade.
Although I was excepting some kind of jubilation, almost the same ecstasy that I felt after listening to “Pros and Cons of hitch-hiking” or “Amused to Death” for the first time, what I felt was more a sense of disillusionment rather than anything close to a joyous one. Almost the same feeling that had when I was leaving the theatre, where I saw Woody Allen’s latest movie, “Match Point”, except then, I was accompanied by a lovely lady who lessened the pain dramatically!
While I still firmly believe that English is not a suitable language for the Opera, and this one strengthened my stand too, I’m not suggesting at all that “Ça Ira” is not a good piece of work. The same way that I absolutely do not think “Match Point” is a bad movie. Surly there are beautiful moments in this opera, “Marie Antoinette, the last night on earth” and “To the windward Isles” to name a few, and certainly “Match Point” has its brilliant scenes and of course traces of their styles can be found in both works (Ça Ira” is more Waters though than “Match Point” is Allen-ish!), but for God’s sake, there are hundreds, if not thousands, who are able to write a rather good opera or a well-constructed movie, but there are only two people on this planet who can make “Annie Hall” or “The Final Cut” and these two are better stop fooling around with this experimenting thing since unfortunately there are not in their twenties!
And if anytime we need a cheesy but relatively OK opera in English, we always have Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to do so!
I recall somebody wrote in Leonard Bernstein’s remembrance that “There are so many people in the world who can conduct a Bruckner’s symphony as good as you did, but Music I heard with you (also one of his compositions) will not be repeated ever again!
P.S. I have to admit that I’ve only listened to 2 CD’s extract version and not the original 6 CD version but Since the extract versions usually comprise all the good arias, I doubt that the full version would change my mind, but if it did, I’d let you know and also, the CD cover is really cool!
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Shop Girl
Even from the trailer, one could guess that it’s not a typical romantic movie. However I never found the motivation to go to the theatre to watch it. Tonight I saw it on DVD and to be honest, it was even better than what I thought. Although story seemed to be cliché, and it was, but the storyline wasn’t at all, plus the directing was really smart, thoughtful and kind of sincerely beautiful.
The movie was full of original scenes, unique dialogues and somewhat weird but understandable situations, but what I enjoyed the most was the portrayal of some stupid but subtle mistakes that we all do and we never realized why we have done them yet somehow, and as we’re blaming ourselves, we are almost sure that we will repeat them in the future.
The Narration of the film though, was really annoying and I don’t know why every movie which is made based on a book should have narration! but altogether, and considering super cute Claire Danes’s brilliant and moving performance, it was a pleasant experience.
The movie was full of original scenes, unique dialogues and somewhat weird but understandable situations, but what I enjoyed the most was the portrayal of some stupid but subtle mistakes that we all do and we never realized why we have done them yet somehow, and as we’re blaming ourselves, we are almost sure that we will repeat them in the future.
The Narration of the film though, was really annoying and I don’t know why every movie which is made based on a book should have narration! but altogether, and considering super cute Claire Danes’s brilliant and moving performance, it was a pleasant experience.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Make sure to check out this blog if you still have not.
To me, it’s a hugely personal, exquisitely unique and one the most original Iranian non-political webblogs in English that I’ve ever seen.
If you happen to know a better one, let me know please
To me, it’s a hugely personal, exquisitely unique and one the most original Iranian non-political webblogs in English that I’ve ever seen.
If you happen to know a better one, let me know please
Memories
Spring has come,
and I’m flying to the North,
again.
I’m taking the memories, with myself,
of those who were,
too heavy to fly with me,
under the burden of their memories.
Does anybody know the memories,
can also
fly with us?
and I’m flying to the North,
again.
I’m taking the memories, with myself,
of those who were,
too heavy to fly with me,
under the burden of their memories.
Does anybody know the memories,
can also
fly with us?
Enough is enough!
I owe you an apology for being so lazy these days. Although that “Totonto's countdown” took a good portion of my blogging time, but one poem and couple of links can't be qualified as an acceptable performance, at least according to my expectations!
My laziness was partly due to a problem with my computer’s power supply that left me Analogue for couple of days and reminded me that how ridiculously we are dependant to these strange machines! It also reminded me how many delicious stuff I can do, if I don’t sit in front of this magic machine that much!
Another part though, was due to my acute romantic mood in the past week. Enchanted I was, I refrained from doing anything that could alter my fabulous mood. Surly politics and news were on top of the list!
Considering the healing process, I can imagine that I’d be good enough on Monday to write about some serious stuff specially about the paper that I’ve recently read concerning the mind-blowing field of Neurothelogy and some hyper-interesting experiments in this field.
Meanwhile I’m gonna enjoy the residual romanticism, walking in this beautiful city, discovering some cafés and bars, and indulge myself with daily-increasing orgasmic beauty of the spring.
I might post a poem as well, but that would be the last one. Enough is enough. I promise!
My laziness was partly due to a problem with my computer’s power supply that left me Analogue for couple of days and reminded me that how ridiculously we are dependant to these strange machines! It also reminded me how many delicious stuff I can do, if I don’t sit in front of this magic machine that much!
Another part though, was due to my acute romantic mood in the past week. Enchanted I was, I refrained from doing anything that could alter my fabulous mood. Surly politics and news were on top of the list!
Considering the healing process, I can imagine that I’d be good enough on Monday to write about some serious stuff specially about the paper that I’ve recently read concerning the mind-blowing field of Neurothelogy and some hyper-interesting experiments in this field.
Meanwhile I’m gonna enjoy the residual romanticism, walking in this beautiful city, discovering some cafés and bars, and indulge myself with daily-increasing orgasmic beauty of the spring.
I might post a poem as well, but that would be the last one. Enough is enough. I promise!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
I'll be back
My computer is broken but as the wise educated governor of California says : "I'll be back" though as a Persian ritual I must add "En-shaa-allah!"
Monday, May 01, 2006
A little taste of heaven
As the taste
was reshaping my whole perception of pleasure,
pondering I was,
Could I have waited so long,
almost a decade,
had I known this wine,
redefines heaven?
was reshaping my whole perception of pleasure,
pondering I was,
Could I have waited so long,
almost a decade,
had I known this wine,
redefines heaven?
An Apology and a Countdown
I came back from Toronto and I have to admit that I owe and apology to this city. So,
Dear Toronto:
You are no Montréal but if you are visited under the supervision of some very tasteful friends, you have so many beautiful, cool and cute places.
Sorry that I judged you so quickly!
Sincerely
Mehrad
And now the trip highlight’s countdown:
Number 7, Yorkville’s posh neighborhood
In contrary to Post Road’s nouveu-rich type ugly tasteless mansions, this neighborhood was classy, full of beautiful houses and flowers. It reminded me of “Niavaran”, when it hasn’t yet been ruined by the mixture of high rises and blue windows.
Number 6, Checking out the Queen street
A wonderful walk and chat with Marjan, continued with some Italian Pinot Grigio and later on, a Kashmiri tea, finished up with visiting an amazing store that as it says, "Buy and sell anything" such as “Shoe-shaped telephone” and “Horse Shoe” that I bought! A heaven for every geek in the world including Professor Baltazar!
For a more decent picture go to Sam’s photoblog
Number 5 and 4, Brunch with Goli
To see your good friend after so long, go to a magnificent place called “Rosedale” and have a delicious “Egg Dostoyevsky” (his eggs were even better than his “Notes from underground”!), can easily be qualified as unforgettable.
By the way, this friend of mine is a kick-ass challenge for all those idiots who still believe gorgeous girls can’t be smart, educated and successful
At number 3,Yorkville Cocktail Recipe:
In a cocktail glass,
mix 4 Beautiful ladies and one gorgeous day and fill the glass with sunshine, add a dash of gossip and garnish with an unexpected visit to your cute friend who works nearby.
Number 2,
Meeting some great people over a nice brunch at “Brioche”. Even in Toronto, cool places are French. Yes my friends, it hurt’s but it’s true!
And finally Number one…
Dear Audiences, the program was interrupted because we’re approaching to “Azaan e Maghreb beh Ofogh e Montreal”…Tic Toc…Tic Toc…*
* Note for Non-Iranian Readers: Don’t even bother yourself trying to understand what happened since I’m sure, you’ve never been in a situation, half as much annoying in your entire life!
Dear Toronto:
You are no Montréal but if you are visited under the supervision of some very tasteful friends, you have so many beautiful, cool and cute places.
Sorry that I judged you so quickly!
Sincerely
Mehrad
And now the trip highlight’s countdown:
Number 7, Yorkville’s posh neighborhood
In contrary to Post Road’s nouveu-rich type ugly tasteless mansions, this neighborhood was classy, full of beautiful houses and flowers. It reminded me of “Niavaran”, when it hasn’t yet been ruined by the mixture of high rises and blue windows.
Number 6, Checking out the Queen street
A wonderful walk and chat with Marjan, continued with some Italian Pinot Grigio and later on, a Kashmiri tea, finished up with visiting an amazing store that as it says, "Buy and sell anything" such as “Shoe-shaped telephone” and “Horse Shoe” that I bought! A heaven for every geek in the world including Professor Baltazar!
For a more decent picture go to Sam’s photoblog
Number 5 and 4, Brunch with Goli
To see your good friend after so long, go to a magnificent place called “Rosedale” and have a delicious “Egg Dostoyevsky” (his eggs were even better than his “Notes from underground”!), can easily be qualified as unforgettable.
By the way, this friend of mine is a kick-ass challenge for all those idiots who still believe gorgeous girls can’t be smart, educated and successful
At number 3,Yorkville Cocktail Recipe:
In a cocktail glass,
mix 4 Beautiful ladies and one gorgeous day and fill the glass with sunshine, add a dash of gossip and garnish with an unexpected visit to your cute friend who works nearby.
Number 2,
Meeting some great people over a nice brunch at “Brioche”. Even in Toronto, cool places are French. Yes my friends, it hurt’s but it’s true!
And finally Number one…
Dear Audiences, the program was interrupted because we’re approaching to “Azaan e Maghreb beh Ofogh e Montreal”…Tic Toc…Tic Toc…*
* Note for Non-Iranian Readers: Don’t even bother yourself trying to understand what happened since I’m sure, you’ve never been in a situation, half as much annoying in your entire life!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Liquid Lavaashak!
Anybody remember those modest stands in “Darake” and “Darband” where you could buy “Zoghaal akhte”, “Lavaashak” and other stuffs, around which dozens of fly’s were performing their rituals?
Do you remember those dirty old men who were selling disgusting packs of “Aalooche” in the streets, near the school?
I clearly remember the feeling. It was a mixture of joy and guilt. Guilt from the fact that you were absolutely sure you were having an extra-strength bacteria injection, something as filthy as it can be, and joy from the delicious taste, mix with the sense of doing something wrong, particularly since it was blatantly against those annoying, dead-boring TV and school’s preaches!
Recently, I came across something quite nostalgic. 100% pure blackcurrant juice and 100% pure cranberry juice, first cold pressing, or as I like to call them “Liquid Lavaashak”!
For the first time, I’m experiencing the same sense of jubilation but without the guilt part, and guess what, it’s damn good. In fact, the experience to me is the closest one to orgasm, without the help of a woman (or myself!).
I drink my Blackcurrant juice to “Darakeh”…One of a few places, I deeply miss.
Do you remember those dirty old men who were selling disgusting packs of “Aalooche” in the streets, near the school?
I clearly remember the feeling. It was a mixture of joy and guilt. Guilt from the fact that you were absolutely sure you were having an extra-strength bacteria injection, something as filthy as it can be, and joy from the delicious taste, mix with the sense of doing something wrong, particularly since it was blatantly against those annoying, dead-boring TV and school’s preaches!
Recently, I came across something quite nostalgic. 100% pure blackcurrant juice and 100% pure cranberry juice, first cold pressing, or as I like to call them “Liquid Lavaashak”!
For the first time, I’m experiencing the same sense of jubilation but without the guilt part, and guess what, it’s damn good. In fact, the experience to me is the closest one to orgasm, without the help of a woman (or myself!).
I drink my Blackcurrant juice to “Darakeh”…One of a few places, I deeply miss.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
A headline and a bitter memory
After three weeks of mass demonstrations in Nepal’s capital, Katmandu, King “Gyanendra” finally gave up to the protests, orchestrated by seven opposition parties, by accepting the parliament to be reinstated and a new constitution to be written. A brave political gesture that would put an end to his ruling power but would enable him to continue, at least, as a ceremonial monarch and save Nepal from drowning into a total chaos.
Although what is going on in a small and geopolitically rather unimportant country, such as Nepal, has nothing to do with us, but I can’t stop comparing the situation with what happened in Iran almost three decades ago, when our king did not yield to people’s legitimate demands for freedom, liberty and democracy until it was too late.
Although I’m sure that a considerable number of people who still so genuinely believe in conspiracy theory, would argue that what happened in Iran was simply predestined and therefore inevitable, but for someone like myself who considers these kinds of inevitabilities, just some flimsy excuses for our mistakes and misjudgments, what remains is a deep sense of regret. Regret about a promising uprising that shouldn’t have ended up in a disastrous revolution only if “Shah” was a better poker player! Good enough, not to bet his and our future to call a bluff, that turned out to be, not a bluff at all!
Although what is going on in a small and geopolitically rather unimportant country, such as Nepal, has nothing to do with us, but I can’t stop comparing the situation with what happened in Iran almost three decades ago, when our king did not yield to people’s legitimate demands for freedom, liberty and democracy until it was too late.
Although I’m sure that a considerable number of people who still so genuinely believe in conspiracy theory, would argue that what happened in Iran was simply predestined and therefore inevitable, but for someone like myself who considers these kinds of inevitabilities, just some flimsy excuses for our mistakes and misjudgments, what remains is a deep sense of regret. Regret about a promising uprising that shouldn’t have ended up in a disastrous revolution only if “Shah” was a better poker player! Good enough, not to bet his and our future to call a bluff, that turned out to be, not a bluff at all!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Time to be ashamed!
The senseless slaughter of 230,000 seal pups began this week off the coast of Newfoundland.
Please take part in protesting against this cruel, barbaric act. That’s the least we can do.
This time of the year is the ONLY period that the separation of Quebec makes sense to me. It feels less disturbing, not be Canadian when the seal hunt begins!
Please take part in protesting against this cruel, barbaric act. That’s the least we can do.
This time of the year is the ONLY period that the separation of Quebec makes sense to me. It feels less disturbing, not be Canadian when the seal hunt begins!
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Manon’s Poetic journey
As I was doing my daily lunchtime news browsing today, I came across an unusual story of “Manon Ossevoort”, a young beautiful Dutch lady who is crossing the world with her green tractor, in a breathtaking journey began in Amsterdam. After passing through Belgium, France, Italy, Balkans, and north Africa, she’s now heading toward cape town in South Africa and eventually Cape of Good Hope, where she’s supposed to hitch a ride to Antarctica and her final destination, South Pole.
In this amazing adventure, she collects the dreams of every individual she meets on little scarps of paper. Dreams will accompany her to the end of the world (as she says) where they will be somehow magically fulfilled.
I have to admit that the sophisticated idea and the extraordinary courage and determination behind this exquisitely simple childish “Petit-Prince-type” dream was so poetic that I couldn’t stop my tears from falling.
The joyous moment was completed as I received an E-mail from my adorable friend “Bahareh” who has just recently left her well-paid job in Montreal to join “Engineers without border” in Burkina Faso, a country which reminds me of my childhood neighbor and best friend and elementary school class mate, “Behzad” who also left his town, Chicago, to teach Mathematics to unprivileged children there, in Burkina Faso.
However, this state of ecstasy was soon replaced with a stark sense of uselessness due to an inevitable comparison between what these people are doing with their lives and my valuable contribution to humanity!
Being unable to work on little extravagant details of some billionaire’s private jet, at least for couple of hours, was, I think, my conscience’s pathetic attempt to deal with the sense of guilt and shame that I was going through.
I hope the combination of “Not everybody should go to Africa to be useful for humanity” mantra and watching extremely gorgeous and talented “Sophie Milman” live in Spectrum tonight, would make me feel better.
For God’s sake, those poor billionaires truly need their glorious private jets and they need them on time, right?!
In this amazing adventure, she collects the dreams of every individual she meets on little scarps of paper. Dreams will accompany her to the end of the world (as she says) where they will be somehow magically fulfilled.
I have to admit that the sophisticated idea and the extraordinary courage and determination behind this exquisitely simple childish “Petit-Prince-type” dream was so poetic that I couldn’t stop my tears from falling.
The joyous moment was completed as I received an E-mail from my adorable friend “Bahareh” who has just recently left her well-paid job in Montreal to join “Engineers without border” in Burkina Faso, a country which reminds me of my childhood neighbor and best friend and elementary school class mate, “Behzad” who also left his town, Chicago, to teach Mathematics to unprivileged children there, in Burkina Faso.
However, this state of ecstasy was soon replaced with a stark sense of uselessness due to an inevitable comparison between what these people are doing with their lives and my valuable contribution to humanity!
Being unable to work on little extravagant details of some billionaire’s private jet, at least for couple of hours, was, I think, my conscience’s pathetic attempt to deal with the sense of guilt and shame that I was going through.
I hope the combination of “Not everybody should go to Africa to be useful for humanity” mantra and watching extremely gorgeous and talented “Sophie Milman” live in Spectrum tonight, would make me feel better.
For God’s sake, those poor billionaires truly need their glorious private jets and they need them on time, right?!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
A point
Have you noticed that so far, the biggest trouble that our gorgeous! president has created for the western countries, is the excruciating pain, almost all the politicians, reporters and anchors go through every time they want to pronounce his name?
A great day for our country!
This is the day my friends!
We finally got what we were fighting for, the “Right” of enrichment of uranium in our own soil! The one and only remaining right in the list of our unfulfilled rights such as freedom, social justice, free speech, privacy, dignity and so on.
I really can not stop admiring the regime for having such an extraordinary control over public’s opinion so they can persuade the majority to almost unanimously back up one of the most economically-catastrophic, politically-suicidal and environmentally-disastrous plan in our recent history.
And also my deep admiration to people of Iran whose relentless efforts to protect their brain cells, almost as a national heritage, from any sort damage caused by over-using, finally paid off in this glorious day!
Well...
if international sanctions are going to be applied on us,
If we are the world’s most unpopular country, ahead of US and Israel (and, we magically managed to do that without invading anywhere or attacking anyone),
If they’re going to bomb our infrastructures,
If our land’s going to be their test lab for their so-called “tactical nuclear weapon” (Although I still can not convince myself that anybody could be possibly stupid enough to use that!),
If our people are going to get killed as collateral damage (and even that would be the best-case scenario! (e.g. take a look at our neighbor!),
At least we have a president we can be proud of
Just after the Islamic revolution toppled the Shah’s regime and people were still in a state of euphoria, a German reporter wrote (and I’m paraphrasing): “The Titanic of Asia is sinking but her passengers are happy”.
They say “History repeats itself” and in the Middle East, it does that, much too quickly!
We finally got what we were fighting for, the “Right” of enrichment of uranium in our own soil! The one and only remaining right in the list of our unfulfilled rights such as freedom, social justice, free speech, privacy, dignity and so on.
I really can not stop admiring the regime for having such an extraordinary control over public’s opinion so they can persuade the majority to almost unanimously back up one of the most economically-catastrophic, politically-suicidal and environmentally-disastrous plan in our recent history.
And also my deep admiration to people of Iran whose relentless efforts to protect their brain cells, almost as a national heritage, from any sort damage caused by over-using, finally paid off in this glorious day!
Well...
if international sanctions are going to be applied on us,
If we are the world’s most unpopular country, ahead of US and Israel (and, we magically managed to do that without invading anywhere or attacking anyone),
If they’re going to bomb our infrastructures,
If our land’s going to be their test lab for their so-called “tactical nuclear weapon” (Although I still can not convince myself that anybody could be possibly stupid enough to use that!),
If our people are going to get killed as collateral damage (and even that would be the best-case scenario! (e.g. take a look at our neighbor!),
At least we have a president we can be proud of
Just after the Islamic revolution toppled the Shah’s regime and people were still in a state of euphoria, a German reporter wrote (and I’m paraphrasing): “The Titanic of Asia is sinking but her passengers are happy”.
They say “History repeats itself” and in the Middle East, it does that, much too quickly!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Roll the Rim!
I don’t call it “gambling problem” and I certainly don’t feel the need to call those numbers they put on top of slot machines but last year, I almost developed an allergy to Caffeine as much as I drank Tim Horton’s stupid Coffee just to be able to “Roll the Rim”. The same thing I do with Lotto tickets. I know that statistically, the chance of winning Lotto is much less than to be hit by lightning, twice in one day! but somehow, somebody wins it every couple of weeks and that person could be me.
Anyway, as if it doesn’t suck enough to lose, and it doesn’t suck even more to be told “you lost!” in a polite way, they write it in two different languages!
La grande messe and Requiem
Mozart’s “La grande messe en ut mineur” and “Requiem” in “Basilic Notre-Dame”, could I possibly ask for more?!
It was magnificent. A dream came true.
It was magnificent. A dream came true.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Quote of the day
Woody Allen (in Annie Hall): A relationship I think is, like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies!
Thank you for smoking
It was smart, funny, sarcastic and very well executed. Cinematography was magnificent and dialogues (and also monologues!), although full of statistics, but not a bit boring (credit for this one, obviously goes to Christopher Buckley).
Despite all of that, I still couldn’t convince myself to put the movie in my favorite movie list and I don’t know why. All I know is, there was something missing in that film.
Anyway, it was a pleasant experience. “Circle of dead merchants” with all those witty dialogues is hilarious and the scene [don’t read this line if you haven’t seen the movie yet] in which the kidnapers put the naked body of Nick Naylor, covered with nicotine patches, on Abraham Lincoln’s statue in a way that cleverly resembles Michelangelo’s “The Pieta”, is one of the most satirical and intelligent scene that I’ve ever seen. Way to go!
Despite all of that, I still couldn’t convince myself to put the movie in my favorite movie list and I don’t know why. All I know is, there was something missing in that film.
Anyway, it was a pleasant experience. “Circle of dead merchants” with all those witty dialogues is hilarious and the scene [don’t read this line if you haven’t seen the movie yet] in which the kidnapers put the naked body of Nick Naylor, covered with nicotine patches, on Abraham Lincoln’s statue in a way that cleverly resembles Michelangelo’s “The Pieta”, is one of the most satirical and intelligent scene that I’ve ever seen. Way to go!
Global warming!
Not even ten years ago, only a bunch of scientists were worried about it alongside with a handful of super bright politicians but now, even among the most retarded leaders in the world, there is no doubt the danger we’re facing and if there is a debate, it’s more about the effectiveness of the methods proposed by Kyoto protocol, not with the fact that Global warming is real and it’s damn serious! Well, maybe except Mr. Bush who still believes in Apocalypse more than he does in Global warming! (Although the second one is not much far from a Jesusless version of the first one!)
So, why nothing’s happening?
The fact is, although the threat is serious, and it’s getting more serious by the minutes, any major effort to reduce Green house gases by considerable amount, will lead to both dramatic changes in our life style and visible economical slow down and since most of the countries who produce the major portion of the green-house gases are being ruled democratically, no political party is willing to risk its popularity by implementing regulations which would create unemployment, higher taxes, inflation and major life style changes but eventually would save our planet from a total disaster!
I believe the only possible way is to educate people to an extent in which, not only they ask the measures to be imposed, but they punish those who don’t have a solid program to tackle the issue, by not voting for them.
As soon as the politicians feel that people do care about it and they are ready to accept the consequences, they certainly will act accordingly. At last, nobody is so anxious to see the end of the world so soon! (Sorry dear witnesses of Jehovah! I totally forgot about you!)
Public awareness in England, forced the somehow reformed Conservatives (who traditionally don’t care about these kinds of things) and their leader, David Cameron to put the environmental issues on top of their agenda. In Germany, people repeatedly show their enthusiasm by supporting the Green party in elections and in the US, some states, obviously in east and west coast, applied measures to control the emission, regardless of federal government’s indifference.
The good news is, as public awareness increases, governments seem to act more and more responsibly but there is also a bad news:
Tomorrow could be too late!
So, why nothing’s happening?
The fact is, although the threat is serious, and it’s getting more serious by the minutes, any major effort to reduce Green house gases by considerable amount, will lead to both dramatic changes in our life style and visible economical slow down and since most of the countries who produce the major portion of the green-house gases are being ruled democratically, no political party is willing to risk its popularity by implementing regulations which would create unemployment, higher taxes, inflation and major life style changes but eventually would save our planet from a total disaster!
I believe the only possible way is to educate people to an extent in which, not only they ask the measures to be imposed, but they punish those who don’t have a solid program to tackle the issue, by not voting for them.
As soon as the politicians feel that people do care about it and they are ready to accept the consequences, they certainly will act accordingly. At last, nobody is so anxious to see the end of the world so soon! (Sorry dear witnesses of Jehovah! I totally forgot about you!)
Public awareness in England, forced the somehow reformed Conservatives (who traditionally don’t care about these kinds of things) and their leader, David Cameron to put the environmental issues on top of their agenda. In Germany, people repeatedly show their enthusiasm by supporting the Green party in elections and in the US, some states, obviously in east and west coast, applied measures to control the emission, regardless of federal government’s indifference.
The good news is, as public awareness increases, governments seem to act more and more responsibly but there is also a bad news:
Tomorrow could be too late!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Vive la France!
Part one:
It’s official. Last night, “Jacques Chirac”, “President de la Republique”, scraped the new labor bill which had created massive protests throughout France. This humiliating defeat for the government of “de Villepan”, proved that France, at least for the moment, is simply Un-reformable.
Huge rate of unemployment (25% among young people under the age of 27) and sluggish rate of economical growth depict a very gloomy future for France’s economy which makes it more difficult for France to compete, even inside the European union with Europe’s well-reformed states like England, Ireland and Spain and some super fit newcomers like Latvia and Estonia with eye-catching growth rates.
The problem is, losing the top seed, will not only hurt their national pride, but will seriously reduce their effect in making critical decisions inside the European Union that could threaten some of their somehow unfair advantages, like receiving 70 percent of the Europe’s agricultural subsidies, despite massive oppositions from some of the states. The subsidies without which, France’s agricultural sector will simply collapse!
Personally, in this war between Coke and Wine, with huge amount of pessimism, I will support the wine side! but honestly, the scenario is not that black and white. England for example, in the past couple of years, has managed to go through comprehensive reforms and keep the exceptional economical growth rate while increasing the budget for social services dramatically, thanks to my favorite politician, UK’s chancellor and finance minister, Mr. Gordon Brown who also played a bold role in convincing wealthy nations to relieve a huge portion of Africa’s debts, just couple of months ago.
Anyway, sooner or later, France should start massive reforms just to be able to survive in the global market. We should wait and see how long the mass politics will be able to block the government. I truly hope that when they finally start, it’s not too late!
Part two:
If somebody asks you “What is the most popular dish in France?” what would be your answer? Steak-frite? Cassoulet?
According to a recent survey, the correct answer is “Couscous”! Way to go North African immigrants
An American Conclusion: Well, apparently you don’t need a powerful Nazi army and a Blitzkrieg to force the French to surrender; it can be easily done with a handful of student unions or a bowl of Couscous! Vive la France!
It’s official. Last night, “Jacques Chirac”, “President de la Republique”, scraped the new labor bill which had created massive protests throughout France. This humiliating defeat for the government of “de Villepan”, proved that France, at least for the moment, is simply Un-reformable.
Huge rate of unemployment (25% among young people under the age of 27) and sluggish rate of economical growth depict a very gloomy future for France’s economy which makes it more difficult for France to compete, even inside the European union with Europe’s well-reformed states like England, Ireland and Spain and some super fit newcomers like Latvia and Estonia with eye-catching growth rates.
The problem is, losing the top seed, will not only hurt their national pride, but will seriously reduce their effect in making critical decisions inside the European Union that could threaten some of their somehow unfair advantages, like receiving 70 percent of the Europe’s agricultural subsidies, despite massive oppositions from some of the states. The subsidies without which, France’s agricultural sector will simply collapse!
Personally, in this war between Coke and Wine, with huge amount of pessimism, I will support the wine side! but honestly, the scenario is not that black and white. England for example, in the past couple of years, has managed to go through comprehensive reforms and keep the exceptional economical growth rate while increasing the budget for social services dramatically, thanks to my favorite politician, UK’s chancellor and finance minister, Mr. Gordon Brown who also played a bold role in convincing wealthy nations to relieve a huge portion of Africa’s debts, just couple of months ago.
Anyway, sooner or later, France should start massive reforms just to be able to survive in the global market. We should wait and see how long the mass politics will be able to block the government. I truly hope that when they finally start, it’s not too late!
Part two:
If somebody asks you “What is the most popular dish in France?” what would be your answer? Steak-frite? Cassoulet?
According to a recent survey, the correct answer is “Couscous”! Way to go North African immigrants
An American Conclusion: Well, apparently you don’t need a powerful Nazi army and a Blitzkrieg to force the French to surrender; it can be easily done with a handful of student unions or a bowl of Couscous! Vive la France!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
A race for perfection
Recently, the increasing number of people who have unnecessary plastic surgeries performed on their bodies, forced the British health department to issue a guideline, asking plastic surgeons to send people with severe symptoms of “BDD” to psychoanalysis instead of surgery room.
BDD or “Body Dysmorphic Disorder” is a preoccupation with an imagined physical defect in appearance or an exaggerated concern about a minimal defect which results in deep dissatisfaction and in acute cases, can lead to depression or even suicide. Naturally, plastic surgery is heavily abused by those with BDD, in a futile attempt to get prettier and considering the fact that just in England alone, some 600,000 people are assumed to have BDD, makes us think more seriously about it.
First of all, I’m not going to blame the media since it would undermine the ability of human being to think, but the effect of the media, is undeniable in creating such kind of disorders by publicizing aesthetic perfectionism.
Just think about all those magazine covers, TV ads and movies featuring almost perfect people all the time. I mean, just watching one of those super hot Victoria Secret’s TV adds with all those gorgeous goddess with their perfect heavenly bodies, cat-walking around in magnificent underwear, is enough to shake the confidence of any woman without chronic Narcissism (They also create another kind of disorder in men called ORBBM or “OONAA RO BEDIN BEH MAN!”)
And it is not only confined to women. The number of calorie-watchers, Gymoholic! men is increasing dramatically as a result of all those six-pack abs, Greek statue-type cover-boys (do we have this word at all? Like cover-girl?).
I’m not suggesting, like what some girls in a defensive reaction do!, that “these are all fake” or “all these models are ugly without make up or special effects”. I’m sure most of them are still very much attractive and voluptuous even in a pajama and with a morning face. The issue is not that whether they are beautiful or not, cause they certainly are. The question is, are they really aesthetically perfect?
First, like normal people, they have good days and bad days. They also have good hours and bad hours throughout a day. What we see is them at their best!
Second, their body has been fully prepared for the photo shoot.
Third, a professional fashion photographer exactly knows how he should cover up for all the imperfections of a model, by using the right filter, proper lighting, appropriate camera angle and finally, proper make up and that’s just the beginning because the outcome is also extensively edited by photo-editing softwares.
In other word, their beauty is not fake but their aesthetic perfection is. Regular people are encouraged to get to a point that doesn’t exist hence frustration is guaranteed.
Advertisement for drugs and cosmetic goods against certain defects is another problem–generating issue since in order to sell their products, they sometimes magnify a minor defect to an extent that the consumer believes it actually is a huge embarrassing problem that should be covered by any means. Put a normal teenager in front of TV to be bombarded by such kind of adds (by the way it’s not just TV adds, it’s a culture which is going on even in TV series and main stream movies), developing a BDD seems inevitable! It’s no wonder that even some beauty contest winners (including a miss world finalist) are among the victims.
The good news is, I happen to know the cure!
We have a friend called Kasra. Fortunately, He has the exact opposite disorder; I like to call it “Excessive Self-idolizing Disorder (ESD)”, in which his brain automatically erases any discomforting incoming signals (from his eyes or ears) about his appearance alongside with the memories of failures, embarrassments or mistakes in the past decade! I genuinely believe, using his DNA, there would be a definitive cure for BDD and since I’ve seen how he’s been going through a lot recently for a few bucks more! and considering the financial benefits of this research, I’m sure he’ll be pleased to help researchers, not to mention his enthusiasm for helping the humanity!
P.S. I have a feeling that he’s going to donate some of the financial benefits to Colombia! I don’t know why, but it’s just a feeling that I have!
BDD or “Body Dysmorphic Disorder” is a preoccupation with an imagined physical defect in appearance or an exaggerated concern about a minimal defect which results in deep dissatisfaction and in acute cases, can lead to depression or even suicide. Naturally, plastic surgery is heavily abused by those with BDD, in a futile attempt to get prettier and considering the fact that just in England alone, some 600,000 people are assumed to have BDD, makes us think more seriously about it.
First of all, I’m not going to blame the media since it would undermine the ability of human being to think, but the effect of the media, is undeniable in creating such kind of disorders by publicizing aesthetic perfectionism.
Just think about all those magazine covers, TV ads and movies featuring almost perfect people all the time. I mean, just watching one of those super hot Victoria Secret’s TV adds with all those gorgeous goddess with their perfect heavenly bodies, cat-walking around in magnificent underwear, is enough to shake the confidence of any woman without chronic Narcissism (They also create another kind of disorder in men called ORBBM or “OONAA RO BEDIN BEH MAN!”)
And it is not only confined to women. The number of calorie-watchers, Gymoholic! men is increasing dramatically as a result of all those six-pack abs, Greek statue-type cover-boys (do we have this word at all? Like cover-girl?).
I’m not suggesting, like what some girls in a defensive reaction do!, that “these are all fake” or “all these models are ugly without make up or special effects”. I’m sure most of them are still very much attractive and voluptuous even in a pajama and with a morning face. The issue is not that whether they are beautiful or not, cause they certainly are. The question is, are they really aesthetically perfect?
First, like normal people, they have good days and bad days. They also have good hours and bad hours throughout a day. What we see is them at their best!
Second, their body has been fully prepared for the photo shoot.
Third, a professional fashion photographer exactly knows how he should cover up for all the imperfections of a model, by using the right filter, proper lighting, appropriate camera angle and finally, proper make up and that’s just the beginning because the outcome is also extensively edited by photo-editing softwares.
In other word, their beauty is not fake but their aesthetic perfection is. Regular people are encouraged to get to a point that doesn’t exist hence frustration is guaranteed.
Advertisement for drugs and cosmetic goods against certain defects is another problem–generating issue since in order to sell their products, they sometimes magnify a minor defect to an extent that the consumer believes it actually is a huge embarrassing problem that should be covered by any means. Put a normal teenager in front of TV to be bombarded by such kind of adds (by the way it’s not just TV adds, it’s a culture which is going on even in TV series and main stream movies), developing a BDD seems inevitable! It’s no wonder that even some beauty contest winners (including a miss world finalist) are among the victims.
The good news is, I happen to know the cure!
We have a friend called Kasra. Fortunately, He has the exact opposite disorder; I like to call it “Excessive Self-idolizing Disorder (ESD)”, in which his brain automatically erases any discomforting incoming signals (from his eyes or ears) about his appearance alongside with the memories of failures, embarrassments or mistakes in the past decade! I genuinely believe, using his DNA, there would be a definitive cure for BDD and since I’ve seen how he’s been going through a lot recently for a few bucks more! and considering the financial benefits of this research, I’m sure he’ll be pleased to help researchers, not to mention his enthusiasm for helping the humanity!
P.S. I have a feeling that he’s going to donate some of the financial benefits to Colombia! I don’t know why, but it’s just a feeling that I have!
Monday, April 10, 2006
Who is really responsible?
Recently, “Jacob Zuma”, former deputy president of South Africa was tried for raping one of his family member’s wife, knowing she is infected with HIV. He denied the rape charge while accepting having sexual intercourse with the infected woman and when he was asked that how come he dared to sleep with an HIV positive woman without using any protection, he replied:“The risk was not that high, considering the fact that I took a shower afterwards!”
Ironically, apart from being the second most powerful man in South Africa, he was the “Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council” for a considerable amount of time in a country in which five million people are infected with HIV, highest rate of infection per capita in the world!
This is the problem of Africa! And not only Africa, but any poor undeveloped nation on this planet. We can blame it forever on imperialists and colonists and wealthy nations, stealing resources and creating conflicts and toppling national figures and supporting mindless senseless dictators, but honestly are they solely responsible for the never-ending list of problems in poor countries, from war and genocide to hunger and poverty?
When the man in charge of fighting against AIDS, in a country which is one of the rare examples of a real democracy in Africa, knows about the subject less than what a high school teenager should know, do we really need any “Conspiracy theory” to explain why South Africa’s efforts to tackle the most devastating plight of the country have failed? When the second most powerful man in the country, who was supposed to replace the actual president “Thabo Mbeki”, by the end of the three years period, is being tried for sexual assault, is it any wonder why a woman is raped every 26 seconds (yes! That’s not a typo!) in South Africa?!
As long as there is stupidity and prejudice to this extent, those who are abusing the situations shouldn’t be considered the main culprit. Ignorance is not an excuse, or at least, it shouldn’t be!
Ironically, apart from being the second most powerful man in South Africa, he was the “Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council” for a considerable amount of time in a country in which five million people are infected with HIV, highest rate of infection per capita in the world!
This is the problem of Africa! And not only Africa, but any poor undeveloped nation on this planet. We can blame it forever on imperialists and colonists and wealthy nations, stealing resources and creating conflicts and toppling national figures and supporting mindless senseless dictators, but honestly are they solely responsible for the never-ending list of problems in poor countries, from war and genocide to hunger and poverty?
When the man in charge of fighting against AIDS, in a country which is one of the rare examples of a real democracy in Africa, knows about the subject less than what a high school teenager should know, do we really need any “Conspiracy theory” to explain why South Africa’s efforts to tackle the most devastating plight of the country have failed? When the second most powerful man in the country, who was supposed to replace the actual president “Thabo Mbeki”, by the end of the three years period, is being tried for sexual assault, is it any wonder why a woman is raped every 26 seconds (yes! That’s not a typo!) in South Africa?!
As long as there is stupidity and prejudice to this extent, those who are abusing the situations shouldn’t be considered the main culprit. Ignorance is not an excuse, or at least, it shouldn’t be!
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Aux Plaisirs de Bacchus
Bacchus was the Roman God of wine, somehow equated with the Greek God Dionysus but that’s not what I wanted to write about. “Aux Plaisirs de Bacchus” is a super charming store in Bernard street, (Which is one of my favorite streets in Montreal and I think you’ve got it by now), specialized in wine accessories and more! From Books to wall-mounted old-fashioned bottle-opener, from Czech crystals to Absinth fountains, you can find anything Winy! there. I even found a fabulous Aroma-box (Anybody who has seen the movie “French Kiss” knows exactly what I’m talking about), that despite my will, I’m not going to spend 600$ for it.
And finally, in this glorious place, I’ve found stemware racks I’d searched everywhere for and hopefully, I should finish making my bar by tonight. I will write about my cute little bar, as soon as it’s ready.
So I drink my glass of port to Bacchus. Not the God, the Store!
The life of a bullet
I watched “lord of war” on DVD last night and I have to admit that my intellectual sense! was way off when it had suggested the movie must be a typical senseless Hollywood action, first time I’d seen the trailer.
It was SMART, it was entertaining, it was marvelously-executed, and most of all, it had a POINT and if the storyline wasn’t so predictable, with so much Hollywood cliché, it could have been even a masterpiece!
Anyway, I think “Lord of War” was the most thoughtful way to inform the public about what’s going on in the filthy world of arms trade without forcing them to watch a dead-boring documentary!
I just can’t stop admiring the opening scene, a bullet’s amazing trip, from the factory to a young African’s brain!
It was SMART, it was entertaining, it was marvelously-executed, and most of all, it had a POINT and if the storyline wasn’t so predictable, with so much Hollywood cliché, it could have been even a masterpiece!
Anyway, I think “Lord of War” was the most thoughtful way to inform the public about what’s going on in the filthy world of arms trade without forcing them to watch a dead-boring documentary!
I just can’t stop admiring the opening scene, a bullet’s amazing trip, from the factory to a young African’s brain!
Friday, April 07, 2006
Where the hell are we going?
We pretend we’re rowing in a river while we are sitting on a stupid machine in the gym!
We eat our lunch in the office in front of the monitor!
We listen to our stupid MP3 player instead of interacting with people in public places!
But GOD! This is too much…
I don’t blame the manufacturer. I even think the idea is brilliant! But the concept is soooooooo sad and depressing!
Where the hell are we going?
We eat our lunch in the office in front of the monitor!
We listen to our stupid MP3 player instead of interacting with people in public places!
But GOD! This is too much…
I don’t blame the manufacturer. I even think the idea is brilliant! But the concept is soooooooo sad and depressing!
Where the hell are we going?
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Quote of the day
Woody Allen in Anything else (as David Dobel):
Since the beginning of time people have been, you know, frightened and, and unhappy, and they're scared of death, and they're scared of getting old, and there's always been priests around, and shamans, and now shrinks, to tell 'em, "Look, I know you're frightened, but I can help you. Of course, it is going to cost you a few bucks..." But they can't help you, Falk, because life is what it is.
Since the beginning of time people have been, you know, frightened and, and unhappy, and they're scared of death, and they're scared of getting old, and there's always been priests around, and shamans, and now shrinks, to tell 'em, "Look, I know you're frightened, but I can help you. Of course, it is going to cost you a few bucks..." But they can't help you, Falk, because life is what it is.
Job security and the political trilemma
Protests continued in Paris over the new controversial employment law that facilitates both hiring and firing young new job-seekers for employers. Students and workers, angry about the new law which will eventually put France’s famous and long-established “job security*” in jeopardy, were marching in the streets, blocking rail-roads, traffics and services to force the government of Dominique de Villepin to back off. But do they really have any chance? Does the government of France, have the authority not to make these reforms in today world’s economy?
Well, economists say No! According to Harvard professor, Dani Rodrik, The new rule of the game called “Political trilemma”, states that, out of “Global economic integration, Nation states and mass politics”, no country in the world has the luxury to choose more than two at once.
It means, so simply, people can no longer affect the government’s economical decisions by protest or even strike, since the governments themselves do not have enough room to maneuver due to the necessities of the global economy.
The good! news is, this is just the beginning of a package of comprehensive reforms, France has to make, if she wants to be a part of the global economy in the 21st century and there is no way the government could back down in the first step of the reforms.
So the job security is the first, and certainly not the last, in the series of precious luxuries that French people are going lose. Working 35 hours a week, 5 weeks of vacation and lot more are in the waiting list!
It hurts to have something precious and then lose it, but people of France should realize they are going to have to choose between Job security and No job at all! Like it or not, that’s the harsh reality of the globalization
So, my dear French friends,
Welcome to the new world…I know it sucks, but that’s the way it is...Bon appetit!
* Clarification for my North American readers: Job security is a European term like Vacation, Culture and history that has nothing to do with us, North Americans. It means that you are somehow more precious than a piece of toilet paper! and nobody can throw you away after wiping his ass with! but since from now on, we are all going to be the same, there is no reason to be jealous or worry about!
Well, economists say No! According to Harvard professor, Dani Rodrik, The new rule of the game called “Political trilemma”, states that, out of “Global economic integration, Nation states and mass politics”, no country in the world has the luxury to choose more than two at once.
It means, so simply, people can no longer affect the government’s economical decisions by protest or even strike, since the governments themselves do not have enough room to maneuver due to the necessities of the global economy.
The good! news is, this is just the beginning of a package of comprehensive reforms, France has to make, if she wants to be a part of the global economy in the 21st century and there is no way the government could back down in the first step of the reforms.
So the job security is the first, and certainly not the last, in the series of precious luxuries that French people are going lose. Working 35 hours a week, 5 weeks of vacation and lot more are in the waiting list!
It hurts to have something precious and then lose it, but people of France should realize they are going to have to choose between Job security and No job at all! Like it or not, that’s the harsh reality of the globalization
So, my dear French friends,
Welcome to the new world…I know it sucks, but that’s the way it is...Bon appetit!
* Clarification for my North American readers: Job security is a European term like Vacation, Culture and history that has nothing to do with us, North Americans. It means that you are somehow more precious than a piece of toilet paper! and nobody can throw you away after wiping his ass with! but since from now on, we are all going to be the same, there is no reason to be jealous or worry about!
These British Gentlemen
You can sleep on the bed! Apparently that’s what US’s foreign secretary, Condoleezza Rice offers to her British counterpart Jack Straw, during a seven hours flight to Baghdad. Well, Mr. Straw takes the offer and sleeps on the one and only bed in the plane but as he wakes up, he finds Dr. Rice, sleeping on the floor!
While a story of this kind could be hardly taken seriously anywhere in the world to be even qualified as news, in the land of “Gentlemen” they’ve made quite a big fuss out of it! “Diplomatic ethics aside, How on earth a gentleman could take the bed and let a lady sleep on the floor?!” they say!
In his defense, maybe Dr. Rice has offered the bed to her sleepy colleague insisting that she wanted to keep working and didn’t feel like sleeping at all. But eventually, she felt exhausted and slept on the floor. Considering my deep respect for Jack Straw, I have the tendency to believe my version of the story! :)
And although , it’s more like “much ado about nothing”, considering what’s going on in the world right now, it’s still nice to see there’re people in the world who so profoundly care about these kinds of social etiquettes which are considered by the main stream, obsolete!
Question: How come there are people in the world who demand their leaders not to be less than a gentlemen, on top of all leadership and political skills, and there are others who can’t get their leaders just to shut the hell up!?
P.S. An advice to Mr. Straw: Next time you were in the same situation, you’d better say (read with a posh British accent like that of Mr. Straw!) “I suppose the bed is big enough to hold both of us my dear!” :)
While a story of this kind could be hardly taken seriously anywhere in the world to be even qualified as news, in the land of “Gentlemen” they’ve made quite a big fuss out of it! “Diplomatic ethics aside, How on earth a gentleman could take the bed and let a lady sleep on the floor?!” they say!
In his defense, maybe Dr. Rice has offered the bed to her sleepy colleague insisting that she wanted to keep working and didn’t feel like sleeping at all. But eventually, she felt exhausted and slept on the floor. Considering my deep respect for Jack Straw, I have the tendency to believe my version of the story! :)
And although , it’s more like “much ado about nothing”, considering what’s going on in the world right now, it’s still nice to see there’re people in the world who so profoundly care about these kinds of social etiquettes which are considered by the main stream, obsolete!
Question: How come there are people in the world who demand their leaders not to be less than a gentlemen, on top of all leadership and political skills, and there are others who can’t get their leaders just to shut the hell up!?
P.S. An advice to Mr. Straw: Next time you were in the same situation, you’d better say (read with a posh British accent like that of Mr. Straw!) “I suppose the bed is big enough to hold both of us my dear!” :)
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Keep your breath!
Every time you take a breath,
Keep that breath,
just a bit more.
I hope someday,
This extra dose of
Green-house gas,
Makes your heart,
Globally warm!
Keep that breath,
just a bit more.
I hope someday,
This extra dose of
Green-house gas,
Makes your heart,
Globally warm!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
13 Beh dar!
Some people say, this place has the best ice cream in town. Well I don’t know about that, but I can confidently say, It was good enough!One double ice cream from this cute ice cream café in Bernard street, was a delicious ending to a very pleasing “13 beh dar” and a perfect desert for Pop Soly’s (Sanam's Father!) first but successful attempt to make “Ash Reshteh”.
ByeBye dear Spring...at least for now!
Well, forget about everything I wrote in the past few days. It’s snowing right now, and although it could have been beautiful in November, it’s certainly not in April! Laughing at fucked up seagulls who're trying to figure out what’s happening, is the only laughable matter today alongside with Jon Stewart’s funny remark, “if you see a Hedgehog, punch him in the face!”
And poor trees, they’d prepared themselves to celebrate the spring! It’s damn hard to be a tree in Canada!
And poor trees, they’d prepared themselves to celebrate the spring! It’s damn hard to be a tree in Canada!
An interesting scientific research
“Gerhard Herzberg” gold medal, Canada’s equivalent to the Nobel prize, which, similar to most of the Canadians equivalents, is only known to Canadians themselves!” was awarded to Professor “David Dolphin”, from UBC, for his amazing research on the unique properties of Porphyrin, a highly colored, donut-shaped chemical with a metallic part in the middle among which, Heme (part of blood’s hemoglobin which is red and has Iron in the middle) and Chlorophyll (which is green and has magnesium in the middle) are two known examples.
What Professor Dolphin discovered was, if the central metallic part is removed from the Porphyrin, it can absorb light and transfer it to a molecule of oxygen and for a very brief period of time, change a normal non-toxic molecule of oxygen to a highly-toxic one, which can be used to destroy unwanted tissues, like tumors. The magical thing is, as soon as the light goes off, the toxicity disappears within 2 milliseconds. A drug which has been made based on this exceptional chemicals, not only can destroy tumor cells, but also the blood vessels who are responsible for feeding the tumor thus it’s much more effective than most of the drugs which are presently being used against cancer.
I found it quite amazing and I just wanted to share this with you.
P.S. The Herzberg's gold medal is being awarded each year by “NSERC”, alongside with one million dollars of research funding.
What Professor Dolphin discovered was, if the central metallic part is removed from the Porphyrin, it can absorb light and transfer it to a molecule of oxygen and for a very brief period of time, change a normal non-toxic molecule of oxygen to a highly-toxic one, which can be used to destroy unwanted tissues, like tumors. The magical thing is, as soon as the light goes off, the toxicity disappears within 2 milliseconds. A drug which has been made based on this exceptional chemicals, not only can destroy tumor cells, but also the blood vessels who are responsible for feeding the tumor thus it’s much more effective than most of the drugs which are presently being used against cancer.
I found it quite amazing and I just wanted to share this with you.
P.S. The Herzberg's gold medal is being awarded each year by “NSERC”, alongside with one million dollars of research funding.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Five signs of the spring’s arrival
1. Skirts on the march! ( Unlike Bush’s democracy, they are truly on the march!)
2. Fragrance of the grass!
3. Moisture in the air!
4. Tables and chairs sitting outside of the cafés and restaurants
5. Naz’s cute welcome note!
Enjoy the Spring and indulge as much as you can!
2. Fragrance of the grass!
3. Moisture in the air!
4. Tables and chairs sitting outside of the cafés and restaurants
5. Naz’s cute welcome note!
Enjoy the Spring and indulge as much as you can!
A great day to be alive
Unlike Tehran, in Montreal spring does not come on March 20th. It comes when the temperature reaches to a certain level where ladies can comfortably wear short skirts with bare legs! There’s no need to say that their comfort level, which is slightly higher than water’s freezing point! is quite different than that of a normal human being!
I used the word “comfortably” since you can see them, wearing skirts and standing in lines in front of St-Laurent’s clubs on Saturday nights even when the temperature is 30 degrees below zero! (and I always admire them, while shivering, from the inside of my mobile shelter, normally made of twelve layers of clothes, jackets, gloves, hat, scarf and sometimes a stupid face-cover!)
Anyway, today was the day that gorgeous Montrealers were marching in the streets, showing off their beautiful bodies as well as their bold taste in fashion, to celebrate the unofficial annual parade of féminité and spring.
P.S. Item of the day: Hair removal wax! :)
I used the word “comfortably” since you can see them, wearing skirts and standing in lines in front of St-Laurent’s clubs on Saturday nights even when the temperature is 30 degrees below zero! (and I always admire them, while shivering, from the inside of my mobile shelter, normally made of twelve layers of clothes, jackets, gloves, hat, scarf and sometimes a stupid face-cover!)
Anyway, today was the day that gorgeous Montrealers were marching in the streets, showing off their beautiful bodies as well as their bold taste in fashion, to celebrate the unofficial annual parade of féminité and spring.
P.S. Item of the day: Hair removal wax! :)
Quote of the day
Ben Gurion: In Middle East, in order to be a realist, you have to believe in miracle!
Trojan horse and public illiteracy
I remember when I went to see the movie “Troy”, I got so frustrated. It wasn’t just because they’d squeezed a ten years war into a less than two weeks combat or they’d totally ignored the whole concept of Achilles’ immortality, or the fact that they’d censored Achilles and Patroclus love affair for the sake of the American homophobic audience. The reason of my frustration was, as the movie went on and the Trojans accepted the horse and etc (as I hope you know the story! :)), when Greeks jumped out of the horse, Paris and his army were not the only individuals who got surprised, but a good portion of the audience were accompanied them with a “Waaaaaaaaoooo” Sound!
And I was like “It’s obvious that you don’t read, but did any of you go to school at the some point or what?!!”
Well, considering the fact that Canadians and specially Montrealers are considered quite knowledgeable in North America, and they really are, you can figure out the rest!
And I was like “It’s obvious that you don’t read, but did any of you go to school at the some point or what?!!”
Well, considering the fact that Canadians and specially Montrealers are considered quite knowledgeable in North America, and they really are, you can figure out the rest!
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