Today I have only a link...Hoder is a wellknown figure in persian blog community( actually in the whole blog community). This one is from his english weblog and... well read it and you'll see, it is worth it.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
2 in the morning and very tired!
The competition of the two major parties’ campaign for US election is getting tenser and tenser day by day. Few days ago the democrat party’s campaign officially began its work.
The above lines were written about a month ago. Now even the Republican Party’s campaign has begun too. But I think all elections all around the world in all countries are somehow nonsense, because the power always turns in hands of some particular groups and even in United States, land of the free- home of the brave there is no chance for an ordinary person to become president. To become a governor is one thing but becoming a president is almost impossible.
In our case, in Iran, the matter is completely ironic. Our country is one of the youngest countries of the world at the moment, a fact which repeated everyday by the government, the government whose members along with other members of the ruling class of Iran became the leaders of this country when they were very young, most of them less than thirty years old, a chance which was given to them by the revolution. But today they don’t accept anyone from outside their own circle of trust and all the positions and ministries are given to them in turn!
But let go the policy and diplomacy! I am going to continue my studies in abroad. I’ll leave my country in two weeks and I don’t know when again will I have the chance to see my friends and my home town! Yesterday my most dear friend held a goodbye party for me in which we had a lot of fun. Tomorrow all my family, my aunts and uncles will come to my house to hold another party for me and to wish me good luck in my journey, so tomorrow is a very busy day for me, we’ll have more than fifty guests!!!
The above lines were written about a month ago. Now even the Republican Party’s campaign has begun too. But I think all elections all around the world in all countries are somehow nonsense, because the power always turns in hands of some particular groups and even in United States, land of the free- home of the brave there is no chance for an ordinary person to become president. To become a governor is one thing but becoming a president is almost impossible.
In our case, in Iran, the matter is completely ironic. Our country is one of the youngest countries of the world at the moment, a fact which repeated everyday by the government, the government whose members along with other members of the ruling class of Iran became the leaders of this country when they were very young, most of them less than thirty years old, a chance which was given to them by the revolution. But today they don’t accept anyone from outside their own circle of trust and all the positions and ministries are given to them in turn!
But let go the policy and diplomacy! I am going to continue my studies in abroad. I’ll leave my country in two weeks and I don’t know when again will I have the chance to see my friends and my home town! Yesterday my most dear friend held a goodbye party for me in which we had a lot of fun. Tomorrow all my family, my aunts and uncles will come to my house to hold another party for me and to wish me good luck in my journey, so tomorrow is a very busy day for me, we’ll have more than fifty guests!!!
Saturday, August 07, 2004
...and I am going and going and going...
I am going. To where? It will be only a matter of time before even myself realize that where am I going. To France or to military service? To heaven or hell! But one thing is for sure and that is my return. I will come back, maybe tomorrow, maybe a decade later. Right now I am in Tehran, sitting in computer site of elec. eng. dept. of Sharif University of Tech and waiting for the destiny to take me with it! I will write more about this, maybe in my persian blog. I don't usually write my personal things in my english weblog but our computer site in this university doesn't support UTF8 which is nessesary for persian pages. Also I haven't written anything here for a month! It is hard to find something worthy to write about these days, when everything seems the same each day and nothing seems to disturb this silence. Maybe it is a silence before the storm.
Yesterday Iran football national team defeated Bahrain to stand on the third place of the asian football games. This could have been an interesting topic to write about specially considering the huge interest there is for football in Iran. But even football doesn't seem to excite us anymore. As Mozaffareddin-Shah, the king of Iran in about hundred years ago, said, everything in our country suits everything else!
Yesterday Iran football national team defeated Bahrain to stand on the third place of the asian football games. This could have been an interesting topic to write about specially considering the huge interest there is for football in Iran. But even football doesn't seem to excite us anymore. As Mozaffareddin-Shah, the king of Iran in about hundred years ago, said, everything in our country suits everything else!
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Title?! What Title?
Before I get to my main point I must mention some facts! Probably you will get a clue on what I’m going to write after you read these facts.
1. Last night I saw a movie called “A Blast from the Past”. I don’t know which year it has been produced but probably it’s not long. There are three main characters in it. Two of them are a boy and a girl which are home-mates and the boy is gay.
2. Recently I read an article in Cappuccino Magazine which is a conversation with a sexologist. He mentions that homosexuality is no more considered as a mental illness and it has been so for the last thirty years.
3. Every day we only have to glance a little at people in Iran and make attention to their clothes and their makeup. It’s so strange if we only compare it with some years ago. There is similarity in the way boys and girls wear their clothes and this similarity gets bigger and bigger day by day. We can already see boys who use makeup on their face, just like the girls. The only thing which is still unseen is earring which I think that won’t take long to be seen too. The only reason for it to come in last is families which are still conservative and can’t accept these changes. But the wind of change is blowing hard! This makes the situation paradoxical. Because although part of young majority of country support these changes and are to make new ones, but historically people of this country are conservative, even the left wing and reformists.
4. For the previous generation and before those, some signs were considered as a signature for manhood and womanhood. For example for men it was mustache and in some areas of the country, beard! The revolution in Iran specially delayed the change in the latter sign(beard) but the new generation is changing everything and putting an end to all of the traditions it could change. Like what Topol said in the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”: TRADITION!!! Our parents would not accept this fast change in everything, however they were the beginners of this movement. Actually it is the nature of humanity: New comes, Old goes!
5. Still want to know what is my main point by saying these things? Ahhhh! Forget it! Probably I’m not sure about my main point either! But don’t forget, this list can go on and on…
1. Last night I saw a movie called “A Blast from the Past”. I don’t know which year it has been produced but probably it’s not long. There are three main characters in it. Two of them are a boy and a girl which are home-mates and the boy is gay.
2. Recently I read an article in Cappuccino Magazine which is a conversation with a sexologist. He mentions that homosexuality is no more considered as a mental illness and it has been so for the last thirty years.
3. Every day we only have to glance a little at people in Iran and make attention to their clothes and their makeup. It’s so strange if we only compare it with some years ago. There is similarity in the way boys and girls wear their clothes and this similarity gets bigger and bigger day by day. We can already see boys who use makeup on their face, just like the girls. The only thing which is still unseen is earring which I think that won’t take long to be seen too. The only reason for it to come in last is families which are still conservative and can’t accept these changes. But the wind of change is blowing hard! This makes the situation paradoxical. Because although part of young majority of country support these changes and are to make new ones, but historically people of this country are conservative, even the left wing and reformists.
4. For the previous generation and before those, some signs were considered as a signature for manhood and womanhood. For example for men it was mustache and in some areas of the country, beard! The revolution in Iran specially delayed the change in the latter sign(beard) but the new generation is changing everything and putting an end to all of the traditions it could change. Like what Topol said in the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”: TRADITION!!! Our parents would not accept this fast change in everything, however they were the beginners of this movement. Actually it is the nature of humanity: New comes, Old goes!
5. Still want to know what is my main point by saying these things? Ahhhh! Forget it! Probably I’m not sure about my main point either! But don’t forget, this list can go on and on…
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11
Last night I saw this article about Michael Moore's new movie Fahrenheit 9/11. Although I must say that I agree with it in some parts but most of it sounds very "American Imperialistic". Just look at the end if it where he concludes that if U.S. hadn't attacked Serbia or Afghanistan or Iraq people in those countries would be starving and dying! First of all why!? Why should people of a country suffer and not find enough supplies to feed? Isn't it just because of hard prohibitions of U.S. and a "UN under dominance of U.S."? Isn't it true that the effect of those kinds of prohibitions is just on the lower class of a country and from the main body of regime nobody gets hurt! Secondly, why would U.S. think that he would allow himself to attack a country whenever he feels he can! Just for a minute get out of your American personality and put yourself in the place of a third-world citizen. Why would he/she like U.S.? Probably there would be a lot of reasons, but again there would be a lot of reasons to hate America, too. Get real! This is a real world and everybody is trying to survive. This is an unfair war between U.S. and the rest of the world and both of the sides are using machiavellianistic ways to pursue their goals. Probably most of today's civilizations won't survive America's extortion, but "I have a dream", a dream of the world after all of this where countries respect other countries and no one feels he can force others just because he has the power to do so.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Let's ROCK, baby!
I've begun a complete and thorough research on rock history. I'll soon begin writing articles on this topic. And I might try to publish them in a newspaper or something! Every day I read pages which I save from Internet and along with it, I listen to most of those masterpieces which are mentioned in these pages and it happens to be that I have most of them on CD or in my computer. It is a completely exciting journey through time. I feel close to the youth in those days of beginning of an amazing era and invention of a whole new kind of music. Today with every kind of strange music genres, when we look back we don’t exactly understand the people before us, we have some kind of sensation that tells us it has been like this before for ages and it will remain like this for ages. But exactly at this time Rock music comes in and tells us we are wrong, even about the rock music it self. When reading about it we see it has come a strangely and miraculous long way in less than half a century!
Way down Louisiana close to New Orleans,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens...
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy name of Johnny B. Goode...
He never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play the guitar like ringing a bell.
Go Go
Go Johnny Go
Go Go
Johnny B. Goode
(Chuck Berry, 1958)
Way down Louisiana close to New Orleans,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens...
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy name of Johnny B. Goode...
He never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play the guitar like ringing a bell.
Go Go
Go Johnny Go
Go Go
Johnny B. Goode
(Chuck Berry, 1958)
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Blog Festival
Friday I will have a short trip to Tehran. Unfortunately I won’t be able to leave earlier and I will miss the Weblogs Festival and I’m sure I’ll regret it. Tomorrow is going to be the last day of festival. I hope they add a few days more but I don’t think this would happen.
Nudity
Recently in one of the persian weblogs, I don’t mean you, there was some nude pictures published, belonging to the first years of invention of photography. Most of them were taken in Paris and both the photographer and the subject were anonymous. This anonymity was because taking those kinds of pictures in those days was illegal, although they were very popular specially among the higher class of society. The interesting thing was that in the same time “drawing” nudity was an acceptable form of art. Now, after so many years things have completely changed. Today, showing open sexy scenes consisting of scenes showing the sexual organs of men and women in movies is getting completely usual, however some years ago you could only see these kinds of things in pornographic films. “Dreamers” is a clear example of this phenomenon, a film by Bernardo Bertulochi. The thing is, I like the movie but I think it has overacted in showing sexual relations. But this can be a part of art, specially art of cinema with its progress in defining itself as a very powerful art.
I just think that what next? When we have reached this level what else will we find to surpass even this level? It’s hard to find anything normal. But we like it or not, it will happen. And sooner or later we will have to face it, just like we faced this one.
I just think that what next? When we have reached this level what else will we find to surpass even this level? It’s hard to find anything normal. But we like it or not, it will happen. And sooner or later we will have to face it, just like we faced this one.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Kristof Explains
Nocholas Kristof has explained why isn't the subtitles in the report of Iran exactly matched with the Persian speakers' comments in this link
A link to the main report exists in the same page.
A link to the main report exists in the same page.
Le Monde
In its last issue, The Lemonde Diplomatique, had an article on how U.S is driving
our world toward a never-ending hell. I think I agree with it in some parts. Ofcourse
we don't see a clear result of what U.S is doing around the world and like a great
dictator making everyone obey his rules. But it is enough to think of the main problems
we face today in our world. They are all in some way related to the way United States
deals with its friends and foes. On the other hand, when I think of it, I think why not?!
Why not take the control of all the world when it has the power to rule it? Most
of other countries would probably do the same way if they were in this position. But then I think
more and realize that this kind of behaviour questions all of the long history of
human civilization. What do you recall when you think of United States and the rest of
the world? It reminds me of jungle, where the strong eats the weak. Is it a coincidence?
why would everyone let this happen? is there any explanation to it? I'm sure that there
is a way and it is for us to find it. This is a situation as many others throughout the
history and like all of them we will pass this too.
our world toward a never-ending hell. I think I agree with it in some parts. Ofcourse
we don't see a clear result of what U.S is doing around the world and like a great
dictator making everyone obey his rules. But it is enough to think of the main problems
we face today in our world. They are all in some way related to the way United States
deals with its friends and foes. On the other hand, when I think of it, I think why not?!
Why not take the control of all the world when it has the power to rule it? Most
of other countries would probably do the same way if they were in this position. But then I think
more and realize that this kind of behaviour questions all of the long history of
human civilization. What do you recall when you think of United States and the rest of
the world? It reminds me of jungle, where the strong eats the weak. Is it a coincidence?
why would everyone let this happen? is there any explanation to it? I'm sure that there
is a way and it is for us to find it. This is a situation as many others throughout the
history and like all of them we will pass this too.
Anniversary
Today is the anniversary of "15th of Khordad movement". It's a celebration of the
beginning of Ayatollah Khomeini's uprising against the previous regime. He is still
a mystery to us, the young majority of population. When he died in 1989 I was 9
years old but his charisma even thouched me as a child. Our emotions about him, now,
is a complex of anger and gratitude. Well! he lead a revolution which most of Iranians
agreed upon. But his next movements disappointed a lot of people too. Many people
see him as the origin of our many problems today. I often compare him with china's
Mao. He, in his time, did some silly things too, as the founder of new china. but after
him, his successors tried to correct his mistakes but kept him as a symbol of new
China. In our case, things appear to be a little different. Not only we don't see
any corrections in the old and wrong ways but also the number of mistakes is getting
bigger and bigger. But... we have hope, what else can we have?
beginning of Ayatollah Khomeini's uprising against the previous regime. He is still
a mystery to us, the young majority of population. When he died in 1989 I was 9
years old but his charisma even thouched me as a child. Our emotions about him, now,
is a complex of anger and gratitude. Well! he lead a revolution which most of Iranians
agreed upon. But his next movements disappointed a lot of people too. Many people
see him as the origin of our many problems today. I often compare him with china's
Mao. He, in his time, did some silly things too, as the founder of new china. but after
him, his successors tried to correct his mistakes but kept him as a symbol of new
China. In our case, things appear to be a little different. Not only we don't see
any corrections in the old and wrong ways but also the number of mistakes is getting
bigger and bigger. But... we have hope, what else can we have?
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
"My Immortal"
Suddenly I found this in my computer. Probably my sister has put it there but it appeared to me all of a sudden and I read it. I found it very close to me specially these days, so here it is:
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus]
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
[Chorus]
Evanescence
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus]
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
[Chorus]
Evanescence
Sunday, May 30, 2004
6 VI Questions
Two days ago I clicked on a link which Hoder had mentioned it in his
weblog. It was a report for NewYork Times newspaper by their reporter Nicholas Kristof.
It was about six important questions regarding Iran in today's world and
many different people from all over Iran had answered to these questions and
Mr. Kristof himself had added some comments to it. The truth is although I
found it rather interesting in many parts it didn't have anything new for me
(which is normal) and it was somehow unprofessional in some parts. First of
all I must mention the subtitles for persian dialogues. They weren't very exact
specially in the first two questions which were the most important ones from the
political point of view. Some of the translations weren't even close to being
correct and the things the person speaking told differed completely with the
translated sentence. And secondly the comments which Mr. Krostof had added were
unreasonably against the government and the islamic clerics of Iran. It's true
that nobody likes them and they aren't so popular among Iranians but this kind
of judgment in a report like this undermines its neutrality. Also in
some parts he sounded like this is a report for government of US and President
Bush. I know this may not be true but its effect on Iranians, at least on me,
is somehow like this.
weblog. It was a report for NewYork Times newspaper by their reporter Nicholas Kristof.
It was about six important questions regarding Iran in today's world and
many different people from all over Iran had answered to these questions and
Mr. Kristof himself had added some comments to it. The truth is although I
found it rather interesting in many parts it didn't have anything new for me
(which is normal) and it was somehow unprofessional in some parts. First of
all I must mention the subtitles for persian dialogues. They weren't very exact
specially in the first two questions which were the most important ones from the
political point of view. Some of the translations weren't even close to being
correct and the things the person speaking told differed completely with the
translated sentence. And secondly the comments which Mr. Krostof had added were
unreasonably against the government and the islamic clerics of Iran. It's true
that nobody likes them and they aren't so popular among Iranians but this kind
of judgment in a report like this undermines its neutrality. Also in
some parts he sounded like this is a report for government of US and President
Bush. I know this may not be true but its effect on Iranians, at least on me,
is somehow like this.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Palme D'Or
The hottest news, these days, is perhaps about Michael Moore's film
and winning Palme D'Or in the Cannes film festival. I don't know if
you have seen his last film, Bowling for Colombine which got very famous.
Its fame grew even bigger winnning the Oscar and him giving speech in that
ceremony. That film was amazing. I saw it in cinema twice, I watched it in TV and
still have it in my computer. It totally changed my view on documentary features.
It was completely incomparable with documentary films I had seen before.
But my opinion about the prize he won. This is the second movie in the last one
year which I loved but didn't want them to win these prizes and gain this much
appreciation. The first one was the third part of Lord of The Rings trilogy
and winning eleven oscars seemed sort of extravagance(if this is the correct
word to describe it). I mean I realy like these movies but I can't place them
among the historical masterpieces of cinema.
and winning Palme D'Or in the Cannes film festival. I don't know if
you have seen his last film, Bowling for Colombine which got very famous.
Its fame grew even bigger winnning the Oscar and him giving speech in that
ceremony. That film was amazing. I saw it in cinema twice, I watched it in TV and
still have it in my computer. It totally changed my view on documentary features.
It was completely incomparable with documentary films I had seen before.
But my opinion about the prize he won. This is the second movie in the last one
year which I loved but didn't want them to win these prizes and gain this much
appreciation. The first one was the third part of Lord of The Rings trilogy
and winning eleven oscars seemed sort of extravagance(if this is the correct
word to describe it). I mean I realy like these movies but I can't place them
among the historical masterpieces of cinema.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Book Fair, Fair Book
This is the sixth day of my visit to Tehran. This is a whole new experience. Being born in Urmia, a somewhat little city, and growing there, then studying in Tehran as a university student for five years and seeing the big potential lying here, I have a new problem to face with. The problem is when I am in Urmia (which is most of the time) I miss Tehran so badly that every day I look for a chance to come to Tehran. Then when I reach here, after just a few days some new problems come to show themselves!
The week which just passed by and went out of our lives for good, had something good in it. Tehran international book fair by itself was a good reason to remember this week. I had the chance to visit the fair for two times. Although I think it doesn’t give a pleasure even close to the one it used to give few years a go in my first years of study in university, it still is a perfect place to satisfy my desire to see as many books as I can. Also it is a perfect place to see other things too!!
The week which just passed by and went out of our lives for good, had something good in it. Tehran international book fair by itself was a good reason to remember this week. I had the chance to visit the fair for two times. Although I think it doesn’t give a pleasure even close to the one it used to give few years a go in my first years of study in university, it still is a perfect place to satisfy my desire to see as many books as I can. Also it is a perfect place to see other things too!!
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