Archive

ROYALTY: Belgian King State Visit to Iran 1960's

The Constitutional Monarch of Belgium's State Visit to Iran in Royal Carriage with Shah of Iran. (circa 1960's)

>>>

The trouble with democracy

We have descended a long way from stated ideals of the original proponents of democracy. The great march of freedom has been replaced by national and international political discourses consumed with fundamentalism and extremism of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and even Hindu types. Lofty ideals about the nature of humanity, progress, and a bright tomorrow when racism, fascism,apartheid and sexism would be discarded to the dustbin of history to be replaced by a loving, green and peaceful world have been all but forgotten. The age of the Internet and the information highway, the collapse of totalitarianism, and intensified globalisation have rather surprisingly resulted in a greater and more severe pursuit of national interests and wars rather than the pursuit of happiness and international solidarity>>>

Zoroastrianism

Today's edition of Beyond Belief on BBC Radio 4 is on Zoroastrianism. >>>

Seema (2)

I met Seema at Bellagio on one of my frequent runs to the ATM machine. Being a lousy poker player and not knowing my limit, I spent more time pacing to the ATM machine than at the poker table. One look at me and Seema knew she had a customer (sucker) for life. Now, make no mistake about it, though a high school dropout, Seema had a PhD from the school of hard knocks. In her profession she needed not to be book smart but street smart. Seema hustled the hustlers, cheated the cheaters and swindle the swindlers. She was such savvy negotiator that she could perhaps negotiate the Middle East peace, if she could find the Middle East on a map>>>

Shaadi's Story

Shaadi finally decided to do it. She signed up with the Iranian dating site, submitted her photograph, and answered the questions. She thought to herself, “I’ll be 100% honest in answering the questions. I don’t want any complications as a result of withheld information or half truths.” She wrote down her real age, her real weight, and answered all the questions fully and truthfully. Among the people she heard from, there was a man who seemed like a good choice. He was her age, had been married and divorced, didn’t have any kids and didn’t want any, and his picture showed him to be good looking, with a full head of hair, dressed in a nice suite. She and Hamid started chatting and corresponding online>>>

Hollywood Preparing a Sequal/Prequal to '300'

The Story is said to be set at end of the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea between Xerxes’ Persians and 10,000 Spartans PLUS 30,000 Greeks. >>>

وقتی قانون جنایت می‌آفریند

آمنه بهرامی‌ نوا، زن جوانی است كه در شرایط سخت ایران توانسته است تحصیلات دانشگاهی خود را در رشته الكترونیك به پایان برساند و مشغول كار شود و با هزاران امید و آرزو به آینده خود بیندیشد. این آینده، اما، با حركت جنایتكارانه مرد جوانی كه ادعای دوستی او را داشته یكباره به هم می‌ریزد. این مرد خواهان ازدواج با آمنه بوده، ولی آمنه خواست او را رد می‌كند. مرد جوان به جای این كه با پاسخ «نه» آمنه راه خود را در پیش گیرد و برود، در بعد از ظهر روزی در آبان ۱۳۸۳ بر سر راه آمنه ظاهر می‌شود و ظرف اسیدی را كه در دست داشته بر سر و روی آمنه می‌پاشد. آمنه می‌سوزد، و تا به بیمارستان برسد و چند ساعت بعد تحت معالجه قرار گیرد دو چشمش را كاملا از دست داده و چهره زیبای او كاملا به صورت وحشتناكی دگرگون شده است. آمنه برای تمام عمر خود بینایی و چهره و زندگی عادی خود را از دست داده است>>>

نور ز خورشيد خواه

ما، تا 1400 سال پيش، در خود می تنيديم و دگرديسی می يافتيم. خورشيد را به آتش تبديل می کرديم و به خانه می برديم، و ميتراخانه هامان را با مهرابه ها و آتشکده ها جابجا می کرديم. گاهشماری مان خورشيدی بود، فصل هايمان معنادار و ثابت بودند. جشن هامان هميشه سر وقت و بموقع از راه می رسيدند و آئين هامان با اين يقين بخود شکل می پذيرفتند که هر سال طبيعت، بموقع و بی تأخير، آواز هميشگی خود را خواهد خواند. يقين داشتيم که ما پير می شويم و می ميريم اما او هر ساله جوان و برومند از تاريکنای سرما بيرون می آيد و فرمان می دهد تا گياهان برويند و گل ها بشکفند و پرندگان تخم بشکنند و نغمه سرائی بيآغازند. و 1400 سال پيش، به هر دليلی که جای بحث اش اينجا نيست، زادگان يک «فرهنگ قمری» بر سرزمين ما مسلط شدند. >>>

IRAN CONSTITUTIONS: From Islamic Monarchy to Republic! (I & II)

Although they both intend to divide the powers among the three divisions of legislative, judiciary and executive powers but all three branches remain to be under full control and supervisions of the clergy and/or royalty >>>