Alahazrat Hajagha
17-Dec-2008 (9 comments)
It is almost midnight...>>>

HUMOR

Santa is ours

My speech to the Annual Father Christmas Conference

17-Dec-2008 (6 comments)
I have a recurring dream. I fly to the homes of Jews, Muslims, and leave presents for their children. Christians are outraged. In one north London school, Jews and the Muslims who’ve received Xboxes from me are punched and kicked by the parents of other children. “Santa is ours,” they say. “He’s ours, you can’t have him”. Newspapers columnists: "It's multicultural madness when Santa Claus favours the children of lesbian disabled Jews and Muslims instead of the people who invented him.” In the dream I fly to Lapland. It's not my intention to favour non-Christians, it just happens that way. As for the Jews and Muslims, they are forced into a unity under oppression after being spat at on the school run>>>
Azadeh Azad
16-Dec-2008 (12 comments)
A 2008 study on sex workers in Greater Tehran >>>

PRICELESS

An Iranian love story

Encyclopaedia Iranica and us

16-Dec-2008 (7 comments)
After Sept. 11, 2001, journalists turned to Encyclopaedia Iranica to learn about Afghanistan, part of the "Iranian cultural continent." The staff of Iranica, headquartered at Columbia University's Center for Iranian Studies, is now at work on the 13th volume, which includes the letter “I,”--and the current focus: Iran. Despite his smiling face on the Encyclopaedia Iranica Web site, managing editor Ahmad Ashraf tends to wear a solemn countenance and drives himself and his staff as if they were on a newspaper deadline. Housed in a small duplex in the back of a stately turn-of-the-century building near Columbia University, the tension is palpable inside>>>
Robert
16-Dec-2008 (4 comments)
Plaza De Armas. Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico >>>

STORY

Illusion

We’re puppets and destiny the puppet master

16-Dec-2008 (one comment)
“I’ll be home a little late,” Adam said to his wife on the cell phone. “How late is late? You know we have guests tonight. Salad and entertainment are your responsibilities.” Shiva said. “That’s exactly why I’ll be late. I need to get a book before I come home. I’ll show you some incredible artworks. A co-worker of mine had a calendar designed with optical illusions. They’re amazing. You’ve never seen anything like it.” “You mean like M. C. Escher’s artwork?” She asked. “Yes, but more mystical. Some of them are really mind boggling. These artworks really threw me off. You’ve got to see them.” “Known artists?” “Most of them are not. We’ll find out tonight.” “Hmm, that’d make an interesting subject of conversation.” >>>
bahram9821
16-Dec-2008 (5 comments)
A very interesting discussion about using sheep to maintain football fields.
>>>

EXILES

من خود ایران هستم!

كتاب "مقدمه‌ای بر ادبیات فارسی در تبعید" اثر ملیحه تیره‌گل

16-Dec-2008 (2 comments)
در تركیه خود را بیحقوق می‌بینم، در فرانسه پناهنده و در امریكا شهروند؛ اما در همه حال یك تبعیدی. سه صفت نخست، وضعیت قانونی مرا در كشوری كه به آن وارد شدم نشان می‌دهد و صفت آخرین، ذهنیت مرا نسبت به وطنی كه ناگزیر به ترك آن شدم. خواه در امریكا بمیرم، روبروی پسرم "آزاد" كه بر بالینم ایستاده و خواه به وطن بازگردم، اگر روی آزادی را ببیند، باز من یك تبعیدی خواهم ماند. درست مثل آن دریانوردی كه نوار آواز او را در كلاس‏ درس‏ فرانسویم در دهكده‌ی "شانتونه" در سال 83 شنیدم كه پس‏ از سال‌ها كه به میهن بازگشته بود آنجا را غریبه یافت و دوباره به سوی دریا بازگشت. نباید خود را گول بزنم: چه خود را در لس‏آنجلس‏ جزیی از یك جامعه‌ی "موفق" ایرانی امریكایی ببینم و نام این شهر را به "تهران‌جلس" تغییر دهم، و چه خود را چون نادرپور شاعر غریبه‌ای در "شیطان‌جلس" بینگارم، باز یك تبعیدی خواهم ماند. پس‏ بهتر است كه به جای خودفریبی، هویت خود را بشناسم و آن را قدر بگذارم.>>>

POETRY

عطش
16-Dec-2008 (4 comments)
گاه دیده ام نیشخند عقربه
در چهرهء صامت یک ساعت
گاه حس کرده ام خستگی کفش
در دویدنهای بیهوده، بی آهنگ
گاه فهمیده ام سایهء ماسیده به دیوار
در کلافگی ظهر یک خورشید >>>

Zionist Crimes

smhb

Israel’s ‘Crime Against Humanity’

Truthdig.com / Chris Hedges
recommended by smhb
16-Dec-2008 (8 comments)
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real crime? Traveling while Iranian

Q

Prison for nuke engineer who took software to Iran

AP
recommended by Q
16-Dec-2008 (2 comments)
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Mahasti Shahrokhi
16-Dec-2008 (5 comments)
فیلم و عکس هایی زیبا از ایران آن روز>>>
asefati
16-Dec-2008 (3 comments)
This guy, John Bolton, was one of the advocates of war with Iran and now he is claiming that war with Iran is not an option any more>>>
SCE Campaign
16-Dec-2008
Shahre Ziba (Beautiful City-2004 ) paints a realistic image of a society where many are trapped in the sets of religious beliefs >>>

YUMMY

Christmas biscuits

The Salari twins at work

16-Dec-2008 (4 comments)
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