Archive - Dec 20, 2007

چند فیلم، چند خط

- ترور جسی جیمز (●●●●): یک شاهکار، ولی کمی کشدار. یک نوآوری شجاعانه در چهارچوب ژانر وسترن، با بازسازی قواعد ژانر از نظر فرم (با نماهای دور و سرد ولی چشم‌گیرش، به اضافه‌ی تدوین پر از سکوت و آرام و سیر و سلوک عرفانی گونه‌اش) و روایت (وجود راوی دانای کل با آن صدا و سبک گفتار سرد و با فاصله‌اش). با اینکه اسطوره‌ی جسی جیمز را به زمین می‌آورد، از ستایش محناطانه‌اش باز نمی‌ماند. >>>

Your Sound, Your space

Eid nights I sat listening and watching, like so many
Iranians across the country
To our smooth shaved and small-nosed "brethren" in Los
Angeles and their last minute Pari rice plug on
television
Wheat grass planted in the late winter
My aunt, my second cousin, my parents
Look for every possible last-minute ingredient
the white fish and green rice could possibly need >>>

این هم از داستان ما

چهار نفر بودند با نامهای:‌ همه کس، هيچ کس، يک کسي، هرکسي >>>

Islamic Ghost Shelters for Women

Homeless women in Tehran >>>

وزارتخانۀ نفخ روده حکومت ایران

همواره ناخوشایند و سخت است، بخصوص اگر طبق قوانین کشور میزبان دارای وضعیتی نامشخص باشی!>>>

Sayoshant = JC

Happy Yalda to all at Iranian.com  >>>

A moving Letter from a Baha'i family in Shiraz, Dec 18, 2007

Set Fire on Quran

A friend of mine has decided to set Quran on fire as long as Islamic dictatorship of Iran... >>>

Satrapi and Bahrani Nominated for Spirit Awards

Marjane Satrapi Persepolis and Ramin Bahrani’s Chop Shop for up for awards at 23rd Annual Film Independent's Spirit Awards. >>>

Three Kings

I watched the PBS documentary on the three kings and their travels to Bethlehem. Although well presented, it is interesting to note how much one's perspective, in this case the Christian world view, clouds the lens. Before I start, let me assure you that in no way I'm making parallels to the current situation, countries or people. These events occurred when the world was a different place altogether. That the travelers came from Persia, that they were Zoroastrian Magi following a dream interpretation, conjectured the astrological heavens and brought gifts is straightforward. But the historical setting was touched upon gently. The impression that these priests were acting on their own or at least in isolation, however, is not plausible.>>>

مسالهء خرافات

باید پرسید که چرا مخالفان دین بهائی که مقام و قدرت و منبر و رزق یومی خود را در خطر می دیدند دست به دامن نقد چپ شدند و از آن زاویه به دین بهائی حمله کردند. البته دلیل آن آشکار است و چاره ای دیگر نیز نداشتند. بهائی ستیزان شیعه چون در بحثهای پایه و فلسفه دین و آموزه های اجتماعی کم آوردند و بی پایی آنان برای خودشان آشکار شده بود ناچار به دست آویزی الهام گرفته از چپ به عنوان آخرین راه نجات خود دل بستند. از این رو بود که گندم نماهای جو فروش با تقلید از آن نقدها کوشیدند مردم را از آموزه های بهائی که راهکارهای اساسی برای زنده کردن ایران و پاک کردن آن از لوث خرافات مطرح می کرد دور نگاه دارند. >>>

Wanting more out of life

The novel takes place in revolutionary times, in fact about a couple of years after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It was the time that major aspects of the society underwent pretty drastic transformations. Attacks on basic freedoms of the people had already started and the mere audacity of the regime to go places that no other dictatorship had gone before (to borrow from Star Trek) had created a funny and ironic situation. People couldn't believe that not only were they not getting the things for which they had fought so hard, but they were losing some of the things that they had pretty much taken for granted for such a long time. That gave people sort of that deer caught in the headlights look. It was the time of major interruptions in the people's lives>>>

Interruptions

Farzin Rouhani would remember the last day of spring 1981 as the first time reality warped. He would recall that Tehran’s air was so hot and immobile a dropped feather fell like a rock. By then he had developed the habit of going over to see Bijan in his apartment halfway across town. Farzin had the route memorized by then. Turn the corner from Vali-e Asr onto Shaheed Beheshti Avenue, and he would be but five blocks away from wicked bliss. Only on June 20, 1981, the baking street indulged more people than usual, and the sun staked sharp streaks of pain into his skull. The heat was treacherous, dry, and scorching. >>>

PandaHeat

Stepping out of the shower and drying, I stare at my nakedness in the steamy mirror and admit with a shy but satisfied smile: Pirooz, you were a dirty old man when you were born, and you will be a naughty boy when you die. I have always been a victim of my passions, not only the passion of my loins, mind you, but also the passion of my mind. From my untimely pre-pubescent erection in the women's bathhouse in my native Tehran, when I was just five years old -- I will tell you about that later --to my current basketful of predicaments here at Ohio Eastern, where I have landed as a Professor of Political Economy. >>>