paralyzed

Well I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

- Finger Eleven

advice

Listen to this ...

فکر

داشتم برای خودم توضیح می دادم که دیگه بزرگ شدی و گاهی درست و غلط بودن تصمیمهات رو خیلی نمی شه تشخیص داد، خودت که هیچ، کس دیگه هم شاید نتونه بگه. همین جور که این حرف از ذهنم گذشت پیش خودم فکرکردم آیا این یعنی حالا خیلی هم مهم نیست چه تصمیمی بگیرم؟ نه دیگه اینکه نمی شه. برم بیشتر درباره اش فکر کنم

پیاز داغ

Clinical Gastroeneterology and Hepatology بر اساس تحقیقات جدیدی که در مجله
چاپ شده مصرف روزانه پیاز و زرچوبه در پیشگیری سرطان روده بسیار موثر است؛ بارها به این فکر کرده بودم که ما چرا هر روز توی همه غذاهامون پیازداغ می ریزیم!؟

reality

Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

-Albert Einstein

my list

Under an old brass paperweight is my list of things to do today
Go to the bank and the hardware store, put a new lock on the cellar door
I cross 'em off as I get 'em done but when the sun is set
There's still more than a few things left I haven't got to yet

Go for a walk, say a little prayer
Take a deep breath of mountain air
Put on my glove and play some catch
It's time that I make time for that
Wade the shore and cast a line
Pick up a long lost friend of mine
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
Start livin', that's the next thing on my list

Wouldn't change the course of fate but cuttin' the grass just had to wait
'Cause I've bot more important things like pushin' my kid on the backyard swing
I won't break my back for a million bucks I can't take to my grave
So why put off for tomorrow what I could get done today

Like go for a walk, say a little prayer
Take a deep breath of mountain air
Put on my glove and play some catch
It's time that I make time for that
Wade the shore and cast a line
Pick up a long lost friend of mine
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
Start livin', that's the next thing on my list

Raise a little hell, laugh 'til it hurts
Put an extra five in the plate at church
Call up my folks just to chat
It's time that I make time for that
Stay up late, then oversleep
Show her what she means to me
Catch up on all the things I've always missed
Just start livin', that's the next thing on my list

Under an old brass paperweight
Is my list of things to do today

low carb

So much for the low carb diet. A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine says that it's the glycemic index that matters not the carbs and that carbohydrates with low glycemic index can help you lose weight! I have always disliked low carb diets since I believe in well-balanced eating; and now I have one more reason ...

life

I always thought of life like this, now someone has drawn it.

about me

You know that there is a need in people to discover themselves through tests, because simply put they can't think of a better way like analysing their own behaviour to understand themselves. Anyhow, this is what the color test reviled about me!

• You are a person who approaches their finances aggressively and with purpose. You make sure you have covered every angle by consulting the best professionals, then move in for the attack.
  
  
• Fashion is marketing vice that only the weak fall victim to. You like to rise above it all, dressing in a way that is your own unique style.
  
  
• You are aggressive in business, but tend to take the backseat when it comes to your personal life. You are more comfortable talking about work than relationships.
  
  
• You make sure that your possessions will boost your image, no matter whether it's a necessity or not. If one of your friends has it, you must have it as well.
  
  
• A good listener. You are comfortable allowing others to take the spotlight and share their adventures. You are protective about your friendship and ensure the best for your friends.
  
  
• You are a no-nonsense, practical person. You make sure that you are there when your friends need you, and like to solve their problems for them.
  
  

driving

• Gas prices in Vancouver are estimated to be about 27 cents per liter overprice! Just think of how much is going into the gas companies pockets. The explanation is that after Catrina they just didn't see a reason to reduce the prices and so it just went up from there ...
  
  
• Statistics have always shown that women are better drivers than men, based on getting into fewer accidents. But as it looks that is about to change; in the past few years women's accidents have increased by 14% and accidents caused by men have declined 10%. Although men are still in the lead, with the current trend it won't be too long before that changes.
  

cool!

Call me out of date but I just clicked on the friends map tab in Orkut and discovered that it shows you a somewhat estimate of your friends' sparsity around the world; now that is cool!

catching up

There used to be a middle aged man at the local grocery shop who would stand at a distance and ask if he could return the cart. I always said yes, and usually tipped him rather generously. In his eyes I could see that this is not the life he is used to. Last week when I went shopping I was approached by a taller younger fellow, and when I said no to him another one and another one ... WHAT? It seemed all the homeless people where there, it felt very uncomfortable. As I drove off upset over all the harassment I thought, where is the old guy? Did he become rich? Is he now living the good life? Or did he move for some other reason? Wish there was a way to find out ...

some people

Some people you talk to when you're happy, some when you're sad. There are people you talk to when you need to make a decision and then there are those who you just hang out with ... just don't confuse them!

چه حرفا

یه وقتایی خیلی طول می کشه که آدمها رو بشناسم؛ اینکه راست راستی کی هستن. ولی دیگه حالا یاد گرفتم که اون حسی که اول بار ازشون دارم تا حد خوبی درسته. یکی دو بار ناخودآگاه یه چیزی رو به کسی گفتم و مدتی بعد فهمیدم چرا همچین چیزی به ذهنم رسیده ... خوشحالم اون چیزی رو که اون موقع خواستم بگم گفتم

دلم شکست

تا کی؟

something special

Bagh-e-Shazdeh - Mahan, Kerman, Iran

where?

There's this controversy inside me; should I run or should I settle for a possible mediocre? Will mediocre evolve to the top or have I already waited too long? Why the indecisiveness? I thought we agreed we always reach high; but then, what is high enough?

traffic

It seems to me that the city is a lot busier than a month ago; I wonder if it's the weather or the hockey games!

قصه حسنک

گاو ما ما مي كرد
گوسفند بع بع مي كرد
سگ واق واق مي كرد

و همه با هم فرياد مي زدند حسنك كجايي

شب شده بود اما حسنك به خانه نيامده بود.حسنك مدت هاي زيادي است كه به خانه نمي آيد.او به شهر رفته و در آنجا شلوار جين و تي شرت هاي تنگ به تن مي كند.او هر روز صبح به جاي غذا دادن به حيوانات جلوي آينه به موهاي خود ژل مي زند.

موهاي حسنك ديگر مثل پشم گوسفند نيست چون او به موهاي خود گلت مي زند.

ديروز كه حسنك با كبري چت مي كرد .كبري گفت تصميم بزرگي گرفته است.كبري تصميم داشت حسنك را رها كند و ديگر با او چت نكند چون او با پتروس چت مي كرد.پتروس هميشه پاي كامپيوترش نشسته بود و چت مي كرد.پتروس ديد كه سد سوراخ شده اما انگشت او درد مي كرد چون زياد چت كرده بود.او نمي دانست كه سد تا چند لحظه ي ديگر مي شكند.پتروس در حال چت كردن غرق شد.

براي مراسم دفن او كبري تصميم گرفت با قطار به آن سرزمين برود اما كوه روي ريل ريزش كرده بود .ريزعلي ديد كه كوه ريزش كرده اما حوصله نداشت .ريزعلي سردش بود و دلش نمي خواست لباسش را در آورد .ريزعلي چراغ قوه داشت اما حوصله? درد سر نداشت.قطار به سنگ ها برخورد كرد و منفجر شد .كبري و مسافران قطار مردند.

اما ريزعلي بدون توجه به خانه رفت.خانه مثل هميشه سوت و كور بود .الان چند سالي است كه كوكب خانم همسر ريزعلي مهمان ناخوانده ندارد او حتي مهمان خوانده هم ندارد.او حوصله ي مهمان ندارد.او پول ندارد تا شكم مهمان ها را سير كند.

او در خانه تخم مرغ و پنير دارد اما گوشت ندارد.

او كلاس بالايي دارد او فاميل هاي پولدار دارد.

او آخرين بار كه گوشت قرمز خريد چوپان دروغگو به او گوشت خر فروخت .اما او از چوپان دروغگو گله ندارد چون دنياي ما خيلي چوپان دروغگو دارد به همين دليل است كه ديكر در كتاب هاي دبستان آن داستان هاي قشنگ وجود ندارد.

my pilot

My copilot licence was mailed to me while I was back home, I had so much fun taking that class ... I don't think I ever mentioned it, but as a little girl I always imagined I would marry a pilot. I never even came close to that; as a matter of fact I don't think I have ever known anyone who's a pilot ... well maybe I'll be one someday!

برگشتنم خونه

الان چند روزیه که برگشتم. خیلی بهم خوش گذشته، از سال تحویل خونه بابابزرگ تا دیدن همکلاسیهای مدرسه و شبها تا صبح با مامان حرف زدن، همه اش خیلی خوب بود. احساس می کنم که می تونم رو ابرها راه برم، تو دلم یه آرامشی هست اون آرامشی که فقط خونه می تونه به آدم بده. بی انصافی نکرده باشم، دلم واسه این خونه ام هم تنگ شده بود

این هفته یه کنفرانس هست که من رو یاد اون کنفرانسی می اندازه که روزای اولی که اومده بودم ونکور رفتم. پنج سال از اون موقع گذشته و منی که اون موقع با احتیاط اولین قدمهام رو برمی داشتم الان سرم رو بالا می گیرم و محکم راه می رم. یاد اون آرزوها و اون فکرها به خیر، چقدر من و همه چیز دور و برم عوض شدیم. خوشحالم از همه چیز، خوشحالم

باران بهاری

امشب که داشتم می اومدم خونه یه دفعه احساس کردم که یه بوی آشنا می آد. بعد فهمیدم بوی بارونه رو زمین گرم. دلیل تازگی بوش این بود که اینجا معمولا سرده وقتی بارون می آد واسه همین هم بوی بارونای خونه رو نمی ده. از ته دلم لبخند زدم، میرم خونه واسه عید

nerdy

My supervisor sent me an email titled quotation; it had the following quote:

Once I developed a new theory and really appreciated its beauty, I asked myself, how do I make it practical? - Prof. En-Hui Yang, University of Waterloo

He's the nicest guy on the planet but that won't keep me from saying that this is the nerdiest email I have ever received, and I know many many nerds!

if everyone cared

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We’d see the day when nobody died

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

- Nickleback

before you die!

I was shopping around and there it was, a book called Unforgettable things to do before you die. I picked it up and flipped it, and started thinking that I had only done one or two of the things in it. Then I started calculating in my head what proportion of my life I had lived and ... I closed it and put it back down, turned around and left the store. That was depressing! I thought, right on the issue I am still so sensitive about, my age! I know that not everyone has to all the book suggests, but just the idea that there are things you should see and do before you die ... it freaks me!

a good laugh

I really believe that happiness is a state of the mind, and it goes from the inside out. It was girls night last night and we went to see the cheesiest movies ever, Music and Lyrics. When we came out my stomach hurt because I had laughed all through the movie, not at the dialogues, but at the mic which was in all the scenes. I later thought we could have just come out miserable about the money and time we wasted but instead we laughed so much that it actually felt like we had gotten the best out of it!

perceptions

After winning the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series at the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) awards, Chandra Wilson ended her speech with,

And last but not least, just to be able to take this thing home to my girls, in particular, and hold it in front of them and say, “Look, with this skin and this nose, and this height, and these arms,” you know, “I’m here!”

I have always believed that you are as good as you perceive yourself, now there are people who can say it out loud for everyone else to hear! I know it can change many lives, so all the power to them, tell the world you don't care if others think you are fat or ugly just do what you have to do ...

documentary

In the past there have been many documentaries trying to reflect life in Iran. I think due to its complicated structure the assignment has been difficult for many. This is a rather new report which I think to some extent reflects at least the life of the lower to middle class and highlights some important issues.

superpower

If you could choose to have a superpower what would it be? Would you want to fly or would you be very strong or would something else be more attractive? It seemed a simple question when I asked myself that, but I can't seem to decide ...

Iraq

Bush is pushing more troops into Iraq while Denmark and even Britain are pulling their troops out! See, now it's such a big mess that they can't even decide what to do. It's no longer a matter of steering in a direction, but more like pulling a wild card! I feel so bad for the people who were caught in the middle of all this ...

familiar

I have worked with my supervisor for about 5 years now. Today he came in with no beard! It was a surprise to us all; it just didn't feel I was talking to the person I had known for all these years! And when everything went wrong with webcasting today's seminar, I had no choice other than to blame him shaving his beard!

drum

If one thing I share with my grandfather the love for cultures; so I am buying him an African drum as a souvenir ... I still have to figure out exactly where the drum comes from but it sure sounds great ...

my love story

I was engaged a very long time ago; a time when I really wouldn't have understood the decision I was making. It was the first thing that me and my mom couldn't agree on. It seemed to me that I would be missing out on such a great chance for happiness and I just couldn't figure why mom wasn't on board. She said, then, what I would say to someone in that position now, wait honey, there is no rush!

Anyway, as with any other story life went on after him. I almost slipped on the same stone once after that, but this time me was there to save me ... through all of this I have been looking to find a definition of love, something that can help me understand the whys...

I guess to know what love is to you, you need to know yourself pretty well and then you need a certain level of maturity to figure what makes your heart feel happy. If you find answers, you can hopefully find a person with whom you can share your weaknesses, someone who you run to when you feel down and pathetic. Someone who will make you feel good again, strong enough to face the whole wide world ... yes, that is love means to me these days ... maybe in a while I'll come back and change my definition ...

commencement

So how do you know what is the right path to choose to get the result that you desire? And the honest answer is this. You won’t. And accepting that greatly eases the anxiety of your life experience.

I was not exceptional here, and am not now. I was mediocre here. And I’m not saying aim low. Not everybody can wander around in an alcoholic haze and then at 40 just, you know, decide to be president. You’ve got to really work hard to try to…I was actually referring to my father.

When I left William and Mary I was shell-shocked. Because when you’re in college it’s very clear what you have to do to succeed. And I imagine here everybody knows exactly the number of credits they needed to graduate, where they had to buckle down, which introductory psychology class would pad out the schedule. You knew what you had to do to get to this college and to graduate from it. But the unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective. The paths are infinite and the results uncertain. And it can be maddening to those that go here, especially here, because your strength has always been achievement. So if there’s any real advice I can give you it’s this.

College is something you complete. Life is something you experience. So don’t worry about your grade, or the results or success. Success is defined in myriad ways, and you will find it, and people will no longer be grading you, but it will come from your own internal sense of decency which I imagine, after going through the program here, is quite strong…although I’m sure downloading illegal files…but, nah, that’s a different story.

- Jon Stewart, 2004 (full speach)

political acts

I though that Steven Harper was sneaky, but I never thought he would act as he sneaky as he has. Think of how he reacted in regards with the Kyoto protocol, Afghanistan, the World Aids Conference ... and most important of all, the scandal that kicked the Liberals out of power! Although he hasn't been directly related to the scandal, neither has any other Tory, the Conservatives are the only people who benefited from this. This Steve guy still worries me!

bad in-style

If the 70's and 80's were the days for "bad boys" the last few years have been time for the "bad girls". Have you noticed how Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Britney Spears and the like are constantly in the news? And these are the role models for youth ... will there ever be a time when "good" is in style?

withdrawn

One of my friends brought up a really good point at a meeting,

• Remember how we got more than a 1000 people out to our meeting and it got no media coverage?
• Yeah.
• The recent CFS-organized so called demonstration to reduce tuition didn't even get half as many students and it was all over the headlines for 2 days.
  

I later thought to myself that this CFS-run tuition reduction campaign has been going on for at least a couple of years that I know of, and like all the other CFS projects is just an excuse to spend money. They haven't done a thing in so many years.

And then I thought of how the very smaller group of lobbyists which started out at UBC and never made a claim of the sort the stupid CFS makes has so far got a lot more than them done, at least for graduate students ... after going through all of this and remembering the struggles we had with the media and all back home, it just came to me, it's the same, everywhere. The media are looking for something that looks catchy, makes a good headline, it doesn't really matter if it's hollow, it just needs to bring attention to them!

Last night I was flipping the local newspaper and again the same thing. The rather old story that SFU will be changing its logo was in the paper, the same paper that never even mentioned a word on the months of work that went into impeaching the SFSS directors, our issues with the bank that holds our money or even the ruling of the courts. I am sure that the SGM and the ongoing campaign for graduate autonomy will affect SFU students far more than the crosses on the logo!

As a result of all of this I've been watching and reading a lot less of the news lately, I don't care any more. I guess this will go on for a while and then I'll forget about it and fall into the fake world the media has created around me again ...

heaven

This a child's description of heaven, it's simple and beautiful as you'd expect:

... heaven is what you die knowing you love; it's just that love all around you ...

I guess we've all wondered what heaven is and then at a point thought, I can't imagine any further ...

bulletproof

This is a really sad song but I don't know why it makes me feel so calm.

Tell me one more time again just like I didn't hear you
Like I don't know what's going through your mind, I do
I play the same game too
I know it's hard to stop
Even when you want to

Now the moon lights up your face and I can see you're crying
You never liked me to see you cry, it's true
I've done some crying too
You know, the hardest part about it
Is trying to hide it from you

Well it would be great to be so strong
I never needed anybody else to get along
But we're so scared of the silence and the tricks that we use
O, we're careful and we're cunning, but we're easily bruised
I don't want to lie about it, I'm not bulletproof

Well I finally found the way to hide from all your glances
Til the waiting game we play is through
I can, but what's the use
When all I really want to do is hide out with you?

- Blue Rodeo (Bulletproof)

i get away everytime!

The tendency of a group of experts to reinforce one another's conviction that they are doing everything right, the tendency to let pressure to confirm conform suppress self-criticism within the group - this is what Iring Janis identified as the great danger of "groupthink" in terms of political decision makers such as Kennedy's advisers before the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion ...

They did, of course, ignore the safety rules. But in doing so they did not neglect anything or do anything accidentally. Rather they were of the opinion that the safety rules were designed much too narrowly for an experienced team. This conviction is not limited exclusively to the operators of atomic reactors. Any factory worker who cuts corners, every automobile driver who spurns a seat belt suffers from the same flattering delusion.


- The Logic of Failure

reliable

I babysat for a friend on the weekend; and although I was paying extreme attention to what I was doing and I was almost sure that even the parents wouldn't be as careful as I was I kept thinking, no way I would leave my baby with someone who isn't family. More than ever I wondered how some people leave their children with strangers ... and then I thought, will my sensitivities change as I age and will bringing up a kid become more and more difficult?

injustice

I went up to the bus driver and said: If it ever happens in your life that someone kicks you when you're down, remember today and what you did to that old lady.

You're probably wondering what he did. First of all he closed the door in her face. She pushed her hand through so it got stuck in the door. Instead of opening the door immediately he waited to see if she would pull her hand out and change her mind about getting on the bus. Since she didn't pull her hand out he had to open the door; she got in and he started grumping about the can-filled garbage bags she had.

At the stop where she wanted to get off, he told her that she should go through the back door. Obviously it was impossible for her to get through with all the things she was carrying. She struggled. A young girl got up to help but she couldn't do anything either. A middle aged lady got up, picked up the old woman's cart and went to the front. She looked the driver in the eye and very affirmatively said: Open the door! He opened the door without saying a word.

The lady uploaded the cart and the big garbage bag and then helped the old lady down the steps. As she sat back down on her seat she said: She was just an old woman for God's sake!

In response to my comment the driver started to explain that it was garbage and he didn't want it on his bus and even if it were me carrying the garbage he wouldn't have let me in. I shook my head at him and got off the bus. I know he knows that he would have given me the same smile and greeting even if I were carrying a big black garbage bag. He probably would have got off and helped me with the bags ...

so they say

God only made so many perfect heads; the rest He had to cover with hair.

surrender

I am all about the little guy; I shop at local markets and I rout for small businesses. Today I just gave up on trying to deal with a small company and ran into the arms of the big guy. I just couldn't take it, to much of a hassle!

couple therapy

Money, children and sex are known as the most important factors in marriage and divorce. But no matter how many times and in how many ways you ask your partner whether and when they want to have children or how they are planning to handle their finances, many unpredictable issues will come into play when words are transferred into actions. I think before any of this you should see how you handle your disagreements.

Couples come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is that they will disagree on many issues. That, in my opinion, is the time to pay attention to how well the two function as a couple. The financial status can change, they may face difficulties having children, or their sexual desires may grow apart over time, but if a couple have the means to communicate, there is a much better chance of them getting past barriers only to find themselves in a stronger relationship. So the next time you have a spat, pay more attention to how you resolve it; I promise you will learn a lot about yourself and your partner and how good of a chance you have in succeeding as a couple.

approach

Monday will be the first day of Robert Picton's prosecution, the pig farmer accused of killing 26 drug addicts and prostitutes in the downtown east side. He buried the bodies in his farm and there are suspicions of cross contamination from the bodies to the meat harvested from his farm.

Around the year 2000 the RCMP was forced to form the missing person's squad which lead to the arrest of Robert Picton. It is expected to be the longest trial in Canadian history. But that is not what I want to talk about. I don't even want to dwell on how someone could be so ruthless; I want to talk about people's views about these women.

Through the years many people worked to change the public perspective on the homeless, prostitutes and addicts, with the motto that These people are not dead, don't treat them like they already are. Things have changed a little. But no matter how small a change it has been, I can't stop thinking how far an advancement it is compared to the circumstances back home. It breaks my heart to see how those in trouble are blamed and persecuted for it. When are WE as a society going to take responsibility? When will WE start the campaign?

recepie

You know how we do that inspirational cooking with whatever there is in the fridge, well, tonight I made something that was so tasty and with such good ingredients I thought I should share.

Ingredients:

1. Broccoli
2. Cauliflower
3. Red pepper
4. Small chopped stew meat (cubes of about 1cm each side)
5. Tomato paste
   
6. Onions
7. Cooking oil
8. Salt, pepper and turmeric
9. Dried spearmint
   

Simmer the onions in oil until golden. Add a pinch of turmeric, salt and the chopped meat. You can also cook the meat and onion and add the turmeric to the water to avoid oil - I usually do this. After the meat is fully cooked add the tomato paste. Reduce until almost no water is left.

Fry the broccoli, cauliflower and red peppers, keep oil to minimum. After they are fried add salt, pepper and dried spearmint. Stir frequently so the spearmint doesn't burn. Add the meat to the vegetables and fry a little longer. Serve with side of fresh tomatoes or greens.

mean

I did the meanest thing! Someone had subscribed to a website using my email address - the address is Shirin at Gmail and a lot of people try to reset the password or use it here and there so I get a lot of other people's reservations or personal emails! After a dozen emails and checking out all the false unsubscribe links I decided to take the next step. I logged in to the website and changed the email address to something very random. Now it's someone else's problem! Cool! Problem solved! Now the new problem is my conscious keeps reminding me that it was the wrong thing to do; now what's a girl to do with that?

the key

It doesn't really matter what kind of a relationship it is, the point is, you need to spend time at it. You need to put your heart into it, literally. And you need to learn how to get through the rough patches and enjoy the great times. I used to distinguish a lot about business, family and personal relationships. But that has changed; now I recognize that they're basically all the same. The distinction is the proportion of the ingredients. To keep your mom happy, your boss satisfied and your significant other involved, you just need to make a small effort to show you care ...

lesbian

I had never thought about it this way, they get to choose which one gets pregnant!

crosses

It appears that many like me were left wondering what's with the crosses and the book? And now finally SFU is doing something about it. The vice president had this to say about it:

For some people, particularly internationally, the crosses were seen to identify us as a private religious institution as opposed to ...

The logo on the left is the Simon Fraser University logo. Another strange thing about it is the Nous Sommes Prets (We Are Ready) on the ribbon. Anyhow, it seems that for the time being we are just getting rid of the daggers. Good start!

syndicated

There's something I don't understand about all of this. Blood rushes through my veins and I can hear my heart beating, but I would still like to think that it's nothing, nothing that I care about. It completely confuses me, why do I care? Why does it matter? So what? There is an alarm that goes off every time, how I'd like to have the switch!

out reach

I don't know if you have heard Aref Baloochi's story (please be aware that the site bears graphic content) or not, but if you'd like to help and would prefer an alternative to the online donation I would be more than happy to put you in touch with a friend who is collecting donations in Vancouver to send over by money order.

2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR

dictators

What has become of us? Why are we all so engaged in wars? Why do we long so deeply for power and dictatorship? When I was a kid, I thought I could save the world. I played it many times in my mind that I would one day convince all the world leaders that serving people should be their sole intention. I thought that if I could speak to their better nature they too would understand. It was a Walt Disney movie. As time severed, I understood that mankind has desires far beyond my comprehension.

You're probably wondering why I am thinking about all of this a day before the New Year. December was a strange month. First Pinochet (December 10), then Niyazov (December 21) and last night Saddam. All known for their extremist governments, all known for so many crimes against their own people. Maybe we should wish for more Decembers in 2007. Then maybe one day there won't be any dictatorships. Maybe one day we can live together in peace, in harmony, as human beings.

last days

a lot like Xmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart
...

I've had Christmas lights up since the beginning of the month. I added the last touches and the presents today, so it really does look a lot like Christmas now ...

I have to admit, I miss mum and dad, I really do. I remember the Christmas trees we had when we were kids. I guess they probably put up a tree so we wouldn't feel different from everyone else. We even had stockings, and since we didn't have a fireplace, we just hung them on the wall ... Oh God, I hope I can go home for Eid. I miss the warm fuzzy family feeling so much ... I have a set of parties lined up for the holidays, I hope it gets me out of this blue!

penguins

Memphis: What's going on there? What are you doing?
Baby Mumble: [tap dancing] I'm happy!
Memphis: What's with your feet?
Baby Mumble: They're happy, too!

We watched Happy Feet on Tuesday and boy what a jolly cartoon! Forget Bambie and Nemo, Happy Feet is an adorable movie without any of the horrible sketches that are popular in today's cartoons. Just what you need to get into the spirit of the holidays. If you have time, go and watch it ...



I guess aside from the general message animations have that you should never give in, this one reminded you of how we as human beings are affecting the habitat we share with other living creatures. It's good for children of all ages (there were only adults in the theater watching the movie with us) to become accustomed to the idea, we will be hearing a lot more in the coming years ....

* Still photography from IMDB

needle

I was doing some sewing tonight (yes I just admitted that I do that and if you want to mock me I knit too, but that's a whole other story!). Anyhow, I lost my needle. Thinking that I might step or sit on it I started looking for it immediately. I found it on the coffee table where I was sitting, of course, after I had searched the whole room. It had me thinking, I don't have a short range sight in life either, I usually need the distance to see people and the greatness in them ...

گره کور

یادمه که قبلا شنیده بودم می گفتن یه کسی گره افتاده به کارش. اون وقتا خیلی نمی فهمیدم یعنی چی، ولی الان می گم که یه گره کور افتاده به کار یکی از دوستام. باورتون نمی شه چقدر کور. من که دیگه روم نمی شه با خوش خیالیهام بهش بگم حتما خیرت در این نبوده. اصلا سر در نمی آرم، آخه چقدر!؟

something more

I want to take this time to thank you for the love you gave
And from this moment, you've got to know
I never wanted something more
And I never felt so sure
Cause now I've got this chance to be
Everything you saw in me
And even more
Than I ever dreamed before,
As long as you are here with me
I know that I can be, something more.

- Ryan Malcolm

The Logic of Failure I

... Still others have located the source of the trouble in male domination of the society. They distinguish between "serial" male thinking and "parallel" female thinking and identify the later as more appropriate for dealing with complex problems. Indeed, the entire tradition of Western "analytical" thinking is often blamed for all woes.

Failure does not strike like a bolt from the blue; it develops gradually according to its own logic ...

give me the night

'Cause there's music in the air
and lots of loving everywhere
so gimme the night. Gimme the night.

- George Benson

about dad

My dad sent me this! What we think about dad when we are:

4: My daddy can do anything.
5: My daddy knows a lot.
6: My daddy is smarter than your dad.
8: My dad doesn’t know exactly every thing.
10: In the older days when my dad grew up, things were different.
12: O well naturally father does not know any thing about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
14: Don’t pay attention to my father. He is so old-fashioned!
21: Him! My Lord, he is hopelessly out-of-date.
25: Dad knows a little about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
30: Maybe we should ask dad what he thinks.
35: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to dad.
40: I wonder how dad would have handled it. He was so wise and had a world of experience.
60: I’d given anything if dad were here, now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I did not appreciate, how smart he was.

the pig

The test asked me to draw a pig and based on that drawing gave me the following:

• You are positive and optimistic.
• You are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions.
• You are analytical, cautious, and distrustful.
• You are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals.
• You are a good listener.
• You have a good sex life.

Now who in the world would have thought a pig could tell you so much! Try it.

execute

I always tear up on sad stories about children, but what have I done to help?

stand by your man

Sometimes its hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times
Doing things that you don't understand
But if you love him you'll forgive him
Even though he's hard to understand
And if you love him
Oh be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man
Stand by your man
Give him two arms to cling to
And something warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Stand by your man
And tell the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can

- Tammy Wynette

007

I didn't like the idea of a blond Bond and the movie wasn't that great either; not as catchy, not as smart. Although, we seemed to disagree on the actor; some thought he was quite attractive, just not my taste then ... And the splatter of romance, nothing like the James Bond I had loved for so long. And where was the car? The great famous James Bond gadgets? I know it was supposed to be an early Bond but no fancy car no gadgets just doesn't make it real enough. All in all, it was a little too much Hollywood!

renewal

We stayed up all night and went to bed in the morning like old times. It was fun, we laughed and joked around. I am so glad we still do this, although not as often as we used to. It's one of those small things that says, I am carefree I can be a child again ...

my mistake

Remember I said I might go to Suspension bridge, well, a tree fell on the bridge and now its closed! Where should I plan to go next?

coated

I woke up to see this looking at me through my window. I know, I'll buy a new camera soon, but I guess it does give you an idea ... I thought Summer was the most wonderful time to watch the city. I have to find time to go to Stanley park and Suspension bridge, I'll post more white photos if I get to take any ...

again, Bill

Read this and make sure you get to the ending ...

flakes

It's snowing and I can't pull the curtains because I feel I'm going to miss something. The trees in front of my apartment look like it's Christmas and I can already smell the candles. These pictures are from this afternoon looking out my balcony. I am bringing out the Christmas tree this weekend and I am probably going to have an ornament party again after everything is set!

first snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm

The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbying
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

indecision

I did it as a challenge to myself, just to prove to myself that I can. But now there is something inside me walking around banging its head against the wall wondering if this was a good idea to begin with. I know that you can never know if you made the best decision unless you are lucky enough to try all the alternates, and that life doesn't usually hand you that.

The past is gone and at this time I really don't care if what I did was the best, I want to know what to do now. Do I go on? I am not one of those people to carry on with something just because I started it. If I continue I want to know that its because I wanted to go on. I have no problem stopping where I am, I just don't want to regret it later ...

pace

Is it me or everything just moving too fast? I can't even keep track of the days!

football

Is there anywhere that we haven't been kicked out of yet?

You needed me

I cried a tear,
You wiped it dry.
I was confused,
You cleared my mind.
I sold my soul,
You bought it back for me.
And held me up,
And gave me dignity.

Somehow you needed me.

You gave me strength,
To stand alone again.
To face the world,
Out on my own again.
You put me high,
Upon a pedestal.
So high that I
Could almost see eternity.

You needed me.
You needed me.

You held my hand,
When it was cold.
When I was lost,
You took me home.

- Boyzone

my arc

How many days did it rain before Noah built the arc? Or did he start before all the rain? We've had endless rain, so last night I proposed we start building an arc and gathering a pair of any animal we want to keep from extinction (don't tell the animal activists but some I just can't take!).
I know, I too thought the Lord had sent the dove and promised Noah this would never again happen and that the rainbow was supposed to remind us of the promise. I hope lightening doesn't strike me, but Noah's long dead and I have a feeling that the deal is off! So come with me my followers, we shall build a boat that will rise above any wave ...

milk shake

It has been about a week now that we have had to boil drinking water. Although the water from the taps in my house doesn't look muddy, it's rather unclear in most parts of the city, and no amount of boiling can fix that. I have three proposals for this situation:

1. The storms are caused by warm wet tropical fronts from Hawaii (pineapple express) hitting the cold mountains in Canada. Since they are sending us the rain, how about they send us some Hawaii tickets to get away from it for a tad? Or at least some of the sunshine they get?
   
2. If the GVRD is not going to improve the drinking water filtration they should at least buy some new machinery that can measure the current turbidity - apparently on Thursday the turbidity was more than 100 times the usual amount and the devices couldn't measure it! I guess because the people who designed it never thought anyone would think of drinking such muddy water, well, another design defect!
3. If the GVRD has monetary problems, how about asking the charities who collect money for wells in Africa so that people can have drinking water to donate some?
   

big black horse and a cherry tree

I was listening to this on the way back home tonight. I think Katherine McPhee had a big role in making this song famous but I may be wrong, anyhow, enjoy!

Well my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking.
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

I fell in fear, upon my back
He said "Don't look back, just keep on walking."
When the big black horse said, "Hey lady!"
Said, "Look this way, will you marry me?"

But I said no, no, no, no-no-no
I said no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no-no-no
I said no, no, you're not the one for me

And my heart had a problem, in the early hours,
So I stopped it dead for a beat or two.
But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that,
And it won't forgive me after all these years

So I sent it to a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.
Now it won't come back, 'cause it's oh so happy
And now I've got a hole for the world to see

But I said no, no, no, no-no-no
I said no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no-no-no
Said no, no, you're not the one for me

defeated

I just realized I forgot to write about her. She fell in love head over heels and she was so excited from the start. So excited that it scared me, from the start. I wondered and I held my tongue not to say anything, not to ruin the joy for her, but could see this day. He was cold and I believe he never deserved her. Now she is broken and pale and there is nothing I can do for her ... only that I know she believes she can love again, I'll hold her hand until she needs me to.

georgeous George

Girls, have you heard that George Clooney is thinking of settling down and having a family! Well as far as I know it's not with me so it's bad news! Ah, gorgeous George ...

نقل از نقل

ازوالدو گولیف آهنگساز مشهور آرژانتینی از نوازندگی کیهان کلهر در موسیقی فیلم "جوانی بدون جوانی" اثر فرانسیس فورد کاپولا استفاده می کند

professional help

We met at a friend's party and talked for quite some time. It never occurred to me to ask him if he too was a student or not, since it was my understanding that we were all students and that was how we all knew each other. Conversation somehow got to talking about thesis and I, for some reason, said that I needed help on a subject. He jumped in and started explaining when I insisted that it was neither the right time or place for such talk, so the conversation was delayed until the next working day.

After we had wandered around school talking about everything ranging from concrete to maps, after getting coffee and after meeting and chatting with a mutual friend, we arrived at my office. He sat and patiently helped me out.

I walked with him to the door, shook his hand and thanked him for his help. As he walked away another friend approached. He asked me where I knew the other guy from and what he was doing in our lab. My answer was simple, I needed help on something which he apparently is an expert at, so he dropped by to give me a hand. I saw the grin, my friend calmly said, So now you're past the students and you can only consult the professors? I just realized ... oh well, what better than to talk with the true expert!

when did you fall

When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue
‘Cause I swear I never knew it
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

Make your way over here, sit down by this fool, and let’s rewind
C’mon, let’s go back and replay all our scenes
You can point out the hints, the clues, the twists and the smiles this time
All the ones that slipped by me
I bet my face is red, and you can hear my heart poundin’
Well I guess it don’t matter now that I realize
‘Cause baby I missed it then, but I can surely see you now
Right there before my eyes
You’re my beautiful surprise

Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love?
I kept you waiting so long, when did you fall?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

- Chris Rice

drift

I was flipping through the Christmas shopping brochures when I felt a smile crawl on my face. It felt like when I was a kid. We would sit and flip through magazines for hours and we'd pick the jewelry, make up and clothes we wanted. Of course we'd pick all the beautiful models, not even paying much attention to their clothes.

I remember my sister deeply wishing she had long blond hair. She pretended that her hair was "cream" as she called it. After a while she gave up and just started hating her black hair and asking mum and dad why everyone else had "cream" hair. Little did she know that all the teachers at school loved our hair because it was so different. I guess back then people didn't change the color of their hair so easily. My little sister, she's still so fascinated with looks ...

prognostic

Remember the first time you realized there is a future beyond you in which you don't know what will happen? It seemed that until then you always knew what was going on, what would happen next and what you would do. And then the predictable world ended. You had to take a chance and do something and see what the outcome would be.

I thought of that moment today. May be it had happened in small steps, but the realization came to me when I started writing my Master's thesis. Everything felt unsure, and so much was changing. Guess what, it doesn't scare me now. The stress and the indecisiveness are just emotions that I know will pass. And I know that there will come a day when it's all over, when the decision doesn't seem that stressful anymore.

upgrade

They introduced a new beta Blogger version and now Dokhtare Aftab is working again!

rebelion

We stayed up the past two nights until 5am and then slept until noon or even later. I think we all needed to break the daily routine ...

rebelion

We stayed up the past two nights until 5am and then sleep until noon or even later. I think we all needed to break the daily routine ...

Salsa

We were at a party trying to teach a friend Salsa but it just wasn't working. She would resist the guy leading the dance. As I was explaining to the person dancing with her that he should have given her a short lecture on the dance before starting, someone jumped in and said,

It's not like that, the rules change when you start dancing, the guy is always right!

We had a great laugh and believe me, the idea helped a lot ...

sleep methods

My colleague finds it extremely amusing that I have a folder of papers marked as Sleep Methods. Every once in a while he will come up to me and ask what new methods have been added to them or if I could advise him on a better sleep method. True, it's not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about wireless communications ... I have explained to him what it refers to, and yet he finds it continuously entertaining.

celebrate

It's really cool to live in a community which has totally different traditions than you do. Look at it this way, we celebrate in Fall and some months of Winter with people here and we celebrate coming into Spring and Spring itself with our own customs ...

self-conscious

I know this about myself, I take calculated risks, I don't gamble. And when I am getting myself into something I try to have the best understanding of what could happen, so I at least know what to expect if everything goes wrong. I could see myself lingering on the decision and calculating the outcome in all ways, I think it's time to act.

period .

As much as all girls would love to not go through periods, I still don't believe we would be open to the idea of jumping over a couple. Basically, the idea is, women didn't use to have as many periods in their lifetime, both because they had sooner pregnancies and because of their different lifestyle, so the body isn't even designed for this. And, since people more or less plan their pregnancies, they know when they want to be able to bare a child. Therefore, we can medicate the period, i.e. you can have Pill Periods and you can have them less often and to some extent chose when to have them. You can find more information on the topic here.

The answer is simple for me. I won't alter anything in my body unless it's some kind of treatment needed due to a malfunction! Maybe it's just because I don't trust doctors that much or maybe it's because they just don't have the best history of being right about interfering with the normal functions of the body ...

hatred

I was browsing the Telus site for movie information when I bumped into this poll:

Which of the following films with a political theme are you most interested in seeing?
7% Catch a Fire
16% Death of a President
43% Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing
28% The Queen
3% The War Within

The Dixie Chicks movie is related to the Bush statement the lead singer meant and from the trailer anyone can tell that it's an anti - Bush film. The Queen is the story of what happened inside Buckingham Palace  after Diana's death. I think this represents the political interests of Canadians rather well.

entitled

We all have to work for what we want. Some of us work harder, some work less. Sometimes we get breaks and sometimes it just seems that no matter how hard you try you get nowhere. That, is the time when you need someone to whisper to you that you are beautiful and that you can do anything. That tomorrow is another day and that you will get another chance at whatever it is you failed at. Maybe you need to take it at a slower pace or maybe you should push harder ...

When you're a kid the person that whispers to you is your mum or your dad. But as you grow up you have others in your life to fulfill that role. So to make sure you always move forward in life all you really need to do is have a good friend to tell you what you need to hear when you need to hear it. And all you need to do to have such a friend is to do the same for others ...

on TV

I saw All Around The Town on the weekend, despite its bad rating I think it was good ...

threats

Researchers have found that both men and women find men more of a threat to their intimate relationships. The reason for women being threatened by other men becoming close to their significant other is that they instinctively feel they have no means of competing with such a rival. Interesting research I should say!