Persian Students in the United Kingdom

2004-06-03T11:10:00.000+01:00

Please visit our NEW WEBLOG. Don't forget to update your bookmarks.

2004-05-20T22:04:00.000+01:00

H A P P Y • B I R T H D A Y • T O • U S

Today is the first birthday of the community weblog of Persian students in the UK. I would like to thank all of our members for the time and energy they spent on this collective effort.

Our birthday present is the new version of the community weblog. Now we have our own domain name and hosting, and this weekend - which is almost the end of the final exams season - we will move to the new blog. We are also expanding and taking new members. So if you are an Iranian student or a recent graduate of a UK university, and would like to become a member, please contact us.

2004-05-20T14:39:00.000+01:00

Power of Media

Recently the news headlines have been dominated by stories of occupying soldiers who abuse Iraqi people and POWs. This is not only very sad but also reveals the real intentions of Bush-Rumsfeld and Co. in their so-called operation Iraqi Freedom!

But having witnessed another war for 8 years, I really appreciate the fact that this issue has been brought up by the media, and has attracted so much attention around the world. I'm sure during all the major recent wars e.g. the Iraq-Iran war, the Soviet-Afghanistan war, and probably further back during the Vietnam war, POWs were abused, tortured, and murdered, but we never heard anything about it.

Let me think again carefully, during the Iraq-Iran war, everyone knew that Iranian POWs will be tortured and abused in Iraqi prisons, especially if their ranking in the army was high. We knew it and had accepted this fact: War is war, it's not a nice game. When they used chemical and biological weapons, how could we expect them not to use torture? In other words, human rights especially towards the POWs were non existent.

The only thing that makes me happy out of the current messy situation is that the media are using their power to reveal everything that is going on behind bars and closed doors, and the fact that the issue of human rights for prisoners and POWs has become very important. At least people talk and care about it, this is a very positive change.

2004-05-17T10:56:00.000+01:00

Persepolis pictures on the way

As I promised I'm gonna share my Persepolis pictures with you guys, although they won't show the greatness of the whole thing,you have to see it for yourself to believe in what you see.
Unfortunately I won't be able to share them all at once so be patient and look for more pics and more changes.

2004-05-14T11:03:00.000+01:00

Back from Tehran

I came back from Tehran last week but didn't have access to internet and also didn't have that much time to write till now.I've brought you pictures of the traffic light timers, the registration number on cars and will add some pics of my trip to Persepolis.

Unfortunately you have to wait till the next time 'cause I have to upload the pics first then will share it with you guys.But in general, it was a good trip to see family and some of the friends,but had stressful moments as well.

I hope things progress for a better world rather than more demonstrations around the British Embassy in Tehran.[News]

2004-05-10T09:12:00.000+01:00

Another view of Iran
I came across this article in the Independent newspaper about Iranian youth and ski. Have a look you may find it interesting. Drink, drugs and sex on the slopes: the secret world of Iranian youth
Enjoy your time :)

2004-05-02T02:09:00.000+01:00

The European Brass Band Championship

I've been very lucky in the recent weeks and have been exposed to too much culture. Today I got the chance to attend the final part of the 27th European Brass Band Championships, called the "Gala Concert and Awards Ceremony" which took place in the Royal Concert Hall's main auditorium. One of my former coursemates plays in a Brass band - they were last year's Scottish champion - and that's why I was invited to the programme.

All the bands who played in the Gala concert were really good, especially the Yorkshire Building Society's band which has been the European champion for 5 years in a row, and also became the European Champion for the 6th year! I really loved their last piece which was actually a version of the famous Highland Cathedral theme. My Friend's band - The Kirkintilloch Brass Band - were also very good. They played together with a very good bagpipe band and the mix of brass and bagpipe was amazing.

At the end, they announced the results: 1- England (mostly due to the world champion brass band of Yorkshire building society), 2- Belgium, and 3- Scotland. All the participaring European bands are in a Ceilidh programme at this time that I'm writing this post :-)

2004-04-30T14:36:00.000+01:00

Gol-Agha is Gone

I was so shocked when I read the sad news about Gol-Agha today. I loved his magazine when I was an undergrad student, like many of my friends and other Iranians. Condolences to his family, and all his fans :-(

2004-04-30T13:37:00.000+01:00

Third Class Posts in Channel 4
Last night Channel 4 showed a programme about what is going on inside the Royal Mail. The programme was called “Third class posts: Dispatches”. It was a shocking programme, although I have lost letters myself before but considering London as a modern city makes everyone disappointed. The programme said that the Royal Mail loses up to a million letters per week! Also it showed how they recruit people who even cannot read or write English via agencies, they send them out without any training and also they showed a pile of forgotten letter from six or seven months ago or more! The worst part was that how some of these people who works there steal the credit cards and valuable things from so many of us who are waiting for them. At the end of the programme of course Royal Mail didn’t accept any of these things which were happening there, I don’t know who is going to be responsible for it or investigate it, but I am not sure if I want to send any thing again by Royal mail! You can read the story in here.

2004-04-29T12:50:00.000+01:00

New stuff from Tehran

Another interesting post from Tehran; let me start by the timers that I talked about in my prevoius posting.
As one of my friends mentioned, it's quite good that by looking at the timer you know how long it's gonna be red or when it's your turn to move. But, if you are driving e.g. by 80 kmph, and you check the timer which is showing 70 sec., what is going to be your reaction? Simple answer, you will cross the road safely, but don't forget this is Tehran. The fact is while you are going to cross the light, the timer will suddenly show 0 sec. and you are crossing the yellow light. Don't we think this is gonna cause more accidents?

Second interesting point which caught my eyes were how the government is acting against the unemployment. If you go to Vali-e-Asr street, you will see huge amount of young people wearing uniforms and doing something quite extraordinary. They are called PARKBAN, which I guess means someone who stops you to stop on the busy spots of the street. If we had enough common sense ourselves don't you think these guys were again umemployed? Or if the police force were qualified enough and people were respecting the laws, what would have happened to unemployment ratio?

We have grown up in a society in which people are used to be told what to do, we need someone to tell us to drive between the lines, we need timers to understand the difference between green, yellow and red lights; Sad but true!

If you are interested in my diaries from Tehran, keep looking for the upcoming posts, which will include the photos of the timers and some other stuff.

2004-04-28T01:36:00.000+01:00

KEANE

I just returned from "Keane" concert and am exhausted. They are currently on their first major UK tour and tonight had a very good performance in the Queen Margaret Union (QMU) in the University of Glasgow. Keane is a new British music band and with their first CD due on mid May, they are becoming popular and famous very fast. Tonight an Irish band opened the program, warmed people up and then gave way to Keane who came up the stage and played. As I expected, their best song was "Somewhere only we know", very good music and vocal (click on the play button on the bottom of their homepage to hear a short sample of this song; it's the first song in the list).

I first heard about Keane about a month ago from a friend of mine who had been to Travis concert in the SECC. He told me that the program was opened by a new band called Keane and he actually thought that they were better that Travis!! :-)) Apparently this is how new bands introduce themselves to the audience: by playing in the opening of famous bands.

2004-04-25T14:23:00.000+01:00

Row Between Berlin and Tehran

Tehran's conservative-dominant municipality has decided to install a memorial of the victims of chemical and biological weapons (during the Iraq-Iran war) nearby the German embassy in Tehran. This is in fact a counter-attack to what Berlin's city council did last week: installing a memorial for the victims of the deadly attack in Mykonos restaurant in 1992.

First of all, I think the Berliners did a good job by installing the memorial. The people who were murdered in Mykonos restaurant in 1992 were members of a Kurdish opposition group living outside the country, and the Iranian government of that time decided to wipe them out. This is clearly an act of terror. Those evil figures (most of them still alive and well) should know that the world does not easily forget what they've done, and they have no where to hide forever.

Second, installing a memorial for the Iranian victims of chemical and biological weapons, by itself, is a very nice and patriotic thing. However, installing that memorial as a counter-attack to what Berlin has done, is not only a disgrace, but also it's taking advantage of the situation of the victims for political purposes, as if the WMD victims and the brave martyrs of the war - who lost their lives to keep the Iraqi invaders away - are toys that Tehran's municipality can play with.

One of the complaints of the Iranian government is that the US backed Saddam Hossein during the Iraq-Iran war, but then a decade later claimed he's evil and his regime needs to be replaced. Thus the Iranian government says the Americans are not honest and no one can trust them. Now, Tehran's mayor is doing exactly the same thing: they claim that Germany was a big supplier of chemical and biological raw materials to Iraq during the 8-year war, and that's why they're installing the memorial nearby the German embassy. I would like to ask them: if Germany was so evil during the war, why was Germany the biggest trade partner of Iran during the same time period (1981-88)? Why did you ignore the atrocities of the German government for 15 years? How come you remembered all that stories recently?

I think this is a shame for the city of Tehran, both in the diplomatic and patriotic senses.

2004-04-23T20:27:00.000+01:00

More from Tehran

First of all, I thought it's just rainy in Sunny UK but seems Tehran is competing well enough. Second, I am delighted to see sign for ADSL internet connection, so seems we are not that far from technology as we thought we are. Parsonline is offering this type of service, as far as I've heard there are some other companies which do the same, I'll get some information, to share both with you and also as a personal interest.

Do accept my apologies for not writing more, 'cause this DIAL-UP connection is sooooooooooooo slow, so I'll keep it short and also do not have that much time, busy with different cuisines everyday :o)

2004-04-21T20:20:00.000+01:00

King in Tehran!

As busy as usual, more crowded than ever, yes, This is Tehran. Just arrived and thought it would be good to share some few things that I've seen in my first day of stay in Tehran.

The thing that caught my eyes on the street,were the timers beside the traffic lights which shows how long it's going to be red and how long you have got to cross, impressing :) haven't seen it anywhere else though.

Went to scan something, it took half an hour till finally someone bothered to ask what the hell I was looking for; then he started doing something else, fixing a printing machine. Then the job was forwarded to one of the other guys, which was teaching a new learner in computer stuff HOW TO SCAN FOR DUMMIES :) and when I complained the guy is telling me to talk properly, nice ain't it?

I am wondering if my mind would be full of funny stories when I want to leave or not, but seems it's not impossible.

I love DIAL-UP connection, and hate Broadband users :)

2004-04-21T01:55:00.000+01:00

UK is the 2nd e-Ready country in the world

The UK has been ranked 2nd, after Denmark, as the most e-Ready countries in the world. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) together with IBM have compiled this survey since 2000, measuring the most advanced countries in the world in terms of broadband internet access and readiness for e-commerce. The USA ranks 6th in the chart. [ Read BBC Report ]

2004-04-15T19:39:00.000+01:00

Iran's TV is a Major Obstacle for Reformists

Abtahi - The Iranian vice president - reports in his weblog that the Iranian state-run TV company is a major problem and one of the biggest trouble makers for the reformist government. Recently, the president's representative in the TV company has resigned from his post, pointing out 14 reasons for his decision including the following:

During the presidency of Khatami, the TV company has been one of the most active units under the control of the hardliners.

During all the past 6+ years, the TV company has either masterminded activities against the reformist government, or has played an important role in weakening the position of the government whenever they struggled with problems.

A number of high ranking managers in the TV company have an active role in creating and spreading false roumors against the reformists on the web. This fact is known to the ministry of intelligence.

The TV company deliberately censores any news related to the government and the President.

The TV company has also censored news related to the parliament, especially in the past year.

TV programmes are flouded with known and unknown anti-reform figures.

Based on reports from specialised parliament committees, the TV company is known to have huge financial infringements.

The (international) satellite channels of the state-run television do not respect the official moderate foreign policy of the government. Instead they reflect the extreme policies of the hardline fractions

2004-04-13T20:36:00.000+01:00

Broadband Internet available during flights

A company called Connexion has successfully tested broadband Internet service onboard Lufthansa and British Airways flights. Lufthansa will offer the service to its passengers at the end of April, initially on the Frankfurt-Washington route.

Connexion says that the service is primarily targeting business users but they are not ignoring kids who want to play internet-based games during the flight :-) [ Read BBC's Report

2004-04-07T10:54:00.000+01:00

Kill Bill Volume 2

The next episode of Kill Bill would be on cinemas from the end of April. Those who have seen the first part might be interested to see the next one as well.I haven't seen the episode one completely but the parts that I've seen along with the soundtracks has a very distinctive variance and that's what makes the whole film enjoyable.Watch Trailer

2004-03-20T12:24:00.000Z

2004-03-15T15:43:00.000Z

New Year Traditions in Samarqnd & Bukhara

I really liked this article written by the Samarqand-born Tajik poet "Shaadaan" in BBC Persian. It describes the strong Norooz (Persian new year) traditions held in the ancient cities of Samarqand and Bukhara, two famous major centres of culture and science in Iran's ancient history. What makes Shaadaan's writing even more attractive is his Tajiki style of writing, which sounds very classical, and feels stronger and more poetic at the same time, comparing to the Iranian formal style of writing.

I also suggest you to look at Bukhara photo album and Samarqand photo album, to see some beauties of those ancient cities; the architecture is very Iranian, but they have better-preserved castles and fortresses.

2004-03-12T18:27:00.000Z

Camping far from Karbala

A few people (some of which I know) went on camping and hill walking in a desert area in the province of Semnan (Iran), on Tasooa and Ashoora days. Iranian.com web site has a collection of their photos.

2004-03-04T12:04:00.000Z

Geneva Motor Show

The time again for one of the world's most famous shows in car industry, Geneva Motor Show, which has started on 4th March and will continue till 14th March.

As you will see there are loads of strange cars and loads of innovations which we always expect to see from major and also small car companies. To be honest, I do love cars no matter if they are simple or very well-designed,(e.g. as always Renault does), there is always something to talk about them and wonder how on earth they have reached this idea.

I know you would like to see the homepage for the show, or you have already seen it, if you wanna try again,just click here.

2004-02-24T17:04:00.000Z

More than a successful fashion designer

It seems that the hotel business is growing again, after the recession in travel market following the events of 2001. The forecast of the market is so good that successful fashion designers such as Giorgio Armani have announced plans to invest in luxury hotels and resorts around the world. The first Armani hotel will be opened in Dubai, followed by 9 other hotels in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo. Armani will be in charge of design himself.

Another jewelry designer, Bulgary, is also in the same path with co-operation of Marriott hotels. Good news for Hotel Management students :-)

2004-02-22T19:38:00.000Z

Call for co-operation

If you're an Iranian, and would like to help an author who's writing a novel about an Iranian blogger, this is for you (from Buzzmachine):

Claire Berlinksi is writing a novel called "Lion Eyes" about a mysterious Persian blogger who may be real or may be a plant -- that's the mystery. Claire is also very interested in Iran. She has asked Iranian bloggers to help her in her new novel:

The novel will, I hope, illustrate some of the ways that the Internet and weblogging are changing Iranian political culture. I want to make this book as realistic as possible, and to that end, was hoping to consult with Persian bloggers about some of the problems and constraints they face. To give the character maximum verisimilitude, I'm hoping to ask them about some of the textural details of their lives. I'd like to be in regular contact with Iranians who can answer questions like these: What can you see from your window? What are they selling in the markets near your home? What do you eat for breakfast? What newspapers do you read? How much do you pay for a quart of milk? What do you do for fun on the weekends? What Internet sites do you visit? How does your family feel about your blog? How has blogging changed your life? The point of this would be to garner realistic details for the novel and to create a convincing character who thinks and behaves like a young, Western-educated Iranian blogger....
I think in the end it will -- at least I hope it will -- raise interest among non-Iranians about these issues.

If you're interested, contact her by e-mail.

2004-02-21T05:01:00.000Z

DEEV's new song

DEEV's new song - Hamlevar - is available for download now, it's quite cool actually, somehow different from their previous song. Download and enjoy!

2004-02-20T21:39:00.000Z

End of Parliament Elections

The poll stations for the next parliament are closed now. You can read the news extracted from Iranian weblogs in Persian and English.

2004-02-18T17:55:00.000Z

I would like to introduce an Iranian artist and writer, “Sadaf Kiani Abbassian”. She is a graphic designer, occasionally does painting, and once in a while (almost every month) writes a short story which is published in “The Iranian” online magazine. Her last piece is about Forough Farrokhzad.

I especially like her short stories; they are full of senses and reflect her daily life, vision and feelings, it's like watching a short film to me. If you like her style of writing, reading her stories will make you busy for quite a while.

Bookmark her page and go back every month for a new story.

2004-02-17T18:57:00.000Z

Dubai-Glasgow Direct Flight by Emirates

Good news for my friends in Scotland, I was in Emirates office in Dubai booking a flight today, when I saw the advertisement of Emirates' new route: Direct Glasgow-Dubai route, which will start on 10th of April. They said the price is not fixed yet. I asked if a "Glasgow-Dubai-Tehran" flight would be cheaper on Emirates than a Glasgow-London-Tehran, and the asnwer was "Most Probably Yes" :)

I also found the announcement on Emirates' web site. Emirate currently flies from Dubai to Birmingham, London and Manchester in the UK.

2004-02-16T15:49:00.000Z

VIVA ITALIA

Andrea Sarti won Vincenza's kissing competition after he kissed his girlfriend for 31 hours & 18 minutes non-stop!! He then received his prize, $12,700 and he's gonna marry his girlfriend. However, Andrea had to receive oxygen after his efforts by a first aid team while his girlfriend had to lie down.

The rules of the “Kissathon” Competition were strict: couples required to remain standing throughout the kiss. They were not allowed to eat, drink or go to the toilet, and could communicate only by writing or text messaging! [Read the full story]

2004-02-15T19:21:00.000Z

Today I went to watch Big Fish as I have read different critiques about it and really wanted to see the film myself. In my opinion it was great. "The story of a man who tells a story so many times that he becomes a story himself". Sometimes in this modern world I wonder do we really remember any fairy tale to share it with our children? Do we have time any more?
I remember when I was a kid I used to read and listen to different fairy tales and I believe as part of our culture we have more fairy tales than western countries. But today I felt again that in this world that we all are in rush from the morning till night, we do need to go back to our childhood. I believe Big Fish is more for adults than children. Go and watch it and share your idea with me.
Have a good day….

2004-02-15T17:11:00.000Z

Short Review on Conservative Candidates

Babak Farzad has posted a short but very enlightening review of some of the conservative figures - who are actually wolves in lamb skins - notorious figures who are running for the next parliamental elections and trying to pose as nice and intellectual characters, namely “Dr. Ali Abbaspour Tehrani Fard” and “Hassan Kamran Dastjerdi”.

2004-02-15T01:29:00.000Z

Glasgow: City of Love

As some of you may have seen or heard, every year around this time, the city of Glasgow celebrates a festival called "Glasgow: City of Love"; a lot of activities, music and fun is going on around the city, and the "City of Love" slogan is all over the place. The reason is that Glasgow is related to Valentine day in a very serious way: it is one of the three cities in the world which hold Saint Valentine relics (others are Dublin in Ireland, and Terni in Italy). They are stored in the Blessed John Duns Scotus parish church in the Gorbals area.

There are a few stories about St. Valentine himself, and the most famous one says that he was a 3rd century priest who was imprisoned by the Roman emperor for supporting the Christians. Before his execution, he sent a few letters to friends saying "Remember your Valentine" and "I Love You"!

In the middle ages, they had a popular ceremony in which they put girl's names in a box and let the boys draw them out to pair them off. A sweetheart was chosen for the day by lot. This was done to correspond with the belief that the springtime mating of birds took place on Valentine's Day.

“For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Messages sent (either said, sung or written verses and romantic greetings) between these randomly chosen pairs were a forerunner of the modern Valentine's Day card.

The oldest 'valentine' in existence was made in the 15th century and is in the British Museum. In 1537, King Henry the Eighth declared that February 14th was "Saint Valentine's Day" by Royal Charter.

2004-02-13T22:58:00.000Z

Older than Mesopotamian Ziggurats

A huge ancient field has been discovered near the city of Jiroft in the province of Kerman, which holds a major Ziggurat dating back to 2300 BC -- making it older than ziggurats discovered in Mesopotamia.

Also, evidences of an unknown alphabet has also been discovered in that area; which is as old or even older than the Sumerian and Mesopotamian alphabets. The alphabet and ziggurat together show that the people in ancient Jiroft possibly had a very advanced society with an established government system.

Research in Jiroft field - which is being conducted by archaeological teams from Iran, US (University of Pennsylvania) and France (Sorbonne University) - might later change our version of history, and show that Mesopotamia was not necessarily the only cradle of human civilisation, and there were other locations in the east with equal or even more advanced civilisations.

2004-02-12T22:11:00.000Z

Born in Gibraltar in 1960, John moved to South London with his family when he was six years old. His interest in fashion was cultivated from an early age by his mother, who insisted that John dress in his Sunday best just to go to the corner shop, and it seemed a natural progression when he gained a place at the prestigious St Martins College of Art & Design. He earned a First in 1983, with his graduation collection causing such a splash that it had the world's fashion editors talking and was snapped up in its entirety by a chic London boutique.
Launching his own-name label in London the following year, the designer, whose clothes blend historical influence and contemporary trends, soon became a key name on the fashion scene. He was named British Designer of the Year in 1987, giving a well-needed boost to the UK's fashion industry. But the British capital was not fashionable enough for him and, three years later, the slightly-built son of a plumber moved his operation to Paris, in order to show at the ready-to-wear collections.
Galliano was offered the top creative job at Christian Dior, the crème de la crème of Paris fashion. His first collection, coinciding with the label's 50th anniversary in 1997, placed a whole raft of supermodels on the catwalk, and drew a new type of customer to the label. The idiosyncratic designer's work is so popular with the fashion crowd that many top models work the runways at his shows - he does six couture and ready-to-wear collections a year and a new mid-season own-name range - in return for his clothes.Dior

2004-02-12T15:34:00.000Z

Powerless v. Powerless

The Economist has chosen a very funny but meaningful caption for a picture in the article "Dark Days for the Reformists". (Thanks to Hoder)

2004-02-10T02:16:00.000Z

“Death Came in, we all died!”

I just saw this piece of news in "Yas-e No" newspaper, it's very sad (and a little scary). While walking in the debris of a ruined university student residence in the city of Bam — were a lot of students died, a journalist found a memo-book which belonged to a girl, a first-year accountancy student. In one of her last writings, she tells about a nightmare she'd had:

“Hello, it's 11pm now and my stereo is playing typical Friday night music. I had a very bad dream this morning around 4 o'clock: Sadigheh, my dad and I were all sitting together eating melons. Earlier we had a guest who had left by then, so we were re-setting the melons [? the table]. Suddenly we felt that our guest has returned, so we all looked towards the door. Suddenly a huge body appeared at the door wearing a yellow outfit; in my dream we were all sure that the body is Death. We were all very scared and started screaming, but suddenly I said ‘Stop screaming, let us all die and rest in peace’ So Death came in easily and passed by us and we all died…”

Original Persian text could be found in PDF format from Yas-e No newspaper.

2004-02-08T20:56:00.000Z

Prince Charles in Tehran to Celebrate 22nd of Bahman

Prince Charles made a surprise visit to Tehran today, he will stay in Iran for a few days, have talks with Khatami and visit Bam. The time and duration of his stay will allow him to celebrate 22 Bahman (the anniversary of the revolution) in Iran. HRH Prince of Wales, what a remarkable guest of honour to host for the revolution's quarter of a century celebrations :-)

Some guy in the British Embassy in Tehran has said that Prince Charles is patron of the British Red Cross and he has come in that role, and that this is a completely non-political visit.

But it's quite interesting that the first member of the British royal family to visit Iran after the 1979 revolution, arrives for the state-run 22 Bahman celebrations and in the height of the political war on the parliament elections! What do you think, Dai-jan Napoleon? ;-)

2004-02-07T16:07:00.000Z

Where To Live; Where Not To Live

The Economist Intelligence Unit has published a new survey assessing the level of hardship for expatriates in 130 cities. This research assesses 130 cities by looking at 12 factors grouped in three categories: health and safety; culture and environment; and infrastructure.

Findings are interesting:

1- EU is the best region to live in the world, slightly ahead of North America.

2- Melbourne in Australia (together with Vanvouver in Canada) are the two cities with least hardship factor in the world. In fact, Australia has a very good position in the chart, with all five Australian cities surveyed appearing in the top ten.

3- There is a clear difference between the European Union in one side, and Central and Eastern Europe in the other side.

4- TEHRAN is one the 10 worst places to live based on the above factors, competing with cities in Senegal, India, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Bangeladesh and Pakistan!!!!!

However, as an Iranian who has been born and brought up in Tehran, I never felt that I am living in such a mess. I do agree that there are a lot of social and economic problems in Iran, but was it anywhere close to Senegal and Bangeladesh or Ivory Coast??? Especially in that super rich country?

This only shows one sad fact, the difference between poor and rich is VERY big, and the poor are the majority.

2004-02-06T18:29:00.000Z

Broadband Users: Upgrade Your Drivers

If you're a subscriber to broadband internet, remember to upgrade your modem driver, as most of the time the modem drivers which come with the packages are out of date. This is more important for people who have installed their broadband modems themselves. NTL, for example, sends a technician to install the broadband cable modem, but most ADSL modem packs are self-installing.

Updates in your machine's operating system (especially those that change the USB driver of your machine) is the main reason why you should update the modem software. When my friend and I installed our ADSL modems (using the CD that came with the modem) and started using broadband, the computer 'crashed' a few times for no clear reason. That wasn't a normal ‘soft’ crash that kills just a program, it was a ‘hard’ crash that caused the whole machine to freeze. Since it happened at the same time on Windows and Mac and only when the modem was connected to the USB port, we suspected a problem with modem, and upgrading the modem driver solved this problem completely.

If you're using the popular Thomson/Alcatel SpeedTouch ADSL modem, you can download the updates from its site.

2004-02-04T01:01:00.000Z

Love for Iran

I remember last year in the midst of my exams when I felt very homesick, this page made my tears run! There is some kind of magic in this anthem.

2004-02-02T01:10:00.000Z

Iran Shedding Skin

Mass resignation of the Iranian MPs is the hot news these days. It's one of the most controversial events that has happened in the Iranian government since the days of the revolution in 1979. What will happen after this is not very clear yet, there are a few possibilities; the leader may intervene to solve the deadlock, but should he do so, it would probably be in favour of the conservatives. It's difficult to imagine the leader intervening in favour of the reformists, the reformist MPs have gone too far by their sit-in and mass resignation, and giving any other breathing space to them could be dangerous for his own position later.

I'm not trying to predict the political situation in Iran in near future, for lack of proper civil structures makes it too difficult to predict anything. What excites me are the lessons that we learn from all these events, which changes the way we imagine our ideal government system, and expands and maturates our political vision.

The longer this internal conflict inside the Iranian government lasts, the clearer and more transparent details will become. This event excites everyone and forces officials in different political campaigns to speak out, and therefore reveal their insides. This is a very positive side-effect of the conflict, because traditionally the (non-elected) government system used to be closed, and problems were always solved inside the circle of ruling powers. A conflict from inside (like this one) stirs the tasteless soup and reveals a lot of truth.

For some people, the easiest way to interpret political events is to ignore all the facts and see everything as a big "conspiracy", in a "Dai Jan Napoleon" style. Since real free media never existed in Iran (apart from few short periods of time), rumours and conspiracy theory have always been popular. I am not denying conspiracy, behind-the-scene deals and fake shows since the colonial times in the politics of Iran and the middle-east region, but I believe that kind of stuff can only exist in a society when there is lack of information and literacy, and when people are benighted and kept in state of ignorance. The main difference between today's events and the events of the 1906 Constitutional Revolution, the 1953 coup d'etat and the 1979 revolution is that people are now far more literate, public awareness is high and information is widely available. As you see, the dark side of the government is trying to block free flow of information as much as possible, because too much knowledge is good for people and ain't good for them (I watched Cold Mountain yesterday, don't blame me for bad English)!

Free media are the key to the health of the political system in any society. They are the only means of achieving transparency in the government.

We have learnt that Internet is a very important media, it's decentralised and the only media that is not 100% controllable by anyone.

Although not practically successful, the reform movement of the past 6 years has been an invaluable theoretical course for us. We have experienced the beginning, the excitement, the strong obstacles in our way, lack of organisation, and the failures. As a result, now we know our goal and our problems much better than before. If we've been smart enough, we have learned a lot from this course, and will not repeat the past mistakes in the future.

A REAL elected parliament is vital; more important than both presidency and judiciary. Even in a malformed and heterometabolous government system like the one in Iran, a belated action of the parliament can produce enough resistance.

2004-01-31T16:34:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Yves's hubris is justified. He has remained wildly popular since he first launched his couture house in the early Sixties. Yet his instant celebrity and unimaginable success came at a price: his personal life.Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent was born in 1936 in Algeria to a well-to-do French family. His father Charles was an insurance company manager while his mother Lucienne was a prominent socialite. From an early age he had a penchant for critiquing his mother's clothes and sketched his own designs at school. Taunted by fellow students for his atypical behaviour, Yves got into the habit of reassuring himself with the words: "One day you will be famous". He was right, of course. But the "Little Prince" of Paris fashion found fame much sooner than even he expected.

By the time he was 18, Yves was working under Christian Dior in Paris. Four years later in 1957, when the legendary designer left for a holiday, he said to his sales director: "I am going away without any worries. I am leaving you with Yves".

While on vacation, Dior suffered a fatal heart attack and suddenly the 21-year-old found himself at the head of the venerable Dior empire. His debut collection, which included the now famed trapeze dress, was very well-received and drove sales up by 35 per cent. Yves Saint Laurent

2004-01-24T00:52:00.000Z

Call for Help

We received this e-mail and decided to share it with our readers

Maedeh - a 16 year old Iranian girl has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on September 3, 2003. Maedeh is under the treatment of Professor John Goldman at Hammersmith Hospital in London, England. Her treatment is very expensive and she does not have health insurance. Her family cannot afford the expensive treatments required to keep her alive. She needs our helps in her fight with leukemia. Professor Goldman estimated that her treatment will costs us
about 100,000 Pounds.

We need your help. Please help Maedeh in her battle with leukemia. We
created a webpage for fundraising for her treatment expenses.
http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwmath/faculty/mojiri/Maedeh/leukaemia.htm

I am wondering whether you can help us. If you know anybody or any organization that who might help, please let me know /or forward my email to them. It would be nice if you could please make a link in your webpage to our fundraising webpage for Maedeh.

Ahmad and Mohammad Mojiri (amojiri[at]wlu.ca)

2004-01-23T23:18:00.000Z

Trams Change the Face of Public Transport

After 67 years, the city of Nottingham is starting to use trams again, on a revolutionary plan to modernise city's public transportation. Trams used to be very popular in major European cities in the past, but ignorance and short-lived excitement about private car ownership slowly sent them out of the public transport domain. If you go to Manchester museum of transport (or any other transport museum), you can see old and very beautiful trams parked there. In fact I noticed that public transport vehicles were much more elegant and better-decorated than the new ones. My favourites were old double-decker trams!

The new Nottingham trams do not look like their old predecessors at all. They look like a modern blend of bus and train. Old or modern, trams create a very nice and peaceful feeling in a city, something that you don't get with noisy smelly buses or even the stylish black cabs. I personally love and support the process of pedestrianisation of city centres, and would love to see trams replacing noisy cars.

2004-01-23T13:55:00.000Z

Mars Interactive Gallery

NASA has created a very interesting interactive gallery of Mars exploration. There you will find a lot of information about past Mars missions, very nice pictures sent from Mars taken by Viking 1, Viking 2 and Pathfinder (before the 2004 missions).

If you would like to read more about the current Mars exploration activities, check out NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission page.

2004-01-14T18:04:00.000Z

How Serious Are The Reformists?

Good news so far. The reformist MPs have decided to continue their sit-in, despite the request from the president to put an end to it. They have even decided to start fasting. FYI, fasting in some occasions such as this one only means "strong protest".

It seems that finally reformist MPs have come to this conclusion that standing firmly in their position and insisting upon their requests is the only way to move on. It is a belated act, but still may be helpful. As Sina Motallebi correctly mentioned, reformist MPs made a few big mistakes before; they forgot why they are there in the parliament, for instance when they chose the Leader's advice over the will of people on a bill to modify the current press law. Now they are paying the price of their mistakes. Should they have stood and insisted on passing those bills, things would have been different now. This is still in disease in the Iranian government system, inherited from the past.

Traditionally in Iran, the government and people had nothing to do with each other, they just kind of co-existed side by side. People had learnt how to avoid the government and live their own lives happily. Any foreigner traveling to Iran will easily see this phenomenon. Iran is "supposedly" a strict Islamic country, with strict dress-code, tee-total and so on. But you will be surprised when you find out that strict dress-code has become the source of inspiration for a new kind of fashion, alchoholic drinks are easy to get, and hundreds of nightclubs are spread across big cities inside homes, and dance performances are popular in theatres. Sometimes it's funny to see how Iran's state-controlled media lie to the world, by showing a super-religious and strict image of the country.

Things have changed a lot in the recent decades. Now most people have a very different idea about the government system and the way it should work. Public awareness and access to information is much better than it ever was. In the past six years, people have tried to put this theory to practice for at least 3 times, in two presidential elections and one parliamental election. Things were not perfect, there were also failures (the city council elections). But for a young movement, that's not bad.

A big chunk of the current government of Iran still has the old mentality. Even though they have come to power by a revolution against dictatorship, they themselves have gone exactly the same way as the former Kings went. This mentality defines the government as a supreme power, which has the eternal right to control and govern people. This mentality was not changed immediately by the revolution. The charismatic figure of the leader of revolution actually supported it. Thus, most of the revolutionarists (especially the older ones) kept their traditional belief, and just switched the pointer from the King of Kings of the Land of the Aryans to the Supreme Leader Representative of God on Earth (now you say which one sounds mightyer!). They went on implementing more or less the same system. Moreover, many of the clerics who entered the government after revolution, found excellent chances to use their key positions to increase their power and/or make a lot (and a lot) of money, especially during the war with Iraq. This makes their new life-style even sweeter.

Since about six years ago, the will of people (in the form of a reformist parliament) has clashed with the will of the non-elected government in different occasions. There were voctories and failures. Despite the initial promise of the elected government, not all the activities were transparent and clear, which means they kept on using old methods of solving problems behind closed doors (i.e. deciding for people without them knowing the details), or submitting to the will of the unelected leader.

This time a game is also expected: Now that they have disqualified half of the candidates, chances are that the leader will suddenly emerge as the saviour of reform, and ask the Guradian Council to rethink their decision and pass a few more reformist candidates to participate in the elections. In this way, the role of the unelected leader will be demonstrated to the public, and also it will let the reformists think that they have won their battle partially. As the Eyeranian said, a Persian proverb says "give them death, so they'll be happy with a fever". Reformists should insist on a totally free elections, with no political supervision imposed by the council. Let's see if the reformist MPs have learnt from their mistakes, and if they will push on having a free election.

Related Links: [ The Iranian Parliament | Iranian Presidency | The Guardian Council | Shargh Newspaper (reformist) | Iran's Broadcasting Company (conservative) | BBC Middle-East | BBC Persian ]

2004-01-13T21:07:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Born in the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil on March 19, 1972, Julien was raised in a family with a talent for knitting – even his father was handy with the needles. Aged 13, Julien was knocking up cardigans for his family, and even reworked his school uniform.His first love was dancing, however. He trained as a tap dancer and set his heart on a career in the spotlight, either as a hoofer or an actor. But a one-year foundation course at Cardiff Art College revealed his talent for fabric design, and spurred him into enrolling on a BA in Fashion Textiles course in the British seaside town of Brighton.

By the time Julien presented his graduate show in 1996 at London’s Royal College of Art, where he had chosen to do his MA in Fashion Knitwear, the fashion pack were clamouring to use him. But Karl Lagerfeld, the creative supremo at Chanel, had noted his work and already snapped him up to produce the French fashion house's knitwear while he was still at college. So impressed was the German-born designer by Julien's work on the Chanel line that he was invited to share a curtain call with Kaiser Karl – a rare accolade.

A year later Julien set up his own company which debuted its first collection at London Fashion Week. The press loved it – probably something to do with the British designer's talent for publicity – he has featured a Michael Jackson lookalike in the audience, and his catwalk shows regularly feature celebrities – supermodel Naomi Campbell made a rare runway appearance in 2000, following in the footsteps of Spice Girl Mel B, who caused a near riot when she strutted her stuff.Julien Macdonald

2004-01-12T19:03:00.000Z

Iranian Manager for NASA Mars program

Dr. Firouz Naderi (born 1946, Shiraz, Iran) has been appointed as the manager of NASA's new Mars Program Office. More Info...

2004-01-12T00:14:00.000Z

Bam Earthquake VR Images

Check Tehran 24's gallery of virtual-reality scenery of Bam.

2004-01-11T04:18:00.000Z

Broadband for the rest of us

I have missed it so much, but it seems that finally broadband internet connection will be available for the public in very near future (a month or so).

I know that ISPs and ICPs have been trying to get the license to install necessary equipment (which have been purchased already) and offer broadband service to the public for more than a year.

I'm not sure about the reason behind the delay, it could have been anything: they may have been waiting for the government to prepare the national high-speed infra-structure, it could have been caused by trade god-fathers; as every other major business in Iran, there are some invisible (and known) hands who always tend to monopolise big businesses. For example in the case of Iran-US relations, financial god-fathers (which are generally associated with the conservatives) are the ones who oppose it; for they dominate the trade between USA and Iran at the moment. Normalisation of relations - to them - means losing dominance over this extremely profitable business (you see, everything is kind of political in Iran!).

Back to the Broadband issue, ISPs are not giving any price estimates, and I'm not sure how long the mininum contract would be. But anyway, this is very good news for us. I'm sure a BIG number of current Internet users (more than 7 million) are eager to switch to broadband. When switched, each of them would potentially be an information server. As the guy in 'Pars Online' said in his interview with BBC Persian, we would be able to get ADSL connections up to 2 Mbps for homes; and broadband will start off in 20 cities across Iran! Yes, twenty cities just to start with! Is that not GREAT?

2004-01-09T19:05:00.000Z

TinTin is 75 Years Old

"و اگر از من بپرسند کاپیتان توی سفینه چکاره بودی، میگم شاگرد سلمانی قربان"

I am sure that very many of you are big Tintin fans, and have owned most of the Tintin books (or the full collection) when you were in school. It was so popular amongst my circle of friends, that we still use many of the phrases we learnt in those books, for a laugh; best of which are the ones used - or actually invented - by Captain Haddock. Hergé (George Rémi) has been a true inspirer for children around the world. In addition to exciting stories, Hergé's attention to details in his drawings is fantastic.

For the new year 2004 (almost 75th anniversary of Tintin), I received the very first book "Tintin in the land of the Soviets" which I had not read before, and "The Black Isle", both in English.

Links: [ Tintin Iranian fans | Tintin official home | BBC Persian ]

P.S.: If you consider yourself a serious Tintin fan, try to answer the following questions (I have to use PeNgLiSh sometimes): In "Tintin in America", Tintin was waiting outside a phone booth under rain, finally when it stopped raining, a lady and her dog came out of the booth. what was the name of the dog? Where and by whom was this phrase used "Chera mese pakate ashghal dame oon soorakh vaisadi?" Where did Alan say "shart mibandam kare yeki az shoma boode"? Where and by whom was this phrase used "lebasaye maskhare pooshide karaye ahmaghe ham mikone, oonam dorost vaghti ke khodam dashtam khamoosh mikardam"?

2004-01-07T22:55:00.000Z

A Big THANK YOU to International Aid

Hereby we would like to thank all members of the international aid organisations and rescue teams that left their homes and families during Christmas holidays, and went to Bam to help our people. Thank you.

Thanks to Hoder for his idea and the Eyeranian for implementing it.

2004-01-06T23:42:00.000Z

First Colour Images of Mars

The Spirit rover has sent its first colour images of Mars surface. It's so exciting that Internet has enabled us to watch all these interesting photos once they arrive on Earth. Don't miss this Interactive Image.

2004-01-06T16:58:00.000Z

Long Distance Phone Call

Here is a very easy way to make long distance phone calls to Iran, any city landline, any mobile. It's relatively cheap, you don't need to go to the news agents to buy phone cards, and you can use the service from any normal home phone within the United Kingdom.

To call Iran landline (2 pence per minute): 08444-622-020
To call Iran mobile (5 pence per minute): 0844-566-0-566

Note: Hash button is marked with the (#) sign on your phone set, which is also sometimes called the pound sign.

2004-01-04T12:53:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Born on April 24, in 1952, Jean-Paul grew up in a self-contained Parisian suburb. He spent a large part of his youth skipping school to stay at his grandmother's house, drawing imaginary high fashion collections and listening to the gossip of the ladies of the town who came to her for beauty treatments and tarot readings.

Obsessed with haute couture, the shy ingenu was supported in his design ambitions by his parents - albeit with some reserve - and started his first job on April 24, 1970, working for fashion house Pierre Cardin after school. The position proved an all-consuming passion, and in his own words Jean-Paul "failed brilliantly" after taking his final exams.

A dark period followed, when, as the most junior member of Cardin, Jean-Paul was made redundant because the house was over-staffed. Overcoming this eventually, he worked briefly for Jacques Esterel, where he learnt much of what was to become his signature style, and at the couture house Patou. Returning to Cardin in 1974, he was sent to Manila to represent the company.Jean-Paul Gaultier website

2004-01-01T07:27:00.000Z

The Persepolis Symphony Orchestra

The Iranian Cultural Heritage Organisation is planning for a major musical event in the ancient site of Persepolis. This orchestra will utilise all Persian musical instruments, from all over the country, including those who have rarely been used recently and are almost forgotten. Artists from every region will participate in this event.

"This new polyphonic work is totally based on Iranian music and has no relations with classical western polyphonic music." Says Peyman Soltani, the event manager. The first piece to be played by this orchestra is called "The Siavash Symphony" which is composed by Peyman Soltani himself.

[ More on BBC Persian | See a few Persian musican instruments ]

2003-12-30T17:26:00.000Z

PLEASE HELP

MORE WAYS TO HELP the people of Bam and survivors of earthquake.

2003-12-29T00:08:00.000Z

PLEASE HELP

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have set up a special page to collect donations for the earthquake disaster in Iran. PLEASE HELP if you can.

2003-12-27T04:27:00.000Z

We are very saddened upon hearing of the earthquake disaster in Bam. The pictures on the news are very moving and heart wrenching.

We pray that there is great hope for survivors and comfort for all of the people that lost loved ones in such a sudden and tragic loss.

2003-12-25T16:59:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Born on May 11, 1932, in the town of Voghera, to the south of Milan, Valentino Garavani studied at both the prestigious Accademia dell'Arte in Milan and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, as well as the French capital's Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. He took his first job with couturier Jean Dessès in 1950, but after five years moved to the atelier of Guy Laroche.

Towards the tail-end of the decade, the designer, nicknamed the Sheikh of Chic, set up his own couture house with partner Giancarlo Giammetti in Rome. In 1998, the two sold the fashion empire they created for $300 million to an Italian company, although Valentino, whose diffusion line, Oliver, is named after one of his four pugs, retains a five-year consultancy deal with them.Although he is known for his ready-to-wear as well as his fragrances, Valentino is primarily a couturier who makes clothes for women, rather than the catwalk spectacles favoured by some of the younger designers. Jackie Kennedy wore Valentino at her second wedding to Greek tycoon Ari Onassis and most of America's ladies who lunch are Valentino frock-wearers.Valentino

2003-12-24T03:57:00.000Z

Stupid Comments?!?"

I couldn't resist posting this Persian snapshot of the comments of the municipality's deputy in charge of traffic and transportation (what a mouthful of a name!), published in Shargh Newspaper. Definitely one of the most stupid comments I have ever heard; who is this guy? Well, I wouldn't expect much from this mayor...

2003-12-21T04:20:00.000Z

2003 Edinburgh Festival Photos

Finally after a few months, I found some time to prepare a simple photo album of the photos my friend and I took in the last Edinburgh Festival, which is the largest Art Festival in the world. These pictures are all taken outdoor, i.e. we didn't take any photos inside theatres or museums. The photos show the general atmosphere of the city during the festival season. Strongly recommended :-)

2003-12-20T10:51:00.000Z

A Ghostly Visitor in Hampton Court Palace!

Closed-circuit security cameras at Hampton Court Palace, the huge Tudor castle outside London, seem to have snagged an ethereal visitor. Could it be a ghost?
Security guards spotted that fire doors kept opening in an exhibition area, and on one occasion checked the footage and saw a figure in period dress. Sounds a bit scary! Well palaces in England are famous of having ghosts as I have heard before, but don’t know how much this one is true.You can read the full story here.

2003-12-18T15:36:00.000Z

Saddam, US Government, Michael Moore, WMD, and so on and so forth

We finally got our Frankenstein is an interesting article from Michael Moore.

And this is an Iranian blogger who has replied to Michael Moore (thanks to Editor: Myself)

2003-12-14T15:22:00.000Z

-=-= Saddam Arrested =-=-

Finally yesterday evening, Saddam "Yazid-e Kafar" was arrested in a mouse-hole near his birthplace village of Takrit. I was sleepy when I first read the news on Internet, and I was so shocked that the first thing that came to my mind was "April Fool". So started checking more and more web sites, BBC, CNN, even ISNA had the news, so there was no joke. No surprise though, that IRIB (Iran's state-owned broadcasting compnay) --- the most unreliable, counter-creative, and anti-national broadcasting company of all time --- had only one little link about this event beside all the other rubbish news; as if Saddam Hossein is less important to us that East-Timor and as if he was not a direct threat to our lives for 8 years.

Talking about 8 years of war, I can't think how much hatred and fear this man (and his government) have created in my mind. I have only very few memories from the pre-war time of my life. When I went to primary school at the age of 7, bombing of Tehran was already part of my life. I don't mean it happened everyday, but it was a known event to me that sometimes "Iraqi warplanes" or "Saddam's warplanes" would attack Tehran. I clearly remember that when we had the "drawing and painting" class, many of my classmates drew funny aircrafts with an Iraqi flag on their tails bombing cities. It was the bitter part of everyone's life; and yet, Tehran was about 1,000 kilometers away from the border, almost at the edge of flight range for Iraqi jetfighters.

I started to sympathise more with people living in the western provinces of Iran when our high school organised a trip to the provinces of Khuzestan and Ilam; to show students the formerly Iraqi-occupied lands. By the way, how did my school teachers accept the a risk of taking all of 1st grade high school pupils so close to the Iraqi border?!? I don't know. We were lucky that nothing happened during our visit; also we were well far from the war zone. That part of the country was in the range of Iraqi ground-to-ground missiles, and even canon fire, so the amount of destruction was unbelievable.

OK I received another excited telephone call again, a friend of mine called me from his office to see if I have heard about the news. But put all the excitements on one side, and let's talk about something more serious: Will he be tried for the crimes against humanity during Iraq-Iran war? Will anyone pay any compensation to the families of the Iranian victims now that Saddam himself has been arrested? Especially because the U.N. has officially recognised Iraq as the invader and starter of the war?

2003-12-12T19:02:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

The youngest of six children, Lee McQueen was born in the heart of the East End of London in 1970, changing his name to Alexander on launching his fashion career. Describing himself as the "pink sheep of the family", he was sent to an all-boys school, where he spent most of the time drawing women's clothes. Although he desperately wanted to go to art school, he signed up for an apprenticeship at Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard where, legend has it, he wrote obscenities in the lining of a jacket destined for the Prince of Wales.
After stints working for a theatrical tailor, Japanese designer Koji Tatsuno and Romeo Gigli in Milan, McQueen returned to London. He was turned down for a teaching job at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, but was offered a place on the postgraduate course instead. His 1993 degree show was seen by fashion visionary Isabella Blow, who bought up his entire collection and became his patronne.Soon after setting up his own label, McQueen's designs were being hailed as the best thing to hit the London fashion industry. With his "bumster" trousers (think hipsters but with an even lower waistband) and a collection entitled Highland Rape, the fashion world went mad for its latest enfant terrible, and McQueen was named British Designer of the Year in 1996. Alexander McQueen

2003-12-10T21:35:00.000Z

Shirin Ebadi Received the Nobel Peace Prize

Today in a very nice ceremony, the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize was given to Shirin Ebadi for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She re-iterated her belief that Islam and Democracy can co-exist in a country, and that she will continue to focus her efforts on the implementation of human rights in Iran. Ebadi criticised both the US and the Israeli governments, for taking advantage of the 11/9 event and violating human rights in different forms.

Shirin Ebadi then said that as an Iranian, she is committed to follow the noble traditions of her great ancient nation. She reminded the audience that the First Charter of Human Rights was declared by Cyrus The Great around 2600 years ago; it was translated and published by the United Nations in 1971.

Moreover, she said that as a Moslem, she is committed to follow the words of the Holy Book and the prophet, both of which stress the rights of humans to have their own beliefs, religion and life-style.

Shirin Ebadi's speech is available in Persian as PDF format. You may read more about this event in Persian and English. Don't forget to watch the ceremony online (RealOne Player).

2003-12-09T20:22:00.000Z

STOP CENSORING US

Stop Censoring Us is a weblog set up to provide official and unofficial news about Internet censorship in Iran and encourage International observers and activists to fight for the freedom of information in our country. The domain name is cool (stop.censoring.us) and easy to remember.

Hopefully this action will be effective in the wake of the World Summit on the Information Society, to which a relatively big Iranian delegation is also attending. May I ask the admins of this weblog to add this link to the permanent links section?

2003-12-06T21:10:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

The young Irish milliner has come a long way from his roots in the Galway village of Ahascragh, with its population of just 500. Born the second youngest of eight children to a baker and housewife on May 26, 1967, Treacy studied at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin before moving to London to attend the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. There he specialised in hat design, fashioning his first efforts from bits and pieces picked up in local flea markets.
His graduation show in 1991 caused a fashion sensation, and it wasn't long before his innovative and outrageous confections caught the attention of some of the world's leading fashion designers. His sculptured headgear was soon topping off catwalk creations by the likes of Chanel, Valentino, Versace and Rifat Ozbek. That year the young designer established his own company, Philip Treacy Ltd, and went on to win the title of Accessory Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and then again in 1996 and 1997.When, in 2000, he was invited by the Chambre Syndicale, the governing body of French fashion, to participate in the Paris haute couture shows, he became the first millinery designer to do so in 70 years. It was a tremendous honour and marked a major milestone in the career of the young Irish lad who had never seen a city until he was 17. Although he has designed signature, one-off pieces for clients such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Joan Collins and Goldie Hawn which bear a price tag of £1,000 upwards, Treacy is equally adept at practical rain hats as demonstrated in the range he created for British chainstore Debenhams.Philip Treacy

2003-12-04T11:04:00.000Z

Cannibal Trial: Victim 'Wanted to Be Killed and Eaten'!

A German computer expert accused of being a real-life Hannibal Lecter made a detailed confession at the opening of his murder trial - but said he was only doing what the victim wanted. Armin Meiwes, 42, is charged with killing, dismembering and eating the flesh of an internet acquaintance.
He described how Bernd Juergen Brandes, 43, travelled from Berlin to visit him in March 2001 in reply to an internet advertisement seeking a young man for "slaughter and consumption"! well it is not a pleasant subject but this the world we are living in it, if you are interested to read the story click here.

2003-12-02T20:40:00.000Z

Rumsfeld's Toe in his Eyes

Secretary of Defence of the United States of America - Donald Rumsfeld - has achieved the prestigious "Foot in Mouth" award, thanks to his daft remarks:

"There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns"

The British Plain English Campaign annually hands out the prize for the most nonsensical remark made by a public figure. [ More info on BBC ]

2003-11-29T23:30:00.000Z

The concert held by the idea of Nelson Mandela, for AIDS,was just to remind us the way this disease is capturing the world.It's mostly suffer the under developed countries where there is obvious lack of education for this disease. If you just check the map,which shows how it's spreading around the globe,you will see the deminsions of it.
It is not something we can run away from,so what we have to do is to face the fact and not to be scared;by education to those who are unaware of this disease and how it can transferred we can keep it under control.

The concert was named as 46664, which was the cell in which Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 years. There are some audio clips plus some stories of the people who are infected with HIV in Iran, available in BBC Persian.Go through them and see for yourself how they have been treated,just because most of the people have no idea how this disease transfers.If you do listen to the clips,there are some people that suggest sucha solutions that you will feel sorry and also sick for those who are HIV +. Let's start seeing the facts as they are,and give those people who have been infected in any way,live.[BBC Persian AIDS situation in Iran][Concert details BBC][BBC Persian AIDS Page]

2003-11-29T13:24:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Born Vivienne Swire in the Peak District village of Tintwistle in 1941, as a teenager the British designer moved to Harrow, a suburb of northwest London, where her parents took over the running of a post office. At 21, she married Derek Westwood, a toolmaker, but the marriage did not last. After the break-up, Vivienne fled to her Aunt Ethel's caravan in North Wales, with her son Ben.Her career in fashion did not take off until she met Malcolm McLaren, later known as the manager of punk band the Sex Pistols, who was studying alongside her brother at Harrow Technical College. Friendship came first, followed by love, and, in 1974, a second child, Joe, now the purveyor of saucy scanties, was born.
It was London which gave Vivienne the boost her creativity needed. After a stint selling her own jewellery in Portobello Market, she and Malcolm opened the infamous Sex boutique at the bottom end of the Kings Road where her provocative designs were sold. Then came punk. Vivienne's clothes were perfect for the youth trend: bondage trousers, slashed shirts and provocative God Save The Queen T-shirts. The monarch may not have loved it, but London was intoxicated. Vivienne Westwood

2003-11-27T21:11:00.000Z

Moving Here!

Today I have found a website, which seems interesting to introduce to all of you. It is called Moving Here. Well it is all about how people started to come to England from different parts of the world. It explains why people were willing to come to England with so many difficulties. The site includes of photographs, maps, video clips...which is covering all aspect of immigiration during the last 200 years. The material has been pulled together by 30 local, regional and national Museums, archives and libraries across England to create a virtual gallery of exhibits. Well, it is good to have a look at it; maybe also you find it useful for a kind of research topic. Ok start from here!
Have nice times.....

*A 1985 poster advertising a photographic exhibition, endorsed by the Greater London Council (the GLC), on the experience of immigrants to London. The GLC was committed to the abolition of racism.

2003-11-25T19:50:00.000Z

Jokers and BAA Airports

I think you have never heard of this kind of joke before.officials are on the hunt for a pair of pranksters who have fooled Heathrow and Gatwick staff into making crude announcements and then publishing the results on the net.

They have posed as taxi drivers who are trying to contact some passengers recently flown into the airports from Middle East.They have has something like names of the passengers which of course would not be easy for foreigner to read and would not cause any suspicions, and helpdesk staff have read them out.

If you wanna see what did they do and what are the recordings like,try this link.[Airport Announcements]

2003-11-23T19:05:00.000Z

Blair lined up for Simpsons debut

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will make his debut in US animated comedy The Simpsons on Sunday.Mr Blair, who is said to be a big fan of the show, recorded his dialogue in April for an episode in which Homer Simpson meets him in London.

Actor Sir Ian McKellen and Harry Potter author JK Rowling appear alongside in the show, called The Regina Monologues. British viewers will get their first chance to see the show when it airs on Sky One at the beginning of January. The episode reportedly sees Homer crash a Mini Cooper through the gates of Buckingham Palace. Mr Blair joins a long line of well-known faces who have made guest appearances in The Simpsons, which is shown by Fox in the US. Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Britney Spears, Mel Brooks and scientist Stephen Hawking have all appeared on the programme.

2003-11-22T21:36:00.000Z

John F. Kennedy

To discover exactly what happened when the 35th President of the United States was shot dead 40 years ago in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas, watch the following BBC Two programme:

The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy is broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday 23 November, at 2100 GMT.

In the meanwhile, check this slide show.

2003-11-22T01:23:00.000Z

Creature comforts!

The name of “Aardman” the Oscar winning team, is known by those of you who are fan of animation. They are mostly famous for "Wallace and Gromit" series and the box office smash “Chicken Run”. From their traditional style, they are featuring DVD and Video by the name of Creature comforts, which I myself have seen an old one long time ago in Iran. It is based on interviews, which include aspect of everyday lives such as gardening, food and even UFO sightings! Each voice has been brought to life with aptly animated creatures such as Gary and Nigel the slugs, Dexter the alley cat and engaging breed of humour.
They have launched a website also, which is worth watching it. You can have a look at short clips of these series in the Episode section, and lots of other funs! Ok then, just click here and you will see yourself, hope you like it. :)

2003-11-21T17:52:00.000Z

Improve Your Command of Written English

ARIES, or "Assisted Revision In English Style" is a useful web site designed to help students achieve competence in their style of written English. It consists of a set of self-contained units, each focusing on a problem area. ARIES uses a mixture of explanation and interactive exercises.

If you're writing a major essay or working on your dissertation, you'll find ARIES very useful. My favourite sections are those explaining different aspects of "Punctuation" (basic punctuation, the apastrophe, and further punctuation).

2003-11-21T15:34:00.000Z

Iran still Lying?

It is not clear yet that if Iranian government was honest enough with IAEA or not, but Washington is still suspicious about this and believes that Iranians have a secret program to develop atomic bombs and that UN inspectors have underestimated the evidences in the country.The United States now wants a draft U.N. nuclear resolution condemning Iran for concealment -- which could eventually bring sanctions -- but Britain, France and Germany want a softer line. Still have to wait and see which side of the arguement will be beneficial in this case.[ITV News][BBC Middle-East]

2003-11-20T22:56:00.000Z

10 Iranians amongst the casualties of the Turkey blasts

10 Iranians - all employees of "Bank Mellat Iran" - are amongst the casualties of the strong blast in Istanbul. The Istanbul branch of Bank Mellat is located in front of the British HSBC in that city. Four of the casualties suffer serious injuries, and the Bank's office is not usable any more. More Information.

2003-11-20T13:09:00.000Z

Windsor worse than Buckingham Palace

Ryan Parry Daily Mirror's reporter tells you more of security within the Royal Residences, this is not a new story after the funny incident which happened in Prince William's 21st Birthday.[Another Article][Herald Tribune][Times Online]

2003-11-19T15:46:00.000Z

Bush Can't Escape The Angry Public

"If you see George W. Bush, know of a possible location ahead of time, or have images of him (or protestors) to share, then send them to: bush@interwebnet.org"

The above sentence is what you see on the left side column of the Chasing Bush web site, inviting visitors for co-operation. In order to show public's anger as much as possible to the media and Bush himself, and also spoil the staged-managed photos, protestors are using mobile phones and a light-weight web site to publish the location where Bush is expected to be.

People can send their messages from their mobile phones to this web site, and also read the contents of the web page on their internet-activated mobiles. They are hoping that their protests will overshadow the pomp and ceremony of the state visit.

More information on Chasing Bush web site.

2003-11-18T23:12:00.000Z

Buckingham Palace Security Scandal

Check and see how secure is where President Bush is staying; How Daily Miror's reporter is reporting from within the palace, under cover.[Daily Mirror Article][BBC Article]

Welcome President?

Finally, President Bush arrived for his State visit and as expected the security measure have been raised in order to keep everything under control.President Bush has defended on his decision against war in Iraq upon his arrival.This is when the protestors are seems to be around 100,000 people who were against the war in Iraq and also against the British Support in this war.
[Related News1][Related News2][Related News3]

2003-11-18T16:53:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

The Armani empire now includes more than 250 stores in 33 countries which ring up worldwide sales of $2 billion a year. "I always knew when something was wrong, like a fork out of place at the dinner table," says the designer, referring to his innate sense of style. "Later, I learned how to make it right." He also learned how to make it popular.One of three children, Giorgio was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza in Northern Italy. "Piacenza was a little world where we lived peacefully and protected," says the designer. "Memories of the 19th century, from our grandparents, and the provincial atmosphere of those days is something that is always with me."The allure of the big city proved strong, however, and Armani left for Milan to study medicine. Two years later he abandoned his plans - partly because he discovered that he couldn't stand the sight of blood - and focused his eye for detail on a career in design. After dressing windows at a department store he went on to join the fashion house Cerruti, where he worked for six years before launching his own line in 1975.
"When I began to design, men all dressed in the same way," says Giorgio, who in 1982 became the first designer to grace the cover of Time magazine since Christian Dior in the late Forties. "Everyone wore the same uniform,the Mao syndrome," he says.

Giorgio Armani's Official Website

2003-11-17T19:55:00.000Z

Who's my Mother?

Saw this nice tiny thing in Yahoo photos,thought you will like it as well,isn't it beautiful and innocent?

2003-11-15T18:20:00.000Z

There was an article in today's Times paper,which I think would be good to share with you.It is about an iranian who was an assylum assessment doctor. I will ask you to read this article and see how some people make awful impressions outside Iran.[Full article]

2003-11-13T13:28:00.000Z

More on Iran-Korea Match

Following Robert's post on Iran-Korea football match, here is the short video of the incident, very interesting (and sad of course). I'm sure it hurt a lot, you can see how the guys head smokes!! (File size is 1.7 MB)

2003-11-12T21:03:00.000Z

Iran - North Korea Football Match POSTPONED

The Asian Qualifying match between Iran and North Korea has been postponed as the North Korean team withdrew from the pitch without the referee officially ending the match. There has been an incident by one of the viewers throwing one firecracker into the pitch and seems to hurt one of the Korean players.

Till then the Iranian players were ahead by one goal from Penalty zone by Ali Daei, but there is no official statement about the game yet, if there would be no harm done to the Korean player, the match would be 3-0 for Iran.But for sure Iran would be punished in case to be hosting any further games for a certain period of time, but it is not likely that Korean's would be the games winners because they have left the pitch without referee's permission. [Full Article1][Full Article2] [Analysis][FollowUp]

2003-11-11T18:17:00.000Z

Successful Fashion Designer

Born in Texas in 1962, Tom spent his teenage years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before securing a place at New York University. It was there he discovered the seminal Studio 54 nightclub, where he met pop artist Andy Warhol for the first time. From then on, school was out and partying was in, in, in. Signing up as a model – at one point he had no fewer than 12 TV commercials running at the same time – he dropped out of NYU after his freshman year, and then changed tack, choosing to study environmental design at Parsons instead.

But his fascination with the subject waned and, just before graduating, he decided fashion was the thing for him. Although he had no problems getting jobs at Chloe and Perry Ellis, Tom didn't make a name for himself in the business until he relocated to Europe and landed a position with Gucci. So we can say that he is one of the best cloth designers in world who got lots of different awards. For those readers which is interesting you can access to more information about Gucci, and Tom Ford in Gucci website which is: Gucci Website

2003-11-11T04:34:00.000Z

Anti-Bush Petition

Petition against George Bush's visit to Britain. Location: Buchanan Street, Glasgow. (Click on thumbnails to see larger photo)

2003-11-02T15:24:00.000Z

NabaviOnline goes Offline???

Finally after annoying Iranian Hardliners for a long time,from a couple of days ago Nabavionline has been attacked by an unidentified group or people.The following article has been released By Ibrahim Nabavi to notify its readers.[Gooya]

2003-11-01T22:04:00.000Z

Tehran's mayor closing cultural centres

Today I was in Saad-Abad cultural centre, everybody was talking about possible closure of the centre by order of the mayor. I personally believe that cultural centres were one of the coolest things that we had in Tehran, so many people are busy with painting, sculptures, music, caliography, computers, etc. in these centres around the city. Almost all my junior cousines spend some of their spare time in cultural centres, learning new stuff, socialising and keeping themselves busy with creative work. This is the direct consequence of people not voting in the past city council elections; this stupid mayor was elected by the new conservative-dominated city council who were elected with very few votes.

I wonder if it is possible to start a petition against mayor's decision. Is it not a pitty if they close down those nice cultural centres?

Bahman Cultural Centre
Bahman Cultural Centre Choir
Pictures of Bu-Ali Cultural Centre
Pictures of Komeil Cultural Centre
List of Tehran's Cultural Centres in 22 districts

2003-11-01T17:21:00.000Z

Official or Unofficial Strike?

Seems postal services will keep on with their strike and people are just facing with sealed post boxes. Still there are some threats that there would be postal strike for the Christmas as well, so better to find another solution for yourself if you want to send a postcard or whatever else,maybe do it in person :o)

2003-10-31T17:20:00.000Z

Happy Halloween to All

It's again the October 31st, a day for fun and scaring people, but seems as we go on the traditions are losing their values, as it has been mentioned in France only 35 pecent of people have celebrated this day last year. [CNN]

Have a Scary Night !!! This is Halloween, this is Halloween. [Nightmare Before Christmas]

2003-10-29T01:43:00.000Z

Broadband Internet Experience

Around a month ago, I decided to jump on the high-speed internet bandwagon and get broadband connection for my flat. So I started my investigation by looking into different companies and internet providers, comparing their service, prices and conditions. My criteria for broadband service included:

Connection speed either 256Kb/sec or 512 Kb/sec; I wasn't looking for higher connection speeds, because firstly I don't need a very speedy connection, and secondly I can't afford it.

Reasonable price

Cancellable service; I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay in this flat, so I need to be able to cancel my subscription should I decide to move into a new flat.

Possibility to share my internet connection with (normally) one more computer.

The information I gathered from the web were rather confusing: some companies charge for everything, some provide free modem, some provide free activation, and some even provide free or discounted trial period. If you've got your phone from NTL or BT, check with them first because they might be able to offer you a trial period with discount; depending on the area you live in.

The amount of money you have to pay for broadband connection is not much different amongst different companies; i.e. in one year, the maximum difference would be around 20 pounds, which is less than 2 pounds a month. So price is not really a big issue for most internet providers.

Considering my first two criteria, here are the companies that made their way to my final list: BT (joint offer with Yahoo! UK), BT (joint offer with MSN UK), NTL, Pipex, Euphony, and Tiscalli. It's interesting that BT has different offers; if you apply through MSN website, you get one month free, whereas you won't get it if you apply through Yahoo! website!

Amongst all the above companies, only Euphony and Pipex offer cancellable service, for others, the minimum contract is one year and you can't cancel - even if you move out of your flat or don't want the service anymore (Pipex cancellation fee is around £50, but it's still better than paying a full year subscription in most cases). Euphony charges for both modem and line activation, so Pipex was the obvious cheaper deal for me. Now I'm on Pipex, and I'm happy. I got the Pipex Xtreme Solo2Go 500 service (512Kb/sec).

Connecting another computer: Pipex provided me with a nice small Thomson/Alcatel modem, which plugs into the USB port, so my network (ethernet) port is free. I connected both computers using a cross cable, and easily set up internet sharing. On Windows, it is easily done using the connection wizard, and on the Mac it is in System Preferences, in the Sharing pane.

Postscript: Pipex accepts credit cards, so if you want to use direct debit or want your internet bill show up on your telephone bill, consider other services.

2003-10-28T22:54:00.000Z

I am sure all of you have seen at least one of the new designs of Renault cars,no matter if it was Laguna or Megane that you have seen,the good news is that Iran has signed a contract to produce the Renalut L-90 in Iran,here you can read the news (in Persian) and just see what our government wants to make and how do they waste the public money.

The question is why do we always go for things and in this case cars that are not produced anywhere else in the world except some under developed countries like our country and then happily consider these type of contracts as a step towards progression!!!

2003-10-27T16:56:00.000Z

One of the most famous artists and musicians left us again,Vigen, The King of Jazz passed away yesterday in USA. This legendary musician and famous pop singer was suffering from cancer for a while and didn't manage to get over it. We offer our condolences to all his fans and his family and to Persian Singer's Community.[Vigen's Official Website]

2003-10-24T23:13:00.000+01:00

Online Reference of Persian Poetry

Here is a nice online reference of Persian poetry called "All the Poets". It doesn't include all Persian poets and poetry, but nevertheless it's a very nice online source. Excellent feature: poems are searchable. :-)

2003-10-24T16:58:00.000+01:00

An Excellent Site for Concorde Lovers full of detailed information about all members of the 2 Concorde fleets and amazing pictures.