Famous Candies

We met Reeses Peanut Butter-Cup tonight.
He looks just as good in person and has excellent skin.

Not in the mood to be funny, just thought my bloggees would enjoy these pictures.

Hot Hot Hot

Remember that website: Who's Hot and Who's Not? click here
Where before MySpace one could upload their picture to the web and be validated by strangers that they are in fact, ugly, (or in my case extremely good looking)

Well, the other day I was cleaning up my classroom and found a survey made by two students called : Hot or Not?
The instructions read:


The choices are:


Now, in case you can't make out the high quality photocopied pictures, let me break it down for you:

Hot
Mariah Carey,
Mase,
Usher,
50 Cent,
Bobby Brown

Not
Ashanti,
Britney Spears,
Beyonce,
Destiny's Child,
Christina Aguilera,
Whitney Houston,
Xscape

Now, I'm aware the answers look a little off as to who is actually so hot right now. So, I'm investigating whether I think this was actually what the person thought or if he/she was being sarcastic: I'll keep you updated!

Protests in Iran

About two days ago some university students in Iran interrupted a speech by President Ahmedinejad. They chanted slogans decrying the Iranian dictatorship and burned pictures of him. They were met with even louder chants from Ahmedinejad's supporters.
Read yahoo article : click here

I found this article/site click here which is a little bit old ( about 2-3 yrs) but internally and externally valid and explains how Iranian students succeed in getting the word out there with current restrictions and limitations. Even though the government strictly monitors student’s activities, they manage to organize protests via blogs and Persian satellites (managed by diplomats in diaspora + 25 channels + bases in Burbank!) supervision. The satellite based activists help create and mobilize these movements. The Iranian government occasionally manages to crackdown the protests but most of the time they underestimate the young generation’s capabilities. Others have speculated that theses sporadic protests and organized resistances are set up by the government themselves and hold no significance.
Either way, the website is interesting to browse.

How To Avoid Blood Diamonds 101:

A fellow Blogger of mine, the infamous "Caviar Moet" wrote an excellent piece of literature about Diamonds.
Check It Out Here : Diamond Life

I'm here to offer you a follow up on the reaction of Jewelry Companies along with a few suggestions on how to avoid wearing bloody jewelry and why.



"Conflict diamonds," also known as blood diamonds, are those sold to fund armed conflict and civil war. Human rights organizations link more than four million deaths, amputations and millions more displaced people to the trade in conflict diamonds.
The new Leondardo DiCaprio movie Blood Diamond has drawn a lot of attention to an issue that has been destroying parts of Africa for years. The movie highlights the role that the illicit diamond trade played in the chaotic 1990s civil war in the African nation of Sierra Leone . Similar situations have happened in Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and currently in the Ivory Coast.

For fear of losing business, the diamond industry has been quick to release a statement to its customers that 99.8% of it's jewels are clean. In 2003, a government-to-government certification plan was set up called the Kimberley Process that required all diamonds transported across borders to be accompanied by a certificate that they did not fund a conflict of any kind. This certificate follows the diamond through its entire trade route. Company's like DeBeers and Tiffany's have stood by this solution as effective.
However, many human rights organizations have addressed the flaws of the Kimberly Process that allow conflict diamonds into the international market. Recent United Nations and U.S. government reports have shown that over 23 million U.S. dollars' worth of diamonds from the Ivory Coast have been smuggled into neighboring countries such as Ghana and then certified there under false premise.

So how can we really be sure that our diamonds are conflict-free? Human Rights orgs have been suggesting that consumers ask their jewelers several questions before buying from them. Questions such as the company's policy on conflict diamonds and proof of a written guarantee. If the jeweler is unable to provide that information, try somewhere else. Furthermore, there is always the option of getting another stone.

This isn't the boycott of Starbucks by going to Coffee Bean. By being aware and making smarter choices, you are witholding hundred of thousands of dollars from these companies.

Check out this video by Amnesty: Video

Christmas Cheer!

A recipe for winter time magic:

1. Wine (In Plastic Wine Glasses):


(saba was drunk so the picture is drunk too!)

2. Candy Cane Cupcakes (White Angel Food Cake, Vanila Frosting, and Crushed Candy Canes):



3. Hand-made, Goodie-Filled, Color-Coordinated Personalized Stockings (Matching Tissue Paper, Hershey's Kisses and Loli-Pops):

Save Some For the Fishes.

I'd like to clear my throat before I get on a soap box for a few moments to rant about something that is quite dear to my heart: (ehem, ehem) consumption and waste.
I'll try to keep this short but I ask that in return you take this very seriously.
You've all heard the stats that we, the United States, only 6% of the worlds population, use 25% of it's resources. Today I will focus on water, it has been predicted that in the near future water will be worth more than gold, diamonds and yes, even oil due to it anticipated scarcity.
Now, this may seem very micro-effective for all of you, however I present you with a top-10 lists of how to cut down on how much water we waste everyday.
A lot of these are obvious in theory, however after the experience of observing the actual behavior of many of you, non of it is being used in practice.

Top 10 ways to save water.

1. Chill drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet until the water is cold.
2. Don't pre-rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher. You'll save as much as 20 gallons a load, or 6,500 gallons per year. Tests have shown that pre-rinsing doesn't improve cleaning.
3. Wash vegetables and fruits in a bowl or basin using a vegetable brush; don't let the water run. ( This is one of my favorites. At my house, we fill the bowl with water and wash the veggies in them and then dump that water in our garden just to put it to some use! You can also used other forms of recycled water to water plants like from a tea kettle, or when you boil an egg etc.)
4. Fix all leaks. (And in the meantime put a bowl under leaks and give it to plants!)
5. When taking a bath, close the drain before turning on the water. And fill it half as full as you usually do; you could save 10 to 15 gallons.
6. TURN OFF FAUCETS unless you are actually using them. While brushing teeth you can waste 2 to 3 gallons per minute and 5 to 7 gallons per minute while showering!
7. Replace as many appliances in the house with water conserving models (toilets, washing machine, dishwasher etc). Most company's will give you either a free one or a discounted one if you recycle your old one.
8. Don't hose down your driveway! A few weeks ago on my way to school I saw a guy hosing his front steps and I walked by and said "That's quite a waste of water!" and he said "yeah well.." but then later that week I saw him sweeping the leaves!
9. For your garden, hand-water with a hose where possible. Homeowners who water with a handheld hose can use one-third less water outdoors than those who use automatic sprinklers.
10. And if you MUST use sprinklers, position sprinklers so they're not watering driveways and walkways and schedule it to water during the coolest time of the day to reduce evaporation. Don't water when it's windy. Generally watering lawns at night isn’t recommended since the grass can stay wet for long periods, which can promote fungus growth.


The average U.S. household uses 350 gallons of water per day, according to the American Water Works Association. Depending on the region, households use 20 to 62 percent of that total outdoors on lawns, pools, and such. Saving water outdoors, then, can really make a dent. Indoors, homeowners can reduce water use by about 30 percent by installing more-efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks.
Now if you want your children to enjoy the same benefits of water as we do, stop being such a WATER-HOG!!!

Watering Hole

Evidence has been found that liquid water is flowing on Mars, NASA scientists announced yesterday.
The unexpected find emerged from some 240,000 images taken by the long-orbiting Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. Here is one of the images.

These photos taken of the same areas over time showed investigators that liquid water likely flowed through gullies in Martian craters during the past seven years. Scientist say "It could be acidic water, it could be briny water, it could carry lots of sediment or be slushy, but [it appears that] water is involved," Frozen water is known to exist in the planet's polar regions, and water vapor has been detected in the Martian atmosphere. But the water moves around in branches easily navigating around small obsacles. So, although the smarty pants at NASA thought that it was something that existed milions of years ago because many felt that modern Mars was too frigid to harbor any liquid water today. (But looks like they might be wrong!)

Personally, I think the folks at NASA should just look for Pumba and some of his warthog friends which should be a sure sign that there is a watering hole near by. See:

ready? set? okay go!

i just want to introduce everyone to what i wish my friends would do with me everyday.
In-fact if you are my friend and you're not willing to at least give this a try then we need to re-evaluate things: (saba this means YOU!)



and they did TWO! I dont understand why I was not a part of this:




p.s. the songs are pretty darn good too

Laundry Day

This is from an old post last month about gentrification. It didn't get any love because it had too much "text". So for my visual learners, I think it's interesting for you to see. I'll keep it simple.

I live here.



This is a sign on the wall of the place I do laundry. Read it closely.

how many plates can you hit?

Ah, Salaam and good evening to you worthy friend. Please, please, come closer--(camera zooms in, squishing his face) Too close, a little too close! (camera zooms back) There. Welcome to Agrabah. City of mystery, of enchantment...and the finest merchandise this side of the river Jordan, on sale today, come on down! Heh, heh. Look at this! Yes!...















I present you the House of Strength. The Iranian version of the traditional gymnasium, in which the national Iranian sport called Varzesh-e Pahlavani (Sport of the Heroes) or Varzesh-e Bastani (Sport of the Ancients) is practiced. A compilation of weightlifting, wrestling and dance with a touch of circus performance that dates back to, at least 2000 years back, before the Arab invasion in the 7th century. The Zurkhaneh (House of Strength) is Iran’s most ancient sport and still very much alive. In the spirit of Iran, a male-only activity, they gather to the Zurkhaneh to perform bodyweights exercises, learn chivalrous behavior, juggle clubs weighing up to 30 kilos and lug massive shields — all to the beat of drums and of course Persian poetry. However unlike modern gyms, the sportsman is first expected to be pure, truthful, good-tempered and then physically strong.

This year at the 1st Asian Zurkhaneh Sports Festival, Iran stole the show in the three-day event in the Shohada-ye Haftom-e Tir Hall in central Tehran coming in 1st with 78 points. Iraq finished runner-up with 70 points while Tajikistan, Afghanistan, South Korea, Pakistan, Nepal, and Indonesia ranked third to eighth

jack. fruit.

there was no snow... *sigh*

But today we are going to talk about the Jackfruit:

The Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a species of tree and its fruit, native to southwestern India and Sri Lanka. The fruit is gigantic! , Most of the time at least 25 cm in diameter. The fruits can reach about 70 pounds. The jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world.

The aroma of the ripening fruit is extremely sweet, with a distinctive flavor reminiscent of bananas and ‘Juicy Fruit’ gum. In fact, when Juicy Fruit first realeased it's product the name was originally going to be Jack Fruit. People generally love or hate the taste. When I was in Kuai last summer our neighbor cut down a jack fruit with a machete and cracked it open. I can attest that jackfruit is quite potent externally and internally and does infact taste like juicy fruit gum, which i hate.





this jack fruit, spent the rest of it's life split in half laying on the grass capturing hungry and curious flys in it's sticky meat.

i'm dreaming of my first city snow

The weather report say's tonight and tomorrow morning there will be snow in NY city? and then Tuesday it will be sunny without a cloud in the sky?

So, let's see if it actually happens? Cause it sure don't look like it right now.

I am however, looking forward to wearing my red leather gloves.

I've heard him called many things,

Ra-Ra-Rasputin! Russia's greatest love machine!



An introduction for those not familiar, a man known to drink far too much from time to time, Rasputin was a lad of the village. Fancies himself with those, no doubt, emotionally and sexually frustrated ladies of the court of Imperial Russia.
If you look at the photographs you will find a pattern of big bosoms, sentimental, rather soppy, stupid expressions – in some cases, a notable moustache – all swooning over this great big Russian peasant, in the middle of the group photograph. And, he is obviously quite a ladies man.



Rasputin had a significant effect on the lives of the Tsar Nikolai II and his wife Alexandra. After the birth of three worthless female children, they finally got a male, too bad he was a hemophilia. So anyway, yada yada yada, Rasputin hypnotized the son, Alexis, and cured him. Alexandra, the Tsars wife, fell for his healing abilities. So, in addition to the rumors about orgies, speculation grew about Rasputin's control over the Tsar and his influence on government through his wife.

As Rasputin's behavior became increasingly licentious the reputation and credibility of the the Royal family was shattered. (Leaving room for Lenin and his crew to swoop in)

For those interested, Rasputin's pickle is pickled and can be seen in Germany's erotic museum.

lightning crashes, an old mother dies

On my way back from the OC, we stopped in Salt Lake City and took off in the middle of a thunderstorm. About 10 minutes into the take-off I notice a huge bolt of lightning outside my window.
The captain gets on the PA system and says "Uh, yeah ladies and gentlemen, I know that some of you saw the lightning and heard a pop. Yes, we were hit by lightning but dont worry, our entire plane is shielded and everything is okay, it's just a little annoying as the pilot when you're blinded for a second"

ANNOYING?? right.
So i went to go research what this "shield" that protected my plane was all about?

I found out that lightning regularly strikes airplanes. In fact, as far as anyone knows, the odds are that each airliner in the USA will be hit by lightning once a year. (this was my first bad year I guess?)

But, lightning has not caused an airliner crash in the USA or of a U.S. airline plane anywhere in more than 40 years.

These planes are made of aluminum, which is a very good electrical conductor. A lightning bolt's electricity flows along the airplane's skin and into the air. (like a magic carpet)

And apparantly the pilot was serious because the one and only danger is that the flash could blind the pilots for a few seconds, but even THAT has never caused a crash
*sigh*
so, now i'm a little more relieved to be flying back and forth in the upcoming winter. but here is a picture of a not so lucky plane to scare you a little.



and then there is tony blair who's plane was once struck. (probably by the wrath of Allah! muahahahah!!)

taxation without representation ...?

i drove to D.C. with my two lovely cousins this weekend.

cousins:


to visit a third cousin who just moved to D.C., works for the NIH (National Institute of Health) and has a 5 month old incredible happy and beautiful baby with his wife. antonia (my new cousin once removed?) laughs non-stop at all my jokes and funny faces and only takes breaks to drool once in a while...




before i show you some fotografias, let me tell you a story about the intellegent people living in our glorious capital. Former mayor Marion Barry, once quoted for saying
"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." AND ALSO SAYING
"I am a great mayor; I am an upstanding Christian man; I am an intelligent man; I am a deeply educated man; I am a humble man."
After serving as mayor of Washington, DC for 12 years, he was arrested for smoking crack in a hotel room in 1990 (caught on hidden camera) and forced to step down. After serving six months in a federal prison, he was inexplicibly re-elected in 1994. AND NOW, The other day Barry pleaded not-guilty to a DUI charge when stopped near the White House by Secret Servive officers.
folks, we have found a real winner.

so anyway, the weather guys were on our side and we spent a whole day doing lots of tourist-y things and making my new baby cousin laugh. here is some visual stimulation for my illiterate readers... enjoy

behind us, you will find the famous washinton monuement where forest gump made his speech not knowing his long lost love, jenny, was in the crowd



lincoln, most comonly seen on the penny.



fellow californians, this is a picture of FALL, aparantly the season that follows summer... who knew huh?



riding up a really long escalator.



Washingtons mottow displayed on all liscence plates reads: "taxation without representation"



because they don't have anyone in the U.S. senate or a voting member in the house and so they have no say in the federal government and no state rights cause they are not part of one. yet they still pay federal taxes.

why does everyone hate us? we only want to spread freedom??

One of four U.S. soldiers accused of raping a 14-year old Iraqi girl last spring and then killing her and her entire family pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the others in order to avoid the death penalty.

When the military judge presiding over the case asked Spc. James P. Barker why he did it, he responded: "I hate Iraqis, your honor. Thay can smile at you, then shoot you in your face without even thinking about it."

The rest of the assholes involved in this case have deferred entering a plea.

Barker and the other soldiers were drinking and playing cards while they manned a traffic checkpoint when Army Private Steve Green (apparantly a really intellegent guy) brought up the idea of raping the girl. The 4 defendents are are accused of raping the girl and burning her body to conceal their crimes, then killing the girls father, mother and 6-year-old sister. (why? we dont know...)

so yes, my fellow americans, don't forget to support our troops who are spreading our message to the world loud and fucking clear.

remembered for his earring?

Ed Bradley, 60 minutes reporter, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, of leukemia at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital. He was 65.




he always seemed like a nice guy but his name at Wikipedia reads the following:

He was the first-and to date only-male correspondent to regularly wear an earring on the show. He had his left ear pierced in 1986 and says he was inspired to do it after receiving encouragement from Liza Minnelli following an interview.

way to leave a mark on the world Ed.

nicey? or smelly?

So today on our way home nate and saba developed a fondness for a stray smelly cat. After half-hour of coercing him into coming closer to the gate, they managed to snatch it up and bring home a new addition to the family.





great.

so even though its a wide known fact that I hate cats it's a very lazy Garfield-esque cat that seems to love snuggling with saba and rolling into a ball. So for the time being he is the sixth and newest member of the family.
here are some pics of our new feline appropriately named NICEY.

it's all very new york

i have some visitors this week. I'm hoping to score some points and make it into both of their top-8.
this entry is mainly visual because i'm trying to increase my popularity.
so here's a glimpse into my very luxurious and glamorous life.


it was a magical display of lights. really warmed our soul on a chilly fall night.



this is nate buying his first subway ticket. he asked me to take this cause he was so excited.



this was kanye west's bus outside of this club he was at.



nate set this picture up. he calls it "hip-hop".



my temporary roomates



attack!



it was nuts we randomly ran into this "cutesy" flea market and i found this adorable pink hat. awesome!



after a long day of shopping for bargains, we couldn't wait for the A train.

Home Sweet Edgecombe

I live on 150th and Edgecombe in what is the up and coming newly gentrified West Harlem.



(So technically can I still claim the west-side?)

Here's a little background on a bandwagon we have jumped on that has been in the making for a while now and a question I often ponder: do you think I am a gentrifier? ($1800/month rent)

here are some excerpts from an article that breaks it down:

In the decade after the riots in the '60s, more than 100,000 Harlemites fled to the suburbs. Landlords walked away from buildings that weren't producing profits. The city took ownership of more than 65 percent of the buildings in the community. Miles of land stood vacant. Where Malcolm X's speeches once echoed through these streets, his words now seemed more like whispers buried in the concrete...What happened over those two decades is an urban planner's dream: booming housing and business markets that are mostly the result of the steadfast work of a tight-knit group of planners, professionals, and politicians who took action after too many bad years. And contrary to popular opinion, the change has not necessarily translated into a white invasion, though that population has increased. The long-term gentrification that has been going on in Harlem is predominantly an influx of the black middle class—professionals from all over the country who want to be part of this "Second Renaissance."
Yet many longtime residents are outraged by rents and real estate values that have gone higher than they, or their children, can manage...Over the past five years, the cost of housing has become a problem on all fronts. Brownstone owners receive midnight visits from developers offering $800,000 for their properties. Those on the prowl range from Upper West Side doctors to wealthy entertainers. "You can't even start a conversation to buy a gutted brownstone for under $300,000," Rivera said...Even for those who grew up middle-class in Harlem like Sharon Wilson, a social worker and mother of one, remaining in the community seems impossible. Earning a civil servant's salary, Wilson figures she will have to move out of the neighborhood when she needs more than one bedroom. Buildings in her area are charging $1500 a month for larger apartments. Generally, one-bedroom rentals that once would have been considered high at $500 now go for $1300 to $1500. And holding onto fairly priced apartments is becoming an increasing struggle. This year alone, there have been nearly 200 holdover-eviction cases in the Central Harlem zip codes. "We have seen a sharp increase in people losing their apartments due to landlord harassment for problems other than non-payment," says Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council. "Money is in the air and everybody wants to get on the gentrification bandwagon."..Activists don't deny the need for economic revitalization. But why do it at the expense of tenants who can't afford the new community?..It's hard to think those involved in business and housing development are not linked and working toward similar goals of a corporate-run, upper-middle-class Harlem..Where we have come is good, but now it's starting to get bad. This is the time to rise up for city and federal subsidies to moderate prices.


furthermore we do our laundray about a block away where you will find the following sign on the wall. maybe as part of the campaign they should take this down?




here's a link to whole article if you want to read it.
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0238,little,38429,1.html

coming soon: video tour of my apartment

*sigh* immigrant parents

let us rejoice in the joy of having immigrant parents.
however, let us not forget to mention a new development in this joy produced by immigrant parents sending you e-mail forwards and links to websites with "interesting" articles, inspirational poems and pictures of animals with costumes.
for example, take a look at what i deal with:

Good Morning Nastaran Khanoom
Chatori ? means how are you ? Khoobi ? means are you good? ....etc.
becasuse you have lot of time! check this one too and let me know
if you like it.

http://www.paulocoelho.com/engl/tvonline.shtml

Love
Baba karim

in his defense, unlike my inspirational story lover mom, my baba karim usually sends quality forwards and e-mails, (like this paulo coelho link) although a few weeks ago he sent me this tajik-i music video and i had to call him and threaten to block his e-mail address.

here it is in case you are on the verge of suicide and need that last push over the edge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAiQwdkJ0QI&mode=related&search=

block wars in NYC

so apparantly halloween in new york is this big scary event. half the kids at the high school i teach in, didn't show up for school in order to "prepare" and all the other teachers and families ran home and double locked all their doors shut.
word on the street is that there are huge street wars where the different blocks (like the ones jenny is from) battle eachother with eggs, bottles and paint ball guns.
furthermore anything that moves is a target. innocent bistanders have been known to be hit with anything these hoolagins get their hands on.
one of my students warned me to especially be aware of (and i seriously quote) "the eggs injected with NAIR that kids will throw at your head" in the hopes of having a chunk of your hair fall out?

what ever happened to good old fashioned trick or treating?

in other news, i was an M&M for Halloween. and not a sexy M&M, just a regular blue M&M