writin' dirty

Street Fighting in New York

2008-01-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

Me and my boys throwing it down in NYC

holllllllllller!

Mini-Tree

2007-12-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Experts recommend to start planning for and thinking about the holiday's starting in late September, mid-October. This, they claim, provides ample time to think about what you want to get and keep your eye out for the best deals on the years hottest gifts and most lavish decorations. Although I suppose I am a bit behind schedule I finally got around to buying a tree. Now, I sadly must admit that I sold out to a fake tree but under the circumstances, I'm sure you will understand.

Here she is, standing proudly at 1ft, 1inch, this little guy has brought so much light into our lives.

Additionally, I ventured out into the world of popcorn decorations:

Step one: Pop popcorn. I recommend staying away from the butter and salty flavors because it tends to attract buggies!

Step two: Thread the popcorn with sewing thread and needle. Make sure the popcorn is cold and I would recommend it even be a bit on the stale side.

Step three: Carefully wrap around tree. Add white lights and a glittery gold bow at the top.

Optional: Presents wrapped in brown paper bags for a complete classic look !

Winter Wonderland!

2007-12-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Saba's mom, the lovely Khlaeh Gulhan arrived on Friday and she brought us lots of goodies. And she took a picture to prove it !

We went and saw the Nutcracker, a Moeel/Khoshab annual tradition (that just started this year!) It was a freezing night! Many speculated snow !!

And they were riiiight! We woke up this morning to the first SNOW of the season!!!
Here is a video I took in the morning from my bedroom window. Look closely and you can see the flakes falling !

Happy Anniversary!

2007-10-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

I think most of my blog readers already know about or are on SeeTheCook.com
If not, let me break it down for you. Two of my friends and I started a website and I've been waiting till this article came out to share it with you.

So read all about it !
The aricle was my written by my friend and fellow blogger iPouya

On another note, today also happens to be the one year anniversary of Writin' Dirty so I'd like to take this moment to thank all my folks for choosing my blog over Facebook sometimes when you dont want to do your homework ! This year "we" are looking forward to great adventures locally and internationally, most importantly, we will actually have heat in our apartment this winter!!
Pizza Party to celebrate in the office tomorrow !
As a homage to the 2006-2007 year I take you back to my first post

Gypsy

2007-10-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Member when I was an un-sexy M&M last year? Well, I still refuse to subscribe to "sexy" halloween costume.
This year I was a gypsy. Woohoo !!

Happy Halloweeny Ya'll

Baby Me

2007-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of pictures from my family's album in Iran:

Boz

2007-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

In the Persian language Boz means Goat. My mom likes to use the phrase as a term of endearment. She also happens to be somewhat of a tree-hugger, a hippie if you will. And this past summer when my family went to Norway and Sweden to go hiking and camping she ran into an old college comrade from the pre-revolutionary days. An exiled goat that went too North.

Ladies and Gents, my mom and a boz.

White Dress

2007-10-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Caviar Moet, my soon to blow up and get hella rich roomate, is working on her senior thesis at Parsons . Its a collection of bridal gowns for the hottest and most fabulous brides to be.
So, because I have the body of a runway model, she asks me to try on her dresses to see if they will fit.

Here is one that she is working on! Now in the real one she will use way better fabric. This is the test run to figure out the fitting and patterns etc. Isn't she lovely???

I will be following her progression all year so check back for updates ya'll !

Dancing in NY

2007-10-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

In August one of my BFF's Bahareh visited me in New York !
Here's what we did:

Here's the original Matt. I think ours is better!

Small World and Ethnic Ambiguity

2007-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Same button nose, round eyes and pouty lips on every doll.
Hmmmm...
I'll spare you the social commentary because I don't care! But I'll tell you one thing, if you think the Small World ride goes slow, you have never tried to snap photos during. Blurrrrrrrr

Wax On, Wax Off

2007-09-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today was the Global Village Festival in Irvine. I went cause my mom was invited to do ceramics wheel demonstrations. But in the meantime my brother and I wandered around checking out all the ethnic booths and local businesses taking advantage of mass advertising.

Among them was a continuous karate performance by students from the local chapter of the karate school. Here's a picture of the finale of the show that makes Ralph Macchio look like a chump. Ha-Ya! Fool snapped both boards at the same time:

Pumpkin Patch

2007-09-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

As the Summer slowly ends and the Fall creeps in I start to get excited for the pumpkin flavored treats that flood coffee shops and restaurants! Every Fall my family buys a pumpkin, empty's out the seeds, washes them and bets on how many seeds there are. Here's my brother, a few years back, counting the results.

Usually I lose. My guesstimation skills are minimal.

Without telling the rest of the family my brother throws a few seeds in the backyard in the hopes that something will grow.
This year, it did. Check out this little dooby that skooted its way out of the land.
My folks, who are losing most of their senses, didn't even notice this bad boy till it was almost full-grown.

I <3 Zack Morris!

2007-08-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Who says Irvine is not cool ? How amazing are these pictures?

I Bumped My Head

2007-08-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

This evening, after leaving dinner my friends, we gawked as several fire fighters rescued a poor kitty from a SoHo tree. As I was rambling on and on about how hot and manly fire-fighters are, I found myself in a head on collision (literally) with a telephone pole at in front of an entire row of outdoor diners (who really enjoyed it).

As I covered my forehead and ran away, it began to grow at an alarming rate. I literally felt the bump grow like Elmer Fudd on the Looney Toons cartoons when an anvil falls on his head and a large lump immediately pops out. You know, its near death experiences like these that make one really appreciate the litthe things in life.

After about an hour of ice:

Go ahead, laugh it out.
Cause if this ever happens to you in front of me, I'd laugh too.

Dana Discovery Center

2007-06-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

They should just give me my Oscar right now. I took a two day workshop about video editing and had to make a 1 minute (exactly) movie about whatever our teacher assigned. We got the visitor center next to Harlem Meer in Central Park North.
So here it is, world premier of my first SHORT. (My other film was LONG) Plus my partner woudn't let me be the star, so this is my directorial comeback.

Coming Soon: other stuff.

New Blog!

2007-06-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. You're thinking, why?
But I have a new blog to add to this one.

Its called Bathroom Beauties. I take pictures of bathroom signs from all over the world.
I know, its genius.

Anyway, so far I only have a few. Feel free to be my worldwide correspondents and send me whatever you find and I'll post it!
(especially on your summer travels!)

Check it out: Bathroom Beauties

Cheers!

Michael Bolton

2007-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 14th, 2007
6:15 Eastern Standard Time

A really intellectual gmail IM conversation between friends:

Hoda: dude i always forget how much i like michael bolton
that first one was the best though

me: die. you like michael bolton...
you ARE a forty year old white woman

Hoda: yeah i am jamming to him as we speak

me: AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
you cant JAM to michael bolton
you can only fall asleep to him

Hoda: i dont even think 40 year old white women like him,
what are you talking about...
"how can we be lovers if we cant be friends..."

me: oh my god... get me out of here!

Hoda: and now it is like i am watching saved by the bell

Hoda: how am i supposed to live without you

me: haha... yeah

me: when kelly and zach break up

Hoda: yeah dude and jessie and slater are singing

me: so sad, i gotta admit

Hoda: i knew you were down with mb

me: who would have ever thought that out of the saved by the bell cast, slaters career would have been the most successful

Hoda: honestly...

me: *sigh*, i guess you never know

Hoda: even when you know you never know

me: word

Hoda: the best part is that Dan Hill is coming up on the playlist
and the anticipation is killing me

me: its over between us

Hoda: it will never be over
download 'sometimes when we touch' and you will be a fan till the day you die

me: you're going to regret your behavior right now

Hoda: hahahahahahha. y?

me: you'll see

New Species

2007-06-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

As a frequent of the National Geographic website I found out that "we" (my team) has discovered several new species in Suriname. Where is Suriname you wonder? Its a tiny little country above Brazil in South America; google it. Among the new creatures are four frogs, six species of fish, a dozen kinds of dung beetles, and a type of ant never before seen by scientists.

This little bad-ass needs no introduction, he's black, he's pink, he's totally NOW. I would love to poke a hole through its body and wear it around my neck.

'Big Lipped Catfish' is actually only 2.5 inches long. But scientist predict that he would be a perfect trumpet player in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" in Sebastians 'Under the Sea' number. Although there is no evidence, he sure looks like he can blow.

At first glance, it looks like the average tree frog at your local Petsmart, but this psuedo-Prince lays eggs that hatch fully formed frogs instead of tadpoles!! WHAT?

A boring little black and blue snake right? This slithering slime ball can extract the slug out of the snailshell using his slender jaw. Pretty useful little skill if you ask me.

Hogzilla!!

2007-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hogzilla may have been headed for horror-movie heaven (or the next episode of Lost), but the massive swine that became an Internet sensation in 2004 may have been outdone, size wise, by this reportedly wild pig killed May 3 by Jamison Stone, age 11, and reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
From tip to tail, the newfound hog—dubbed "Monster Pig"—measures 9 feet, 4 inches (284 centimeters) and weighs in at 1,051 pounds (477 kilograms), according to Stone's father.
At a 150-acre fenced hunting range, Stone said, he shot the huge beast eight times with a revolver before tracking it with his father and guides for three hours. Finally, the boy shot the hog at point-blank range, killing the animal. (Really Sad)
While hunting by children is legal in Alabama, officials are investigating whether anyone had transported and released the live feral pig into the hunting preserve, which would violate state law.

Seer Torshi 101

2007-05-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

With my mom and brother out of town, my dad and I had a day to kill together before I came back to NYC. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to learn how to make some seer torshi, or pickled garlic.
"Torshi" originally comes from the Persian word "Torsh", which means "sour". In the cuisine of many Balkan and Middle East countries, turşu, toursi, turshiya, torshi, or turšija means pickles. It is common in Turkish, Greek, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Bosnian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a traditional appetizer that comes in many flavors and "Selska turshiya" (country pickles).

First, buy garlic (Preferably on sale at Wholesome Choice). Clean and peel the outer most dry layer.

Next, find a large glass jar; wash and dry completely. Best method to get rid of all water is by washing jars thoroughly, and then putting them in the oven for a few minutes to completely dry out all moisture.
Now, place garlic and dried black plums in jars. (This ingredient is optional) Add vinegar of your choice. We chose an Asian tart vinegar from the local Chinese supermarket. You can use whatever you like, however darker vinegars seem to work better.

(My dad the showoff)

Finally, seal tightly with a layer or two of plastic wrap under the lid (to prevent rust from dripping into the jar). Date the jar and store in a dark cool place for as long as you can wait. I would recommend a minimum of 1 year because, like wine, torshi gets better with age.

Tee Room

2007-05-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

I went home to Cali for two weeks and my blog took the backseat. But I'm happy to be back in NYC where there are actually people on the street and awake after 9pm.
During my trip my grandma dragged my cousin Apameh and I to a monthly gathering of Iranian Senior citizens. Each month they congregate at the 'Tee Room' a restaurant attached to a golf course. (Although they all thinks its the "Tea Room") Each month the old folks meet in their best outfits, eat kabob, gossip about eachother and attempt to 'gher' or dance to Persian pop music. Here is my grams and the homie sippin on some sizzer..

And then, there was the entertainment. I present Svetlana and Gretel, the performers for the evening. Two really unattractive Eastern Euro twins who live in their car, speak horrible English, weigh a combined total of 30 kilos and make a living by doing mediocre acrobatic shows that are borderline scary.

Global Crises and Solutions

2007-05-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday all the tenth graders from Beacon High School (including my little stars) participated in a Global Symposium that we organized.
Direct from the pamphlet: "Beacon students study world events of the past and make meaningful connections between past inequalities and current global issues. In 9th grade, students participate in the Middle East Peace Conference and learn about the key challenges to peace and the distribution of resources in that region. In 10th grade, students learn about the legacy of imperialism, world wars, the Cold War and international human rights issues. As a complement to the two year Global History curriculum, students complete 50 hours of community service and explore ways they can affect social change now and in the future."
It was a day where students were both educators and participants, and our job was to teach the students to teach.

here are some pictures:

There were about 60 topics that students taught in groups of 4-5. Here are a few of them:
UN Millenium Development Goals and G8
Small Arms Trade: Legacies of the Cold War and Urban Violence
The International Criminal Court and Geneva Conventions:
Victors’ Justice or A Step Towards Global Morality?
NGOs: Are they essential for change or do they excuse governments from responsibility?
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic: Is education the key to success or a form of social control?
Global, Multinational Corporations: Greedy Companies or Pioneers of World Progress?
Trade Barriers and Economic Sanctions: Are They Effective?
Taliban, Hamas, Tamil Tigers, and Al Qaeda: Terrorists or Disenfranchised Groups?
Tobacco: Recreational Habit or Method of Social Control?
Latin America at the Crossroads: The Venezuelan Challenge to American Influence
The International Debate on Human Rights and the Prison Industrial Complex
International Cooperation or One World Government: Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Who Cares About Mother Earth: Can We Find a Balance Between the Needs of Human Civilization and Sustainable
Indigenous Peoples and the Discourse of Progress
Women’s Rights and Transnational Feminism
The Future of Globalization: Transnational Capital
Neoliberalism and the Global Justice Movement

etc. etc. etc...

My Lovely Lady Lumps

2007-05-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Oh why oh why didn't more of us know about this before hand. So many of my friends could have entered!

They've got the curves and the long legs and dressed in a rather revealing tunic this Arabian camel looks ready to do a little turn on the catwalk duirng the Mazayen al-Ibl—a parade of "the most beautiful camels" held in this desolate region about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Although Saudi Arabia has rapidly become a wealthy and highly modernized country, the camel is still prized as a symbol of the Saudi people's nomadic heritage. But of the 1,500 animals on display, the 72 most attractive are to be spared any heavy lifting not to mention the winning owners each get a new sport utility vehicle.
*sigh*

So what makes a camel a babe? "The nose should be long and droop down, that's more beautiful," Sultan al-Qahtani, one of the event organizers, told the press. "The ears should stand back, and the neck should be long. The hump should be high, but slightly to the back."

Thank You Idin...

2007-05-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

...for the best picture ever!!!!
he sent me another KASHEW classic:

I LOVE THIS! THIS IS AMAZING!!!

and he's right, if you're on MySpace, go to Idin's profile and go to the "Agressive Photos" group and there are hundreds of pictures!
My friends are so cool.

Why is Everyone Jumping?

2007-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Cause the beat is thumping!
Lately, I've noticed a funny little trend, all over the world people are jumping!

H and P in Kauai!

Melly Mell representing the Canadian jump!

My estudiantes in Q-ba!

And of course the king who, I think, started it all: Kashew jumpin all over the world!

Anybody got more of these? Send them to me!

Reunion!

2007-04-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

My two chubby and loveable friends from Cali came to reunite with me last weekend. I just received the pictures hot off the press so I thought I'd share.
I have a feeling the only reason they came was to be featured in my blog.
*Sigh*, it's not easy being in the limelight.

Here they are, round and jolly, trying to find their way to my apartment:

So we went around the city: Did tons of cool stuff. I taught them about New York. They learned.

Hoda insisted to try EVERY flavor. (and she did)

"King of New York!"

Bean Buddies since 7th grade. (notice how much taller I am)

Just cause I look cool.

Just cause the picture is cool

You'll notice Payam is not in many pictures, mainly because he ditched us to watch a basketball game.
You'll also notice that the weather was amazing, they brought the sunshine with them and then took it back. Its raining now.
m'kay bye.

Hunting the Hunter

2007-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today Nicey saved me from an uninvited visitor. When I came home from school I heard a creepy buzzing. Immediately he spotted the culprit and came up with an attack plan:

After the use of guerilla tactics and walkie talkies, Nice and I caught the enemy bee.

Relax animal lovers, the bee was shoo'd out of the window and not smashed. Please don't send me forwards about how wrong it is to wear fur.

The Nina, The Pinta and the SabaNas

2007-04-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

On a lighter note from yesterday. They say April showers bring May Flowers and Sunday was the first day of a few days of April Showers. NYC Mayor Bloomberg fears floods but since we're on top of a hill, we're fine. Instead Smo and I walked down to the park below our building to the flooded Baseball Diamond to test run our paper boat.

I introduce, the SabaNas

Go little boat, go.

Check out the footage of some flips: Extreme!

Smooth Sailing

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Unfortunately, it was a short lived glory.
R.I.P. SabaNas, R.I.P.

Yellow Journalism: Follow up on Cube

2007-04-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yellow Journalism refers to the idea of sensationalizing or basically lying in the newspaper in order to sell more papers. The term was coined during the late 1800's when Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolf Hertz accused each other of exaggerating their headlines specifically in relation to the start of the Spanish-American War. (Maybe Jack Kelly was wrong when he said "Headlines don't sell the papes, Newsies sell the papes")

On February 15th 1898, the U.S.S. Maine mysteriously blew up in the Havana Harbor. Although Spanish scientist claim that the explosion was caused by "an internal and accidental explosion" the competing newspapers, eager to have a better headline, began to fabricate the events fueling American anger by publishing astonishing "atrocities" committed by Spain in Cuba and accusing them of blowing up the ship. So much so that on April 11, President William McKinley asked Congress for authority to send American troops to Cuba for the purpose of ending the civil war there.
(Cubans didn't want either of them there, and they still don't)

So why am I telling you this? Because today in the New York Post (a newspaper known for its bull-shit), yellow journalism, a practice continuously executed since the Spanish-American War, found it's face on the front page yet again.
The article reeks of McCarthyism and is filled with lies and propaganda.
The Beacon school, where I student teach, and Mr. Turners house were swarmed with paparazzi all weekend and all day today. As students walked out of class, they would scream: "Hey, how was Q-ba?" (To which one student responded "Eff you!" )

Please read for yourself: NY Post

The students and several community members have extended their support and if it can bring attention to ending the blockade then hopefully the situation can turn out for the best. I would appreciate everyone's support in basically just having our back. This will probably get worse before it gets better.

Reggae Sun Delight

2007-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the "Reggae Sun Delight Juice Bar"
Located at the corner of 135th and Lenox in Harlem
(Notice the sugar cane leaning on door)

How are you feeling today? Do you have Menopause? Jet lag? Allergies perhaps? Well, don't worry we have the best con-cock-tion for you.
Start with some greenery: celery, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes and even cilantro. Add some fruit, cantaloupe, green apples or purple grapes.
Blend together with a dash of hot sauce and ginger. Peep the menu and ingredients.
(click to enlarge)

Saba and I ordered a drink to heal bruises. We had just gotten into a fist-fight and needed to heal. (I won) Ingredients include: Pineapple, Orange, Lemon and Ginger. We stayed away from the greens. But they should have written ginger in bold because it was liquid fire.
Here's me playing off the intenseness:

When we showed up the owner had stepped out to buy some honey. In the meantime Caviar and I chopped it up with other customers about gout, sea-moss and chomped on a soy chicken empenada. Homey didn't show up till half-hour later, casually strolling in (honey in hand) and finally made our drinks.

Spring Break Trip.

2007-04-11T20:56:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I went as on a really cool spring break vacation. Want more details? Call me.

I have hundreds of pictures, here are a few:

The Classic

Fellow Comrades

a school in Pinar del Rio

I'm so popular with my students.

Pablo Neruda: "Naked you are slender as a naked grain of wheat. Naked you are blue as a night in Q-ba"

Two Shining Stars

The Week In Review.

2007-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to let everyone know that I am extremely dissapointed in the response to the chahar-shambe-soori video. It really discourages me from embarrassing myself again.
Now I know, I know I've been kind of inconsistent with my bloggin but it's been a very hectic week or so. A laundry list of events if you will.

One. Navid (from the OC) and his friend Hafez ( I know, really deep right?) visited, which was lovely. They brought the sunshine with them from Cali and in exchange we took them to Rice, Spice and all other eateries that ryhme with Nice.

Two. My students turned in their much anticipated Enola Gay-ay-ay museum exhibits on Thursday. I decided that I'm pretty much a bad-ass teacher cause my students turned in some off the hook projects. I pretty much taught them everything and they learned so good. :)

Three. This one night though, Nicey our cat, ran out our window and up the fire escape and Navid (from the OC) had to go and rescue him. Being white trash and all, he was wearing a wife beater and so when he grabbed the kitty on the 5th floor stairs the cat started flipping out and scratched the shiz-nit out of him. He said, "Nastaran, dare bad joor chang mizaneh!"
Check out the war-wounds. (yuck!)

Four. Off to Coooo-Ba in the morning!! Going to go pick up arms and shit.
Byeeeeeeeeeeee!

"Let's get to the jump"

2007-03-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

FINALLY it's here, the highly anticipated chahar-shambe-soori footage. As you can see we created a home away from home. A ceremonious night filled with classical Persian music, pictures of our beloved parents and of course, a small kindling fire.

shab-e yalda

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feat Caviar Moet as Robin Leach. The commentary is REALLY important to the hilarity. I would recommend watching it several times.

"10,000 years of tradition boils down to this one moment- the jump!"

Saleh No Mobarak!

2007-03-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

So, at first I was going to do a generic post giving the history of the Persian New Year (which is today) and of course I would rant on and on about haji firooz, because he wears black-face and dances around like a clown, BUT then I found this jewel on YouTube and I thought that this would be MUCH better
It's amazing. It's the Michael Jackson's Thriller video with LEGOS!!!
If you want, you can skip to the 8min mark for the dance scene but the anticipation is thrilling, to say the least.

And of course, in case you forgot what the orginal is like, here it is for your convenience.

And then while looking for the original, I found this atrocity. Entertaining at best.

Anyway, Eid-e Hamegi Mobarak!

the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!

2007-03-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the day when all the Ee-roo-ni's build a big fire and leap over it going on about some shit about my yellow, your happiness... etc.
New York doesn't have Ee-roo-ni's. It has some Persians who live in Long Island and fortunately, I have yet to meet one. So anyway, just wanted to share with everyone how I spent my day of fire.

Me and Nicey did some cuddling while I was lesson-planning. It was grand.

However, later that night Saba and Nate showed up and we made a fire with candles and lightly leaped over it. in fact we made an amazing video with music, pictures and commentary by, none other than, Robyn Leach himself.
Video of the night coming soon pending Nate sends it to me!

Ja-ye everyone khali !

Our Ancestors

2007-03-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

When I was at UCLA I took one Psychology Class as a filler elective. It was a waste of time because I hate Psychology. The entire social science to me is based mainly on speculation and first-world problems. The only reason this class appealed to me was because it was the Psychology of Sex. Even though it was the only class at UCLA I got a C in, I managed to learn a few interesting things.

Among them, I was introduced to the Bonobo Monkey. Our professor had done some research on these crazy little creatures because they enjoyed, cough cough, pleasuring themselves if you will. We watched videos of these horny little fur balls sitting around for hours playing with themselves and cracking up. Bonobos, or pygmy chimpanzees, live only in the Congo River Basin and are notable for using sex for greetings, reconciliations, and favors for food. ( so many jokes...)

(Mark Wahlberg in Planet of the Apes anyone?)

So, to my delight, I recently read that a new population of Bonobos, who by the way are one of humankind's closest genetic relatives, has been discovered deep in a forest in Africa's Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The group may number as many as 3,000, and scientists speculate that this is perhaps the largest known concentration of bonobos anywhere,—a significant addition to a recent estimated a grand total of 10,000. The thriving new population may owe its success to its location—partly within a private ranch—and to the local Bateke people

"We consider them human, our ancestors," a Bateke man said. "We don't eat them, and we don't kill them."

Awesome.

Enola Gay-ay-ay

2007-03-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

So, the reason why I haven't been able to blog, talk on the phone, sleep or think about anything else is because of this little plane. I have been teaching an entire unit on the Enola Gay, named after Paul Tibbets, the pilots, mother.
This little fella dropped the first Atomic Bomb in the history of the world on Hiroshima, Japan at the end of World War II.

So, yeah.
Here it is:

And here my friends, are some really short shorts.

My 90 students are going to be putting together a model of a museum exhibit around the Enola Gay. I'm tricking them into writing essays about Truman's decision to drop the bomb. I'll take pics of the exhibits when they're done.
ta-ta !!

New Orleans (Part 2)

2007-02-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Now, the fun part.
So you can try to kick the people out of New Orleans, but they'll always come back on 'Fat Tuesday' After a morning of gutting, we went to Mardi Gras in the French Quarter .
Out of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, the D.J. played music while crazy drunk ugly people dance all over the streets.

kids scrambling for the beads

then there was these two crazy kats:

Coming Soon: Mardi Gras Videos.

New Orleans (Part 1)

2007-02-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

Just caught a flight out of New Orleans this morning back to NYC. I spent a week there with my cooperating teacher, Nathan Turner, and our Katrina class from Beacon High School. There were about 40 of us total who left the city on Friday at about 1:30pm. Eight States, three days, two snow storms, and one flat tire later we arrived in Lousiana on Sunday afternoon.

Our driver, Bill, (on the left) an ex-alcoholic who sobered up and raised two daughters by himself, has been driving this bus all across the United States since 1993 and trucking aide to Cuba, Katrina victims, and to the Chiapas in Mexico working with Pastors for Peace

Before Katrina the lower ninth ward, a predominately black neighborhood, had the highest percentage of home ownership in the entire United States and was built literally by previous generations of the families living there.
Members of the POC , the organization we were working with, explained to the students that Hurrican Katrina actually missed most of New Orleans by 80 miles. Residents of the lower ninth ward went to sleep the night of the hurricane relieved that the storm had missed them only to wake up to flooded homes and broken levees. There have been countless testimonies from members of the community who heard explosions near the river in the middle of the night. The neighborhood was inundated, in what POC claimes, was a plan to get rid of the residents. There has rumors of clearing the area and building a golf course.

A year and a half later, the area looks like an abandoned war-zone. Displaced families are not allowed to return due to alleged hazardous chemicals left behind. However many of the projects that we saw had minimal water damage only about 2 feet high that could be easily repaired. The Housing Authority of New Orleans, who claim to be helping rebuild the city, have boarded up the doors and windows of several projects and posted flyers that threatened to arrest and even imprison people who tried to move back in.

Here are a few pictures of what is left of the homes and schools:

Our group of students spent the week gutting houses and a large high school in an effort to rebuild the community so that people can move back. We were required to wear tyvex suits, helmets, gloves, goggles and respirators. After 5 long days of labor, the 40 of us felt overwhelmed at the amount of work there is still to be done.

If anyone wants to see more pictures, let me know I can e-mail them to you.

I like the beat.

2007-02-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

Now, I usually leave the music reviews to The Mixshow Commander on the The Slap Report , but I thought to include a little music on my blog just to spice things up.
So friends, I introduce you to the newest dirty duo from our favorite occupation in the middle east: 'Kaplan and Schwartz'.

There is no doubt in my mind that Timbaland is on the phone with their agent right now making a deal to produce their next song.

Sponsored by The Jewish National Fund which "was created with the singular task of reclaiming the Land of Israel. While we have been instrumental in this process of realizing the Zionist dream, the challenge of preserving and developing the land of Israel grows with each day. To meet this challenge, JNF, with the support of hundreds of thousands of people who identify with this mission, invests its time and efforts in seven Action Areas that will allow us to continue our successful work."

FINALLY, a snow I can blog about!

2007-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Since I've moved to New York, I've been waiting for snow. Every morning I wake up (at 3pm) look up at the sky and wait for it. So far, it's only teased me with a few small flakes that melt as soon as they hit anything.
BUT! BUT! BUT! Today on my way home at around 11pm I walked out of the subway to a light beautiful bed of white powder on the sidewalk accumulating from big flaky flakes slowly falling from the sky.

I finally understand the meaning of the song from the Sound of Music, "Snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into spring. These are a few of my favorite things"

*sigh* (I'm going to brew some hot chocolate, for nostalgic reasons..)

watch and learn.

2007-01-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

the video as promised:

Spring Roll

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don't be fooled by its simple appearance, it's actually quite complicated.

member the memories?

2007-01-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Once a week I meet my local comrade, Caviar Moet ( a real intellectual), at an independent cafe to discuss the state of the world, history and share poetry (often our own). At our last meeting, over a steaming cappuccino, there was a dispute about the history and use of the word nostalgia.

In reference to my enjoyment of baking cookies on cold days and 1950's diners I refer to my "white nostalgia". Referring to feeling sentimental about a culture that wasn't necessarily a big part of my upbringing but I feel romantic about nevertheless because it is part of American culture (Also under this category is my connection to the show The Wonder Years)

Now, Caviar said that nostalgia can only be referenced in terms of "the good old days" and something a person has actually experienced and now has emotional connection to. I wasn't really sure who was right, so I researched.

The term was originally coined by Johannes Hofer, a medical student in 1678 to refer to "the pain a sick person feels because he wishes to return to his native land, and fears never to see it again". During the period, from the late seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century, doctors actually diagnosed and treated nostalgia. Cases resulting in death were known and soldiers were sometimes successfully treated by being discharged and sent home. (Although a diagnosis was, however, generally regarded as an insult)
Now, nostalgia is more commonly referred to, not as a medical condition or a field of study, but as a feeling that any normal person can have. Nostalgia can often be associated with a fond childhood memory, a certain game or activity, often with a certain person, or a treasured personal object.

Studies show that many people believe that years or decades past people were better off than they are now, and that there had been a higher standard of living then, even if this is not always the case. This belief can be very characteristic of nostalgia, of the "good ol' days." Items in pop culture can often trigger a strong feeling of nostalgia; TV shows like Lost In Space and foods like moon pies, for instance, can bring back wistful memories for Baby Boomers. People can also have nostalgia for a certain decade.
Nostalgia is no longer a medical condition, but it can produce symptoms that are very much real and physical in nature. These symptoms can include, but are not limited to, tightening of chest and/or throat, pain in the pit of the stomach, and eventually feelings of despair.

So, you decide. Is my use of the word correct? (I still think it is)

P.H.O. (Vietnamese for soup)

2007-01-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

My baby brother (who actually towers 2 feet over my entire family) recently got back from a trip to Vietnam where among two Vietnamese phrases, he picked up how to cook several local dishes. They are really healthy, delicious and easy to prepare!

Step one: Find your local Asian market and buy squid, shrimp, rice paper, mint, basil, Pho flavoring, Spring Role fish sauce, bean sprouts, veggies, two pineapples, Pho noodles, beef, bell peppers, garlic, onions, green papaya, and carrots.

Step two: (the abridged version) Cut, Cook, Mix and Prepare everything. My brother only trusted me with remedial jobs such as grating the carrots and gutting the pineapple.

Step three: Eat. (note to chef: presentation is key)

Pineapple Squid Mix:

Spring Role:

Pho:

Preparation Time: took my entire family 1 hour.
Cost: all together about $45 worth of groceries (however it fed all 4 of us for three nights!)
Favorite Dish: Spring Role

Coming soon: A short video on how to actually make one and enjoy it! (you'll get it when you see it!)

Grillin' in Diego

2007-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

Last week, the lovely Shaft Moeel-y took us all to a local restaurant called Turf (supper) Club . At 3 songs for a $1 on the 1960's jukebox, Steve, dj'd our 45 minute wait which at first seemed not worth it. However upon ordering our raw meat I found that this interactive restaurant provided good food at a rate Rachel Ray could afford.

We began with raw meat and empty buns (as you can see, Saba is really excited to be the first to man the table):

Then with the leadership and direction of, our new friend, Steve we were able to grill.

and then we ate:

Only complaint; no french fries. Only tip; watch your meat, people often move it, squish it or 'accidentaly' sprinkle black pepper on it. But for $6 you got a great burger and a good time. I would recommend the joint.

Wii : Greatest Invention of 2006!

2007-01-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

Hoda, being the genius down syndrome that she is got Payam, being the child that he is, the highly anticipated and hard to find Wii video game for Christmas. Upon hearing this news, I could have cared less. Then one fateful night I discovered that not only is it incredibly fun, I discovered a new activity that I am ridiculously good at. So, we had a tennis tournament.
Here were the teams: (click on pictures to make them larger)

Nasty Nas and The New Guy

The Special Olympics Team

Holi Goli and The Pej

Pregnant Hoonoosh and Behdooody

Now, rather than give you a play by play of all the sweet competitiveness and excitement I thought to rather show you some pictures to display the intense action we saw that night. I have no doubt that this night will go down in sports history.

The Award for best poses for the camera during play goes to (without a doubt) Behdooody. Hoonoosh wins most pregnant player. Goli and Pejman win the best team photo. Hoda was pound for pound the strongest player. I, Nas, win Award for; most likely to win next tournament. Ryan, of course, wins the Award for least movement at any point during the game. (As you can see from his picture he depended mainly on the wrist-action and it proved to be ineffective)
A few last priceless moments before I reveal the actual winner:

Alas, we served, we hit the ball backhand, we hit the ball forehand, most of us lost, Payam won. (I know you're shocked but Pejman still manages to crack a smile) It must be noted that Payam owns the machine and thus practices for endless hours while the rest of us live our real lives.

Good Game. Hit the showers!

it was the longest night EVER

2007-01-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

Before I left to come home for winter break Smoeel had a Shabeh-Yalda party for her friends. Of course cupcakes were involved with a pomegranate twist. And I just wanted to share a delightful picture with my blogees. I just uploaded it to my camera so it's a little late. But it pretty much sums up my night.

Happy 2007 Everybody!

Famous Candies

2006-12-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

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:

2006-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-12-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-12-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-12-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

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,

2006-12-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

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 ...?

2006-11-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

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??

2006-11-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-11-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

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