"There is a crack, a crack in everything! That's how the light gets in...!"

Persians have a beautiful tradition just before the First Day of Spring called "Chahar shanbeh Soori", literally translated to Festive Wednesday! The Last Tuesday of winter, they gather around in the streets early evening, make small bonfires and jump over it! As a symbolic act to give their "Yellowness", their sorrows and sickness, to the be part of the fire and take in return "Redness", happiness and health, from Fire for the coming year.

There is also a "Trick or Treat" kind of ceremony, without the costumes and the scary tricks of course, that they go door to door in the neighborhood while they are covering their faces with a sheet or veil, and the one who opens the door offers them some nuts, dried fruit and candies, trying to guess which one of the neighborhood kids is under that cover.



The night wraps up with gathering around the bonfire and sharing the collected delicacies with the whole neighborhood together with some potatoes freshly baked right there in the bonfire while listening to some happy music and maybe even some dancing; that is if the cops, militia and revolutionary guards have been tipped enough and are willing to look away, or in the short intervals that they are check pointing maybe another neighborhood!!!

There is also fireworks and as years have passed under the oppression of the Islamic Republic, the fire works have turned into handmade fire crackers that sometimes sound and act more like small bombs!!!



I remember we would end up going back home all tired, smelling like fire wood and sometimes with some burned eyelashes, hair or eyebrows! But who cared, the Spring was just around the corner and we were happy in our hearts. There was just a lot to be happy and excited about and forget all about a few bald spots in my eyebrows!!! With the New Year always comes New Hopes,new outfits and Lots of presents from family, relatives and friends, a two weeks Spring break and lots of festivities....



I have all grown up now and I am thousands of miles away from my motherland; It is " Chaharshanbeh Soori" once again. Time to shed off the "Yellowness of the past year and ask for "Fire Red Happiness". My people did not exactly have a good, happy year this past year and they are carrying a lot of sorrow, disappointment and pain as they prepare themselves for the NEW YEAR.

Just like any other year and maybe even worse, The police and guards are going to try to stop them from celebrating. But they have enough fire burning in their heart that it can start the hugest bonfires ever, that the flames can be seen from miles away....

The fire is getting its fuel as much from deep hurt and hatred as from high hopes and dreams. There is always hope. The more they try to keep it the deeper and stronger it will grow.

They may have succeeded repainting whatever that is green in the streets, they may have banned wearing green or even omitted the color green from our Flag...!

But who cares?! Spring is coming, the whole earth is going green, trees are blooming, fresh green leaves on the fresh grown young trees; fresh green grass and fresh green meadows.

Spring always takes over, Winter never lasts ...

There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on
Pretneding day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

I was under the impression that only in Iran Politicians think that people have no memory!

I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance.
Friedrich Nietzsche

What else is to be said?!

Head of Tehran's Revolutionary Guards who is the direct person in charge of a ‘project to capture villains and street bullies’ was arrested in a brothel enjoying himself with 6 naked prostitutes.
Due to the close relationship between the Revolutionary Guard Commander and Tehran’s General Prosecutor, the seize was planned without Judge Mortazavi’s consent and performed in top secrecy under direct supervision of Ayatollah Shahroudi head of Legislative Power in Iran.
During investigations the arrested women declared that the Commander told them to take off their clothes and pray in nude in a group!

source: Pakenet

Stylish Calligraphy

Thanks to: Ramtin

How do you feel today?! :)

True believer!

"We congratulate Mr. Ali Sahebi Fard on his victorious return from his honeymoon trip"!

A group of colleagues

In his visit to Iran Putin strongly warns United States against use of force against Iran. Many Iranians inside and outside Iran fear that US will attack over the suspicions that the Iranian government is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran maybe developing nuclear weapons; Iran's present government maybe one the most unpredictable and insane powers in the world. On the other hand Putin is definitely making these comments for the sake of his government's political and economical benefits.
I don't know if his patronage is a bad thing or a good one!
As my dad always says: "There are snakes in hell from which you may take refuge to a dragon!"
I just know that something or somebody needs to put an end to this madness. Don't ask me who but I hope some one comes to his senses before it is too late!
I don't wish any attacks to Iran, neither do I want to see Iran subject to abuse by an enemy in disguise!
"No cat catches a mouse for the sake of God!" Iranian power holders should know this better. That's how and why they have been hanging on for dear life.

What ever we think about and thank about, we bring about.

A new study suggests:

People are influenced by gossip about others, even when it contradicts what they see with their own eyes.

Nothing new about Iranians!

Melissa Ethridge - I Need To Wake Up

An act of kindness changes the world, nevertheless it's being random, or not so-random afterall!

Former US vice-president Al Gore, co-winner of this year's Nobel peace prize, has pledged to donate all his prizemoney to an organisation dedicated to tackling climate change.

One random act of kindness a day makes a difference.

One random act of kindness will lead to another.

Popularity...!

Ganji and 300 hundred international intelectuals seeks help from UN.

President of Iran is giving speech at the UN. He is asking the International Community where the poor, oppressed Palestinians and Iraqis should complain to.
Is there anyone to tell us, Iranians, to where and whom we can complain?

Ahmadinejad may only be a puppet but he definitely puts face to one of the most shameless people in the world. He and his puppeteers have started a deceitful,ugly,and fearful game which no one can predict its outcome. What makes it more frightening is that we are not dealing with normal people. These are rotten souls that are desperately trying to cling to dear life with all they have left. This is a rootless maniac who does not give a damn killing people, destroying countries and ruining the whole world. It has been forcefully demonstrated so far not just in Iran but in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. They have sacrificed innocent people to stabilize their shaky ground.
"If I can't be, let the whole world be gone"!
Insisting on this insanity, he is being pushed more and more into the corner. Dragging millions of innocents with him. We have already been charged millions of arms and legs. How much more do we have to pay?

"The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next."

I saw this at Orkut today.

Guilty of what charge!?

Ahmadi Nejad is Isreal's secret agent in Iran!

At Age 4: Success is..... Not peeing in your pants;
At Age 6: Success is..... Finding your way home (From school);
At Age 12: Success is... Having friends;
At Age 18: Success is... Having a driver's license;
At Age 20: Success is... Having sex;
At Age 35: Success is... Having money;
At Age 45: Success is... Having money;
At Age 55: Success is... Having money;
At Age 60: Success is... Having sex;
At Age 65: Success is... Keeping a driver's license;
At Age 70: Success is... Having friends;
At Age 75: Success is... Finding your way home (From anywhere)!
At Age 80: Success is... Not peeing in your pants!

So what's all the fuss about?!

photo by: lunae

Happy International Women's Day

Let's hope for a day that there will be no discrimination between men and women around the world, not only the ones imposed by men but also, specailly the ones created by us: women, ourselves.