Bad weekend at the movies!

So I had some bad luck with the movies this weekend. First, I went to watch In the valley of Elah, and was totally disappointed! I don't understand why I need to feel sorry for a soldier that runs an Iraqi child over! Poor American guy, he must have suffered a lot, not being able to sleep at night! And then, what's with the pride at the end of the movie? so, let's hang our flag high up and send more troops to kill more people?! anyway, wait for the dvd so you can fast forward!

Then there was the VIFF which I was so excited about. My first movie was today at 12:00, but guess what? I slept in and missed that! I was soooo pissed off! I almost decided against watching the next movie but then changed my mind, and now I kind of wish that I had not! 10 + 4 was not even one step further from Mania Akbari's previous movie and although I admire her courage and strength in the fight against cancer, I didn't enjoy the movie at all!

So here I am, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, bitching about my movie experience! sorry! I have been busy with my research and my committee meeting is approaching fast, a bit stressed out here!

PS - I did enjoy Kiosk's concert very much though. They were awesome, even if the sound system wasn't!

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نه!

یه نگاهی بندازید و پرسشنامه رو پر کنید... چند دقیقه بیشتر وقت نمی بره.

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My journalist cousin!

This is my cousin's weblog... she's a very strong and committed journalist that acts on her beliefs and never compromises what she thinks is right. She's been recently banned from all events related to the department of justice in Iran! But I know this won't stop her from doing what she loves. Good luck Sanaz.

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حمایت از خانواده چی می گه؟

خوب اینم از لایحه جدید برای حمایت از خانواده! پررویی هم حدی داره دیگه! بابا این که اسمشو هر چی میشه گذاشت غیر از "حمایت از خانواده"...

گزارش محبوبه حسین زاده رو توی سایت تغییر برای برابری بخونید:

" ... مساله مهم دیگر تجویز ازدواج مجدد است که در حال حاضر این ازدواج باید با اجازه همسر اول باشد و در قانون، مجازات کیفری هم برای از دواج مجدد بدون اجازه همسر در نظر گرفته شده بود اما در این لایحه ازدواج مجدد مردان با اجازه دادگاه و منوط به تمکن مالی مرد و تشخیص دادگاه در برقراری عدالت توسط مرد صورت می گیرد. کدام مردی در دنیا پیدا می شود که ازدواج دوم انجام دهد و ادعا کند که همسر اول را به اندازه همسر دوم دوست دارد..."

"... درصد زنان شاغل در كشورما فوق العاده پايين است و بقيه كار نمي كنند و آناني كه كار مي كنند درآمدشان كفاف زندگي در حد استاندارد را نمي دهد بنابراين زنان مجبور مي شوند شوهر پيدا كنند. حتي بسياري از زنان مشكلات را تحمل مي كنند به خاطر اين كه اگر طلاق بگيرند و فرزند هم داشته باشند، مشكلات مالي شان بيشتر مي شود. در اين شرايط دولت، دو متغیر برهم زننده خانواده؛ یعنی ازدواج موقت و ازدواج مجدد، را مطرح می کند باعث می شود که در واقع عنصر خیانت را در خانواده به صورت شرعی وارد می کند و می گوید شما می توانید به همسران تان خیانت کنید و من اين را هيچ جاي دنيا نديدم. از این شرایط قدرتمندان جامعه یعنی مردان نفع می برند و اما برنده دیگر دولت است چون یک وظیفه دولت طبق قانون اساسي این است که به وضعیت آحاد مردم رسیدگی کند. دولت ما به جاي اين كه در مورد زنان مطلقه، بيوه و ...فكري كند مساله مردان را بر دوش زنان مي اندازد و به جاي اين كه كاري براي زنان فراهم كند آنان را سوق مي دهد به سمت ازدواج موقت و ازدواج مجدد. و در اين حال مردان را با يك سري امتيازهاي ظاهری وادار مي كند كه خرج زنان را بدهند..."

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and another one

don't miss 2 days in Paris if you have the chance. It's one of those unexpectedly well-made funny movies, a very good movie from a first time director. Julie Delpy, who's also the director, plays the role of a French woman that brings her American boyfriend to Paris to meet her family and see the city. Obviously, the movie is about the clash of cultures and although Delpy is French herself, sometimes it feels that things are a bit exaggerated. It's funny anyway and I definitely recommend it.

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Movies

I don't know why I always pick the crappiest movies to watch in the theater... I went to watch this independent Canadian movie the other night and was utterly disappointed! A stone's throw tells the story of this photographer that goes to visit his sister in Nova Scotia. He is a weird kind of environmentalist and is against the building of a mine near his sister's house. Little by little the story unfolds to show how he can go to extremes to "protect" the environment. Anyway, for one thing the movie felt like a class on "how to save the environment"... it was boring at times, and the acting wasn't the greatest... music was ok, and I thought the cinematography was cool too. But i can hardly recommend it to anyone!

I rented thank you for smoking though and absolutely loved it. Smart and funny at the same time with an amazing soundtrack. It really makes you rethink your notions of liberty and personal choice.

Finally, I watched the pursuit of happyness and liked it. It was well written and well made and all, but wasn't as strong as I had expected. Made you wanna make more money though!

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Job opening advertisement

Are you incompetent beyond imagination?

Are you incapable of figuring out your day to day affairs?

Are you having trouble using a computer?

Do you find it hard to understand people when they explain a simple situation to you?

Is English your second language and you have a heavy accent that no one can understand?

Then we've got the perfect position for you!

Join our customer service department and help people figure out the problems with their phone bill, cable service and high speed internet!

Note - No resume required, just prove that you can drive a person mad by just talking to them on the phone.

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sometimes you wonder

what is it that got lost? how things change so dramatically that you can't even remember how you felt only a year ago.

I honestly don't remember anymore.

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just a note

Check out Waiter Rant for quite interesting posts from a now ex-waiter in New York. I've been reading his blog for a LONG time and it's just amazing. He has stopped waiting tables and is in the process of publishing a book from his experiences. Most of you might have already known his blog, but I thought I'd mention him anyway!

Also, Parastoo has written something on Chevening scholarship for studying in the UK. Check it out!

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Four years

... that's how long it has been. Same number of years I spent in college back home, meeting new people, making friends, learning about life, traveling, falling in and out of love... and here I am, four years after leaving, and when I look back it seems like I just re-did that whole process! I guess that's what life is all about anyway.

Now back to the movies, I watched El Cantante tonight. Just an average movie, you know, the typical musician biography movie, and not very well made. But if you're a Salsa lover, you'll at least like the soundtrack!!! The movie is about the life of Hector Lavoe, who is the guy that brought Salsa to the States. And well, let's just say he makes Johnny cash and Ray Charles look like saints (well, maybe that's over exaggerating, but you get the picture)!!! J Lo, of course, had to be the main focus of the movie! She is a delight just to watch though, however terrible her acting is!!!

Title: El Cantante, By: Marc Anthony

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Back to movies and more

I watched the Bourne ultimatum tonight and liked it for the most part. This was the third movie in the Bourne series and I thought it was better than the second one, but still not as good as the first movie. I'm a sucker for spy movies though, so I'm a little biased!

Although, I admit that most people in this movie are unbelievably invincible and don't get hurt after car crashes and fights! But well, it's Hollywood! If you've liked the other two movies, you'll like this one too.

I'm also listening to Harry Potter audio books, read by Jim Dale, and I'm absolutely loving it. He makes characters come alive with all the different accents he imitates and I'm reliving the experience! I'm a geek, I know!

Title: Extreme Ways, By: Moby

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After seven years of driving

...I can now confidently say: "Parallel parking, checked!"

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it's just a tiny word under your profile picture,

...but somehow that's all people can see. You are defined by it, as if you don't exist if you're not in some way associated with another being. Sad, isn't it?

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blah blah blah

why is everyone getting married? I know It's great and everything, and I'm happy for all my married friends, but it just means that a) I'm missing out on all the weddings, and b) being single is rapidly becoming uncool!

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Marking Scheme!

- so...why did I get an 85 in this course?

- well... I gave 78 to all undergrads and 85 to all grad students!

hmmm, yeah, right!

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Done...and done!

Almost 18 hours of reading and I've reached the end of my adventures with Harry Potter (spoiler alert: don't open the link if you're planning to read the book)... and yes, I cried some during the last two hours or so!! There will be no more of it... an appropriate ending for a great story. Down with the Dark Lord and stuff...

Now, with no more Harry Potter battles to come, all I'm looking forward to is (hopefully) an awesome performance by Miss Dolores O'Riordan tomorrow night!

Title: Ordinary day, By: Dolores O'Riordan

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scientific whining

Just look for yourself:


And here's the forecast for you:


And well, this is me:

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It's rainy and I'm bored

... so be good and don't be picky on my posts. I honestly can only think of bulleted posts... maybe it's a sign that I've been away from scientific writing for too long and I actually miss it?! Oh God, I hope not!

- someone tell me please, is it July or is it not? because, I think there has been a mistake... it's freaking raining in Vancouver and I had to put on a hoody to go to school today! isn't July usually hot in the Northern hemisphere? I really want to go on and on, nagging about the weather, but what's the use? you're either here and are suffering like me, or not here and are already bored by this paragraph! Let me just say this: all of you guys that I've been inviting for so long (you know who you are!), just forget about it, right at this moment Vancouver sucks!!! :(

- I watched blood diamond finally... excellent movie, although I didn't exactly see the hero in Danny Archer!

- every single person I've met since I've been back has commented on my hair... my friends, office mates, advisor, group administrator... I even had two random girls shouting at me in the department stairways to tell me how great my hair looks! yay! something to be happy over I guess! I actually think it's mostly the shock of seeing me with basically no hair, after getting used to that fuzzy curly mass of hair who used to walk around in the corridors! (photo: courtesy of Aydin, shot without even looking, obviously!)

- self-tanning is hard... like, really hard! If only we had real sun...

- I spent half an hour today, wondering if I'll be the maid of honor if my friend gets married... and she's not getting married in the near future! What do you think it means if you're actually daydreaming about someone else's wedding? hmmm...

- I'm missing the good TV series, why do they have to have the worst programs in summer?

- can I be more whiny? I don't think so. I'll just zip it for now.

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More listed stuff

13. so on the way from Vancouver to London, there was this old man sitting next to me who knew not a single word of English. So he would move his hands and make faces and I would understand him and tell the stewardess what he needed. His knees hurt really bad and that's why he didn't let me sleep for even 30 minutes before poking me to ask for painkillers or this or that. anyway, 9:30 hours passed like this. This girl passed me by and I knew her and started talking to her in Farsi. Guess what? the old man was Pakistani and he actually had lived in Iran for many years so he spoke very good Farsi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I never knew... all those hours of trying... well, I guess the worst part was when he realized he could guide me to salvation by telling me not to drink wine!

14. Of course, on the way back I had to sit next to another 70 year old man for 10 hours and well, he started by telling me that I looked 16 because I didn't have big breasts (can you beleive this?! that old bastard!) ... and then told me I needed to get married (!!!) and that he got married twice because he liked s e x!!! have everyone gone mad or is it just the people who get to sit next to me on the plane? I slept after an hour and kept myself asleep by taking motion sickness pills so he wouldn't start talking to me again!

15. I have pre-purchased the new Harry Potter book and can't wait for Saturday!!! yay!

I will think of a real post for next time, promise!

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So I'm back

I finally decided to blog! It's pretty hard after you stop for a while...

1. I had the greatest time back home if you ignore the fact that my suitcase got lost on the way there, and took two weeks to get found! Since all my shoes (favorite ones too) and pants were in that suitcase, I spent two weeks without any shoes or pants! God bless same-size sisters :)

2. Nothing is better than having original Kaleh-Pache or Dizy in the right place and with the right people.

3. Never go to Iran during the exams period. No one will give a damn how long you've been away; those tests have to be written!

4. I started and finished His dark materials series by Philip Pullman on my trip. I think it's great that he introduces this awesome practical strong female character into the fantasy world. The movie is coming out in December and I for one will go watch it as soon as it is screened. I'm still a big Potter fan though!

5. Dubai must have degraded by like a million percent since the last time I've been there; I definitely won't recommend it to anyone, at least not the old part of Dubai where everyone used to go. Explore new areas if you decide to go.

6. One Iranian movie never to watch: Parkway
One Iranian movie to maybe watch if you have time: neghaab
I missed out on Khoonbaazi, and Santoori wasn't out yet. Those two should have been good movies.

7. Heathrow is as crazy as you can imagine an airport to be... avoid it at all costs!

8. London is the coolest city ever (I'm exaggerating, of course!) ... especially if you have cool friends like Bahman and Aydin to make sure you see everywhere in only three days!

9. Harry Potter and Order of The Phoenix is exactly what you expect, a Hollywood movie, not badly made but not a masterpiece either... lots of side stories were cut out but there's really no other way to make the movie I guess... you'll like it if you're a Potter fan, but not nearly as much as you liked the book.

10. I discovered Rana Frahan in Iran, she is this Iranian Blues singer who lives in New York... I think she's awesome.

11. I missed Vancouver while I was away, and well it's a pretty hard city not to miss... but honestly, nowhere feels like home without your family next to you.

12. I know this was not a real post, but I'm jet lagged and a bit homesick still... give me a break.

Title: Drunk in love, By: Rana Frahan

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