Is it just me who finds this recent intensive focus on Syria odd? I even read in news that Israel attributed a suicide bombing to Syria couple of days ago...oh and by the way, what happened to Bin laden and Saddam?Maybe it's time for Bin laden to start getting nominated for some director/actor award thing. Even Bush won something. When is Saddam's trial? How is it gonna be held? Where is he now?

Do I need to mention that I am worried that United States might attack Iran? I mean a couple of months before attacking Iraq everyone believed that it is just not possible. I am just afraid.

I have found a new hobby. I go to Aljazeera news press Arabic section and try to understand the news. Its fun. Keeps me motivated.

How are Iranians and Greeks portrayed in the Alexander movie?

How are Iranians and Greeks portrayed in the Alexander movie?

Iranian Studies Group at MIT_Survey

New Page 1: "Please fill out this survey if you consider yourself of Iranian ancestry, are 18 or older and you consider the U.S. your primary residence. The target of this survey are those individuals who consider the United States their primary home at this time, including U.S. citizens, permanent residents and those living in the United States in the process of potentially becoming immigrants (students and skilled workers)."

explanation: This is not a political group. If you are in their target group please take time to participate and help them to have a good sample by spreading the word. Thanks!

Free Iranian journalist and blogger Arash Sigarchi Petition

Free Iranian journalist and blogger Arash Sigarchi Petition

No matter how disastrous the whole world goes I would care the most about my own little problems. I think that's the nature of human being and one of the many secrets of our survival among all those gigantic cool creatures.
But one specification that I think will help us extinct some time soon is that we rarely appreciate what we've already achieved. I mean competition is good but if you constantly think of what you have to do and not look at the road that you have walked so far...well, first you won't enjoy life and also there is high probability of getting a heart attack. You will get old before you know it and you have never enjoyed your moments. That is not good and you will certainly regret it.
Anyway, I am telling all this to myself because I started to stress out. I am setting up my resume and trying to get to know people in the World Bank to get a summer internship there, do my research, loose weight, do some volunteer jobs, learn Arabic and keep my sanity by minimum socializing needed to remind me that I am alive not a robot!

BBC NEWS | Technology | The price paid for blogging Iran

BBC NEWS Technology The price paid for blogging Iran

Arash was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He is 26 now. Same age as me.

washingtonpost.com: Faces of the Fallen

washingtonpost.com: Faces of the Fallen

President Bush Speaks with E.U. Leaders ,Video and Audio from washingtonpost.com

President Bush Speaks with E.U. Leaders ,Video and Audio from washingtonpost.com

Powerful Earthquake Shakes Central Iran (washingtonpost.com)

Powerful Earthquake Shakes Central Iran (washingtonpost.com)

BBC NEWS | Technology | Global blogger action day called

BBC NEWS | Technology | Global blogger action day called

washingtonpost.com - Camera Works news photo galleries and video with daily photos

washingtonpost.com - Camera Works news photo galleries and video with daily photos

Sigh...As cliche as it might sound, I am sick of being over weight. It makes me ugly and it makes life hard. I hate it. I want to loose weight and I will. This is a promise. In what method? Well I really can't stand hunger so that's out. I like going to gym and being physically active so that would be the main tool+ cutting on chocolate, cake and sweets. Oh, and try to have good nutritious food for all meals so that I won't end up eating junk food. I am serious this time. I have lost 8 pounds so far(since the first time I decided it's just too much, I think it was summer) and I want to loose the rest too. I was 146 then. I want to be 116. I have already done like 25 percent of the job.

Thanks Billy!

Has anyone tried to code in ILOG OPL Studio before? I have just started and I am stuck at the point that I want to introduce a piecewise linear cost function to my optimization problem. It is has the really cool option that you just give the slopes and the breakpoints of the function directly to your problem rather than going through the hassle of transferring it to an LP or MIP yourself. It is really cool, believe me...We had to read a paper to figure out what to do and now it does it all(given that I can find the error in my code of course!)

And I absolutely looove this remote access connection option in Windows. I have the OPL Studio at my office and now I can work at home as long as I want without worrying about getting hungry or uncomfortable dress or cold office. That I call convenience!

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Iran and Syria confront US with defence pact

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Iran and Syria confront US with defence pact

Hariri Funeral Becomes Anti-Syrian Rally ,Video and Audio from washingtonpost.com

Hariri Funeral Becomes Anti-Syrian Rally ,Video and Audio from washingtonpost.com

CNN.com - Blast reported in southern Iran - Feb 16, 2005

CNN.com - Blast reported in southern Iran - Feb 16, 2005

Howstuffworks "How Love Works"

Howstuffworks "How Love Works"

Thanks to Babak for the link.

Some times I feel ashamed of being from Iran

Baghdad Burning: "�Please dress appropriately next time you come here.� The man said to me. I looked down at what I was wearing- black pants, a beige high-necked sweater and a knee-length black coat. Huh? I blushed furiously. He meant my head should be covered and I should be wearing a skirt. I don�t like being told what to wear and what not to wear by strange men. �I don�t work here- I don�t have to follow a dress code.� I answered coldly"

I feel like I have to apologize to all Iraqi women who are experiencing such requests. River Bend, believe me...We have done a lot to fight these ideas. I am sorry we were not fast enough so we could get rid of them before the American occupation. You know that Iranian women are the majority in universities right now. They are having feminist movements and they are trying to push the limits and red lines that are now part of the culture and are strongly approved by religion. We are doing all we can. I am sorry that my regime owes its existence to making trouble for its neighbors. The generation who did the revolution believed in good causes but it twisted in the wrong direction mostly because people really believed in religion...I think all Muslim nations have to go through this phase so that we can be truly secular nations and don't be afraid of criticizing religion. Once I talked to a guy from Egypt and he thought that having an Islamic regime is the best thing that can happen to them. Now you know what an stupid idea it is. I am sorry because you will probably go through the same experience that Iranian women started 25 years ago. I hope yours lasts shorter.

I should congratulate Mr. Bush for this mess. Instead of a liberal country now we are having our copy paste of Islamic Republic of Iran. I hate not being able to do anything about them creating another Islamic regime in Iraq. That region is racing backwards to dark ages. Thanks to oil, thanks to arrogance, thanks to us not being heard by American public. The media is too loud in here. Today in a bus an old lady, after me telling that I am from Iran, told me that she is very glad to see someone from Iran who is actually a lovely human being..."You know with what we all hear about Iran"...I have never felt so helpless.

Happy Valentine!

I know it's late but Happy Valentine my friends:)

Iraq Winners Allied With Iran Are the Opposite of U.S. Vision (washingtonpost.com)

Iraq Winners Allied With Iran Are the Opposite of U.S. Vision (washingtonpost.com)

Sony Pictures - Hitch

Sony Pictures - Hitch

It was hilarious! You should watch it. It is way funnier than Meet the fockers. I laughed all the time. Very good movie for a weekend.

Priceless!

Jack wakes up with a huge hangover after attending his company's ChristmasParty. Jack is not normally a drinker, but the drinks didn't taste likealcohol at all. He didn't even remember how he got home from the party. As badas he was feeling, he wondered if he did something wrong. Jack had to forcehimself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirinsnext to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a single red rose!

Jack sits up and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean.So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees ahuge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. Then he notices anote hanging on the corner of the mirror written in red with little hearts onit and a kiss mark from his wife in lipstick!: "Honey, breakfast is on thestove, I left early to go get groceries to make you your favorite dinner tonight.

I love you, darling!

Love,

Jillian"

He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast, steaminghot coffee and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating.Jack asks, "Son... what happened last night?" "Well, you came home after 3A.M., drunk and out of your mind. You fell over the coffee table and broke it,and then you puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran intothe door." Confused he asked his son, "So, why is everything in such perfectorder, so clean, I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?"His son replies, "Oh THAT! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she triedto take your pants off, you screamed, "Leave me alone, lady, I'm married!"
Broken Coffee Table $39.99
Hot Breakfast $4.20
Two Aspirins $.38
Saying the right thing, at the right time, priceless.

No War on Iran!

No War on Iran!

A piece from the past

I thought this might be interesting to you. This is how I used to go to school in undergrad or basically all my school years. Can you find me in the picture? I am the second from right in the front row. You see that some of the girls are wearing long veils? Those are more religious people. In my school however, all of us had to wear those until my junior year when they changed the rules. The attire that I am wearing is sort of the official formal dress code for women in Iran. If you want to go to work or school you have to be like this. But you can easily see girls like these in the streets of Tehran and other big cities of Iran. The woman standing 5th from left in the front row is our professor.

A proud sister

I am really proud of her . You go girl!

This week update...

I just got back from the ski class... I love it. I mean I've never had so much fun. There is this really first level slope which is called "bunny slope". After practicing the basics of knowing the equipment and taking big turns(to slow down) last week, on a tiny hill, we went on the bunny slope this week. I loved the speed and it was super exciting. I fell couple of times but who cares?(My butt hurts though!) I should try to convince my professional friends to come with me next week so we can stay longer. I couldn't believe how fast time passed this week. Almost didn't want to come home when class was over.

The Arabic class is also fun. My reading and writing is good but listening wise I am behind and my pronunciation is just funny. My Persian accent is really funny and it is hard to change because the alphabet is the same(we have all of them in Farsi+ 4 more) but the way we pronounce them is very different. I have to study a lot this weekend memorizing about 1600 words(I am sure I already know half of it) and review the grammar parts to catch up with the rest of the class.

Research is fine..Slow but fine and I am so enjoying not having any courses this semester. Socializing wise, I just need to meet new people and throw a party soon. I have met three interesting girls in my ski class so far from Turkey, Greece and Brazil. I liked it this week. How was your week?

" The world's primary state sponsor of terror"

I have been avoiding the talks about possible attacks on Iran as if avoiding the problem will miraculously solve it or it might be the fact that I hopelessly see nothing that I can really do to prevent it. I listened to president's speech today trying to guess if the relatively short part about Iran has anything new...I heard the same stuff except that our ranking is higher now. A few years ago we were in an axis with Iraq and North Korea. Now after a "liberated" Iraq and God knows what is going on with North Korea we are the primary sponsor of terror.

I don't say that the regime is not sponsoring terror. In fact it is. But any pressure on the regime is directly passed to people. To me threatening the dictator regime of Iran and sending support messages to people is just not realistic. I see it more of a justification or just self deceiving. It sounds good in a speech but what actually happens is that we, the ordinary people, are the main and final losers of this game. No matter what solution they choose from sanctions to war it is people's loss. I was a kid when war with Iraq was happening but I have very clear memories of how scared I was from sounds of those bombs, feeling the ground shake and trying to guess how close the attack was. I remember how poor everyone was. I remember that war and I don't want my country to go through anything like that again. I am just awfully scared of war or more sanctions. I think my people deserve to be in peace.

Iranian bloggers have launched a blog to oppose the attack on Iran. I would like to invite you to visit this blog. Specially if you are not from Iran. Please hear us and let us be heard by spreading the word: Iranians for Peace