Idea Engineer

Foreign tourists welcomed with flower in Iran

2011-10-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

Foreign tourists welcomed with flower in Iran

Concurrent with world Tourism Day, the first tourists who entered the country were welcomed by flower, Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism News Agency reported.

Foreign tourists who arrived in the country on Tuesday night were welcomed by some number of tourism officials.

The step aims at showing the tourism is an important issue in the country.

1st Health Tourist Complex planned

2011-09-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

The first health tourism complex will be established in Tehran

“This industry is flourishing in various nations,”

Although Iran is in a favorable position in terms of medical services, the official said Iranians have not tapped health tourism.

many people from neighboring countries travel to Iran for medical treatment.

“Therefore, we intend to launch several health tourism complexes in Tehran,”

The first health tourism complex will also include a hotel.

Tourism is considered the second biggest global industry in terms of earning revenues.

According to a report released by the World Bank, health sector is the third major source of attracting investments across the world.

Jahangiri concluded that bringing both the fields of tourism and health together is a good means of securing investments.

Currently, hospital bed occupancy stands at 60-70 percent across the country. The vacant potential can be used for treating foreign patients.

Meat without slaughter: '6 months' to bio-sausages - science-in-society - 31 August 2011 - New Scientist

2011-09-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

Meat without slaughter: '6 months' to bio-sausages - science-in-society - 31 August 2011 - New Scientist

Animals at the National Zoo React to D.C. Earthquake

2011-08-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

Howler Monkeys The howler monkeys sounded an alarm call just after the earthquake. Wikimedia Commons Plenty of East Coast humans may have freaked out during yesterday's earthquake, but what about the animals? At the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., some animals were slightly jittery, while many weathered the quake with grace and aplomb. Except for the black-and-rufous giant elephant shrew. He was a real wuss. The National Zoo issued a report this morning detailing how their mammals, reptiles, fish and birds reacted to the 5.9 magnitude earthquake. Some definitely took it better than others. Click for a photo gallery of the animals' reactions to the quake. "Iris (an orangutan) began ‘belch vocalizing‘ - an unhappy/upset noise normally reserved for extreme irritation - before the quake and continued this vocalization following the quake," the zoo's communications office says. "Damai (a female Sumatran tiger) jumped at the start of the earthquake in a startled fashion....

http://esciencenews.com/sources/popsci/2011/08/24/animals.national.zoo.react.d.c.earthquake

The second-largest square in the world

2011-07-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

This square is from the period of Shah Abbas I, and has a length of 500 m. from north to south, and its width being approximately 165 m.

Surrounding this vicinity are the Abbasi Mosque and Sheikh Lotf Ol-lah Mosque, the Qaisarieh portal and the Ali Qapoo Edifice. During the reign of Shah Abbas I and his successors, this square was an area where festivities, polo, dramatics and military parades took place.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Naqsh-e Jahan or Imam Square is located in Esfahan city centre. The second-largest square in the world (after Beijing's Tianamen Square), it is surrounded by buildings dating back to the Safavid era.

To the south is the Royal Mosque (Imam Mosque), an architectural masterpiece of Iranian architecture decorated in elaborate mosaic tiles. Sheikh Lotfullah Mosque is located to the east and on the west side is Ali Qapu, a pavilion or palace seven Iran high that towers over the square. Inside, its walls are decorated with naturalistic wall paintings, there are highly-decorated doors and windows, and on the sixth floor there is a music room with deep niches in its walls to enhance the acoustics. The Grand Bazaar stands on the north side and connects the square to the Old City via an elaborate network of passageways.

Persian food culture

2011-06-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT
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Iran is located in southwestern Asia. It covers an area of 1,648,000 square kilometers (636,296 square miles), slightly larger than the state of Alaska. Iran is geologically unstable, and experiences periodic earthquakes. In 1978, a deadly earthquake struck eastern Iran, killing at least 25,000 people.
Air and water pollution are significant problems in Iran. Twenty-five percent of the rural people do not have pure water.
2 HISTORY AND FOOD
Since the beginning of human civilization in present-day Iran, a series of peoples has invaded and conquered the region, exposing the area to new customs, beliefs, ideas, and foods, as well as bringing Iranian customs and foods back to their own home countries. The ancient Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Turks are just a few of the groups that have had an influence on Iranian culture and its cuisine.
Iranian cuisine is often referred to as "Persian." This is because, until 1934, Iran was known as Persia. The Persians are an ancient culture believed to have originated in central Asia as far back as 2000 B.C. At one time, Persian territory stretched as far east as India. Curry (a spice) was adapted from the people of India and incorporated into the Persian (now Iranian) cuisine. Modern spicy curry stews demonstrate India's influence.
The Indians also adapted foods from the Persians. When the Moghuls invaded India in 1526, they brought with them ingredients from the Persian cuisine, which they highly admired. A northern Indian cuisine called mughulai is modeled after what the Persians commonly ate: mounds of rice seasoned
with saffron, topped with nuts, raisins, and various meats. Dishes such as kofta (KOFtah, meatballs) and pilau (POO-lau) are now common to both Iranians and northern Indians.
Several of Iran's most prominent dishes originated from the Greeks, Arabs, Turks, and Russians. Greece invaded present-day Iran in the A.D. 200s, introducing stuffed grape leaves. Yogurt may have originated from either Greece or Turkey, where it is also a dietary staple. The Iranian food rules that categorize foods into "hot or "cold" is believed to have been derived from ancient Greek theories of medicine (See Mealtime Customs ). Dishes made of lamb, dates, and figs were brought into the Persian diet during the Arab invasion of the 600s.
Three hundred years later, the Turks expanded their Ottoman Empire into Persian territory. The idea of stuffing leaves, vines, fruits, and vegetables with various fillings (Turkish dolma ) was reinforced by the Turks. Dolma and kofte (meatballs) have become very popular throughout the Middle Eastern countries. The kebab (cubes of skewered meat) is probably the most important introduction by the Turks—it has become one of Iran's national dishes. Strong Turkish coffee was also introduced. Once a widely consumed Iranian beverage, it has now fallen behind the popularity of chây (tea). The strong, dark tea is brewed in an urn called a samovar , a Russian word. Tea most likely originated in Russia.
Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Ingredients
1 jar grape leaves (available at most Greek, Middle Eastern, and Italian markets)
1½ cups uncooked rice
1 medium onion, diced
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups water
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup raisins
½ cup lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Grape leaves are sold in jars at most large supermarkets. In many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries, including Iran, cooks prepare a filling of rice and meat to be rolled up inside the tender grape leaves. The rolls are then simmered in a savory broth, often with tomato juice.
EPD Photos
Procedure
In a saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil until light brown.
Add rice and brown lightly.
Add the water, salt, and pepper.
Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until water is absorbed but rice is only partially cooked.
Make certain rice does not stick or burn.
Add all the ingredients except the lemon juice and mix well.
Drain the grape leaves and place 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of each leaf.
Fold the sides in and roll the leaf up.
Place stuffed leaves in a pot in even and tight rows covering the bottom of the pan. When the bottom layer is complete, start another layer. Continue rolling dolmas until all of the filling is used.
Add ½ of the lemon juice and enough water to cover half of the rolled leaves.
Place a plate on the top layer to hold the stuffed leaves down and to prevent them from unrolling while cooking.
Simmer over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Remove the plate and dolmas from the pan, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and serve. May be served warm or at room temperature. Serve with Yogurt and Mint Sauce (recipe follows) if desired.
Makes about 20 to 25.
Yogurt and Mint Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup fresh mint, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Lemon wedges
Procedure
Combine yogurt, mint, and garlic in a small bowl.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves, recipe precedes), cucumbers, or with any salad.
3 FOODS OF THE IRANIANS
Iranian food (also referred to as Persian food) is some of the most delicious and fresh in its region. It is also quite healthy, using only small amounts of red meat (usually

Chây (tea), the favorite beverage in Iran, is brewed in a large, ornate pot called a samovar.
Cory Langley lamb or beef), emphasizing larger amounts of grains (especially rice), fruits, and vegetables. Although it is often lumped under the category of general "Middle Eastern" fare, the Iranian cuisine is able to retain its uniqueness in a variety of ways. One of these ways is preparing meals with contrasting flavors, such as a combination of sweet and sour or mild and spicy.
The country's cuisine is largely based on berenj (rice). It is relatively inexpensive and grown locally, making it an affordable and readily available staple in the everyday diet. A typical Iranian meal is often a heaping plate of chelo (CHEH-loh; plain, cooked rice) topped with vegetables, fish, or meat. It also provides a cool contrast to spicy meat toppings. The two national rice dishes are chelo and polo (POH-loh; rice cooked with several ingredients). There are seemingly endless varieties of dishes that can be prepared with rice in Iran.
Nân (bread), a round, flat bread that can either be baked or cooked over a bed of small stones, is the other staple food of Iranian cuisine. There are several varieties, including lavâsh , a very thin, brittle bread served for breakfast, and sangak (sahn-GAHK), a thicker, chewier variety that is usually marked by small "dimples" in the crust. Villages often make their own nân , while those who live in the city are frequently seen leaving bakeries with armfuls of freshly made loaves.
Meat, particularly chicken and lamb, is most commonly eaten as kebabs (KEE-bahbs), pieces of meat served on a skewer. Âsh (soups) and khoresh (stews) make popular entrees to most Iranian meals and often contain such meat. Abgoosht (up-GOOSHT) is a hearty soup made of mutton (sheep meat) and chickpeas. Soups are drunk directly from the bowl. Koftas (meatballs), vegetables (such as eggplant), fruits (such as quince, an apple-like fruit), and even yogurt (an Iranian mainstay) are often added to soups and stews.
Quinces, pears, grapes, dates, apricots, and Iranian melons flavored with rosewater are typically eaten for dessert. Halva (HAHL-wah, a sesame treat) and baklava (bahk-LAH-vah, crisp paper-like pastry layered with nuts and honey) are common throughout the Middle East. Iranians also love ice cream and puddings. Although sugared chây (tea) is the country's most treasured beverage and ghahvé (coffee) is highly popular, Iranians (particularly children) often enjoy a sweet drink after large meals. Palouden (PAO-loo-den), a rose- and lemon-flavored drink, dugh (sour milk or yogurt mixed with sparkling water) and fresh fruit juices can be made at home or bought in cafes and at street stalls.
Kebab Morgh (Grilled Skewered Chicken)
Ingredients
2 onions, finely grated
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
1½ teaspoons salt
2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
4 Tablespoons melted butter
Small pinch of saffron threads, dissolved in 2 teaspoons warm water (optional, but recommended)
Procedure
Mix the onion, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl.
Add the chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours.
Thread the chicken pieces onto metal skewers.
Stir the melted butter and dissolved saffron into the marinade.
Brush the marinade onto the chicken.
Preheat broiler or grill. Grill the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes.
Baste (occasionally moisten) and turn the chicken as needed.
Serves 8 to 10.

Iranians enjoy grilled meat and poultry. Typically the Iranian Kebab Morgh (Grilled Skewered Chicken) would include just chicken on the skewer, but here mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and peppers have been added.
Cory Langley
Shirazi (Cucumber and Tomato Salad)
Ingredients
4 medium-sized cucumbers
3 medium-sized tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1½ cups lime juice
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
Peel the cucumbers, remove the inner pulp and seeds, and chop them into bite-size pieces.
Wash the tomatoes and chop them the same-size.
Remove all the tomato seeds and let the excess tomato juice drain.
Mix all the chopped ingredients together in a bowl.
Refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to serve (no longer than 1 hour).
Twenty minutes before serving, add the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Serve in small salad bowls as a salad or side dish.
It tastes particularly good with rice and kebabs or stews.
Serves 4 to 6.
Halva
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup rose water (optional)
4 teaspoons liquid saffron (optional, but recommended)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
Procedure
Boil the sugar and water together until the sugar is dissolved, then add the rose-water and saffron. Remove from the heat (but keep warm).
Melt the butter in a pan over low heat and gradually stir in the flour to a smooth paste.
Continue to cook over a low heat until golden in color. Slowly add the sugar and water mixture, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately.
While still warm, spread onto a plate and press down with the back of a spoon, making a pattern with the spoon.
Cut into small wedges and serve cold with toast and tea.
Serves 8 to 10.
Dugh (Sparkling Yogurt Drink)
Ingredients
Plain yogurt
1 teaspoon pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons salt (optional)
Dash of mint
Seltzer water
Ice cubes
Procedure
Fill a tall glass halfway with the yogurt.
Add pepper, salt, and mint; stir with a spoon.
Continuing to stir, add enough seltzer water to fill the rest of the glass; stir well and add ice cubes.
If a thinner drink is preferred, add more seltzer. For a thicker drink, use more yogurt.
Makes 1 serving.
4 FOOD FOR RELIGIOUS AND HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS
Almost all (about 98 percent) of Iranians are Shi'ah Muslims. They follow Shi'ah Islam, the government religion, and celebrate Muslim holidays throughout the year. Many of the country's religious holidays celebrate the birthdays of imams (religious leaders). One such leader is the Prophet Muhammad, who is remembered each year with a celebration called Mouloud (moo-LOOD). Ashura is a day to remember the Prophet's grandson, Husayn, who was murdered in A.D. 680. On this day, parades typically crowd city streets and people give money or food to the poor if they can afford to.
Ramadan is the most sacred time of the year for Muslims. For an entire month, Muslims fast (do not eat or drink) from sunrise to sunset every day, hoping to cleanse their bodies and minds and remember those who are less fortunate. Restaurants and food stores are often closed or have limited hours during this holy month. Ramadan ends with the sighting of the new moon. The three-day festival marking Ramadan's end is known as Eid al-Fitr . During this time, the month-long fast is broken by community prayer, and then followed by a large feast with family and friends.
Now Ruz (no-ROOZ), the Iranian New Year, takes place on the first day of spring (March 21) and is probably the most important festival in Iran. Iranians of all ages eagerly await this day (literally meaning "new day"), and look forward to a new beginning and an abundance of delicious meals and sweets.
Festivities for Now Ruz begin nearly two weeks ahead of time—planting seeds, buying clothes, and cleaning homes. Haft sin (hoft-SEEN) is a tradition in which tables are decorated with seven items that symbolize triumph over evil, including sir (garlic) and senjid (olives). Samanu (sah-muh-NOO), a pudding made from flour, sugar, and walnuts, is also made at this time. For additional good luck, a mother will often eat one cooked egg for every one of her children.
Beginning on the day of Now Ruz and lasting for two weeks, feasting and visiting with friends and relatives takes place while schools and offices remain closed. Iranian sweets and snacks such as fruits, nuts, pastries, puddings, and tea, are placed on tables in anticipation of visiting guests. Iranian rice cakes and sabzi polo , a rice dish flavored with herbs, are popular foods. On the thirteenth day of the New Year, called Sizdeh Bedar (seez-DAH-bee-DAR), it is believed that homes are filled with bad luck. To help chase it away, sabzeh (wheat or lentil seeds grown during haft sin ) are thrown out the window and a picnic outdoors is enjoyed. At 5 P.M. , it is customary to eat lettuce leaves dipped in a honey and vinegar dressing, accompanied by tea.
When Iranians make their container of sabzeh , or green sprouts, for Now Ruz, they sometimes simply scatter the seeds over a plate and keep them moistened with water as they sprout and grow. They may also choose to fill a porous clay pot or jar with water and attach the seeds to the outside of the jar with strips of cloth until they stick to the moist surface. The strips are then removed and the sprouts grow upward in sunlight—green and full.
Sprouts, similar to those grown by Iranians, can be grown by filling a bowl or other container with sterile potting mix from a plant nursery, and scattering lentils or grains of barley or wheat thickly across the surface of the potting mix. The mix should be watered until it is evenly moist throughout, and then the container should be covered loosely with plastic wrap to hold in the moisture. The seeds will sprout if the container is left on a sunny windowsill; the surface should be sprinkled with water once or twice a day to keep the seeds moist.
After three days, the seeds should have begun to sprout and the plastic wrap may be removed. When the sprouts are a few inches tall, they may be tied into a bunch with a pretty ribbon, or snipped and added to a salad.
Lettuce Dipped in Honey and Vinegar Dressing
This is prepared on the thirteenth day of Now Ruz, the Iranian New Year.
Ingredients
1 head of lettuce
1 cup honey
½ cup vinegar, or to taste
Procedure
Remove brown leaves from head of lettuce.
Tear off crisp, green leaves and arrange on a large plate.
In a bowl, combine the honey and vinegar; stir well.
Pour dressing onto a small plate or bowl and place in the center of larger plate holding lettuce.
To eat, dip lettuce leaves into dressing.
Shir-Berenj (Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
2 cups rice
3 cups milk
1 cup water
½ cup rose water (optional)
½ cup heavy cream
Sugar or jam
Procedure
Measure the rice into a saucepan, rinse it, and drain off the water.
Add water and milk to rice in saucepan and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, until rice is soft.
Add the rose water and cook for another minute or so.
Add the cream. Serve topped with sugar or jam.
Makes 8 servings.
Iranian Rice Cakes
Ingredients
2 cups rice
2½ cups water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
Procedure
Bring water and milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in rice and salt.
Simmer over low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 10 more minutes.

Tender lettuce leaves are arranged around a bowl of honey-vinegar dip to be served in the late afternoon of the thirteenth day of Now Ruz (New Year).
EPD Photos
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the cooked rice, pressing down with a spatula to form a flat cake the size of the skillet.
Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, flattening with the spatula every 15 minutes.
The cake is done when it is golden brown on the bottom and the top edges are lightly browned.
Remove the skillet from the heat and let the cake cool until it is just warm to the touch.
Turn the skillet upside down over a platter, holding the top of the cake with your other hand. Let the cake gently slide out onto the platter.
The rice cake may be eaten warm or cold. Cut into pie-shaped wedges to serve.
Serves 6 to 8.
5 MEALTIME CUSTOMS
Upon entering an Iranian home and removing one's shoes at the door, a gift or reciprocated dinner invitation should be offered to the host. When the meal is ready to be served, the host will place large platters of food on top of the sofreh (sof-RAY, tablecloth) that rests on top of a floor rug. Diners sit cross-legged in front of individual settings of plates, bowls, and silverware (typically a fork and a spoon). Iranians of the opposite sex (unless related) do not sit next to one another while eating. Talking is also kept to a minimum.
Although most meals will offer bread, rice, and meat (often a kebab ), Iranians often choose what foods will be served by following a set of food rules that originated from ancient Greek medicine. Foods are classified as either "hot" or "cold," depending on the food's heating or cooling effect on the individual (rather than the food's actual temperature). Hot foods include meats, sweets, and eggplant. Yogurt, cucumbers, and fish classify as cold. Iranians try to serve a balance of hot and cold foods. After dinner, chây (tea) is commonly accompanies fresh fruit for dessert, although more elaborate meals or special occasions will include pastries such as baklava or halva .
Iranians consume three meals a day, including snacks (usually nuts, seeds, fruit, or a light yogurt dish). Soph'ha'neh (breakfast), separate from the typical Iranian fare of lunch and dinner, usually consists of hot tea, cheese, and fresh baked bread from the local bakery or home kitchen. Some choose to purchase it from "bicycle breadmen" who travel from door to door, selling leftover bread for a reduced price. Northern provinces prefer asal (honey) with cooked, cold rice and fish. Central Iranians enjoy yogurt and soft cream, while southern Iranians prefer cheese and dates.
A child's weekday (Saturday through Thursday) breakfast before school is often the same as that of adults: tea, honey, bread, and feta cheese. Similar to breakfast, the light lunch served by most schools typically includes fresh fruit, dates, pistachio nuts, bread, and cheese.
Maast (Homemade Yogurt)
Ingredients
4 cups (approximately) milk
1 heaping spoonful plain yogurt
Procedure
Scald the milk by heating it justs until it starts to boil.
Allow it to cool until it feels warm to the touch without burning.
Add the spoonful of yogurt and mix lightly. Place in a container with a closed lid.
Cover with a thick cloth or towel for at least 5 hours well (to maintain warmth), or until the yogurt has thickened.
Unwrap the container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 8 servings.
Feta Cheese and Vegetable Tray
Ingredients
1 bunch green onions, sliced into 2-inch pieces
Feta cheese, crumbled
Spicy pickles, sliced into 1-inch long pieces
1 red onion, sliced
½ pound of sliced turkey
Small spinach leaves
2 or 3 tomatoes, sliced
Procedure
Roll up the slices of turkey.
Arrange all the ingredients on a platter or large, circular dish.
Serve chilled.
Makes 4 to 8 servings.
Desser Miveh (Persian Fruit Salad)
Ingredients
2 seedless oranges, peeled and cored
2 apples, peeled and cored
2 bananas, sliced
2 cups pitted dates, chopped
1 cup dried figs or apricots, chopped
1 cup orange juice
1 cup almonds, chopped
Procedure
Place the fruit in serving bowl and pour the orange juice over the fruit and mix gently.
Garnish with almonds or coconut.
Cover and chill several hours before serving.

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Iran.html

Statement by IMF Article IV Mission to the Islamic Republic of Iran

2011-06-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

Statement by IMF Article IV Mission to the Islamic Republic of Iran
Press Release No. 11/228
June 13, 2011
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Dominique Guillaume visited the Islamic Republic of Iran from May 28 to June 9, 2011 to conduct discussions for the Article IV Consultation. Article IV Consultations are an important part of the IMF’s regular surveillance activity with all member countries and are usually conducted every year. At the conclusion of the visit, the mission issued the following statement:

“The mission reviewed recent economic developments and revised its macroeconomic estimates and projections in light of new data and discussions with the authorities. Real GDP growth recovered to an estimated 3.5 percent in 2009/10 despite the drop in oil prices, reflecting strong non-oil growth and an exceptional agriculture crop. The positive growth momentum continued in 2010/11. The authorities’ monetary policy successfully brought down annual average inflation from 25.4 percent in 2008/09 to 12.4 percent in 2010/11. Gross external reserves also remain comfortable with improved prospects for the external sector on the back of higher oil prices.

“The mission commended the authorities for the early success in the implementation of their ambitious subsidy reform program. The increases in prices of energy products, public transport, wheat, and bread adopted on December 19, 2010, are estimated to have removed close to US$60 billion (about 15 percent of GDP) in annual implicit subsidies to products. At the same time, the redistribution of the revenues arising from the price increases to households as cash transfers has been effective in reducing inequalities, improving living standards, and supporting domestic demand in the economy. The energy price increases are already leading to a decline in excessive domestic energy consumption and related energy waste. While the subsidy reform is expected to result in a transitory slowdown in economic growth and temporary increase in the inflation rate, it should considerably improve Iran’s medium term outlook by rationalizing domestic energy use, increasing export revenues, strengthening overall competitiveness, and bringing economic activity in Iran closer to its full potential.

“The authorities have been successful in containing the initial impact of the energy price increases on inflation. Despite the very large price increases of up to 20 times, consumer price inflation has only increased from 10.1 percent in December to 14.2 percent at end-May 2011. Maintaining macroeconomic stability in the near term through coordinated and adequately tightened monetary and fiscal policies is essential to preserve the benefits of the subsidy reform. Equally challenging will be the restructuring of enterprises through the adoption of more energy-efficient technologies, and the broader reorientation of the economy towards less energy-intensive products and services, and production technologies. The authorities should actively pursue their efforts to improve the business environment to support the creation of new enterprises and jobs.

“The mission also reviewed developments in Iran’s financial sector, which has been a key driver of economic growth. Iran has the largest Islamic financial sector in the world, with a deep banking sector, and rapidly growing financial markets. The recent strong performance of the stock market largely reflects high international commodity prices and Iran’s large-scale privatization program, which has contributed to the development of a shareholding culture. The mission underscored the importance of the ongoing banking sector reform program embodied in the 5th Five-Year Development Plan to strengthen the soundness of the financial sector.

“The mission team would like to thank the Iranian authorities for their hospitality, as well as constructive and open discussions.”

IMF EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Public Affairs Media Relations
E-mail: publicaffairs@imf.org Phone: 202-623-7100
Fax: 202-623-6278 Fax: 202-623-6772

http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2011/pr11228.htm

Shahrzad Rafati / BroadbandTV

2011-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

You're not going to stop piracy," says Shahrzad Rafati. "Fans think of themselves as fans who just want to share a great Kobe dunk." Rafati, who moved from Tehran to Vancouver in 2000 to study computer science, founded BroadbandTV to "take the fear out of the web" for content owners like Warner Bros., Sony, EA, and the NBA. Her technology identifies copyrighted content not just on YouTube but everywhere a user might upload video, then sells ads against it and shares the revenue with the owner. "We've claimed and monetized hundreds of thousands of videos for the NBA over the last two years," Rafati says.

http://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2011/shahrzad-rafati-broadbandtv

Mostafa Nazari, winner of the Best Goalkeeper of the World category of the UMBRO Futsal Awards 2010!

2011-06-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Second day for the UMBRO Futsal Awards 2010 - 11th Edition by Futsalplanet.com! Using a different fixture with respect to the previous editions, today we're going to find out who was the Best Goalkeeper of the World during the entire year 2010. Since the introduction of this category our "trip" was spent between Europe (Luis Amado in 2003 & 2004, Sergey Zuev in 2008) and South America (Tiago, 2007 and Santiago Elias, 2009) but now is time to move to Asia. Ladies & gentlemen, clap your hands for Mostafa Nazari, winner of the Best Goalkeeper of the World category of the UMBRO Futsal Awards 2010!

http://www.futsalplanet.com/news/news-01.asp?id=14681

Iranian Wrestler World Medalist in NYC

2011-05-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

few members of the Iranian National Team will be in NYC this Friday and Saturday. They are putting on a technique session for inner city kids for free. The Participants include:
1. Reza Yazdani – 96kg World Medalist
2. Sadegh Goudarzi – 74kg World Medalist
3. Davood Rakhshhorshid – 120 kg Iranian National Champ, National team member
4. Gholamreza Mohammadi – National Head Coach, World Medalist
5. Mohsen Kaveh – National Asst Coach
6. *Mehdi Kaveh – 1996 World Cup Champion & OW, US Sponsor of the Iranians while in the States.
7. Hossein Maleky – Iranian Sponsor & Delegate
8. Ali Abdolkarimi – Iranian Sponsor & Delegate
They will be in Soho at Beat The Street Facility located on 145 Thompson at 5:30pm, and on Saturday Morning 10:30am they will be at the NYAC club on 58th Street. Please cheer them on.

Harare Morris

2011-05-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Morris Web site with a variety of styles of the death of Osama bin Laden T-shirt.
Hear the “base” leader Osama bin Laden was killed in the news, your first reaction? Americans might celebrate immediately rushed Avenue, the Chinese might quickly login to see the major sites the latest news. 23-year-old student at New York University School of Business has chosen a Harare Morris different way: He first registered domain name, and then spent 3 hours to build a new Web site, the sale of printed “Osama bin Laden is dead” pattern T-shirts, at least within 2 days to earn 12 million dollars.
Construction site selling T shirt 2 days Kuangzhuan 120 000
U.S. Eastern Time at 3:30 on May 2, at the Ezra and the assistance of an Indian friend, Maurice 3 hours when only the new Web site, “Osama bin Laden is dead T-shirt” (osamadeadtees . com) on the line, specializing in selling a variety of different styles, but all bearing the name “Osama bin Laden is dead” or logo T-shirt, priced at $ 12 each.
Earned in 2 days at least 12 million U.S. dollars, from a business point of view, this attempt is no doubt Morris is a successful example of event marketing.
Bin Laden’s death have been crazy domain name registered by
Fact, want to make money through bin Laden’s death not Morris, an American, his “Osama is dead T-shirt,” bin Laden was killed at the site just after the announcement on the Internet about the U.S. 2000 with the death of Osama bin Laden in a new domain name. According to U.S. media, statistics, Internet domain name contains Osama Bin Laden, dead, killed most of the words of the new domain name is Osama bin Laden was killed in a message broadcast set up within hours. (According to China Daily)

http://www.cnkeyword.info/american-college-students-to-sell-bin-laden-is-dead-t-%E6%81%A4-earned-120000-to-2-days/

Shamgen visa

2011-04-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

The four regional countries of Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq will issue a common visa named “Shamgen” for their citizens. The word “Shamgen” which is a regional version of the European Union's “Schengen” is coined from “Sham,” Syria's historical name.

Why is there no looting in Japan?

2011-03-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty: In the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions, we have witnessed the almost indescribable chaos that follows a disaster of this magnitude: loss of life, severe injuries, homelessness, lack of water, food and proper medical care, the physical destruction of towns and cities, and a growing fear of radioactive contamination from power plants that seem beyond anyone's ability to control. But one heart-wrenching byproduct of disasters like this one has been missing in Japan, and that’s looting and lawlessness. Looting is something we see after almost every tragedy; for example: last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the floods in England in 2007, and of course Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It happens when some people who've seen life as they know it get tossed out the window feel that all morality has been tossed out too. It's survival of the fittest and whatever you can get your hands on is yours, no matter who it belongs to. But that's not happening in Japan. Journalist and social commentator Ed West wrote in the UK Telegraph yesterday how struck he was by the Japanese culture throughout this ordeal. He observed how supermarkets cut their prices in the days following the quake and how vending machine owners were giving out free drinks as "people work together to survive." And West was most surprised by the fact that there was no looting. Many have pointed to the popularity of Japan's distinctive Buddhist and Shinto religions as well as how the values of conformity and consensus are considered virtues in their culture. That's one explanation, but it probably has something to do with remaining true to your moral code even in the darkest hours. http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/15/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/#more-15404

Happy Norooz

2011-03-20T01:16:00.000-07:00

Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز, [nouˈɾuːz], "New Day", originally "New Light") is the name of the New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations.Nowruz is also widely referred to as the Persian New Year.

Also spelled Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Nawruz, Newroz, Newruz, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nowroj, Navroj, Nevruz, Наврӯз, Navruz, Navrez, Nooruz, Nauryz, Nevruz, Nowrouz,ნავრუზი (Georgian)
Principally in: Iran Turkey Afghanistan Albania Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Azerbaijan Tajikistan Azeris in Georgia (country) Georgia [1] Iraqi Kurdistan Turkmenistan Kyrgyzstan Kosovoethnic & religious groups worldwide:Kurdish diaspora Zoroastrians, Sufis, Bahá'ís and the Iranian diaspora. Also observed in Bosnia, Caucasus, Crimea, Georgia, India, Kashmir, Macedonia, Pakistan, Serbia, and among Uyghurs and Salars of China.

Iran’s national doll Amu Nowruz unveiled

2011-03-19T00:59:00.001-07:00

Iran’s national doll Amu Nowruz (Uncle Noruz) will find ways into children’s arms at Nowruz this year, celebrating the New Year’s arrival.
“Amu Nowruz” concerns the legendry Iranian figure Uncle Nowruz who is similar to Santa Claus and brings new life and warmth to every household each Noruz, the Iranian New Year, which begins on March 21 and coincides with spring.

Iran a land for adventurous tourists

2011-03-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Iran has much to offer tourists looking for an adventurous experience.

Two deserts, for instance, namely Dasht-e Kavir and Kavir-e Lut, cover a large part of Iran’s central plateau.
Lut is one of the driest and little known places in the world, which is full of geological wonders. The midpoint of Lut has an altitude of about 300 meters from the sea-level and is one of the hottest places in the world, Currentiran reported.
Dasht-e Kavir also has its own attractions. There are salt plates, the water of which evaporate quickly and leave behind wide flat mosaic-like plates of salt. The most beautiful of them can be seen in the salt lake in the western part of Dasht-e Kavir.
They are ideal for desert safaris and a riding tour on camels.
Wildlife
In the magical land of Iran, there are about 10,000 and 500 plant and bird species respectively (equal to the number of birds and plants living in Europe), which attracts the attention of every specialist and nature lover.
These species include precious and rare species like the Siberian crane, Houbara, falcons, imperial eagle and pelican.
Among the 160 species of mammals, apart from the Asiatic lion, which used to live in the central parts of Iran, and the Caspian tiger, which became extinct not long ago, one can still witness wildlife diversity in Iran.
One can see the Persian fallow deer, which was thought to be extinct, Asian Cheetah, which is facing extinction, Asiatic black bear and three species of gazelles. All these animals need more protection to survive.
The Persian Gulf of Iran is the habitat of the biggest mammal in the world, namely blue whale, while in the terrestrial habitats of Iran, the smallest mammal named white-toothed pygmy shrew has survived.
The aquatics of Caspian Sea include sturgeons or the Caviar fishes, also known as the living fossils. Caviar is referred to as the black pearl worldwide.
Mountaineering
Mountains of Iran, which are the most beautiful and distinct features of the country, cover more than half of Iran.
In general, the mountains of Iran include two main ranges of Alborz with an east-west direction and Zagros with a northwest-southeast extension, which cover most of the high mountains in Iran. Other areas also have many high mountains, especially around the central plateau of Iran.
The beautiful Alborz mountain range in the north contains a collection of the highest mounts in Iran. Damavand, the roof of Iran with a 5,671-meter altitude, is a volcanic cone. Alamkouh, 4,850 meters tall and with forested slopes, has 850 meters of fine parapet excellent for rock-climbing. There are also many other peaks of over 4,000 meters high.
In the Zagros range, most of the mountains are calcareous with deep valleys and meandering rocks.
Famous mountains such as Dena with several high peaks, the beautiful peak of Oshtorankouh, Gahar Lake on its foot, Zardkouh and many other peaks with a height of over 4,000 meters, beckon mountaineers.
Other tall mountains include Taftan’s volcanic cone in Sistan-Baluchestan province and the splendid Sabalan peak in northwest Iran with slopes covered with wild flowers and a beautiful lake in the volcanic cone at its peak frozen during most part of the year.
Skiing
It’s difficult for western tourists to imagine that skiing is possible in Iran. It has two big ski resorts: Dizin and Shemshak. Both resorts are within 2 hours drive from the capital, Tehran.
There are a total of 20 resorts in Iran, although most of them have little more than a couple of tows.
Dizin is a ski resort situated to the north of Tehran in the Alborz Mountain Range and the most important ski resort in Iran and the Middle East.
The huge Dizin ski resort, established before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has a reputation for excellent snow, because of its altitude and the north facing slopes.
Shemshak is a ski resort situated to the northeast of Tehran in the Alborz Mountain Range. It is the second largest ski area in Iran after Dizin and went into operation in 1958.
The ski resort caters to more advanced skiers while Dizin attracts beginners and intermediate skiers.
Persian Gulf
In the area between the Persian Gulf and the Zagros Mountain Range are plains that receive little rain, despite the region’s high humidity.
The natural landscape of the region is very similar to South African savannas where plants are very sensitive to climate changes and cold weather. Bird species resemble their counterparts in India and the African Continent.
Some of the Persian Gulf islands like Kish and Qeshm have a large resident population while some others such as Shidvar and Nakhilou are non-residential.
Cliffs and coral beaches create wonderful sceneries and the coral reefs are suitable for snorkeling and diving.
The mangrove forest, Namakdan Cave and Valley of Stars of Qeshm and mud volcano and the geological landscape of Sistan-Baluchistan are considered among wonders of southern Iran.
Historical Tours
Iran has 1,300,000 historical and cultural sites. If we divide its landmass, that is 1,648,195 square kilometers, with the number of sites, we will come up with the amazing number of 1,300. In other words, there is a historical, cultural or natural site on every 1,300 square meters of this wonderful country.
Persia was in the beginning inhabited by civilizations great and small, each leaving a deep impression on the land and its people.
Ancient mounds, some 9,000 years old, in southern, central, northwestern, northeastern and central Iran are but a few such examples.
From these, the earliest-known painted pottery in the world and the earliest metal artifacts have been excavated, all bearing witness to the ingenuity and competence of their creators.
Tourists can visit the ancient mounds, monuments such as the largest remaining ziggurat in the world, that is Choghazanbil from 13th century BC, the biggest architectural achievement of the Persian Empire, Persepolis from the 6th century BC and a host of monuments from the Islamic era, which reached its zenith in Safavid Isfahan.
Rural Attractions
About 9,000 years ago, a big change occurred in the lifestyle of human beings. Hunting and subsisting on wild fruits, they turned to agriculture, settled down in a specific area and also innovated different types of occupations.
Generally, humans settled in regions with a relatively suitable soil and water conditions. It seems that the first such areas were formed around 10,000 BC in the vicinity of Zagros Mountain Range and to the north of Khuzestan.
The first determining factor in the formation of a settlement or village is water. That is why, the Persian word ‘Abadi’ refers to a place with ‘Ab’ (water). Since then, social and economic changes, as well as changes in lifestyles took place in the villages.
Climatic, natural, economic and cultural varieties of Iran have led to a wide range of villages, which are not identical.
There are over 60,000 villages in Iran, among which 500 are considered remarkable and worthy of hosting international tourists.
Some of the extraordinary villages are:
A village built under the ground where residents survive on farming and husbandry (Bonekol Village in East Azarbaijan province)
Villages with houses built in the mountains (Kandovan in Azerbaijan and Meimand in Kerman)
A village built with wood (Imamzadeh Ibrahim in Gilan)
Step-like village (Masouleh in Gilan and Sare Agha Seyyed Village in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari)
Villages with unique ceremonies and traditions (Abyaneh in Kashan)
Villages, which were located on the Silk Road, with invaluable historical and religious masterpieces (Bastam and Kharaghan in Semnan)
Spa villages (Sarein in Ardebil and Marian in Mol)
Villages with giant waterfalls (Margoun in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad and Drakes Anari in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari)
Villages with amazing caves (Garmab in Zanjan and Kokako in Qom)
Villages with ancient trees (Harzevil in Gilan and Abarqou in Yazd)
Villages in caves (Izad Khast in Fars)
Other Recreational Activities
Spring and autumn are favorable seasons that provide visitors with a spectacular chance of trekking at the foot of snowcapped mountains and enjoy the delicious barbeque dinners by the camp fires.
Vast deserts of Iran make it possible to enjoy the unforgettable experience of driving over sand dunes, explore the desert by riding camels and camping under the blazing sky of the desert.
High waterfalls for rappelling, excellent mountain passages for biking, thick forests for horse riding, coral beaches for snorkeling and deep sea diving, as well as many other activities promise an extraordinary experience to tourists.

Silk Road Seminar

2011-02-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

Gharmsar Azad University is hosting a national Seminar on Silk Road

This is the website for this seminar:

http://www.silkroute.ir/

you may send your emails to : info@silkroute.ir

Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network.
The German terms “Seidenstraße” and “Seidenstraßen”- ‘the Silk Road(s)’ or ‘Silk Route(s) were first used in 1877 by the German geographer Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, who made seven expeditions to China from 1868 to 1872. The English term "The Silk Road" has come into general use. While silk was certainly the major trade item from China and was a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network, in fact, it was an extensive network of routes, few of which were more than rough caravan tracks, which is why some scholars prefer the term "Silk Routes", although silk was by no means the only item traded.

First Farsi language Olympiad held in Pakistan

2011-02-09T00:37:00.000-08:00

First Farsi language Olympiad held in Pakistan

The first Olympiad of Farsi language was held at Islamic Republic of Iran's Cultural House in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, with the participation of students of Farsi language from four universities and seven faculties of this country's Punjab Province.

forty four students of Farsi language and literature in different academic levels took part in this Olympiad that was held on Wednesday.

Persian
فارسی, دری, تاجیکی, форсӣ-тоҷикӣ
Fārsi (one of the local names for Persian) in Perso-Arabic script (Nasta`liq style)

Pronunciation
[fɒːɾˈsi]
Spoken in
Iran Afghanistan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Bahrain Iraq Russia Pakistan Iranian diaspora Kuwait UAE Lebanon
Region
Middle East, Central Asia
Total speakers
ca. 60-70 million, as first language (2006 estimates)[1]
Language family
Indo-European
Indo-Iranian
Iranian
Western Iranian
Southwestern Iranian
Persian
Dialects
Tehrani
Dari
Tajik
Khorasani
Khuzestani
Aimaq
Hazaragi
Judæo-Persian
Bukhori
Dezfuli
Writing system
Perso-Arabic script, Cyrillic
Official status
Official language in
Iran Afghanistan Tajikistan

Iran unveils largest teahouse painting

2011-01-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

After nearly 30 years, Iran unveils its largest traditional teahouse painting during a ceremony held at the Gallery 66 in the capital city of Tehran. The 32-meter artwork, which covers the walls the gallery was unveiled after more than three decades since the project started. Teahouse painting is a form of art which embodies some elements of miniature painting. The works painted in this style mostly depict religious and national events.

Google is looking for the brightest, best young scientists from around the world

2011-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Google announces global online science fair

Internet search giant Google is seeking the next Einstein or Marie Curie in its Google Science Fair for students.
Google believes "science can change the world — and one way to encourage that is to celebrate and champion young scientific talent as we do athletes and pop idols," the company said in its official blog.
Thus Google, in partnership with CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American, has launched the first global online science competition, the Google Science Fair. Students ages 13-18 from all over the world can enter the science fair; all they need is access to a computer and the internet.

http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/

2011-01-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

Iran's Automobile Club plans to hold a rally of classic cars on February 10-11

The route of the rally is Tehran-Abyaneh-Tehran. It is the second rally of its kind to be held over the past 10 years. The main purpose for holding this rally is to familiarize Iranians with the country's treasure of classic cars. The rally also intends to publicize Iran's tourism, historical and pilgrimage attractions for the general public.

Ted Williams: Homeless Man With Radio Voice

2011-01-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

Ahomeless man from Ohio, whose amazing, radio-perfect voice has awed people from around the world.Williams was known for panhandling with a handmade sign announcing his "God-given gift of a voice." After hearing about him, The Columbus Dispatch paper stopped by one of his known panhandling haunts to record him saying voice-over phrases, like "coming up next!"The bedraggled Williams' appearance only made his voice seem that much richer. Days later, millions have watched the video.Now that Williams' voice has been heard, he's making appearances -- he was on Ohio radio this morning, and he'll be on NBC's "Today Show" on Thursday -- and the job prospects seem to be pouring in.

2011-01-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

2010-12-24T03:09:00.000-08:00

Homeless people give an alternative guide to London

2010-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Homeless people give an alternative guide to London

They’re leading unconventional walking tours of the UK capital, showing tourists where they’ve slept rough and giving visitors what The Guardian newspaper calls an alternative view of London landmarks.

The idea for Unseen Tours came from a grassroots volunteer network, the Sock Mob, so called because it regularly distribute socks and food to London's homeless people. Co-organiser Lidija Mavra set it up seven years ago with friends. "We spontaneously used to send an email out once in a while and say let's go out on to the streets and hear [homeless people's] stories because they're lonely and isolated. The socks were a way of breaking the ice," she says.
Having expanded the network to around 400 volunteers over the internet, the organisers launched Unseen Tours as a social enterprise, Sock Mob Events. In February, they received £4,000 funding from UnLtd, a charity that supports social entrepreneurs.
The point of the tours, says Mavra, is to, "present [homeless people] in a very different light so that people can see them as having something to offer. We tend to have this very doom and gloom version of homeless people". The tours are intended to give homeless people a little more "ownership" of their lives, she says.
"It's the most logical thing. [The homeless guides] know their streets and they're great communicators," she says.
The guides work for themselves, keeping the majority of the £5 per person cost of the tour with some cash being reinvested in the enterprise. They have proved their commitment to Unseen Tours, having been trained by Sock Mob volunteers for three months.

Iran has unveiled the world's tallest puppet, a six-meter tall marionette

2010-12-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

Iran has unveiled the world's tallest puppet, a six-meter tall marionette

Designed and made by French artist Fleur Marie Fuentes, Mobarak is made of recycled materials and was used in puppet shows performed by Iranian puppeteer Hamed Zarean.

Iran Multiple sclerosis Society Postage Stamp Unveiled

2010-11-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Iran Multiple sclerosis Society Postage Stamp Unveiled

http://www.msif.org/en/national_support/iran.html

Developmental stages of chicken eggs

2010-11-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

images from hofman dujardin architects

2010-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

'oyes' by dutch firm hofman dujardin architects has been created for the charity project

the proceeds generated from this auction will support the langa township in cape town,south africa.

private island

2010-10-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Do you want to buy a private Island? well maybe I do
A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.
There are many thousands of uninhabited islands in the world with potential for commercial development of tourist resorts or private recreational use. Commercial development of uninhabited islands can bring up ecological concerns, as many have a fragile environment. Some islands can be bought undeveloped, while other include roads and/or houses. Some celebrities have their own private islands.
Southeast Asia has numerous islands, with Indonesia being an archipelago of 17,000 islands and the Philippines having around 7,100. Real estate laws restrict foreigners' ability to buy property in the geographical area, and many islands either have unclear ownership rights or are already settled. Private islands that are available in Southeast Asia's real estate market are also prohibitively costly due to being in high demand by hotel developers. Developments address these difficulties by selling private islands that have villas and neighbor islands that have high-end hotels; the proximity keeps costs of habitation down.

http://www.privateislandsonline.com/

Iran

2010-10-17T02:07:00.001-07:00

ICANN is pleased to announce the successful completion of String Evaluation on a proposed IDN ccTLD string for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Details of the successful evaluation are provided here: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/string-evaluation-completion-i-en.htm.
The IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) ccTLD Fast Track Process was approved by the ICANN Board at its annual meeting in Seoul, South Korea on 30 October 2009. First requests were received starting 16 November 2009. The process enables countries and territories to submit requests to ICANN for IDN ccTLDs, representing their respective country or territory names in scripts other than Latin. IDN ccTLD requesters must fulfill a number of requirements:
the script used to represent the IDN ccTLDs must be non-Latin;
the languages used to express the IDN ccTLDs must be official in the corresponding country or territory; and
a specific set of technical requirements must be met (as evaluated by an external DNS Stability Panel comprised of DNS and IDN experts).
The request and evaluation processes entail three steps:
Preparation (by the requester in the country / territory). Community consensus is built for which IDN ccTLD to apply for, how it is run, and which organization will be running it, along with preparing and gathering all the required supporting documentation.
String Evaluation: incoming requests to ICANN in accordance with the criteria described above: the technical and linguistic requirements for the IDN ccTLD string(s). Applications are received through an online system available together with additional material supporting the process at http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/.
String Delegation: requests successfully meeting string evaluation criteria are eligible to apply for delegation following the same ICANN IANA process as is used for ASCII based ccTLDs. String delegation requests are submitted to IANA root zone management.
At this time ICANN has received a total of 33 requests for IDN ccTLD(s) through the String Evaluation process, representing 22 languages. With this announcement, a total of 18 countries/territories requests have successfully passed through the String Evaluation; 12 countries/territories (represented by 15 IDN ccTLDs) are delegated in the DNS root zone; and the rest are either in or ready for the requesting country or territory to initiate the application for String Delegation.
ICANN is looking forward to enabling the availability of all these strings in the DNS root zone, by completion of the String Delegation function, as well as finalizing the remaining received requests in String Evaluation, and receiving additional new requests in the Fast Track Process.

eye bio-implants

2010-10-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Iran inaugurated the country's tenth bio-implant factory specializing in production of skin and eye bio-implants in central Qom province .A bio-implant is a bio-material that is surgically implanted in a person's body in order to replace the damaged tissue. There are 45 different variations of bio-implants produced throughout the world.

2010-09-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

AquaCom has completed a joint venture contract for a new Cable Park on Kish Island in Iran in association with cableway manufacturer Rixen.

Kish is a resort island in the Persian Gulf. It is part of the Hormozgān Province of Iran. Due to its free trade zone status it is touted as a consumer’s paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and resort hotels. It has an estimated population of 20,000 residents and about 1.5 million people visit the island annually. The area of the island is 91.5 km². Due to a huge number of visitors and a great climate, the Kish Island is an excellent location for development of a Cable Park.

The Largest cable ski in the world is now opened in Kish Island

the world's largest cable ski and the first site of water skiing in the Middle East is now opend in Kish Island IRAN

2010-09-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

2010-09-07T20:51:00.001-07:00

biggest hand made stone cave in the world is in Iran

2010-08-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

The biggest hand-made cave in the world is in the south of Jahrom and is called "Sangeshkan Cave"Sangeshkan" CaveOne of biggest man made caves in the whole world.And what if you were in the shoes of those who carved the CaveOnly for earnings living.

What Happened In Your Birth year

2010-08-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Its in this link:

http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/

Iranian car designer Siamak Hojjat has created a unique automobile using seven different forms of traditional Persian handicrafts.

2010-08-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Iranian car designer Siamak Hojjat has created a unique automobile using seven different forms of traditional Persian handicrafts.

The Golden One is four meters long and 1.7 meters wide. It can reach a speed of 100km/h in just 6 seconds, while its top speed goes to 220km/h. Ten kilograms of 18-carat gold and 150 diamonds have been used in making the car and 7 square meters of its body is decorated with marquetry. Shells, silver, ivory and walnut wood are the other materials used in the automobile, on which Iranian artists spent 20,000 hours from 2004 to 2006. The floor mat of the million-dollar Golden One is made of Persian carpets and its seats are upholstered with natural suede. Natural leather has been used on its door handles. The classic shape of the car was also an original idea of the designer, who completed the project in collaboration with a group of artists from the Iranian city of Shiraz.

Amazing Scanning Electron Microscope pictures of insects and spiders

2010-08-07T03:23:00.000-07:00

Using a Scanning Electron Microscope, retired scientific photographer Steve Gschmeissner, 61, from Bedford, is able to magnify insects by up to a million times. The results show incredibly detailed images of creepy crawlies in 3D

2010-07-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.photographercat.com/
Cooper is a 4 year old American Shorthair cat living in Seattle. Once a week he wears a lightweight digital camera fastened to his collar, which snaps a new photo every 2 minutes.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

2010-07-16T02:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38238685/ns/technology_and_science-science/?Gt1=43001

Iran unveils human-shaped robot

2010-07-04T01:41:00.000-07:00

Iranian officials have unveiled a human-shaped robot that can walk like a person, although at a slower pace.
Iranian state television says the Surena 2 robot weighs 99 pounds and is 4.76 feet tall. It was developed by more than 20 robotics experts at Tehran University.

Your dream is someone else dream

2010-06-15T04:07:00.000-07:00

Shabeh Jomeh

2010-06-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

Shabeh Jomeh is a monthly gathering of Iranian professionals living in the metropolitan areas of major cities. The event is designed to improve upon existing professional and social relations and is intended to be the platform for exchanging ideas and improving Iranians' professional standing in our communities. This gathering is a non-political, non-religious event and is open to all professionals. Shabeh Jomeh has created a bond between all of our communities and a great network upon which we can all capitalize. Each Shabeh Jomeh has its own character within the framework of the simple formula highlighted—building a community to help us both socially and professionally advance.
Shabeh Jomeh literally means "night of Friday" - but its literal translation is deceptive. Shabeh Jomeh actually is a reference to “Friday eve” (or Thursday night). In Iran, Shabeh Jomeh has a number of significances. Shabeh Jomeh is the beginning of the weekend for Iranians. Shabeh Jomeh, traditionally, is the night to go out or entertain family and/or friends. It also has been known to be the “night of mischief”. Shabeh Jomeh is the night for the gatherings and the name of the network – a link to Iranians globally.

http://www.shabehjomeh.com/index.html

MILK DRINKING FISH

2010-06-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

A new species of Milk Drinking Fish has been developed in China from the crossing of the Japanese carp and a Malaysian fish. They are trained to feed on milk bottles from the age of one and will do this automatically by the age of

Spring high school students send a letter to Imam KLhomeini (Iranian leader) 1981

2010-05-31T03:49:00.000-07:00

In 1981 Spring high school students in the United States sent a letter to Imam Khomeini. This letter, along with socks as a gift was sent for the Imam.

Imam Khomeini (RA) in response to American students send a translation of the book "life and words of Prophet Muhammad".

http://www.msif.org/language_choice.html

2010-05-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

First human 'infected with computer virus'

2010-05-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

A British scientist says he is the first man in the world to become infected with a computer virus.Dr Mark Gasson from the University of Reading contaminated a computer chip which was then inserted into his hand.The device, which enables him to pass through security doors and activate his mobile phone, is a sophisticated version of ID chips used to tag pets.In trials, Dr Gasson showed that the chip was able to pass on the computer virus to external control systems.If other implanted chips had then connected to the system they too would have been corrupted, he said.Medical alertDr Gasson admits that the test is a proof of principle but he thinks it has important implications for a future where medical devices such as pacemakers and cochlear implants become more sophisticated, and risk being contaminated by other human implants."With the benefits of this type of technology come risks. We may improve ourselves in some way but much like the improvements with other technologies, mobile phones for example, they become vulnerable to risks, such as security problems and computer viruses."However, Dr Gasson predicts that wider use will be made of implanted technology."This type of technology has been commercialised in the United States as a type of medical alert bracelet, so that if you're found unconscious you can be scanned and your medical history brought up."Professor Rafael Capurro of the Steinbeis-Transfer-Institute of Information Ethics in Germany told BBC News that the research was "interesting"."If someone can get online access to your implant, it could be serious," he said.Cosmetic surgeryProfessor Capurro contributed to a 2005 ethical study for the European Commission that looked at the development of digital implants and possible abuse of them."From an ethical point of view, the surveillance of implants can be both positive and negative," he said."Surveillance can be part of medical care, but if someone wants to do harm to you, it could be a problem."In addition, he said, that there should be caution if implants with surveillance capabilities started to be used outside of a medical setting.However, Dr Gasson believes that there will be a demand for these non-essential applications, much as people pay for cosmetic surgery."If we can find a way of enhancing someone's memory or their IQ then there's a real possibility that people will choose to have this kind of invasive procedure."Dr Gasson works at the University of Reading's School of Systems Engineering and will present the results of his research at the International Symposium for Technology and Society in Australia next month. Professor Capurro will also talk at the event.

Iran to build longest cable car

2010-05-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Iranian tourism officials are planning to build the world's longest cable car on Dorfak Mountain in the country's northern province of Gilan. “The 12.6 km aerial journey will offer a great opportunity to enjoy the unspoilt nature and forests,” said head of Iran's Exemplary Tourism Zones Organization . “Long cables will be used in building the tramway to offer non-stop service and provide passengers with a comfortable journey in VIP cabins,” he added. The project will span an area of about 219 hectares in one of the most attractive tourist sites of Iran's northern region, CHTN reported. Located near the city of Roudbar, Mount Dorfak is part of the Alborz mountain range, which stretches from the Armenian borders in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea. Iran already has a number of aerial tramways, the longest of which is in the capital city of Tehran

2010-05-09T00:59:00.000-07:00

Iranian has opened the Middle East's biggest car-manufacturing plant in the central city of Kashan.

The plant, set up by carmaker Saipa, will manufacture 150,000 vehicles annually

"Tiba," the new name for the former "Miniature," the first Iranian car entirely domestically made.

Iran is the Middle East's largest car manufacturer with more than 1.4 million vehicles produced last year by the country's two leading carmakers, Saipa and Iran Khodro.

2010-05-02T07:25:00.001-07:00

All human beings are in truth akin;All in creation share one origin.When fate allots a member pangs and pains,No ease for other members then remains.If, unperturbed, another's grief canst scan,Thou are not worthy of the name of man.
or another translation of this POEM is:
Of One Essence is the Human Race,
Thusly has Creation put the Base.
One Limb impacted is sufficient,
For all Others to feel the Mace.
The Unconcern'd with Others' Plight,
Are but Brutes with Human Face

بنی آدم اعضای یکدیگرند
که در آفرینش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوی به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

Iran investing in stem cells

2010-04-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55445/#comments:

Thirty years after the toppling of the Shah in Iran, the nation is undergoing another revolution of sorts. Iran is investing heavily in stem cell research, and despite researchers working with limited access to laboratory equipment and resources, the country may emerge as a scientific force to be reckoned with in the stem cell field.
Image: flickr/youngrobvEven with their limited infrastructure, Iranian scientists have managed to isolate six human and eight mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines over the past decade, and then successfully turn these cells into functional pancreatic, heart, splenic, and liver cells. "It's remarkable that they were able to do what they've done," Konrad Hochedlinger of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital told The Scientist. "They are clearly catching up." Unlike many western countries, where religious wranglings have hindered the progress of ESC research, in Iran and other Islamic countries research involving embryos is relatively uncontroversial. Islamic law states that full human life begins only after the "ensoulment" of the fetus, which is defined in the Quran as 120 days after conception. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, even publicly endorsed human embryo research in 2002. ESC research is "definitely an area where Iran could become a player, given the funding restrictions in the US," Ali Khademhosseini, a biomedical engineer at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology in Cambridge, Mass., who was born in Iran and studies the field in his native country, told The Scientist. Because Iran got into the game earlier than neighboring countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are also starting to embrace stem cell technologies, "the stem cell science in Iran is pretty much more advanced than in any other country in the Middle East, with the exception of Israel." Iran was the 10th country in the world to successfully isolate human ESCs in 2003, and the fifth country to reprogram human skin cells to an embryonic-like state to create so-called induced pluripotent stem cells last year. Other landmark achievements include coaxing human ESCs to become mature, insulin-producing cells in 2004, cloning the country's first sheep in 2006, and conducting the world's first human ESC proteomics study in 2006. Most of these studies took place at Iran's leading stem cell research center, the Royan Institute in Tehran. Named after the Farsi word for embryo, the Royan Institute was originally established in 1991 as an infertility clinic. In 1998 it was converted into a cell-based research center, and it now covers basic and applied research in six different fields: stem cells, embryology, genetics, epidemiology, gynecology and andrology. Other Iranian research institutes are also actively engaged in studying stem cells, including the 34 members of the Iranian Molecular Medicine Network and the Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. The Iranian government is a big supporter of stem cell research, but the lack of a federally operated funding agency akin to the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation has created a spotty and inconsistent funding patchwork. The government is investing more in science -- government spending increased from 0.2% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 1990 to 0.65% in 2005 -- but this still lags behind most developed countries such as the US, which sets aside almost 3% of its GDP for research and development. Continuing political turmoil between Iran and the western world is also impeding the progress of Iranian scientists. Political and economic sanctions make it extremely difficult for researchers to get their hands on many supplies and equipment that come from other parts of the world, namely the US. "If you're trying to get a big piece of equipment, clearly parts will be made in United States," said Khademhosseini. Thus, researchers have turned to homemade contraptions and a black market for lab equipment, which have driven up prices and often compromised quality. Sanctions and economic difficulties have also led to an Iranian "brain drain" of some of the country's best and brightest. And for those who do stay, it can be difficult to obtain travel visas to attend international conferences. Thus, to encourage foreign stem cell researchers to come to Iran, the Royan Institute plays host to the country's largest annual scientific event -- the annual Royan International Twin Congress, a joint meeting on reproductive medicine and stem cell biology -- which attracts more than 2,000 participants from around the world each year. In August 2008, Hochedlinger attended the Congress, where he toured the Royan's facilities. "I was surprised to see how they derived their first embryonic stem cell lines with very simple tools," he told The Scientist. "It's very low-tech equipment compared to the technology we have in the United States and in Europe." Because of the sanctions, the Royan scientists couldn't purchase standard cell culture incubators. So they built an enclosed oven with water pans for humidifiers and tubes to pump in carbon dioxide. In the US, "we just buy it from a vendor," said Hochedlinger. "They have to build it from scratch." "I was shocked by how future looking [the Iranians] were with their science and medicine," said Sarah Berga, a reproductive endocrinologist at Emory University in Atlanta who attended the Royan Congress from 2005 to 2007 and plans to go again this year. "This is not a country with a lot of material resources, but they've really made a commitment to fundamental science." Iran's aggressive push into stem cell research is a "combination of bottom up and top down," noted Khademhosseini. It's partly fueled by leaders in the government, but it has also been driven by scientists urging politicians to support research with immense medical potential. Iran has "strategically positioned its investment in a way that it would potentially make a maximum amount of impact," Khademhosseini said. "And it's definitely broader than just the embryo aspect. A lot of the hype that we hear is due to embryonic stem cells, but stem cells as a whole is a pretty hot area." Read more: Iran investing in stem cells - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55445/#ixzz0mePnpHee

bio-implant industry in Kish Island IRAN

2010-04-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

The project places Iran among limited number of countries which have acquired the technical knowledge for the production of bio-implant products.

Umbilical cord and stem cell banks , bio-implant, zanatan gum, biologic fertilizer, and hectic fever vaccine are among products of the company in the bio-science fields, the third to the fifth plans of the company will be inaugurated by the end of the current Iranian calendar year(March20) Regarding the plan for the production of bio-implant in hamanand Saz Baft in Kish, Aalebani said that the first phase of the plan has the annual production capacity of 270 kilograms of bio-implant including 250 Kilograms of structural tillers of bone and 20 kilograms of other products such as reinforced bone maker, product containing antibiotics, ect. As he said, it is anticipated that Hamanand Saz Baft Company’s products would account for 10 percent of the needs of domestic markets.

The project was inaugurated in a ceremony which was attended by the minister of industries and mines, the chairman of the board of director of Industrial Development and renovation Organization and his deputy, the minister of health treatment, medical education, as well as officials of kish free zone organization in Hamanand Saz Kish company.

Bio-artificial trachea made in Iran

2010-04-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

Iranian doctors have carried out an in situ transplant of bio-artificial trachea in humans for the first time in the world. A team of tissue-engineering scientists at the Lung and Tuberculosis Center at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services carried out the transplant on a 29-year-old woman who had lost her trachea in a car accident two years ago. The researchers used bio artificial materials instead of stem cells and injected them directly into the trachea to make a good architecture of the organ. Doctor Jalaladdin Ganavi, the head of the tissue-engineering team, told Press TV on Monday that scaffolding and nanocapsules, with growth factors inside them, were injected to the patient's trachea. "The nanocapsules are designed in a way that could open and release the growth factors at the required time, with pre-determined concentration to build the needed tissue," he noted. We injected Nanocapusles in a period of 21-28 days to rebuild the trachea, resembling the natural procedure of cure in the body, added Anghavi. He said the patient is now in good state and breathing easily. The innovative breakthrough was carried out without surgery and does not have any side effects. The Iranian team hopes to use the method in other cases. The method is also helpful in removing malignant tumors.

The 20 Dumbest Questions on Yahoo Answers

2010-04-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.pcworld.com/article/184999/the_20_dumbest_questions_on_yahoo_answers.html

1. Backward Thinking
"I sold my only car to help pay for gas money, but now gas has come down in price. How do I get my car back?"
I tried to contact this guy, but it turns out that he also sold his computer to help pay for his Internet connection.
2. It's Caps Lock--Capisce?
"HOW DO I TURN OFF CAPSLOCK? I ACCIDENTALLY TURNED IT ON YESTERDAY AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO TURN IT BACK OFF."
Note to self: Register howtoturnoffcapslock.com; make millions.
Photo: Courtesy of garethjmsaunders via Flickr.com3. Credit Crunch
"I wanted to see if my computer would read my credit card so i put it in the cd rom and it got stuck, how do i get it out?? I tryed toothpics but lost them in the process?? also the drive is making noises"
Oh, that's normal. Your system is just waiting for you to pay the required $1 processing fee for scanning the card. Simply fold a greenback into a tiny square and insert it into any USB port.
4. Mousin' Around
"My mouse stop working every time i lift it up from the table why is this? this is not just OS .i have linux and vista both same thing so its not drivers"
Yeah, no big deal there, either: Insert your credit card into the CD-ROM drive and tell your computer--slowly and distinctly--that you need the Air Mouse 3000 upgrade. You'll be good in no time.
5. Technical Difficulties
"I've been asked to write an application in my own handwriting....? is there a computer programme that will do this for me? they also want original ideas. do you know any?"
This reminds me of a letter to the editor I once read years ago: "Are there any undiscovered islands left in the world?" The response: "Not that we know of."
6. It's All in the Details
"I have an assignment about computer.. What is unimportant details about computer?"
Wait a minute--does this assignment also require original ideas?
Photo: Courtesy of www.jwcaketops.com7. Unknown Nuptials
"Am i married in any state? have i been divorced?"
I'll take "questions asked after a night in Vegas" for $500, Alex.
8. A Sticky Subject
"Where can i buy a really big jar of peanut butter?"
If this is from the same guy who asked the previous question, I'm getting concerned.
9. Fruit Frets
"I have ate two whole tangerines in about two hours what will happen to me?"
That all depends on whether you swallowed any seeds. If you did, be very careful not to eat any dirt or drink any water for the next two weeks.
10. Fat Chance
"How do i become obese fast? I want to look good by the end of the year."
You can start by eating two tangerines in two hours. Then run around in circles until you figure out what "obese" means.
Next: Ten more mind-bending questions, including whatever happened to the horned Arizona cantaloupe, where do babies come from, and what is the relationship between turtle bites and orange juice.

The Breathing Earth simulation

2010-04-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

http://breathingearth.net/

Expo 2010 Shanghai China

2010-04-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

http://en.expo2010.cn/c/en_gj_tpl_72.htm

Copenhagen hotel offers free meals for cyclists

2010-04-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Guests can pedal for their food at the Crowne Plaza
The Copenhagen Corwne Plaza Hotel has offered a £23 meal voucher for guests willing to pedal. as part of the hotel's environmental policy, it is rewarding customers who use an adapted exercise bike to create at least 10 watt-hours of electricity, enough to power a light bulb for approximately 15 minutes. It's estimated that the average person would take 15 minutes to produce 10 watts-hour of energy.

2010-04-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Dyveke Sanne’s spectacular artwork is now in place at the entrance to Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The art will identify the building from a distance, in both daylight and darkness.
When Svalbard Global Seed Vault opens on 26 February, only the entrance section with Dyveke Sanne’s art project will be visible in the landscape. The building consists of three underground halls which have been blasted out of the mountain - a security vault which will hold up to 4.5 million different types of seeds from all over the world. The art will identify the building from a distance, in both daylight and darkness.
Signalling the seed vault’s The roof and parts of the frontage of the visible entrance section are filled with highly reflective triangles, acid-resistant steel of various sizes. Together with other refractive elements such as dichroic mirror glass and prisms, these will throw the surroundings and the light back in all directions. The building will reflect sunlight and lights, depending on season and time of day. During the polar night, other light sources will take over. The light represents a volume complementary to the dark which has been hollowed out of the permafrost within and will signal the seed vault’s position at all times.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a vital measure to secure the world’s food seeds against any negative consequences of war, pollution or climate change. The seeds will be duplicates of seed collections from more than 1,400 gene banks spread over the entire planet. The temperature inside the vault will be kept around minus 18 degrees Celsius.
The artist Dyveke Sanne, who lives in Asker, was educated at the National College of Art and Design and the National Academy of Fine Art. In recent years she has been working on major art commissions for the government and for local authorities. Her work is often based on phenomena like light and shade in a variable reality, often closely linked with architecture and space.
The artist has this to say about the art project:“The interior of the seed vault is protected against inspection. Even so, its contents reflect a determined significance and a complexity which affects us. The seed vault’s existence reminds us of our own position within the whole and of the state of the earth. The seeds commit to a future. They are copies of a diversity which craves a cyclic repetition of treatment, rather than a steady faith in the selected original and a linear progress.
The mirrored surfaces don’t disclose any objects which may lie behind them - they copy what they receive and throw it back. Stand close enough and you can see yourself in the reflections; stand further off and you become part of the landscape, or simply dazzled by the reflected light. Even so, the reflections form a juxtaposition and displacement which changes with the observer’s point of view.”

Chinese English

2010-04-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.engrish.com/

Sizdah Be-dar

2010-04-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sizdahbedar or Sizdah bedar (Persian Sizdahbedar , lit. "getting rid of thirteen") is the Iranian Festival of "Joy and Solidarity" celebrated on the 13th day of the new year and the month of Farvardin (corresponding to April 1 or 2, depending on leap or non-leap year), the last day of the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) period. This is the last phase of the New Year's celebrations which begins with the fire festival of Chaharshanbe Suri of the Persian New Year. The custom is to spend the day outdoors e.g., in the parks or the countryside. It is believed that "Joy" and "Laughter" clean the mind from all evil thoughts, and the picnic is usually a festive or happy event. In 2008, Sizdah-bedar coincided with April 1
In modern times people go to parks, have a picnic and throw their sabzeh – the sprouts they grow near the beginning of Nowruz - into a river, symbolizing the cycle of life.

Iran 'hosted 2.3mn tourists this year'

2010-04-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

About 2.3 million tourists have visited Iran during the current Iranian year (March 21, 2009 to March 20, 2010), says the deputy director of the country's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization. “The figures show a seven percent increase compared to those of the previous year,” Seyyed Reza Mousavi says told IRNA on Friday. “The tourists came to Iran through 22 ports of entry,” he went on to say. He further pointed out that about one million tourists visited the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. “About 70,000 of the tourists were from Turkey, 3,000 from Germany, and 3,000 from China, with the rest being from other countries,” he explained. Mousavi also said that last year's N1H1 flu virus in various countries prevented tourists from coming to Iran.

guinness world records (BALL CONTROL)

2010-03-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Mehdi Hobbedarvish

---------------------------------------------

Since childhood as I remember I love soccer ball, i started to learn how to play football at 7 as other kids in our city shahriar. Then my father enrolled me in the football training centers and i was serious about it since beginning. After entering into primary school, i continued it and our class in soccer was in first rate.My teacher used to get my idea selecting the team members and athlete. Players used to trust me and my idea. The first local team which i started to play officially was perspolis youth team. I played there about one year then i got choose in 50 players to play in national soccer team, later i played in omid saipa and then in others. It was at those days when i understood i had special talent in ball for long time so i gave it a try. When I was practicing, i used different kind of balls as if now, that i do it by every round object .coin, shot, key etc. it was in 1385 for the first time that I did it for 20 kilometer. 4 hour and 30 minutes. At the end I'd like to say thank you to my god who gave me such a talent, and I hope to have its capacity to serve my country my people and the world

Earth Hour

2010-03-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

Following the tradition, all the lights on Harbour Bridge as well as Opera House were kept switched-off for entire one hour on Saturday. On 2010 Earth Hour, Chatham Islands a New Zealand territory was the first to completely go in dark.
Countless across the Pacific western nations turned off the lamps and lights taking into consideration the call for a global action with regard to climate change. Chatham Islands started the proceedings and this remote territory in the New Zealand region would be seen in complete dark among more than one hundred nations.
When this symbolic one-hour power-off event was first introduced in Sydney in 2007; the organizers i.e. WWF didn’t knew that the effort would receive such a huge global response. According to the figures provided by Andy Ridley that co-founded the event, there are now as many as 126 member countries and smaller territories that have joined the effort and signed up.
Andy further briefed that hundreds of thousands of events with regards to this special one-hour activity are conducted in these nations ever since such as ‘lights-out-party’ or ‘speed dating’ competition etc are held in Sydney and its beaches in northern areas each year while the specific day for the event has been marked the last Saturday, in the month of March.
World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature the event organizers anticipated that this year’s Earth Hour would be the biggest ever annual global event. Reportedly, in Chatham Islands, silence and darkness engulfed the vicinity when the huge diesel generators responsible for local power supply, were switched off. Similarly, the nations such as Fiji, Tuvalu and New Zealand were also among the early participants this year.

1st International Nowruz Festival kicks off in Iran

2010-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

The first International Nowruz Celebrations has kicked off in Tehran in the presence of Iranian President, Tajik, Turkmen, Afghan and Iraqi counterparts. The two-day event is set to continue in the cultural and historical city of Shiraz in southern Iran. Nowruz, meaning 'new day' in Persian, is celebrated by over 300 million people worldwide for nearly two weeks, beginning from March 20th or 21st. It's a public holiday in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraqi Kurdistan and Azerbaijan as well as several Central Asian countries, and is celebrated according to specific customs. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on September 30, 2009 recognized this day as the International Day of Nowruz

Futsal

2010-03-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

Futsal is a variant of football that is played on a smaller playing surface and mainly played indoors. Its name is derived from the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón (and colloquially fútbol sala), which can be translated as "hall football." During the sport's second world championships held in Madrid in 1985, the name fútbol de salón was used. Since then, all other names have been officially and internationally changed to futsal.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Up to seven substitutes per team are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football. The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

current ranking - 22 March 2010

Ranking Team Points

(1) Brazil 1987

(2) Spain 1941

(3) Italy 1758

(4) Russia 1638

(5) Iran 1607

(6) Portugal 1604

(7) Argentina 1572

(8) Ukraine 1463

(9) Serbia 1432

(10) Thailand 1396

Happy Nooroz

2010-03-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-03-12T03:22:00.000-08:00

In 9 months, Iranians spend $74mn on chewing gum

2010-03-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

The people of Iran have spent roughly 74 million dollars in the past nine months on chewing gum and the habit appears to be growing. Iranians spent over 73.890 million dollars on gum in the past nine months — 2 million dollars a week —, which was 100 times more than the amount spent four years ago according to Iran's Donya-ye Eqtesad newspaper. This assertion that Iranians pay more than 2 million dollars a week for their chewing gum stands to reason in a country, which produces little gum and imports a great deal. Moreover, the habit appears to be contagious. Iranians chewed 25 tons of gum in 2005 as compared to 2463 tons in the past nine months, which indicates that the popularity of the insoluble, chewy sweet has risen by a hundred percent.

United Nations General Assembly Recognizes 21 March as International Day of Nowruz

2010-02-24T04:30:00.000-08:00

United Nations General Assembly Recognizes 21 March as International Day of Nowruz

UN Sixty-fourth General Assembly
The General Assembly this afternoon recognized the International Day of Nowruz, a spring festival of Persian origin, and moved back the dates of the next high-level dialogue on Financing for Development, as it continued its sixty-fourth session.
According to the preamble of the resolution on the International Day (document A/64/L.30/Rev.2), Nowruz, which means new day, is celebrated on 21 March, the day of the vernal equinox, by more than 300 million people worldwide as the beginning of the new year. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
The Assembly called on Member States that celebrate the festival to study its history and traditions with a view to disseminating that knowledge among the international community and organizing annual commemoration events.
Welcoming the inclusion of Nowruz into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 30 September 2009, the text notes the festival’s “affirmation of life in harmony with nature, the awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labour and natural cycles of renewal and the solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life”.
The text was introduced by Azerbaijan’s representative, who said that, as a holiday celebrated in many parts of the world with themes important to all humanity, Nowruz encouraged intercultural dialogue and understanding. Speaking after the Assembly took action on the draft, the representative of Iran marked its adoption by quoting lines of the Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi that expressed the holiday’s theme of rebirth “on our planet and in our souls”.

Motorcycle Limosine

2010-02-14T23:42:00.000-08:00

Harley Davidson transport services for conferencing groups and special events have unveiled the Limo-Bike, certain to turn heads. Seating 8 people

2010-01-21T22:43:00.000-08:00

Iran plans to lop three zeros off currency

2010-01-21T04:59:00.000-08:00

Iran will remove three zeros from its national currency, the rial

10,000 rial note is currently worth about one US dollar. Iran's Central Bank chief Mahmoud Bahmani told reporters on Wednesday that he expected "one dollar to become even more expensive during the next year." In September, Bahmani had announced plans to devaluate the currency by three decimal places but later said the idea had been shelved for further consideration. The Iranian President directed the Central Bank of Iran in 2007 to mull over the concept of devaluating the national currency. The decline in value of Iran's national currency over recent decades has caused numerous objective and subjective problems.

2010-01-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year
&
'Merry Christmas'
-----------
سال نو مسیحی مبارک
Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Feliz Navidad
Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Selamat Hari Natal
Maligayan Pasko
Feliz Natal
Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Good-bye laptops?

2009-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

In the revolution of miniature computers, scientists have made great developments with bluetooth technology...
These are the forthcoming computers you can carry in your pockets .

Yalda

2009-12-23T05:39:00.000-08:00

Shab-e Yaldâ (Persian: یلدا) or Shab-e Chelleh (Persian: شب چله) is an ancient Iranian festival originally celebrated on the Northern Hemisphere's longest night of the year, that is, on the eve of the Winter Solstice.

Yalda has a history as long as the Mithraism religion. The Mithraists believed that this night is the night of the birth of Mithra, Persian god of light and truth. At the morning of the longest night of the year the Mithra is born from a virgin mother.

Following the Iranian calendar reform of 1925, which pegged some seasonal events to specific days of the calendar, Yalda came to be celebrated on the night before and including the first day of the tenth month (Dey). Subject to seasonal drift, this day may sometimes fall a day before or a day after the actual Winter Solstice.

Following the fall of the Sassanid Empire and the subsequent rise of Islam, the religious significance of the event was lost, and like other Zoroastrian festivals, Yalda became a social occasion when family and close friends would get together. Nonetheless, the obligatory serving of fresh fruit during mid-winter is reminiscent of the ancient customs of invoking the divinities to request protection of the winter crop.

The 13th century Iranian poet Sa'di wrote in his Bustan: "The true morning will not come, until the Yalda Night is gone".

Yalda Night has been officially added to Iran's List of National Treasures in a special ceremony in 2008
In Zoroastrian tradition, the winter solstice with the longest night of the year was an auspicious day, and included customs intended to protect people from misfortune. On that day, people were advised to stay awake most of the night. They have small parties and gatherings and eat the last remaining fresh fruits from summer.

In modern days, although Yalda is not official holiday in Iran, families continue to hold traditional gatherings. Iranian radio and television offer special programmes on Yalda.

Watermelons are placed on the korsi, a traditional piece of furniture similar to a very short table, around which the family sit on the ground. On it, a blanket made of wool filling is thrown. People put their legs under the blanket. Inside the korsi, heat is generated by means of coal, electricity or gas heaters. Pomegranates are traditionally eaten on this night.

China's fastest performer of face mask changing

2009-12-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

He Hongqing is China's fastest performer of face mask changing, a dazzling display of gesture and trickery that forms an important part of traditional Sichuan Opera. The 45-year-old artist makes all of the silk face masks, which he switches at mind-boggling speeds in his popular performances.He usually wears ten layers of masks, and pulls them off at lightning speed, one by one, during the show. The techniques behind face changing are considered one of China's national treasures, and in the past were only passed on within families. He admitted using a form of trigger within his costume to control the masks, but refused to give away any more tricks of the trade. [He Honqqing, Opera Performer]: "The triggers for the masks can be hidden anywhere on the costume - from the head dress down to the boots. You could say anywhere is possible."Face changing began 300 years ago, long after the original Sichuan opera - a traditional Chinese opera originating in China's southwestern Sichuan province. Swapping the brightly colored masks is used to reflect changes in a character's mood, He explained. One performance at a Chengdu teahouse was well received by the audience.[Darren Yao, Spectator]: "I adjusted the shutter to a two-hundredth of a second, but I still couldn't see any clues. It really is amazing. Plus the decoration of the masks is just so uniquely Chinese."While audiences are invited to enjoy the performance, He and others are doing everything they can to keep the secrets behind their masks secret.

New currency in USA

2009-12-01T04:39:00.000-08:00

As Americans become frustrated with the US economy, more and more people are getting creative with their money, like Larry Chang and Nick Williams, who make their own currency.

A small community near Washington DC is slowly giving up the greenback for something new.
Larry Chang is a money maker, but he doesn’t wear a suit and tie like Wall Street tycoons. He prints and designs an altogether new currency right in the comfort of his living room.
“I think the government is doing everything it knows, but they are still following the same playbook they know,” “We are at a stage where we have to have a new paradigm. This is really what a local currency is. It is the answer to all of the uncertainty and insecurity around the economy.”
His new creation is called the “Potomac”. It is legal, taxed, and to many Americans – it makes sense.
“Wall Street is really a casino and people are just really gambling with lives there, and the rest of the world is starting to realize that,” Chang believes.
With some predicting the demise of the American dollar, Chang is not the only one who is attempting to buck that trend.
Nick Williams also took things into his own hands by designing his own bills, called the “Anacostia Hours”.
“People express a lot of skepticism about the limits of what the government can do and the problems of shoveling boatloads of money out of the treasury to bail out this or that industry.”
The makers of the cash say small businesses could get a real boost by accepting their money over the American dollar, especially in this recession.
Joel Finkelstein, for instance, owns a small coffee shop and cashes in on the Potomac everyday.
“As a small company we do not have a lot of profit margin, so we need everything that we can get. The Potomac helps people hedge against the recession as well create an added benefit for our customers,” said Finkelstein.
Chang explains that the whole point of the Potomac is to circulate money within the neighborhood.
“Our currency is designed and aimed at local businesses, mom-and-pop stores, and professional service providers who are very local and who are here to stay,” notes Larry Chang.
Until the economy picks up, both Chang and Williams will continue to employ what they think is a panacea to the crisis.

God is watching over U

2009-11-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

After Sept. 11th, one company invited the remaining members of other companies who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share ! their available office space.

At a morning meeting, the head of security told stories of why these people were alive... and all the stories were just:

the 'L I T T L E' things.

As you might know, the head of the company survived that day because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One of them missed his bus...

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One's car wouldn't start.

One went back to answer the telephone.

One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.

One couldn't get a taxi...

The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he ! got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today.

Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone... all the little things that annoy me. I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment..

Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you!

White House is on SALE!!!???

2009-11-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

Iranian-American real estate developer Fred Milani outside his replica of The White House, his personal home in Atlanta

The replica of George W. Bush’s desk still sits in the Oval Office beneath the Iranian and American flags. The seal of the president of the United States still adorns the floor mats across the hall from the zebra-skin rug. And the porch overlooking the 75-car parking lot is still called the Truman Balcony.But soon enough, change is coming to Fred Milani’s replica of the White House, an outsized casualty of the national housing crisis.
For the last seven years, almost as long as President Bush has been in Washington, Mr. Milani, an Iranian-American home developer, has lived in a scaled-down version of the presidential mansion in Atlanta. A private Xanadu for Mr. Milani, a headache for neighbors and a destination for camera-wielding gawkers, the 16,500-square-foot home has become a kooky symbol of this boom-boom city’s ever-growing residential skyline.
But now, like the current occupant of the real White House, Mr. Milani is planning to leave his home.
“I still do not want to sell,” he said. “But I will.”
Last month, Mr. Milani, 57, placed his house, in the North Druid Hills neighborhood, a few miles northeast of downtown, on sale for $9.88 million.
A prominent builder of McMansions in a city that once could barely consume enough of them, Mr. Milani has fallen on financial hard times as the demand for real estate has waned.
Twice he has narrowly avoided foreclosure on his home. Although he recently sold five houses, he is losing money on five other unsold ones and must repay multiple loans.
The notion of someone selling a replica of the presidential mansion — possibly to a buyer in Dubai — is both humorous and painful to Atlantans, who are enduring one of the country’s highest foreclosure rates, which they attribute, in part, to policies that come from the real White House. The forced sale of one of the city’s most expensive homes, owned by someone who made his fortune in homebuilding, makes clear the widespread nature of the real estate collapse.
“The housing crisis has affected people at all income levels,” said Mary Norwood, a member of the Atlanta City Council. “This has been devastating to the whole economy.”
Over the last 20 years, small ranch-style houses in North Druid Hills have given way to multimillion-dollar mansions, many built by Mr. Milani but none as unorthodox as his White House.
Neighbors have long been split in their reactions to the Milani house. “Honestly, we are very happy to be living next door to the White House,” said Keith Klugman, a global health expert at Emory University. “There are certain quirkinesses, but he is a very good neighbor.”
But another neighbor, Gary Moss, a retired film professor, has had reservations. “Certainly anybody has a right to build whatever is legal,” Mr. Moss said. “But my concern is that people are building houses that are so much larger than their families need. They seem like monuments to affluence rather than monuments to what people need.”
Inside its wrought-iron gates, the Atlanta White House is a singular pastiche of Middle Eastern décor (wall rugs, a hookah), American political kitsch (Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation painted onto a bedroom wall), religious iconography (a tapestry of “The Last Supper,” a giant crucifix) and self-promotion (an “M” tiled into the pool, a bust of Mr. Milani).
It falls to Shawn Ghiai, the real estate agent for the Atlanta White House, to answer the question of who would want to move into such a personalized home? “Wealthy international buyers, most likely,” Mr. Ghiai said. “Or maybe I’ll contact one of the contenders for the real White House, maybe John McCain or Ross Perot.”
Mr. Milani works in his own Oval Office. Guests sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom. And all 43 presidents — plus President-elect Barack Obama — stare down from a poster on his kitchen wall.
All from a man who follows politics only loosely.
“Really, I am not very political,” Mr. Milani said. “The architect just asked, ‘How about I build you the White House?’ and I said yes. That is the whole story.”
He voted for President Bush twice, he said, but after the economy deteriorated, he became a “big fan” of Mr. Obama. Most of his support, however, is reserved for God. He converted to Christianity from Islam in 1995, and his house reflects his adoration of his adopted faith. In the front hedges, he spelled “God ♥ You” in topiary. A life-size carving of a biblical scene overlooks the congregation room in his basement, where leaders of his church baptize Muslims into Christianity.
But the Atlanta White House’s signature piece of artwork is a ceiling mural of Jesus ministering to people of various races. A Hispanic man wears a sombrero, an American Indian dons a headdress, and at the feet of Jesus is Mr. Milani himself, his head bowed in submission.
“It’s a very unusual house, so it may be difficult to sell,” Mr. Ghiai said. “It’s hard to sell homes, period, because of this economy. But there are still people with money, and if they find a good deal like this one, they will jump on it.”
Several potential buyers have toured the property, and another person in Dubai is hoping to visit soon, Mr. Ghiai said.
Despite the challenges, Mr. Milani and his wife, Yvonne, believe that God will assist them in selling the house. “Jesus has always helped me,” he said, “even in the last minute.”
When asked where he will live next, Mr. Milani said he did not know. But he proposed, half-seriously, “I may build the Congress building across the street.”

Vanished Persian army found in Egyptian desert

2009-11-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Archeologists have found the remains of a great Persian army believed to have disappeared in the Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago. According to Greek historian Herodotus, King Cambyses II sent 50,000 warriors to attack the Oasis of Siwa but they disappeared after reaching El-Kharga oasis. "A wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear," wrote Herodotus. After more than 2,000 years, Italian archeologists have unearthed Bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, an earring and hundreds of human bones in the Sahara desert which they believe belonged to the Persian army buried by a sandstorm in 525 BCE. "It all started in 1996, during an expedition aimed at investigating the presence of iron meteorites near Bahrin, one small oasis not far from Siwa," Alfredo Castiglioni, director of the Eastern Desert Research Center (CeRDO) in Varese, told Discovery News. Excavations yielded a half-buried pot, a bronze dagger, several arrow tips, human remains and what could have been a natural rock shelter. "Its size and shape made it the perfect refuge in a sandstorm," said Castiglioni, who is known for finding the ancient Egyptian 'city of gold' with his twin brother Angelo 20 years ago. "We are talking of small items, but they are extremely important as they are the first Achaemenid objects, thus dating to Cambyses' time, which have emerged from the desert sands in a location quite close to Siwa," Castiglioni said. The earring found in the area was found to have belonged to the Persian Achaemenid era. "An analysis of the earring, based on photographs, indicate that it certainly dates to the Achaemenid period. Both the earring and the spheres appear to be made of silver. Indeed a very similar earring, dating to the fifth century B.C., has been found in a dig in Turkey," leading ancient jewelry expert Andrea Cagnetti told Discovery News. The Castiglioni brothers also concluded that the Cambyses army did not take the widely believed caravan route via the Dakhla Oasis and Farafra Oasis. "Since the 19th century, many archaeologists and explorers have searched for the lost army along that route. They found nothing. We hypothesized a different itinerary, coming from south. Indeed we found that such a route already existed in the 18th Dynasty," Castiglioni said. Instead they believe from El-Kargha the army took a westerly route to Gilf El-Kebir, passing through the Wadi Abd-el Melik, heading north toward Siwa. "This route had the advantage of taking the enemy aback. Moreover, the army could march undisturbed. On the contrary, since the oasis on the other route were controlled by the Egyptians, the army would have had to fight at each oasis," Castiglioni said. The soldiers believed they had reached their destination, but they faced khamsin — the hot, strong, unpredictable southeasterly wind that blows from the Sahara desert over Egypt — instead. "Some soldiers found refuge under that natural shelter, other dispersed in various directions. Some might have reached the lake of Sitra, thus surviving," Castiglioni said. Studies also dated the discovered pottery to 2,500 years ago, which accords with Cambyses' time.

movie+Toilet

2009-11-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

You're sitting comfortably in your plush chair at the multiplex, when suddenly you feel a twinge in the back of your neck. A quick glance down at your 136-ounce cola and you instantly realize that nature is calling, and it's urgent.

You don't have time to wait this time, but next time you can plan ahead for your restroom breaks with RunPee.com.

The site lists spots in the movie when it's safe to disappear for a minute or two. Better still, it will scramble the spoiler if you only want to know when to duck out and how long you've got. If you want to know what you missed, just unscramble the text upon your return.

www.runpee.com

Cyrus Day

2009-10-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

October 29, the “Cyrus the Great Day”

And the anniversary of his issuing the first declaration

of human rights

Twenty five centuries ago, when savagery was the dominant factor in human societies, a civilized and compassionate declaration was written on clay and issued to the “four corners of the world” that dealt with important issues relevant to the rights of humans, the same issues that not only in those days but even today can inspire those who believe in human dignity and rights.

This document, known as “The Declaration of Cyrus the Great,” emphasized on the removal of all racial, national discrimination and slavery, bestowing to the people, freedom to choose their places of residence, faith and religion and giving prominence to the perpetual peace amongst the nations. This Declaration could actually be considered as a present from the Iranian people, expressed through the words of Cyrus, their political leader and the founder of the first empire in the world, to the whole humanity. In 1971, the general assembly of the United Nations recognized it as the first Declaration of Human Rights, thus, registering such an honor to the name of Iran as the cradle of this first historical attempt to establish the recognition of human rights.

To stay Young

2009-10-18T01:56:00.000-07:00

چند راه ساده، که همه هم بستگي به انتخاب شخصي خود ما داره. و اين ابتداي کاره. تا مرحله اي که فکر ميکنيم: اصلاً چگونه دوباره جوان شويم؟؟!
1- اعداد بدرد نخور را به دور بريز. اين شامل سن، وزن و قد ميشه. اجازه بده پزشکان براي اونها نگران باشند، براي همين به اونها پول ميدي ديگه.
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them.... That is why you pay them.
2- فقط با دوستان خوش اخلاق معاشرت کن، غرغروها و بداخلاقها نابودت ميکنند (ضمناً اگر جزو اون غرغروها يا بداخلاقها هستي اين رو به خاطر بسپار).
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.... (keep this In mind if you are one of those grouches;)
3- . شروع به يادگرفتن کن. کامپيوتر، هنر، باغباني... هرچيزي که دوست داري، هرکاري که اجازه نده مغزت بيکار بمونه. "مغز بيکار کارگاه شيطانه"، و نام شيطان اينه: آلزايمر!
3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!
4- . از چيزهاي کوچک و ساده لذت ببر.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5 - به جاهاي نادرست و پر گناه نروبرو به خريد، حتي مسافرت به يه شهر ويا يک کشور ديگه اما نه به جائي که پراز گناه و خطاست وهميشه يادخدا باش
5. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is &َ Always Remember God
6. . بيشتر مواقع طولاني بخند. آنقدر بخند که احتياج به نفس تازه داشته باشي. و اگر دوستي داري که تورو ميخندونه بيشتر وقت خودت را با او بگذرون...
6. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and Lots of time with HIM /HER .
7- اشک و غصه هم پيش مياد؛ يه کم گريه زاري کن، يه کم غصه بخور و تحمل کن و بعد حرکت کن.. تنها کسي که تمام عمر با تو خواهد بود، خودت هستي.تا زنده اي زندگي کن..
7.. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive..
8- دور وبرت رو پر کن از هرچيزي که دوست داري، فاميل، هدايا و يادگاريها، موسيقي، گل و گياه، سرگرميها، هرچيزي که خودت دوستش داري.خونه تو پناهگاه توست.
8.Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.Your home is your refuge.
9.. . قدر سلامتي خودتو بدون: :اگر خوبه، نگهش دار و مواظب باش،اگر استوار نيست، بهترش کن،اگر هم بدتر ازاوني است که خودت بتوني کاري بکني، خوب کمک بگير.
9. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it.. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
10 - در هر موقعيتي عشق خودت رو به کساني که دوستشون داري بيان کن و بگو.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Farsi Courses

2009-10-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Want to learn Iranian Language (Farsi) in UAE

please visit the:
http://www.eton.ac/pages/farsi.php

SMOKING KILLS

2009-10-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

DO NOT SMOKE

Iranian band to perform in Hong Kong

2009-10-12T01:11:00.000-07:00

Iranian band to perform in Hong Kong

Iranian music ensemble Zarbahang is scheduled to perform concerts in Hong Kong using traditional percussion instruments to introduce Persian art.

Javid Afsari-Rad (Santour), Pejman Haddadi (Tonbak), Behnam Samani (Tonbak, Daf), Mehrdad Arabi (Tonbak, Daf), Reza Samani (Tonbak, daf) will perform pieces of Persian music in the concerts.

The concert tour will begin on October 21 and continue for five days in Hong Kong.

Zarbahang plans to extend their tour to Germany .

Tweel

2009-10-08T02:38:00.000-07:00

New Tire from Michelin

2009-10-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Arab countries labour laws fail to halt abuse

Every year thousands of women arrive in the Gulf to take up jobs as domestic workers.
The majority of them leave behind their families on a huge financial gamble to try to earn enough in remittances.
But behind closed doors, in the homes of their employers, some find themselves trapped in a cycle of horrific abuse.
Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford spoke to one housemaid, Mary, who suffered two years of abuse in the United Arab Emirates.
Two and a half years ago, Mary left her family in East Africa to work as a maid in a private house in the Middle East.
"The beatings started on the second day," she said. "No day passed without beatings. If she didn't beat me in the day she would beat me at night."
One day she was ordered to have sex with another maid. When she refused, her employer threatened her with more beatings.
"She said the law was in her favour. Not in mine," Mary said.
Inherent vulnerability
Simel Esim, a specialist in domestic worker abuse at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said the workers are simply not protected by labour laws.
"Domestic workers ... are excluded from unionising and organising around the globe," she said.
"[This] kind of economic infrastructure [in the Gulf] has created a huge inflow of labour migration that requires immediate and urgent attention.
"The sponsorship system ... The way it is set up, it is bound to fail.
"You are attaching a person's legal status, visa status and employment to one person as the employer and also the provider of housing, food and health care.
"It creates total dependency and total dependency means total vulnerability and opens the door wide for abuse and exploitation."
Mary left her country determined to earn money for her family. But two years later, she is horrified at the prospect of her family knowing about her suffering.
"How can I go back home with this body? My mother is sick," she said. "If she sees me like this she will die of shock. I am so ashamed to see my friends. Even now I feel shame."

2009-10-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

After a series of breakthroughs in space research and technology, Iran sets the wheels turning on plans to send its first astronaut into orbit. Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Reza Taqipour, said that scientists are exploring ways to implement preliminary plans to launch a manned mission into space. “We have a clear outline of the plans, but at the same time we are aware that implementing our plans depend on a broad national participation,” Taqipour told on Saturday. Earlier in February, Iran went down in history for placing its domestically-made satellite into orbit and thus joining a small group of countries that have the ability of both producing satellites and sending them into space using domestic launchers. The Omid data-processing satellite was designed to circle the Earth 15 times every 24 hours and to transmit data via two frequency bands and eight antennas to an Iranian space station. With a full mission accomplished, Omid went up in flames in late March after successfully ending its 50-day orbit around space. Iran's space breakthrough came as a big surprise for European powers and the US, mainly because the country has been under Western sanctions for nearly 30 years. MIT scientist Geoffrey Forden said Iran's breakthrough in space research and technology is to such an extent that the country "could get a person up into low-Earth orbit certainly within the next few years, at the rate they're going." Forden, a former inspector with the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), said Iran has designed the Omid data-processing satellite using state-of-the-art technology such as more efficient hydrazine fuel. "If Iran really has developed more advanced rockets that can burn more efficient fuel, then it is a step closer to launching people into space," Forden said in an article in New Scientist.

2009-09-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Tehran - Capital of Iran

Sama - Karaj province - Iran

2009-08-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Good bye SAMA

Thanks to all Teachers and tutores

nice pic

2009-07-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

2009-07-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

History's Worst Inventions: And The People Who Made Them

The people in this book set out to change the world with their brilliant new discovery or design. At best, they failed monumentally; at worse, they changed the world in ways for which no one will thank them. "History's Worst Inventions" is an entertaining look at the failures of celebrated inventors and less well-known (for good reason) pioneers. The book includes the parachute-overcoat (its inventor leapt from the Eiffel Tower to demonstrate it and plunged to his death), Trevethick's locomotive (too heavy for its rails and broke them), Soviet anti-tank dogs (with mines strapped to their backs, they turned on their owners and blew up an entire Red Army division) and TGN1412 (the drug which, in its 2006 clinical trial, nearly killed its test subjects). A compendium of cock-ups, "History's Worst Inventions" provides a clear warning - it's all too easy to go down in history as an idiot!

Michael Jackson's funeral

2009-07-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

At Michael Jackson's funeral an Iranian teenagerstart singing.

Shaheen tuma Jafargholi (born 27 January 1997) is a Welsh-Iranian actor and singer . His appearance on the UK television show Britain's Got Talent gave him greater public prominence.

Shaheen Jafargholi sang a musical tribute of The Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You?", on stage of the Los Angeles' Staples Center, at the July 7, 2009 globally televised funeral memorial service for the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson'.

Love Hong Kong

2009-06-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

The transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, often referred to as the Handover, took place on 1 July 1997. The event marked the end of British rule, and the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong back to Chinese rule.

Hong Kong's territory was acquired from three separate treaties: the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, the Treaty of Beijing in 1860, and The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory in 1898, which gave the United Kingdom the control of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon (area south of Boundary Street), and the New Territories (area north of Boundary Street and south of the Shenzhen River, and outlying islands), respectively. Although Hong Kong Island and Kowloon had been ceded to the United Kingdom in perpetuity, the control on the New Territories was a 99-year lease. The finite nature of the 99-year lease did not hinder Hong Kong's development as the New Territories were combined as a part of Hong Kong. By 1997, it was impractical to separate the three territories and only return the New Territories. In addition, with the scarcity of land and natural resources in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, the New Territories were being developed with large-scale infrastructures and other developments, with the break-even day lying well past 30 June 1997. Thus, the status of the New Territories after the expiry of the 99-year lease became important for Hong Kong's economic development.

In March 1979, the Governor of Hong Kong Murray MacLehose paid his first official visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC), taking the initiative to raise the question of Hong Kong's sovereignty with Deng Xiaoping. Without clarifying and establishing the official position of the PRC government, the arranging of real estate leases and loans agreements in Hong Kong within the next 18 years would be rather difficult. In fact, as early as the mid 1970s, Hong Kong had faced additional risks raising loans for large scale infrastructure projects such as its MTR system and a new airport. Caught unprepared, Deng asserted the necessity of Hong Kong's return to China, upon which Hong Kong would be given special status by the PRC government.

It was a huge swindling

2009-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Is Ahmadinezhad the real Iranian President?

There was a lot of difference between yesterday and last night. Yesterday Iran was joyful because of changing the fate. Every body participated in. But last night was a shocking and bitter night. Like 4 years ago, Fars news agency and Keyhan announced news. It was unbelievable. Little by little news became as heavy as a mountain in front of every body that had seen it was not real. At the same time Mr. Mosavi announced his victory in election. But information was formal and it was announced around the world and nation was anxious. It was more important than cheating. Some ones call it a white coup. I was in contact with various committees. It was not possible to sleep. I went to visit Mr. Karobi two times, once at 2 a.m. I talked with many friends in Mr. Mosavi's committee. Everybody was shocked. Whenever I had opportunity I connected to the face book. Friends, who were checking the results second by second, were really upset. They desired I had hopeful comments but I didn’t. It was difficult situation. Mr. Ahmadi Nejad's supporters captured the city despite demonstration was prohibited. I slept 2 or 3 hours. I went to Mr. Khatami's office in the morning. He had just come from a meeting and he was going to one another. I read the statement of Mr. Mosavi. It was really obvious. Then I went to the Mr. Karobi's office. He was writing his statement too. I interviewed with Persian BBC. I analyzed the obvious cheating. It was a huge swindling. Election was planned so wisely. From one hand it made a new record of voting as it broke the previous record of Mr. Khatami who had gained more votes in second term of his presidential election and Mr. Ahmadi Nejad should gain more than him. Also they would like to destroy Mr. Mosavi and his companions. Another important part of scenario was the story of Mr. Karobi's 300'000 ballots. Although Mr. Karobi had a fixed huge number of votes, they considered 300'000 votes for him avoiding others to say such democratic mottos. Meanwhile information of other towns was showing at least equal votes for Mr. Mosavi and Ahmadi Nejad. If we don’t forget it again we should learn that reform and non- governmental movements can not improve condition by voting cases. It is expected that candidates especially Mr. Mosavi who has announced himself as winner of election, can get result of their efforts. It seems they would like to request another election. I don’t know if it is possible or not. How ever society is full of amazement and shocking. Young generation, who wanted to define him/her in this system, now is bitterly despairing. Again youngsters will think about immigration and thousands other things… how ever world won't be finished by such events… we should try not to fall.
http://www.webneveshteha.com/en/weblog/?id=2146310130

Vienna to unveil statues of Iranian scientists

2009-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Austrian capital is set to unveil a pavilion featuring the statues of four prominent Iranian figures in front of the United Nations Office. Highlighting the Iranian architectural features, the pavilion is adorned with Persian art forms and includes the statues of renowned Iranian scientists Avicenna, Abu Rayhan Birouni, Zakariya Razi (Rhazes) and Omar Khayyam. The pavilion will be unveiled during the ceremony attended by the Iranian Vice President for Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, Esfandyar Rahim-Masha'i. Abu Reihan Birouni, considered by some as the founder of Indology, worked in various fields such as astronomy, chemistry, geography and geology. He is also known as the first Muslim scholar to study India and the Brahminical tradition. Known as a prominent alchemist, chemist, physician, philosopher and scholar, Rhazes is widely recognized for the discovery of alcohol and producing acids such as sulfuric acid. He has also written numerous notes on diseases such as smallpox and chickenpox. Also known as Shaykh al-Ra'is (Master and Head), Avicenna was a Persian polymath and the father of modern medicine, who influenced many literary and scientific figures including the renowned poet Omar Khayyam. Avicenna's magnum opus is an immense encyclopedic work called the Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing). Omar Khayyam was an eminent Persian poet, astronomer and mathematician who is best known for his collection of quatrains (four-line poems) The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat is known in the West through Edward Fitzgerald's 1859 translation

2009-06-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

A native of Shiraz, Iran, Sheikh Sa'adī left his native town at a young age for Baghdad to study Arabic literature and Islamic sciences at the famous an-Nizzāmīya center of knowledge (1195-1226).

His poem is used to grace the entrance to the Hall of Nations of the UN building in New York with this call for breaking all barriers: [3][4]
بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرندکه در آفرينش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگاردگر عضوها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمینشاید که نامت نهند آدمی
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.

The 50 Worst Cars of All Time

2009-06-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

TIME

Somewhere between an early car and the head-in-the-bed scene in The Godfather, the Horsey Horseless, the brainfart of inventor Uriah Smith of Battle Creek, Mich., was intended to soothe the skittish nerves of our equine servants. A wooden horse head was attached to the front of the chuffing buggy in order to make it resemble a horse and carriage (Smith recommended the horse head be hollow to contain volatile fuel — another great idea). "The live horse would be thinking of another horse," said Smith, "and before he could discover his error and see that he had been fooled, the strange carriage would be passed." Stupid horse! It's not clear if the Horsey Horseless was ever actually built or if it is a chimera of auto history, but it reminds us just what a radical, hard-to-conceptualize thing a horseless carriage was.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657686,00.html