Friday, April 14, 2006

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Not a Real "Club"

The daily English newspaper the Tehran Times jumps the gun and announces "Iran Officially Joins the Nuclear Club". I am not sure the officials of the club really welcome Iran nor if there is an "official" club.



Ramin Talaie
Tehran, Iran

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Clubbing Nuke Style

Today a passenger in my taxi talking to the driver said “I hear Ahmadinejad is going to deliver some good news in Mashad.” The driver replied I hear the same and wondered out loud what the news was going to be?
Later today when I watched the news I could not believe my ears. President Ahmadinejad, claiming that Iran has been able to enriched uranium for use in its nuclear program. The speech was watched lived in some western countries over other news such as the parliamentary elections in Italy.
Technically this makes Iran a member of a very select group of nations in the so called “nuclear club”. It includes Iran neighbor Pakistan and its enemy Israel.
I feel a lot safer with Iran, India, and Pakistan having the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead but not being able to follow simple traffic regulations.
Some security exports claim this news accelerates the possibilities of military actions against Iran to as early as 2007. Such news has been worrying the older generation in Iran. They have gone through Shah’s CIA backed coup, the Islamic Revolution, the 8-year bloody war with Iraq a long economic recovery and now this.
In Tehran, people have a unified sense about the nuclear issue. It is simply a matter of pride among conservatives and reformists alike. At the same time everyone worries about being in the cross hairs of Pentagon’s next war plan.
Ahmadinejad compared the West's involvement in Iran's nuclear ambitions to the times when Iran wanted to control its own oil.
One issue that is being over looked is the fact that Iran's nuclear program for most part is being supported and built by the Russians. We are approaching the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl's disaster on April 25th.

Is it just me that sees the irony in this?

Ramin Talaie
Tehran, Iran

Monday, April 10, 2006

Motherland

After spending a day in the refer crazy, over-sexed, ultra-liberal Amsterdam, Holland, I arrived at Tehran's Aiport. Upon landing, women who were drinking wine and showing off their latest fashions and blond hair, transformed themselves into acceptable subjects of streets of Tehran. There was a woman sitting next to my row with enough botox in her lips to poison everyone on the plane. Now, she was wearing her hejab, looking even more ridicules with her Angelina Joli (sp?) lips wanna be.
The KLM jet was packed with Iranians from the U.S. and Holland heading to Iran. Everyone seems to have an un-finished business or reclaiming a property they lost during the revolution or something like that.
After going through passport check and picking up my suitcase, I had to pass through another x-ray station. An unprofessional looking man wearing 2-Tomman suite reading a newspaper took his eyes off the pages to check the content of my bag on the monitor. He asked me where I was coming from and what I was carrying. He then directed me to get my bag checked in another section. Everything was out, my underwear and my digital camera perfectly wrapped around one of my white t-shirts. Long story short, I had to explain what an R-BGAN is. That it is not a spy machine. A woman in charge of checking my bag kept asking me if it is a "receiver"? I kept saying NO! I totally could have lied that it was a lap-top, but may be next time. R-BGAN is a satellite transmitter that can work anywhere and get you access to internet.
After half and hour of haggling, they held my R-BGAN at the airport. I have to claim it on my back or show them a freaking "mojavez" (permit), a word which is used quite often in this country.
It all should be fine. I slept most of my first day here and will hit the ground tonight going to a coffee-shop....not like those in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam was cold but Tehran's weather seems just lovely. Spring in Tehran has always been nice but I already feel the heavy polluted air in my lungs.

More from Tehran soon.

Ramin Talaie
Tehran, Iran

Monday, April 03, 2006

Iran World Cup Soccer

This photo gives the word "cup" a whole new meaning to team Iran.

Caption reads: Chinese models wear bikinis with the World Cup soccer designs on during a swimsuit design contest as part of the China Fashion Week in Beijing, China, Saturday, April 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Friday, March 24, 2006

Just makes me wanna have some sweet tea!

War sucks but the only good thing that came out of the Iraq war were all those never seen photographs of Saddam Hussien and his family.


Damn he looks hot having tea in that blue.....whatever it is that he is wearing!

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn , NY

Wild NYC

For an entire afternoon a wild coyote in Central Park was a big news in New York City. The coyote was chased and captured by the New York Police Department Emergency Service Unit officers. I guess it was a nice break for them from chasing bad-guys and terrorists.
How did this wild animal made his way to the big apple? And from where? The only explanation I can think of is that some idiot kept this poor animal as a pet and released in the park. Nothing surprises me in this city. We have had people arrested for keeping alligators and lions in their small apartments.
Otherwise how does a coyote can make his way through any of the boroughs into the city?



He looks very cute and we will all be very happy when he is released back in the wild....not Central Park.
Daily News Photo

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, New York

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Big Boy!

This Chinese boy is Huang Jiaxin and weights about 160 Kg.

Okay can you guess his age?

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY





answer: fifteen

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Kicked him WHERE?

I came across this, totally random. You just have to see the video here.


Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Monday, March 06, 2006

World Leaders Cricket Championship

Please stop giving these folks "props" to make them look more like "real" people. They are not! Bush may know baseball, but not cricket and Charles is hitting a T-cricket used by children!


George and Charles should worry about poverty, AIDS, environment and the upcoming nuclear war......NOT cricket.

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, New York

Friday, March 03, 2006

Google Naw-Ruz

Last year Google ran a Persian Haft-Sin with their logo on Iranian New Year's day (March 21st).


Here is a link to send to Google to repeat the logo again. I frankly think if they did it last year, they will do it again....but you know these pesky Persians!

I think they should also make one for Chaharshanbeh-Sori too!!!

Ramin
Brooklyn, New York

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Repent

I found this sign at St. Patrick's Church in New York City during Ash Wednesday mass on March 1, 2006.


Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

World Leaders

In light of US/Iran nuclear issue these photos seem very......not appropriate!

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) - US President George Bush (right)

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, New York

Monday, February 27, 2006

Don't Mess vit Edward Petrossi

This clip has been making its rounds since December 2005, but its never too late to watch it!

Quick Stop store manager, Iranian-American Edward Petrossi and martial arts expert challenges his would be robber!

Click here for the video, and here is the ABC7News site in California.

Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Baghdad Girl Blog

She loves cats and lives in Baghdad.
I heard about her blog-site on NPR this morning and wanted to link her on my site. Don't just look at the cute cat photos, but read the short blogs she has been posting.


Brooklyn, NY
Ramin Talaie

Friday, February 24, 2006

I Love You Dawg!

Is this still the 21st Century?
I am just going to let you read it by clicking on the links.

Sudan
Man Marries a Goat

India
Girl Marries a Dog

Brooklyn
Ramin Talaie

Friday, January 27, 2006

Bush on the movie "Brokeback Mountain"

I love this video clip....just click here and watch it.


Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Italian Politics

Not sure what the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, was gesturing about during his first electoral speech before the official opening of the Italian electoral campaign at the Palacongressi building in Florence, but this picture taken by Alessandra Benedetti makes my blog!


Ramin Talaie
Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Father and Son?

Now we know why Sean Penn was in Iran during the recent presidential elections.



Left to right - Ali Akbar Hashimi Rafsanjani (former Iranian President), Sean Penn (American actor)

Ramin Talaie
New York, NY