Happiness!

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
Albert Camus

Who drinks water?

you give water, it's a wolf who drinks it.
Bertolt brecht

On Kaveh Adel's Book "The Boy and The Red Balloon"

An article on Kaveh Adel's book, The Boy and the Red Balloon.
Susan Dibble writes:
"Adel's probably not about to give up the dental practice he enjoys to write books. But "The Boy and the Red Balloon," which he both wrote and illustrated, does bring together the other interests in his life - his love of family and the arts.

The son of a playwright mother, Adel took refuge as a kid in the works of writers such as Jules Verne, Jack London and Mark Twain. He also drew pictures to help cope with life-changing experiences that included the Islamic revolution in Iran, war, his parents' divorce and immigration.

Born to a family that included both doctors and artists, Adel decided dentistry best combined his two passions.

"I was always interested in helping people," he said. "Dentistry seemed to be almost the perfect match because you get to use your art in your handiwork and artistry."

Some of the new materials used in dentistry mold like ceramics and clay, he said."
Kaveh is my son and I'm very proud of him.

Women Without Men

Watch an excerpt of Women Without Men A film by Shirin Neshat.
Today I watched it and I enjoyed it immensely. I'll write about it soon.

Silence of the Shore

A nostalgic song from 60s Silence of the Shore poem by Forugh Farrokhzad, sung by Mohammad Nouri.

The dreams of a child are peace

Farzad Kamangar had published several letters during his imprisonment term. He began his last letter with a poetry of Yannis Ritsos:

No to violence
No to execution

The dreams of a child are peace
The dreams of a mother are peace
The words of love under the trees are peace
When an automobile stopping in the street does not mean fear
When a knock on the door means a friend

the start of a sweet dream
as it blossoms with life

Dr. Cornel West, civil Right Movement and Green Movement

On May 7th, 2010, The Week in Green with Hamid Dabashi, a weekly broadcast covering the civil rights movement in Iran, released an exclusive interview with acclaimed scholar and activist Dr. Cornel West.

In the inspirational episode, both Dr. West and host Hamid Dabashi drew parallels between the American Civil Rights Movement and Iran's Green Movement. Dr. West argued that both the US Civil Rights Movement and the Green Movement, which he called, "the most significant and exemplary movement for justice in the world today," were born out of the same love for humanity. "When you really love people..." Dr. West claimed, "you loathe the fact that they're being treated unfairly, and you must do something..."

Dr. West also drew on the history of the struggle for civil rights in the USA to offer strategic suggestions for the leaders of the Green Movement. He highlighted three important fronts on which the movement should focus: keeping its supporters motivated, making connections with those inside the government, and maintaining international focus on the struggle. "The Green Movement is a fundamental source of inspiration," Dr. West concluded, "and any support that we can provide, we are willing to do so."

Cornel West is the Class of 1943 Professor at Princeton University. The author of over twenty books, he is one of America's leading public intellectuals. Dr. West has served in many roles throughout his accomplished career, including philosopher, teacher, writer, orator, civil rights advocate, and even actor, appearing in The Matrix Trilogy.