Tehran, is the capital of Iran, and one of the biggest cities in the world (in terms of population as well as surface area).

Here are a few facts that i did NOT know about my old home town:

• 280km of highways and 180 km of loops, ramps and exchanges! unparalleled in west asia.
• Excavatios at the site of Tehran, put earliest settlements in that region to around 6000 BC!
• Tehran has the longest metro line in the middle East after Tel Aviv, and 6th longest in Asia.
• Tehran has the MOST BUST STOPS of any city IN ASIA. (i didnt see that one coming)
• 27 people die PER DAY in Tehran, due to its bad air pollution.
• Maximum numbers of deaths in a month due to pollution: 3600!!!
• The Tehran Stock Exchange has been one of the world’s best performing exchanges in recent yeras
• There are nearly 50 universities and colleges in teh Greater Tehran Area.
• Tehran’s Azadi football stadium is the biggest in middle east, 3rd biggest in Asia, 4th biggest in the world (FIFA)
• 10 minutes drive from Tehran will get you to Tochal Ski resort, 5th highest ski resort in the world (3730 metres), and its highest 7th station.
• The Tehran Internation Book Fair is considered by the international publishing world to be the most important  publishing event in Asia and Middle East
• Sister cities to Tehran include: New York City, LA, Toronto (yay), London, Beijing, Moscow and New Dehli (among others)

Cool. thank you wikipedia!

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I will see you in a fortnight, but for now, Happy Birthday!!

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Jon Stewart’s Daily show in Iran: Jason Jones reporting on the Knowledge of Iranian’s about the US:

And part 2 of his report (interviews Ebrahim Yazdi, And Abtahi – great interview):

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Here’s Jon Stewart Last nite on teh Daily Show commenting on what has been going on in Iran following the elections:

And here is the second part:

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I’d written this post a few weeks ago, but it seems much more fitting today.

George Carlin, that fabulous, genius of a stand up comic, (and Mr. Conductor on Shining times station!) died today, at 71.  It’s funny, every so often, you think to yourselves, there are certain people that you hope wouldn’t ever die.  Just becasue of how creative, and original they are, because of how much they contribue.  The two people in the entertainment business i always had this pre-emptive Lament for, have been George Carlin and Woody Allen. 

But what is wonderful is that while he may be physically gone, the body of work that is his legacy is preserved, and he stays with us in our thoughts.  So let us enjoy it, thinking about him.

So here is an archive of George Carlin videos available for free on the web:

George Carlin – Complaints and Grievances (2001)

George Carlin – What am I doing in New Jersey (1988)

George Carlin – Doin’ it Again (1990)

George Carlin – Life is Worth Losing (2006)

George Carlin – You are all diseased (1999)

George Carlin – Carlin on Campus (1984)

George Carlin – Again (1978)

George Carlin – Back in Town (1996)

George Carlin – Jammin’ in New York (1992)

George Carlin – On Location (1977)

George Carlin – Play with your Head (1986)

George Carlin – Live at Carnegie Hall (1982)

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“Don’t get that cookoo clock back. that thing almost put my eye out!”
“Well you shouldn’t have been so close, you KNEW what time it was!”

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It was a couple of weeks ago, when sleeping in the throws of a mild fever, i had one of those fantastic fever-induced surreal dream/nightmares.  Now before i continue, if for no reason other than to set my mother aflight with worry, i should add that it was mild, and nothign serious, in fact i enjoyed it quite the lot.

I remember when i was a kid my particular dreams in this state involved inflation of body parts or things in my room.  A general change of size thigns.  And it wasn’t nightmarish in the Freddy Krueger sense of the word either (i can recall two nightmares in my entire life, and one of them was rather psychological more than anything else), so i’m not even sure if this one shoudl qualify as a ‘nightmare’ per se.  But it does make for a nice post-title.

The fantastic thing about this fever-induced dream was that i was a musical! That’s right, not musical (as in the adjective), but also A MUSICAL (as in the noun, as in South Pacific, or Moulin Rouge).  What was even more fantastic was the fact that it was a musical about the Philosophy of Physics.  And what was even more fantastic was that it was complete!  So here is the summary:

I had a fever induced nightmare which consisted of a Musical about the Philosophy of Physics.  And it was in three acts! The first and final act were in the classroom with my students, and the middle act was in the Teachers’ Lounge. Honestly, if i could have more nightmares of that nature, i would not mind it one bit.  I was so totally awestruck when i woke up in the morning.

And why was it a nightmare, you ask?  Because not only where none of the students were actually paying attention (that’s pretty normal for my students), but i also kept missing the High C!!!!

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Here is what can best be described as a very odd and surreal morality tale. The animator is Run Wrake.

And speaking of surreal and rabbits, how can we forget good ol’ David Lynch:

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