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August 1, 2011
Tying browser usage to intelligence makes as much sense as linking hair color to sleeping habits. No doubt someone will come up with that study at some point too.
So going by this study, a few years back 90% of the world was stupid and suddenly most people smartened up by switching away from IE.
And no, I'm not switching to Opera just because its users were shown to have higher IQ. I'll continue using Chrome and remain stupid.
Are Internet Explorer users dumb?
July 31, 2011
 When I was a kid growing up in Iran, one of my favorite places to go was to my grandparents' on weekends. Sometimes they'd would order out Chelo-Kabab (lamb kebab with rice), and while many Iranians like their yoghurt drinks, for us no soft drink could complement Chelo-Kabab quite like an ice-cold Coke, or Koka, as we used to call it there.
Years have passed, both of my grandparents have passed away and I haven't had the taste of that Coke ever since. The Coke we have here in America is nothing like that. It comes in plastic bottles or metal cans, as opposed to glass bottles, and it's made with high fructose corn syrup, instead of real sugar.
A while back someone mentioned to me that Costco sells Mexican Coke that uses real sugar, and last week I finally bought a case from a nearby Costco. The bottles looked like the ones I remember from my past. But how about the taste? I stuck a bottle in the freezer, allowing it to chill for a while before getting a taste. It didn't disappoint. At first swig, I was transported to my grandparents' home.
If you ever have the chance, try the Mexican Coke. It's not a myth, it really does taste better than the American Coke.
July 23, 2011
Beavis and Butthead, the cartoon series about two mischievous, conniving, simpletons in high school is coming back on MTV in October. We're not talking the reruns of the old episodes that ended nearly 15 years ago. These are brand new episodes with the original creator, Mike Judge, at the helm and still doing the voices of the juvenile delinquents.
When the first round of Beavis and Butthead shows began in 1993, I was in my mid-20's, well outside the age sweet spot of the show. Still I became a big fan as many others in my age range.
I wondered how good the new episodes could possibly be. I don't know, maybe I haven't grown much since those days, or maybe my sense of humor is still juvenile, or maybe the show is just that good. Whatever the case, I laughed during the entire clip below, giving the fans a taste of the new episodes. All I can say is, heh …heh …heh, cool, heh heh this rules, heh heh … heh.
July 9, 2011
 Magazine peddlers, religious preachers, and other door surfers seem to always ring the doorbell at the worst times. Is there a good time for this anyways?
To put an end to this incessant parade of annoyance, I went looking for a simple "No Soliciting" sign on the Internet to tape to my door. I couldn't find anything simple and suitable, so I made a plain one myself, printed it, and stuck it on my door. Will see if it helps.
Feel free to click and download the image and use it as you please. Shrink it, cut it, edit it, whatever you want. Color print works best, but I think it'll come out fine with b&w too. Just don't go selling it door-to-door 
Happy evading!
January 28, 2011
It has been an interesting winter season. Here in the Northeast US we've been getting a good dose of the white stuff in what seem to be endless days of snow. No complaints from me. I actually like shoveling the stuff. But as fate had it in for me, I also got to shovel snow half way around the world this year.
Last week I was in Tehran (Iran's capital city, for the geo-challenged) on family matters and enjoyed a decent snow while there. Hadn't seen a white Tehran in almost 30 years since my childhood growing up there. I actually did some roof shoveling and found it quite challenging. The snow there gets soggy and slushy rather quickly and it's quite a bit heavier than the powdery snow i'm used to.
Despite what some people think, Tehran, being at the base of the Alborz mountain, gets quite a bit of snow every winter season. It used to get a lot more of it many years ago, but over-population and pollution have cut down drastically on the quantity and the frequency of snow falls in the recent years.
Here are a couple of shots I took from my parents' backyard in Tehran.
December 19, 2010
Wouldn't call myself a fan, but I like the regular Sun chips and I sometimes get a small bag to go with my sandwich. I've been hearing about the new noisy bags for some time but until last week I had no idea what the complaints were all about.
So last week I was at the grocery store where I spotted large bags of Sun chips on the shelf with the words "100% Compostable" on them. As I reached to grab one, I suddenly understood what the fuss was all about. The bags are really loud, but unlike some other people my reaction was one of amusement and interest.
I actually like the noisy bags, and one my kids does too. In fact she mentioned that it's crazy that the company is reverting to the old bags because of a few complaints. I don't know, seems to me that Sun chips actually has a winning formula with these bags. They're not only better for the environment, but their noisiness sets them apart from the other bags. I actually bought another bag yesterday. Am I becoming a fan now?
Check out the noise from the bag here: Sun Chips Noise
June 20, 2010
Wealthy people who like to flash their material possessions rub me the wrong way. But that's not Warren Buffett's style and I admire him for it. I'm not sure what kind of person I would have been if I had his kind of wealth, but if a person is destined to become filthy rich, then I can think of no better people than the likes of Warren Buffett or Bill Gates.
In a recent article in Fortune magazine Buffett states:
Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse, and long-standing friends.
Elaborating on his pledge of donating 99% of his fortune to philanthropic causes, he closes by stating this about himself and his family:
Were we to use more than 1% of my claim checks on ourselves, neither our happiness nor our well-being would be enhanced. In contrast, that remaining 99% can have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others. That reality sets an obvious course for me and my family: Keep all we can conceivably need and distribute the rest to society, for its needs. My pledge starts us down that course.
This is the noble side of capitalism. In a nutshell he's saying that he's been blessed with a good life but ultimate happiness and fulfillment in life is measured by how many lives one has positively impacted rather than how many homes or yachts one owns. If only we all had a bit of this attitude in us. What a world it would be.
June 13, 2010
 Bananas - Courtesy Suat Eman, freedigitalphotos.net Today while shopping at Costco, I had to pause and contemplate how weird us humans really are. It happened when I was grabbing a bag of bananas.
Being a wholesale store, you can get a ton of bananas in bags for $1.32 at Costco. Some bags may have 10 while others may have 12 bananas. Some bananas may have a few spots while others may still have a green streak or two. In the end it really doesn't matter which bag you get. It's just $1.32.
What's amazing is that some people (myself included) seem to spend an eternity searching and hunting for a perfect bunch or perhaps that prized bag with the most bananas. And for what? $1.32.
Weird, people blow $10 on a pack of cigarettes, $5 for a beer at the bar, or $20 dollars playing lotto. We spend money on all kinds of stupid things, but we take all the time in the world to find that perfect $1.32 banana bunch.
May 2, 2010
A beach resort isn't exactly my idea of a vacation spot. I'm more of a desert and mountain type and I like it cheap. The Bahamas has no mountains and it's not cheap, but keeping a promise to my children, I recently visited the country and came back rather positive about the experience.
Ok, no mountains, but the running was good, lots of swimming in the Atlantic, and jet-skiing for the first time. Staying away from fancy restaurants, gambling, and alcohol helped stretch the budget. And is there any reason to go clothes shopping in fancy stores when all you need is your swimming outfit or a pair of shorts and a t-shirt?
I knew there will be beaches, and palm trees and turquoise-colored water, and the fact that Columbus landed there. But I also learned a few new things about the Bahamas, among them:
- The Bahamas consists of hundreds of islands, some uninhabited.
- The Bahamas is not really that far south. If you drew a line from Nassau heading west, you hit Florida.
- The Bahamas is a sovereign country with its own government.
- The Bahamian dollar is pegged to the US dollar one for one. Both currencies are freely accepted. No need for a conversion calculator or exchange fees.
- Traffic in the Bahamas follows the British system. They drive on the left. be careful crossing streets.
and a few shots:
March 28, 2010
Murderers or saviors? This is the story of 4 people who have found themselves on the opposite side of the law after their group was accused of facilitating the death of a suffering patient.
The group, known as Final Exit Network, helps terminally ill and suffering patients to end their lives peacefully and with dignity. No physical assistance is provided, instead the patients are given group support and guidance on how to end their own lives as painlessly as possible.
I don't know these people nor have I any knowledge of their motives. All I know is that on the surface their work on suicide guidance is nothing but admirable. They have had the courage to defy cruel and sadistic laws and help people end their pain and suffering. If they have flouted the so-called divine (superstitious) laws, so be it.
The state should have no business meddling in people's lives and their private decisions, specifically those who are obviously in such great pain. Nor should they be punishing those who only give guidance on suicide. It's one thing to intercede when a jilted teenager wants to commit suicide on a whim. It's an entirely different matter when a terminally ill patient in great pain wants to die in peace and dignity.
A message to the anti-euthanasia crusaders: You want to live till your last breath, that's your decision and I respect that. I want to die on my own terms. Leave it at that and do something positive, like perhaps donate to a cause for curing cancer.
suicide,euthanasia,assisted suicide
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