David asked:


I think reading this in 5-10 minutes would be better than listening to the news for a lifteime.Plz don’t think I’m a very old person.Just 18.A university student studying English who just cannot sit back and hope.This article has two parts: 1.Cultural and general info 2.political info.If you wanna know a part of the truth, read it from top to bottom.

Hi.I’m Iranian and I live in Iran.When I chat with people from other countries, I understand that they have totally wrong ideas about Iran.I just wrote this article to correct you.
The first thing they accuse our government of, is that they don’t let you be free.Actually, Iranians don’t obey the laws they don’t like as much as possible.Many strict rules in other countries, don’t even exist in Iran.Also, you should understand that what may seem so normal to you, may be a nightmare for us and vise versa.That’s why you don’t understand a few of Iran’s laws.In Iran every single house has a sattelite. Sattelite channels had a serious influence on people, they wear very fashionable clothes.Maybe it’s a kind of immitation, but still it’s got an unique Iranian style.You’ll begin to wonder if it’s a country or the fantacy land of beauty queens! Almost half their hair is out and they wear a lot of make up and fationable clothes.Iran is one of the super-consumers of cosmics.You’ll be surprised seeing the difference between what you imagined before and how the real Iran is! Everything’s great if you don’t take unemployment, inflation and air pollution into account which I guess are common problems in many other countries.You can’t compare Itran today with the one in 30 years ago! Nearly 65-70% of Iran’s population is considered the new generation (The youth) and they’ve transformed everything.

Some people think women don’t have any rights in Iran! Women are overtaking Iran. They’re so respectful and they’re the winners in most cases: They get into the best universities cos they’re so clever.They get the best jobs cos they can do jobs better than men.They’ve got rights that have made it difficult for men to marry them, because husbands should buy them expensive things and treat them very well, otherwise women will have the right to ask them a great amount of money (called Mehr) according to the law which most husbands cannot afford, so they’ll be imprisoned.The only thing that women are not allowed to do in Iran is getting into public football stadiums and that’s because such places are full of cheeky guys.They do anything from taking part in rallies to singing DJ / pop songs.Anything! I’ve put a sample here.I feel foolish for sitting here explaining ordinary things to you.

Another funny thing: Your footage about stoning the women who have committed adultery.Have you ever asked yourselves they relate to how many years ago?For your information, those are from Afghanistan which was ruled by freaks (Taliban).When you think of such things, try to think of the racism in your country too.I find it difficult to make you understand that Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan are SEPERATE COUNTRIES! 60% of Iranians are Persian and 30% are Turkish! I find it even more difficult to make you understand that Iran is a normal country like any other countries in the world.There’s nothing mysterious about it!(The media are very good at making scary titles: BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS!!! IRAN UNDERCOVER!!! This would be enough to scare people away! Iranians are much more open-minded than what you think!!! I’m sure you don’t know that there are lots of Iranian geniouses and scientists that are all under 25.You don’t hear about their discoveries and inventions on TV. For instance a 17 year old boy has invented 72 amazing inventions and there are many KIDS like that.Iranian students and sportsmen win gold and silver medals in different compotitions in the world all the time such as robotics, biology, maths, physics, sports, anything! Why don’t the media talk about them? They just can’t summerise everything in one word “nuclear”, although we’re proud of it cos having nuclear energy means a country is developed.Did you know that the countries having the highest number of scientists in the world are in this order? 1-India 2-Korea 3-Iran

A few months ago Iran uncovered the most effective anti-H.I.V medicine and it was signing treaties with other countries to export it.I digged the news on the internet, but there was no single sign of that.What did I find instead? “President Bush CLAIMS that bomb parts are imported from Iran into Iraq!”(The same old story!) The media are injustice.They put CLAIMS on the headlines, but they never talk about facts! Some interesting facts:
Iran is the pionier in medicine and genetics and Iranian surgens have found lots of new methods for treating spinal defects and many other diseases (mainly the treatment for different types of cancer) and the best brain and heart surgens are Iranian surgens.The head of Mars Mission in NASA is Iranian.One of the best designers of sports cars working in Germany is Iranian.Some of the best 3D animators are Iranian.Iran is one of the best countries in counter-engineering.Holds the second place in building dams and in loads of other things! It’s one of the top countries in these fields: bio-technology and nono-technology.The 4th highest tower in the world (Milad tower) is in Tehran ( visit it in the second link).51 top universities out of the 100 top universities in the Mid-East are in Iran and they’re among some of the top universities of the world as well.The champion weight-lifter, the woman, and a song by one of the pop singers who/which won the nobel peace prize are Iranians.Lots of Iranians win nobel prizes specially in the field of medicine .Iranian girls are famous for being terrific.Persian rug and Persian literature, many Persian poets and scientists that are so famous.Iranian culture is now westernised and only a little has survived! According to statistics Tehran is the cheapest capital city in the world for foriegners of course not for us! (Cos our rate is different: one Dollar =about 950 Tomans!) There are many other things.How many pages would you need to describe a country?Iran is an independant country unlike its neighbouring countries.It has nearly all the developed industries and technologies.The list is endless.

News: “Iranian scentists managed to make human teeth grow after you’ve lost them using basic cells”
I’m gonna intoduce Iran’s international news website to you (Press TV) which was establlished recently.It’s fully in English.You’ll find what they’re hiding from you! In the “Sic / Tech” section you’ll always see Iran’s discoveries.The address is: http://www.presstv.ir/news.aspx Press TV news: Iranian scientists have registered more than 4800 inventions during the last Iranian calendar year of 1385 (April 21 2006-April 20, 2007). 4800 inventions in just one year!

Some charactristics of Iranians would be: Proud, greedy, hard-working for themselve, lazy at doing their duty well!, intelligent, ambitious, not realistic, not so religious (sadly the majority of the young generation is not), not punctual, impatient, well-dressed, formal, well-educated, warm and friendly and hospitable.

Some people think Iran’s a desert! lol Iran is a modern country with breathtakingly beautiful nature and lots of historic places to visit.Please take a look at the following links to see if Iran looks like what you think or not! This is a photo of Tehran (Awesome.Isn’t it?): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Tehran-2-1600.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran

If you like you can visit these too, hundreds of pretty photos from the cities, nature and historic places:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hills_south_west_of_Sanandaj_near_the_village_of_Kilaneh.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/k_amj/throughout_iran&page=all
http://www.pbase.com/k_amj/throughout_iran&page=2
http://www.pbase.com/k_amj/throughout_iran&page=3
http://www.bigsoccer.com:80/forum/showthread.php?t=199709&page=4
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199709&page=3
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199709&page=13
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran

Some people think music is forbidden in Iran.Did you know that Iranian pop music was chose as the best pop music in France in 2005? I guess not.All Iranian songs are current pop /Club-Dance/Trance/ DJ music.I send them to my American and Canadian chat friends and they all say they’re some of the best songs they’ve ever heard.
Here’s a sample of the latest hits.(So catchy.Right?) I believe in “Express yourself through music and that music is a universal language”.
You can just right click on the links below and choose “Save Target As” to download them.The translation of the songs is here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArJe6s_u1UbLFRAAiKDGBZLsy6IX?qid=20070514105433AAysEsQ

1.(You know this: 2007) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Top33/128/Neorin%20-%20To%20Ino%20Miduni.mp3
2.(Hold my hand: 2007) http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/09_%20Dastamo%20Begir.mp3
3.(The wetness of your eyes: 2006) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Top33/128/Ehsan%20Gheibi%20-%20Khisie%20Cheshmat.mp3
4.(I just want you: 2003) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Mansour/Crazy/Delam%20Faghat%20Toro%20Mikhaad(www.Bia2Music.com).MP3
5.(The rain: 2007) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/64/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise%20-%2005%20Baroon%20(www.Bia2Music.com).wma
6.(The window: 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/03_%20Panjereh.mp3
7.(Keep me in your memory: 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/07_%20Yaade%20Man%20Baash.mp3
8.(Farangis “A female name” 2007) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/64/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise%20-%2001%20Farangis%20(www.Bia2Music.com).wma
9.(The distance: 2007)
http://www.sarzaminsong.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/03_%20Faseleh.mp3
10.(Sunrise: 2007)
http://www.sarzaminsong.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/04_%20Tolou.mp3
11.(Stop world:2006) http://www.sarzaminmusic.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Reza%20Sadeghi%20-%20Vaysa%20Donya/01_%20Vaysa%20Donya.mp3
12.(You can’t: 2007)
http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/06_%20Nemitooni.mp3
13.(The wind’s kiss: 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/01_%20Boosaye%20Baad.mp3
14.(Reveal your visage: 2004) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mohammad%20Esfahani/04_%20Talab.mp3
15.(What would have happened if : 2007)
http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Navid%20&%20Omid%20-%20Faryad/01_%20Chi%20Mishod.mp3
And so on and on!

It’s now 2007 and people still think we are uneducated people living in deserts, riding camels and carrying around guns!!!!
See how the media are fooling people?

Let’s clarify some political issues as well:
Some of the Americans I chatted with, said in the U.S it’s said that president Ahmadinejad hates the U.S and Israel and wants to nuke them!! The media are good at putting comments.It’s easy to show a video or an image of our president or leader on the T.V screen or on the internet and say he says this, he says that…..I really don’t get the point why our politicians defame themselves by talking about things that have got nothing to do with us.For example does verbal defence of Palestinians cause them to have a better life?The thing is that they occasionally make some statements that the media would misuse it agaisnt Iran.For example they pick up some specific phrases of a long speech (without reffering to the main points and reasons for that speech) and put so many bad comments on that.No sane person would take it for granted.

First of all, Iranians don’t hate anyone.If our government complains about some injustice going on in the world, it’s not bad.Is it? (Although what we want them is to shut up and not to get us into trouble by talking about things that are none of our concern) We hate neither Jews nor Americans.I love Americans otherwise why would I talk to them?! How would our guys dream of America, be like them as much as possible and hate it at the same time?! I’ve got to say that for Iran Israel is not equal with Jews! Israel is a gov’t.Jews are faithful people! A few of them live here in our neighbourhood and they live just like the rest of Iranians.No difference.And two of Iran’s parliment members are Jews. Who says we want to force others to convert to Islam?Have you ever found a Muslem knocking at your door asking you to do so?It’s so funny the way you imagine things and make yourselves believe in your own immaginations! Christians and Jews are both God believers and respectful to us.I wonder why the media like putting words in our mouth and raising hatred.In Iran, religion would be the least important thing. It means that where you come from and what your religion is, are not important to us at all.On the contrary, meeting different people would be so interesting for us!

I wonder Iran is a threat to whom. Is that logical to say someone’s guilty because we THINK / PREDICT that he’s going to do something wrong?!!!! And they repeat the same “nuclear weapons” tosh over and over and brainwash people! News headlines: “We won’t allow Iran to gain nuclear weapons”!!! Correction! It’s “nuclear energy”.Besides, how many “nuclear weapons” do they have themselves? Hundreds of thousands? Has Iran ever attacked any countries? No.Has it developed any nukes?No! That’s what nuclear agency says.Only Iran’s oppositions are pulling Iran’s leg and what they say is of no credit.It’s just based on political conflicts.What we’re doing is legal.What they ask us to do (ignoring our international rights) is illegal. Iran is a peaceful country.Why? It’s the regional super-power and if she wanted, she could easily invade the countries in our neibourhood just like what Seddam did to our country, but as you see Iran has peaceful relations with all of them.It can set an example to some countries that just follow their interests (oil!).Interesting! the countries accusing Iran of different things have been, and are still accused of the same things!!! How logical!

Some people say he said: Israel should be wiped off the map! But have they told you the rest of his speech and that why he’s said this at all?You know that it’s a passive sentence.He’s never said that IRAN wants to wipe Israel off the map! He wasn’t talking about destroying Israel.He was talking about relocating Israel, so that they could live seperate from Palestinians and they could both live in peace.They’ve only told you this phrase not the whole thing and it’s mistranslated intentionally.Iran’s always defended itself, but it’s not an offensive country.

Some say he’s said: Holocaust is a myth! again this is a single phrase from among a long speech and there are totally logical reasons for saying so.If 6′000′000 Jews were killed, that’s so terrible, but those 300′000 Shiite Moslems killed by Saddam aren’t important at all! Over 650′000 Iraqi people are killed and it’s not important! When Fox News simply says: America and Israel are capable of destroying and killing all Iran’s 69′000′000 population within two weeks, it’s OK and no one says they’re threatening other countries to nuke them (I saw this with my own eyes on the Fox News website) Millions of people killed in Afghanistan, Hiroshima & Nakazaki and Vietnam war are not considered human beings at all! Now I think you’d get the point why he’s IRONICALLY said it’s a mith.Moreover, don’t you believe in freedom of speech/mind? I’d judge people by their ACTIONS rather than by what they say / their religion / race / culture and the colour of their skin! There are two types of modernism.One of them can be seen: “living among skyscrapers and using the latest technology”.The other one cannot be seen: “The way of thinking!”

Obviousely, some countries are using Iran as a victim to put the blame (their own faults) on Iran.And which country is better than Iran to be a victim?They’ve made the whole world believe that Iran isn’t a peaceful country.I know Americans don’t like these either, but what can they do?They’re not responsible for controlling what the media say

This part is just for Americans who would still argue over unimportant things: Those of you who say why Iran says “Death to America”: 1.America means the U.S govt not the people.How do you expect Iranians to mean “American people” when our media admires Americans for marching and holding up “no war” placards?! 2.The new generation don’t say such things and if some of them occasionally march in the streets that’s because some of the stupid guys enjoy making noise and they mainly go out there to meet their girlfreids/boyfriends! Strange.Isn’t it? 3.Such mottos are not just said in Iran and as you know whatever you hear is a response to the U.S govt’s terrible actions which has made life for many people hell (You wouldn’t deny that attacking countries is a mistake.right?) 5.The U.S gov’t helped Seddam to attack Iran and I hope you know which country gave Iraq biological weapons which killed lots of Iranians 6.America hit an Iranian airplane over the Persian Gulf and killed 200 passengers for no reason 7.It’s always botherng Iran by sanctions, displaying false image of Iran and Iranians, scares tourists away from Iran and is always harmful to our economy, development and credit 8.It’s always despised the Iranians who travel to the U.S at their arrival (even ordinary ones, university students, sportsmen, scientists etc)
To those who are upset with American hostages taken for 444 days: 1.Firstly, It’s related to so many years ago and it’s almost a part of history and don’t forget that when there’s a revolution, there’d be cheos and people may do things that they should not, moreover they’re all alive and healthy.Aren’t they? 2.The U.S has arrested Iranian diplomats in Iraq and has tortured the one who was freed.Poor British sailors were detained by the English gov’t just for saying that they were treated well in Iran and that Iranians were logical people (They said these when they were on England’s soil!) They were PREVENTED from releasing their memoirs by England! Now you decide who has the right to be upset with whom.How do you believe in their lies about politics when they hide both the most and the least important things from you considering the fact that politics is the world of lies in its nature?!!! Considering all this, you’d PROBABLY be able to GUESS what percentage of what they tell you about the Mid-East, Islam, Moslems and other things is true!!! lol

Isn’t it better for both countries to forget about the past conflicts and to have peaceful relations?The two gov’ts are like 10 year old children playing a game by harsh rhetoric.They don’t care about hurting people’s feelings.They just try to show that the people are enemies of each other to achieve their own goals. We as the people of these countries MUST NOT have any conflics.You know something?All govts are hateful.I just said the above things because it sounds unfair when some Americans talk about 444 hostage taking and I keep being silent.I hope you agree on this one! Now, what do you think? I can’t wait to see both nations in peace.It’d be marvelous!
Plz whenever you have time, find and read an article about “ethnocentrism”.Knowing the meaning of this term is not enough.After reading about it, you’ll feel a noticable positive change in your attitude towards different people! Guaranteed!

Thanks for your time.

Air Conditioning

enigmatic smile asked:


Climate change is real, and nobody has questioned that. The argument is whether it is attributable to human activity. In the last analysis, why does that matter? It is probably not solely attributable to what we are doing, but can anyone doubt that we are contributiong to the problem?

Underlying the problem are the twin malignancies of pollution and overpopulation. The poor planet cannot deal with exploding billions — billions — of occupants with an insatiable thirst for raw materials, energy, water, and, of course and ultimately, economic advantage at any cost.

And the politicos argue about such inanities/insanities as gay marriage, stem cell research and abortion rights. Gay marriage should be encouraged and rewarded, stem cell research hurts no one and benefits people with awful diseases, and the question as to abortion is not whether it should be permitted, but whether it should be required. There are already too many people; children are starving and being slaughtered and horribly treated around the world; senseless, destructive wars are being fought over control of precious resources; human rights are in the garbage can; religious nut cases are strapping explosives to themselves and killing anyone that doesn’t agree with their version of divine intent; our own government is spying on us.

It was long ago demonstrated that if you put a few rats in a cage, they get along fine. If you put a lot of rats in a cage, they begin to fight and bite.

Yours truly,
Just Another Rat

Environmental Education

tattiehoker54 asked:


I have a serious problem with my fellow Humans attitude that somehow we are the most “Intelligent “animal on the planet.Take a good look at Human “Intelligence” working around the globe: We have created a bomb to kill every single living thing on the Planet, Global Warming, Out of control Human Populations destroying other species Habitats, massive pollution of the Land Sea and Air. Does this sound like INTELLIGENCE at work !The natural world does not give a damn about the theory of Relativity or the painting of a beautiful picture. Only Humans do!. Can you think of ONE thing where Human Intelligence has benefited the Planet. I can’t !.It only benefits other Humans.I see myself equal to the dog. the lamb,and Hyena maybe even inferior as they have survived on this planet longer than Humans, The Alligator has the most supreme intelligence of all, this species has been around for 65 MILLION years. That is INTELLIGENCE.Are we simply just another species nature is experimenting with?

Air Pollution

diamondprincessashley asked:


1) How do marginal control costs and marginal damage costs determine pollution policy?

2.) Compare emission charges (tax) & transferable permits n terms of cost-effectiveness & desired level of reduction?

3.) How does the assignment of property rights help to solve environmental problems? Give an example. (5 lines)

4.) The US sells its surplus foodgrains to poor countries vide PL480, which allows payments in local currencies. These currencies are practically non-tradables, so the PL480 grains turns out to be a free gift. Is this an efficient and ethical way to dispose of the agri surplus?

5.) Is privatization an economically and environmentally viable solution for forests?

Emissions

Sepehr asked:


can u summarize this par in 4-5 sentences plz!!
To reduce the amount of environmental damage in cities specifically, developed countries have devised technology to control abundance of vehicles that countries to grow in number, the efficacy of theses measure is diminished. Since cars and other vehicles create more air
pollution than any other human activity, the most effective means to reduce pollution is to decrease the number of vehicles. A major shift a way from automobile usage in urban areas maybe possible with the aid of urban planning.
help plz

Ecosystem

fatenekki asked:


Please kindly correct my answers? I’ll quote some parts of main text that are required to answer.
“Did pollution finish off the Roman Empire? The Romans stored wine in lead vats and some scholars think lead poisoning weakened their minds and lay behind the fall of their civilization.”
When did pollution begin to be a problem?
A:”It began to be a problem since the Roman Empire.”

“In 1306 Edward I banned the burning of sea-coal because it made ’so powerful and unbearable stench’.”
What made Edward I ban the burning of sea-coal?
A:”It was the powerful and unbearable stench that made Edward I ban the burning of sea-coal.”

“At the bottom flows, or rather stagnates, the Irk, a narrow, coal-black, foul smelling stream. ‘Across the Pennines in Leeds, you could only see the sun on Sundays.
Why would the sun be seen in Leeds only on Sunday?
A:Because people usually stop working in factories and industries on Sunday.

“American cities like Pittsburgh, so dark that drivers sometimes had to use their headlights at midday, began to impose smoke controls in the 1930s and ’40s.
How did American cities try to solve the particular problem of pollution in the ’30s and ’40s?
A:American cities imposed smoke controls in the 1930s and 1940s to solve the particular problem.

“London followed suit after the Great Smog of 1952…. Londoners now enjoy 70% more sunshine in December than they did in 1958.
To what extent did Londoners succeed in solving the smoke problems?
A:Londoners did succeed goodly in solving the smoke problems, because they now enjoy 70% sunshine in December than they did in 1958.

“In the ’70s America and Japan moved to control vehicle fumes by fitting special converters to car exhausts.”
To what extent did Londoners succeed in solving the smoke problems?
A:Special measures were taken in America and Japan by fitting special converters to car exhausts to control vehicle fumes.

“By the end of the ’60s the environment was in fashion – The New York Times carried over 1,600 articles on environmental issues in 1970, eight times as many as it had in 1960.”

A:In what way did “The New York Times” show a growing interest in the environment?
A:The New York Times showed a growing interest in the environment by publishing more than 1,600 articles in 1970, eight times as many as it had in 1960.

“In 1972, 113 countries met at a UN conference in Stockholm tp discuss these problems – a landmark itself. But in the 1980s most of them still remain unsolved.
Do you think that pollution problems were solved by the conference in Stockholm? Justify.
A:No. Most of pollution problems remain unsolved in Stockholm, even in the 1980s.

Pollution Control

nickolassc asked:


For those seeking to justify this kind of all-encompassing government control, global warming is the best candidate to come along since the collapse of Marxism. Like Marxism, environmentalism steals the “scientific” aura of an established field–but in this case it has invaded the “hard sciences,” which carry greater prestige than economics. And unlike previous environmentalist crusades, global warming is a threat that is global in scope and total and all-encompassing in its detailed application to human life. Other pollution scares–DDT, acid rain, the ozone layer–required only the banning of a single product or control over a single industry. None was big enough to require control of the entire economy over the period of a century, nor could any claim to be so urgent as to make dissent an “irresponsible” act that is not to be tolerated.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20070629/cm_rcp/the_seeds_of_the_global_warmin;_ylt=AtIG3vlHLXd8V1QaPiY4YcL9wxIF
This may just be one of the most brilliant pieces I have ever read on the hijacking of science for totalitarianism.

“And this global warming police state has one big advantage over Marxism: it makes a virtue of the chronic shortages and privation that were such a mortal embarrassment to Communism. This time, the left won’t have to explain away the lines at the stores, the decade-long waiting lists for tin-can automobiles, even the scarcity of decent toilet paper. These are not failures of the system: they are the goal of the system. They are all necessary to reduce our “carbon footprint.”"
dana, absolutely. I have no problem with scientific research. As long as its open, the data made publically available to all for scrutiny, and the IPCC doesn’t put up barriers to discussing the science like those hypocrites did on this section of wg4:
http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Comments/wg1-commentFrameset.html

Pollution Control

david j asked:


I think reading this in 5-7 minutes would be better than listening to the news in a lifteime.Plz don’t think I’m a very old person.Just 18.A university student studying English who just cannot sit back and hope.
My question is: what percentage of what I say is acceptable to you?
This article has three parts: 1.Cultural and general info 2.music and 3.political, so plz read it from the top to the bottom.
Hi.I’m Iranian and I live in Iran.When I chat with people from other countries, I understand that they have totally wrong ideas about Iran.I just wrote this article to correct you.
The first thing they accuse our government of, is that they don’t let you be free.Actually, Iranians would be some of the most liberal people in the world (liberal meaning not obeying laws that they don’t like).Thousands of millions of strict rules in other countries, don’t even exist in Iran.Also, you should understand that what may seem so normal to you, may be a nightmare for us and vise versa.That’s why you don’t understand a few of Iran’s laws.In Iran every single house has a sattelite. Sattelite channels had a serious influence on people, they wear very fashionable clothes.Maybe it’s a kind of immitation, but still it’s got an unique Iranian style.You’ll see lots of beauty qeens on the streets that are just like models advertising fashionable clothes! Most part of their hair is out and they put on to much make up, also wearing scarves is a part of our culture.Iran is one of the super-consumers of cosmics (which is bad for our economy)! People do whatever they wish to and some of the things they do, don’t fit our culture at all, however it’s normal in Iran.You’ll be surprised seeing the difference between what you imagined before and how the real Iran is! It’s wonderful.Everything’s so great if you don’t take unemployment and air pollution into account. Many things have changed so far.I can’t even compare Iran with 5 years ago, let alone comparing it with 30 years ago!!!! After all, nearly 65-70% of Iran’s population is considered the new generation (The youth) and they’ve transformed everything.

Some people think women don’t have any rights in Iran! Women are overtaking Iran. They’re treated very well.They’re the winners in most cases: They get into the best universities cos they’re so clever.They get the best jobs cos they can do jobs much better than men.They’ve got rights that have made it difficult for men to marry them, because husbands buy them expensive things and treat them very well, otherwise women will have the right to ask them a great amount of money which most husbands cannot afford, so they’ll be imprisoned.The only thing that women are not allowed to do in Iran is getting into public football stadiums and that’s just because IN IRAN, such places are usually full of cheeky guys who would cheek girls.I don’t think girls would go there, even if they’re allowed to do so.

Another funny thing: Your footage about stoning the women who have committed adultery.Have you ever asked yourself they relate to how many years ago?Just for your information, those are from Afghanistan which was once ruled by those freaks (Taliban).I find it difficult to make you understand that Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan are SEPERATE COUNTRIES! and that we’re Persian and some Turkish not Arab! And I find it even more difficult to make you understand that Iran is a normal country like any other countries in the world.There’s nothing mysterious about it!(The media is very good at making scary titles: BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS!!! IRAN UNDERCOVER!!! This would be enough to scare people away! Iranians are much more educated, intelligent and open-minded than what you think!!! I’m sure you don’t know that there are lots and lots of Iranian geniouses and scientists that are all under 25.You don’t hear about their discoveries and inventions on TV. A small example is this 17 year old boy who’s invented 72 amazing inventions.You don’t know that Iranian students and sportsmen are winning gold and silver medals in different compotitions in the world all the time such as robotics, biology, maths, physics, sports, anything! Why don’t the media talk about them?Did you know that the countries having the highest number of scientists in the world are in this order? 1-India 2-Korea 3-Iran

A few weeks ago Iran uncovered the most effective anti-H.I.V medicine and now it’s signing treaties with other countries to export it.I digged the news on the internet, but there was no single sign of that.What I found instead? “President Bush CLAIMS that bomb parts are imported from Iran into Iraq!” The media are injustice.They’d put CLAIMS on the headlines, but they would never talk about facts! Some interesting facts:
Iran is the pionier in medicine and genetics and Iranian surgens have found lots of new methods for treating spinal defects and many other diseases (mainly the treatment for different types of cancer) and the the best brain and heart surgens are Iranian surgens.The head of Mars Mission in NASA is Iranian.One of the best designer of sports cars working in Germany is Iranian.Some of the best 3D animators are Iranian.Iran is one of the best countries in counter-engineering.Holds the second place in building dams.The 4th highest tower (Milad tower) in the world is in Tehran (which you can visit in the second link).The champion weight-lifter is Iranian.The woman, and a song by one of the pop singers who/which won the nobel peace prize are Iranians. And as you all know, Iranian girls are famous for being terrific.Persian rug and Persian literature, many Persian poets and scientists that are so famous.Persian culture is now westernised and only a little has survived! According to statistics Tehran is the cheapest capital city in the world for foriegners with Dollars of course not for us! (Cos our rate is different: one Dollar=about 950 Tomans!) Who do you think is building Dubi?Arabs?No my friends, Iranian architectures, engineers and traders funding them, cos they don’t think building the same things in Iran would be beneficial for them, Since the media scare tourists away from Iran.There are many other things.And also, Iran is a very independant country.It has nearly all the developed industries and technologies and doesn’t need other countries to survive! That’s why the unfair U.N sanctions don’t bother us! The list is endless.
Some charactristics of Iranians would be: Proud, greedy, hard-working, intelligent, ambitious, not realistic, not so religious, not so generous, not punctual, impatient, well-dressed, formal, well-educated, warm and friendly and hospitable.

Some people think, Iran’s a desert! Iran’s a modern country with very beautiful nature and lots of historical places to visit.Please take a look at the following links and see if Iran looks like what you think or not! (Surely it doesn’t!)
This is a photo of Tehran: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Tehran-2-1600.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran

If you like you can visit these too, hope you like them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hills_south_west_of_Sanandaj_near_the_village_of_Kilaneh.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jhcfjuhfuvfjhyf.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dariushhotel2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kish-island.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dariushhotel3.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran

Some people think music is forbidden in Iran.Did you know that Iranian pop music has won the prize in France in 2005? All Iranian songs are current pop /Trance/ DJ music.I send them to my American and Canadian chat friends and they all admit that it’s the best music they’ve ever heard.They specially love the beat.
You can just right click on the links below and choose “Save Target As” to download them.You’ll love Iranian style.It’s nothing like what you expect! You can read the translations in here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuU3bcYBNN27yv44GHQIAqwAAAAA?qid=20070303111508AAXhVyi
(I just want you: pop&Trance 2003) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Mansour/Crazy/Delam%20Faghat%20Toro%20Mikhaad(www.Bia2Music.com).MP3
(The rain: pop&Trance 2007) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/64/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise%20-%2005%20Baroon%20(www.Bia2Music.com).wma
(Farangis “A female name”: pop&Trance 2007) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/Sunset%20to%20Sunrise/64/Siavash%20Ghomayshi%20-%20Sunset%20to%20Sunrise%20-%2001%20Farangis%20(www.Bia2Music.com).wma
(The window: pop&Trance: 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/03_%20Panjereh.mp3
(Stop world:pop 2006) http://www.sarzaminmusic.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Reza%20Sadeghi%20-%20Vaysa%20Donya/01_%20Vaysa%20Donya.mp3
(Hold my hand:pop 2007) http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/09_%20Dastamo%20Begir.mp3
(The wind’s kiss:pop&Trance 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/01_%20Boosaye%20Baad.mp3
(Keep me in your memory:pop 2005) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/07_%20Yaade%20Man%20Baash.mp3
(Reveal your visage:pop 2004) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mohammad%20Esfahani/04_%20Talab.mp3
(It’s beautiful:pop 2007) http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/02_%20Ghashangeh.mp3
(My bride: DJ 2006) http://www.sarzaminmusic.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mohsen%20Chavoshi%20-%20Im%20Sorry/01_%20Arouse%20Man.mp3

It’s now 2007 and people still think we are uneducated people living in deserts, riding camels and carrying around guns!!!!
See how the media are fooling people? None of the things you hear on the media about Iran are true.If you think I’ve been admiring Iran too much, that’s because you’d do the same thing if you were looked down nearly everyday for some false reasons.

I think it’s better to clarify some political issues as well:
Some of the Americans I chatted with, said in the U.S it’s said that president Ahmadinejad hates the U.S and Israel and wants to nuke them!! The media are good at putting comments.It’s easy to show a video or an image of our president or leader on the T.V screen or on the internet and say he says this, he says that…..I really don’t get the point why our politicians defame themselves by talking about things that have got nothing to do with us.For example does verbal defence of Palestinians cause them to have a better life?The thing is that they occasionally make some statements that the media would misuse it agaisnt Iran. like picking up some specific sensitive phrases from among a long speech (without reffering to the main points and reasons for that speech) and putting so many bad comments on that.No sane person would take it serious.

First of all, Iranians don’t hate anyone.If our government complains about some injustice going on in the world, it’s not bad.Is it? We hate neither Jews nor Americans.They’re both nice people.If their media are fooling them, it’s not their fault.If I were in their shoes, I would hate Iran too regarding all the terrible lies they keep hearing about it nearly everyday.Although ordinary Iranians don’t care about world affairs, I’ve got to say that for us Israel is not equal to Jews! Israel is a govt.Jews are faithful people! A few of them live here in our neighbourhood and they live just like the rest of Iranians.No difference.And two of Iran’s parliment members are Jews. Who says we want to force the others to convert to Islam?Have you ever found a Muslem knocking at your door asking you to do so?That’s so funny. Christians and Jews are both God believers and respectful to us.I wonder why the media like putting words in our mouth and raising hatred.In Iran, religion would be the least important thing. It means that where you come from and what your religion is, are not important to us at all.And I wonder why some Muslem countries think there’s a problem between Shiites and Sunnies. It doesn’t make sense in Iran.

I wonder Iran is a threat to whom? Which logical rule admits that it’s logical to say a country is guilty because we THINK / PREDICT that she’s going to do something wrong?!!!! Has Iran ever attacked any countries?There’s no proof on that.That’s even what nuclear agency says.Only Iran’s oppositions are pulling Iran’s leg.What we’re doing is legal.What they ask us to do (ignoring our international rights) is illegal and nonsense.Iran is a peaceful country.Why? It’s the regional super-power and if she wanted, she could invade the countries in our neibourhood just as what Seddam did to our country, but as you see Iran has peaceful relationships with all of them.It could be a good example to some countries that just follow their interests.What is interesting is that the countries which accuse Iran of different things have been, and are still accused of the same things!!! This could be a modern and innovative form of philosophy and logic!

Some say he said: Israel should be wiped off the map! But have they told you the rest of his speech and that why he’s said this at all? If you know a little literature, you know that it’s a passive sentence.He’s never said that IRAN wants to wipe Israel off the map! And he wasn’t talking about destroying Israel.He was talking about relocating Israel, so that they could live seperate from Palestinians and they both could live in peace.They’ve only told you this phrase not the rest of it and it’s mistranslated deliberitely.Iran’s always defended itself, but it’s not an offensive country.While some countries which have nukes are clearly threatening Iran to nuke her! Good, isn’t it?

Some say he’s said: Holocaust is a myth! again this is a single phrase from among a long speech and there are totally logical reasons for saying so.If 6000000 Jews were killed, that’s so terrible, but those 300000 Shiite Moslems killed by Saddam aren’t important at all! Over 650000 Iraqi people are killed and it’s not important! When Fox News simply says: America and Israel are capable of destroying and killing all Iran’s 69000000 population within two weeks, it’s OK and no one says they’re threatening other countries to nuke them (I saw this with my own eyes on the Fox News website) Millions of people killed in Afghanistan, Hiroshima & Nakazaki and vietnam war are not considered human beings at all! Now I think you’d get the point why he’s IRONICALLY said it’s a mith.Moreover, don’t you believe in freedom of speech/mind?

Obviousely, some countries are using Iran as a victim to put the blame (their own faults) on Iran.And which country is better than Iran to be a victim?They’ve made the whole world believe that Iran isn’t a peaceful country and represent false image of Iranians by making insulting movies like “300″ .
I know Americans don’t like these either, but what can they do?They can’t control what the media says.I hope someday the media would end all this instead of playing a negative role in the world.

This part is just for Americans who would still argue over unimportant things: Those of you who say why Iran says “Death to America”: 1.America means the U.S govt not the people 2.The new generation don’t say such things and if some of them occasionally march in the streets that’s because some of the stupid guys enjoy making noise and they mainly go out there to meet their girlfreids/boyfriends! Strange.Isn’t it? 3.Such mottos are not just said in Iran and as you know whatever you hear is a response to the U.S govt’s terrible actions which has made life for many people hell (You wouldn’t deny that attacking countries is a mistake.right?) 5.The U.S govt helped Seddam to attack Iran and I hope you know which country gave Iraq biological weapons which killed lots of Iranians 6.America hit an Iranian airplane over the Persian Gulf and killed 200 passengers for no reason 7.It’s always botherng Iran by sanctions, displaying false image of Iran and Iranians, scares tourists away from Iran and is always harmful to our economy, development and credit 8.It’s always despised the Iranians who travel to the U.S at their arrival (even ordinary ones, university students, sportsmen, scientists etc)
To those who are upset with American hostages taken for 444 days: 1.It’s related to so many years ago and don’t forget that when there’s a revolution, there’d be cheos and people may do things that they should not, moreover they’re all alive and healthy.Aren’t they? 2.The U.S has arrested Iranian diplomats in Iraq and keeps denying that they’re diplomats.Now you decide who has the right to be upset with whom.It’s exceeded the level of tit for tat.

It’s better for both countries to forget about the past conflicts and to have peaceful relations.The two govts are like 10 year old children jumping at each other verbally, but we as the people of these countries MUST NOT have any conflics.You know something?All govts are hateful.I just said the above things because it sounds unfair when some Americans talk about 444 hostage taking and I keep being silent.So sorry for that.I hope you agree on this one! Now, what do you think?I can’t wait to see both nations in peace.It’d be marvelous!

Thanks.

Ecosystem

cowtrasher asked:


here is my assignment:

1)choose an issue,
2)explain both sides of the issue, citing key-decision makers, and
3)choose which side of the issue you agree with, and cite the reasons and evidence that support your position, based upon the research you’ve done.

here is what i have so far:

Today in America the federal government regulates many aspects of the vehicles we drive and manufacture.

Starting in 1974, the United States started issuing requirements for new cars to help reduce pollution and lower gas usage. Although many environmentalists praised the government’s actions and thought it to be great for our country, many people disagreed because of the economic effects. Not only do all the smog reducing measures cost money, they also reduce the power and efficiency of cars. Some people believe it is a sacrifice that must be made in the fight against pollution and global warming.

President George W. Bush has stated that most pollution prevention should be voluntary because of the economic hardships many American companies would face, especially our already struggling auto manufacturers.
President Bush has not increased regulations or set future benchmarks for the auto industry since he took office in 2000. Presidential-Elect Barack Obama has stated that he would require that the entire product line from a car company must average thirty five miles per gallon by 2020 to help reduce our dependency on foreign oil and save the environment.

Both views have ups and downs. It is important to our health and our future that we have a clean environment, but it is also important that we have a strong economy. Obama’s plan would be very hurtful to American manufacturers in particular because domestic automakers dominate the truck and sport utility vehicle market. As of now, the only American made hybrid vehicle is the Ford Escape, but Japanese companies import over seven different hybrid models. American manufactures who have already been severely weakened by the high gas prices and foreign competition, have laid off thousands of employees over the last five years. Last year Ford Motor Company alone laid off 30,000 employees.

Since automobile emissions began being regulated in 1974, pollution per vehicle is down drastically, but because of the increase in cars on the road and our driving habits, pollution levels are nearly the same as they were thirty years ago, and our gas usage is higher than ever despite the great strides made in fuel economy. However many families now own two or
more cars, forty years ago two cars was considered a luxury and most
families just had one. Today more than 21 million households own
two cars, and nearly 2 million households own five or more cars. A large
part of the need for more cars per household in the last few decades is
due to urban sprawl. Today many families rely on two incomes, whereas
in the past usually only the father worked. All these things have caused
our gasoline usage and pollution from automobiles to skyrocket. If our
government had not begun regulating emissions back in 1974, pollution
and gasoline usage could easily be twice of what it is today. Obama’s plan
for stricter restrictions would help control emissions in the future as more
and more cars are on the roads each year.

I believe that auto emissions and fuel economy should not be regulated in any way. I believe that you should be able to buy whatever vehicle you want with your own money, if you can afford a gas guzzler, you should be able to drive one if you’d like. I think that tax breaks for owners of hybrid cars are good. Clean, efficient cars should be encouraged, but not required. My car has a 302 cubic inch V8 engine that only gets about 16 miles per gallon. I spend a lot of money on gas, but that is my choice. I love the power my car has and I’m willing to spend extra money on gas for it. I removed all the smog reducing equipment and removed my catalytic converters and both my car’s power and gas mileage improved noticeably. Because I do not have the restrictions of the smog equipment, the engine now can breathe much more freely. I strongly believe that different people have different priorities and opinions and that it is unfair to say one person’s opinion is more important than another’s, so we should all be able to drive whatever we like.

this is for writing 122 in a community college. if that makes a difference in how you critique it.

Environmental Pollution

Brandi L asked:


1. Rain that is far more acidic than normal (1 point)
smog
pesticides
acid rain
pollution
2. Products used on crops to control insects and other pests (1 point)
hazardous wastes
pesticides
pollution
nonrenewable resources
3. Huge pits where wastes are dumped and buried (1 point)
landfills
conservation
nonrenewable resources
smog
4. Substances that cannot be replaced once they are used (1 point)
pollution
nonrenewable resources
smog
hazardous wastes
5. Reducing waste before it occurs (1 point)
ozone layer
nonrenewable resources
recycling
precycling
6. The saving of resources (1 point)
conservation
landfills
ozone layer
precycling
7. Any dirty or harmful substance in the environment (1 point)
hazardous wastes
pollution
smog
ozone layer
8. A yellow-brown haze that forms when sunlight reacts with air pollution (1 point)
acid rain
smog
ozone layer
pesticides
9. Human-made liquid or solid wastes that may endanger human health or the environment
(1 point)
smog
acid rain
hazardous wastes
pesticides
10. A shield that protects living things from ultraviolet (UV) radiation (1 point)
ozone layer
nonrenewable resources
pollution
smog
True/False
Indicate whether a statement is true or false.
11. The Environmental Protection Agency is the governmental agency that is committed to protecting the environment. (1 point)
True
False
12. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. (1 point)
True
False
13. The earth would be too hot to support life if there were no greenhouse effect. (1 point)
True
False
14. An alternative to burying trash is burning it in special furnaces called generators. (1 point)
True
False
15. Batteries are an example of a household item that should not be discarded in the regular trash. (1 point)
True
False
16. The three R’s for preventing and reducing pollution include reducing, reusing, and redesigning. (1 point)
True
False
17. Carpooling is one strategy for promoting cleaner air. (1 point)
True
False
18. If something is biodegradable, it means it is broken down easily in the environment. (1 point)
True
False
19. Heating and cooling uses the least amount of energy in most homes. (1 point)
True
False
20. When smog levels are low, people with respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors.
(1 point)

Pollution Control