Just-talking-out-loud

Vernazza, the photo from here . I need the distraction. I need a dream again. I am longing for a place where I have the view of mountains, ocean, and greens... where I can breathe and relax. It is  nearly the last day of the month and I have to pick another destination for my travel journal. This month, the last month of the year, I am going with "the Five Lands", the five delightful villages in Italy, along the cost, and part of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It seems a good idea to dream of a sunny and warm place for your next trip when you are cold. I close my eyes and  I pray. I pray for a better and happier year for my family, for my siblings, and a blissful 2010 for everyone. May peace reach your hearts and your minds and stay there.

Coco before Chanel is such a wonderful movie featuring Audrey Tautou, the talented French actress. Gabrielle Chanel had a very interesting personality. With a blend of elegance, talent, and very headstrong personality, she established a business and a legacy of her own. You might need some Kleenex as you are watching this movie. "The best thing about love is making love. Too bad you need a man for that." by Gabrielle Chanel p.s. No offense to anyone, but I just thought that was really funny.

Use it or lose it!

He might think of himself as a man but he has no worthiness as a person.

Merry Christmas by Hawksley Workman If god takes you he leaves each footprint of love and kindness behind which is where you once stood   and I know you're afraid to get on the plane after what happened that day and selfishly i want you here in my way but animals come and animals go but love is just a laundry line we hang on onto we're dried out by the sun and when you think your turn is done you end up getting dirty and its all again begun now words i think are just a noisy dirty wind makes the trouble we get in so why do we speak now we made another war that's what men are good for men with stupid insecurities not a lot more and satisfied they try its written about a gun but who the hell reads history? apparently not men cause nothings guarenteed except the politics of need did the romans see the ship go down were they asleep? I shouldnt expect to live and I shouldnt expect to die but I wouldnt mind being beside...

It is the best time of the year. Beautiful Christmas decorations can be seen everywhere. You can hear Christmas songs from every corner. Red, green, and gold with the pinch of snow makes a prefect picture for this season. You can feel the energy in the air. It is hard to describe the feelings that sometimes can get to you in this season. Then, there are the Christmas movies that add to this joyful and sometimes touchy time. Joyeux Noël has been one of my favourite movies. I had to go back to my older posts to make sure that I haven’t written about this movie before. I surprised myself for being quiet about this movie till now. This movie is about World War I  but if you are pacifist, you will enjoy watching this movie. For the first time, I saw someone actually value humanity above the idea of being patriotic. This movie lays out the reality, the power of politicians over nations. If you do watch it, I hope you enjoy it. Be happy and jolly!

Why bad things have to happen to good people! My thoughts and prayers are with Sarah and her partner. God! I believe in you. Please bless them with your mercy and help them to get through this. He is everything to her.

Tonight I can write.. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example, 'The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.' The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in my arms. I kissed her again and again under the endless sky. She loved me, sometimes I loved her too. How could one not have loved her great still eyes. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her. To hear the immense night, still more immense without her. And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture. What does it matter that my love could not keep her. The night is starry and she is not with me. This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance. My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her. My sight tries to find her as though to bring her close...

I'm not sure if this study has been done but it would be a nice idea to do a cultural study based on people's status updates on facebook. If we considered normal circumstance (e.g. without any political movement), so far what I have been seeing from my Iranian and non-Iranian friends is a bit different. While Iranians talk more about love and provide pieces of advice (mostly in the form of poetry), non-Iranians write more about their current life situations. I know it is not correct to generalize but this was the feeling I got.

What does it take to be truly, selflessly, and genuinely compassion? In my life, I have had the privilege of knowing only a handful of people with this type of trait. They exactly say the right thing, to the right person, at the right time to make them feel better when they are down. They are generous with their time and anything they own. They give you energy and the emotional support you need. Your problem is not just your problem. They will try to help you anyway they can. They value friendship the way friendship should  be valued. Could it be because they have a great heart; they are strong people and they can afford to support others anytime; they are bright individuals and can identify other people’s need; or all of the above? When it comes to that level of humanity, does it really important to be intellectual, have an open mind, or be involve in different charities and thousands community activities but ignore those people who you know.

A take-off of John Dupuis 's blog post that looks at Thomson's Nobel Prize predictions (which are based on citation counts) and how often they are wrong: While citation frequency could be very important when it comes to applying for grants and tenure-track positions, some people might also claim that it has a direct effect on Noble Prize eligibility. Thomson Reuters , an information company created by Thomson Corporation, attempts to predict the Nobel Prize winners annually. Interesting enough, this goes back to 1989. Every year, they develop the list of Citation Laureates for sciences and economics winners. According to Thomson Reuters, there is a strong correlation between citations in the literature and the receipt of prestigious awards, such as the Nobel Prize. Based on this hypothesis, their success rate has been approximately 20% since 2002. It is noteworthy that this success rate is not based on each given year. What basically they have done is to predict who would win ...

Texts with smiley faces, talk for hours, leaving comments and messages... For now, my main social activities include FB and Skype! But I'm still greatful to have some firends (although far from me) who care enough to keep in touch.

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."                                                                                 Helen Keller