Do you know what the mouth is good for?
In case you are allergic or you catch cold and your nose is blocked you can breath through you mouth.

Long way to go before mastering all these html stuff.

I Just read in news that U.S. is accusing Iran of harboring the Al Qaida members. More specifically Romsfeld has said that the last bombing in Saudi Arabia has been planned and executed from inside Iran. All these allegations true or false just puts more pressure on reform movement. I don't think the Iranian hard core conservatives have any kind of limitations for choosing their allies. Regardless of the fact that the wahabi sect has nothing to do with Shia Islam the Al Qaida and Iranian hard line conservatives have some characteristics in common. Both of them are very political and use religion as a tool to push their political cause. They are financially rich organizations using the traditional bazaar economy. And the most important both of them have had suspicious connections to U.S. Agencies.
I think what Al Qaida and all other stupid hard core extremists are doing after all is to serve the American purpose. Just look at the outcome of the conflict, Who is the winner? If it goes this way in a decade or so we are going to witness more American flags flying over middle east. I think Iran has the potential to break this vicious circle and go for a democratic country, just not now!!

One of my fears is that at some point the majority of Iranians will be happy to see Americans on their soil and kicking hardliners' ass. I think they have been pushed to the point that there is nothing to do more. Whatever they have tried has been hit an obstacle. The other side observes no principle at all. They do just everything to silence people. I am really getting to believe in conspiracy theory. You remember Hojatiyeh Organization who believed they should prepare the situation for Hazrate Mehdi to come to help? Now these hardliners are by all means preparing the situation for meddling of United States.
I am saying that because my own feelings are not that hurt when I think of such american invasion, completely different from what it was just sometime ago.
If the situation in Iran continues for some more time I am sure more Iranian are going to be acceptable for American presence. Let us hope that a miracle from reformers' camp will stop this precess.

The news coming out of Iran are not good. When I look at these conservative hardliners in Iran and their doings I am more and more convinced that they are bunch of traitors who are selling off a country and a nation for nothing ( just like MKO "Mojahedin Khalgh" who sold us to Saddam). When U.S. needs some pretext to put more pressure on Iran these guys are ready to offer their service: a couple of public executions, stoning and flogging is a big success. They get what they need from U.S. as well. The U.S. support offered in public for Iranian reformers works great for them. These guys and U.S. are two jaws of a wild animal which are grinding Iranian people. These guys plus U.S. don't want a democratic country just because they can't manipulate it and that is why the reform movement is not tolerated by U.S. , juish lobby and our own hardliners in Iran.
When I think if there was no U.S. planned coup d'etat at 28th mordad 1332 ( against Mosadegh)we have been practicing democracy for about 50 years now, I dislike U.S. government. When I see how synchronised U.S. performs alongside with the most anti democracy governments and movements of the world I am not going to believe any of their ridiculous allegations about support and restoration of democracy. They are just pursuing the same old and well established U.S. policy in playing with other nations' destiny for the sake of their own short term interests.
May God help us to be less emotional and more rational.

I got some medication for my allergy it is better now. Our baby is getting longer sleeps now and let us sleep longer as well. The good thing about getting laid off was that I could help my wife more.

I am learning a little bit about all these blogging and HTML language. I got laid off sometime ago. The good thing was that the axe went through our whole departement so we got organised for a new startup company. Today we got signed our first contract, it feels so good.

In my opinion one thing that Iranian people are clear about is violence and extremism. we have been suffering from the very same disease for a long time. It does not matter if you are at North pole or Soth Pole both kill you. Fire and extreme cold are both dangerous. I think the reform mouvement in Iran is the reaction of a nation tired and sick of all black and white images and judgements.
For me Bin Laden and G.W. Bush are two faces of the same coin. The same rule applies to the conservative hardliners in Iran and groups like MKO ( People's Mojahedin based in Iraq). They are the same thing, the same personality, the same approach towards all problems, violence. These guys' difference is in a plus or minus sign, the absolute value is the same, they hurt. They need each other for exictence, they can't live without the other extreme. The slogan is "you are with me or you are my enemy". They are far from everybody. People caught in the middle of the conflict are far from all extremes and by defenitioin they are conceived as enemy.

The worst thing that can happen to an Iranian guy from south of Iran living in Canada has happened to me. I am allergic during spring and summer. I have my older son sitting on my lap, he is 3 years old and the younger one is upstairs clinging to my wife, he is 3 weeks old.

I was thinking about the title, I am not sure if it is a good one, I used to use the nick name Ashofteh when I was a student at Shiraz university ( 17 years ago !), I used to draw caricatures for our student journal and I was signing Ashofteh. I am not as Ashofteh and disarrayed as what I used to be any more.
I am frustrated for what is going on in Iran and in that respect the title I have chosen for this blog (Ashofteh)makes sense.
I am not sure about what I am going to post here. One thing I have been doing almost on a daily basis sinse we came to Canada is reading the news about Iran, so I guess my thoughts and reactions to the Iran news would be a natural choice. My thoughts on Iran, Life in general and my family and at the end anything are other potential postings.
This is the first time I am blogging, I know it takes sometime before I adopt the culture.
Take care
talk to you later

O.K. I am now fully operational. It was not that difficult after all.

This is going to be my first phrase ever published on the net, good luck to me.