We Saw a Chicken …

Category: goatee-stroking musing, or something

  • go jump over the fire!

    Happy Norooz!

    Norooz, Persian New Year
    Year of 2566 (1386)

    In harmony with rebirth of nature, the Persian New Year Celebration, or Norooz, always begins on the first day of spring, March 20th of each year. Norooz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts – the End and Rebirth. About 3000 years ago Persian’s major religion was Zoroastrianism, named in honor of its founder Zoroaster, and arguably the world’s first monotheistic religion. Zoroastrians had a festival called “Farvardgan” which lasted ten days, and took place at the end of the solar year. It appears that this was a festival of sorrow and mourning , signifying the end of life while the festival of Norooz, at the beginning of spring signified rebirth, and was a time of great joy and celebration. Norooz was officially acknowledged and named “Norooz” by mythical Persian emperor, Shah Jamshid, from Achaemenid Dynasty (500 BC). Ashaemenied created the first major empire in the region and built Persepolis complex (Takhte Jamshid) in the city of Shiraz. Norooz in Persian means “New Day” and brings hope, peace and prosperity to the world and has been celebrated among people regardless of ethnic background, political views or religion in many countries around the globe such as Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Georgia, Iraq, Tajikistan, Syria, Armenia and India. Some of the activities during Norooz are Spring cleaning, buying new clothes, painting eggs, family reunion, giving presents, visiting neighbors and friends and celebrating by having a picnic on the 13th day of Spring. Happy Norooz!

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  • for a reason

    I walked past a store in the PATH that advertised “Hard To Find Fragrances”. I’m guessing they stock such classics as Mulch de Chanel, Calvin Klein GOAT, and Balmain’s Haleine d’Ail.

  • not even enough for a haiku

    A single swan on the Don

  • this is my breakfast

    two weetabix

    for Kieran …

  • cos even i remember when Orkut was cool

    What I really need is social metanetworking software. I can’t keep up with what’s the right network to be on …

  • our robust power system

    I’m writing this during a blackout. Our little enclave, just southeast of Kennedy and Eglinton, can have the power out when the nearby streets are fine. I can see that the (formerly derelict) Coffee Time has power, as has the block the other side of Kennedy. I wonder what makes us so special?

  • when the black flower starts to vibrate, run away from the scary skull with your pet arrow

    when the black flower starts to vibrate, run away from the scary skull with your pet arrow

    (actually, it’s the IAEA’s New Symbol Launched to Warn Public About Radiation Dangers.)

  • pig out!

    Every restaurant is packed out tonight – except Phở Vietnam. Then we realised that tonight is the eve of the Year of The Pig (Hogmanay, as it were), so of course the place was quiet.

  • I’m learning a lot about Jessica

    Someone on the GO train is talking very loudly at their phone. It sounds like there’s a disciplinary hearing perhaps involving the caller, and/or a Jessica and an Elaine. There are a Steve and a Val involved somehow, and the loud talker is discouraged. There are appeals and continuances, and Acts (non-biblical) are being cited. It’s all very interesting, in the way that spectacularly dull things are. I can’t wait to get off the train to MAKE IT ALL STOP – gahh!

  • neat, but quite last summer …

    Toronto Public Library Finder; nice, but I was so on that game months before …

  • can we have more CN strikes, please?

    Hey, the GO train was (nearly) on time this morning, and there were plenty of seats!

  • I have teh spicy …

    I spent too long in Taste! this afternoon, and consequently spent too much on good hot sauce.

  • first LED

    Saw my first retail LED domestic bulb today – $14 at Rona. Looked more like a novelty than anything else, but it did have a stated 100,000 hour life…

  • avec wings and beer

    so we met last night; including Rannie, Eva (happy birthday today!), Arieh, Graham, and a bunch of other good folks (hey, I’m bad with names). We had beer and wings.

    Rannie taught us a nifty prefocus trick for quick portrait grabs. I shall be sure to use it.

  • GO Transit, you suck!

    I discovered last week that GO don’t have a central announcement system. That means that unstaffed stations like Kennedy and Exhibition always leave their passengers in the dark. Plus, the e-mail announcement system only alerts you if the train is more than 30 minutes late. I think by that time I would have gone home.

    No sign of that train yet …

  • scrummy scran from the HAL Burgers man

    I really like HAL Burgers (244 Adelaide). Good burgers, clever decor and decent beer. Not the cheapest burger I’ve ever had, but one of the better ones.

    Update, August 2007: oh no, it’s closed! Notice of Distress on doorway dating back to July, so again I’m the last to know.

  • Nanohazard Symbol Competition

    Here are the entries for the International Nanohazard Symbol Competition. Sadly, the competition is closed, but my entry, given below, would certainly have won:

    .

  • snarky van graffiti

    “if the sale of spray paint to minors was banned, I’d be dealing drugs and killing your kids. Now I’m an artist …”

  • prescient Upton

    One of the baddies in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle is a political henchman called Bush Harper. No further comment is required.

  • true happiness have I found in self-assembly furniture

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