Calling all dandies

[This is a public service announcement.]



I endorse the GQ Rules instructional video series and recommend it to all men. The cool thing about the series is that the GQ editors interview the actual designers and get tips on how they make their looks, which are usually way more creative than the more vanilla GQ rules you read in the mag.

Purpose

"...The purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony."

(Baha'u'llah, Trustworthiness, reproduced in The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 331)

Persepolis 2 (Trailer) - Safeguard the Innocent (The Baha'is in Iran)

"Sequel to Persepolis exposes the reality of the suffering of the Baha'is in Iran since the Revolution and until today, and calls for action on their behalf. Note: The images for this clip were borrowed from Marjan Satrapi's (animated) film 'Persepolis'..."



[Added 8/22] Almost as remarkable as the clip is the identity of the producers: the Muslim Network for Bahai Rights. Unity, anyone?

"Religion must be the cause of unity."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 440)

Coffee = Happiness

A recent article on coffee in the NY Times debunks various coffee myths and highlights the beverage's health benefits. I'll give you a little summary:

Myths:
-Coffee is a diuretic.
-Coffee causes hypertension.
-Coffe causes cancer.
-Coffee causes bone loss.

Benefits:
-"An improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability".
-"For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones."
-Lower risk of Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Yes! Yet another reason to enjoy a cup at Ritual!

Soundtrack for the Olympics: The Shanghai Restoration Project

I read about the Shanghai Restoration Project on NPR.org.

From the website: SRP "draws its creative inspiration from the old 1930s Shanghai jazz bands, an early combination of East and West that's become an international legend. The Project revives this exotic blend by introducing Eastern instruments and rhythms to the Western sounds of hip-hop, jazz, and electronica. "

You can sample the music on Myspace. So far I like.

U.S. House passes bill in support of the Bahais in Iran

Congressman Mark Steven Kirk (10th Congressional District of Illinois) speaks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of his resolution, H.Res. 1008, condemning Iran for its persecution of the Bahais. The resolution overwhelmingly passed the House.

Wedding slide shows

Some couples have slide shows at their weddings to show off childhood pictures and illustrate their time together. Other couples are surprised by performance-oriented relatives who want to tell the story through song and dance. (Make sure to watch all three parts. To watch in high quality, click the YouTube icon and when the new window opens, click "watch in high quality". This will take slightly longer to load.)

Check out Chihuly art

I went to the deYoung Museum today and checked out the Chihuly exhibit. You should too, it's amazing. (If you have ever been to the Bellagio in Vegas, you've seen his art.) Although Chihuly is known for his glass work, I was really digging his drawings.

Ryan J. Portillo art

Check out my brother Ryan's arte. The first one is a bit different than his normal focus. The second is more representative of his main work.

HotTrance.com

I listened to trance more in college than I do now, but a friend of mine recently got me back into it. Check out HotTrance.com for lots of info on different trance artists to sample.

DJ James Williams

If you are looking for a non-Red Bull way to stay focused while doing work on the computer, you might try local trance DJ James Williams from San Francisco. If you don't like trance, you might have to stick to Red Bull. Or maybe jump rope.

On Evolution

"...life on this earth is very ancient. It is not one hundred thousand, or two hundred thousand, or one million or two million years old; it is very ancient, and the ancient records and traces are entirely obliterated."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 160)

Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s

15 May 2008
Six Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison yesterday in a sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Bahá’í leaders were summarily rounded up and killed.

Read the full story here.

If you are a U.S. citizen, contact your Representative and ask him or her to cosponor House Resolution 1008. Below is a sample message you can use.

-----------
Dear Congress (man/woman) ________,

I urgently ask you to cosponsor H. Res. 1008.

The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Founded in Iran in 1844, it now has more than five million adherents in 236 countries and territories. Bahá'ís come from nearly every national, ethnic and religious background.

Recent reports indicate that seven members of the Bahá'í community are currently in prison. Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm were arrested in Tehran on 14 May 2008, by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. They are members of the national coordinating group of Bahá'í in Iran, an informal body that was formed with the knowledge of the government to assist the 300,000-member Bahá'í community in the country. Another member of the same Committee, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, has been arrested in Mashhad in March 2008 and is reportedly still detained.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and for cosponsoring H. Res. 1008.

Sincerely,

(Your Name and contact information)

Music of the day - Flosstradamus

Flosstradamus. Sounds a little like Diplo.

Persian Backstreet Boys

Seriously. (Thanks to P-Fob.)

Spanish artist: Jaime Hayon

Check out Spanish artist Jaime Hayon. He has some cool work reminiscent of Picasso. He is also known for his work for Camper shoes.

Rolling Stones Best Music Blogs

Check it. Music blogs are excellent because they not only give you the heads up on new music, they share it too.

Election of the Universal House of Justice

Today in Haifa, Israel the Universal House of Justice was elected. Check out the coverage.

Rain Wilson's talk at NEBY (North East Bahai Youth Conference)

Check out Rain Wilson's talk at NEBY (North East Bahai Youth Conference). Definitely worth watching.

NEBY 2008: The Stage is Set

KP's role in universal health care

Kaiser Permanente is playing an important role in leading the drive for universal health care. Apparently California's (aborted) plan for universal health care was based on recommendations from KP CEO George Halverson. He wrote an op-ed on his position in the Sac Bee. Read it here.