Absolute Random Nonsense

Tehran Von Ghasri, is a comedian, actor, writer, host with a personality and charm that’s larger than life.  Tehran is a Washington DC native and Los Angeles transplant, born to an Iranian immigrant father and an African-American mother.  Adding to his eclectic roots is the mixture of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Zoroastrian grandparents. Tehran and his comedy are as international, inclusive, and culturally diverse as they come.  Armed with degrees in Politics & Communications, a Masters in Econ, and a Law Degree, Tehran combines academics with street smarts to bring comedy, social commentary, and social activism alive on stage in the most fun and humorous of ways.   "I've heard the 'What are you' question my whole life. So my father is Iranian and my mother is African American. I am born and raised in Washington, DC. My father originally did not teach me Farsi. He was practicing his English. He wanted to learn English and so he spoke to me in English. And...

In the 9th grade Ali Shahbazyar brought me an English text and asked me if I could translate the poem. I took it home and went over it and translated it as best as I could. Others at home also heard it and commented on it particularly the line "Run, rabbit, run, dig that hole, forget the sun, when, at last, the work is done, don't sit down, it's time to dig another one". The next day after I returned it to him he gave me another poem that seemed to be about time.  Almost 40 years later I remembered part of the lyrics and decided to google the poems. I discovered that neither one was a poem but rather they were two Pink Floyd songs (Breathe and Time). Furthermore I realized the instrumental opening part of Time was used in the radio show تقویم تاریخ although that I also didn't discover until recently.

Mahyar Rahmatian defines himself as an AI artist who draws from his other artistic inspirations including poetry, animation, video, and music. He describes his artistic background as quite multidisciplinary, “blending photography’s keen observation, poetry’s soul and symbolism, animation’s storytelling, and music’s sense of rhythm when I work with AI.” He uses AI as a primary medium, but shares a common foundation with traditional artists - a foundation built on diverse artistic inspirations, intention, personal vision, and a love for creative expression.

In the summer of 1996, having graduated from college, I took a summer job for the Bridge Program which gave incoming engineering freshmen a taste of what was to come in the freshman courses. After the summer, the program director, Teresa, kept me on board for the new school year where two nights a week I would tutor engineering students and on weekends I would instruct middle school students in pre-engineering classes.  In the spring of 1997 I applied for the summer Bridge Program but did not hear back for a while. I finally decided to go and ask in person. The secretary told me that the positions had already been filled. She asked if I wanted to talk to Teresa about it but I declined. As I walked away I thought to myself she probably would have rather given the position to current college students. But then again that did not prevent her from hiring me the summer before or throughout the year. I had recently bought the Neurotic Outsiders' debut (and only) self titled album with it...

Peiman Tousinejad was on People's Court. He was being sued for damaging the floor of the plaintiff's home when delivering furniture. He claimed he was present during the delivery and no damage was seen or expressed at the time. The judge ruled against him for $450.  

One time when playing scrabble in shomal, a player indicated to me that they could make the work quiet or quite with their letters. Fast forward to the summer of 1984 where when coming back from McDonalds without making a purchase of 99 cent chicken McNuggets (due to only having a dollar and not accounting for tax) the person I was with asked me why we were coming back. I told him quiet and then followed it up with quite and kept alternating between the two. Years later I converted the chant into a dance track at a much faster pace for booty shakes.  

Wrestling has always played a significant role in Afsoon Roshanzamir’s life. Being born in Iran in the early 70s, wrestling was and still is the national sport. Her father was a wrestler and always wanted a son to follow in his footsteps. Although  Afsoon , MSPT, ’00, was an only child, her father believed she could do anything a boy could do. His mindset was more progressive from the rest of the country, as men and women didn’t have equal opportunities. Throughout her childhood,  Afsoon ’s father would teach her wrestling moves in their living room, and he would let her win wrestling matches against him while her mom refereed. Afsoon ’s home life was a stark contrast to the outside environment. First, the revolution happened, and women were very limited in what they could do. Then, Iran went to war with its neighboring country, Iraq. This was a very scary time for  Afsoon . She would be relaxing at home, and suddenly a siren would go off – she had to rush to the basement...

In 1989 a program was shown on TV that showed David Copperfield walking through the Great Wall of China. The following day everyone at school was talking about it including Mr. Ghamisi during algebra class. He explained to us that there are certain bacteria that can only exist in 2 dimensions and thus if we picked them up from the surface they are on, moved them through the 3rd dimension, and placed them on a different part of the surface, they would not be able to understand what had happened. He then mentioned David Copperfield was doing the same thing by accessing and traveling through the 4th dimension. Years later I would learn that David Copperfield was a magician.  

Olivia Abtahi is a proud Iranian-Argentinian American. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, was published in 2021, receiving the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. Parvin, the protagonist, is a half-Iranian, 14-year-old girl living in the unsettling years of the Trump administration and has just been dumped by her first boyfriend for being “too much.” She is too loud, too rambunctious, and too Persian. She decides to get a boyfriend and undertakes a change. She begins to act like women in rom coms; she waxes her hair, stops eating hot Cheetos, and smiles more, and talks less.  Perfectly Parvin  tackles a variety of issues, but the most prevalent ones in this novel are portrayed in Abtahi’s efforts to address anti-Iranian sentiment and the pressures of “whitewashing” oneself to fit in.  Abtahi sees herself in Parvin. “Parvin and I are a lot alike, but I think Parvin is so much cooler than I ever was. She puts herself on t...