Absolute Random Nonsense

Some time in the 80s I was visiting Venice. I came across a columbarium, stopping in front of a plaque of a girl named Angela Venezia who died in 1797. The plaque was decorated with the girl's portrait and a Venetian mask. I then saw what looked like the ghost of that girl by a canal. I seemingly was haunted by her, seeing her image and the mask in a restaurant, a postcard stand, an antique shop, and other places I visited. When the ghost of the girl appeared to me again, I followed it, but I was lured into a secluded courtyard where I found myself surrounded by a group of ghosts wearing carnival masks. Scared, I ran away only to come across the little girl again.   

Renowned for her fearless use of color and form, Iranian architect and designer India Mahdavi blends cultural richness with commercial clarity. Her interiors radiate personality: spaces that don’t just invite you in, but speak directly to how you want to feel once inside. For designers and clients alike, her work is a masterclass in atmosphere — demonstrating how color, materiality, and storytelling can shape both brand identity and user experience. From five-star hotels to global retail icons, Mahdavi’s spaces are as playful as they are precise. These five defining projects don’t just reflect a career that continues to shape the international design conversation, they show that in a world often drawn to minimalism, maximalism — when done right — can be timeless, tactile, and deeply human. "I was born in Iran from an academic Iranian father and an Egyptian English mother. We moved to the United States when I was a year and a half and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for four y...

In 1996 I went to the Bronx to check out and potentially buy a car. As we were trying to locate a particular dealership I approached an intersection. A woman was standing there, seemingly lost as she kept looking around aimlessly. Once she spotted me she asked me if anyone had told me I looked like Barry Manilow. I told her no one had. She then asked if I thought I resembled him. I told her that although I was familiar with the name I didn't really know what he looked like. As we continued our conversation, I got spun around by one of the people with me who demanded to know what I was doing. I said I was just talking. He then said, "Don't you see? She's a hooker." Days later I had another encounter with a hooker in a different state.  

Glendale Police Department officers responded to the 1100 block of Sonora Avenue regarding a reported structure fire involving a commercial building on Sunday, May 17, at approximately 10:25 p.m. The Glendale Fire Department responded to the scene with assistance from the Burbank Fire Department and Pasadena Fire Department. Fire personnel initiated an immediate response and worked to extinguish the fire. Following the extinguishment of the fire, two deceased individuals were located inside the structure. The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office identified one of the victims on Tuesday as Mariyan Khosravizadeh, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds. In a post made to Facebook on Monday, City Councilmember candidate Vrej Agajanian said the fire broke out at his TV studio building and that the space will be inaccessible for the next few days as authorities continue their investigation and safety inspections. "Thankfully, none of our staff members were injured. However, w...

In early 2005 I visited southern California. As we were out for breakfast one morning I noticed someone with long hair and wearing a baseball cap sitting in the back. He reminded me of David Lee Roth and I mentioned this to my friend. He also saw the resemblance. We randomly began calling the name David out loud to see if he would react but he didn't. As we continued debating whether it is him or not my friend's girlfriend stood up, called on the guy and said, "These guys think you are David Lee Roth." He hesitated, smiled and noncommittally asked, "Why, do I look like him?" He then denied it was him. He finished his meal before us and as he was leaving gave us a look and a thumbs up before exiting.  

An Iranian man who intervened during a knife attack on a Jewish man in Golders Green has told the BBC how he was trying to save a life. Ashkan Asadian rushed to help 76-year-old Moshe Shine as he was being attacked at a bus stop on Wednesday morning. Fearing Shine would be killed, Asadian said he tried to disarm the attacker. When the attacker later fled into a greengrocer's, Asadian barricaded him in with a shopping trolley, helping to give police enough time to arrive. Shine, who suffered serious injuries, has now been discharged from hospital. CCTV footage showed Shine standing at a bus stop adjusting his kippah - a traditional cap - before he was attacked on the north London street. Moments later someone could be seen lunging at him before he tried to get away, with the attacker close behind. Asadian, 61, said he had decided on the spur of the moment to intervene, having seen the stabbing right in front of him. "I saw him stabbing the old man in the neck," he told the...

In math class in college the professor factored out 2t early on from the expression and carried it through the entire problem. Each time he mentioned 2t it reminded me of a parrot. I thought to myself how confusing it would have been if in one of my math classes in Iran the teacher had a word problem that not only involved parrots but required an early common factor of 2t to solve the problem. It probably would have driven the teacher mad while prompting unnecessary questions from each of the students just to get the teacher to repeatedly say 2t.   

A Dallas business owner's decision to fly home with a humanoid robot has led to a new Southwest Airlines policy restricting the transport of human‑like devices. Aaron Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio in North Dallas, was returning from Las Vegas when he brought along Stewie, a 3.5‑foot humanoid robot typically rented out for events. Instead of shipping Stewie as cargo, Mehdizadeh bought the robot its own seat, using a type of ticket often purchased for fragile items such as wedding dresses or equipment. To meet airline and TSA requirements, Stewie was fitted with a smaller battery that could pass through security. The robot then walked through the airport and boarded the flight to Dallas Love Field. Passengers and flight attendants reacted with surprise as Stewie made its way to a window seat, drawing stares, photos, and plenty of questions. "Most people were very excited to see a robot flying and provided so much entertainment, and it was great," Mehdizadeh said. Tw...

 An Iranian heiress locked in a nasty, $200 million divorce battle with her doctor husband sneakily signed away control of her company so he couldn’t claim any cash from the business, new court documents allege. Setareh “Star” Bral — the daughter of a late real estate mogul believed to have had ties to the last shah of Iran — relinquished control of Star Pacific Properties shortly after she separated from UCLA Dr. Ryan Aronin, according to documents obtained by The California Post.    Aronin claimed that the property management company, which is estimated to be worth $15 million, is now controlled by Bral’s brother, Sean Bral. “Setareh took deliberate actions to reduce her income on paper and restrict her access to funds,” the documents said, pointing out that her brother allegedly “does not have an ownership interest” in the company. The document passing control of the business from sister to brother is dated October 15, 2024. Aronin has claimed the couple separated in M...