A New World • PCC NEWS • Nine Books To
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172 November- December 2017 Vol. XXVI No. 172 • A New World • PCC NEWS • Nine Books to Better Understand Nationalism in Iran • Vitamin E • The Perils of Conforming to Holiday Tradition Traditions • Noosh-e- Jan • 7 Treatment Options for Menopause • How Did I Get Here? • Low Hanging Fruit No. 172 November - December 2017 1 172 Since 1991 Persian Cultural Center’s Bilingual Magazine By: Shahri Estakhry Is a bi - monthly publication organized for A New World literary, cultural and information purposes Financial support is provided by the City of Time these days is playing games with me, and I feel like I always must to be on constant alert. San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. I look at the new world around me and much of what I see is no longer recognizable to me. Persian Cultural Center 6790 Top Gun St. #7, San Diego, CA 92121 The world is under siege of natural disasters… floods, fires, earthquakes, as well as human cre- Tel (858) 552-9355 ated ones such as wars. According to the United Nations, the human neglect is now represented Fax & Message: (619) 374-7335 by 800 million people living in famine and millions dying from different curable and non- Email: [email protected] curable diseases. This is a dire image of the new world, but an accurate one. Web site: www.pccus.org www.pccsd.org These facets of the new world would seem to imply that the majority of people are after their November-December 2017 own self-interests only, and the voices of those who still believe in human endeavors and hu- Vol. XXVI manity as a global family are becoming an echo from a distant past. Circulation: 6000 Persian Cultural Center A non - profit national corporation Of the 193 nation members of the United Nations, only two did not sign the Paris Climate Ac- Established in 1989. San Diego, California cord: Nicaragua and Syria… until this past June when President Trump declared that the United States was going to withdraw. How many more natural disasters do we need to wake us up to Board of Directors: our new reality? It seems that the recent devastating floods in Texas, Florida, US Virgin Islands Nikoo Atefi, Hamid Rafizadeh, and Puerto Rico that have led to millions and millions of people suffering tremendous losses Fariba Babkhani-Ghazi, Gity Nematollahi, Mahmoud Reza Pirouzian, to their homes and properties, as well as lives lost – are not enough. Nor are the breaking heat Amir Farshad Babakhani records this summer and the unbelievable fires in multiple western states. I suppose, for the Farideh Rasouli-Fazel, Golsa Soraya, climate change non-believers will become believers and then activists only when such disasters and Venus Safaei hits them personally. I still don’t understand what it is that blocks people’s minds so they don’t see the realities in front of them. Who can I scream to for HELP? Editorial Board Shahri Estakhry, Anahita Babaei I was researching climate change and came across: The Weather Makers: How Man Is Aria Fani, Lisa Hildreth, Saeid Noori Bushehri Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth by Tim Flannery. The book is Shahrzad Julazadeh, Shaghayegh Hanson, Reza Khabazian and Rachel Tait reviewed by Frederick S. Goethel (a professional and well known reviewer) calling it “The Definitive Book on Climate Change”. He writes “This book was recommended to me by one Editor–In–Chief: Ali Sadr of Canada’s leading advocates for saving the Polar Regions. He told me I should read this book if I wanted to read the best book that has been written on climate change. I was skepti- Graphic Artist: Saeed Jalali cal, but he was right. This is the best book I have found on the subject of climate change. Peyk reserves the right to edit all materials The author, Tim Flannery, is a well recognized scientist himself. He begins the book at its sole discretion. Materials submitted by discussing his reservations about global warming, how scientists are supposed to will not be rturned to sender, even if not used, and the contributor will be deemed be skeptical and how much data must be present before scientific consensus can oc- to have given consent and license for cur. From there, he explains how he was convinced that climate change was real. the reproduction and publication of such submission in Peyk magazine and / or the In the book, the author starts discussing climate change from many different scientific aspects. Peyk website Although some of the science is tough, even for science majors such as myself, the specifics of the science involved are used more as examples, allowing readers with less of a scientific back- PCC Foundation ground to understand exactly what is being said. The author does a great job of utilizing a number Charitable Organization of sciences, including anthropology, biology, chemistry, physics, climatology, meteorology, geol- Affiliate of Persian Cultural Center Tel (858) 552-9355 ogy, oceanography and more to prove the argument that climate change exists from every angle. Fax & Message: ( 619) 374 - 7335 In addition, he does a great job showing how something happening in one place may af- fect a totally different region of the world. He covers climate change around the globe in a comprehensive manner, and shows how different peoples will be affected. Cover Design: Saeed Jalali Continued on Page 8 No. 172 November - December 2017 3 PCC (Persian Cultural Center): Mehregan Festival 2017 PCC NEWS Mohsen Namjoo Concert- September 16, 2017 Mohsen Namjoon on Setar and vocals and Yahya Alkhansa on Drums took to the stage at Qualcomm’s Q hall. The concert was sold out well in advance and the duet did not disappoint a very attentive audience. Death Enters- October 1, 2017 Death Enters directed by Manije Mahamedi is an adaptation of a work by Woody Allen. Mansour Taeed and Mohammad Eskandari Jong-e Farhangi Report played the comedy on the stage of Avo Playhouse in Vista. The Jong-e Farhangi is a cultural variety show that has been a audience stayed engaged and excited throughout the show. monthly program on the IAC stage for almost three years. It took some time till Jong found its own audience and followers Triton Concert- October 7, 2017 but find it did. Jong emphasizes on arts and culture. The The quartet went on stage at the Iranian American Center with program guests use Jong’s podium to share their views on a music pieces arranged by Salman Mohammadi. This is also a variety of subjects with an eager audience. sold out event. San Diego Jong-e Farhangi- September 8, 2017 Hafez Day- October 12, 2017 The July program, hosted by Reza Khabazian, featured three San Diego Central Library and Persian Cultural Center of guests. The first guest was Dr. Hossein Motlagh, discussing San Diego celebrated Hafez Day on the same date as the the effects of the Persian Constitutional Revolution’s literature Iran National Commemoration Day of Hafez. The fourteenth and poetry. Then young musician brothers, Matin and Misagh century pinacle of love and wine in Persian poetry is to Eshaghi shared their memories and experiences of learning this day celebrated for his controversial views on wisdom Persian music and proceeded to playing a few authentic piecesDesign: Saeed Jalali and philosophy. The program opened with Persian music, for the audience.Information: 858-552-9355 Mehregan Spread and Shiraz food on the library terrace, and 6790 Top Gun Street, Suite 7 was followed by speech, poetry, music and dance in the main San Diego Jong-eSan Farhangi- Diego, CA 92121 auditorium. October 13, 2017E-mail: [email protected] The OctoberJong program got canceled PCC’s Board Meetings due to the Mehregan Festival programs. Persian Cultural Center’s board of directors holds its meetings every second Wednesday of the month at IAC. The September meeting took place on September 13th and the October meeting on October 11th. 4 No. 172 November - December 2017 Movie and Discussion- September 1, 2017 For the month of September, the Movie and Discussion group of the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego screened the movie “A Cube of Sugar” a 2011 production, directed by Reza Mirkarimi. As was mentioned by Mahmoud Pirouzian in his introduction, the movie teaser was made by Majid Majidi, the announcement by Rakhshan Banietemad and the poster design was by late Abbas Kiarostami. It is the first super 16mm Iranian production that was selected as the Iran entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 2013, 85th Oscars but the Academy Awards was boycotted by Iran. The screening was followed by a group discussion by the audience. The October movie was “The Song of Sparrows”, produced in 2008 as the fifteenth long movie directed by Majid Majidi. Reza Naji won Berlin International Film Festival’s Silver Bear for Best Actor and, Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Performance. The movie and its awards and credits were introduced by Sara Alagheband and the screening was followed by a group discussion by the audience. Docunights #41- September 6, 2017 and #42- October 4, 2017 Docunight is a documentary screening program held in more than twenty cities across the North American, concurrently on the first Wednesday of the month. The documentaries are either made by Iranian film makers or are about Iran and Iranians The documentaries “Out of Focus” (2014- 52 min) and “Promised Land” (2016- 24 min) were both directed by Shahriar Siami Shal. The documentary “Iran’s Arrow” (2017- 78 min), directed by Shahin Armin and Sohrab Daryabandari, is about the 38 year production of Iran’s Paykan and its impact on the society.