Rich Iranians

An Instagram account which appears to show Tehran's wealthy young elite living like their counterparts in the West has become a sensation in Iran.
If it wasn't for the Farsi number plates, you'd be forgiven for thinking the account belonged to a rich American living in sun-drenched Los Angeles. But this - apparently - is Tehran, the Iranian capital, where women are forbidden from going uncovered in public places, and alcohol is strictly forbidden.
Rich Kids of Tehran - a play on Rich Kids of Instagram - is a collection of photographs that appears to show the decadent lives of the city's gilded youth. Young women in bikinis lounge by deep blue swimming pools, while the men recline in supercars or slouch in front of tables stacked with liquor. The women seem to be in their private homes and gardens - where going uncovered is not prohibited - and some of the photos are taken in different countries. Many are clearly taken in and around Tehran, however. And while it is impossible to confirm where the alcohol has been photographed, it has been widely reported that drink is available to Iranians with deep pockets.

The images have alarmed many in the country, and yesterday one Iranian newspaper ran pictures from the site under the headline: "The hidden lives of the rich." Most of the images are publicly available on what look like genuine Instagram accounts of the individuals in the photos.
It seems they do not fear repercussions from the Iranian authorities, who have been known to pursue other young people for engaging in subversive activities. Seven Iranians were recently issued with suspended sentences for uploading their own version of Pharrell Williams' music video Happy to YouTube.

Golshifteh UN Hat

Golshifteh Farahani has participated in two movies , Her First Movie , ''Paradise'' , directed By ''Mia Hansen-Løve'' . She has played complementary role and the character called ''Yasmin'', in This Movie . The topic of This Movie is about the history of the music . Her Second Movie , ''EXODUS'' : Gods and King , which was directed By ''Ridley Scott'' , In This movie , She also has played complementary role , as Nefertari in Exodus .  Golshifteh two weeks ago was the guest of honor at Forum des Images in Paris, France has the same cinematic conditions. Golshifteh Farahani Movies were screened at the International Forum The Movies Such As : ''About Elly'' Directed By ''Asghar Farhadi'' and another Movies that Golshifteh Farahani has Played outside Iran. Golshifteh Farahani Says About her movies In Iran : '' I Won An Important award in the Fajr Film Festival For The Movie , '' pear tree '' . I always Had Acting suggestions the next three years And All Directores wanted to cooperate with me ,But for me it was canceled because I wanted to continue studying music and became a musician.So refused all of them and I resigned from acting and cinema. When I Was 17 years old Everything was prepared for my trip to Vienna to continue my music there . One night I went to the front of the mirror and asked myself: "Golshifteh, Do You really want to be a pianist ? Do You want to play Classical music? Is This what you want in life? "I sat down and thought seriously. I was a little disquiet. I wore black. I love Metallica. I went to a punk concert. Twenty minutes I could not sit quietly . I could not become a pianist , So I decided to continue my acting

Pink Bentley

How do you spend 2 billion dollars on luxury cars? Apparently Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary really likes its Porsches.
The Iranian parliament’s recent investigation into a scheme to import luxury cars instead of medicine threatens to erode the credibility of a leading pro-Iran lobbying group that has long claimed that economic sanctions are preventing access to medicine in Iran. An investigation by Iranian lawmakers recently revealed that nearly $2 billion that had been allocated to the importation of medicine into Iran was actually spent on the purchase of luxury cars.
While it had long been suspected that the Iranian government was squandering funds for medicine, pro-Tehran advocacy groups like the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) used the medicine shortage as a hook to claim that sanctions were causing the shortage.

As average Iranians struggle to obtain key medications, Iran’s ruling class has enjoyed relatively unfettered access to top-notch healthcare, a fact that has not been raised in NIAC’s talking points.
When rumors of the medicine scam first emerged in 2012, then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sacked the country’s health minister in order to keep her silent.
Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, Ahmadinejad’s health minister at the time, was not saying what the Western media were regurgitating, she kept publicly complaining that the $2 Billion in the annual budget, allocated to import medicine with,  was not received by the health ministry.
It was a bizarre situation in which, Iran’s health minister kept repeating the medicine shortage was nothing to do with sanction and yet the Western media kept repeating, sanctions were causing the medicine shortage in Iran!

Akhoond

An Iranian newspaper says at least 500 Porsche cars have been imported by way of a Persian Gulf island that is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates.
Thursday's report by the Javan daily quotes lawmaker Amir Khojasteh as saying it's unclear who the importer was or why the island of Abu Musa was used as the route to bring the vehicles into Iran. Khojasteh is demanding that Industry Minister Mahdi Ghazanfari elaborate on the case.
Abu Musa is one of three Iranian-controlled islands close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
Tehran says they have been part of states that existed on the Iranian mainland from antiquity until the British occupied them in the early 20th century.

Andy and Sepideh

Bringing matinee idol charisma to the silver screen and concert stage is ANDY, Persia’s legendary music exile   aka “The Prince of Persia” or “The Persian Elvis” in media circles, who has released multiple albums selling in the millions throughout the world with countless Number 1 hits. Voice of America ,The Persian program called the Iranian /Armenian the best artist of the year and Armenian pulse called him the best Armenian international singer of the year. Andy has toured extensively around the world many times over playing some of the globes most prestigious venues, theaters and stadiums.
A humanitarian, he has appeared and contributed in many International charitable causes, most recently having recorded “Stand by Me” with Jon Bon Jovi to show solidarity for the people of Iran garnering 7 million hit on youtube . Appearances in feature films have  include DREAMWORKS’  “The House of Sand and Fog” ( Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connolly) where Andy is featured singing in the film and contributed to the score and he has supported and contributed to several indie films such as “Futbaal”, “The Florist”, and  Guide Company Films  “The Keeper” (The Legend of Omar Khayyam) with Academy Award Winner  Vanessa Redgrave,  in which Andy plays the  governor of the ancient city of Samarkand.  Andy first made his mark on ABC’s 2001 production of the “Princess and the Marine”. 

When Andy's not acting or producing movie scores, Andy's a musical trailblazer forging a new path that redefines traditional musical borders.  He plays to sold-out venues all over the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Russia and the Middle East.  His touring schedule regularly includes locales rarely if ever performed in by American--based artists such as Armenia, Uzbekistan, and cities Tashkent,Samarghand , and in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, amongst others, spreading his universal message of love and joy.  In the United States, he has played for the last ten years to critical acclaim at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as the prestigious Kodak Theatre in Hollywood and large scale venues in Las Vegas. His music was recently chosen by the JPF “Independent Music” Awards Best Middle Eastern Album and Song for the second year in a row.

In a gala ceremony at Universal Studios, he was named Persian Pop Male Singer of the Decade.  For five years in a row he has received the coveted Best Armenian International Singer, Best Armenian World Artist and Best Armenian World Album awards and in Nov 09 he received the “ Legend Award “ from Big Apple Music Awards.  He was also recognized and awarded twice by the City Council of Los Angeles for his contributions through music to the city. 

At first glance, it’s the dance music side of Andy that stands out.   Somewhere between the mystery of an ancient civilization and music that dates back 5000 years and the youthful brashness of modern music, Andy has made his own unique place in music history.  He has created a new fusion of sound that combines traditional Middle Eastern instruments with the Western world’s drum and bass, guitar and modern technology.  His global sound embraces many exotic influences.  Aside from his Persian- Armenian heritage, Andy combines lush Arabic modes with African rhythms, in which he spices with Spanish flamenco guitar licks, and western dance music.

Bus in LA

LA is home to one of the country’s best public transportation networks, including subways, light-rail, buses and shuttles to just about every corner of the Greater Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is making it easier than ever to discover LA without a car. Car Free LA features a series of self-guided "car free" vacation itineraries that offer a new way to experience the hidden gems of LA’s diverse neighborhoods via foot, bike and Metro.
The Metro Trip Planner is a great tool to use when planning your way around Los Angeles. The tool generates detailed instructions on how to get to and from your destination. You can also download the Go Metro Los Angeles V2 mobile app to help you get around the city while on the go.
All transit rates start at a base fare of $1.50. In addition to a single-ride fare, options include the Metro Day Pass ($5) and the 7-Day Pass ($20). On the Metro Rail and the Metro Orange Line, single-ride fares, passes and stored value must be loaded on a Metro TAP card. TAP is a durable plastic card that you can use again and again. Buy and add value to a reusable TAP card from TAP vending machines located at Metro Rail or Metro Orange Line stations.The TAP card allows you to add money and/or choose from a daily, weekly, or monthly pass to add to your card. Buying a pass is often less expensive than the base fare price per ride.

Inside Kabeh

There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Mecca. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.
Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.
The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.
The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.The Kaaba that we see today is not exactly the same Kaaba that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and Ismail ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters. Of course, we all know of the major reconstruction that took place during the life of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) before he became a Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). This is the occasion when the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) averted major bloodshed by his quick thinking on how to place the Black Stone using a cloth that every tribe could lift up.
Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries. The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough, leading to the replacement of many of the stones and re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof. This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (insha'Allah) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before.
The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Kaaba only has one door and no window.
We are so used to the Kaaba being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can't imagine it being any other colour. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household colour was black) and before this the Kaaba was covered in multiple colours including green, red and even white.