Déjà vu? I am taking a study break for a public service announcement: if the LA Times Magazine needs new material, I will be happy to provide my services… Today’s article v. an article from two and a half years ago.

It is the beginning of finals:

Hold your horses, U$C. This year, in the battle for Los Angeles, UCLA is king. Finally. It was time to settle an old score. Bruins rule and Trojans drool.

Can everyone stop talking about the taser incident now?

Their manager is a genius.

Because all you hear up in tha A is dirty south crunked out ballin beats (I’m not complaining but you can only hear so much T.I. and Yung Joc before you want to yank your ears out), I thought I would investigate on what is being heard in El Ay. So for everyone who was not able to be in the City of Angels this past Thanksgiving weekend, press play. Sounds just like home – courtesy of The Game. Although The Game is a little poroo (comparing himself to Nas and Tupac), I still really like this song. And another cool song: Vato by S N double O P. Westside till I die XOXO

It is Thanksgiving week. And to reflect on some of the things I’m thankful for, here is a little story: almost two months ago I had the pleasure of eating at an authentic Southern establishment – the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. When I proclaimed to the group I was with that I had never heard of this restaurant-store chain before, one of the ladies said to me, “Oh, sweet honey child, this is the place.” Okaaaaaaaay. I smiled and nodded.

The country store section had an assortment of just about everything from rocking chairs to candy to pots and pans to Christmas decorations (which were being sold in September). The restaurant’s menu was totally unrecognizable to me (I still don’t know what grits are. Or butter baked chicken? And who has gravy with biscuits for breakfast? I thought gravy was eaten only with mashed potatoes for dinner). Nevertheless, the food was good and the atmosphere was even better.

When I was leaving the store I noticed a sign posted by the establishment that they were willing to serve everyone and anyone – no matter of their race – and immediately my mind flashed to Civil War movies and segregation stories. It really made me be thankful for the different experiences I am able to have living here, and the histories, cultures, and various people I have come across. And it made me realize that step by step, little by little, the goal of unity of mankind is on its way to being accomplished. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I have only been watching previews and random scenes, but I am already in love with Signé Chanel, a documentary on Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2004-2005 collection. It is so funny to watch grandmothers: Madame Martine, Madame Jacqueline, and Madame Cécile, all gather in what looks like an upstairs attic, clocking in and out, sewing and designing haute couture for the most wealthiest and influential people in the world. The charming histories of Chanel – Monsieur Massaro is the decades-old Chanel shoemaker who learned his craft from his father – Madame Pouzieux has been braiding the trim for Chanel clothing since 1947 – Monsieur Lesage exclusively does embroidery for Chanel – all humanize the fashion line. All of which is very interesting for moi, who did a report on Coco Chanel in the 10th grade, calling her one of the most influential people in the 20th century. Bravo to Loïc Progent, for making the documentary (and to my mother for initially recognizing Coco’s effect on the world).

P.S. I want this shirt, if anyone has an extra $50 to give me. Booses!

Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut U Down

Celebrities (and sins) galore… which makes me wonder: are they promoting JC or JC of Nazareth?

H&M opens at the Beverly Center tomorrow. Approximately nine years after I first bought H&M clothing in Europe. Now if only Naf Naf and Kookai would grace LA with its presence.

And in other news... B* Spears is fed up with K* Fed. She’s not the only one. Can I file divorce papers against him, too?

What would the Middle East look like with borders based on traditional ethnic divisions?

Too bad (for the Kurds) it will never happen.

Happy Halloween! This past weekend I had the pleasure of hosting Anna in Atlanta. We fully embraced the dirrty dirrty: ghetto crunked-out clubs, grillz, fine southern dining (grits, collard greens, sweet potatoes, fried chicken), and hanging out on Martin Luther King Jr.’s porch. We didn’t even need to dress up – we were an anomaly as it was – two Persian girls in the South.

... pregnacy tests, umbrellas and birthday stuff in one store... wow ATL has it all...! =)

Marie Antoinette comes out today. She is one of my favorite figures from history – original rock’n’roll royalty. I have been waiting for this movie for over one year now, when I first saw the trailer back in October of last year – fun songs accompanying extravagant fashion. If only we can all be Parisians at some point of our lives. Well, tonight I can pretend, and I will definitely be bringing my own piece of cake to enjoy while watching the film!

Dove: Evolution Of A Model

Dont believe everything you see.

It is Friday the 13th. To kick off the frightfest: super skinny scary models. Models love their rock-star boyfriends and paracetamol tablets for breakfast...? Too bad I’m already over the age of 17. And my diet consists more than a pack of Marlboro Lights, Diet Coke, and various other, um,... substances. Maybe I just need to contact Rachel Zoe, celebrity-stylist slash crystal-meth&coke-dealer for Lindsay, Nicole, and Mischa.

OMG, have I died and gone to Persian heaven? Behnaz Sarafpour has a collection coming out in November for Target - the latest in Target's Go International campaign. Now "Parlez vous Target?" will be "Shoma Target harf mizanid?" =)

My brother is the face of UCLA. This is not a joke. There are posters (and cookies) of him all over campus, courtesy of the fine people behind Happenings at UCLA, the “Headwaters of Hipdom.” These photos are from the Daily Bruin stand next to LuValle Commons. How appropriate – a Persian pre-med reppin UCLA – but when did Sana become so hip?





Jock ORL for stepping it up a notch and for once not shoving Diddy Riese cookies down freshmen throats (not that there is anything wrong with Diddy Riese, especially sugar cinammon cookies... mmm), but this is fershiz cooler.

A few of my favorite things, all placed together in a beautiful October Vogue fashion editorial: gold dresses, gisele, aviator sunglasses, the beach, and yoko ono-ed straight hair (and not to mention a tall, dark, and handsome young man).

Life’s a beach. And then its fall. More specifically, today is the fall equinox. To reminisce, here are some random summer oh-six highlights:

Considering I am the only person left on the planet left without a digital camera, these are just limited pictures. Thanks to everyone who sends me their photos! Enjoy.

I think Coco must be rolling over in her grave right now. Oh, to be young, pretty, and rich – the Olsens and their Chanel bags.

Jock Mr. Clooney! Hopefully the ICC will prosecute even though Sudan is not a party to the Rome Statute.

And in other news... Sean Preston has a little brother - another boy for B*Spears & K*Fed.

A Little Learning is an Expensive Thing: this op-ed shows why UCLA is the best university in the world. The writer, William M. Chace, used to be president at Emory, and talks about one of my most favorite subjects: public v. private schools. He touches on some of the issues associated with it, but there are so many - financial aid, housing, education, affirmative action, culture, technology, admissions, alumni, grades, TAs, professors, job opportunities, internships - I could go on, but don’t want to bore my precious blog readers. I'll just have to keep my public v. private school discussions limited to my favorite debaters Leila Seradj and Stephanie Movahhed =)

I don’t know whether to cry for her, or be proud of her. Right before the wedding, the bride found out her fiancé had been cheating on her, so she turned her wedding party into a philanthropy event. I guess her motto is to be positive. Kudos! (And perhaps the event can also raise money to have the former fiancé taken care off, mafia style...? Just a thought.)

Tucker Max contemplates: Should I go to law school?

I would like to respond with two statements -
1. yes, I would love to be Ally McBeal
2. yes, I do want to change the world
- and I will do both of those while still having a fabulous, fantastic, fun life, filled with faith, friends, and family.

I flew out of New Haven last night and I am flying into Atlanta Saturday morning. If anyone wants to hang out with me for the 48 hours I am in Los Angeles, hollatchagurl (and please take a number, apparently my family really likes me). Bye-bye summer - and thanks for the memories - PEACE!

Pretty & Powerful

Everytime I watch this commercial it brings a pretty smile to my face... and I feel so pretty and witty and bright... Nike should seriously give their advertising agents a pay raise. Enjoy!

Dirt Nasty (aka Simon Rex): Dropping Names. This video couldn’t be more LA. Listener discretion advised.

And another LaLaLand-inspired song by Mickey Avalon: So Rich So Pretty. A theme song for all the Newport-turned-Hollywood girls.

As much as it may be politically incorrect to say it, Africa – with all the genocide, poverty, war, illness, disease, and close-ups of grief-stricken children – for lack of a better word, is hot. Angelina Jolie had her baby in Namibia. Gwyneth Paltrow is the face of a new Africa ad campaign. Lindsay Lohan apparently wants to go to Kenya. And Rauz, Samar, and I recently traveled to South Africa (hardly surprising, since, after all, I have always known how to spot a trend). Let’s take other places and compare them. Europe: too developed. Middle East: too much politics. South America: not enough suffering. South-East Asia: so very last year (re: tsunami). Africa is not politically or morally polarizing. There is scandal (civil war, genocide, disease), celebrities motivated by different atrocities (see: Bono, Bill Gates and President Clinton, Don Cheadle), the college masses taking action, various organizations furthering awareness and support, and a clarity over what people should do (help the poor, alleviate the torment). As opposed to other places (i.e. Iraq), it is too easy to take differing sides, whereas for Africa, the only side anyone should embrace is to be a do-gooder and fix the problems that were started in the first place by non-Africans (and I don’t mean to be the self-interested American, but it doesn’t hurt that Africa is overflowing with certain natural resources). Africa needs us and we need Africa. But, hopefully, this trend, as opposed to the latest LA club or NYC restaurant, will last.

Joe Francis: scum of the earth and creator of the Girls Gone Wild Franchise. Be careful, this profile is not for the faint of heart. The article shows a nasty, callous, despicable, loathsome, and vile man, and also speaks about our appalling generation and the distressing state of our culture. I was honestly both sickened and saddened. Crude, very crude. But kudos to the LA Times reporter, Claire Hoffman, for her excellent journalism skills. Does anyone else think it is interesting that the Mantra Entertainment office is in such close proximity to both MTV and MySpace? Apparently, Santa Monica is a haven for debauchery.

The season finale of The Hills is tonight, with an apparent cliffhanger: will LC stay with J-Wahl in Malibu or go to Paris for Fashion week. Duh – she is obviously going to stay – don’t we all know that they are still together and have been photographed together at a million events in LA? Way to go, MTV, and make it so predictable. Yet, I have to admit that The Hills has been a decent summer show, with the real breakout stars being 1) the headband; 2) the Chanel purse; 3) Bolthouse Productions; and 4) Hisham Abed.

Of course, all the cool kids, aka moi, already knew about Brent B. and Sam N., and their respective companies, Bolthouse and SBE Entertainment. This summer I saw Mr. Nazarian himself at his own club, Privilege (randomly hanging out with Eve and her posse). I also saw Jen R., Bolthouse’s notoriously ugly, tough-as-nails doorgirl in front of Hyde. But, now Brent’s name has exceeded the Hollywood set and moved beyond to the Midwestern masses. And, due to Lauren’s favorite choice of hairstyle – the headband – and her Christmas present from Jason – the Chanel purse – all the suburbanite teenyboppers have been clamoring at their neighborhood mall for multi-colored plastic bands or knock-off designer purses.

My favorite star, however, is the cinematographer, Hisham Abed, whose luxurious and sparkling palette of beautiful views and iridescent landscapes has done more for Los Angeles’ aesthetic appeal than the entire tourist industry. With shimmering shades and overwhelming colors, it is simply the best looking show on tv, and makes me feel proud to be an Angeleno.

Now that summer is almost to a close (tear), here are my predictions for Fall:

Babydoll dresses are the new miniskirts
Fishnets are the new leggings
Eyelet is the new lace
Russia is the new Brazil
Mahogany is the new white

And everyone should pay attention to the former French queen – Ms. Marie Antoinette – the Fall 2006 fashion icon – you can’t take it with you, so you may as well live it up right now. Anyone for cake?

A History of Black Nail Polish: just because I like to keep my blog readers abreast of the latest historical developments (i.e. please see A History of Violence). And if anyone needs to get me a belated birthday present - Black Satin would be perfect - or anything else from the Fall 2006 collection.

PS. I know that my earlier posts showed my obssession with the World Cup. But, I have been suspiciously quiet re: the final match. I still haven’t decided what I think. Was Zidane defending his family and faith? There is no excuse for bad-mouthing another person’s culture and heritage. On the other hand, should a headbutt have been the solution? Either which way, Zidane will go down in history as one of the greatest soccer players, and I will always support him. Bisous Bisous!

Honestly, these are new words? I’m embarrassed for our generation.

This girl is crazy. And just for interested people to know: I might have a blog and a myspace, but I have a real, live social network too. BTW, the writer did not mention a small world, which is probably the most exclusive online network. It is filled with princes, socialites and models. I’m still awaiting my invitation!

He’s baaaaaaaaaack! And not just back, but SexyBack! Tanks be to God. I was scared for a second that Mr. JT would never come out with another album as long as he was still with Cameron. I mean, he became a little heartbroken over Britney and it produced the best songs ever (now look at B – serves her right for cheating – karma, my friend). Seriously, Justified changed my life. As it did Nasim’s and Shamim’s. Others, too, but I know they are in hiding. Anyways, I don’t buy cds and haven’t bought any since ’99, but perhaps this time I’ll make a purchase. I’m already in love with the new single. Of couse, if someone is willing to burn/download it for me, I will be greatly indebted. I still remember my dear residents in DeNeve who burned all the hottest cds for me. And in return, I was the best RA ever (aka no one ever got into trouble) !!!! Tit for tat :D

This is (fortunately? unfortunately?) accurate. Hopefully one day I’ll also make the “famous people” list.

It is the first of July. 62 days of summer left. Act accordingly.

Sana Bull Riding

Probably the first time Sana has ever even attended a party on Sunset Blvd. was for his own graduation party at Saddle Ranch. Unbeknownst to us, there was a bull riding competition – with the first place winner receiving $100. Sana, Nima and I all entered the competition, and now I have bruises to prove it. During the course of the evening we ate lots of good, fried food, roasted s’mores, listened to guitarists and pretended we were cowboys. The best part of the night? Sana – novice bull rider – won the bull riding competition! View video above and pics below. I guess Sana found himself a summer job! Thanks to everyone who came out, and a big thanks to people who lost their voices while cheering for Sana (aka Sana’s fan club consisting of Nazanin, Kimiya, Negar, Nika, Shaadi, Alex, Mona, Roya, Bita, Wendy, Liz, Vic, Rauz and Trisha).