The Last Thoughts of a Busy Mind

Self-image and what you project onto the world is an important part of politics, and it becomes more important with every passing year. It's such optics that can shape the opinions of public, who in turn can put pressure on their governments. Much like any other country in the Middle East, Iran's optics are oftentimes complex, filled with historical context, and fueled by the desires of a...

Usually when discussing the health of Middle East, there's an ugly assumption that once the physical needs are not actively hampered, then the responsibility for betterment of mental needs are completely off the shoulders of people who were doing the physical assault. It's an ugly assumption because much like other things misunderstood about Iran and Middle East as a whole, it doesn't...

Social media has become a hot button issue since its conception, and since its effect are becoming more and more apparent. Social media tends to bring out the worst in us in certain situations, and for people who are primed for conspiracy through their government, education and media systems, these "worst in us" can come out in horrifying degrees. Iran has a problem with social media. It...

Sometimes it's important to tackle ideas and ideals when talking about misunderstandings in one region or another. Sometimes it's just as important to tackle a symbol of those misunderstandings and a throughput of more misunderstandings. Iran International, the """news""" network, is such a throughput. It is a propaganda machine with a singular vision of a per...

Much like any country who has had massive social and political upheaval in the 20th century, Iran has a considering number of diaspora living abroad. This has created a schism in the pop culture of Iran, and has separated it into a homegrown and a diaspora-grown branch. Both of these branches though, still have a home in Iranian identity, and have created the dual-personality of Iranian culture. E...

Food is such a peculiar subject. It is universally believed to be apolitical, even though our connection to it is increasingly becoming more and more political. It's one of those subjects that can lead to appreciation of a culture, while also quietly dehumanize it. It's a peculiar subject, and when it applies to any one culture as their defining trait, it makes putting aside the people of...

The specter of Iranian Cinema outside of Iran is an odd and interesting one. It oftentimes frames some of the most unique movies out of this system as the "norm", and creates a stereotype of an Iranian artist as someone in tune with something extraordinary. Truth is a lot more complicated than that. A positive stereotype, is still a stereotype, and with it comes a misunderstanding. Irani...

When it comes to the history of Iran, there's so much misinformation and misinformed opinions that it's hard to divide the wheat from the chaff. Even for most Iranians, whether they've been learning history through school or through revisionist texts online, the idea of Iranian history is a complex and contradictory mess. In this mess, some reviled ideals can harbor and fester, creating an identit...

The matter of religion is always more complex than it seems, but it becomes doubly-so when it enters the varied world of Middle East. The outward view of many countries make them seem like purely religious puritans, even though their ultimate goal is control, and religion is just one single lever in their arsenal. Though, religiosity becomes even more complex when the actions of supposed religious...

The view on Iran can be categorized in many ways, and one of them is a geographical climate view. As with many other countries in the Middle East, Iran has been depicted time and time as a purely desert climate. Sand dunes, palm trees, oases with shallow water reserves, camels and desert people. This is how the world likes to view Iran, because that way they can diminish the Iranian experience and...

When it comes to discussing politics in and about Iran, there's usually one or two stereotypes that people fall into. These two often reflect the political intent of the person spreading them, but nonetheless the effect is similar: it reduces a range of ideas, people and political identities into a single force. Iranians in either interpretation of these monolithic parties are zombified husks...

During the war between Iran and Israel, oftentimes Iranians were reduced to a monolith of ideals, ethnicities and even culture. It's a view that is prominent outside of Iran, and sadly it's even prominent inside of Iran. The idea that Iran as a whole is a unified set of beliefs and cultures is one that's pushed even by our government (then and now). It can't be farther from the tru...

In this episode, we're meeting once again in person to sit down and talk in depth with Noora. We met each other while I was "cosplaying" as Santa, and then later... some other time... we think? Though we have had other connections that have made us to meet each other more and get closer with time. Noora is an artist, and has been from a very early age, so our talks inevitably went in...

When one reaches the end of an era, one has to look at one's contributions and works in that era and come to a conclusion: was the past showing signs of discontent or contentment? What happened in a season that its arrival was under the influence of its number? Was the unlucky aura of "13" enough of a curse on the season to bring about the end of one's own desires and wants regar...

Sometimes one needs a jolt of something to bring about all the things that one has lost. Sometimes, a great experience in a less-experienced field can have extraordinary effects on one who needs to jumpstart to their life. Sometimes, that great experience is "The Age of Decadence", a CRPG who boasts its social interactions and focus on more-dialogue based events rather than pure combat r...

Some people revel in the heroism of their fictional avatars. They embody themselves as the moral good of the story in the interactive world they inhibit. But that is not true for everyone. Sometimes one wants to be the imoral one, the thief, the villain... and it's also about the Iran-Israel war which is why this episode is a month late. Email me at: ContactAKhamseh88@gmail.com

The name "Timeline Up" will mean nothing to most, but will mean something to few. To those few, the name "Timeline Up" is evoking the true nature of a guilty pleasure, or a sunken treasure of their finances, or just a repetitive and easy-to-play mobile game which barely qualifies outside of the purview of "auto-play". For one, it is the herald of everything that is wr...

There are so many pieces of art in the world, that to experience all of them require almost infinite lifetimes. With such a vast world, it is understandable that some will fall through the fingers of anyone trying to capture all. Sometimes, that is one of the beloved games of its genre. Sometimes, that is "Prey" (2006 - the original one). To understand "Prey", is to understand...

There are, sometimes, projects so massive and so expansive, that it becomes a beacon of hope for those who enjoy such projects, but also becomes a barrier of entry for those who REALLY want to enjoy those projects, but are extremely threatened by their lack of explanation. When such projects lack the necessary starting steps to guide one in, one can lose in some amazing and unforgettable experienc...

With one week of unplanned break, one returns to discuss yet another video game, and this time the subject matter is that of piracy. But not the cool piracy of the modern era in which softwares are shared with the masses, but the brutal piracy of the 19th century, in which Blackbeard and Henry Morgan thrived. This is the world in which Sid Meier (of "Sid Meier's Civilization" fame) has set his sem...

In Switchblade City, the Aces used to fight crime, but that was a long time ago. Now, the city is filled with gangsters and crime lords, each trying to carve up sections of it for their own desires. In this city, one has to learn to fight to survive and use everything in their line of sight to fight, and that is the exact situation that "Fallen Aces" puts one in. Made by New Blood Intera...

When the courier walks through the ruins of Mojave, dealing with the intricate balances of power near Hoover Dam and the bustling city of New Vegas, it's hard not to want to continue their story further and further. Thankfully, the brilliant minds in Obsidian Entertainment decided to do continue the journey of the courier, even outside of Mojave and the confines of New Vegas. So, it's time...

When the courier walks through the ruins of Mojave, dealing with the intricate balances of power near Hoover Dam and the bustling city of New Vegas, it's hard not to want to continue their story further and further. Thankfully, the brilliant minds in Obsidian Entertainment decided to do continue the journey of the courier, even outside of Mojave and the confines of New Vegas. So, it's time...

In October of 2281, a courier near the town of Goodsprings got a bullet to the head by a casino owner named Benny. That was the catalyst that started the wonderous and amazing tales to befall Mojave and the city of "New Vegas", built on top of the ruins of Las Vegas. And all of that is contained in one extremely well-made package called "Fallout: New Vegas". One of the best gam...

When one spends too much time within an activity, sometimes one gets ideas and daydreams of creation within that activity. Sometimes one even goes forward and start brainstorming a prototype of that creation. Sometimes, that creation is a concept for a board game about Greek mythology, centered around a creator who saw his creation come to life: Pygmalion. Sometimes, one is oblivious to the irony...