You know why they call the university security "harasat"? It is because they harass people. I have discovered how they are selected for their jobs. They are working somewhere and their boss says "My goodness you are stupid. I have just the right job for you - you can stand at the gate of Sharif University and every day harass our society's best and brightest."

What is the definition of a male chauvinist? Someone who thinks "harass" is two words!

Someone emailed me and said that she hoped "brain strokes" were not so common in Iran (the context was about the death of Zahra Kazemi.) Unfortunately, you see the entry on July 10? The guy who owned the Kawasaki ZZR 400 (the one which cost 4,000,000 tomans, or about $US5000) died of a stroke the very morning I wrote that! He was 23. I had only met him once, at the end of May. So when I read about the son of ZK saying "To die of a stroke at her age [54] is so funny," I know it can happen at any age. Of course I don't mean to defend this government!!