Coffeehouse Screenwriting
FADE IN: EXT. MORNING METROPOLITAN SKY A cool wind smooths the morning haze. Distant sirens come closer. As the camera pulls back, we see that the burning building is mostly hidden by dense, Los Angeles traffic that causes more turmoil than the buzzing emergency vehicles arriving on the scene. We’re watching from across the street. […]
MGS Chat: BIJAN
IN MEMORIUM: BIJAN PAKZAD DIED ON APRIL 16, 2011. THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE LAST INTERVIEWS HE DID (click here for the Los Angeles Times obituary). Bijan Pakzad’s sophisticated, bold, brash style made him a star in the world’s richest retail district and allows him to (sometimes) reveal his often hidden softer side, of […]
MGS Cuisine: SKORTHOSTOUBI aka Eggplant with Garlic
This is a favorite dish; great for all seasons and special occasions. 3-4 big eggplants, sliced 1/8 inch thick 3-4 tomatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick 4 cups olive oil for frying, or for baking, enough oil to sprinkle the slices. Sauce (recipe below) Salt and pepper Water as needed 2 teaspoons vinegar Feta cheese for topping […]
“It might be political suicide, but it’s the right thing to do” – Michael Lloyd
Arab Media: Ground Zero Mosque Debate a Test for Obama President Obama said Saturday that Muslims have the right to build a mosque near New York’s Ground Zero, but he declined to say whether he thinks it’s a good idea. The carefully calibrated remarks expanded on a speech he gave Friday at the White House, […]
World Travels: The Inner Peace of Egypt
People from all walks of life are finding that “mental days” in Egypt are just the passport in improving life perspectives. For some, the search for inner wellness starts in Giza. The chants resonated from deep within the Pharaoh’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza: aaaaaa (a as in ah), eeeeeee (e as in eat), […]
World Travels: Faraway Faces
A far cry from the ubiquitous strip malls with their lattes and cell phone stores, a visit to the countryside of the Gulf, Mediterranean, Europe and North Africa is like being let in on a secret: the undeniable beauty of life. Beauty lies not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the imagination […]
