Re: visa status request

I love the email correspondence of the Spanish Consulate in Chicago:

From: Consulate of Spain in Chicago Spanish Government
To: Daniel Greuel
Date: Jul 30, 2007
Subject: Re: visa status request

YOUR VISA IS READY FOR PICK UP AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY. OFFICE HOURS ARE 9:00 AM TO 2:00PM, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY (except holidays). JUST BRING SOME ID.
Sincerely,

Yep, that's it.

The Hidden Words

Several weeks ago I put together a trilingual edition of the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh. It has the original Arabic and Persian parallel with Shoghi Effendi's translation into English.

For those unfamiliar with the Hidden Words, here is a description, taken from Bahá'í Publishing:

A collection of lyrical, gem-like verses of scripture that convey timeless spiritual wisdom "clothed in the garment of brevity," the Hidden Words is one of the most important and cherished scriptural works of the Baha'i Faith.

Revealed by Baha'u'llah, the founder of the religion, the verses are a perfect guidebook to walking a spiritual path and drawing closer to God. They address themes such as turning to God, humility, detachment, and love, to name but a few. These verses are among Baha'u'llah's earliest and best known works, having been translated into more than seventy languages and read by millions worldwide.

The book can be downloaded here: Hidden Words (PDF, 642KB)

For best viewing:
Preview for Mac OS X: Go to View->PDF Display and select "Facing Pages" in conjunction with "Book Mode"
Adobe Reader (Windows/Mac): Go to View->Page Display and select "Two-Up" with "Show Cover Page During Two-Up"

teeth and bones

dan: are you lying through your sinful teeth, or are you really away?
marjan: I'm 'busy'
dan: ah, yes, i suppose there is a distinction there
marjan: haha, that's pretty funny - lying through sinful teeth
marjan: cause teeth can't sin!
marjan: they're inanimate
dan: yet the sinful are sinful to the core
marjan: ouch
dan: and the teeth, being along with the bones elements which do not perish, are eternal bearers of evil doings.  therein lies the deadly sin.
marjan: wow
marjan: that's almost profound