The Prestige Magazine #3 2010

Announcing FARHANG FOUNDATION

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2010 produced by SoCiArts.com IRANIAN HERITAGE MUSIC VIDEO Farhang Foundation and SoCiArts are proud to announce the second annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival.

This year, filmmakers from all walks of life, Iranian and non-Iranian, are invited to create a music video (less than 9 minutes) of any genre or style, visualizing an aspect of Iranian arts, history, culture, crafts, geog-

raphy, cuisine or lifestyle.

Farhang Foundation will be looking for music videos that inspire and spark the audience’s interest in learning more about Iranian art, history and culture.

All entries will be judged for creativity, quality, and originality.

Winner’s Prizes First Prize: $10,000 USD Second Prize: $5,000 USD Submission Opening: November 1, 2009 Submission Deadline: February 1, 2010 Winner Announcement: March 1, 2010 Award Presentation: March 14, 2010

Third Prize: $3,000 USD For festival guidelines, terms and conditions please visit: www.FarhangFilmFest.org

Contents Edititor’s Note

The First Declaration of Human Right Dr. Darius JahanianJafari

Now is the Time to Start Planning for the 2010 Census

IRANIAN Who’s Who* Hamid Biglari Ph.D.

Darr Hashempour, Ph.D., P.E. Khosrow Sobhe Ph.D.

Ardabil Carpets Khosrow Sobhe Ph.D.

The Persepolis “ Dr. Matthew W. Stolper

Mission to the Hubble Space Telescope

THE RISE AND FALL OF AN EMPIRE. Focus on Immigration: UnionBank Earns “Outstanding”

HUMANITY HAS NO BORDERS Travel Documents Needed …

Creating a Beautiful Focal Point Using Candle Lanterns

* IRANIAN Who’s Who featured members are orderd alphabetically

The Iranian-American Business & Lifestyle Magazine

Winter 2009

Vol1 | Issue 3

Founder:

Reza Goharzad Director:

Parvin Afjeh Editor in Chief:

Golnoush Goharzad Graphic Designer:

Ali Shirdel

Youth Coordinator:

Azaadeh Goharzad Cover Photo:

Nader Ghassemlou Published by

Sabzpublication Prestige Jaam Va Jaan Clip Or Click

CONTACT

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This magazine is only for the use of public knowledge. The opinions and endorsements expressed in Prestige magazine articles and ads are that of the authors and sponsors and not that of Prestige magazine or Sabzpublication. Use of the articles, pictures, and ads designed by Sabzpublication, are prohibited without written consent.

Prestige

Editor’s Note Dear Prestigious Iranian Americans: As 2009 draws to a close, the United States government is getting ready to undertake one of its largest and most diligent projects: The United States Census.

The United States Census, conducted every 10 years by the Census Bureau and mandated by the Constitution, is used to compile information about the American population, used to allocate congressional seats, electoral votes, government funding, and an overall evaluation of role of immigrant groups in the United States.

Participation in the Census is required by law and yet many people unexplainably try to avoid being counted. As a result, Iranian-Americans were drastically undercounted in the 2000 Census. The Iranian Studies Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) estimates that the actual Iranian population is exponentially larger than indicate by the 2000 Census.

Participation in the Census is absolutely confidential and required by law; we here at Prestige Magazine® strongly urge all Iranians to participate in the 2010 Census.

Census information is also used by smaller statistical models in order to evaluate the business landscape of an area. In 2008, the Small Business Association (SBA) used the 2000 Census results two other national surveys to examine the role of immigrants in business ownership.

The SBA study found that Iranian Americans contribute immensely to the American economy with a 21.5% business ownership rate with a total net business income generation of $2,559,450,000.

The entrepreneurial spirit and business savvy of Iranian-Americans makes the need for networking venues vital in this rocky economy. Prestige Magazine® provides such a venue.

If you would like to introduce yourself or your business or nominate a prestigious Iranian professional, entrepreneur or philanthropist for recognition in Prestige Magazine® or Iranian Who’s Who®, please contact us by phone or email. Let us be your bridge to the vast network of Iranian movers and shakers.

Like all networks, the strength of the Iranian-American networks relies on the participation of its members. Get Connected Today!

Sincerely,

Golnoush Goharzad, Esq. Editor in Chief Attorney at Law

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History

The First Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The General Assembly called upon all United Nations Member countries to make the declaration public and known within their country, among their people, and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

As Iranians we may proudly claim the first declaration of human rights by Cyrus the Great as our own. In honor of the 61st anniversary of The Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize the seed from which such progress in human rights has grown around the world and be humbled by the heights yet to be achieved.

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By: Dr. Darius Jahanian One of the significant events in ancient history is the conquest of Babylon by the Persian king, Cyrus the Great.

On October 4th, 539 BC, the Persian Army entered the city of Babylon, which was then the capital of the Babylonian state (in central Iraq). This was a bloodless campaign and no prisoners were taken. Later, on November 9th, King Cyrus of Persia visited the city.

Babylonian history tells us that Cyrus was greeted by the people, who spread a pathway of green twigs before him as a sign of honor and peace (sulmu).

Cyrus greeted all Babylonians in peace and brought peace to their city.

On this great event, Cyrus issued a declaration, inscribed on a clay barrel known as Cyrus’s inscrip-

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tion cylinder. It was discovered in 1879 by Hormoz Rassam in Babylon and today is kept in the British Museum. Many historians have reviewed it as the first declaration of human rights.

The Babylonian annals, as well as the first section of the Cyrus’ inscription, shed light on the religiopolitical plight that had angered the people of Babylon and why they invited Cyrus’s military campaign. Evidently, the Babyloninan king, Nabonidus, eliminated the festival of the new year and Nebo (one of the gods) was not brought into the city, and Bel (another god) was not taken in the procession of the festival.

Also, the worship of Marduk, the king of the gods, was changed to an abomination and Nabonidus tormented the inhabitants with unbelievable oppression and forced labor.

strove for peace in Babylon (Ka Dingir ra) and in all his (other) sacred cities.

As to the inhabitants of Babylon (who) against the will of the gods (had/were … I abolished) the corvee (yoke) which was against their (social standing).

I brought relief to their dilapidated housing, putting an end to their main complaints. Marduk, the great lord, was well pleased with my deeds and sent friendly blessing to myself, Cyrus, the King, who reveres him, to Cambyses, my son, as well as to all my troops, and we all (praised) his great (name) joyously, standing before him in peace … I returned to

The sanctuaries of all their settlements were in ruins and the inhabitants of Sumer and Akkad had become like the living dead. Marduk, the king of the gods, scanned and searched for a righteous ruler, finally coming upon Cyrus’s good deeds and his upright mind and ordered him to march against the City of Babylon. The angry inhabitants of Akkad had revolted but were massacred by Nabonidus, who, upon his return to Babylon, was arrested, but nevertheless was treated with respect. When Nabonidus died in the year following, Cyrus participated in the national mourning time that was proclaimed for him. The gods of Akkad were then returned to their sacred cities. All the inhabitants of Sumer and Akkad, including princes and governors, greeted Cyrus as a master who brought them back from a living death. All who had been spared damage and disaster revered his very name.

Cyrus’s Declaration “I am Cyrus, the king of the world, great king, legitimate king … son of Cambyses … whose rule Bel and Nebo loved and whom they wanted as king to please their hearts.

“When I entered Babylon as a friend and established the seat of government in the place of the ruler under jubilation and rejoicing, Marduk, the great lord (induced) the magnanimous inhabitants of Babylon (Din Tir) (to love me) and I daily endeavored to praise him. My numerous troops walked around in Babylon in peace, I did not allow anybody to terrorize (any of the people) of the country of Sumer and Akkad. I

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(these) sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris, the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time, the images which (used) to live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I (also) gathered all their (former) inhabitants and returned (to them) their habitations. Furthermore, I resettled upon the command of Marduk, the great lord, all the gods of Sumer and Akkad who Nabonidus has brought to Babylon (su sa na) to the anger of the lord of the gods unharmed in their chapels, the places which make them happy.

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May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities ask Bel and Nebo daily for a long life … (six lines destroyed) and always with good words remember my good deeds … that Babylonians incessantly cherished me because I resettled them in comfortable habitations … I endeavored to strengthen the fortification of Imgur-Enlil and the great fortification of the City of Babylon … the side brick wall by the city’s trench which the former king (had built and had not finished). This was finished around (the city), that none of the former kings, despite the labor of their yoked people, had not accomplished.

I rebuilt and completed with tar and brick … and installed large gates … entrances were built by cedar wood covered with brass and copper pivot … I strengthened all the gates… I saw inscribed the name of my predecessor, King Ashurbanipal.”

On this historical turning point, by order of Cyrus, all the captive nationalities held as slaves for generations in Babylon were freed and the return to their homeland was financed. Among the liberated captives were 50,000 Jews held in Babylon for three generations whose return toward the rebuilding of their temple in Palestine, a policy that was followed by Darius and his successors. Some of the liberated Jews were invited to and did settle in Persia. Because of such a generous act, Cyrus has been anointed in the Bible. He is the only gentile in the Bible, who has been titled Messiah, an is mentioned explicitly as the Lord’s shepherd and his anointed (Messiah). Other

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references to Cyrus are attested in Isaiah 45:4 where Cyrus is called by name and given a title of honor; he is also called to rebuild the God’s city and free His people (Is. 45:13) and is chosen, called and brought successful by God (Is. 48:14-15).

What took place after the victory in Babylon was contrary to the standard of the time. Based on the inscriptions of the neighboring countries (Assyrians, Babylonians), it was customary to destroy the vanquished cities, level houses and temples, massacre the people or enslave the population, replace them with snakes, wolves and even carry away the soil to make the land barren. But here, peace and liberty replaced the massacre and slavery, and construction substituted for destruction. After Cyrus, his son Cambyses ruled for eight years (530BC to 522 BC) and captured Egypt, and as a sign of respect toward their culture and religion, he prostrated himself before the goddess, Meith and paid homage to Apis, the Egyptian totem (Bull).

After Cambyses, Darius took over the throne and ruled form 522BC to 486BC. From 518BC to 515BC he established peace and tranquility in Egypt and also paid homage to their totem, Apis. Darius, in his inscriptions, expresses faith in the commands of Ahuramazda.

He declares “Whoever worships Ahuramazda, shall receive happiness in life and after death.”

He calls Elamites faithless, and because they did not worship Ahuramazda, yet he does not pressure them to change faith.

Darius exhorts his successors “thou shalt be king thereafter,

protect yourself from the lies and punish the liar and deceitful.”

He entreats God’s grace for the protection of Persia against rancor, enemy, famine and the lie. At times he alludes to other gods that may either indicate the old Aryan gods who still had strong followings or the gods of other nations under his rule, for the display of reverence toward their religions.

REFERENCES: A. Arfaee, The command of Cyrus the Great (in Persian), quoted the opinion of Sydney Smith.

Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian chronicles, p110, dates the fall of Babylon on Oct. 12th and Cyrus’s entry on Oct 29th.

J. B. Pritchard, The ancient Near East, Vol. 1, 1958, p203.

A fragment in the Yale’s Babylon collection was identified in 1970 by P.R.Berger, the professor of Munster, Germany, as part of Cyrus’s cylinder that was transferred to the British Museum and added to the cylinder, who wrote in the journal of Assyrology (Zeiserrift fir Assiriologie), July 25, Vol. 64. The remainder of the text is quoted from A. Arafaee, which was the missing portion kept in Yale University.

Bible, 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 Bible, Ezra 1:1-11, Ezra 2:12-70 Bible, Ezra 7:8 Bible, Ezra 6:3-4-5 Bible, Ezra 7:15-25 Bible, Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1 Source: Zoroastrianism and Biblical Connections (by Dr. Darius Jahanian) www.vohuman.org

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Community

and after the revolution. The first wave, which started in the mid-1950s and continued until the start of the revolution, primarily consisted of college students, who were studying abroad in order to meet the needs of the rapidly industrializing oil-based Iranian economy, and families closely associated with the monarchy of Mohammad Reza Shah. An estimated population of 34,000 left during this first phase.

The Iranian foreign migration to the United States was concentrated around the years of the Islamic Revolution (1978-1979) and between 1980 and 1990, the number of foreign born from Iran in the United States increased by 74 percent.

Now is the Time to

Start Planning for the 2010 Census The countdown to the 2010 Census has begun, and the U.S. Census Bureau is looking to national, tribal, state and local officials and community leaders to ensure an accurate count. With Census Day quickly approaching on April 1, 2010 — the Census Bureau has already launched a critical national effort that affects the apportionment of congressional seats, and how the federal government annually allocates $300 billion in federal assistance to state, local and tribal governments.

that miscount, Iranians never achieved their minority status and lost many benefits and privileges granted to minority groups in the United States, not to mention giving the government an accurate portrait of the Iranian community’s population. In order to achieve an accurate count in 2010, all Iranian community leaders, media outlets, and everyday citizens should encourage all Iranians to participate in the Census and correctly mark “Iranian” if they choose to be thus affiliated.

In the year 2000 Census, Iranians missed the opportunity to be accurately counted by both either not participating in the census or marking other affiliations rather than Iranian. As a result of

Historical Background& Statistical Overview of Iranian Foreign Born in the United States: Iranian immigration can be conceptualized as two back-to-back waves before

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The number of Iranians granted lawful permanent residence peaked in 1990, with an estimated 24,977 Iranians admitted. From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants was a refugee or asylee.

According to the US Census Bureau, there were approximately 283,225 foreign-born Iranians living in the United States in 2000. However, the Iranian-American community claims the number is much larger than the Census Bureau figure suggests.

Between 1990 and 2000, the number of Iranian foreign born increased over 34 percent and over half of all Iranian immigrants lived in the state of California in 2000 and the metropolitan areas with the most Iranian immigrants were Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and the Washington, DCBaltimore metropolitan area.

According to the Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS), from 1970 to 2004, 356,642 Iranian-born immigrants were admitted to the United States. The largest number entered in 1990. About 13 percent (47,977) entered between 1970 and 1980, while 43 percent (154,857) entered between 1981 and1990, and 32 percent (112,597) entered between 1991 and

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2000. Just 41,211 immigrant visas were issued to the Iranian foreign born from 2001 through 2004. During 2005, 5,314 immigrant visas were issued to Iranians. The most commonly issued nonimmigrant visas for Iranian nationals have been the student (F), temporary worker (H), and foreign government representative (G) visas.

It is easy to participate The 2010 Census will have one of the shortest census questionnaires in the history of the United States, dating back to the nation’s first census in 1790. The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship and whether the householder owns or rents their home. The census form will take only about 10 minutes on average to complete, and answers are protected by law and strictly confidential.

“The participation of community leaders, organizations and local governments can help make the 2010 Census the most accurate census in our nation’s history,” said Steve Murdock, director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

As more than 11,000 state, local and tribal governments have registered for the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program to update the Census Bureau’s address information for their communities. Communities also can begin planning for Complete Count Committees, a team of local government, business and community leaders, who are appointed by a governor for a statewide committee or by a community’s highest-elected official for a local committee.

Members of the committees work to make sure their communities are counted. During Census 2000, more than 11,800 Complete Count Committees were formed to help develop and implement locally based outreach and recruitment campaigns.

Iranian community leaders and organizations can make a difference in census 2010 with encouraging community members to participate and answer questionnaires. The only key is education. Lake of unified answer to question about race and nationality was one of the main issues ending Iranians not to be counted accurately, some answered white, some Iranian, or Persian ,or Jewish Persian, Armenian Iranian, Kurdish Iranian& etc….In census 2010 we need to chose option “others” and write Iranian.

local, state, tribal and federal government,” said Keith Hite, president of the National Association of Towns and Townships and executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

Preparing early for the 2010 Census is a great way for local leaders to learn the makeup of their communities and what they need from local government. Reasons for residents to be aware of the upcoming census and the need to participate are: • The federal government uses census numbers to allocate more than $300 billion in federal funds annually for community programs and services, such as education, housing and community development, health care services for the elderly, job training and more.

• State, local and tribal governments use census information for planning and allocating funds for new school construction, libraries and other public buildings, highway safety and public transportation systems, new roads and bridges, location of police and fire departments, and many other projects.

• Community organizations use census information to develop social service programs, community action projects, senior lunch programs and child-care centers.

• The numbers help businesses identify where to locate factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, banks and offices activities that often lead to new jobs.

• The census totals are used to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, states use the numbers to allocate seats in their state legislatures.

Sources Census 2000, US Census Bureau US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 1970-2004 US Department of State, Report of the Visa Office, 20002005

We have to know census need to count every Iranians, and every person with any kind of immigration statues need to be counted, citizenship, green card ,student visa, or being illegal has no effect in census, answers are confidential and it will not being released to any government agency or offices such as Immigration ,social security ,DMV or ….

“The 2010 Census is the consummate partnership between

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Community News

Farhang Foundation and LACMA Present:

A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation Carpets and the Premiere of Imaginary Knots; Celebrating the Cultural Origins of Persian Carpets

the fascinating origins of Persian carpet weaving to a much wider audience than would otherwise have been possible.”

Imaginary Knots brings together three of Iran’s most creative and innovative artists, Mamak Khadem (singer), Hamid Saeidi (producer and composer) and Shida Pegahi (choreographer) who will present an evening celebrating their rich Persian heritage and the cultural roots they draw upon.

Imaginary Knots is a collaborative production by Hamid Saeidi and Shida Pegahi; a multimedia production exploring the cultural origins of Persian Carpets. Like an intricate silk carpet, this multimedia project weaves live music, dance and video art as it explores aspects of the Persian culture. The program will continue with Mamak Khadem and her ensemble, performing Green Volume where she seeks to explore the intersections of Eastern and Western musical traditions. By collaborating with traditional performers from Iran, as well as world-aware instrumentalists from the West, Mamak hopes to inspire people globally, particularly the younger generation, to contemplate, observe, and celebrate the value of the Persian heritage.

Additionally, as part of the two-month exhibition, LACMA is excited to bring a special lecture by renowned carpet expert, Dr. Jon Thompson, on December 5, 2009 at LACMA’s Bing Theater who will speak about the exciting history of the worldfamous Ardabil Carpet and its mate.

An original artistic performance in association with A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation Carpets exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art LOS ANGELES, CA, October 26, 2009- Farhang Foundation, together with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced today the premiere of Imaginary Knots; Celebrating the Cultural Origins of Persian Carpets, taking place at LACMA’s Bing Theater on November 24, 2009 at 7 p.m.

Imaginary Knots is an original artistic performance and collaboration, which is presented in support of LACMA’s A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation exhibition at LACMA, November 14 to January 18, 2010.

“Farhang Foundation greatly values the relationship it has developed with LACMA, an organization which recognizes the significance of Iranian art and culture as part of the multi-ethnic heritage of Southern California.” said Ali C. Razi, Chairman of the Farhang Foundation. “Having the support of one of the world’s most respected cultural institutions allows us to expose

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Imaginary Knots, which is a FREE event to the public, is made possible through a generous sponsorship by Farhang Foundation whose mission is to support the study and research of Iranian history, art and culture and to promote and celebrate the culture and heritage of Iran for the benefit of Iranian-Americans and the community at large in Southern California. Additional thanks to Mr. Ephrahim of Guity International and Mr. Helmi of Damoka for their contributions to the events.

FREE tickets will be available ONE HOUR prior to the start of the Imaginary Knots show at the LACMA box office, starting at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7.

To learn more about all of these special programs at LACMA and the Farhang Foundation, please visit www.farhang.org.

Media inquiries are welcome.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

FARHANG FOUNDATION Bita Milanian bita@farhang.org (310) 746-5429

LACMA Press Relations press@lacma.org (323) 857-6522

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IRANIAN WHO’S WHO:

Hamid Biglari Ph.D. Vice Chairman of Citicorp, Research Physicist & Philanthropist Citicorp Vice Chairman Hamid Biglari: “One Life, Multiple Worlds” up in Iran to beginning a new life in the U.S. and carving out successful careers as a nuclear physicist, a management consultant and an investment banker, he knows the value of an educated world view.

“The most important way that being an Iranian-American has framed my global perspective is to recognize that there is more than one way to view issues. Different cultures have different ways of thinking about, and responding to, issues.”

Hamid Biglari is currently a ViceChairman of Citicorp, the main operating arm of Citigroup, a $60 billion revenue business with operations in over 100 countries. In that capacity, he has responsibility for driving strategy, allocating resources (e.g., capital, investments), and general business coordination across Citicorp’s main global business divisions and regions.

He sits on Citigroup’s Senior Leadership Committee, the senior management group of the company.

Citicorp Vice Chairman Hamid Biglari believes globality is “an unassailable competitive advantage” for Citi.

As one who has moved from growing

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His life hasn’t turned out exactly as he envisioned it when he arrived in the U.S. 30 years ago to attend Cornell University. Then came the Iranian Revolution. “I fully expected to go back to work in Iran,” said Biglari, who was recently honored with the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor and, as an outstanding Iranian American, by the Iranian Future Leaders of UCLA. “Fate throws curveballs at you and you have to recalibrate based on those curveballs.”

Biglari, whose family eventually joined him in the U.S., went on to obtain a B.S. in Applied Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics, both with Distinction, from Cornell and a M.S. and Ph.D. from Princeton University. He spent the first part of his career in academia, as a theoretical research physicist at Princeton’s Plasma Physics Laboratory,

the U.S.’s leading center for controlled thermonuclear fusion research.

Some would say that exploring how to harness energy in an extremely volatile environment is good preparation for a career on Wall Street. Biglari’s next challenge was to move into an entirely different sphere at McKinsey & Co., the international management consulting firm, where, as a Partner, he ended up co-leading its investment banking consultant practice.

When asked what led him to the sudden career shift, he said that he made the jump because he felt that the U.S. was losing its long-term commitment to scientific research with the ending of the Cold War since much of basic scientific research had been funded by the military since the end of World War II. “I thought the country was making a mistake because academic research, like the transistor or the Internet, is what fuels industrial growth a decade later, but I felt that it might take a generation for the country to realize what a mistake it was making, and I didn’t have a generation to wait!”

Before globalization became a buzzword, Biglari felt that the collapse of communism would usher in a new wave of international growth and getting involved with that would be exciting. Since financial services was the cutting edge of globalization, that was the industry where his logic drew him.

“There are a number of things that academia and business have in common,” he said. “Insight comes from asking the right question rather than always finding the right answer to the question. The hardest part of any undertaking is to narrow down the core issue that needs to be resolved.”

He cited a valuable lesson learned from teaching. “You truly don’t understand a subject unless you can explain it in a simple way. This, along with teamwork, is a critical skill.”

“While at McKinsey, I helped frame strategy and execute on decisions and today I am focused on providing related insights at Citi.”

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In 2000, Biglari moved to Citigroup as head of Corporate Strategy, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Institutional Clients Group and a member of the Senior Leadership Committee. Appointed Vice Chairman of Citicorp, the strategic operating arm of Citigroup this past April, Biglari believes Citi has a bright future.

“In many ways, we owe this to the foresight of those who built the company over the past 200 years and held the course as emerging markets went through their inevitable ups and downs. Today it would be virtually impossible, and prohibitively expensive, for any company to establish a similar position to what Citi has in so many markets.” ”Very few international institutions can serve the needs of multinational companies and internationally-mobile consumers as well as Citi can. Eventually, this crisis will pass, and we will be extraordinarily well-positioned to take advantage of Citi’s core differentiating strength as globalization comes back into frame.”

In spite of his punishing schedule, he believes strongly in giving back. When asked what receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which has been given to outstanding immigrants such as Henry Kissinger and I.M. Pei, means to him, Biglari reflected, “There is no definition of an impactful life that does not include giving back to community and I have found personal satisfaction in doing so. In many ways, the Ellis Island medal is recognition of that and it is humbling to have received this award.”

focused on building new lives from scratch that we didn’t have time to build a community. A number of us felt the time had come for those who had been more fortunate and built successful careers to think broadly about the bringing the Iranian-American community together on a national level.”

Biglari said the 15-month organization has received an enormous positive reaction. “People have felt a yearning for something like this and it’s succeeding on a national scale.”

In May, Biglari appeared at UCLA with other accomplished Iranian Americans to take part in “Passing the Torch of Success to the New Generation of Leaders.” Talking to a packed house of 2,000, he shared insights from his multifaceted career.

“One thing that is relatively unique about my career is that I have straddled three different careers. I tried to convey that, from my vantage point, the key to professional success is to continuously reinvent yourself and do it when you’re hitting a high note rather than when you are on the way down.

His most recent effort was helping to create the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans.

“Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote in ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ that ‘human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but...life obliges them, over and over again, to give birth to themselves.”

“Over last 30 years, there has been a huge wave of immigration of Iranians to the U.S. and there have been many individual accomplishments, but so many of us were

A typically thoughtful remark from a man who has reinvented himself three times in three decades, and isn’t even close to being finished with his own personal evolution.

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The National Ethnic Coalition Of Organizations Presents The 23rd Annual Ellis Island Medals Of Honor Hamid Biglari, Vice Chairman Of Citicorp, Receives One Of Nation’s Most Prestigious Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to American Citizens of Diverse Ethnic Origins Whose Influence and Achievements Inspire and Touch the Lives of People Everywhere NEW YORK, NY – On May 9, 2009, The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) presented the 23rd Annual Ellis Island Medals of Honor on Ellis Island. This year, Dr. Hamid Biglari, Vice Chairman of Citicorp, was one of 6 Iranian Americans to receive the distinguished award, joining a remarkable group of award recipients whose work has made a lasting impact on humanity. Previous award recipients include six U.S. Presidents, Nobel Prize winners, leaders of industry, and gifted artists, performers, and athletes.

Established in 1986, the medals are presented annually to outstanding American citizens of diverse origins for their significant contributions to their communities, their nation and the world.

According to Nasser J. Kazeminy, Chairman of NECO, “NECO is about investing in the power of caring, whereas people from all cultures and walks of life stand together arm in arm to make a real difference in our world through shared compassion and philanthropy – not just for now, but to also inspire future generations who will continue to preserve and build upon the legacy that each of our cultures has contributed. With our Medalists, we will see America – at its best. We will see every color, every race from so many walks of life – together – celebrating – the magic that is America. Our Medalists’ influence and achievements truly inspire and touch the lives of people everywhere.”

Upon receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which has been given to outstanding immigrants such as Henry Kissinger and I.M. Pei, Biglari commented, “There is no definition of an impactful life that does not include giving back to community and I have found personal satisfaction in doing so. In many ways, the Ellis Island medal is a recognition of that and it is humbling to have received this award.”

Dr. Biglari’s career spans the worlds of science and academia, management consulting, and the full spectrum of consumer and wholesale financial services. At Citigroup, Dr. Biglari is responsible for driving strategy, allocating resources and business coordination across Citicorp’s main global business divisions and regions. Dr. Biglari has held a number of senior roles within the organization, including most recently as Chief Operating Officer of the Institutional Clients Group, Citigroup’s global investment banking and trading and sales arm. Before joining Citigroup, Dr. Biglari was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, the international management consulting firm, where he co-led the Firm’s investment banking consulting practice. Prior to McKinsey & Company, Dr. Biglari was a theoretical research physicist at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, the nation’s leading center for controlled thermonuclear

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fusion research.

Dr. Biglari is a member of Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Board of Trustees of Trinity Episcopal School Corporation and also sits on the Advisory Board of the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton University. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University and a B.S. in Applied Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics from Cornell University, both with Distinction.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, and each year the recipients are listed in the Congressional Record. To date, more than 1,500 American citizens have received Ellis Island Medals of Honor.

Some previous Medalists include: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist; Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell; Sen. John McCain; I.M. Pei; Henry Kissinger; Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell; Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; Lee Iacocca; Dr. Michael E. DeBakey; Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao; Rosa Parks; Elie Wiesel; Frank Sinatra; Bob Hope; Opera diva Renee Fleming; Yogi Berra; Muhammad Ali; Arnold Palmer; Tom Brokaw; Walter Cronkite; Barbara Walters; Mike Wallace; Quincy Jones; Gloria Estefan, Gary Sinise and Siegfried & Roy, and H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, President – United Nations 61st Session General Assembly (International Recipient).

For further information about NECO and the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, please visit: www.neco.org.

About NECO NECO was created in 1984 on the conviction of its founder, William Denis Fugazy, Sr. that the diversity of the American people is what makes this nation great. NECO’s mission is simple: to honor our diverse Past, to advocate for positive change in the Present, and to build strong leaders for the Future. NECO does this with one goal in mind: Unity through Diversity: Investing in the Power of Caring. NECO is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization with strategic alliances that allow us to support a range of diverse programs and insure that every dollar we spend goes to creating a better world in the future for us all.

In addition to hosting the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, NECO is proud to have formed meaningful and lasting partnerships with some of the most revolutionary humanitarian causes in the world.

In these uncertain and difficult times, our promise to make the world a better place and uphold the integrity of all contributions still rings true. Some of these include the Gift of Life International, Children In Need Institute (CINI), The Ellis Island Immigration Museum, The Peopling of America Center, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, Boys Hope Girls Hope and Concern Worldwide.

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IRANIAN WHO’S WHO: Darr Hashempour, Ph.D., P.E. Prominent Green Energy Engineer & Cultural Activist grades. He specializes in advising corporate leaders and government agencies on the most efficient ways of navigating the often treacherous waters of utility deregulation, and balancing utility demands and cost reduction concerns.

Dr. Hashempour is President and Founder of Expedient Energy. He served as Sr. Vice President and Vice President of Energy Solutions for PinnacleOne, Syska Hennessy Group, and CH2M HILL, leading national engineering, consulting, and design-building firms. Dr. Hashempour also served as a Senior Project Manager with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison.

Many Iranian–Americans are at the forefront of the complex and important issues facing the modern world. Two such issues include the Energy Crisis and Global Warming. One such Prestigious Iranian-American is Dr. Darr Hashempour.

Dr. Darr Hashempour is a dynamic engineering and construction executive with proven leadership skills, organizational abilities and experience managing all facets of the operation in organizations ranging from very large national and international corporations to startup companies. His demonstrated results encompass an array of disciplines, including business development, strategic planning and financial management.

Dr. Darr Hashempour has over 29 years of experience helping private and public agencies manage their energy usage, develop new approaches to reduce overall energy consumption, and refine their strategies for energy efficiency up-

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Over his career, Dr. Hashempour has successfully developed and implemented over $540 Million energy projects. He is an expert in a wide range of energy-related topics, including Utility Deregulation, Demand Side Management, Green Buildings and LEED Certifications, Cogeneration, Distributed Generation, and Renewable Energy.

Dr. Hashempour is a Registered Professional Engineer in California, and holds a Doctorate Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Power Generation and Power Transmission. Dr. Hashempour is also a Part-time faculty member at California State University Long Beach, where he teaches Mechanical Engineering courses.

Dr. Hashempour is also one of the founder and current President of “Jewel of Persia”, a Persian Cultural Center. Jewel of Persia operates from the premise that all human beings are equal. It promotes the ancient principles of “• Good Thoughts • Good Words • Good Deeds” and holds

them as the pillars of education, community, and advancement.

Jewel of Persia plans to build a magnificent cultural center in Southern California over a 10-acre land parcel with 5 buildings over 150,000 square feet in size. Once it is built, Jewel of Persia will be a place without borders, speaking with a cultural voice as deep as history and as old as the first human rights. The culture of Persia is a part of the past of Iranians and no doubt will be a part of their future.

Over the past 30 years, Iranian-Americans have been one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in United States, excelling in many areas, including education, culture, arts, science, music, and business profession. Even with diverse background and different ethnic groups, Persians share a common goal, preserving their culture and their heritage. Jewel of Persia, through the leadership of Dr. Hashempour and its Board of Directors, will be an intellectual environment created by the cultural values of the Persian heritage. The Jewel of Persia’s Board of Directors has contributed their personal visions and professional expertise by taking the first step in this important direction to build a Cultural Center.

In addition to his innovation in the energy field and his leadership in the Iranian cultural community, Dr. Hashempour is an active philanthropist involved in many organizations including, “Feed the Children”, the “American Cancer Society”, “Child Foundation”, “NIPOC” and “Mehregan” committees as well as a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and US Green Building Council.

Dr. Hashempour’s modern vision for the planet through his designs for Energy Solutions, combined with his reverence for Iranian history and culture make him an esteemed and prestigious IranianAmerican.

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emitted naturally through the carbon cycle, and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels. Natural sources of CO2 occur within the carbon cycle where billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 are removed from the atmosphere by oceans and growing plants, also known as “sinks,” and are emitted back into the atmosphere annually through natural Global Warming has been a highly contested issue in United processes also known as “sources.” When in balance, the total States political scene for over a decade. However, although the carbon dioxide emissions and removals from the entire carbon United States has been slow to recognize the effects of global cycle are roughly equal. warming, the scientific phenomenon of global warming has been a long time in the making. As the debate continues to Since the Industrial Revolution of the 1700’s, human activisurge both domestically and internationally, much confusion ties, such as the burning of oil, coal, natural gas, and deforesexists among laymen regarding the causes and effects of and tation, have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. solutions to global warming.

In 2005, global atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution.

Global Warming & the Energy Crisis What are the Solutions?

By: Darr Hashempour, Ph.d., P.E.

INTRODUCTION

Global Warming - By definition, Global Warming is the “Increase of the Average Temperature on Earth.” The main cause of Global Warming is an excessive amount of air pollution.

Greenhouse Gases, i.e., SOx, COx, and NOx are the major contributors of current air pollution. Most importantly, Greenhouse Gas emissions will cause Ozone depletion, which is extremely dangerous to human, animal and plant life on Earth.

Internationally, the United States ranks number one in polluting the atmosphere. The main causes of air pollution in the United States are Power Plants (Electrical Generating Stations). Almost 53% of our everyday usage of electricity is being generated through Fossil Fuel generating stations (Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal); approximately 1.6 Billion Metric Tons of Carbon. United States generates only 7% of its power through Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, and Bio-mass); sources that have no Carbon Dioxide emissions.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2), is emitted in a number of ways. It is

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Energy Crisis – The power industry is undergoing one of the greatest paradigm shifts ever experienced. By virtue of its size as the third largest industry in America (approximately 900,000 megawatts of power yielding almost $325 Billion annually), these changes will affect every business and every individual. Clearly, the changes are more revolutionary in nature than evolutionary.

Against this background, energy demand is growing significantly. According to a Department of Energy (DOE) report, a projected 363,000 megawatts of new generating capacity will be needed by 2020 to meet the growing demand for electricity in the US and to offset planned retirements of existing old and inefficient “generating capacity.” This illustrates our ever growing demand for electricity.

The fastest growing market segment for power consumption is the communications industry. Such growth is driven by the power requirements associated not only with the geographic expansion of communications networks, but also by the

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incremental power needed to support capacity expansion. These expansions required by the demand for telephone systems (LAN line and Wireless) and broadband, especially the integration of video streaming.

On one hand, we face the ever growing challenges of Global Warming and we know one of the major contributors is the use of power plants and on the other hand, we are very concerned about our growing power shortages.

We need to reduce the global warming (lowering our Carbon Foot-print by reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions) while we need to increase our power generation. Is this possible? Are there any solutions to these problems?

SOLUTIONS There are only two solutions which will help reduce global warming while increasing our power productions: Energy Conservation (Short-term Plan)

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and Increasing Production of Renewable Energy (Long-term Plan).

Our immediate attention should be on the reduction of our energy usage.

Using the newest technologies available and through innovative engineering design we can easily reduce our energy consumption rates (Demand-side Management) by 30% to 50%. Energy conservation will reduce electricity production at old and inefficient power plants resulting in lower emissions and ultimately helping in the reduction of our Carbon Footprint.

While we are focusing on energy conservation, we should start planning for significant increases in our energy production through Renewable Energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal, and others). Converting sun radiation directly to electricity, or changing a small amount of wind to power, or using naturally available hot spring water to produce energy are the best approaches to solve our energy shortage.

It will take less than ¼ percent (0.25%) of the available land in the United States to generate enough renewable energy to satisfy our national daily power demands and, more importantly, shutdown all fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.

Today, the push for Green Buildings (Environmentally-friendly or Ecofriendly Buildings) and Green Power (Renewable Energy Sources) increases our chances to reduce global warming and keep our planet earth beautiful for future generations. Thinking “Green” and acting “Green” should be on everyone’s mind.

“Expedient Energy” is a nationwide leader of providing green buildings and green power consulting services.

We take pride in our work and we are passionately committed to the green concept.

GREEN IS GREAT !

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Expedient Energy provides unbiased advice on alternative and non-traditional energy solutions.

Services include: * Energy Management (Demands & Supplies) * Water Conservation * Energy Master Planning * Energy Infrastructures Outsourcing * On-site Generations * Cogeneration * Renewable Energy * Power Transmissions & Distributions Green Buildings & Sustainable Design Services: * LEED Certifications * Indoor Air Quality Improvements * Building Commissioning * Green Power * Solar * Wind * Geothermal * Bio-mass * Green Power Agreements

Expedient Energy

2211 Michelson Drive, Suite 620 Irvine, CA 92612 Tel: (949) 251-1700 Fax: (949) 251-1212 www.ExpedientEnergy.com ThePrestigeMagazine.com

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IRANIAN WHO’S WHO: Khosrow Sobhe Ph.D. Rug Enthusiast, Educator, & Cultural Activist Dr. Khosrow Sobhe is a second generation rug enthusiast, scholar, Certified Rug Specialist, and appraiser. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management, a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), a second master’s degree in Education and a Ph.D. in Higher Educational Planning from U.S.C. (University of Southern California) and is the foremost expert on the Iranian Textile Industry and Culture.

Dr. Sobhe has lectured on rugs in the Textile Museum (Washington D.C.), The Bowers Museum (Santa Ana, California), and in different places and occasions in and outside the U.S. Among his infinite achievements, Dr. Sobhe is an award winning producer and Exemplary Carpet Exporter of the Year 2000 and received the Iranian Presidential Award for his impeccable research and advocacy of the Iranian textile Industry. Dr. Sobhe has served as a Board member to the Iranian Carpet Exporters’ Association based in Tehran for the past eighteen years in addition to serving as the spokesperson for twelve years. Currently, Dr. Sobhe is an active member of the Textile Group of Los Angeles and a Board member to the Textile Museum Associate of Southern California.

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He is also an Industry Partner to the American Society of Interior Designers, Los Angeles Chapter which boasts more than 1,700 members. Dr. Sobhe is the Editor in Chief of the “Farsh, The Iranian Hand Woven Rug” quarterly which highlights innovations & commerce in the Iranian textile industry in addition to a historical background behind the various rug styles that exist in different regions of Iran. Dr. Khosrow Sobhe is the president of the Coalition of Iranian Entrepreneurs AKA the IranianAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Southern California. In promotion of Iranian rugs and culture, Dr. Sobhe had a set of stamps printed by the US Post Office which depict various images of rugs and Iranian rug weavers. He also owns and runs a rug gallery in Los Angeles.

Barry O’Connell of Washington D.C, founder and moderator of www.spongobongo.com, the most visited rug web site on the Internet, said of Dr. Sobhe, “He is to the Western World the voice of the Persian Carpet industry. He is a frequent spokesman for the Iranian Carpet Exporters Association”. Dr. Khosrow Sobhe is one of the most prominent rug specialists in the Iranian community.

International Ltd. ASID Industry Partner Award Winning Producer of Persian Rugs 1655 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90035

www.RugIdea.com | Tel. 310-770-9085

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Heritage

Ardabil Carpets: Exceptional Works of Art Khosrow Sobhe Ph.D.

Two of the largest, and oldest inscribed and dated carpets in the world, Ardabil carpets are cherished pieces of art, history and elegance all wrapped up in one – better yet, two. With gorgeous design and intricate elements, Ardabil carpets have spawned numerous look-a-likes. According to various accounts, the Ardabil carpets came into existence in northwestern Iran in the 16th century. Former Iranian ruler of the Safavid dynasty, Shah Tahmasp wanted the carpets to be created for the shrine of his ancestor, Sheikh Safi in the town of Ardabil. Now, almost 500 years later, the fine details and aweinspiring beauty of these carpets make them extraordinary treasures.

Impressive design Measuring approximately 13’ 5” x 23’ 11” (Los Angeles) and 17’ 6” x 34’ 6” (London) and made up of silk foundation (warps and wefts) and wool pile, the Ardabil carpets are finely constructed with a variety of patterns and colors, such as red, blue and yellow. A gold medallion is at the center of the carpets, surrounded by smaller medallions located in the four corners of each rug.

The medallion is very large, but not over powering. And although the sheer size of the carpets is mind boggling, it is the expertly weaved design running

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throughout each carpet that has everyone amazed. Since the carpets are so enormous, much care and attention to detail had to be involved when creating such masterpieces.

Distinctive details Two lamps are expertly positioned above and below the center medallion. These lamp images give the appearance as if they were hanging from the medallion. And depending on where you stand, one of the lamps looks larger than the other.

This rectangular-shaped carpet also contains an endless amount of additional scrollwork. This includes a variety of images of flowers or greenery, which also provide unmistakable appeal. These images dominate a large portion of the carpets and make up the deep blue background within the main area of each carpet.

Current location Until the late 1800s, there were still two complete Ardabil carpets existing in the shrine of Sheikh Safi. Unfortunately, there was an earthquake and the carpets were damaged. As a result, one carpet was used to repair the other one, leaving one, fullscale Ardabil carpet and a smaller, border-less carpet. As of today, the

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bigger Ardabil carpet is currently housed at the V&A Museum in London. There, it lies flat in an enclosed glass case. The carpet is only lit periodically to prevent any color damage from lighting. The other carpet which is smaller in size is located in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ardabil carpets have been through a myriad of difficulties over the centuries.

What began as simply a royal commission, these carpets have become some of the most renowned carpets of their kind.

And regardless of a complex history, natural disasters and near destruction of these attention-grabbing masterpieces, Ardabil carpets are truly in a class by themselves.

Coronation carpet There is another piece of art called the Coronation Carpet which measures 12’ x 23’. This carpet was made between1520 to 1530. Unlike the Ardabil carpets, this Coronation carpet is not inscribed or dated. This is the carpet on which Danish kings were crowned.

Both carpets were donated by J. Paul Getty in 1965 to Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA.

Exciting Events in Los Angeles These beautiful carpets will be on display from 10/14/2009 to 01/18/2010 in Los Angeles County Museum of Art LACMA. There will be an opening ceremony and reception on Nov. 14 in the museum.

On Nov. 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm, there will be a performance called Imaginary Knots, and three of Iran’s most creative and cutting-edge artists present an evening celebrating their rich Persian heritage and the musical roots they draw upon-a classical tradition as timeless and as beautiful as the Ardabil and Coronation Carpets in LACMA’s collection.

Inscription and dates The Ardabil carpets are signed and dated. The date is 936 in Islamic calendar corresponding to 1539-1540. It also mentions: Done by the servant of the court, Maghsoud Kashani. Inscribed just above the signature and date of each carpet is a Persian couplet from a ghazal, or ode, by the renowned fourteenth-century poet Hafiz;

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On 5 December 2009, 2pm, Dr. Jon Thompson a renowned rug scholar will speak about the exciting history of LACMA’s Ardabil carpet and its mate.

Jon Thompson who lives and works in London has written extensively on Safavid Iran, carpet weaving, and the nomadic people of the Middle East.

I have no refuge in this world other than thy threshold

Farhang Foundation & LACMA Present:

My head has no resting place other than this doorway

Nov/14/2009 - Jan/18/2010

A Tale of Two Persian Carpets: The Ardabil and Coronation Carpets

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Heritage

The Persepolis

Fortification Archive & Project At The Oriental Institute, University Of Chicago By: Dr. Matthew W. Stolper On March 4th, 1933, a group of American archaeologists from the Chicago University’s Oriental Institute, excavating in the ruins of Pârsâ (Persepolis), struck pure gold. They found the largest ancient archive of its size under heaps of ashes and broken stones that had collapsed, preserving its treasure for centuries. That priceless treasure, Achaemenid Administrative Archives, more commonly known as the Persepolis Fortification Archive (PFA), is now caught in the American legal system, as the coveted prize in a federal lawsuit - part of a series of related lawsuits, no longer just to seize commercial assets owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran, but a fight for the seizure of precious Persian antiquities held by western museums, regardless of who owns them.

The Persepolis Fortification tablet illustrated in Fig. 1 shows three streams of information that combine in the Persepolis Fortification Archive: a cuneiform text in Elamite language, the impression of a cylinder seal, and a single word in Aramaic. This image, derived from a Polynomial Texture Mapping image set, also represent some of the things the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project is doing to preserve this information even if access to the tablet itself is lost: recording it in a way that allows cuneiformists, art historians, and Aramaic epigraphers to look at it literally each by their own lights.

Fig.1 At Persepolis, the palace complex of the Achaemenid kings in the Persian heartland of their empire, founded by Darius

Chicago discovered the tablets in two rooms of a gatehouse in the fortification wall at the edge of the great stone terrace (Fig. 2).

On March 4, 1933—the same day that Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated for the first time—the dig director sent a telegram to Breasted: “Hundreds, probably thousands business tablets Elamite discovered on Terrace Herzfeld.” In fact, they were not only in Elamite, and there were not just hundreds or thousands, but tens of thousands of tablets and fragments.

Fig.2

Fig.3

There are four main kinds of documents (Fig. 3): --Pieces with cuneiform texts in Elamite language, most of them with seal impressions: about 10,000-20,000 of these.

--Pieces with texts in Aramaic script and language, all of them with seal impressions: about 700-1,000 of these.

--Pieces with seal impressions, but with no texts at all: about 5,000-6,000 of these.

--Miscellaneous pieces; one each in Greek, Old Persian, Phrygian(?), Akkadian; tablets stamped with coins in lieu of seals, etc.

(Fig. 4).

All of these documents are records of a single administrative organization that handled the storage and payment of food—grain and grain products, beer and wine, fruit, and livestock—for people on government payrolls—workers, craftsmen, clerks, travelers, courtiers. The records were all produced less than twenty years around 500 BC.

the Great after 520 BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, archaeologists from the Oriental Institute of the University of 28 PRESTIGE

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Fig.4

The tablets they are all pieces of one thing: a single information system, produced by a single organization, stored together, found together, linked by common contents and purpose. The tens of thousands of Persepolis Fortification tablets and fragments are elements one Persepolis Fortification Archive, in just the same way that thousands of fossil bones are pieces of one ancient animal that once had muscle and blood and skin, shaped in a way that tells something about the environment that it lived and operated in.

Why are these little pieces of old mud important? After all, they banal records of food and drink, not discussions of about the lives and characters of kings, not annals of the deeds of commanders and armies on the march, not even the gossip, intrigues and romances that Hellenistic novels loved to set against the background of the Persian imperial courts—in short, not the things that Classical and European history, art, literature and fantasy so often seek in the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

The Persepolis Fortification Archive is important exactly because of what it reveals about entirely different realities of the Achaemenid Empire. It constitutes the largest, densest, most complex, best dated, best contextualized single source of contemporary information from inside Persia on Achaemenid languages (not only Elamite and Aramaic, but the Iranian dialects spoken by the rulers), on Achaemenid society (not only workers and travelers and clerks, but even the King’s own family), on Achaemenid religion (not only names and epithets of gods and their officiants, but imagery of worship and the representation of the invisible conceptual world), and on Achaemenid art (motifs, styles, craftsmanship, and variations that seal carvers drew from their past and their own times—the experiments that came before monumental art went up on the palace walls and images that would never appear in palace art (Fig. 5).

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But unlike the fossilized skeletons of ancient creatures, this is a unique source. Before 1933, there was only one known Achaemenid Elamite administrative document, and since then only a few isolated documents of this kind have come to light, none of them from a secure context. This cannot be emphasized enough: this our only chance to put this information together; if this archive is broken up, we have smashed the only mirror we have.

Fig.5

The tablets came to Chicago in 1936 on loan for study, analysis of publication and after more than seventy years we know a lot about them. One important thing that we know now is that there is a lot more to be done and a lot more to be known.

Fig.6 We have been making extraordinary discoveries, like the document shown in Fig. 6, in Old Persian script and Old Persian language, the script and language of the inscriptions of Darius, Xerxes and the other Achaemenid kings. In fact, this is the first and only practical record in Old Persian ever found anywhere, and it is an important surprise.

Nevertheless, most of the work and most of the progress are in the ordinary, recording repetitive details, building up a foundation of data and a structure of analysis like a tension structure that becomes more stable as more points are tied in. Likewise the real value of the PFA is not in the individual tablets, but in intricate, invisible fabric of systematic connections among them, that is, in the extraordinary integrity of the whole archive.

Not everybody sees it in this way. The proof is in the legal emergency that threatens the archive. Two lawsuits seek to have the tablets seized and sold. The plaintiffs are men

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and women whose lives have been shattered by barbaric, atrocious acts of violence. I cannot expect them see Fortification tablets as I do and to value them as I do. All the same, for what I value in the tablets, their lawsuits may bring catastrophe. If the plaintiffs win, the tablets may be dispersed by the antiquities market. If the plaintiffs lose, the Iranian government may demand immediate repatriation of the entire archive, making it inaccessible for study. This is a real, persistent, increasingly grave emergency. In the face of it, the Persepolis Fortification Project at the Oriental Institute has emergency priorities: first, to make useful records of as much of the archive as possible; second, to distribute the records widely, quickly, continuously and freely. The Project works on five tracks: making images; making editions and recording analytical information; cataloging and triaging; delivering the information on line; and conserving the documents.

Fig.7

In collaboration with the West Semitic Research Project at the University of Southern California, and supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the PFA Project is making two kinds of very high-quality images, using high-end equipment. One set of images comes from a BetterLight scanning camera, a modern form of the studio bellows camera with a high-resolution scanner taking the place of the old photoplate, and using polarized light, yellow, orange, red or infrared filters to bring up faint ink, sometimes with dramatic results (Fig. 7). The second set of images uses Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM), a technology developed by Hewlett Packard Labs and Cultural Heritage Imaging. The PTM apparatus runs

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32 lights and a digital SLR camera through a sequence of 32 images, each lighted differently, and the PTM application knits these in a way that allows the viewer to manipulate the direction, angle and intensity of the apparent light source (Fig. 8). This is especially useful for things that are incised or impressed—the strokes of an Aramaic pen, the impressions of a cuneiform stylus, the impressions of seals. One good PTM image set can serve in place of many conventional flat images.

Fig.8

The PFA Project is also making conventional digital images (Fig. 9a), made with by student photographers with digital SLR cameras and a few repurposed tools, working at about two or three times the rate of the highend image makers. For still faster, higher-volume imagery, the PFA Project uses techniques and procedures developed by the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative at UCLA to produce flatbed scans of tablet Fortification tablets (Fig. 9b), useful ID shots of tablets that have already been published and collated in detail.

Images alone are not enough. Cataloging and editing are inseparable parts of the recording process. At the same time, we cannot put large numbers of these pictures in books, and we cannot wait another ten to thirty years to make the data available in books. The PFA Project distributes the data on a continuous basis, on at least four websites that enable scholars to use the

data in some ways that book publication could not enable.

Fig.9

First, InscriptiFact (http://www. inscriptifact.com), the website of the West Semitic Research Project at USC, has been up and running since at least 2001, building on thirty years of previous experience in producing high-quality images of ancient documents. More than 8,700 images of about 350 Persepolis Aramaic and uninscribed tablets, and a few Elamite tablets are available here now.

Displayed here (Fig. 10) are highresolution photographs from the BetterLight camera, but also a selection of flat single images from the PTM. They can be cropped, magnified, and downloaded at a choice of resolutions.

The WSRP InscriptiFact team expects to add live high-resolution PTM viewing capability soon. Second, the On-Line Cultural Heritage Resource Environment (OCHRE, see http:// ochre.lib.uchicago.edu/) an on-line environment developed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, in which many kinds of textual and archaeological information can be recorded and combined for research and presentation. That makes it an ideal vehicle for the several different streams of information that combine in the PFA. Fig. 11 shows an OCHRE dislay of an Elamite document that was first edited the late 1960s, with some descriptive information, transliteration, translation, available links, a linked dictionary interlinked in turn withother occurrences of the same word. In addition, a “topical glossary” allows cross-referencing and search on the basis of translation, the glossary entry includes grammatical informa-

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Fig.10

Fig.11

Fig.12

achemenet.college-de-france.fr/), has very effective tools, especially for displaying, manipulating and saving very large images, made available to an audience that includes the whole gamut of students of the Persian empire. More than 1,500 Persepolis Fortification documents of all kinds will be available on these sites very, and more will be made available at frequent intervals.

A few words on the unsung and underappreciated world of tablet conservators. Many of these tablets are badly broken and many have dirt and concretions on the surface, hiding the texts and seals. And what is that dirt? It is actually still Persepolis, the same dirt that Darius and Alexander kicked around. Rather than thinking about cleaning the tablets, therefore, we can think of finishing the excavation, the last step in carefully removing the tablets from Persepolis.

Just like the field archaeologist, the professional curator picks and brushes delicately, painstakingly, relentlessly working under high magnification. The final stage now gets a technological boost, from a Lynton Compact Phoenix Laser Cleaning system that literally explodes the last layer of dirt at the interface with the tablet surface.

To exploit this exceptional hardware, the PFA Project’s equally exceptional liveware, a tablet conservator trained at the world’s only art conservation laser training program in Liverpool, gives the PFA Project a unique match between problems, equipment, and personnel.

The Persepolis Fortification Archive faces persistent danger, a threat to its very existence as a coherent archive. The PFA Project faces persistent problems, the need to make large numbers of images and gather large amounts of analytical information in very little time. Such problems can be solved with time and money. Time depends on federal courts. Money depends on the fortunes of grant applications and the generosity of supporters. But if the wolves stay away from the gates for another three to five years, the PFA Project team—now, a team of about thirty faculty and post-doctoral researchers, student workers, and professional staff—can record about 10,000-12,000 Fortification tablets and fragments in useful detail and distribute the record within a short time; and we can vastly expand and deepen our view of the historical conditions in the Persian Empire at its zenith to which this Archive is the unique surviving witness.

Dr. Matthew W. Stolper tion, and all of this can be interlinked at the level of signs, words, phrases. Third, the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative at UCLA (see http://cdli.ucla.edu/) has been up and running for more than ten years, presenting mainly Sumerian and Akkadian texts. In its current form (Fig. 12) it displays ASCII-based transliterations, and images from flatbed scans, and it allows increasingly elaborate searches of catalogues, texts, and contents, using tablet-based data. Fourth, the Achaemenid Museum maintained by the Collège de France in Paris (see http://www.museum-

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Farhang Foundation 16 May 2009 www.Farhang.org

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Science

Hubble Against Earth’s Horizon Image Credit: NASA, 1997

Mission to the Hubble Space Telescope Bahram Mobasher Ph.D. On May 11th, 2009, the world watched with wonder the launch of the space shuttle for its last servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)- (Figure 1).

The mission was a complete success. The Hubble has now come back more powerful than ever before, with its age extended for at least another five years. During this mission, the astronauts performed a number of space walks to replace the gyroscopes (which are responsible for telescope stability and pointing), to repair the existing instruments and to install two new instruments. This resulted in a 10-fold increase in the discov-

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ery power of the telescope. The space shuttle visits to the HST are challenging in both technical and economic terms. For the mission to accomplish its aims, all the systems must work flawlessly. Furthermore, each shuttle mission to the HST costs approximately 1 billion Dollars. This is the limit of our generation’s technical achievement, made possible by huge financial investment, aimed for better understanding the nature.

During the last servicing mission to the Hubble, I was a member of the science staff at NASA’s Space Telescope Science Institute in

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Maryland, and was closely involved with the mission.

I experienced details of the complicated planning and operation. Being on the front-line and witnessing what the astronauts do in real time was an extremely valuable experience. I realized how difficult it was to perform these tasks in a state of weightlessness. It was exciting to be involved in taking the first images using the newly installed instruments on the telescope. I have also been in close contact with my colleagues during the current servicing mission to the Hubble and was aware of the degree of anxiety and stress they were under- specially when unexpected things happened.

The HST was launched nearly 20 years ago. I was at high school when the project was designed and was doing my post-doctoral degree when it was finally launched. By the time I started to use the HST observations, I was an established astronomer. This shows how long it could take for a space project to come to fruition. After hitting many financial and technical problems, the HST proved itself to be the most important and complicated instrument ever built by the mankind.

It is 350 miles above the surface of the Earth and is moving around the Earth once every hour. Scientifically, the HST has accomplished what it was originally designed for, and a lot more.

It solved one of the longstanding puzzles in cosmology, measuring the rate of expansion of the Universe. It has found the age of our Universe to be 13.6 billion years (the age of the solar system is 4 billion years). The HST has helped us to see the process of galaxy evolution through interaction and mergers between galaxies.

It has found the first generation of galaxies formed when the Universe was less than 1 billion years old.

High spatial resolution of the HST has helped to identify many earth-like planets, some of which may have the suitable environment for development of life. Furthermore, observations with the HST have confirmed the existence of dark energy, a mysterious form of energy which constitutes 75% of the content of our Universe, causing acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, with significant implications towards its future fate.

The HST has also confirmed presence of dark matter in galaxies, which constitutes 95% of the total matter in the Universe (only 4% of the matter in our Universe can be seen by us, the remaining 95% is dark).

Finally, the HST has taken the deepest image of the Universe ever seen by the mankind. This image, shown in Figure 2, contains galaxies as far back in time as 13 billion years, formed when the Universe was less than

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one billion years old and when the Earth and the solar system had not yet been formed. The new instruments installed in this servicing mission will help to look further back in time to the very beginning of the Universe.

One cannot get closer than this, to actually see the creation of galaxies as it happens.

The servicing mission took place almost exactly 400 years after Galileo used his telescope to look at the Jupiter. This was the limit of our observe universe at that time. Today, we can look to the most distant galaxies and look back in time when the Universe had 1% of its present age. This has forever changed our perception of the Universe.

We are living in an exciting time in cosmology, where we could answer many questions which had occupied human mind for centuries and, until a few years ago, could only be addressed by philosophers. The future years are going to be as exciting as the past. By the middle of the next decade, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)(Figure 3)- will be launched to an orbit 1.5 million Km from the Earth.

This is beyond the Moon, an orbit in

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which gravitational forces due to the Earth, the Moon and the Sun cancel each other and hence, any system put at that point would forever remain there. The JWST can take us even deeper into space and further back in time. Furthermore, we are currently designing the next generation of large ground-based telescopes, nearly 10 times more powerful than the largest telescopes we currently have.

Recent discoveries in cosmology have shown us the power of the human mind, depth of human imagination and limits of human ambition, and clearly demonstrate that everything is possible, and there is no limit for knowledge. We should use our unique place in the history of civilization to find more about the nature and to understand how it works. This is the ultimate aim and the most valuable heritage we may leave for next generations.

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Bahram Mobasher is a professor of Physics and Observational Astronomy at the University of California, Riverside. Prof. Mobasher received his B.Sc in Physics from Iran, followed by M.Sc and Ph.D. in Observational Cosmology, an M.Sc in optoelectronics and diploma in microwave engineering from United Kingdom.

He completed his post-doctoral studies in astrophysics and was a research fellow at the Imperial College London. For seven years, Prof. Mobasher was the representative of the European Space Agency in the NASA’s Space Telescope Science Institute in USA, working on the Hubble Space Telescope.

In July 2007, he moved to the position of Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Riverside, where he is performing teaching and research. His main research is in the area of formation and evolution of galaxies, search for the first generation of galaxies and dark energy. He extensively uses telescope facilities on the ground and in space. Prof. Mobasher has over 160 articles published in international journals.

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YOUR ADD HERE

Authors

An interview with Dr. Touraj Daryaee

regarding his recent book, Sasanian Persia:

THE RISE AND FALL OF AN EMPIRE. Why did you write this book?

The reason that I wrote this book is that Sasanian Iran and specifically this part of ancient Iranian history which is so important and influential for world history is neglected in the West.

In the past century only two books have been dedicated to Sasanian history, one written in French and another in German, which by now are outdated.

Professor Touraj Daryaee holds the Chair in Ancient Iranian History and Civilization at the University of California, Irvine.

He is also the Associate Director of the Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at the University of California, Irvine.

He was born and raised in Iran, Tehran and then in Greece, Athens. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has written six books, edited two books and is the editor of Name-ye Iran-e Bastan: International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies.

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Why is it important to know about Sasanian Iran?

The Sasanians created the foundation blocks of Iranian civilization. The very name Iran or as it was know at that time, Iranshahr was first used by the Sasanians for the territory they were ruling over. Much of what we know as important to Persian culture, such as Persian literature, Iranian values, beliefs and traditions, all have their roots from the Sasanian period.

Why is ancient Iranian civilization, specifically the Sasanian period neglected in the West?

This is a question that is very complicated to answer in a few words. The short answer would be the issue of knowledge. There are very few people who have a grasp of the language, history, archaeology, numismatics and other tools for studying ancient Iranian history.

In the West it is the tradition that often the Greeks are important and then with Alexander, the East becomes a hazy blank, with the Parthians being mentioned here and there. Then again we do not hear about what is happening in the Iran until the arrival of Islam. It is then that Iran and her neighbors become important again under the guise of Islamic Civilization.

I have tried to correct this uneven view of Iranian and Near Eastern history in the West.

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How have you tried to correct this view in the West ?

Here at UC Irvine we have a web based archive www.sasanika.com where we attempt to collect data on all that remains from the Sasanian period. We also have a book series called Sasanika in cooperation with the Mazda Publishers where we publish important works on all aspects of Sasanian civilization. I also have four graduate students studying the Sasanian period which is more than any other place in the US. Comments on the back of the book: “Touraj Daryaee’s Sasanian Persia is far more detailed than all previous work on the subject, with a multitude of new materials and sources. It is a masterpiece of research and will be the last word on Sasanian Iran in all of its aspects – from political history to religion, society and commerce”

present the first single volume study of such important history – important not only for understanding Iranian, but Roman and early Islamic histories as well. The author’s erudition is very impressive and he masters complex sources with exemplary clarity” Gene Garthwaite, Professor of History, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire.

Jane and Rapael Bernstein, Professor of Asian Studies, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire

“Touraj Daryaee is a well-known scholar of Sasanian history and religious texts who knows the subject well and has published widely in his field. This will be a useful publication for scholars and those interested in Sasanian history” Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, Curator, The British Museum

Richard N. Frye, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies, Harvard University

“Touraj Daryaee, one of the most outstanding young scholars dealing with Sasanian history today, uses the utmost skill in order to shed light not only on the historical plot, but also on the administration and the economy of the Sasanian kingdom. His treatment of such subjects may be set as an example; this is a panoramic survey, concise, clear and “reader friendly” throughout” Ze΄ev Rubin, Professor of Ancient History, University of Tel Aviv “Touraj Daryaee synthesizes a new generation of Sasanian scholarship to

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Legal Corner

Focus on

Immigration: Refugee versus Asylee, an Overview on Political Asylum By: Golnoush Goharzad, Esq. Attorney at Law

circumstances may vary, the most common eligibility criteria for refugee or asylum is an applicant who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of, his/her home country because of persecution or fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion and/or membership in a particular social group.

One of the most important legal topics in immigration law for Iranian-Americans, especially in the current political climate, is obtaining legal status through political asylum or refugee status.

What is the difference between filing for refugee status and filing for asylum?

Who is eligible to become a refugee or an asylee?

A refugee is generally a person who is outside of their home country and is unwilling or unable to return out of fear of persecution. An applicant may only apply for refugee status while outside of the United States.

Although individual cases and

An asylee is a person who is

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applying for protection while already in the United States. In most cases, with a few exceptions, applicants for asylum must submit their application within a year of entering the United States.

What is the process?

Applicants for refugee status or asylum must submit form I-589 to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after which they will receive an interview date by USCIS. There is no fee for this application. However, as many refugee and asylum application end up in “In Removal Proceedings� where the applicant may face deportation, the assistance of an immigration attorney is highly recommended.

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Does an approved application automatically give the applicant a Green Card?

No. Applicants admitted to the United States as a refugee or the qualifying family member of an asylee, are eligible to apply for permanent residence (Green Card) 1 year after their entry into the United States in this status.

Asylum applicants are eligible to apply for permanent residence 1 year after the grant of their asylum status.

Refugees are required by law to apply for permanent resident status 1 year after being admitted to the United States in refugee status. Asylees are not required to apply for permanent resident status after being granted asylum for 1 year, although it may be in their best interest to do so.

Are Applicants for Asylum Returned to their Home Countries if the Application is Denied?

returned to his/her home country but may be removed to a thirdcountry or allowed to stay in the United States.

If you have any questions please contact Golnoush Goharzad, Attorney at Law, at ggoharzad@gmail.com.

Legal Disclaimer: The content of this article is for general information only and provided as a service to Prestige Magazine’s readers and does not

constitute legal advice. Prestige Magazine and the author of this article make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel licensed in your state. No attorney client relationship is created in any way by the reader and the attorney/author of this article.

If the application is denied, applicant will be entered into Removal Proceedings before the Immigration Court. An application for asylum is also considered an application for Withholding of Removal under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The application may also be considered for Withholding of Removal under the Convention Against Torture if the applicant petitioned for Torture Convention Protection in his application and/or evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that he/she will be tortured if returned to their home country.

If Withholding of Removal is granted, the applicant will not be

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Economy

Press Release:

UnionBank Earns “Outstanding” Rating For Community Reinvestment Activities San Francisco, November 9, 2009 -- The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has awarded San Francisco-based Union Bank, N.A., an “Outstanding” rating for surpassing the terms of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which OCC-regulated institutions have been required to follow since the law was enacted in 1977.

This is the second consecutive “Outstanding” rating the bank has received, demonstrating its sustained commitment to the low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities where it conducts business.

Furthermore, in granting Union Bank the rating, the OCC recognized the bank’s leadership in community development lending, a core competency for which the bank has received national recognition. Examiners from the OCC reviewed the bank during June, July and August of 2009.

“We are honored to receive this rating from the OCC and be recognized for our unwavering commitment to underserved communities in our markets,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Masaaki Tanaka. “We are pleased to receive the distinction for the second time, which helps validate and reinforce our ongoing efforts. Moving forward, we will continue to seek opportunities to make credit available in low-and moderate-income communities while maintaining the bank’s commitment to safety and soundness.”

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The CRA was established in 1977 by Congress to encourage banks to meet the credit needs of all of its communities, whether low, moderate or high income neighborhoods.

Additionally, the bank’s credit and lending practices must be consistent with safe and sound operations. The factors that support this rating are: * An excellent level of community development lending that has a positive impact on the banks lending performance; * Lending levels that reflect a strong response to community credit needs; * Appropriate loan distribution to geographies and borrowers of different income levels; * An overall excellent level and nature of community development investments; and * A branch distribution that makes banking offices readily accessible to geographies and individuals of different income levels.

In 1995, Union Bank created a 10-Year Community Commitment pledging to contribute a minimum of 4.5 percent of its annual average assets to CRA-related loans and activities. In 2005, the bank renewed its commitment for another 10 years, increasing its pledge to 6.5 percent of

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average annual assets. Meanwhile, within the current review period, the U.S. entered a recession with California among the hardest hit regions in areas such as housing and unemployment. Thus, the demand on the bank to fulfill its commitment and assist in the recovery was profound. Several key initiatives were critical in helping the bank earn its “Outstanding” rating in the recent OCC review cycle. They include: Business Diversity Lending Union Bank’s Business Diversity Lending (BDL) program is in recognition of the importance of developing businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans. The BDL program provides a more flexible underwriting standard to all of these applicants. In August 1993, Union Bank was granted a Special Purpose Credit Program exemption under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to encourage small business lending to qualifying businesses.

Union Bank is the only bank in the country to be granted this Regulation B exemption and as a result, BDL loans have become a significant percentage of the bank’s small business lending portfolio, comprising 24.3 percent of all commitments.

Community-based Financing Program In January 2008, Union Bank launched the CommunityBased Financing (CBF) program to provide alternative financing for small business owners that fall outside of the bank’s lending criteria. The bank partners with community organizations to offer lending options to start-up companies, firms with credit scoring issues, and others that fall outside of conventional business bank financing criteria. Union Bank has established relationships with nine CBF organizations that provide alternative credit solutions and technical assistance with the goal of helping these small businesses graduate into traditional financing with Union Bank.

Economic Opportunity Mortgage The Economic Opportunity Mortgage (EOM) program was established in the early 1990s to allow various forms of alternative credit for borrows in an effort to help alleviate the impediment to home ownership for low- to moderateincome families and individuals. The bank offers a five percent down-payment option with lower cost mortgage insurance provided by a California State Agency program.

In addition, the bank allows many forms of ‘gap’ financing, including silent seconds, gifts, and grants. Unlike standard loan programs, the down payment can come from cash-onhand, and post-closing reserves are not required. Union Bank has originated more than $2 billion EOM loans since the program’s inception.

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Community Development Finance Union Bank provides loans and equity investments to many of the nation’s leading affordable housing developers and other organizations that provide a range of services including homeless shelters, support to the developmentally disabled community, life skills assistance and other services. The bank provided more than $2.8 billion in loans over the exam period, representing a 68 percent increase in the number of loans reported and a 108 percent increase in the dollars reported.

A significant element of the bank’s community development lending strategy is its multi-family affordable housing lending program. The majority of the loan dollars are originated by the bank’s community development finance division, which is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing lending and investing. The bank made more than $700 million of investments in Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which are a key source of capital for affordable housing development. The OCC particularly recognized the bank for the complexity of its investments and its responsiveness to community needs.

“Union Bank financed $1.6 billion in transactions for affordable housing units in this recent OCC exam period, which comprises 59 percent of all community development loan dollars,” said Tanaka. “We thus helped develop or preserve approximately 18,500 units for housing in California, including some projects that were completed in the midst of the recent housing downturn.”

In May 2009, the California Housing Consortium inducted Union Bank in the California Housing Hall of Fame in acknowledgment of its ongoing efforts to provide capital and grant support for affordable housing developments throughout the state.

About UnionBanCal Corporation Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $78.2 billion at September 30, 2009. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middlemarket companies, and major corporations. The bank has 337 banking offices in California, Oregon, Washington and Texas and two international offices. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world’s largest financial organizations. Visit www.unionbank. com for more information.

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Travel

Travel Documents Needed When

Cruising Make Sure

You Are Prepared by: Mike Cole

If you are cruising anywhere outside the United States, the most important document you need to have with you is your passport. For many years, US citizens did not need a passport to visit the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada. Passports are fairly easy to obtain, either in person or by mail, at a local passport office or post office. If you are only visiting the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico, you do not need a passport. Other important documents to store safely are your tickets. This is to ensure that you make it to your destination without any problems.

Make sure that your passport is valid for the duration of your cruise and does not expire while you are on vacation. If you do not have a passport or need to renew it, you should apply for it at least a few months ahead of time – not surprisingly, July and August tend to be the busiest months for passport applications. It normally takes up to several weeks to receive your passport if you apply by mail. If you need it sooner, it is worth the extra cost for expedited service.

The name on your passport should match the name on your cruise booking, as well as any airline tickets. Use your full name, rather than any nickname.

Cruise lines and airlines can sometimes be reluc-

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tant to change the name on a ticket but if you are able to change the name on your ticket, there is often an extra charge. If you are a woman getting married while on a cruise, it is probably easiest to keep your passport, tickets, and all other important documents in your maiden name. You can then change them all when you return.

You generally do not need a visa if you are cruising anywhere in North America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Bahamas. If you are visiting anywhere else, you should check to see if one is required. A visa is an authorization that is issued by a particular country, allowing you to visit there, often during a specific period; currently around 80 countries worldwide require US citizens to have a visa. It can either be in the form of a stamp in your passport or stored in an electronic database. Some countries allow you to obtain your visa upon arrival, although it is easier to get it ahead of time.

Some countries also require you to present an onward ticket, as well as proof that you can support yourself while visiting.

In September 2006, Princess Cruises became the industry’s first cruise line to offer electronic ticketing. Other cruise lines have followed their example, meaning that cruise passengers have one

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less important document to hold onto. Boarding passes and itineraries can easily be printed out at home and replaced if lost. Another big name in cruising - Norwegian Cruise Lines – also no longer issues paper tickets, although unlike the airline industry, the cruise lines have yet to become entirely electronic.

If you are flying from your home to your cruise port, it is easy to keep track of your plane tickets.

Virtually all major airlines now issue electronic tickets. If you lose the printed itinerary and receipt, you can simply request another one at no charge. An electronic ticket – or e-ticket as it is generally known - can be changed and reissued easily online with no need to visit the airport or travel agent. E-tickets also allow passengers to check in on the internet. In the event of a canceled flight, an e-ticket allows you to be easily accommodated on another airline. These make the process of purchasing a ticket much easier and if your cruise line has this option available, it is highly recommended.

Travel insurance is one of those things that some cruise passengers tend to forget, but you may not actually need medical travel insurance, if you already have existing health coverage. It is a good idea to take out trip cancellation insurance. This is sometimes also known as trip protection insurance, which covers such scenarios as death or illness, strike, cruise company or airline bankruptcy. Make sure you have a copy of the policy with you and know which number to call, should you need it.

One document you should definitely carry with you is a list of all your credit cards and their phone numbers. This is important in case your wallet or purse is stolen. It can be particularly difficult trying to deal with the problem of lost documents if you are on a ship, or in a foreign country. It is also a good idea to photocopy your passport (the page with the photo on it), cruise tickets, and any other documents. You should also keep them separate from the originals.

About The Author Mike Cole is a freelance writer who writes about traveling and vacationing, offering tips for travelers such as how to find cruise deals.

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Craft & design

Creating a Beautiful Focal Point Using Candle Lanterns by: Shirley Kelly

Candle lanterns come in a host of sizes, styles, colors, shapes, and price ranges. With that being said, if you are looking for that WOW! factor at your next event, you cannot afford not to add candle lanterns to your dĂŠcor.

It does not matter whether you are planning a wedding, anniversary bash, baby shower, Christmas party, Labor Day gathering, 4th of July BBQ, or any special event, using candle lanterns to create a beautiful focal point is the way to go. I am going to show you how to create a focal point around your banquet table.

If your gathering is a less formal one, apply these ideas to the table in which you provide your guest for eating. The only difference is the type of accessories and style of candle lanterns you use.

Budget The first thing you want to do is decide on your lighting budget. Do your homework. The internet has hundreds, if not thousands, of online shops that sell candle lanterns. Do some com-

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parison shopping to get a general idea of what you can afford to purchase. Keep in mind that typically the smaller the candle lanterns the cheaper the price.

Don’t be afraid to purchase small lanterns, they can have just as much of an impact on your design scheme as the larger ones.

Pros to renting candle lanterns Some prefer to rent candle lanterns for their social event. The benefit to renting is you are not stuck with having to store all those candle lanterns after the event is over.

Cons to renting candle lanterns The drawback to renting is that it cost almost as much, and in some cases more, to rent than it does to buy. Also, candle lanterns are very durable.

They can be re-used year after year. So, if you believe that you will be hosting more than one event within the next two - three years, renting is not a good option.

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Choosing the right candle lanterns style Another thing to keep in mind when shopping around is the various styles of candle lanterns you are attracted to. Always consider what type of event you are hosting. If you are hosting a bridal shower you would fair out better selecting candle lanterns that have more of an elegant style rather than ones that are rustic.

If it’s a backyard BBQ then consider candle lanterns that are simplistic in nature with clean lines and not too ornate. If you are hosting a July 4th outdoor event consider the color white and add the colors red and blue with tablecloths, napkins, and accessories.

To keep things from becoming too complicated, when you are doing your comparison shopping pay close attention to the types of candle lanterns you migrate towards most often, choose one, and build your theme around it.

How many candle lanterns do I need to purchase?

It all depends on the size of the table you will be placing your candle lanterns on. You will however need to purchase at the very least three. Purchase a larger candle lantern to serve as your centerpiece and two smaller ones to compliment it.

The candle lanterns you pur-

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chase do not have to be of the same design but they should be of the same style. An example of design is when all your candle lanterns look exactly alike. They do not have to all look alike. An example of style is if you choose a Moroccan style candle lantern for your centerpiece, you should choose a Moroccan style candle lantern for your side pieces.

Meaning they can look different, but they should all be from the same “family” of candle lanterns.

How do I create my candle lanterns theme?

1. If your budget is very small, consider limiting your decorating to a small area that will become a focal point within your space.

As your budget permits, take the ideas listed here and expand on them.

2. Start by analyzing the main room where your guests will be gathering. When you first entered the room what area immediately caught your eyes? That will most likely be the best area for a focal point.

3. Place a large table in your focal point area. Lay a decorative tablecloth on it. Make sure your tablecloth fits well within the “theme” you are trying to create.

Also, be sure that the tablecloth is not wrinkled or soiled in any way. It may sound funny but it has been known to happen.

4. Be sure you purchase a tablecloth that is the right size for your table. It should not hang longer than 4-5 inches down from the sides of the table. The reason for this is the tablecloth should never come in contact with the lap of the person sitting at the table.

5. Keep in mind that you do not have to limit yourself to traditional tablecloths. Visit a fabric store and consider purchasing a few yards of fabric, cut to size, and sew a hem at the bottom.

This is a great way to add a very unique element to your table.

After all, it is the backdrop on which your candle lanterns will rest.

6. If your budget permits, purchase enough fabric to cover the backs of the chairs. Buy yards of wide ribbon in a complimentary color and use it to secure fabric by tying a bow.

7. Add your centerpiece candle lantern in the center of the table.

This should be the largest one you purchased.

8. Add the smaller coordinating lanterns on the left and right side of your centerpiece.

9. If you have several rectangular tables grouped together, repeat this process paying careful attention to how you space each candle lantern arrangement. You want your lanterns to be dis-

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played in a uniform manner.

10. Now add coordinating accessories to your

table. Do not limit your color scheme to just one single color. That is boring and the WOW! factor will be lost due to a lack of color. You should have no less than 3 unique colors at your table.

What I mean by unique is if your color is red, do not use a second color of red in a different shade.

Choose the shade of red you like best and complement it with the color white or another color of your choosing. This not the time to be afraid to use color. Color catches the eye in a beautiful way. It will set the tone for the entire room.

11. Some accessory ideas are garland (used very sparingly), live flowers, silk floral arrangements, live ivy (instead of the garland), beautifully coordinated cloth napkins, napkin rings, china, party favors, programs, menus, place cards, and scrolls.

12. Browse through magazines to get more ideas

as to what you can use to decorate your table in a style that is pleasing to your eyes.

15. Just before your guests are scheduled to ar-

rive, light the candles. If you use scented candles, then before long the room will be filled with a beautiful fragrance.

16. The light from the candles will cast a beautiful glow down onto the potted ferns portraying breath taking shadows against the wall behind them. This will also give your space a beautiful lighting scheme. One your guests will not soon forget.

17. Now sit back and watch the reaction of your guest as they arrive.

Creating a beautiful focal point using candle lanterns is not a complicated as it may seem. Candle lanterns are the world’s original source of artificial lighting. They date back to prehistoric days.

Americans all across the globe have been using candle lanterns as a major part of their design schemes for decades. This is your opportunity to use candle lanterns to make a statement and create a WOW! factor at your next social gathering.

13. Depending on your budget, you might want

About The Author Shirley Kelly has been in the interior design to consider renting pedestals of two different business for more than 10 years. Her passions are heights. On the taller pedestal, place a large candle lantern. On the smaller one place a beauti- interior design and gardening. She enjoys sharing ful potted fern. Take some of your garland or live home and garden ideas with others on her blog.

To read more of her ideas or to share your own ivy and drape it around the pedestals from the top leading around the sides. Usually one or two home and garden tips, please visit her Home and strands are more than enough. In this case, less is Garden Ideas Blog She would love to hear from you more.

14. Be sure that whatever types of potted plant

you choose you use it all throughout your room.

You want to create a look of uniformity within the space. If you place different “types� of plants on pedestals, you run the risk of causing the eye to stop at each pedestal instead of viewing the decorating scheme as a whole.

50 PRESTIGE

Winter 2009

ThePrestigeMagazine.com