02Jun 2025 by Yaashaar
Tataloo, Iran, and the Making of a Misfit

Tataloo, Iran, and the Making of a Misfit

Blog, Freedom
When it comes to Amir Tataloo, I think it's important to separate the artist from the person. Artistically, I find him to be an incredibly talented songwriter, performer, and musician. His latest work especially showcases his unique creativity and undeniable skill. His music has resonated with millions, and it's clear he has a rare gift. That said, I recently read about his detention in Iran and the reported death sentence he received. This is why I'm writing this.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/19/iranian-court-sentences-pop-star-tataloo-to-death-for-blasphemy I don’t know Tataloo personally, but if I were to judge him solely based on his social media presence and the gossip that surrounds him, I wouldn’t say his personality, behavior, sporadic political alignment, or his stance on women’s rights particularly appeals to me. But I don’t want to get into the…
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31May 2025 by Yaashaar
Shifting Gears

Shifting Gears

Blog, Notes, Politics
Hello readers! Hope you're doing well, wherever you are and whatever you're up to. This post is a little different from the ones I’ve shared before. Depending on how long you've been following my blog, you might already know that a few years ago, I fully committed to building a large-scale social platform. It’s my sixth commercial software project (I’ve been programming since 2004), and it’s by far the biggest and most complex consumer product I’ve ever worked on. I’ve poured years of my life into this startup. Before this, I also founded several other companies and products: BCTV Malaysia, Bit-Magazine, and BitReviewers, just to name a few out of nearly ten tech and non-tech startups. From Disruption to Direction Along the way, we ran into many setbacks that were…
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18Feb 2025 by Yaashaar
The Gadget Loop

The Gadget Loop

Blog, Views
It's a real bummer to observe how people get obsessed with gadgets and develop an unrealistic need to upgrade over slight improvements, constantly trying to hold the nonsensical status of being a professional consumer. That social class had always followed other trendy values of their time (such as not being bored for even a short walk by carrying a Walkman —Sony cassette tape player— all the time with themselves). However, the replication of such behavior among Millennials and GenZ has obviously elevated to an entirely different level, thanks to mainstream social media. Just think about it for a second: one would get bitter, probably angry, and might even engage in a physical confrontation if someone manipulated them. Yet, it's interesting and weird at the same time that the same person…
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07Jan 2025 by Yaashaar
Honoring the Memory of PS752’s Tragic Losses

Honoring the Memory of PS752’s Tragic Losses

Blog, Politics
I’ll never forget that fateful morning when news broke of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 being shot down just minutes after takeoff from Tehran, Iran. The tragedy took the lives of fifty-five Canadians and thirty Canadian residents, along with 123 other innocent souls. It was unimaginable that something so tragic could occur. I still can’t believe that I lost fellow members of the UBC community on board. Your memory will live on in our hearts and minds forever.Yaashaar
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23Dec 2024 by Yaashaar
Feature Fatigue

Feature Fatigue

Blog, Views
Telegram has been re-implementing good old forum features into its app and politely borrowing from other categories too. While the underlying tech is impressive, so far, it’s nothing more than that. The UI/UX gets more complicated by the day. What happened to forums? Exactly. I suspect they’ll eventually have no choice but to shift their focus, and maybe even pivot. Just because you can build it, doesn’t mean it fits. Yaashaar
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20Dec 2024 by Yaashaar
Parastoo Ahmadi – Voice Against the Silence

Parastoo Ahmadi – Voice Against the Silence

Blog, Women
Parastoo Ahmadi, a brave Iranian girl, held a symbolic YouTube concert without the obligatory hijab as an act of defiance, performing in a remote location in Iran. As far as I know, it was unannounced to avoid immediate interruption or arrest by the authorities. Without a doubt, this was a historic moment—the first performance by a female Iranian singer without a hijab since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Parastoo had been previously arrested during the Woman, Life, Freedom (#MahsaAmini) protests, but she has never given up. I’m posting this simply to say: I deeply admire her courage in standing up to a regime that has long silenced women. History will remember her voice.
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