Monir Zandghoreishi Couture Designer and Educator

 “America is greater than you think. You will find your way,” says Monir Zandghoreishi. In 1987 she arrived in Seattle. It was a struggle for her to learn English and start a new life for herself and her three daughters.  She opened a business, Monir Couture Design, and soon Nordstrom and many other luxury boutiques were sending their clients to Monir for consultation and alterations.  As her business grew, she became known for her exquisite bridal and evening gowns, a place where women found the right gown for one of the most special days of their lives.


Step-It-Up Camp | The Language of Sewing

Following an international career in Persia and Vienna, Austria, Monir Zandghoreishi  (pronounced Mo-Neer  Zang-or-eh-shee) moved to Seattle in 1987. As a highly respected and talented couture designer, she specialized in creating gowns for women for their weddings gala events. Later, she became Dean of Fashion for for the International Academy of Design and Technology (Academy - Seattle), which was later renamed Sanford- Brown College. Monir Zandghoreishi’s innate flair for fashion, coupled with bold pragmatism, has always driven her to conquer new frontiers.  As of late, she has undertaken a new after- school program with Step-It-Up Camp designed to teach young people to sew.


Witch-Hunt!

The POTUS fired Sally Yates. He fired Preet Bhara. He fired James Comey. It's not hard to imagine that given the chance he would fire Robert Mueller. The POTUS claimed: he was being investigated for firing the FBI Director James Comey by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who told him to fire Comey. The POTUS erupted into a new fiery charge. “Witch Hunt!” he raged.


And Beauty For All

Restoring America’s landscape and revitalizing its communities...


John Oliver, Gotham Waitresses Hit Film Festival Circuit, Broken Lizard, Cristina Cote and Nore Davis

Talks To Oh Hello’s Gil and George

So I’m sitting in the audience at the 92nd Street Y playing with my phone, while waiting for Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland to take the stage for an interview moderated by John Oliver when I felt a tap on my arm and a voice said, “Stop playing with your phone and watch the show!” And it was Lynn Kroll, mother of Nick Kroll who was rumored to have been there too, along with John Mulaney. And I said to her, “I was wondering if you’d be here.” And she said, “Would I ever miss a chance to see my son on stage?” A question that did not need to be answered! Needless to say it was a fantastic show. John Oliver came out wearing a baseball cap which he kept on the whole time, and read an introduction which he claimed was written by Mssrs. Kroll and Mulaney in which he stated that he’s either English or British, and went on to mention other shows coming up at the Y like “The History of Jewish Texting”, and “Another Goddamn Evening with Norman Lear” and this time his hat spoke. That’s MY kind of comedy. I actually did a film about a man who introduces people to his hat. Then George and Gil came out to thunderous applause, and the way they bounce off each other takes improv to a new level. Every single line got a huge laugh. Not like laugh, pause, laugh, pause, but laugh, laugh, laugh. They had amazing lines like when Gil said that Anthony Weiner should have been nominated at this year’s Tony Awards for “Smoothest Chest.” At a couple of points, John Oliver was literally crying with laughter. He had to wipe his eyes.


In the Belly of the Whale

Why bother to hire a P.R firm when you can do it yourself? Would you extract your own teeth, perform surgery on your own brain, or represent yourself pro se in a court of law?  Okay, maybe you think P.R. is something easy that anyone can do, but it’s not true. In the age of trolls, flamers and bullies, you will end up being swallowed by a big flopping fish. Floundering? It’s warm down there in the belly of the whale. Dark too.  You think you’re going somewhere but you’re not. Why stay there and drown when you could be swimming upstream?


High School Students to Attend Journalism Conference at the Newseum

The conference convenes the nation's most talented students interested in pursuing journalism careers.    


Bill Burr, Ron Bennington, Plus News from Derek Gaines, Orny Adams and More

Mike Cannon is a permanent judge at all the Roast Battles at New York Comedy Club and he told me he’ll be taping his first hour special at NYCC on July 16th. It’ll be audio, but some bits will actually be animated for the internet. It’s being produced by 800 Pound Gorilla who also did Jeff Dye, Matt Ruby and which works with George Lopez and Jim Jefferies. He got to them after featuring for Pete Dominick and Pete encouraged him to do a special and turned him on to the producers. BTW, NYCC is undergoing renovations to make it even more comic-friendly. They’re building a new green room for the comics to hang out in before they go on, and also a cafe just for a cool hang so even comics not on the show have a place to chill. Should be awesome.