Many people over the years have asked about the logo on my business card: a 4-legged creature with bird-like tail and beak. Finally, the mystery is solved...

The SIMURGH

“A noble and beneficent mythical bird (Persian Mythology). Initially a griffin-like (lion-bodied) bird, with a formidable beak containing sharp teeth, the Simurgh later assumed the shape of a true bird, one with glorious plumage and immense wings. Its touch was believed, in Persian folklore, to heal instantly even the most terrible of wounds. This giant birdlike monster was supposed to be so old that it had seen the world destroyed three times over, and thus possesses the knowledge of all the ages.

The original home of the Simurgh was supposedly the fabled Tree of Knowledge, whose branches were festooned with the seeds of every plant that has ever existed. When the Simurgh took flight, it was said, its powerful ascent shook the tree’s branches so violently that the seeds were scattered throughout the world, bringing a wealth of valuable plants to mankind. Later, according to myth, the Simurgh nested in seclusion on the sacred Persian mountain of Alburz, far beyond the climbing abilities of any man.”
(Courtesey of http://www.occultopedia.com/s/simurgh.htm)

And MORE:

“Related to the roc and the phoenix, this bird that lives for either 1700, 2000 years, or by some accounts is immortal is said to have a nest in the Tree of Knowledge. It is said that this bird is so old that it has seen the destruction of the world three times over. Sometimes it is shown with a human face, the senmurv is most likely the same bird. It is so large that it can carry an elephant or a camel. it is known to take children into its nest to nurse them or foster them.

A bird of the same name was an attendant to the Queen of Sheba. It had orange metallic feathers, a silver head, a human face, four wings, a vultures talons and a long peacock’s tail.
(Courtesey of http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/Html/Simurgh.htm)