i was thinking...

One thing that architects and politicians have in common…as young individuals they each start out their respective paths in their professions with a single desire...

...to make the world a better place…

another thing common…

Over time, over place, over vested interests- money, fame, power, over failure, over life… that desire often is a fuzzy memory… there are only a few out of thousands keep that at the top of their agenda as they move ahead…

… that’s why its very hard to point out to one successful built environment among hundreds and one likable politician among hundreds!!!

.. .to me the ones that succeed in realizing this ‘desire’ probably never really let it go out of sight!

and one thing they don't have in common at all....

architects never make money :) well... that makes our acts and want to change the world with our work more philanthropic!!! ha ha ha

language

we may learn many lessons in communication... and be considered great at it... but its so tiring and frustrating to communicate when someone doesnt speak the same language as you do...

the pink bug

I am on a cup cake hunt... not muffins-not tarts - not pies- just cup cakes...
... contrary to all my efforts at trying to lose weight I find myself suddenly obsessed with exploring- rather hunting down all the cup cakes stores in the vicinity... that doesn't even have to be just in Denver... but even if I visit a new place
Somehow I am so 'enamored' by those pretty looking delicious little treats that I am judging every store for the taste, flavors, appearance of cupcakes, packaging, store ambiance....
... I am beginning to notice an interesting trend... there is a unique story behind every store... of course they have a clear cut 'girlie' audience they all target... but from naming to packaging to decoration each is different than the other... yet with the same motive!!!
You may google some of these stores I have recently had cup cakes from: Happy Cakes, Yum Yums, The Shoppe, Sugar Baby.

Infact I am truly excited about watching my favorite show at The Shoppe... they have a showing of Project Runway every week of the show... with free popcorn...and ofcourse CUP CAKES...that you 'will' buy... what better marketing tool... than combining fashion and cup cakes to woo a female customer.

FYI: the concept at The Shoppe: Cereal + Cupcakes + Design Goods
( do you see TARGETING THE FEMALE MARKET WRITTEN THERE ANYWHERE ?)
http://www.theshoppedenver.com/2008/07/project-runway-night-reminder.html

freedom

happy 61st...

patterning today

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hope we never forget...

.. the beauty of handwritten notes...

in the past few months I received maybe a 10,000 emails and 3 handwritten notes... I cant even distinguish 10 emails from the 10,000 at the top of my head now... but I clearly remember the 3 appreciation/ thank you hand written notes... one from a mentor I respect the most at work, one from a student I interviewed at U of M and a very unexpected one from my hair stylist... the pleasure of receiving hand written letters in the mail (postal) is rare and thoroughly enjoyable!

calling Bollywood fans!!!

we are organizing a 'bollywood movie night' at work... to help people understand a few things/ catch a glimpse of Indian contemporary culture... so that we can work better in that context!

I have to pick three movies... now that I have a chance to showcase the 'wonderfulness' ( i am not sarcastic at all- i am a BIG fan) I am so confused - how can I pick just three movies that are the best of bollywood (and movies that convey the contemporary culture) ... I can think of a thousand but don't know which one is better than the other.

I am looking to you ... all bollywood fans - or not... any suggestions?

food got me thinking today...

...conservativeness can be interpreted differently in different cultures but I think...

'conservative' people in any culture or part of the world... have one thing in common...

... they don't like food or even don't like to try different cuisines that's are out of their comfort 'cultural' zone...

you think ?

representation

representation , originally uploaded by K'space.

La Piazza Dell' Arte is a street art festival in Denver that has found its place on my blog more than once now... Having visited the festival second year in a row... I felt like the bar had been raised... in terms of the art work!

here is a photograph that I took ... the book and especially the stone paper weight and the darkness about the chalk art itself... all I thought made a good composition!!!

p.s : the flickr is uploaded... you know the drill!!

more random thoughts...

We complain about an energy crisis... and freeze ourselves to death in mechanically ventilated spaces all summer... you dress for the outside and keep freezing all day long in the thousand times more than needed, with hardly any personal thermal control capacity air-conditioned spaces...

.. .I am not a big fan of Stand -Up comedy... but Russell Peters is in town this week - so went for his show last night... All of his fans were thrilled because he didn't repeat any jokes and apparently they all walked out with their stomachs hurting due to the continuous laughter. I had fun - but on a scale of 1 to 10 - it was 6.5 /10 ( I am not very generous with points)

... Don't we always judge people... you are lying to a person's face if you say ' I never judge'... be it in the most subtle ways... one is always judging... dress, talk, actions, emotions, work, accents... anything and everything!!!

say 'manual' and it freaks me out!!!

... i don't like 'user manuals' including 'assembly information packets' for any products... I wish they make products that are not only user friendly in terms of 'using' them but also putting them together.... If I were to product design ' not making the user go through a volume of text' would be something on my priority list...

Be it usability or assembly... guess the loss is mine though... I usually just start using the product and figure out all its features slowly- or maybe never... probably not using some products to their full designed capacity...

... or I end up assembling things a couple of times because the first time is always without reading the reference manual:)

random thoughts...

---How often in a day do you look at yourself while walking by a glass partition or reflective store front window? Its ok to confess... I think I do it all the time I walk by one!

---Its no more about 'promise what you can deliver' its promise what you 'want' to deliver... because it seems like we are in a world where there aren't many ' cant dos'

---Every time I see little kids visiting their parents' offices... it takes me back to childhood... there are very few things as inspiring for a child than visiting a parents' workplace... be it humble - be it extravagant... its the perfect place in the eyes of the child!

Quote of the day

On my way back home I saw a hummer sporting a sticker that says :

' My hummer can crush your Prius'

The first thought that came to my mind... Hey Buddy, your hummer can sure crush a Prius.... only if it has gas in it... Good Luck with that! .. and in that case... guess who is crushing whom!

its birthday time for little princess...

.... far far away... close to the Great Barrier Reef... Tia celebrates her second birthday... happy birthday TIA

kahani mein twist...

... Sarkar takes a different route from God Father... or lets say AB's baby is not Al Pacino in Ram Gopal Verma's eyes after all... well I don't want to give the movie away for those who haven't watched it ... but one thing's for sure...

yes its all in the Bachchan family ... but the next Big B is not Abhishek... any guesses who is the torch bearer? or does Big B even give anyone a chance... not even his son?

enough of riddles... now for this last one... I liked Abhishek the most in the movie...but I dont think the movie does justice to him... the movie celebrates him but he is not the hero... go watch the movie to see who is!!!

p.s : the movie is not as gripping as its end is! over all... all right... Sarkar Raj is worth a watch!

p.s2: some people said they aren't ready for the next sequel... but I can't wait to see what happens next! :)

Cool Stuff

I think I have developed a pattern for posting different kinds of world maps on my blog... this one is particularly interesting because India tops the Greendex !!!!
check it out here :

http://event.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/

the blue umbrella...

... is wonderfully simple and simply wonderful at the same time!

I had missed this movie last year... and am glad I watched it last night....

When it comes to adaptation and 'one word message' stories Vishal Bhardwaj does full justice to the story... adapted from a novella by Ruskin Bond, The Blue Umbrella is another wonderful movie that conveys a beautiful message just in the simplest way... a small hamlet in Northern India, a simple village, the corner store guy, a little girl and AN UMBRELLA come together in this pure and unadulterated film... surely worth a watch...

... and a DVD worth buying for keeps!

I should not forget to mention... the cinematography of the movie is visual poetry... reminds you how wonderful small simple things in life can be... and Pankaj Kapoor as always is impeccable.


Ofcourse its not main stream...its film- festival material!

stubborn is...

...if its not my way there is no other way!

I was wondering..

... one would be such a coffee snob if they owned their own 'small' private 'fancy' coffee company...

... one would be such a beer snob if they owned their own 'fancy' brewery...

... one would be such a wine snob if they owned their own 'winery'

... I was also wondering... inspite of not owning any of the above you will find atleast 5 out of 10 people who are either ' coffee snobs' ; 'beer snobs' or 'wine snobs'... a means to increase their coolness coefficient sometimes... sometimes just good taste... yours truly is guilty of the same too... but 'I' would say in my case its 'good taste' : 0 )

and now you may be wondering... I am crazy !

the May kids!