...thoughts from a perplexed realm

Crocodile Cafe to reopen in early 2009

2008-10-16T23:38:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times: Sept. 9, 2008

The Croc lives!

"Right now it still looks like it looked last time you or anyone else was in it," says Kerri Harrop, spokeswoman for the Crocodile Café, Seattle's best and most-famous rock club. The Croc's "abrupt close last year left a lot of people reeling," Harrop says, and the plan is to reopen in "late January/early February."

What's going on between now and then?

Construction." When that's done, "I anticipate capacity will be around the 400 mark."

There will be two businesses in the building and two entrances. According to Harrop, Via Tribunali will sell pizza "where the back bar was," and that the wall separating the concert area from the cafe area will be knocked out. She won't specify exactly how the Crocodile will bleed into Via Tribunali.

Last month, The Seattle Times reported that area bar owner Marcus Charles had obtained the Croc's liquor license (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2008091508_webcroc05.html). Says Harrop, "Marcus Charles has assembled a good group of investors that includes Susan Silver, Peggy Curtis, and Sean Kinney."

As for who will book the music, Harrop confirms no more than "a human being."

Former Croc and current Chop Suey booker Pete Greenberg said he's not been asked to book the club, and Steven Severin, who books and runs Neumo's, said, "you can write that I don't know what the hell is going on."

Perhaps most important, "Jim Anderson will still be running the sound," says Harrop. In the past, he made the Croc Seattle's best-sounding rock venue. "All efforts are being made to make sure the room sounds and looks perfect," says Harrop.

There are new Croc photos online, on artist David Choe's Flickr profile, here — http://www.flickr.com/photos/invisiblehour/page6.

Andrew Matson, staff reporter
The Seattle Times: Sept. 9, 2008 (fourth article in the link)

Pan African Market - a dash of west Africa in Pike's Place

2008-10-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you miss what's right in front of you, just as I have for so long. The punishment - living in the Seattle for years, going to the Pike Place Market, let's see...at least 52 times a year AND missing out on some fine West African delicacy from Pan African Market on 1st and Pike. It's a great place to sit outside on a sunny day and enjoy a plate of Beef Tibs, which is a delicious tender cut of beef sauteed with onions and peppers or my favorite - the spicy lamb stew - small tender pieces of (carnivorous) heaven which they often run out of and the vegetable sampler - a succulent medley of six different vegetables, almost forming the color of a rainbow and includes cabbage, spinach, peas, carrots, and more. Everything comes with their store made, really soft Injera - a delicacy from west Africa in the form of a flat bread.

Now if you want to go all out - don't be shy to order everything in one plate, roll up your sleeves and jump in with you hands - you won't regret it.

Death Magnetic...first impression

2008-09-12T00:49:00.001-07:00

I'd say the three singles that were floating around were a pretty good sign of how this album ended up sounding like. OK, maybe I should listen to the whole thing a couple more times before jumping to any conclusions......too late...so here goes...Lars is definitely back with his double stroke beats and the crushing rolls. I'd even say the solos from Kirk are also "Metallica" material, and actually his love for the phrygian scale is still dominant. The riffs from James kick ass - some are actually faster and more intelligent than ever before. His vocal though, is a little disappointing. I don't know man...he's still somewhat stuck in the nineties, sounding like I disappear and fuel.The riffs in the End of the Line and the Day that Never Comes are so much like those in creeping death and master and actually, I felt subtle touches of seek and destroy in the the end's chorus punch. I could still hear the load/re-load grunges coming out from time to time like in the beginning of the Day. But hey...that doesn't sound bad. And Trujillo...he brought back fingerstyle, just like Cliff and unlike Jason - which sounds awesome in Cyanide and All Nightmare Long, which btw I think has the fastest playing riff in recent times. I also love the fact that they're back with the interludes with riffs mixed with solos coming in and out. Speaking about things coming back...all hail Suicide - which is an awesome instrumental. Another comeback - the Unforgive III, however, was unncessary and doesn't go with the rest of the album at all. Getting rid of Bob Rock was definitely a great first move on the road to salvation...hell yea! And Rick Rubin did an awesome job...but you know what - they should give production another shot...after all, the best songs out of Metallica are those that they produced themselves.But hey, this is definitely an album that I'll be banging my head to for a long time to come…

Trying out the new Windows Live Writer

2008-05-01T23:01:00.001-07:00

Windows Live has this new app out, one that'll help publish rich contents to blogs and this is my first try! Actually, I've never tried any of these things, always used the web versions. So here goes...

Not bad, says my first impression - it's lightweight, allows connecting to all sortsa sites, provides the essential editing functionality...whoa, including taking a screen shot and pasting right into the journal...not bad, not bad. There's quite a few image formatting options such as color pop and watermark - something that you don't get in most similar apps.

Spell checker is up to the mark, but I wish it had a dictionary and thesaurus - even if it just connected up to some web service.

Now it's time to actually preview and publish it - let's see if it as WYSIWYG and whether what I see is what I get...

...preview is pretty nice, except it's not showing the blog break, maybe because it's still unpublished...

...oh I need to label this...here goes...not bad, it pulled all the labels I had in the site. Oh HOLD ON...this is bad, really bad - it misspelled a few of my labels - missing just the last letter!!! For a second I thought I myself misspelled it. But no...it's not me - it's a BUG!!!

...moving on and publishing...

...and it's posted! NICE!!! Hey and what do you know...it got me writing a real blog after six l o n g months.

Every sha la la la...

2007-12-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking...the CARPENTERS!!! Yes, but no, it's not about the duo today. Rather, sitting inside a restaurant and listening to the melody in piano reminded me of a old life insurance ad that used to air in Bangladesh TV around two decades ago that used the tune, and I couldn't help but think...

WHO IN THE HELL CAME UP WITH THAT NAME?

It doesn't really insure your life, it just provides a monetary consolation to your loved ones. It should rather be called "In cases my spouse/parent/caregiver/owner (think cats)/lonely uncle die" insurance.

Dr. Yunus in Microsoft

2007-10-17T22:56:00.001-07:00

Dr. Yunus in Microsoft - what a great speech! He had the entire audience captivated. Many of us were fortunate to hear him from the front row.

From the Seattle Times:

Inside a private conference room at Microsoft, top executives leaned around the table, eyes and ears fixed on a small, soft-spoken visitor from Bangladesh. He might not be recognized on the street, but to people dreaming up the next great idea to change the world, Muhammad Yunus is a rock star.

One year after he won the Nobel Peace Prize, Yunus came to the Seattle area Tuesday to share his vision for uniting technology and business with a social mission.

The man who turned the concept of banking on its head said poverty stems from flawed concepts, such as the idea that only people with money should be able to borrow more of it.
Yunus, 67, developed the system of microcredit, helping poor people improve their standard of living by using tiny loans to start businesses. Since giving out its first loans in 1983, the Grameen Bank he founded has reached more than 7 million borrowers who would have no access to credit through traditional banks. About 97 percent of them are women.

"The world runs with money," he said. "You need a dollar to catch a dollar, and no one gives you the first dollar."

Yunus said he also wants to change the notion that business exists to maximize profits.

"I think that's a shame because in this theory, they have actually insulted human beings," he said. "Money-making is a very important part of human beings, but human beings are much bigger than that."

Yunus advocated linking business and philanthropy in a new model called "social business."

More from the Seattle Times...

Deshantori (The Migrant)

2007-10-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

Deshantori (The Migrant) is a film directed and produced by a few young promising film makers from Bangladesh, based now in the US. This 69 min. short film is about a journey made by so many of us but we often forget the story behind it and how the path for many others has been less fortunate. Check out the movie, and support it if you can.

Good to see that Mridul is as concerned about our motherland as the day I met him in high school and still as willing and resourceful to make a difference!

Stanford robot passes driving test

2007-07-05T00:46:00.000-07:00

Junior, Stanford's robot Volkswagen, passed its basic driver's test on Thursday. Driving just 15 miles per hour, Junior passed with flying colors in three of four "missions" on a parking-lot course, including a three-point U-turn and successful navigation of a four-way stop with human-driver cars. But it got stuck on a course passing a car.

When robot drivers become a reality in the streets...I definitely won't be missing the cell phone chatter or careless coffee drivers on the way to work....three cheers for technology...

Read the story in cnet...

Jason Bourne is back...

2007-05-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Fantasia (Epilogue)

2007-04-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

Pick a day and write a note
Bleed it out below a clef
The songs written stay afloat
What happens tomorrow, dream today

It creeps on you, sliding away
Rocks the ridges of Monte Rosa
Darkness falls where I lay
With the sand in hand, I'm safe

She was there, for the winter
In the perfect fifth, so afar
The foggy road that leads to her
Harmonies, yet so somber

She's a child, if you think
Strike a tone and she’ll be born.

are you on web 2.0?

2007-04-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

...this video pretty much sums it up - what the new www is looking like. Web 2.0 is here ladies and gentleman and what better way to show the success of "separation of content and format" but through YouTube. I can hardly hold my excitement thinking about how this simple concept called xml has enabled us...proof of which I see when watching the video - distributed by an extensible content provider, reading about it in a friend's blog, which i noticed in an RSS feed about this mesmerizing concept that Tim O'Reilly labeled appropriately around two years ago....enjoy...

winters mist

2007-04-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

interaktion.info

The tigers of cricket have emerged!

2007-03-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

...or should we call them the tiger cubs? All but two players are between 17 (yes that's one and seven - seventeen!) and 24 and not only they play GREAT cricket but they're cool and composed and calculative. The Bangladesh Cricket squad did some serious a** kicking in their game against India in the World Cup...and managed to pull a 5 wicket win.

Their balling was awesome, their batting was smashing and their fielding was spec-ta-cular but the best part was how matured their game was. They did not break a sweat even though they knew that that cricket giant India has been deemed as one of the possible champions this time.

But Bashar and the boys came and managed to say “adios” to all the Indian batsmen in 191 runs, with some superior balling by Mashrafee, Russell, Razzak and Rafique. In the outfield, not a stoppable or catchable ball went by passed them.

Then the batting side also outperformed their counterparts. With opener Tamim smashing away to get a 51, and Musfique, promoted from fourth to the first down to prove that he may just have it in him to be the next captain, with a stunning 56 and lasting all the way to the end without getting out. Sakib also scored 53, to show that the squad doesn’t put on a one man show.

We were SO ecstatic and pumped up about the win that we decided to bring out our bats and pads ahead of time and played a quick round of cricket ourselves, in the cold Seattle rain! I lost my voice while watching the Tigers beat the c*** out of the Indians and sneezing away after our adventure in the rain…and still couldn’t stop jumping up and down in celebration!

Another highlight of the celebration was when a Pakistani friend called (moments after the Pakistan loss) to congratulate me and wished that their side would play as professionally as the Bangladeshis and he’s now supporting Bangladesh for the rest of the WC. Just to think, before we got the ICC status, so many of us have grown up supporting the Imran Khans and the Wasim Akrams in world cricket, but now the tide is turning…and it’s our time!

Congrats to the young Tigers for bringing us this moment.

Visconti's Tiramisu

2007-03-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

Tucked away in the Northern Cascades range, far away from it's alpine junction is a fascinating Bavarian village - Leavenworth. There in that magical little countryside is a fine Italian diner called Visconti's, named after the legendary rulers of Milan.... OK enough introduction...their Tiramisu is to die for!!! One of the best I've ever had...right there with Mrs. Risso's (friends mom) home made one. This creamy tiramisu just melts in your mouth, with the smooth taste of cocoa and espresso complimenting the very existence of ones taste buds.

Of course, the starters and entree were delicious too...

my Murano

2007-03-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

In the world of automobiles, styles and performance are anything but standing still - new concepts are always emerging. I want a truck? No? But I want a SUV...hmmmm, I don't want a sedan but I want the handling, but then again, I also want a sports car?

...so...

...DUDE WHERE'S MY CAR??? ...ok ok ok...after all it's a market economy and it's all about demand and supply. So, car manufacturers then decided to take all those ingredients, shake it up in a test tube and out came...

...a crossover!

A concept that never crossed our minds when we went looking for a new car...until we parked ourselves in the local Nissan and there it was in all it's glory, looking sleek and sexy...

My Murano!!!

Black on black, AWD, 3.5 liter V6, 245 hp, Continuous Variable Transmission, 18 inch wheels, ABS, intelligent key, rear camera, 20/25 MPG, roomy and comfortable, sunroof, reliable in bad weather, great agility, performance and let's not forget the Bose sound system.

And after we got behind the wheels, there was no turning back!

So after much exchange of numbers, we went home with a SL Touring edition two days later...thanks to some GREAT customer service by the friendly folks at our neighborhood Nissan...seriously!

And seriously...we love our new car!!!

Celebrate International Mother Language Day

2007-02-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

February 21st is International Mother Language Day.

"International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue." -- un.org

The day in the news today, also see the wiki.

Birth of better days?

2007-02-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

Finally, there is something good in the air! I was getting so sick and tired of writing how bad things are in Bangladesh. For once, we can be positive about where we are politically, with a reliable and unbiased caretaker government in place which is carefully backed by the military. Nobody denies that a state of emergency is not the most democratic solution but Bangladeshis are happy and feeling safe. The only people complaining are the corrupt politicians.

In the last weeks, two very important news have made the headlines, which may very well be the beginning of a different Bangladesh:

The first is the list of fifty corrupt politicians and businessmen, including former Ministers and Parliament Members and all with ties to one political party or the other. Many of whom have already been taken into custody and all of them have been asked to provide explanation of their wealth within the next 72 hours, otherwise the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will temporarily confiscate or freeze their assets and properties. The ACC took the action as part of its action to root out corruption under the amended Emergency Power Ordinance, 2007. Delowar Hossain, the secretary of the ACC said more names would be published within the next few days.

At the same time, Dr Yunus announced his interest in coming into politics and forming a new political party. Of course it'll be hard, even for a Nobel peace prize winner to have a one man show in a parliamentary democracy but I believe he'll apply his straights as an economist and philanthropist and rationally form a plan for introducing his new party. Don't be too surprised if he comes in with a team of respected countrymen with views to go beyond the corruption today and make true improvements.

Pessimists obviously are not holding their breath but I'd say the worst that can happen is the corrupted politicians will realize that their day of reckoning IS possible, even if they get away this time and we may just have a third political presence, that has been born from peace, logical thinking and politics of unity, to run our state.

May the slogans created by the two leading parties finally come true! Something that they have ignored for a long time now....of course, why lead the country to be a winner when you can exploit it for personal wealth?

So I say "Bangladesh Jindabad" and I say "Joy Bangla"...things are looking better!

Cypress Rays...

2007-02-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

paul kozal @ susan spiritus gallery

Tahmima Anam with A Golden Age

2007-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Tahmima Anam, daughter of Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam is introducing her literary debut - “A Golden Age”, which is coming out in March. Although some are referring her as the next Monica Ali, but this is not a story of life as an immigrant, but rather about our war of independence. I'm also hoping she'll deliver better because of her writing background and growing up around renowned journalists and politicians. Already many critics, who had a preview of the book have good things to say about her. Few snapshots about her work are as below...

"Great writing may be in the blood, but having a window seat on remarkable historical events can help to shape an author. A major new talent, Tahmima Anam, has the advantage of coming from a line of gifted Bangladeshi writers and thinkers, yet it is the damaging experience her family shared with thousands of others living around them that is to see her launched in Britain." -- The Observer

"Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone – from student protesters to the country`s leaders, from rickshaw-wallahs to the army`s soldiers – must make choices." -- HooderHeadline

Snowing like under an evil spell

2007-01-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well that may be a little bit of an exaggeration, but Seattle and the rest of the northwest is a bit snow struck this winter. This is the fifth cycle of snow in the Puget Sound, where usually it stops at two. Looking out through the window every morning, seems more like looking past the wardrobe and Narnia greeting on the other side. Reality of course, is a little less magical, icy roads have turned even the shortest commute into a nightmare, with many accidents in the road and some in the homes too. On top of that, many neighborhoods have lost power again and schools and work places have lost control over any scheduling.

Ahhh well...it could be worse...this could be Narnia, under the spell, frozen in eternal winter with no Lion and no saviors coming to the rescue!!!

Living in the Driver's Seat

2007-01-16T00:08:00.000-08:00

Once, there was a dream
to set all of which free.
Doves, eagles and even sharks,
but back in the alley they stay hungry.

Yesterday, he spoke of it,
Maybe today it’ll rain,
Dark clouds, even thunderstorm.
Then the moon shines – don’t complain.

Today, you’re thinking loud
asking not to regret.
Forget and relax, take the pills,
It’s the future that you have not met.

Tomorrow, I lie sleepless,
counting the seeds,
living in the driver's seat,
except now it just hurts and bleeds.

Sleepwalking back again

2007-01-11T04:10:00.000-08:00

The dark cloud lingering over the political sky in Bangladesh just started the thunder storm many of us were afraid of. Even though with occasional lightning in the last few months, things were looking up from time to time but I guess a play is all that was. A State of Emergency has been declared in the country, so right now there's curfew at night, military in the streets and no independent media operating. In a speech addressing the nation, President & Chief Advisor announced his resignation, along with nine other advisers right after UN, EU, US and other political ambassadors to monitor the democratic process were withdrawn by their individual authorities. To think, just when the world's leading political analysts were beginning to say that Bangladesh has a true democratic process in place, one which is more successful than most other third world countries. Granted we have VERY crooked and corrupt politicians but think about it - it's not like Rwanda or North Korea. Bangladesh have had a democratic process for the last fifteen years after the dictatorial reign ended and elected government for more than half of our history. Not that we were doing great but democratically - things were improving, until now.

All this reminds me so much of lines from Pink Floyd's High Hopes...

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us,
to a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again,
dragged by the force of some inner tide.

So what were the forces this time around? The four party government finished it's tenure amidst mass allegations of tampering with the upcoming democratic process of the independent and interim government to hold the elections within ninety days. Immediately, the polar forces of the fourteen (now nineteen) party alliance placed their demands in order to balance out the scale. Some demands were justifiable, which the interim government should have met immediately but decided to hold the fort strong without giving in. But all it did was put fuel in the fire that ended up burning the commoners. The fourteen party alliance came down to the streets and started an unfortunate episode of mayhem and destruction, which killed hundreds and injured thousands so far, not to mention bringing life and the economy to a stand still. With time, the chaos continued with endless demands that are almost impossible for the government to meet within ninety days, especially since they were spending more days to bring peace to the forum than actually prepping for the election.

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps,
running before time took our dreams away.
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
to a life consumed by slow decay.

The rivalry of the two "alliances" have taken us to the brink of democracy and I just hope we don't fall into any perilous cavern that hold nothing but more distress for the people of Bangladesh, like never ending chaos, military regime or foreign penetration.

Since the ringing of the division bell had (already) begun, I hope we don't follow the song to it's end...

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition,
there's a hunger still unsatisfied.
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
go down this road we've been so many times.

Smelly New York

2007-01-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

New York smelling...or is it New Jersey? The gas-like odor that hung over Manhattan's streets yesterday is gone now, but city officials are still trying to find its source. They're looking at New Jersey and liking what they see...the DEP is pretty sure the source of the smell was along New Jersey's industrialized waterfront, just across the Hudson River from New York.

Flying across the pond

2007-01-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Tinkon

Happy Holiday with San Francisco

2006-12-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

Even though this was not our first trip to San Francisco, we did experience quite a few firsts. So what City Lights was closed on the night of Xmas, we found this quaint little cafe in the North Beach that was serving the most scrumptious cheese cake and defining cappuccino - Caffè Puccini (yea i know - we went for books and ended up with cheescake, not bad huh?).

Well actually, let's take a step back...before all that we took a drive to Santa Cruz and started off in the beach - nice and warm, something that the weather gods nod against in the Puget Sound area in this time of the year.

Next stop was Mystery Spot, a place where the law of physics behaves, well, a little intoxicated, and I kid you not, the gravity of the situation is quite serious. ;) There you will find your center of gravity off base by about 17 deg. So when you think you're standing straight - your level headed friends actually think you're looking funny, leaning forward. There if you pour water in a plank that's leaning one way, the water may actually flow towards the other direction. Why? You got me...I'm sure there's a little bit of showman hanky panky going on, but it does have a true basis.

Ok now comes the super fast exit out of this blog for (most) things we've already done before...

...posing in the golden gate, missing the Alcatraz tour, walking around in Fishermens Warf, yummy street side lobsters, caricature artists, the cable car ride, Pier 39 sea lions, real desi treat from Shalimar, Xmas tree in the Union Square, comfy goose down pillows in pickwick hotel, getting chocolaty in the Ghirardelli Square and more trips to Shalimar!

...there...

Snowman Holdup

2006-12-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

Stormed in without power

2006-12-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

Seattle and surroundings had quite a storm Thursday night with a gust going about 70 mph, double of that in the Rainier area. This left most of the area with no power and 700,000 victims. For some it came back by Friday but for most it was sometime on Sunday while many are still left out in the dark. This meant no light, no heat, no cooking for most and no hot water for many, with the temperatures dropping down below freezing by Saturday night. Puget Sound Energy had to call for backup, not only personals but also for machinery's as they scurried to move fallen trees and reestablish the power...which for some areas mean rebuilding poles and setting up new transformers.

Many houses were destroyed by fallen trees, fences took flight and some also caught fire because of candles or accidents with propane tanks. Services in the gas stations were interrupted, causing a wave of panic and even fist fights in some gas stations while waiting for hours for gas. The grocery stores that remained open on Friday with dim lights had to throw out all of their perishable goods and items such as fuel, torchlights, candles and easy to make foods were soon out of stock.

It wasn't too bad for us though, even though we were mocked by the neighborhood across the street which got it's power back by Friday (for good reason though - there's a hospital couple of blocks away). We called up our buddies and met over at a kind friends house (with gas stoves) and cooked a hearty meal...us Bangladeshis managing to make a feast out of a disaster. Then we realized another friend, who's out of the country, had full blown power in their neighborhood. We took refuge there (keys left with another friend). The 15 of us had a wonderful weekend, cooking, eating, playing board games and watching movies.

Personally, it was a great way to spend time, especially on the Independence day of Bangladesh - December 16...what better way to be than with a bunch of Bangladeshis and do what we do best - cook, eat, chat and play.

(Don't mean to pour salt in the wounds of the less fortunate ones with property damages or who were stuck in hotels or office building or trying to keep warm in front of the fireplace)

"You" named Time's person of 2006

2006-12-18T01:49:00.000-08:00

"You" have been named as Time magazine's Person of the Year...yes, YouTube that is. Kool ain't it? Jawed Karim, originally from Germany and of Bangladeshi descent, founded YouTube in February 2005, which was recently bought by Internet giant Google for $1.60B.

elf yourself

2006-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

this is so funny!!! just get a picture of yourself and turn into a jolly singing dancing elf...or even better - turn your freinds into one...

http://www.elfyourself.com/

morning mist...

2006-12-11T17:42:00.001-08:00

No fat New York?

2006-12-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

Double pepperoni, but hold the fat??? and New York of all places...

The New York board of health voted unanimously yesterday to go ahead with plans to prohibit the city’s restaurants from serving food that contains artificial trans fats throughout the five boroughs!!! And that includes the pizza joints, the doughnut shops, the chinese takeout around the corner, even the McDonald’s across the street, not to mention the fashionable midtown bistros and restaurants.

First the streets were (apparently) cleaned of night prowlers, then the ban on smoking and now go fat less?

...now that's what i call a big apple polishing...

Light at the end of the tunnel?

2006-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hopefully we're closer to that light at end of the tunnel in our beloved motherland's political tug of war. Advisors of the caretaker government met with both the alliances day before yesterday and proposed package solutions. After meetings all day long yesterday with the chief advisor in the chair, they announced the outcome - to reconstitute the Election Commission, reschedule the polling date, correct the voters’ list and reshuffle the top bureaucrates even further. So in the end it's just accepting what the 14 party alliance has been forcibly demanding since late October.

The nation is breathing a little easier now, with hopes that life will be normal again, the economy can operate again and that this is the end to the mayhem that was ruling the streets of Bangladesh. We all hope that we will have a fair election early next year, the voice of the people will be heard and a government based on the peoples choice will be formed.

Hmmmm...now that's a fairy tale, even if the voice of the people is heard and a government based on the peoples choice is formed.

Let me ask this...how can an exiting government manipulate the system in such a way that the idea of a free and fair election commission and a neutral caretaker government is jeopardized? And how can the former opposition completely imprison and batter the people and the economy of a country until what they deem necessary for winning the election is met?

So yes we can see the light at the end of tunnel but unfortunately there are always freight trains that follow...and hit us hard over and over again.

magnolia morning...

2006-12-04T00:30:00.000-08:00

davidjulian.com

Exxon Mobil chief to get $2.8M bonus #%$@!

2006-12-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

WOW! Now that's a bonus!!! So I guess we can expect gas prices to go up again huh...

Read the news...

...more snow...DOT better DOT your i's

2006-11-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

so it did end up being a nuisance...well I think more because Seattle is just not ready for so much snow and the weatherman forcasting rain rather than snow. A 15 min commute ended up taking 2 hours with cars pointing at all angles, a number of accidents and stranded vehicles along the way. Many neighborhoods lost power (or still don't have any), icy gridlocks, more accidents, school and office closures.

hey at least the seahawks beat the packers in their first ever snowed in home game...not too shabby! For most the commute back was a nightmare though, an unlucky chap was stuck in traffic for 14 hours before he got back home in Portland.

Now we're getting ready for another one to hit us tonight followed by icy rain (even worse)...

...hopefully DOT has DOTted their i's this time...

Snowing in Seattle

2006-11-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

Look out through the window...it's snowing! It's quite nice when it's snowing, especially when it snows like it does in Seattle - never a nuisance but just that dash of white to brighten up the day...

Hok hangama, amar gaan ache bhai

2006-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

Searching eagerly for prayer halls debut album
while listening to the soothing sounds of yaatri and
not much kolorob in super ornob's new album
thank god souls still sings soulfully!
Leave underground under the ground komol bhai
even though you're the guitar god.
overlistening to fuad's great mixed collections
shono habib you do great, keep it real
Nothing cryptic about danob you guys...kudos kudos
is elita featuring more in the star these days?
worried that james has completely gone bollywood.
where does tahsan get his hair done?
kingkortorbobimured that bangla has unfused from it's jazzy lalon sounds,
although still in love with you all.
shumon and aurthohin ain't so meaningless, i tell you
shocked by the black accident,
saddened to see mobin bhai go.
love runs blind for AB no matter what anybody says
miles was talented too but amar feedback ta koi re bhai?
remembering rockstrata every morning
haven't fazed out warfaze too.

c0mpletely enchanted by the sudden realization - THANK GOD for bangla music and thank you, all you musicians who are keeping it sane for the rest of us!

Thanksgiving with something new in the table

2006-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Ah the great American tradition of Thanksgiving - promise of a quality time with family and friends, good laughs around a well decorated dinner table, wines glasses clinking. But thanksgiving is left undefined without the turkey - roasted, baked, lemoned, bbqed, cajun, even deep fried, the turkey HAS to be there! and if you're bored of the traditional method of preparation, you can always go for...

...the Turducken!!!

It's turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken layered with dressing. So if u dare to serve it this thanksgiving, here's a few choice recipe.

Happy thanksgiving all, and bon appetit...

The White Dress

2006-11-20T00:16:00.000-08:00

I was lost when I walked into the room,
Something told me that I needed to explore.
I thought one day I’ll turn back and cry
for a phantom past lying behind that door.

The quest in disguise of haunting dreams,
Anxious and obsessed with what’s not to be.
A white dress with a speck of red
cries out and fades away not meant to be free.

Speak out loud my friend inside of me
“Think of me” he said, “Look into the mirror”
“Do you even know that you are lost?”
And the walls slowly start to secure.

I see the dress lying in one corner of the room
No wrinkles, no sign of being worn.
I see the dress again, but on the floor,
Soiled and stained on every turn.

What I see now is what’s not true,
But yet I think I know what I thought.
Lost in the middle of sudden enchantments,
Forgetting the far away land of my heart.

Here I am sitting outside in the coffee shop,
When my friend again starts to whisper,
“But why do you sound so different?” I asked
After all these years I can’t seem to remember.

Listening to your inner self, do you really know?
Maybe it’s what you want to hear, maybe all allure.
He can be as jaded and as confused.
The dress is only a dress and nothing more.

The Big Buddha!!!

2006-11-20T00:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday October 28: I was left completely enchanted at the very first sight of the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha), not only for it's astronomical appearance, but also because of the surroundings. It's not like your usual tourist attraction. And although it can viewed from far away, it is hidden between the mountains, and that's what appealed to me the most.

The Buddha is 34 meters high and weighs 250 tons. This, South East Asia's tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha, can even be seen as far away as Macau on a clear day and is located in the Lantau Island, located at the mouth of the Pearl River and a very short distance from the airport. Visitors have to climb 268 steps in order to reach the Buddha.

Or you can just take a fascinating ride in a cable car - the Ngong Ping 360, to travel about 3.5 miles in about 25 mins to Ngong Ping village, a classic tourist inlet leading to the foot of the Buddha - Po Lin Monastery. The ride is a treat by itself, with great views of the pearl river, the entire island and the airport.

If you're stopping by in Hong Kong, even a stop in the airport and have a few hours to spare, definitely don't miss out on this majestic yet serene experience of the Big Buddha.

bus 15c, watermelon juice & IFC mall

2006-11-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

Friday October 27: little did we suspect what surprising adventure awaited as we got back from the peak. with intentions of going towards star ferry pier, we got in line for bus 15c and...

...and a open roof double decker approached the stop! THAT'S 15C!! the ride to the pier was like a laser & light show with the bus zig zagging through the colorfully litted buildings at the heart of it all and dropped us off in the pier.

we didn't have too much time left before we we're going to meet up with my cousin Joy bhai for dinner. so we just loitered around in the pier and set our plans for the next evening, bargaining prices with other ferry tour operators and making a trip to the mall in the IFC 2 building.

...oh and i almost forgot...we also found this fruit juice stand in the pier that made oh so fresh juice and you know me...had to go for two glasses of the watermelon juice....ahhhhhh!

...the peak.

2006-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

Friday October 27: high above hong kong island on the 'back of the dragon', the victoria peak provides the most magnificent views of the harbor and the city. We got down in the heart of the island, appropriately named central and started walking towards the garden road, passing the hong kong bank, hsbc and bank of china buildings to get to the peak tram station. the tram took about seven minutes, going up 1223 ft along side the steep hill as the view started to change. most in the tram were trying to capture the experience to keep forever in a tiny magical box...commonly called a camcorder.

the peak tower waiting in the end was dazzling in the fading light of the soon to be setting sun with numerous shops indulging tourists from near and far, the Madame Tussauds wax museum and a range of outstanding restaurants for ones dining pleasure.

...and very soon we were standing on top of the hong kong skyline!!! and the view down below was breathtaking! signs from the kowloon side, the bay was sparkling with colorful sails and each building was taller than the next, and to think...we were down there a couple minutes before.

hong "convenient" kong

2006-11-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

Friday October 27: you know the first thing i liked about hk? the fact that i could buy a pre-paid sim with minutes cheaper than the cheapest phone card, pop it in my cell and BAM...i was connected. getting around was as easy...get a three day Octopus unlimited MTR pass for HK$330 that includes two trips on Airport Express or HK$220 with one Airport Express and enough legs for KCR (another public transport service for buses and light trains)...don't forget to get a $50 refund when you return the card. maps are easy to figure out - just follow the red, green, blue or yellow line. street maps are just as easy. markets and stores are everywhere - whether you want a new camcorder (which we did) or aspirin in the middle of the night (did that too) .

...if hong kong had to choose a middle name..."convenient" would be a great pick!

memoirs of a blog

2006-11-15T23:48:00.000-08:00

since i wasn't really blogging three weeks ago when we were passing through hong kong and because i've failed to figure out how to turn back time...i thought i'll blog my trip a little late - better late than never.

So watch out...soon comes some blabber about a very vibrant Asian city, where not only east meets west but also where the line in between seem to disappear and you can't help but marvel at the peak and the parks, the skyline and the sampans...

zuned!

2006-11-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

so there's a new kid in the block now...and it ain't afraid to stir things up! the Zune is not very impressive at first sight, especially after owning and LOVING my ipod for sometime now...i didn't think the zune's a match. it's bigger, "looks like a brick" (as Mark puts it) and no kool touch pad. But the awesome thing about the zune is it's wi-fied!!! So share things up with other zunes, xbox, home entertainment without getting wired...hmmmm...

...and i hate getting wired! i'd rather be zuned!!!