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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Saturday In The Park


Movement was what I needed. I decided to walk Piedmont Park in the cool Atlanta Autumn weather. There were Rugby players, couples holding hands, joggers, dogs and their owners and moms pushing strollers that must have been thinking the same thought. I arrived just as the produce vendors were packing up from the weekly farmer's market at Piedmont Park. The vendor's spoke about new restaurants bidding for their produce delivery. A truck backed up to pick up a large crate of produce that was going back to the warehouse. Beep...beep....beep....loud and cautionary.  As I strolled, stopping here and there to steal a moment in my camera lens, I feel a sense of a bigger picture unfolding. I embrace the sensation, smile coyly as I pass people and capture it.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Thunder & Lightning


(Created September 20, 2009)
It has been raining for days. Tonight the levee broke. Opposing teams of thunder clouds ridden by Titans rode through my sky. Its been "a comin". The rain had not committed yet. A little here, a little there. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. General Titan let his lightweights feel it out before he rode into town. His opponent had the same strategy in play. Classic  Sun Tsu. It was magnificent. Supernatural. An ode to the powers of nature and it's omnipotent majestic creator. Reminding me that I am small. As small as a grain of sand in a vast unexplainable universe-that I love without understanding. I don't feel the need to understand it either. I just need to feel it. The wind whipping around me as I strain  not to be swayed,the rain hitting my face and changing direction as directed by the wind. The deafening thunder as the storm gets closer to where I stand. Catching a lightning strike in a breathtaking moment as I see it strike down to the ground and shoot upwards the exact path it descended from. Anticipation of the next boom that quakes the air. The rolling thunder in the background that inevitably crescendos into that crackle and boom. Kinetic energy is ripping through the atmosphere.I close my eyes to get further lost in it.
I am alive.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Smart Shopping

ShopSavvy 
an android app designed to search the net for the best price on any item by scanning it's barcode on your phone's built in camera. The app allows you to search reviews, create wish lists and receive price alerts on your phone. You can also review a history of products you've scanned.
Snaptell
An android app that allows you to snap a picture of an item or an advertisement and upload it onto Snaptell's website where users review price and performance.
Amazon App for Android
free app from Amazon that allows users to snap a picture of an item by barcode on their phone and send it to Amazon's search engine. 

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Atlanta In Perspective

I took these photographs in Atlanta, yesterday.
I had a different perspective.
I was looking for angles.
And I found them.


Friday, October 16, 2009

Office Transparency


Transparency is everywhere along with salaries and interview Q & A from  anonymous employees.
  Glassdoor.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Why does looking good have to hurt so bad?

Today I went to the mall.
The weather, here in Atlanta, was rainy. Perfect for a day indoors, perusing new things.
I wore my brown suede boots I bought in London.
I made my rounds at some of my favorite stores first; Bloomies, Facconable , Anthropologie, J. Crew, Urban Outfitters for what I call "the funkies", and Sephora.
I took a long walk around the mall and realized my toes were going numb. A little while longer and the pads of my feet started to hurt.
The boots! The boots I bought in London! How could this be? A perfectly pointed toe in a smooth sable brown buttery suede with the most perfect silver bit at the boot top opening. Why??!!!
I remember the day I bought them in Londontown. It was a beautiful summer day and I had just had a pasty for lunch..............(the sound of a vinyl record scratch) Stop.  Ok, Ok, I will spare you the details. I just want to remember how great it felt before I knew how painful they were going to feel.
Now my pretty brown Londontown boots will be spared the long excursions by foot. They will be categorized in the "Looks good. Feels bad." section of my closet.
Sounds like some of the men I've dated........

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Billy, An Impromptu Meeting

So this afternoon, I decide to visit one of my favorite places to eat a casual lunch, Theo's, at The Avenue in West Cobb. I had the absolute best chocolate brioche and cappuccino and the weather was just perfect for lunch al fresco.
A couple pull up in a red Smartcar. It reminds me of Europe.
I am working on my laptop, reviewing the top news of the day which was ,of course, the passing of the Baucus Bill by The House.  I am aware the bill will go through countless revisions before it comes up on The Senate floor. It won't even remotely resemble the bill it is now, I fear. Nevertheless, we can move forward (sigh).
I look up from my laptop screen and notice a young man with designer sunglasses spread out in a chair talking on his cellphone. You know the kind of "alpha male"  body language that takes up as much physical space as possible, impossible to ignore or overlook. He's talking business on his phone. "Yeah, bro. Just send it to me. Im so busy, dude. I'll take a look at it when I can. Cool."
Pack of Marlboro Lights on the table, Fendi glasses, etc. etc.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
He is young and aggressive and hungry. He lights a cigarette. He is from California. Just here in Georgia for a couple of months and then back to Cali. He's in radio......production, he says. He's got a big contract. Gonna make alot of money. Yeah, ok,  it's his story.   We start talking about traveling. He lights another cigarette. Tokyo, Copenhagen, Germany, Hong Kong.  I try to throw him by saying, "So when are you taking me?" All of a sudden it got really quiet.
I think I heard a cricket.
We talk about alot of things. Politics and religion. Surprising, because I just met him and they are usually taboo subjects no matter how well I know someone. Today was different. He said he believed in heaven. I said, "The journey is the reward and there is a heaven." And flicks his Bic lighter to light another cigarette. He referred to Buddhism stating proudly, "I believe in "Boody-ism" I smiled.  I'll blame my inability to be annoyed on the weather. He curses too much. A sign of insecurity, trying a little too hard to get the point across. Trying to shock me. I've been around enough "wiseguys" to be immune to the language. The conversation turns lighter. We talk about where to go in Atlanta to have a good time. He mentions Va. Highlands. In congruent to the image he is trying to portray. He's not playing the Highlands type. Other small talk and although I was amused, I knew if I didn't get up and get on my way, it would go on longer. He compliments me. He says he likes blondes and that I look good. I smile again. Who is this kid? He tells me he has a place in midtown. Billy, don't be a hero. Although you are amusing I need substance. Real substance but thanks for the entertainment.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Highest Common Denominator Of President Barack Obama

 All I could think about, when I heard of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win, was this interview of former U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan, by TIME magazine.

When former Secretary General Annan is asked, "Do you think the election of President Barack Obama has brought changes in the world's perception of the U.S.?" His response reveals what the Nobel Peace Prize will do to President Obama's already high expectations.
"I think we all need to help him succeed, and we should start by reducing expectations.  High expectations can cause problems for politicians."
 
Kofi Annan's 10 questions interview TIME magazine

The pressure cooker whistle is now screaming in full boil.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Travel Buzz in North Africa

Marrakech, Morocco
Recently opened swanky hotels, sumptuous restaurants and hip bars now compliment the traditional snake charmers, souks and old section, Medina.
Talk about a dichotomy.....grit and glamour, hedonism and faith mingle.
The country is in the middle of a growth spurt due to it's monarch, King Mohammed VI who has been improving the country's infrastructure.
Riads are Moroccan residences traditionally designed built around a courtyard with windows facing inward. 
Where to stay?
Try here....
Maison MK
La Mamounia
Riad Noir d'Ivoire

Where to dine?
How about here....
Dar Marjana traditional Moroccan dining experience
Bo-Zin trendy but pricey outdoor lounge
Le Comptoir decadent lounge style club and restaurant

Saluum Aleikhum

Shrinking Luxury


For the first time in a decade, Neiman Marcus's annual Christmas Fantasy Gift List does not include a gift with a seven to eight figure price tag. Take a peak...
Neiman Marcus 2009 Christmas Fantasy Gift List

Wednesday, October 7, 2009