Coat Hooks

It all started with this post from Cool Mom Picks talking about this cool little Robot Coat Hook. My curiosity was piqued and I decided to do some research into other cool, interesting coat hooks. Seems like a lot of people had the same question.

Check out this post from ApartmentTherapy.com - responding to a user question about.."cool coat hooks."
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-cool-coat-rack-for-picky-people-008144

If your taste is a little bit more wacky and out there, I loved some of these in this post on weburbanist.com
http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/03/coat-racks-and-modern-hat-rack-designs/

Although I couldn't find a picture on the site, my local favorite is Kasala and I remember seeing some nice coat hooks there.
Finally, I need to confess that on my last trip to Vancouver, BC, we stumbled upon this shop - NOOD (it stands for New Objects of Desire) and I ended up buying a few of their Hangmen coat hooks, mostly because I thought the name was cute. The hooks themselves are pretty cute but they are sitting in the cabinet, waiting to be put up and actually be of use in the house. So browse, enjoy and if you end up getting some stuff, hang it up right away!

Growing Up

Mom and Dad left for India after 3 months with us in Seattle - time to grow up and take charge of my life again. Magical, how responsibility has a way of spurring action. When I knew Mom would take care of breakfast and lunches for the kids, I struggled to wake at 7:30 AM, today I was up at 5:30 AM - we'll see how long this lasts.
Before they left, we snuck in a trip to Mt Rainier - awesome, in the literal sense of the word. Every time I venture out to explore, I am awed at the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and wonder why I don't get out more. Check out some pics of the trip.

The Middle East has dominated the news for the weekend. Of course the elections in Iran are top of mind. I saw a small group of people gathered near the Bellevue Square Mall, protesting the elections. I honked in support but would like to do more. As the protests get louder, the crackdown gets harsher. What's more fascinating is watching the events play out in the social media. Check out the photos on Flickr. There are also Twitter updates and Facebook pages devoted to the issue. Go to Salon.com for a first hand, on the ground account of the post election reality in Iran. Here is a protest video on Youtube


In case you were heralding the speech of Israeli President Netanyahu recognizing the two state solution, here is an analysis of why the statements leave a lot to be desired before we can recognize a maturity in the Israel-Palestine relations.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Tingle Stools and Sno-Cone Cocktails

It is HOT in Seattle these days and no, I am NOT going to complain. Even though there is no air conditioning at most homes and my car is usually burning up after I return to it from shopping or work or anything, I will still not complain about the glorious, wondrous heat. With the hot weather come (hopefully) outdoor BBQs, deck parties and summery cocktails. So here is the daily round up for summery days ahead.

Head over to Design*Sponge today to check out these tingle stools by luxxbox. She provides a full rundown of why she likes them - all valid reasons. I love the colors - very cute and modern. I went to the luxxbox site and found other interesting stuff too.

Stay on design*sponge and check out the Before and After Makeover of this bedroom. I couldn't do this if Puneet took a yearlong business trip, forget 2 weeks. But if you are artistically inclined, get inspired and get going.

Check out the Gourmet magazine site to find the recipe for Madras cocktail. It looks like a snocone & you can tell me how it tastes.

Next stop - Apartment Therapy. I loved this article on summer drinks and lovely dispensers for them.

Hope you have fun enjoying these summer finds. I'm off to a training today and then helping out at Arjun's school for "Taste of Japan" They have octopus on the menu - hopefully my kids will be more adventurous eaters than me. Have a sunny, warm weekend.

Charity & Empathy

My parents are visiting from India and in the true fashion of grandparents everywhere, they have done all they can to spoil the kids in the 3 months they have spent with us. Not too long ago, Dad gave Arjun, my year old (6 and 3 quarters, actually) $20, ostensibly so he could buy more toys to add to his overflowing closet or more candy for his plaque-ridden teeth. Anyway, Arjun came back from school a week later and informed everyone that he had donated the entire amount, plus a few dollars from his 4 year old sister's savings (with her permission, of course) to "Pennies for Peace", a charity his school is running to support schools and education in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mom, seeing her $20 or close to Rs 1000, go down the drain, threw a fit and told Arjun that money was for him. She further advised him that you donate minimal amounts to charity - a dollar or two. Arjun promptly, and indignantly, responded, "Nani, is it more important for me to have stuff or for the kids in Afghanistan to get an education? If I donated a dollar, only kid would get an education, now 20 kids can."
So, understandably, Mom had nothing to say and is now bragging to one and all about her grandson's benevolence. I have to admit, my first reaction when I heard of his magnanimity, was also to say, "What, the entire $20?" But I came to see the wisdom of his ways and had to pat his back and admire his clarity and prioritization.

Saanya, last night, told me she watched a movie in school about a magic school bus. She said some kid went to space and rather, misguidedly, removed his helmet in space and his head froze "like a popsicle". She went on to say,"It was very sad, Mommy."
"Really, Saanya? What did you do when you felt sad?" She looked at me puzzled and then said,"Nothing. It was a movie, Mom."
Lesson #2 - Do not get involved in a movie. The sad scene is, just ...a...movie.

Thembi Ngubane Yesterday on NPR, I heard this story of a brave young woman who succumbed to AIDS. But before that, she kept a radio diary for NPR. I heard a few excerpts and choked up. Listen to it on the NPR website - helps put things in perspective.


I made it to the gym yesterday after a few weeks and noticed a change. In between the lockers there used to be long benches . Those have now been replaced by stand along stools - two between each row of lockers. Apparently, sharing a common bench where anyone could place their gym stuff got too much for the patrons of the elite gym. For the emphasis placed on teaching kids to "share", the adults in America are pretty lousy at it. Personal Space and the ultimate importance of it in American life is a concept I first noticed this when I rode the Metro North or the Long Island Rail Road in New York. Throughout the crowded trains, all the 3 seat seats would hold two people, sitting on far ends and hiding behind their newspapers, magazines, iPods - anything to avoid random conversation. People would stand for upwards of an hour but not sit on the middle seats. I did that once - just for fun and made the two men around me so uncomfortable. They wanted to leave so bad but the seat rightfully belonged to them - I was the interloper. They stuck it out that day but I'm sure they took long showers after they got home - touching another human being - the horror!!

In the Air France story, 2 bodies have been recovered from Atlantic Ocean. Also emerging is some noise about Airbus having issued an advisory about some equipment on the plane. There is the usual denying of wrongdoing and CYA (cover your a**). Of course, nothing's going to bring back the people lost. The entire story gives me the chills when I think about how dependent we are on corporations doing the right thing. BBC reports that the plane actually sent 24 error messages in the minutes before it disappeared. Here's the full story.

assalam alaikum

President Obama gives his historic speech in Cairo..I heard someone on Fox say that she thought she was at an MTV concert, as if that was a bad thing!! Well, actually, I take that back. I dont know how anyone over..lets say 25 could feel at home at an MTV concert, let along someone that wold be invited to Fox. Anyway, I loved his greeting. Call me provincial, call me petty but I'm willing to give a chance to anyone who say Sat Sri Akal to me.


On a personal note, I met with some old colleagues today. We got talking about how I like my new job - still at Microsoft but different group. Here's the great epiphany for today - I don't have to LOVE my job (not saying that I don't) but anyway, as long as the job can keep me engaged, give me interesting stuff to do and have smart people around me who can teach me a thing or two, it's all good. That seems like a lot to ask from a job but believe it or not I at least have always wanted more. So here's the gist of the discussion today from a few old timers ( read older and wiser)
1. Learn to Settle - You do not need to LOVE your job - you just need to like it enough
2. Look for the right things - As long as you can get things done and keep moving forward, its all good. End of the day, you need something to hang your hat on. Busy work is no good. Free office supplies cannot make up for job content.
3. Get some hobbies - Having other things going in life is a good thing - it'll keep you from obsessing about your job
4. It's all about YOU - Worry about what you need to get done, stop obsessing about what's fair- if you're thinking about what others are doing, chances are you're not going to be in job bliss
5. Get efficient about your work - that means planning your calendar, planning your communications and limiting the time you're available to your team. 24/7 access is NOT a good thing.
6. Stick Around - All the superstars/rising stars I've observed around me are folks who are smart but have also been around the company or the industry for some time. So do not throw up your hands and walk out the minute it gets boring or stupid or hard. Of course, when you've given it your all and things are not working, time to start looking.

Weisure Anyone?

So, CNN has an article today about "Weisure Time" - leisure and work. Check it out here - but tell me this, is this news to you? Sadly (or not), its the way our life has been for some time now. I've tried and failed repeatedly to create a computer free zone or time in my house and it doesn't happen. I have a permanent crick in my shoulder from keyboard and trackpad use, Puneet would start hyperventilating if I took his iPhone away from him and my kids will clean their room from top to bottom if I promise them 30 min on the computer. On our last vacation, Puneet conducted an interview en route and we were both working nonstop in Cancun, Mexico. Doesn't look like it, huh? Well, that's the trick.



Along with sunnier climes outside, things at Microsoft are also looking good. I am loving the new Search Engine - Bing. If you have not already, check it out- GO NOW! It's getting great reviews and the pictures on the home page with the little mouseover nuggets are pretty awesome. I love it - tell me what you think.
Also head on over to BBC.com to check out this article on Microsoft's new controller for XBox. And if you want to know more, just Bing it! Join the Facebook Bing fan club. Here's a video