faking polaroids

There is this fun program that will develop your digital photos a la polaroid. Check it out! The instructions are in french, but basically, you download the app, drag it to your app folder, and then drag a photo over the poladroid icon and you'll see a little camera pop up on your desktop and your photos will be spit out with sounds effects and all. Oh, and you can shake them back and forth to get them to develop more quickly. You'll know the development is complete when you see a little red ribbon appear on the photo. The file will then be in the same location as the original image file but with a "-pola.jpg" file extension. I got started with a few photos from the archive, but I'll definitely be using this app again soon...

in Exmoor, England:

at the New York Botanical Garden:


view from the roof of the Met Museum:


found here

Alexander Calder: The Paris Years

I visited the Whitney Museum tonight and happily fell upon the Calder in Paris exhibit. I have heard about Calder's circus but saw it for the first time as part of this exhibit. It's so good to see an artist's work in context and here were the wire sculptures next to the moving mobiles next to the line drawings accompanied by a movie of Calder performing his circus in the 1920s. The curators had unpacked all five suitcases worth of miniature circus and given each tiny act it's due spotlight in the galleries. I'll have to go back and spend more time with these little ones before they are packed up and moved to Paris in March.

giving thanks for fall in Central Park

SAturday was dark and dreary, it never got light and then it got dark again. The rain fell or a grey mist hung about. But Sunday gave us the perfect autumn day. I headed to Central Park, camera in hand, to catch some photos of the fall colors. When I got there I noticed everyone else had their cameras in hand doing exactly the same thing. It was simply the right thing to do given the weather . In fact, when I called a friend to come meet me she was already headed out the door for the park with camera (and tripod) in tow. some people are more prepared than others...

this is my version of the shot Kathleen was taking, would like to see how hers turns out!

The "north woods" have never been so crowded!

I wanted to find a Japanese maple for a rich red, but these trees were all the red I needed...

These folks looked like they were on their way to grandmother's house...

It seems we captured the supernatural in this one.

and then it was dark. Knish Nosh anyone?

The morning after...

"The verdict is in. Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States. What a spectacular affair this has been! I have always been interested in the political process but I have never felt so deeply attached to an individual’s political aspirations. The fact that I am ineligible to vote did not prevent me from feverishly checking the polls every two hours, watching political news all evening, reading Editorials and Op-eds on almost every political site, and still craving for more. And I know that I was not alone. In the manner in which he conducted his campaign and conveyed his message over 21 months, Mr. Obama was able to catalyze a political awakening that I have not witnessed in a long time. Though historic in many regards, this revived political consciousness is perhaps the most precious product of this election and preserving it will be Mr. Obama’s greatest challenge. "
-Ram

Democracy wins!

We watched the results come in with Annie of the west side. Really, either win is a win for democracy...

New York doesn't hand out stickers for those who voted so I made our own. And one for the Tamilian who couldn't vote.

happy halloween from cold spring harbor labs

I'm spending halloween at a conference at cold spring harbor labs. Not very festive but beautiful nonetheless. The graduate school here was founded by James Watson and he still hangs around, though he's no longer running the place. I saw him in the bar tonight in costume. CSHL is located on an inlet of Long Island sound, it's very quiet and peaceful. The leaves are in their glory and we are staying in little cabins perched in the woods and connected by a network of boardwalks. Oh, and the science is great too.

The perks of the season

exhibit A: licking the plates clean after apple crisp: with Joeli (neighbor) and Yoshi (in town from Boston)


exhibit B: friends help us celebrate Diwali, festival of lights

The Madabhushis Endorse!

Ram has submitted an article and my editorial board deem it suitable for publication. 

With about a week until the 2008 presidential election, we have heard what Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama perceive as the important issues they will address if they secure the mandate of the American people – jobs, taxes, energy independence, health care, social security, and a foreign policy that will boost national security and advance American interests in the world. Having considered their agendas, we have decided to support Mr. Obama’ s candidacy. Several reasons underlie our decision:

1. On the Economy - Most economists and politicians agree that a sustained deregulation of financial institutions is largely responsible for the current economic woes. Addressing these problems has required direct intervention of the government, with new programs and measures being announced on almost a daily basis to stimulate the flow of credit and to restore confidence in the financial markets. These prevailing conditions suggest that under the next administration, ensuring economic growth will require a more influential role for the government, not less. Of course, financial institutions must be subject to appropriate regulation and government spending must be carefully monitored. More importantly, however, it would require the government to take initiatives to resuscitate ailing industries and services as well as to identify and harness (by providing incentives) new technologies and sectors to create jobs and jumpstart the economy. Will all this increase government spending? Of course, it will. But responsible spending now is a necessary investment to achieve economic prosperity in the long run.
From the perspective of the presidential candidates, Mr. Obama seems more likely than Mr. McCain in providing leadership to achieve these objectives. During the presidential debates, Mr. McCain’s solutions to the economic crisis were limited to his support for lower taxes and an unsubstantiated assurance of a “spending freeze”. However, Mr. McCain’ s tax cuts already exist under the Bush administration and they have not resulted in the desired economic growth. In fact, the economic situation worsened because these tax cuts were coupled to deficit financing by the Bush administration of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since Mr. McCain has no plans to end the war in Iraq, decreasing government revenue with tax cuts would be quite irresponsible. Moreover, if Mr. McCain advocates a “spending freeze” how will he deliver those 40 new nuclear plants (costing about $400 billion) that he proposed as key to achieving energy independence? How will he improve education standards and promote scientific research that will directly impact economic growth? In contrast to these, by utilizing a tax policy that will increase government revenue without increasing the tax burden on the middle class, by ending the war in Iraq, and in supporting investment in education and scientific research, Mr. Obama’s policies are more likely to provide the economic direction we need.

2. On Foreign Policy – Much of the foreign policy debate has centered on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, curbing Iranian influence, and dealing with Russia. On Iraq, Mr. McCain has repeatedly claimed that his proposed military surge has succeeded in curbing sectarian violence in Iraq. However, everyone including Gen. Petraeus agrees that the delicate gains made by the surge are easily reversible without a political solution between the Shiites, Sunnis, and the Kurds. Mr. McCain offers no plans of how he would broker this political settlement. He has assured the American people that he will bring the troops home “in honor” and upon achieving “victory”. Yet, he has failed to specify what “victory” means in this regard. In contrast, Mr. Obama’ s position to withdraw American troops is more likely to allow Iraq to take control of its sovereignty and encourage them to reach a political agreement. On Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is where the threat to American national security really resides, Mr. Obama’s position is more aggressive than Mr. McCain and is more likely to yield favorable results. Dealing with Iran is tricky because any measure to curb Iranian influence will likely hinge on the support of Russia and China. Ensuring Russian support on the issue of Iran while dealing with increasing Russian influence in the former Soviet republics will require diplomatic maneuvering and support from the international community. This support has been dwindling due to the continuation of an unpopular war in Iraq – A scenario that is unlikely to change in a McCain administration. For the US to improve its leverage in the international community would require it to change its course in Iraq and be willing to adopt a more diplomatic route in dealing with its adversaries and Mr. Obama has demonstrated that he is willing to do just that.

3. On Presidential Temperament – This election will perhaps be decided more by the public’s impression of the candidates’ temperament than by their positions on either the economy or foreign policy. We have witnessed many situations during the course of this extended presidential contest that allow the assessment of Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama’ s temperament. The most prominent examples that differentiate the candidates involve their choice of running mates and in their approach during discussions that led to the $700 billion rescue package. Mr. McCain, the 72 year-old cancer survivor picked (or was pressured to pick) Gov. Sarah Palin, whom he met only once and whose lack of understanding on almost every relevant issue has been well documented. On the other hand, Mr. Obama selected Sen. Biden, whose experience in the senate and on the foreign relations committee strengthens Mr. Obama’ s candidacy. Then there is that drama, which unfolded when Mr. McCain suspended his campaign and cancelled his appearance at the presidential debate and went to Washington to address the nation’s financial crisis when he knew he could do little more than be a passive by-stander in the proceedings. He ended up doing just that during the course of his meetings in Washington. In contrast, Mr. Obama decided to remain largely above the fray, detailed his plans to address the criss and ultimately came out looking stronger and more competent to tackle the country’s economic problems.

All said, we find Mr. Obama to be a more suitable candidate than Mr. McCain on the some of the most important aspects that will define the success of a president of the United States.

(Mary again) I am not one to voice my political opinions but my dear husband will speak of nothing else, so I'm learning to be more outspoken in this regard. If I'm timid in conversation I'm even more hesitant to put it in writing on my blog. But I'm posting an earful of it here and now. As I unleash Ram's treatise, I would also like to add my tender reasoning in short: I'm a republican voting for Obama. I see McCain as a bully and I can't forgive his VP pick anytime soon. I think It's time to give the other guys (democrats) a go at things. Even if in theory I like a small government, neither side will give us that so let's go with the straightforward, earnest and starry-eyed Senator Obama.

two sides of the issue

Or at least two sides of the EAst River. Recently I had a bout of nostalgia for my old neighborhood across the river. I took this photo last week from a roof in MIdtown looking towards Greenpoint, Brooklyn:

And here are some photos from the (film!) archive. From my Greenpoint rooftops towards Manhattan: from Nassau Ave apt you can see the Empire State building in the distance:

And from the Clifford Place apt you can see the Chrysler building. These are from a rooftop picnic with roommate and sister Annie and our little neighbor and friend
Maddie...

It was fun to hop across the rooftops from one building to another all the way down the block. This roof also functioned as a guest bedroom when cousin Mark came and stayed with us...

Mango chutney recipe

Most chutneys combine a sweet and a spicy or sweet and sour. There is no sweet in this one. We've served it many times to different friends and everyone loves it. So I thought I'd post the recipe here...

Here's Ram's own recipe for a sour, spicey, tangy mango chutney.

Ingredients:
1 raw mango (green and hard)
2 c grated coconut (unsweetened)
¼ t Turmeric
3 small green chilis
1 T oil
½ t cumin seeds
½ t mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoteida (optional)
1 red chili (optional)
3 curry leaves
cilantro to garnish
salt to taste

1. Peel and cut the raw mango into cubes
2. Soak the grated coconut in water for 5 minutes
3. Mix mango, coconut, turmeric, and green chilis and blend to a paste
4. Heat the oil in a pan
5. Add cumin, mustard seeds to hot oil. When the seeds begin to splutter, add red chili, asafoteida, and curry leaves
6. Immediately add the blended paste
7. Cook for 3 minutes
8. Add salt to taste
9. Garnish with cilantro and serve with papadam if you have them!

PS. the chutney would look a bit different had our blender not broken mid-prep. Imagine it more of a consistent paste than the one shown.

Farewell Catherine!

This one's a hoot. I followed her around today documenting her shenanigans...
in the market at Grand Central Station:
in the Metropolitan Museum Egyptian wing:


on the roof of their midtown digs:

in the subway:

Indian summer: Brooklyn

outside the public library on Fourth Ave:


peeking in to a Prospect Park meadow:

a view of the boathouse and Audubon Center:

inside the boathouse and Audubon Center:


View of the Lullwater bridge:

Ania on the Lullwater Bridge (well placed fallen leaf in hair):

It was a beautiful day today in Brooklyn. I saw my first fall leaves and wandered through Prospect Park. Prospect park was designed by the same two men(Olmstead and Vaux) who designed Central Park so the details and expanses and meandering paths are characteristic and familiar. I have explored Central Park so exhaustively that wandering through her Brooklyn counterpart reminded me of that dream where you discover a new room in your home that you never knew you had...

the beautiful sister

Last weekend she was competing in the half Iron Man in Austin and this weekend she is dangling from my fire escape, does this girl really have 4 kids?!

Dasara = a holiday to worship books??

Well, It's another Indian festival and I am trying to figure this one out based on Ram's scant explanation. When I cross reference these festivals online I always find that it's celebrated differently by others but here's what's going on in our apartment today:
I found a book had been removed from our bookcase and placed in front of a painting with a little sprinkling of temple rice on top. You are supposed to choose a book (or more) and set them in front of an image of the goddess Saraswati for three days while they receive a special blessing from her. In our case the book was in front of a painting of me(?) but I found this image of Saraswati in our little book of Hindu dieties to complete the story here. Ram says when he was little they would always choose the textbook for the class they least wanted to study because once the book was set aside they didn't have to worry about studying that subject for the duration of the festival. Hmm, in this case he chose a book that neither of us would have picked up anyway. Happy Dasara!

President Uchtdorf on Creativity

Here's a loose summary of what President Uchtdorf talked about in the general relief society broadcast last saturday night.

"Everyone can create. You don't need money, position or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty, ...creativity extends far beyond the limits of canvas or sheet of paper and does not require a brush, a pen or the keys of a piano.

Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you..."

This, my friends, explains why I took such satisfaction in color coding my bookshelf earlier last week. It was the middle of the night, I couldn't sleep, I had had a terrible no good very bad day.

I'm not proposing this as a solution to the world's problems, just mine that day.

Mystery Man at the debate

Ever since seeing The Sphinx in the movie Mystery Men I am tickled when I hear people use sphinxisms. I always hear a lot during our church's general conference, and I work them into my own conversation whenever I can.

So you can imagine my glee during the debate tonight when McCain had two of them:

 This is not the end of the beginning but the beginning of the end. (?)

We came to power to change government and the government changed us. 

And the former President Clinton had one recently that actually worked for me:

Lead not by the example of our power but by the power of our example.

photo translation

We got a new tv which gave me the excuse to do a bit of rearranging at home. (If I could I would do this monthly) I saw this beautiful photo of the sea in England (right) and channeled it into our living room (left) using a month of my old scheufelen wall calendar.

Anniversary of the attacks

So many New Yorkers died this day seven years ago I feel the need to remember the lessons learned that day.

Going about the city right after the attacks I saw flyers for many of them. Lamposts, and bulletin boards were fluttering with missing persons ads. This was before the families/friends really knew or had accepted their loved ones' fates. So they put up missing person notices which included a smiling photo of the loved one - at a wedding or a birthday party- having a good time- as well as a description of their features and any tatoos or birth marks and something about their family. MOther of two or married last year... Then the contact info of the next of kin to facilitate a reunion.

As the days wore on and it became clear the missing were in fact the dead it was eery to see all the flyers. Now they were more like tombstones with photos - like the city was a big cemetary and those of us who were left were attending the funeral, reminiscing about each of them.
I would look around me at school or work or on the subway and imagine how those around me would have been summed up on a missing person flyer. After having gone through this morbid exercise, I was motivated to treat them with respect while we were still alive and together. Before it was too late. In short I glimpsed the humanity and mortality of our situation. We are in this together.

Mountain Home

I uploaded some pictures from our recent family reunion in Aspen Grove, UT. All interested parties should please click here

The Poconos

I visited the Skytop Lodge this weekend in the Poconos as part of a grad school retreat. The resort had a number of activities offered including lawn bowling, cutting gardens, archery, and an elimination dance every saturday night. It was very lovely and felt like stepping back in time. Really, it's always so nice to get out of the city...beyond subways and trains and horns.
Dahlias

Ania

Borko carrying a big stick

Li battling swarming flies

(I'm having fun with the iphoto special effects!)