Thought Clouds
The Digital Bender

Elephant , originally uploaded by LotusGem . I was surprised with this elephant in the parking lot yesterday. It was parked in the space next to my parking space. That parking space has been empty a long while, eversince my neighbour in apartment 665 moved out. Of course, seeing an elephant there makes you think of a few things and make a few assumptions. For instance, I assumed that the apartment next to me has been taken by someone. And I assumed that that some one is an Indian, because he drives an elephant. Turns out I was wrong. The guy is Yemeni. He is from Yemen. I didn't know they had that model in Yemen. I thought I would post this picture here for you to meet my new car neighbour.

Pipe dream , originally uploaded by LotusGem . Pipes. I call this "Pipe dream". One of my favorites. I don't know which category of photography this falls under. But I'm guessing abstract is probably the closest. UPDATE What is a pipe dream? A pipe dream is a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve. The term derives from the opium pipe, and dates to the late nineteenth century when opium smoking was common in the United States. More specifically, the term derives from the euphoric optimism that is one of the effects of smoking high quality opium. Depending on how much opium is smoked, intoxication may last from eight to twelve hours. During this time smokers go through a period of euphoria followed by a more relaxed state of contentment and well being. Beginning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, popular literature and music began using the term "pipe dream" to describe any idea or plan whose...

If you love movies that make you think through out. If you enjoy finding out that you were wrong that you had figured out this movie, and was pleasantly surprise. If you like the last moment of the movie to shock you and keep you staring at the scrolling credits for minutes. Watch " The Prestige " Guaranteed bit of fun.

I spent last Saturday having all sorts of aquatic fun in the Sheraton with a friend, and I did a very stupid thing. In fact, I did a series of things that edge on total deliberate idiocy. I spent the hours between 11AM and 2:30PM under the sun, with degrees around 40-45c. In and out of the water, laying on my chair and floating on a mattress in the sea. Needless to say I was starting to feel a little heat beneath my skin, in the flesh, so I decided to spend sometime in the Jacuzzi, which now I know isn't a very good idea. Not that I was clueless before doing it, which puts “deliberate idiocy” above in context. Towards the late afternoon, I moved under the shaded area near the pool which wasn't as bad. But I could feel the heat of the sun roasting my shoulders and legs through the holes in the canopy above. And though it wasn’t really doing that, but in my mind here is it what it all looked like: A blindingly bright laser penetrating through my skin and scorching the flesh and m...

In a previous post I complained about not having much to do this summer and that it will be a lonely and boring time. This turned out to be untrue. A comment on the post changed that. Mr. Mohammad posted that I should come to a local photo shoot for a competition organized by members of a local online community on http://www.qatarliving.com/ . I went that day, met a lot of nice people and took a few photos. I joined the group when I went home and submitted a few of my photos, some old and some new. And surprise surprise, I won . They gave a Pro flickr account and the responsibility to organize and judge the next competition. Which gives something to worry about outside working hours. If any of you reading this are in Qatar. Please go to http://www.qatarliving.com/ and join the team, and lets see you in the next photo shoot. It really is not a cutthroat competition, its more of a social gathering.