The Impoverished Competition

I've been very good about not pouting that no one else here appreciates the star power of Shahrukh Khan.

But I did notice the other day that around the corner from SRK's billboard sits another billboard with another famous bollywood face for another shi-shi brand of watch - and it's the son of Amitabh, Abhishek Bachchan, pictured here.

I must say, though he might have daddy's classic good looks, as for charisma....he doesn't come close to Khan, and the face on that billboard may as well be of any reasonably handsome mortal walking the streets below. I can't imagine what the ad folks who thought he could vie with SRK had in mind. Sorry, Abhishek. You're no match for Shahrukh.

Art Meets Wonk

The Architectural League is one of those many places in my adopted hometown that so consistently and constantly produces fascinating projects that I’m often overwhelmed by its opportunities. Of all the Don’t Miss exhibitions, competitions, panels, and projects they are always offering, Architecture and Justice: Criminal Justice as Urban Exostructure is Definitely Don’t Miss.


This particular exhibition and program look at mapping incarceration and return rates in different American cities, and the policy implications of those patterns.

But it also reminds me of other policy implications in the relationship between architecture and incarceration. My work sometimes takes me to a small town upstate; the big shiny new high school is built on a site originally meant for a prison. When the town's NIMBY elements managed to block the prision, to save money the municipal authorities used the same blueprints for the prison to build the school, changing key features but also keeping the cellblock system in place. The shape of a building - at least in theory - says everything about its function, and the message to the kids who attend is obvious. That’s some policy implication.

And-
The Architectural League is housed in a gorgeous building at 457 Madison Avenue that is The Urban Center with another of my favorite NYC art-meets-wonk agencies, the Municipal Art Society, which champions urban design and planning and “believes that the physical city -- its light, air, land and open spaces -- and its sensible development are critical to New York's continued economic health and social well-being.” Check it out.

More Rx for Dubya: More Deep Breaths

I am shocked! Simply shocked, I tell you, to learn that
the U.S. may have distorted its report on Iran's nuclear program.

I shouldn't make light....but....eh. At least they didn't send poor Colin Powell out with a Power Point as Exhibit A this time round.

No response yet from DC.....

UPDATE: I'm a bad blogger and posted after reading the BBC report but not reading the U.S. report or the IAEA's reply. Let me start over.....

I am shocked, simply shocked, to learn that the U.S. DID distort its report on Iran's nuclear program. Here's the IAEA reply to the U.S. Report. Read it - it's short, and quite informative.

Do-Gooders

The cynic in me says, "Eh, right, next comes the corporate logo!" But the cule in me says, "I'm so down with Barca's new UNICEF logo!".






Plus, discovery: it's not the action photos that make coach Frank a hottie. It's the suits!

Tee Hee

From the j-school's blog, I wish I had half the attitude and half the aplomb this child sports.

Rx for Dubya: Deep Breaths

Fareed Zakaria is so f&#%ing smart, not to mention
reasonable, especially on Iran.


3 words: Secretary of State. It’s not a new idea, but Senator Obama? Senator Clinton? Are you listening?

Links are working now.

[TK: Da Bears]

stay tuned....by special request from nightgrapefuit

SRK

I can't get away from Shahrukh Khan because he's all over my nabe: most recently he's appeared on a billboard for some shi-shi brand of watch, decked out in black leather, slicked back hair, and familiar brooding pout. He's crouching, I presume to make himself slightly more accessible to the mortals he looks down upon. The ad asks: what are you made of?

Shahrukh Khan is made of about 100% charisma, but my thing for him started as distaste. Not only am I too old for and was never really prone to worshipping superstars (til futbol, that is), but I used to get intermittently and somewhat unwillingly dragged to Bollywood films. These were almost always too long, too musical, and too melodramatic for me to really enjoy. And for melodrama, Shahrukh seemed to me the worst. It's as if he studied all the subtle facial gestures of classical Indian dance forms and interpreted each as impishly, even vulgarly, as possible. Too far away and over the top for me. So relegated to a regular diet of Bollywood, I took a little solace in the more elegant, lowkey, and mature Amitabh Bachan. Classically handsome, understated - Amitabh (who was just in town, kind of) was the opposite of Shahrukh's histrionic prettyboy.

I don't remember when this changed - maybe the black combat pullover worn in Mian Hoon Na did it, or maybe the dancing in the streets of Flushing, from Kal Ho Naa Ho. Whenever. I cringe to admit it, but at some point, all the invisible, cumulative power of SRK finally got to me.

That I would like to think I'm too grown-up and above getting all distracted by some supposed hottie superstar on celluloid makes me all the more appalled when I find myself pretending not to be looking at all the SRK posters in all the video shops down the street. And this recent Guardian interview makes him all the more appealing. Not many other megastars would, in contrast to complaining about sacrificing their privacy or ability to travel in peace, admit to loving that they need 6 bodyguards everywhere they go (but only 2 in most parts of the UK and US), and that they live for the adulation and attention of their one billion fans. Also, evidence of: smarts (Econ degree!), progressive-ness (he's Muslim, married to a Hindu), and generous (contributes a great deal of the ridiculous amounts of money he makes to charitable causes)!

SRK claims there are tons of better-looking Bollywood actors than him. But it's not true: take an already ridiculously handsome or beautiful person, add that much of the invisible, omnipotent ingredient that is charisma, and you've got what gods are made of.

Obit

Everyone's probably heard by now, but Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was killed yesterday by a (usually docile) stingray while shooting a documentary.

When I had cable, his show was don't miss TV. Sure, he seemed to get too close too easily to really dangerous animals a lot of the time, but I loved his dorky and infinite sense of wonder and awe in the face of all those crocs, deadly snakes, and other creatures as only a former wanna-be zoologist, or maybe a child, could.

Proving that there's an obit ready to go for anyone who is anyone, the Beebs' Irwin obit is here, but doesn't mention how he died.

UPDATE: Here's a much better obit/tribute to the man, and it's from one of my least favorite news sources, The New York Times.