For almost as long as there has been a concept of the tribe, or of civilization, people have gathered.  Gathered to share the experiences that shape who they are and who they aspire to be.  They congregated around the campfires that lit the darkness of night; they congregated in the common rooms and taverns of yesteryear; and today, they congregate in the cafes and lounges of the world.

From Shanghai to London and on from there to New York and Tokyo, millions sit with one-another and share of themselves.  They share meals, drinks, and… Hookahs.  They laugh, they cry, they fall in love, and they forge new relationships—all as the Hookah is passed from person-to-person, a ritual rooted in our common history.

Now, as we boldly embark on the journey towards our common future, the people and the cultures’ that sustain them have evolved, and though tastes and habits may have changed, the underlying purpose—connection—remains the same.  It is in this landscape, which honors the traditions and rituals of connection while simultaneously meeting the needs of people living in a new age that Kaloud is born.

But what is Kaloud?

“Kala” (कला) is Hindi for Art and, when blended with the word Cloud, it Manifests the Cultural and Innovative Paradigm Shift otherwise known as –

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Breaking the Silence

These last few months since our first outing at the Playboy Mansion have been in one word… Fascinating.

I’ve spent the last 18 months working hard on developing something that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world (at least in the way I’ve envisioned it) and now this chapter is almost done.  Sparx is about to ignite a revolution and change Hookah use forever–you’re all witnesses to a paradigm shift that is more than 400 years in the making.

As I write this all the people working on Sparx are working feverishly to complete a project that everyone who has been exposed to is energized and excited by.  I’ve smoked Hookahs in everywhere from board rooms to my car, all using Sparx and not charcoal.  It makes me smile to think of what I’ll soon be able to share with all of you; what the future will mean for Hookah use and the experiences we’ll all share.

This is the beginning… this is the Art of Cloud™.

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization threw a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion called EO BEC and we were there to party with some of the greatest Entrepreneurs from around the world!

Don’t believe us… look on oh ye disbelievers and drool at the feet of the Sparx Girls™!

From Left: Sara, Georgianna, Angelica, Ryan

Homettes and Hookahs™

Sara and Her Bunny

This is The Art of Cloud™!

This is where the Magic and the Art come together

This is what great parties are made of!

Sparx Girl™ Ryan

This is just the beginning… we’ll be doing many more lounges with many more amazing products at exclusive, yet inclusive, venues around the world!  Let us know if you know of a place, maybe yours, that would be a hot spot for a Sparx Lounge…

This is the Art of Cloud™!

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Other unhealthy things are:

• Processed Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Alcohol
• Cellphone Use
• Tanning
• Too Much Fish
• Too Much Beef
• Too Much Pork
• Too Much of Anything
• Breathing In Major Cities
• Drinking Bottled Water
• Brazilian Blowouts
• Wearing Any Ed Hardy Products

And the list goes on and on… and I digress, so back to the main purpose of my discussion here: Hookahs vs. Cigarettes; Which is Healthier?

The reality is that the Hookah and the Cigarette are both worse than they need to be.  The source of this “worseness?”  The temperature at which the tobacco burns and, in the case of the Hookah, the charcoal used to burn the tobacco.

The Culprit

One of the main reasons I’m developing Sparx and investing my time, money, and energy is to create a product that can offer a better way for people to connect, share, and grow, so that we can change the world together.  The Electric Hookah Head we’re developing will change Hookahs forever and make the practice Healthier, Tastier, Easier, and Sexier.  The precision with which the Hookah tobacco will burn will cut the number of harmful compounds produced* and the total absence of coal will avoid hundreds, if not thousands, of other harmful compounds and issues.

Sparx will bring Hookah use into the mainstream so that we can all enjoy this ancient art in a better way.

This is the Art of Cloud™… this is Sparx™!

*These statements have not been verified or tested by the FDA or analogous international bodies.

The first place that I would like to profile/identify is of course London Heathrow’s Virgin Atlantic Lounge.  If you have not been here, go.  If you have been here, go back.

I Mean, C'mon!

This just looks cool… could you imagine lounging, chatting it up with fellow travelers; people that you’ve never seen before, nor will again, and puffing a Hookah.

Stunning... Simply Stunning! Well done Branson.

This place, I believe we can all agree, is a Place That Should Have Hookahs…

This is the Art of Cloud™.

The Process of Creation

So we’re in the final stages of prototyping our first Electric Hookah Head.  We’ve gone through extensive research, benchmarking, and design to make this first product introduced by Sparx to the world something meaningful, fun, and sexy…  We’ve succeeded.

In about two-weeks from now a few things will happen.  First, we’ll get our prototype delivered by the good people at the prototyping place that are producing it.  (So so exciting).  Second, we’ll be throwing a prototype party where some lucky souls will taste the future in a very real, very Sparxy way.  Third, we’ll be posting video (assuming the IP attorney is cool with that).  Fourth, the Sparx Girl™ videos (we’re in the process now… be patient Jedi) will be filmed, edited, and posted.  (I hope, it’s a lot of work yo).

So, in the meantime, enjoy life and prepare for a better world…

This is the Art of Cloud™…

The Hookah and the Friends

I want to tell you a story.  I know many such stories but I’ll tell you this one because it’s fresh in my mind and has great characters.

You may have read me talk about the power of Hookah to bring people together; to facilitate the exchange of ideas, stories, experiences, and by doing so, create incremental shifts in perception that leads to change in the world.  That being said…

I have a new web developer, my friend Kalika Yap and her company Citrus Studios (www.citrusstudios.com), to create the most ass kicking website ever!  She told me that she’s never experienced Hookah and wanted to try one to understand the culture and the product.  So me, being me, recommended a few places and based on a complex calculation of geography and quality, we chose Gypsy Cafe in Westwood to meet.  I also happened to have reconnected with my childhood friend, Nathan Merka, a guy I’ve known since I was in first grade.  And, finally, I met, at Gypsy, a young Entrepreneur by the name of Brandon Kahen.

So there, in one sitting, I had a friend that had never tried Hookah before, one of my oldest friends in the world, and the makings of a new friend all sharing Hookahs.

This was beautiful on so many levels.  Nathan got to know Kalika, we all got to know Brandon, and we all learned something at between two tables and over two Hookahs.

Let us know if you have your own Hookah Tales™…

This is the Art of Cloud™…

Our Logo - Meaning Within Meaning

In designing the logo for Sparx we wanted to create something that had multiple layers of meaning to us.  The reality is that not every logo has much meaning beyond the product or service being offered, but we’re actually proud that the Sparx logo reflects not just our products and, in the future, our services, but also who we are and what we believe.

Before I dive into our logo, I want to share a famous example of this concept.

Bavarian Motor Works aka BMW

Now famous in every corner of the world, the BMW logo is iconic, which means just seeing the familiar blue, white, and black shapes, evoke every emotion we attach to this brand.  Whether you hate or love the brand, BMW’s brand recognition is exists on a level with other brands like Apple, Coke, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam (yes, religions are branded as well…), and Sparx (someday ).

But back to the BMW logo.  The logo is supposed to be an airplane propeller flying through the sky.  Below is an early inception of this concept:

BMW Brand Evolution

When they started, BMW made motorcycles (they still do) and they wanted to represent their engineering mastery by pointing to, what was at that time, the pinnacle of cutting-edge engineering: airplanes, and by extension, their engines.  As time progressed, BMW stayed true to their “Why,” or purpose, better than almost any other brand.

They consistently innovate new features on cars and their engineering is unparalleled.  These two aspects of their brand development have created an almost fanatically loyal consumer (read as fan) base.  BMW owners gather around the world to host BMW Fests and to exchange ideas and show off their “babies.”  Though other companies try to emulate this success, few are even capable.

The Sparx logo is…

A multi-level representation of what our company is and who we are.

As i describe the logo imagine an inverted cone that transitions from what we make to the heart of my aspirations as a human being…

The Sparx Brand Cone

The black color in the Sparx logo represents Charcoal, the brown the Fire under the Ash and the grey the Dead Ash.  The Orange represents a Glowing Ember and the Red is Fire.  The shape is an abstract representation of Birth-Death-and-Rebirth, all dancing around each other.

Our first product (coming soon) is an Electric Hookah Head that will add heat to produce the smoke (Birth), turn off and stop adding the heat that produces the smoke (Death), and be ready to use again to add the heat to produce the smoke (Rebirth).

At the next level, we literally embrace the Philosophies of Balance; namely that with innovation must come quality, that with invention must come integrity, that with leadership must come morality.  The center of the logo is an abstract representation of this, similar to the popular Yin-Yang drawings you possibly familiar with:

The Balance of the Yin and the Yang of Life

At the deepest level, is our Why.  In short, I discuss why I created Sparx and what I hope to achieve by doing so.  Our Why is all about balance and creation; the creation of communities that I believe can change the world incrementally, steadily, and Eternally.

Beyond the Why of Sparx are my Philosophies on life. I obviously believe in Balance, but not just because it makes life easier, rather I believe in Balance because there is really nothing that happens to people in their lives that is really bad, or negative, for them.  I think everything happens for a reason and that those reasons are meant to grow everyone as individuals.

At my Heart, I believe everything is connected, that there is no way to separate any particle from the tapestry of existence.  I believe that the Heart is the connection to this Unified Body some might call God.  I believe that the Love we experience in Life is a reminder to our material self of the divine we all belong to–the Infinite and the Eternal.

This is the Art of Cloud™… Sparx.

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Summer Special Number One Fun Time Super Mix

It’s Summer time, which means if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time for skin, barbecues, pool parties, and additional skin.  There are few things that punctuate unforgettable Summer events like Hookahs, Shishas, Nargiles, Gelyouns, and Hubbly Bubblies.  One of my favorite memories is sitting by the Pacific Ocean smoking Hookahs and barbecuing as the sun set.  We played guitars, backgammon, and shared our lives with one another.

I hope that this Summer brings you unending experiences that last you a lifetime.

That being said, try this recipe if you want to spice things up in a delicious way…

Ingredients

1/2  Head Grape Hookah Tobacco

1/4  Head Strawberry Hookah Tobacco

1/4  Head Melon Mix Tobacco (you can also mix in Cantaloupe, Honeydew, or Watermelon in any combination on your own)

Ice

2  Strawberries

1  Bunch of Grapes

1/2 Cup Pear Vodka (they make it and you should get it… delicious!)

1  Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Fill 1/4 of the Hookah Head with your favorite Melon Mix (or individual melon flavor(s)), 1/4 with your favorite Strawberry Hookah Tobacco, and 1/2 with your favorite Grape Hookah Tobacco.  Make sure you don’t pack too tight, try to feather the Hookah Tobacco and mix it so you have a uniform spread throughout.

Once your’e done packing the Hookah Head fill the Hookah Base with ice until it’s approximately 3/4 full and then pour in 1 cup (2 if you’re daring) of your favorite Pear Vodka and add in the Vanilla Extract.  Fill the rest with water until you’ve reached the best level for your taste.

Finally, cut your Strawberries into small wedges and crush the grapes and pour everything into the base.

As always test the flavor without lighting the coal… how is it?  Hmmmm?  Delicious?  Yeah, that’s right… enjoy it.  Send us pics from your parties and we’ll post them for the Sparx community to see!

This is the Art of Cloud™… This is Sparx™!

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Also, keep an eye out for our new website:www.sparxcloud.com.  It should be done soon!