Hunter Prey & Glen Cook Reviewed

Sandy Collora, who directed the fantastic fan film Batman: Dead End, has a cool looking feature-length movie coming out in the near future: Hunter Prey. The trailer is being hosted exclusively by io9, so I’d suggest clicking over there for a sneak peek.Here’s the “Mission” of the movie:Hunter Prey centers around a group of elite intergalactic commandos that have crash-landed on a harsh and unknown planet while transporting an alien prisoner. Now they must track down and recapture the escaped creature, and their orders are to bring it in ALIVE.The soldiers begin to question their orders while finding themselves at a severe disadvantage, not being able to harm the prisoner. The team starts getting picked off, one by one, by their dangerous adversary, until the odds become even.With one soldier remaining, he's faced with a decision. Does he risk his life playing the creature's game or does he disobey his orders and kill it. The realization he comes to, after finding out why his superiors want the prisoner alive and why the alien is trying to escape, starts to change the way he thinks not only about his situation, but himself, as he finds out who's really hunting whom? After seeing Batman: Dead End, and World's Finest I’m really looking forward to this movie. From the trailer, the movie has a good look and feel, and has potential to be a thrill ride of a film along the lines of Pitch Black which I liked a lot and is easily Vin Diesel's best film outside of Boiler Room, which is sort of a back-handed compliment. A Roger Zelazny novel I read a few years ago also evokes some of the same feel - Eye of the Cat - in that both involve intergalactic bounty hunters and a story that has an action feel with more beneath the surface.Collora's been designing monsters in Hollywood with cool people like Rick Baker and Stan Winston Studios for a while. So yeah, this movie has a lot of potential to be fun and entertaining.Since it is Tuesday here at the 'o Stuff, that means it is book review time. Glen Cook is most famous for his Black Company saga, but before that, he wrote of a messiah-figure coming to power in a windswept desert. This series, of course, is The Dread Empire saga and a couple of years ago, I read the first NightShade Books omnibus of the first three novels A Cruel Wind. Late last year, I was happy to receive A Fortress in Shadow for review. I posted the review last night: As prequels, the novels work extremely well for people who read the initial trilogy, either in single book format or the lovely NightShade edition A Cruel Wind. On its own terms, these two novels tell the cohesive story of a world of mounting forces and conflicting beliefs. Though the story that unfolds between the covers of this volume is entertaining, it really is set up for grander events, more sweeping character arcs and might serve as only a teaser for people yearning for more of the same.

Clinching on the road usually a cinch for Red Wings

ANAHEIM, Calif. - No NHL team knows how to clinch a round on the road like the Detroit Red Wings do.They've done it eight consecutive times, most recently vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets but most impressively last June when they clinched the Stanley Cup vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. With a win tonight in Game 6 at Honda Center, the Red Wings will advance to a third consecutive Western Conference finals; with a loss, the series goes to Game 7 on Thursday in Detroit.Their experience of never giving an opponent room to breathe was honed last month when Columbus staged a furious attempt to extend the first-round series to five games."We ended up winning 6-5 in a crazy game where we were in control of it twice," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "That, to me, is usually how these final games go. They're tough. Anaheim is preparing just so they can play again they'll have a Game 7 mentality, and we'll have to have the same."The Red Wings haven't had to win a series in seven games since the 2002 Western Conference finals. The current team, largely together since 2005-06, has gained invaluable experience over the years at knowing what it takes to win on a night like this."We've got a group of guys that now, everyone knows what kind of game to expect," forward Dan Cleary said. "When a team is facing elimination, you're going to get their A-plus game plus more. You've got to match that level and weather the storm early, and we've got to push back when they're pushing, just push back harder and skate faster. It's going to be tight game. We just have to be patient and grind it out."It's a different mind-set on the road. You've got to make sure the situation doesn't take you over. You've got to be focused and stay within yourself, and we've been able to do that the last few times, and our people will be able to draw on those experiences."

Traditional Kava extract eases anxiety and moderate depression

Joan Robinson Research conducted at the University of Queensland has found a traditional extract of Kava (Piper methysticum), a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, to be effective in reducing anxiety. To be published in the journal Psychopharmacology are the results of a world-first clinical trial which found that a water-soluble extract of Kava was effective in treating anxiety and improving mood. The Kava was prescribed in the form of tablets supplied by Queensland company MediHerb Pty Ltd. Lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from the University's School of Medicine, said the placebo-controlled study found Kava to be an effective and safe treatment option for people with chronic anxiety and varying levels of depression. "We've been able to show that Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety, and unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side effects," Mr Sarris said. Each week participants were given a clinical assessment as well as a self-rating questionnaire to measure their anxiety and depression levels. The researchers found anxiety levels decreased dramatically for participants taking five of the kava tablets daily compared to the placebo group. "We also found that Kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before," Mr Sarris said. In 2002 Kava was banned in Europe, the UK and Canada due to concerns over liver toxicity. While the thee-week trial raised no major health concerns regarding the Kava extract used, the researchers said larger studies were required to confirm the drug's safety. "When extracted in the appropriate way, Kava may pose less or no potential liver problems. I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban," Mr Sarris said. "Ethanol and acetone extracts, which sometimes use the incorrect parts of the Kava, were being sold in Europe. That is not the traditional way of prescribing Kava in the Pacific Islands. "Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled rootstock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia and is currently legal in Australia for medicinal use. "In addition to benefiting sufferers of anxiety, allowing the sale of Kava in Europe, the UK and Canada would significantly enhance Pacific Island economies, which have lost hundreds of millions of dollars by not being able to export the plant over the past several years." Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, *Bone KM, et al. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum. Psychopharmacology 2009;doi:10.1007/s00213-009-1549-9 [Abstract Full text] *Conflicts of interest: Kerry Bone is a co-founder of and consultant to MediHerb Pty Ltd, the supplier of the tablets used in this trial. He was not involved in the conduct of the study or the analysis of the data. Comment: In addition to the acute necrotizing hepatitis risk alluded to in the article, prolonged high doses may cause "kava dermopathy" a scaly skin rash [Kava monograph ()]. It may also increase photo sensitivity, so excess sun exposure should be avoided. Kava may be contraindicated if taking benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, buspirone (Buspar®) , some Parkinson Disease medications and antidepressants which act on noradrenaline/norepinephrine such as the tricyclics, desvenlafaxine (Pristiq®), duloxetine (Cymbalta®), mirtazapine (Remeron®), venlafaxine (Effexor®), and the dopaminergic antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin®). Consult a physician or pharmacist before taking a Kava supplement with these or other medications. Abuse of Kava in the form of bulk tea/powder has had a devastating effect on some Australian (and North American) Indigenous communities where it has replaced alcohol. Its use is now restricted in some states.

Dove cottage

Spa Betty Series: Boreh Boreh

You may have noticed that during my Bali Spa Series endeavor, I became a little obsessed with the reflexology (as demonstrated here, here, here, here, here and here). Not wanting to chase away all of my loyal readers who prefer other types of spa treatments, I sign up for my first Boreh Scrub.
What the heck is that, you ask? Well, it’s a mixture of things like ginger, cloves, pepper, nutmeg, rice powder and cinnamon. Like the Balinese Lulur Scrub, this paste is rubbed all over your naked body before you’re wrapped like a spiced cadaver to stew in your own juices. It is said that Boreh improves blood circulation, relieves muscular pains and headaches, and is good for healing the flu. I can’t vouch for all that, but I did enjoy the treatment.
Having been to Putri Bali II for a Lulur Scrub my first week here, I choose to go to Putri Bali I to try the Boreh. I also decide to get a facial since I haven’t yet had one here. Typically I don’t like facials because they hurt, my nose runs and I enjoy popping my own zits, but for $5, I can afford to take a walk on the wild side.
The technician leads me through Putri Bali I’s lush garden to a private hut and starts me off with the facial. My hair is pulled back out of my face with a terry cloth band of questionable cleanliness. Then various lotions and tinctures are applied to my countenance. It’s relaxing, but is also totally something I could do at home and in less time. This isn’t like the pseudo-medical facials I’ve gotten at home from certified estheticians. There is no magnifying glass, no bright lights, no “expressing of facial congestion.” It’s just a down-home face cleanse and that’s alright by me.
After the facial, the real fun begins. I’m given a pair of tourist panties and then the woman rubs the dark brown Boreh paste all over my body. It’s messy as hell and when all is said and done, the term “scat play” comes to mind (sorry, Puritans). It smells nice though and I am wrapped up and left to my thoughts to let the paste really work its magic.
After maybe 10 minutes, I am led to the outdoor bathroom attached to my private hut. The woman tells me to shower before getting into the flower petal bath she has prepared. I heed her instructions, hoping my shower runoff will be turned into some sort of Balinese mulled wine. Then I dip myself into the bath and soak my cares away while sipping hot ginger tea and watching ants scurry around the tub.
Travel Betty Basics
Putri Bali I, Legian, Bali Indonesia
Ambiance: 3.0 out of 5 Passion Fruits
Treatment: 3.5 out of 5 Passion Fruits
Cost: Boreh Scrub 100,000 rupiah (including tax) / Facial 50,000 rupiah (including tax)
What that means in U.S. Dollars: $16.21
Other Betties Blogging About Boreh
Karla, over at Write Sense
Yoyo, of Yoyo The Sheep fame

The book log is still alive...sort of

The book log is still alive...sort ofI can't believe I haven't updated Stacked since December. Yikes! Believe it or not, I have been reading. My review for The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (cough...over-rated... cough) should be up shortly. "The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army." -- General George Washington, July 2, 1776 Title: 1776 Author: David McCullough Publisher/Publisher Date: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2005 Library/Bookstore: Wal-Mart Date Borrowed/Bought/Read: March 2009 Rating: **** What It's About: 1776 focuses on General George Washington and his ragtag army of colonial, rebels. Untrained, unprepared, and underpaid, the rebels find themselves on the losing side of the battle over and over again. (After awhile, the losses really do start to get embarrassing.) We learn about the frustration and despair that General Washington felt as he struggled to keep his men from deserting the army and the American cause. Why I Chose to Read It: I really enjoyed the HBO mini-series, John Adams, so I thought it would be a good idea to read 1776, which I had bought a year earlier. I also wanted to learn more about what went down during the Revolutionary War. Notes About the Book: I'm not a religious person, but even I'm convinced that our winning the war had to be the result of some divine intervention. I got a kick out of reading about Mt. Whoredom. Washington inadvertently intercepted a letter from General Lee to Joseph Reed that lamented his "indecisive mind" and called for new leadership. Ouch! Hmmmm. I had more notes about this book, but I seem to have forgotten them. Shame on me for waiting so long to write a review. Do I Recommend It? Yes. However, it can be kind of dry at times. I really liked how George Washington never gave up, even though he was convinced of his own shortcomings. Links: George Washington Mount Vernon Rediscovering George Washington The American Revolution

Blackberry pan jam

Every once in a while I wonder why some produce in the mediumscarymegamart is relegated to the 50 per cent off rack. Some things I can understand--apples that look as if they were stuffing from Muhammad Ali's punching bag, capsicums so wrinkly no amount of Botox would save them, bags of salad greens that look as if they were dredged from the local patch of wetlands. Last week I rolled by the rack--they usually have giant bags of still-good mushrooms begging to be sent to a good home. No mushrooms, but four containers of absolutely lovely and almost blemish-and-fuzz-free blackberries (no, not the RIM crackberry). It could have been a mistake--whether "on purpose" (as in staff trying to get cheap food for friends who show up at the *exact* right time), or overzealous stockers trying to get rid of them for whatever reason (really, let's not guess)). But they had the neon pink triangular stickers screaming their affordability...I couldn't say "no" to that, so I bundled four containers into my trolley and went on my merry way to ponder the universes of sweet potatoes, roasting chickens and freezer bags.Apart from nibbling on them here and there, or tumbling them on ice cream, I realised that I was a greedy guts and bought more than I could realistically finish before they really deserved to be on the discount rack. What to do what to do...I suppose I could have frozen them, but nah. I came up with something better (well, for me at least)Pan jam, that lovely makeshift jam perfect for small batches of fruit. I suppose you could sterilise a bottle or two and properly preserve them, but when you only have about a cup or two's worth of jam, it's just easiest to keep it in the fridge and have it with your morning toast, on ice cream or enrobe it in bits of leftover pastry (waste not, want not, I suppose).And yes...whenever I think of or make "pan jam" Ram Jam starts running through my head...always Black Betty...which then makes me crave apple brown betty...with dollops of jam.The recipe is rather loosey goosey. It is done to taste and is totally based on the sweetness of your fruit. My ratio of fruit to sugar is 10:1 by weight. So, in other words, for 100g of fruit, add 10 g sugar and then adjust if you want it sweeter. Blackberry pan jam300g blackberries, rinsed30g sugar (plus more, if necessary)a squeeze of lemon, lime or orangea splash of vanillaAdd fruit and sugar to a pan over a medium hob. Stir together, eventually the fruit gives up its liquid and starts to become...jammy. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if you want. Stir for about five minutes, add the citrus. Stir for another five-ten minutes, depending upon how thick you want the jam. Stir in the vanilla and decant to a bowl. Store unused jam in the fridge.cheers!jasmine© J. Mangalaseril, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. Please don't steal my work; my lawyers have sharp teeth.

Good advice from unexpected places

My mechanic is a very nice guy named Oso. That is his nickname, his real name is Oscar, but everyone calls him Oso. He is a very large guy and he has a brilliant colorful tattoo of the Virgin on his left arm. Anyway, Oso has done a great job of keeping my Jeep running and happy for some time now. He is very impressed that I prefer to drive a stick shift and also that I get my oil changed every 3,500 miles just as he recommends. I don't drive all that much but of course this is Los Angeles and you do end up driving some, even if you're a hermit. Driving is part of life out here. Back when gas reached $5 a gallon all over Los Angeles, I became really frustrated with The Man. I would leave for work in the morning and gas would be one price then by the time I got home the filling station on the corner had jacked up the price another ten cents per gallon, and this was happening every single day. I complained about it, but I got a lot of poison pen emails and comments from people in other countries along the lines of 1) "Shut up you stupid American" and 2) "Well stop driving if you don't like it." Which was really helpful and awesome as you can imagine. And also, totally solves all the problems! (Of course that was before the rest of the world began to experience the same rockstar economic stranglehold we'd been struggling with for months. Oh, Schadenfreude. You are so bittersweet.) But I was still mad at The Man, because people were driving less and less (later studies confirmed this, but I knew it already from the utter lack of seats on every bus and subway car in Los Angeles) and gas was still going up ten cents a day even though demand was declining and then, just as the election rolled around suddenly LO And Behold! Gas dropped to under two dollars. Seriously? You're telling me that it was just normal fluctuation in prices? One day gas is five bucks a gallon and the next day it's a buck ninety-eight? Hey, I was born ... just not yesterday. You people are screwing with us. Stop it. So anyway in my disdain and also eschewing (eschewing! like chewing, but only spitting out!) of The Man, I decided it would be awesome to convert my car to run on cat poop, which I have an amply supply of, constantly replenished each day. But until a poop combustion engine was created I would go veggie oil! No matter that my Jeep is not diesel, in everything in life I use the man-on-the-moon logic. This is how I think: We can put a man on the moon, surely we can do whatever silly thing it is I have set my sights upon today. Come on, people! So I found a company that does conversions of gas (not diesel) engines to biodeisel and I gathered all the information and printed out stuff from the innernet and I drove myself one Saturday afternoon to see my mechanic, Oso. He works at a shop in sunny downtown Pacoima that has a huge mural on the outer wall with a sunset and the word "Jalisco!" painted in brilliant red letters. Most of the guys at Autos de Jalisco know me, because a big blonde in a red Jeep is hard to miss in that particular shop. So I waved at Lil' Payaso, one of Oso's other mechanics. "Hey Payaso! I'm looking for Oso!" I had my big folder of information in my hand, with certain passages highlighted and called out with post-it-note flags. "Hey! Yeah, uh, Oso isn't here right now," he said. "You need me to change the oil on your Jeep?" "No, I'm good." I said. "I wanted to show him this stuff about car conversions. You know when he'll be back?" Payaso looked down at his shoe for a minute, and wiped his hand on a red cloth, then he looked at one of his buddies. Who was studiously not looking at me. "Uh, Oso's gonna be gone a while," he said. "OK, I'll come back tomorrow I guess," I said. "Nah, he's not coming back tomorrow. He had to go away for a little while." "Away?" I asked. "Where did he go away to?" "Um, up north," he said. So that is how I discovered that Oso was "up north" in Pelican Bay. Something about a parole violation. I didn't ask. He's a good mechanic, and I'm not married to him, so what he does is his business. Besides, people make mistakes. Just yesterday I myself almost stabbed someone with a fork 200 times. But I resisted -- for now. I asked Payaso how to get in touch with Oso, after all, if he was currently a guest of the State of California, I figured he'd have plenty of time on his hands for reading up on engine conversions. So Payaso gave me Oso's mom's phone number and I called her up and after some funny Spanglish (me) and some bewildered questions about whether or not I was a guera (her), she gave me his address and I wrote him a letter and sent it along with all the information I had gathered. Hey Oso, This is Laurie, the one with the red Jeep. I hope you remember me and don't think I am just some stranger writing to you. Anyway, Payaso told me you were taking some time away and your mom gave me your address. She was very nice, I hope I said the right words in Spanish. Hah hah remember that time I called you a cow when I was trying to be cool and call you a vato? Anyway. I am enclosing some information about converting my Jeep to bio-diesel. Please let me know what you think, as I am very angry about gas prices. Or if you can convert my Jeep to run on solar power. Or air! [smiley face] Last week I had to take my car for an oil change so I took it to the guys in the garage at work ... it ended up costing a lot and now I have a new radiator. I hope you are well and come back to L.A. soon. Your friend, Laurie with the red Jeep I sent off the letter and a few weeks passed. One day I got home and I had a letter from Oso, with his prisoner number clearly visible in the top left corner of the envelope. He had also drawn a very good picture of my Jeep on the back. I am sure my postman now fears me. Hello Laurie, This is Oso. Of course I know who you are and already I knew you would write me because moms told me a guera called up and she said your Spanish was real good. Anyways do NOT do anything to your Jeep!! I read the papers you sent and my celly read them also. We think this is a very bad idea. Also my celly says you can't buy the oil you have to collect it from fast food places and filter it. It is very hard. Don't take your Jeep to that guy again who put in the radiator. Take it to Lil' Payaso or go to the muffler shop on Arleta and ask for Dreamer, he will fix you up until I come back. I think you were joking about the solar car but don't let anyone talk you into anything, especially the radiator loco!!! I get out in a few months. Keep your tires inflated. Stay true, Oso I thought that letter contained some good advice and was very wise, all written in very neat block letters on a sheet of notebook paper. I had to ask someone to tell me what a celly was, because I am that cool. (It is apparently the shorthand for cellmate. I didn't have HBO back when "Oz" was a big hit so cut me some slack!) My parents will be so proud. Anyway this is a very exciting week because Oso is getting out of prison and coming back to Los Angeles. And now that I have passed the state smog check for at least two more years, and also now that people are fired up about alternate fuels, I think the time is right to re-investigate a Jeep engine that runs on cat poop. I personally think this is brilliant and am sure I can eventually convince the guys at Autos de Jalisco we have a lucrative new business venture ahead of us. And when things start to go weird, as they have lately (see above: "Might stab someone with a fork.") I try to remember the good wisdom I got from my mechanic while he was up north. Things will all work out OK -- if we just stay true and keep our tires inflated.

Ecuador....Ingapirca

At the end of our train journey to El Nariz del Diablo we got on a bus that was heading for Ecuador's third city, Cuenca. Towards the end of the train ride the weather had already started to deteriorate, the clouds had descended and it was raining steadily. The bus made its way through what may well have been a very spectacular mountain landscape, we couldn't tell because visibility never seemed to go beyond about 50-60 metres either side of the road. One of the few things we could see were the signs by the road side exhorting us to enjoy the Andean landscape. We weren't going all the way to Cuenca, at least not yet, and we left the bus at a small town called El Tambo.Our destination was Ingapirca, Ecuador's only significant archaeological site from the period of the Inca empire. It only took a few minutes to find a bus that was heading for the village by the site, but as we set off up a rough mountain road I couldn't help wondering whether we were doing the right thing. Higher up the mist seemed to be even thicker, the rain didn't let up and the prospect of spending the night in this area wasn't very appealing. On arrival at the village we got off the bus to find ourselves facing two small hostels. Which one would it be? After a moment's hesitation we started with the one on the left. As we walked in, a door opened and the owner’s young daughter turned back and shouted "Extranjeros!". Her mother, a tiny indigenous woman, came out to greet us and confirmed what we already suspected; there was no problem with availability of rooms on this gloomy, wet day in Ingapirca.The accommodation was simple but comfortable enough, and cheap. Once we had put our bags in the room it was time for a walk around the village in the rain, the dark and the mist. The village may not be very big but in these conditions it's almost possible to get lost. We ate in our hostel and had an early night; this is not a place with much nightlife.By the morning things had brightened up a bit, which is not to say the weather was great; but it wasn't raining any more and we could get a good look at our surroundings for the first time since we arrived. Breakfast consisted of bread, cheese and one of the sweetest cups of coffee I have ever tasted. Then it was off to take a look at the site, located just a couple of hundred metres away from the village itself.We got there slightly early; they weren't quite ready at the ticket office and were obviously taken aback by having visitors so soon. I don't know if this site ever gets crowded, but we beat everyone to it. Without the clouds making everything invisible it was possible to see that the location is quite impressive. Ingapirca was a significant site for the local Cañari people before the Inca period of domination began. The Incas took it over as their own, changing the focus of worship from the moon to the sun, and Ingapirca now lies on what is known as the Inca Trail. Machu Picchu it isn't, anyone who arrives here expecting something that magnificent will inevitably be disappointed.Most of what survives is basically the foundations of storehouses and other buildings. The exception to this is the central "castillo", which has survived better with the assistance of some restoration work.It doesn't take long to see everything, including the museum and the Inca face sculpted into the rocks a few minutes walk from the main site.I enjoyed the visit, after the unpromising start I decided it was worth it; although I wouldn't suggest to anyone that they need to go out of their way too much to see it. It's possible to visit Ingapirca in a single day from Cuenca, without the overnight stopover, but if you're passing down this way from Riobamba then it makes more sense to stop and see it before continuing further down the Panamerican. With our early start we had time to see the site, get the bus down to the small town of Cañar, and catch another bus that got us into Cuenca by lunchtime.

No Random 11 today, but a fashion diatribe about fashion diatribes

There is much to-doing at the worldwide headquarters of CJSD Enterprises, Ltd. today, so I have to let the list go today.However, I invite you to see the concentrated stupidity that is George Will's diatribe on blue jeans. If you want to know why both the Republican Party and mainstream newspapers are bleeding rectally, this one column pretty much captures it all. The even better part is that Will, in talking about how jeans are a symbol of a laziness of appearance, essentially borrows most of a Wall Street Journal editorial against jeans by Daniel Akst. I guess George had to pad out his column long enough to get his check so he could head to Brooks Brothers.The WSJ column is no better, dropping this doozy:Despite its air of innocence, no fabric has ever been so insidiously effective at undermining national discipline.This, of course, ignores statistics showing that while our dress has gotten more casual, we still lead the world in worker productivity.I suppose next week's columns will be about the Satanic influence of necking and comic books.Have a good weekend, and remember to straighten those ascots and polish those monocles before you go out.

Tuesday, 04/28/09 11:51 PM

Still feeling crappy, restless, high-energy but undirected... need a windmill to charge. When you don't like the position in which you find yourself, you have to move to change :) I did manage a great 40 mile ride along the beach from Dana Point down to Camp Pendleton and back (nearly averaged 20mph, but just missed); this is one of my favorite rides now, flat and windy, no traffic, watching the sun set over the ocean... One year ago I was recovering my hard drive, and getting ready for a trip to Europe. Seems like approximately forever ago. If I had only known then what I know now... Slashdot: Why digital medical records are no panacea. Links BusinessWeek: electronic health records have a dubious history. I think a lot of this is true; they are not a panacea. But good standard online EHR would improve patient care, streamline treatment, and reduce costs. Seems well worth pursuing... Keith Kaplan: web tracking of swine flu. I'm trying to figure out how real this is; I sort of over-reacted to the SARS scare, and now I'm sort of under-reacting to this... Remember that giant "model" rocket? Well, they launched it! And everything went perfectly... check out this video for the blastoff and recovery... how cool is that? As go the car companies, so too go the car magazine; MotorTrend has filed for bankruptcy, as reported by TTAC, a car blog... so be it. Now who will report the "car of the year"? Eric Sink discusses time and space tradeoffs in version control systems. What's interesting is that the exact same tradeoffs come up storing images, only the sizes are much larger, so the benefits of deltas are much greater. Brad Feld reminds us don't confuse a conference and a trade show. What? We would never do that, would we? Actually I think the difference is more in the eye of the beholder than in the nature of the event. Sorry Brad. The awesomest iPod app? Vinyl gives you a mini spinning disk, you can even control the speed of playback. Wow, I don't know what to say. The ultimate dancing bear? ZooBorns of the day: Maned Wolf cubs. [ You are reading the "aggregated" RSS feed for Critical Section, with one item for all posts in a day. If you would prefer the "splintered" RSS feed, with separate items for each post, please use this link instead. ]

Happy Mother's Day! A few fun things for you....

First, the winner of the my Blog candy for the Paper Temptress Metallic Paper assortment is :Denise (peanutbee) said...Awwwwwwwwww! This is THE cutest!!May 7, 2009 5:58 AMCongrats Denise! Please email me your snail addy by Tuesday and I will have Patricia ship the paper out to you ASAP! :) Thank you everyone who left a comment, be sure to take a look around the Paper Temptress store the Metallic line is 25% this month and has 33 colors tochoose from!Next, check out this "Mother of the Year" video! it's about ME! (don't worry, (G rated) and it can be about you, or the other moms you know! Pass it on! ;) Enjoy!Last, be sure to check out the StampTV Stamping Lifestyle magazine in the next couple days, it will always be available for you to read, BUT there is a a three day only coupon code in there for Gina K Designs and it starts TODAY, don't miss it!Have a wonderful Mother's Day! I can't share my project I made for my Mom yet, because I have a stomach virus so we had to cancel them coming in for a visit so I haven't given it to her (of COURSE she reads my blog) But it is a gift that would be fun for birthdays , Father's Day etc, too, so I will share that soon! Tomorrow you'll be seeing a sweet treat, just in time for a baby shower, yum! and hopefully, I will be able to share some Mother's day treat i got fom my own kids, Jonathan has been busitng at the seam sto give me what he amde at school all weekend! :)Later this week, I have been experimenting with my Nestabilities again and have some pretty cool things to share, can't wait!PS Many of you wrote to me about the "babies on the brain wink": just to clear that up, it's becuase I have a baby set out and can't stop makign baby stuff, no other reason, I promise! :)

Julie Chen is Expecting

Julie Chen of the CBS Early Show announced on last Tuesday's show that she is expecting her first child with her husband, President and CEO of CBS Corporation, Les Moonves. Julie said, "I am expecting my first child." And as she rubbed her tummy she added, "So it wasn't a big Sunday at the buffet table. I'm starting to show now! And my due date is Oct. 4. So, fingers crossed, and ...I'm not taking maternity leave from (the CBS show) "Big Brother," which she hosts. "I e-mailed my boss over there this weekend and I said, 'Don't worry. I can still do the show!"'Congratulations to Julie and Les!Full Story: CBS NEWS

Who's more drawing?

Optical Illusions, Math and the Singularity

The power of optical illusions, magnetic fields, the singularity, maths, and food portion sizes.
Key to all optical illusions discovered --
Humans can see into the future, says a cognitive scientist. It's nothing like the alleged predictive powers of Nostradamus, but we do get a glimpse of events one-tenth of a second before they occur. And the mechanism behind that can also explain why we are tricked by optical illusions.
NASA scientists make magnetic fields visible, beautiful --
Magnetic fields are invisible, at least usually. But Scientists from NASA's Space Sciences Laboratory have made them visible as "animated photographs," using sound-controlled CGI and 3D compositing. It makes the fields, as explained by the scientists, dance in an absolutely gorgeous movie called Magnetic Movie.
The singularity
Math for the layman
300 calorie food picture gallery
Take a look at the above, have a nice week and play it where it lies.
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INTROSCATED

Housing Foreclosure Research and Environmental Economics

Economists are writing on the consequences of foreclosure. High quality empirical papers are being written on testing for whether; "if my neighbor is forced to sell his house, does this reduce the price of my house?" (see http://www.nber.org/papers/w14866). More broadly, does foreclosure impose negative externalities (i.e social costs) on neighbors? You could imagine that the answer is no. If Matt defaults on his house and hands the keys to the bank and the bank turns around and sells the house to Sally, then this is a transfer from Matt to Sally but there is no "social cost". This simple example assumes that there are no frictions and that assets are immediately allocated to the highest bidder. But, suppose that Walras' auction takes time due to search and other option value factors. Now suppose that over time that if the asset is abandoned (there is nobody living in the house); its quality declines and it becomes a nuisance --- either the grass is not cut, it attracts bums and drug dealers or if it has a swimming pool --- the home breeds bugs that spread disease see Los Angeles Times Article on "Green" Pools .At the UCLA Institute of the Environment, we are working on this last case. I will report back soon on how we do the empirics to study this issue. In our Little Homby community in Westwood, we don't know any of our neighbors. In this setting, what does it mean to be a good neighbor? Well, I don't want your teenagers throwing beer cans on my property and I don't what creatures born in your swimming pool flying over and infecting my son. The extent of these bad "social interactions" can be quantified!

Recap

So the expo was yesterday and it was a really interesting experience. I learned a ton in the five hours or so that it took to put the thing on. The main purpose of the evening was exposure and I got a ton of it yesterday. I had the first tent in the line and it was right by the "Patron's Party," which was essentially where the rich people hung out and drank wine. Can't think of a better place to have my tent than right next to a big group of people who support the arts and have lowered inhibitions! I haven't talked a whole lot about my business on here for a bunch of reasons, but the number one reason is because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to pull it off. Today, however, I can say that I did pull it off and I feel a little more confident talking about things.Currently, most of my business is based around selling my art. I mostly paint art for children with Louisiana themes. It's the kind of stuff that I wanted when I was pregnant with Charlie and nobody made it. All of my art is Louisiana-inspired although some it is less obviously so. I've also done some digital designs that I'm putting on stationary and soon I hope to have branched out and put it on onesies and maybe blankets in the near future. I'm also working on some designs for those seasonal flags that people put out in front of their houses. I learned a lot yesterday and made a little money. I'd heard that some people who've worked this show in the past don't make any money at all, so I knew that was a possibility, but I sold some prints. I also figured out a few things. I learned that my storage and display system sucks. My screen kept falling down until I anchored it to my chairs which resulted in some hilarious, Three Stooges moments. I also learned a little bit about the kinds of things people are looking for and it's going to help me with marketing and whatnot. So, I'm tired, but I feel good about things and I feel like I can only improve from here! So, without further ado, the web address for my new business is www.redbeandream.com I'm still in the process of adding things to the store, but for the most part everything is up and running! Check it out (if you like).

Versus gives amateurs a platform for television sports talk

Productivity can come from cutting labor costs. And Versus, starting June 7, will broadcast a series that could show whether TV channels really need to pay for on-air sports yak: Its new show Fanarchy will star fans.But, says Versus vice president Andy Meyer, not just any fans. They need to be "passionate" about their own opinions. The idea is to let such fans post videos on versus.com, and depending how much traffic they generate, then appear on the 13-week series.On-air, members of the fan panel will argue with each other via webcam. Meyer says the first fan cast has been largely selected, but because fans get kicked off each week by show host Zach Selwyn, they'll need substitutes from the online entrants.Such recruiting shouldn't be a problem, since hordes of reality shows have proven that there is no shortage of people willing to volunteer to be on TV. And volunteers come with little cost to TV networks. Says Meyer: "They'll get a small fee. But they're not doing it for the money."Thus freed from commercial concerns, on-air fans they might be very free with their speech. Says Meyer, based on what he's seen from some people already cast for the show: "These are not the kind of observant, distant, journalistic types you see on other shows. They let it all hang out because they care so much about what they believe."Will viewers, already privy to a cacophony of fan rants online, turn to TV for more? At least entrants could get lucky. Fanarchy host Selwyn was a pop musician before got a break as a runner-up on the ESPN reality show Dream Job in 2004 where entrants vied to become sportscasters

RIP Fluffball

Fluffball (also known as Stella), died after battling feline leukemia and kidney failure. She was about 7 and a half years old. Out of all of the humans in our household, Fluffball adopted me, and was known to jump up on my lap and often try to commandeer the keyboard late at night, as well as monitor all my activities - except during her naptimes. At her best, she had an energetic personality, made friends with most of her feline housemates, and even managed to make friends with a couple of her canine housemates - after of course establishing herself as the dominant member in such relationships. To this day, the sight of Fluffball as a small kitten chasing a much larger bird dog (Henry, who at the time probably only weighed in the upper 40s or 50s, and who today is 70 some-odd pounds of pure muscle) around the house is one of my most treasured memories. She quickly earned her reputation as an "exploding kittie." The house is definitely much emptier this evening.

Five minds for the future Indian leader

Inspired by Howard Gardner's five minds for the future (I haven't yet read the book. Really need to), I thought about writing the five minds for the future Indian leader. When I look at the top five, it seems to me that these minds are essential for any leader. But, I don't know what it takes to run Burkinafaso, so, I will stick to what I think is critical for that leader who is going to sail India through the rough times ahead of us.Actually, there are just two minds. The Rational/Analytical mind (Cortex) and the Emotional Brain (Amygdala). And all the minds I list below are really just a combination of these two. Now, I say they are midway between the two and not just a part of the Cortex, because an analytical or synthetic knowledge of the following(cortex) followed by a deep sense of commitment and Passion(emotional mind) towards each of these topics is essential to make the cut. And that will happen only in one who has a healthy rational and emotional mind.There were a number of contenders. I have listed a few that did not make it to my top five towards the end. There are a few others that I have not listed here, because I felt they were not as important or they could be learnt during the course.Environment: It is burning in Bangalore. And it is just the beginning of March. I have been here for five years now and I haven’t seen anything like this before. Like most of us, I have always known that we are disturbing our environment but was of the opinion that disaster is still a long way away. As a kid, I recollect reading about “El Nino” as early as my eighth grade. Until very recently (a year ago), I was still skeptical about the seriousness of the problem, motivated largely by alternative perspectives such as the Great Global Warming Swindle etc. But, now I am thoroughly convinced that this is a problem that needs attention at the highest levels, such as the leader of the second most populous country. And this is critical for a country that is largely (60% to be precise) agrarian and that has millions of people living in low lying areas (West Bengal, Kutch, Bangladesh).Economy: This is a country that is confused if it still is socialistic or if it has jumped over to the other side (capitalism). There is emphasis on both and hence the vision and strategy are quite mixed up. The younger generation seems to thoroughly love the reforms of the 1990s and the older generation wonders what was so wrong about their times. Some of the greatest institutions (Indian Railways, State Bank of India, IITs and IIMs) are all products of the socialist regime. A lot of our leaders still have heavy socialist influences. Combine this with the current or potentially current collapse of some countries (economies) built on Capitalism, One begins to wonder what the right thing to do is. I believe my leader should possess a clear understanding on the rationale behind Nehruvian theories and trends in globalization. The world is truly a global village and advances cannot be made without a big picture.Energy: This might seem a little off place here. Not many people talk of energy as an essential qualification for a leader. I remember sitting in my physics class and reading in my text book that our oil reserves will last only for twenty years, ten years ago. And the more you look (and read) around, the clearer it becomes that those times (Peak Oil, Volatility in the oil market, our increasing dependence) are already here. And unless my leader appreciates the grave energy situation we are in, none of his policies or infrastructural investments are going to make sense in the hard times that we all live (or going to live) in.Sociology: India is a Europe. It really is 28 cultures put together. There is a lot of literature around the complexity of the concept that India is. And the more you read, the more you know that any one person understands very little. I believe, only that person who sees the soft nuances of millennia of inter relationships between these numerous cultures & demographics from an outsider's perspective will be able to resolve, relate and communicate with them all. A vision that is inclusive, fair and free for one and all is the need of the hour. Put this in perspective that much of our resources are depleting and that a conflict of interest between civilizations is impending, you probably will realize that to provide solutions for the future, you need to understand the past.Technology: It might seem like I am technologist and hence I have a preferential bias towards technology as a future mind for my leader. But, it still makes sense to me. Investing in technology for the greater masses for inclusive governance and mitigating corruption & red-tapism is one thing. Understanding technology as a tool to access knowledge for insightful governance is another. And I want my leader to embrace both these ideas in a manner that is unique & Indian. I don’t really care if he reads his emails on Blackberry though.And one mind that did not make it into this list but I wish it did:Gandhi: I am fan of this man and I am not even one of the most well read(about him). But, understanding Gandhi still comes out as a no brainer for understanding India. No other man has travelled the lengths and breadths or spent so much time thinking about (and in some cases thinking for) this country as him. Nobody else’ ability to connect with the Indian Masses, consensual prowess or methodologies worked as best as his. And when one looks at the volatile global situation that we have ended up creating in the last half a century, Gandhi’s ideals (economic or otherwise) appear right more than ever.A few other minds that did not make into my list:LawHistoryLinguistics.Now, each one of these topics are huge & probably will require the attention of a life time for deep understanding. Unless my leader is a super hero, he is probably not going to be a master of all these five trades. The next best thing is to have a team of people who are experts in each one of these fields to be a part of the core decision making team.Alright, so this is what I want in my leader? But, is he out there?