wryeyes

Homemade and Artificial Life

2010-05-25T11:58:00.007-04:00

I often teeter between a teleological view of my own life and a more scientific outlook, which I believe to be more agnostic rather than coldly atheistic. However, teleology is winning me over for a few reasons ever since I became a sleep-deprived mother. I see that there is a specific direction that my life is running its course and if I look hard enough, everything else seems to correspond to it somehow.

Let me start with the pattern. Ever see the t.v. show Fringe? Well, you should see it. I consider it to be comic-book science fiction with parallel universe drama. The amazing thing is that it is on network television. How they sold it next to all of the reality shows and crime story procedural schlock is beyond me and I am still grateful. However, I am getting off topic. The main character, Walter Bishop found his record player, it happened to be the same night that my husband got his his working. Coincidence? Maybe. How about the fact that it debuted on my husband's birthday and got renewed on my birthday? Interesting. What about the fact that I happen to be from another universe and have to type backwards in order for it read correctly? Ha! Gotcha.

Okay, so enjoying a television show and finding connections to my real life is a very silly thing to do with my not-so-free time. But it is enjoyable. I can find connections and patterns anywhere I choose to look. Our minds may just work this way. But who is to say that I'm not just finding what has been created for me? The question continues to baffle us semi-spiritual types. And it can be entertaining as well, as evidenced by the popularity of horoscopes.

Now this is a more interesting connection...the year I gave birth to my daughter, synthetic life was created in a laboratory by Craig Venter and his group, Synthetic Genomics. They created a bacterium starting with the DNA, then sort of placing it into another bacterium's empty shell, and then watched it reproduce according to their instructions. Their next goal, working with ExxonMobil, is to created their own algae which can remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and turn it into fuel. (You can read the abstract here.) My first reaction was to imagine a work of fiction where Venter and his team lose control of the bacterium they created and they take over the world. My second reaction was to imagine he and his team losing control over the algae as it removes every trace of Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere, leaving us with an uninhabitable planet. Then there was the third reaction, utter awe.

How did humans go from producing fire to creating life? I don't know that this is progress in that Victorian sense, except that we are working to right the wrongs of our ancestors who went a little too far with the Earth-polluting fires. While my feat may be more common, I like to think that we were both working on a miraculous creation. Not miraculous? That's what some people think. In fact, in an analysis in the Financial Times, I read a quote from Arthur Caplan, bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania who said, "Venter's achievement would seem to extinguish the argument that life requires a special force or power to exist." I disagree. You could believe what he believes or you could say that the years of planning, researching, and the special conditions that were required for this life to begin proves that a special force is required for life to exist.

Of course, leaning toward science again, I'd say that nothing was proven either way. Proof takes a lot more than that. But I enjoy the idea that although we didn't see it in the case of the "synthia" or artificial life form and just because no one has documented it in the moment when I created my own (whenever the fetus became truly alive in our understanding), that doesn't mean that it didn't take a little bit of magic. Although maybe that just depends on your point of view.

Fertility Charm or Booby Doll

2009-05-18T11:12:00.009-04:00

I can safely write that I am pregnant now without it coming across as too personal. It's a natural part of the life cycle and well, anyone who sees me walking (slightly waddling) down the street can point out the pregnant lady. So why has it been so difficult to write anything about it? Because it is a running thought, all day and night, that I'm pregnant/carrying a child/have a huge responsibility/am not doing anything right. Now I've read insensitive comments from people who are just bored to tears with pregnant women or the breeders out there. This has fed my already paranoid thoughts about boring friends and strangers but it is time to embrace the bump and be proud!

Perhaps thousands of years ago, our ancestors embraced the feminine side of life. They may have worshipped it for all I know. We can only guess from the artifacts they've left behind like the earliest sculpture of a human figure, found in 2008 in a cave in Germany. Click here to read more. The 35,000 year old sculpture is of a woman with exaggerated breasts, belly, and genitals. Her arms and legs are insignificant while the head is actually in the shape of a ring, which could mean that the sculpture is actually a pendant.

Now, it irritates me to no end is that mainstream media has to refer to the sculpture as "the earliest pinup" and another article titled "Obsession with Naked Women Dates Back 35,000 Years." Anyone else read this as completely modern and male centered? One anthropologist, a man who was not part of the discovery offers all kinds of juicy quotes for the masses in this article, "I assume it was a guy who carved it, perhaps representing his girlfriend," he says. "Paleolithic Playboy? We just don't know how it was used at this point, but the object's size meant it fit well in someone's hand." I can't tell if he was kidding but he certainly doesn't come across like a scholar.

So where to start? Pin-up implies something bordering pornographic. Most articles that reported on the sculpture chose to use this word but why do we assume that this figure was meant to titillate? After all, do we know if people lived in the same prudish culture that we've developed after so many years of hiding and shaming female sexuality? And speaking of females, why are we meant to jump to the conclusion that all images of naked females are meant for the viewing pleasure of men?

It may be my pregnant hormones influencing me but I suggest that this figure just might signify the awesome power of female fertility and the act of carrying a child. Back then, breasts weren't filled with silicone but more likely milk- which could explain the heft. And a large belly is pretty obvious to me. Also, sex resulting in conception doesn't always lead in a straight line to a healthy birth. So I'm guessing that a pregnant woman might wear this as a type of charm to keep her safe during pregnancy. The exaggerated features are those she would be most concerned with at the time and the lack of the head probably made the charm represent every woman rather than one in particular, hence making the charm potent to the wearer.

Of course, I can't prove my theory either.

Why have we come so far in science and technology and yet left behind any notion of the power that is inherent in the human animal? Half of the human population experiences the trauma and wonder of pregnancy and motherhood and yet these stages of our life cycle have become marginalized and separated from what passes as normal culture. So I suppose that we shouldn't be too surprised that any naked female figure these days has nothing to do with fertility, just the fun sex part. The two shouldn't be separated, they should be combined because until a woman's bodies starts to mutate into something entirely new, we are all of these messy and complicated things.

Back to the Blog

2009-02-25T13:08:00.003-05:00

We're back! Not better than ever just yet but that will happen in good time, my friends. I apologize for the long absence but finishing up a screenplay takes a lot of brainpower, I'll have you know. Of course, that doesn't always seem true...

It may take some time to get back into the groove so please pardon the lack of any useful science fun facts and just enjoy the latest from Sarah Haskins as she mocks the science of skincare...just click here.

People Trapped in a Time Warp

2008-08-11T12:29:00.004-04:00

No, they aren't aliens in anachronistic disguise who have been exposed by the Daily Mirror in the article "Time Warp Wives." These are just normal gals discussing their complete mental retreat into a fantasy of the good 'ole days. Or at least that's what the the newspaper wants us to believe.

The general gist of the article is this "Men and women knew their roles in society and there wasn't all this pressure on women to have to go out to work and try to be equal to men. "- Diane Rowlands, a.k.a. Mrs. 1930s and arch enemy of Katherine Hepburn.

They all seem to believe that drugs and violence were invented in some later decade. Fascinating.

Of course, the point is to live in a complete fantasy-land, so in their versions of the past, perhaps they mentally corrected these errors. I get it. I mean, I can't go on pretending to be a medieval princess if I have to contend with the constant threat of invasion, death-by-cold, and the fact that baths are a big no-no. In the meantime, would you like to come over for some mead and rock-hard "cake"? Oh, and we're going to the basement to watch them install the iron maiden.

Okay, that fantasy did get a little weird.

Cougar on the Daily Show

2008-07-18T14:35:00.005-04:00

After three weeks of houseguests, I'm ready to start up the blog again. And what better way than to share a hilarious clip from the "Daily Show." This is a great commentary on the so-called "cougar" phenomenon, one of those ridiculous trend stories that clogs the airwaves.

Suitcase Planter

2008-06-25T15:39:00.003-04:00

Ever wonder what you should do with that busted old suitcase? Well, these people in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn turned it into a lovely planter.

Funny Thing About Cosmetic Science

2008-06-12T10:18:00.006-04:00

I worry about my appearance as much as the next gal. It's as if my various problems—real or imagined—are on some sort of weekly rotation that include frizzy hair, the color of my teeth, cellulite, and dark circles. Really, none of it is too bad but what can I do? New York is a city with a disproportionate number of models or model/actresses or people who could be models. So there we are.

Clicking around on the nytimes.com today, I found an article addressing the dark circle or what I like to call the Frankenstein Eyes Syndrome. That's Dr. Frankenstein to you. After reading the article, I just had to share. According to the article, the cost of creams can start in the $20 range and surgery can cost a ridiculous $800. The worst part is that they still aren't sure what causes this condition, which can be quite severe for some people.

It's a vanity thing, sure. But how do doctors get away with approving creams and surgery for something they don't even understand? I am starting to think that it's one big joke on half of our population.

The New York Times is on the case and after interviewing a professor of dermatology, I now understand it all:

"There are a lot of factors that contribute to quote-unquote dark circles,” said Dr. Diane Berson, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in Manhattan. “It’s a combination of heredity and genetics."

You see, it's heredity AND genetics. It is all so clear.

You see, it's a combination of your lineage as well as the family tree. Your parents as well as your chromosomes. I realize that I am picking on one quote among many and this isn't cancer we're talking about, but don't we deserve a little better when this is a major industry? Women are expected to look good and on the whole, but women pay a good portion of income on bad science.

I'll just try to get some sleep, take my vitamins, and slap on the concealer. At least two of these things aren't a complete waste of time.

1960s + Bollywood + Scary Animals

2008-05-01T14:26:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine directed me to this superfantastic and bizarre video on YouTube. My first thoughts:

Did someone spike my coffee with LSD?
Is this a bad trip?
Are we finally getting transmissions from another planet?
If I time traveled to the 1960s, what would be more disorientating—going to a Monkees concert, Woodstock, or just living this video?

The Truth Behind The Ten Commandments (the movie)

2008-04-15T16:06:00.003-04:00

In The Ten Commandments, I Performed All My Own Miracles

Every year, during the special holiday season, one can watch a reenactment of the great Hebrew Exodus from Egypt. The movie is a grand epic about princes, forbidden love, and a man who received messages through burning plants. It was one of the few Jewish stories that made us look tough despite some big doses of crazy. Do any biblical characters resemble real people?

I had to watch the movie every year at Hebrew school, so now whenever I read about Moses, I imagine Charlton Heston. He is Moses and no matter how hard I try to give him another face, it is always that way. Does anyone else have this problem?

The "Onion" writers pretty much had the same idea and took it to the next logical place. The late Charlton Heston apparently self-reported that not only did he do his own stunts, but that he actually performed each of the miracles for the sake of the movie. Check it out, if you missed it at the beginning of the month.

(Okay, um, so I forgot to post this during the Passover holiday. Happy belated Easter too!)

Trapped Video

2008-04-14T18:30:00.003-04:00

This is one of the scariest videos I have ever seen. It could have been you or me or anyone we know who has worked in a big office building. When I used to work for McGraw-Hill, we heard rumors about this person, about the frightening story of one man being trapped in an elevator for an entire weekend. But now I see that it is true.

Ever since my friends and I were stuck in my apartment elevator for 30 minutes, I have avoided that claustrophobic space as often as possible. And that was only half an hour of torture. Or was it fifteen minutes? But forty hours is unthinkable.

I grabbed the video from gawker.com (yes, a guilty pleasure gossip site) but you can read a bit more of the story in the New Yorker. But if you already have a little elevator phobia, just don't read the article. Forget I ever mentioned it. Go watch 30 Rock or something and think about all of the fun one can have in an office building. That is what I'm about to do.

Finally, an online game for girls

2008-03-26T11:16:00.004-04:00

I love video games and computer games in general. You can rule the world, race and appreciate the physics of a collision, or you can work out some occasional aggression with a realistic shoot 'em up or the less realistic and super cute LEGO® Star Wars.

But no one can deny that these games and virtual worlds can manipulate your senses and affect your real life reactions. I tend to feel pretty emotional when my character is losing a fight. If you've ever played HALO, you might have felt the same unwelcome rush of adrenaline that accompanies the realistic battle. (Halo is on my list of banned games.) Games are also addictive, which either means not everyone should play or that programmers might think about including some built-in timers. But, I don't have an answer for that problem. These are a few reasons why parents should pay some attention to what the kids are playing on their PS3 or xBox late at night.

Now, most of these games are aimed at males. I don't know why. It might be that the marketing surveys discovered that girls get bored more easily. Or more likely, they just don't identify so much with the male characters or scantily clad females that inhabit the majority of the games. I sometimes like to imagine that male characters are just too delicate to run around in a bathing suit, unlike the super strong females. But gaming is still young and perhaps the right game just needs to come along to entertain them. So, I just had to share this new and super fabulous online game with you: Miss Bimbo.

"Become the hottest, coolest most famous bimbo ever !"

And I thought that Barbie dolls were supposed to be bad for a impressionable girls. I'm not making this up so check it out for yourself. Although I haven't played the game, I'm feeling a strange and intense visceral reaction... I might throw up now.

Food Fight

2008-03-05T13:49:00.006-05:00

This video is making the email rounds today. You might want to laugh at first but it's surprisingly thought-provoking.

Oscar Thoughts...and sharks

2008-02-28T20:51:00.005-05:00

The Oscars came and went. As usual, my husband and I avoided all parties and entertainment dedicated to the event. Until I sell a screenplay or star in a movie, I really shouldn't have to be subjected to the marathon of bad song numbers, insider jokes, and back slapping that occurs once a year for 3 hours.

But, that doesn't stop me from watching videos of the odd speeches. Actually this dubbed acceptance speech makes me want to see "There Will Be Blood." Milkshakes, anyone? [Note on the video: This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—so sensitive, aren't they?]

But can you tell me why the silliest "drama" won any prizes? Seriously, "No Country for Old Men" made me laugh out loud. Maybe it's a guy thing. Or a macho American thing. Or a gun-toting nihilist thing that seems to be getting pretty popular in schools and shopping malls all over the country. I might just be angry that "Atonement," a beautiful story about love, regret, classism, and the horrors of war lost out in the Best Picture category.

A good story is difficult to write. I get it. But an entire film about two people who have no motivations whatsoever for their actions? Even the shark in Jaws had a more believable character arc than the characters in this movie- well apart from the hilarious Woody Harrelson.

Why bring up Jaws yet again? I'm glad you asked. Well, I've been a bad blogger and although all three of my readers aren't too worried about it, I feel like I should have mentioned something earlier about Roy Scheider's death on February 10th. He was a great actor and starred in "Jaws" and "The French Connection" (best car chase ever). Very sad but this has been a year of Hollywood funerals.

Anyhow, as much as I protest and vow to skip the Oscars, they still get to me. What can I say? I do love the movies.

Love and Romans

2008-02-14T13:43:00.005-05:00

Today is Valentine's Day, the ultimate pink and red Hallmark ™ holiday. First off, I'd have to say it inspires many bitter discussions amongst my New York friends. It is tough enough to be single without everyone rubbing it in your face. As for us couples, we'd like to think that we're more authentic in our love lives. Why should a calendar tell us to exchange silly cards and flowers? And yet, if we miss out on the ritual of this day, then we're deliberately taking the fun out of a harmless and indulgent day.

So, what to do? I might bake something. Nothing says "I love you" like baked goods. Actually saying the words would do it too, but you can't put strawberries on top of words.

The History Channel website gives a remarkably vague explanation for the origins of Valentine's Day. You'd think they would have prepared a reeneactment of some sort. St. Valentine is a mystery, much like the very definition of love. He may have been a Christian martyr who lived and died in Rome during the the 3rd century.

A more entertaining version of the origin of Valentine's day is also described on the site. It could be a Christianized version of the ancient Roman holiday called Lupercalia. The holiday was a fertility festival day dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture. Though ancient Roman customs may seem odd to us now, it was once acceptable to slap women and fields of wheat with bloodsoaked strips of goat hide. I am not making this up- but I can't guarantee that someone else didn't invent the story long before me.

So, Happy Valentine's Day!

Mac vs. PC

2008-01-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine forwarded a funny link to an article in "Advertising Age" featuring some new research that unveils the truth behind those Mac vs. PC ads on television.

According to the article, the research was conducted on 7,500 Nielsen online consumers by Mindset Media, which I take to be this same Mindset Media. The company is an internet ad network for brands that boasts: "Only Mindset Media lets blue-chip advertisers reach their psychographic targets on a mass scale in simple online media buys." Huh? Welcome to the murky world and spicy jargon of marketing and advertising.

Anyway, the fun part about this is that this "research"confirmed many PC-users suspicions; that we Mac users are conceited jerks. It's kinda hilarious. You can catch the article here.

The Cable Guy

2008-01-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last week was very eventful. In fact, I had a fistful of tidbits to keep this little blog in business—a business without the actual money part, of course. But then I encountered my very own black swan. The unforeseeable cable outage. Dear lord! Okay, maybe it wasn't that dramatic but what was an occasionally dedicated blogger to do? I lost my Internet and the telephone was a dead. We were cut off entirely. But now all is good. We are back in business due to my Cable Guy.

Ahh. Cable Guy. You have saved us again and again. In web ding language/font they call you Cable Guy. The words are probably pronounced with a clicking sound in the web ding language. Don't you love to play with fonts? And in some suburban cultures, I believe that you are worshipped as a god. Like the god of cute furry animals, you bring joy wherever you go. Or you are like the god of coffee, who could bring hyperactivity to cute furry animals.

He was an unexpected visitor this morning and I must admit to a slightly hostile welcome. After all, I just got out of my shower when suddenly the doorbell rang. I threw on the standard work-from-home clothes but without my face cream, I actually couldn't smile too much lest my skin crack off. We have a slight humidity issue, I guess.

After my dreadlocked cable guy explained the situation, I let him into the apartment and we proceeded to search for what I imagined to be a mythical cable box. But after a phone call to the building's superintendent, we eventually found it in the hallway closet.

Now, I am very good at hiding dirty laundry and most embarrassing unmentionables that tend to multiply around the apartment. But I forgot that my sparkling, look-at-me, belly dancing costume was hanging right in front of the cable box. It doesn't fit in the unmentionable category but you never know what a stranger will react to in your closet. At first, I believe that he thought I was a gypsy woman. But seemed open-minded about it, so I casually corrected him, "It's for belly dancing, not for telling fortunes."

Yes, I own a sexy costume and have worn it on the odd occasion even *gasp* on Halloween. I don't know why I worried.

We quickly moved on from that topic to discuss the various wires that had no business being connected to each other and other technical details. Still, in return for learning something about me, the Cable Guy shared a few tales about life as a cable guy, and it's dark underbelly.

He's been called to homes where the lack of cable television elevated domestic arguments to full on dish-throwing brawls. An aged, frightened widow, so desperate for a cable fix, locked him in the backyard. That was actually one of the weirder stories.

Cable Guy also described a frightening afternoon when he was held prisoner in a dissatisfied customer's home. The police finally freed him. The biggest shocker was the customer who pulled a gun on him. I'm not sure how he got out of that one. And this is all in the name of cable service.

I'd hate to think that he was making up his stories for the sole purpose of entertaining me. No, I am sure that he was genuine and I will pass on his tales to others, so that we remember to be grateful for the cable guy. He risks his life everyday and yet instead of thanking him for his good work (Yay! He fixed my phone and Internet!) we make his life hell. It's not like the movie at all. Not at all! Remember Cable Guy?

On his way out, we joked a bit more about life and that pesky costume of mine that mildly captured his imagination. So, feeling mildly competitive in the story telling department, I told him that I too risk my life, for I am actually a dancing superhero and he now knows my guarded secret identity. I wonder who tells a more believable story...

Construction Below

2008-01-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

The construction continues beneath my apartment. I hate to complain about noises, but I work from home. At least I try to stick to the home office to write one half of the world's longest screenplay. So perhaps I have the right to complain out loud. And the noises start at 7 am!

It's really muffled banging noises, either the occasional hammering or sound of large men moving heavy objects. The drilling has stopped for the most part, although there was another incident not too many weeks back when I thought that I would need to steady all of the dishes and glasses with my hands lest they bounce to the floor.

All this for a clothing shop frequented by the noisiest demographic in existence. No problem, we'll wait and see what happens to the noise levels when Urban Outfitters finally opens.

At the Hotel, Don't Touch that Drinking Glass

2008-01-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

A recent television report exposed the common practices of the hotel staff, which should make your stomach turn. If you haven't already seen this video, which is doing the email rounds at the moment, you can check out the video here.

It's not just that the drinking glasses aren't being cleaned with soap and water, it is also quite disturbing that they maids have found other unusual ways of giving these glasses that clean look— from a good wipe down with your used washcloth to a few squirts with a toxic blue chemical probably used for toilet cleaning.

This is too disturbing to think about, but good to know that it isn't just the door handle or remote control that holds all of the serious germs. I guess it's time to drink the old fashioned way: directly out of that mini bottle of gin or cola or tonic. Or you could take a swig out of one followed by the other so that the cocktail is actually created in your mouth.

It reminds me of other reports on the quality of drinking water on airplanes. Remember that story?

Iran and Watersports

2008-01-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

It was not even a year ago when a British military vessel somehow "wandered" into Iranian waters. They were boarded and 15 serviceman and women were taken prisoner by the Iranians for 12 days. Read more here.

Apparently, the U.S. Navy had some excitement of its own on Sunday when three of its ships nearly entered into a skirmish with Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast boats in the same region. This news article reports that the Iranian ships radioed the message: "You are going to blow up within minutes." They moved in and out of formation— and I have no idea what kind of shape that looks like— but it must have been pretty menacing since our guys went on the defensive. However no one was hurt in the incident.

I suppose that the Persian Gulf's Strait of Hormuz, should not on anyone's top five luxury cruise routes.

A Song "Chinese Food On Christmas"

2007-12-27T10:45:00.001-05:00

There was a time before I knew my handsome Scotsman and before I started to partake in the traditional Christmas feast every year. During that time, I didn't decorate or celebrate or eat roast turkey. My family had other traditions. You see, like the song says, life without Christmas isn't so bad as long as Chinese restaurants and movie theaters stay open on Christmas day.

My sister sent this link to me the other day. He sure gets the lyrics right.

Black Mambas and Spitting Cobras

2007-12-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

It was in 1997 when my grandmother and I were traveling with a group on the Botswana/Zimbabwe border. This was before Mugabe entered the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, before he confiscated land from the whites, and before the country became of land of "political violence, human rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse" according to the CIA World Factbook as well as most publications.

Despite the occasional highway check points with machine-gun wielding soldiers, I knew that Zimbabwe was one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I was sure that my adventurous grandma agreed. Then our guide started telling stories. Politics aside, he was beginning to convince us that Africa had to be the scariest places to live or travel, especially if you have a fear of snakes.

Of all the dangers, he focused on one in particular: the Black Mamba. It was the most dangerous snake in the region, he told us. It is the longest snake in Africa and can reach a length of 14 feet. The snake can lift one third of its body from the ground and blend in with surrounding tall grasses but once it gets a whiff of potential prey, it can move up to 20 mph toward it. It one of the fastest snakes in the world.

(Grabbed off of Wikipedia.)

Our guide described the time he was riding his horse on a blissful sunny day when suddenly, the infamous snake attacked. It stood up as tall as the animal's neck and injected its venom more than 50 times before it gave up and slithered away. The horse dropped to the ground and died within seconds. The guide watched us react with some amusement. Some of our fellow travelers refused to believe the story but most of us started to search near and far for any unusual movement. We were certain we were being watched by one of these reptilian beasts.

Although we were excited to be in the midst of real wilderness, both my grandmother and I were relieved to get back to the hotel.

News: Largest Spitting Cobra

Have you heard of the newly named species of cobra, the largest in the world? The naja ashei was once a member of the black-necked spitting cobra species but it was recently confirmed to be a wholly new species of cobra. It is native to Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia so one can suppose that some locals already knew about the creature before the scientists gave it a brand new name and place in the taxonomy.

However, scientists aren't exactly wasting time when they study and reclassify species. According to National Geographic News, this species actually delivers twice the venom than previously thought—enough for 20 people in one bite. This will affect the dosage of antivenin administered to bite victims.

Yes, snakes are scary but they are part of our natural ecosystem. Unlike some urban-dwelling insects, which I truly believe in destroying, I believe that the snake has an important place in
the world, as long as it isn't in anyone's back garden. If the snake stories are too much to bear, scroll down and look for the previous entry on the adorable kitten. Yes, put your mind at ease with thoughts of kittens...

For more information on the largest spitting cobra, visit:
Physorg.com
and
National Geographic News

A Kitten from Far Far Away

2007-12-05T15:09:00.001-05:00

Something about this kitten immediately reminded me of the lucky or beckoning cats that you see in Japanese restaurants. But he doesn't look very much like the Japanese bobtail, the breed on which it is based.

It is more likely to be a member of the Scottish Folds breed known for resembling owls or teddy bears. But then again, don't you think that there is something a little bit more Spanish about this animal?

"I too was concocting this very same plan, already our minds are becoming one!"

This kitten shares the same eyes and body type as Puss-in-Boots from the Shrek movies. Either way, this isn't your run of the mill average American cat so I thought I'd share.

Raiders of the Lost...with bunnies

2007-11-29T11:07:00.000-05:00

We're still working on the screenplay and it must be going well this week since my wrists are starting to show signs of tendonitis or whatnot. Always a good sign. But even in the midst of creating new settings and adventures for our invented characters, we writers cannot ignore those films and books that still influence us today.

Of all filmmakers, I must admit that Steven Spielberg has influenced my movie saturated existence more than anyone. Well, he and Terry Gilliam. Some of my earlier posts reveal my feelings about the ocean, a beautiful and scary place. You see, I don't like to swim in the ocean because I must have viewed the movie "Jaws" at the age of three. The film "E.T." made me love aliens and fear anything covered in plastic, although I 'm pretty much over that by now.

Another important movie influenced my passion for archaeology. Of course I wanted to be a real life Indiana Jones and if not for the intense study of pottery that it required, archaeology might have been my chosen profession. I am sure that the professionals love to hear that lazy excuse. If not for the physics stuff, I might be a rocket scientist as well.

I've only seen Indiana Jones around one hundred times so, I recently decided to refresh my memory about that movie. However, I didn't have the time to view the entire movie this week. Luckily the wacky people at Angry Alien Productions recreated the film in 30 seconds. Although all of the actors are cartoon bunnies, they stay true to the story.

By the way, if you didn't already know this, the next Indiana Jones movie is coming out in May 2008.

A Review of "Samedi the Deafness"

2007-11-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished Samedi the Deafness, by Jesse Ball. It was not your average novel and I still feel odd. I like that. I don't always like your average literary novel about devastating relationships or the day someone learned a family secret. Those stories can be interesting but never so absorbing as good genre writing that requires an actual plot. But this isn't genre, nor is it your average literary novel. So what is it?

I'm not sure it is a novel at all. Maybe it was a series of prose poems that fit together to describe an overall theme of deceit. It is a story of deceit, of a man who is caught up in a conspiracy. The conspirators are exceptional liars, for their political cause and for their own amusement. Perhaps it is because they work in a special sanatorium specifically designed to cure chronic liars. But the main character, James Sim, is a mnemonist. This is a great made-up profession for someone who is caught in a conspiracy.

From the beginning to the end of this book, I kept wondering if each short passage or story would later be revealed to be a lie or illusion. You have to love that. The book is a fiction, after all and as readers, we are used to believing every word of the writer. We are used to true works of fiction rather than fiction that contains multiple lies. That is, unless we are reading mystery or spy novels. In those the deceit is expected.

In other reviews, the book is called Kafkaesque, a bit like David Lynch, or like a tale told by Lewis Carroll. I agree with this last description the most. This is partially due to the seemingly unconnected encounters that our hero experiences throughout the story. It is also due to the introduction of childhood memories in a series of dreamlike flashbacks. True episodes from his past are mixed with memories of his playtime. When I think about it, my own memories of childhood are just as confused. Just like his imaginary owl, my childhood recurring dreams or even the imagined settings that my friends and I invented at recess are just as real as my first day of school.

Does this review offer any insight into the book? I hope it does. Then again, it might make no sense at all because I haven't really finished. The words and images are still falling into place in my mind. You see, a good book stays with you even after the last page is read and it makes you feel slightly odd, which I like.

This book was recommended to me and I recommend it too.

Ancient Zombies in Egypt

2007-11-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

Hierakonpolis or Nekhan is a famous Egyptian site for archaeologists. The "City of the Hawk" and the remains of the largest Predynastic (4000-3100 B.C.E.) settlement of Egypt. It is home of the tombs belonging to Horemkhawef, a Chief Priest who lived during the Second Intermediate Period (1750-1550 B.C.E.). Another famous tomb belongs to a Prince, Ny-ankh-Pepy, who was actually the second person laid to rest at that site in 1980 B.C.E. Yes, that is all well and good and scholarly but did you know that this is also the site of some major zombie activity in or around five thousand years ago?

According to an article that appeared online at Archeology Magazine's website, zombies were un-alive and un-well in ancient Egypt. The author goes on to explain that author Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" brought some startling yet very old news to the archaeology community when he recounts an 1892 dig at Hierakonpolis. During that fateful expedition, archaeologists discovered a partially decomposed body with a brain possibly infected by the Solanum virus. The tomb is also covered in scratch marks, typical defensive behavior for an entombed zombie.

The Urban Dictionary defines Solanum as this:

SOLANUM: THE VIRUS

Solanum works by traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain. Through means not yet fully understood, the virus uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily functions cease. By stopping the heart, the infected subject is rendered "dead." The brain, however, remains alive but dormant, while the virus mutates its cells into a completely new organ. The most critical trait of this new organ is its independence from oxygen. By removing the need for this all-important resource, the undead brain can utilize, but is in no way dependent upon, the complex support mechanism of the human body. Once mutation is complete, this new organ reanimates the body into a form that bears little resemblance (physiologically speaking) to the original corpse. Some bodily functions remain constant, others operate in a modified capacity, and the remainder shut down completely. This new organism is a zombie, a member of the living dead.

The article reveals other zombie evidence: bodies with decapitated heads. In addition, the marks left on the cervical vertebrae "...indicate an effort far greater than that needed simply to cause the death of a normal (uninfected) person. The standard position also indicates these are not injuries sustained during normal warfare."

For once, I am relieved to see that aliens had no part in the mysterious findings at these ancient tombs. However, I am hoping that they will get back on track with investigating Mummy curses. I am still working out the evidence, and looking for my own funding regarding one Mummy in particular may have brought down the entire Roman Empire...

To read more about how archaeologists plan to fight a potential zombies attack at the dig site, check out the article "Zombie Attack at Hierakonpolis." An interview with Mr. Brooks (Mel Brook's son), is available online here. I do love archaeology humor.

Dance Typewriter

2007-11-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

I haven't written many blog entries because my sister-in-law visited a few weeks ago. We had a good time doing the usual New York City visit. We even drove up to the Hudson River Valley region for a few days to visit Benmarl, the oldest winery in the U.S., according to the company. We shopped, ate, and drank way too much. She is Scottish, as is my husband, so it took some time for my liver to recover.

Then, I had the fabulous excuse of actually working hard on some literary projects, finishing a short story, and then getting back to the script.

But, you are not forgotten. Nor have I forgotten that reading blogs is a major time-waster. So, to extend that experience, I give you the "Dance Writer." I found this linked to one of my favorites sites, apartmenttherapy.com.

Type in your message and see the mime at work. Is it funny or sad to watch a man do this for a living? Well, he probable doesn't make a living at this. Maybe he acts out numbers on other websites.

Have a good weekend!

Bionic Woman Makes Me Cringe

2007-10-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to write my own review of the latest re-imagined 1970s series, but I didn't have the heart to do it until now. "Bionic Woman" was going to be fantastic with better effects, a more sophisticated story, and feature Katee Sackhoff as the villain. It still doesn't work for me.

After a near-fatal car accident, Jaime Summers lost an eye, ear, some limbs, and her entire brain as far as I could tell. In her rebirth as the bionic woman, we see that the doctors injected "anthrocytes" or "bionics" into her body. They somehow provide actual structure for her bones, muscles, nerves, etc. and they also relay information from a microprocessor somewhere in her brain so that is she part robot too! I realize that I should be patient with the writers because half of the fun of these transformations occur when the character tests his or her limits. Unfortunately nanotech like this can end up being another type of magic. We are to suspend our disbelief as members of a science fiction audience. But isn't the writing supposed to help us along? I am not convinced that the writers even know what these machines can or cannot do and because it is integral to the story, they better figure it out or start ignoring the machinery so that we can too.

Lack of sophistication is often a problem with television. Producers like to appeal broadly, meaning to the least intelligent person they can imagine. Or their ten year old child. Since this isn't a children's show, I expected a bit more. For instance, when Jaime Summers is initiated into the top secret company as their muscle, a psychologist/field agent describes Jaime as a genius yet she appears to be a slow wit at the best of times. In one episode, genius Jaime receives a phonecall from her boss during lunch with her teenage sister. The call is about a top secret assignment, of course. For no reason whatsoever, she repeats everything he says: "You know where I am?... You have a tracker on me?... He's a bad man?" This piques the curiosity of her sister and introduces a farcical double conversation that falls very flat on laughs.

Jaime Summers can be slow but the show should have been quick. Constantly running around doesn't make up for the predictable plot.

Katee Sackhoff is great as Starbuck in "Battlestar Galactica." Her association with a truly great T.V. show was the only reason that I watched "Bionic Woman" in the first place. She looks fantastic in her evil persona and in her few moments of acting catharsis, she proves that there could be something to the show, if only it could figure out the point. She could carry the entire show if most of the characters are killed off and they start anew.

You can read another review on the Bionic Woman here.

Fires in San Diego

2007-10-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

It was a bit late yesterday when I read the news about raging wildfires in southern California. A friend of mine, who I will call S.K., lives in San Diego. I immediately got in touch to get her status. We weren't at the frantic level, just serious concern.

She was alright for the time being but planned on keeping an eye on her parent's house, as they were out of town. S.K. informed me that it was very windy and smelled like campfire everywhere. Campfire seems like such a nonthreatening word. I suppose that the good news was that she wasn't smelling a bunch of burning chemicals. She described the sky as bright orange, but you can probably see that on the television reports. This particular CNN report was sponsored by Residence Inn. In the commercial, some actor throws off his jacket and began juggling a lit torches. He was actually playing with fire. Is that appropriate or just in bad taste?

This morning she got the evacuation notice. I can't imagine what it must be like to grab only the essentials and flee but it is something that everyone should consider, given all of the natural disasters over the past few years.

S.K., wherever you are right now, take care.

Overheard in Brooklyn

2007-10-03T15:50:00.000-04:00

So the nasty cloudy morning turned into a sunny gorgeous afternoon and I had to go for a walk. On my way back, I overheard the local crossing guard tell a couple of law-abiding pedestrians that they just missed someone famous: Mr. George Clooney. "He looked sharp in that suit!" she exclaimed.

It was plain to to see that something was afoot. I should have checked my local Brooklyn Heights blog for the details after noticing a glut of vans and trucks with that telltale movie cut board painted on the side. Now that we had our first out-of-town star sighting (because we have a few locals as well) I could no longer ignore the clues. So, I googled for an answer. George Clooney and b.f.f. Brad Pitt are filming Burn After Reading, a Coen Brothers movie. With those guys, we should be in for something stylish, funny, and political. We'll have to wait and see.

This recent neighborhood excitement really doesn't take me any closer to the fame and fortune that I seek. Does success through osmosis ever work? But anything that adds a little more flavor to Brooklyn is fine by me.

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

2007-10-03T11:54:00.001-04:00

Credit and copyright Terje O. Nordvik

What a nasty cloudy day. Or what a "k-nasty" day, as a friend of mine used to say when things were truly unpleasant. Today's Brooklyn weather report tells me that these clouds will linger all day. It might even rain. So, I thought that I might share a beautiful photograph, courtesy of Terje Nordvik in Norway who captured not one but six rainbow images. I hope you enjoy it.

This was an astronomy picture of the day on the NASA website: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html. They explain just how this odd image occurred in the first place.

Meteorite Update

2007-09-27T12:25:00.000-04:00

Check out the recent article from Space.com 'Meteorite' Crash Breeds Mass Hysteria. It looks like I might have a future in professional psychological speculation. (You can read my original post "Meteorite Sickens Peruvian Villagers" here.)

Then again, what if that is what they want us to think? I mean, I haven't actually been down to the crash site. And where are all of the sick villagers now? Is this a cover up for a global conspiracy about alien viruses, and if not, a highly advanced weapon that is not supposed to exist? This could be a case for Scully and Mulder. Or not.

Would anyone else like to throw in a conspiracy theory or two? This is one of my favorite ways to waste time at work.

Magna Carta for Sale

2007-09-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

I thought it was a pretty cool story on nytimes.com. Check it out here.

For those of you who can't quite match the name to any of your otherwise infinite knowledge of history, the Magna Carta was created by King John in 1215. It was written to appease the barons of England and bound the king as well as his subjects to the rule of law. It is the basis for the U.S. Bill of Rights.

More construction

2007-09-24T11:14:00.001-04:00

I thought it was an earthquake at first. But anyone living over a construction site would identify the tremors as just another nuisance that comes with the territory. Are they installing a ceiling? Are they actually drilling down into the ground? Perhaps an untapped source of oil is sitting just underneath the location of that future clothing store. I can just imagine oil gushing up through my sink and the the bath drain. Maybe I could get all of the other renters to pitch in and collect all of the oil that they can in buckets and used soda bottles. We'd sell it to local gas stations and make a few bucks.

When the tremors started, I just grabbed onto the shelves to steady them. But after around three minutes, it was clear that everything would come down in one way or another. So the apartment is laid out with dishes and cups and glasses. These things may still knock over so I wait and see. But for how long? Only until the motion sickness gets to an unbearable level. I feel like Sylvester the Cat after his head was bashed with over-sized cymbals. You know how he would vibrate and bounce out of a room, onto the window ledge, and then fall to the street? Tweety was a clever bird.

This could be a good thing. A test of the body and spirit. Maybe astronauts have to sit on a shaking platform for five hours in order to stimulate liftoff. Yep, this could work in my favor. Future astronaut. That could be the most important job of my life; the career change that all of the palm-readers were too frightened to tell me.

Is this text a bit wobbly or is it just me?

A Woman President?

2007-09-20T14:36:00.000-04:00

I have no cable and this is a tragedy only because I am don't have the opportunity to watch the always hilarious and provoking Daily Show. However, the lovely people at Comedy Central seem to be offering up some of their best clips from recent shows. Any fans of Sex and the City (another cable television gem) will crack up at Sam Bee's report on whether America is ready for a female president. It also made me crave a Cosmo...
<--!>

Meteorite Sickens Peruvian Villagers

2007-09-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

The AFP reported that the meteor crash occurred over the weekend in Peru. Observers initially believed that they were witnessing a plane crash. After the impact, as strange odor apparently caused a rash of health complaints among the residents living near to a crash site. Read the full story here.

Could it be a result of the shock of such an extraordinary event that caused the villagers some sort of mass hysteria? Or perhaps, the meteor kicked up some toxic material that previously sat dormant in the ground. However, if you think about it, cosmic dust is known for its interesting effects on humans. Well, if you ever watched the t.v. show Smallville, you would agree.

Speaking of strange symptoms. I finally worked out why my head is so stuffy and throat so store. No, it's not a meteorite that hit my neighborhood. It's a construction crew that's landed right beneath my feet. Our apartment is full of dust- I can't see it but I can smell something new in the air- and it is irritating my throat and eyes. And the noise! Their voices are a little to clear for my liking and each time they hammer or move a piece of wood, my apartment experiences a little earthquake. It's headache inducing as well. I can only hope that they are installing a whole lot of sound proofing because this could easily turn into a nightmare apartment once the new commercial tenants move in down there.

Boob Science

2007-09-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

I was wasting some time yesterday morning and found a few crazy stories in the world of science and nature. One story in particular caught my eye: "Bouncing Breasts Bring on Science Challenge." Okay, there is something inherently funny about this title. Why is that? Because men have been joking about breasts since they were first weaned and women have tried their best to join along? That is one theory but I don't want to go into it. Let's just think of it this way, by relegating the fact of bouncing boobs to silly twitters and bad jokes, we may have overlooked a real problem for women.

According to this report, University of Portsmouth scientist, Dr. Joanna Scurr, discovered that when a woman is jogging or basically moving, they bounce much more than earlier estimates and "50 percent of women experience pain when exercising, regardless of breast size."

So, something most of us realized long ago-that sports bras just don't work well enough- is being supported by scientific measurement (is there a pun in there?). Another case where pain has no place in sports.

Dr. Scurr would like to help one particular group of women who are often overlooked; military women. Portsmouth's online paper The News reported Dr. Scurr's intention to work with the military on this vital piece of equipment. She said, "We would like to establish military-issued bras that would be task-specific because walking and running creates different breast movement to jumping or horse riding. It's something we've brought to the attention of the military but we haven't started the project yet."

Vivid Dreams

2007-09-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

So last night's dream was a weird one. Very Philip K. Dick, as my husband would say. Everything started normal- that is to say normal in a hallucinogenic dreamlike normal way. I was a slightly younger version of me, off on a crazy adventure with a bespeckled chubby 14-year-old boy. We started at a modeling casting call in New Jersey. This was probably a memory retrieved from early childhood. My mother believed that she could actually get me to do something productive and lucrative with my weekends.

Anyway, we started off as friends when we walked through the door but it quickly became apparent that I was not always quite myself. We switched bodies several times or maybe he disappeared and I turned into him several times because this was still my story and it was more natural to be in the body of a female. I had to face the next stage of the nightmare all on my own. I was auditioning for "America's Next Top Model." Can you hear the scary music?

I am not exactly supermodel material, and in the dream I couldn't understand who put me up to such public humiliation. I was getting into a terrible state. Tyra Banks would surely criticize the way I walked, my messy hair, and my entire external being. I was lined up next to younger, skinnier, and eager women. They at least had a shot at modeling fame. I didn't feel inadequate as a person, just inadequate as a walking clothes rack with a blank face. Sorry, I mean I felt inadequate as a model. I searched the room for that friend of mine and when he was lost for good, I chose to seek out the next best thing: an exit.

Just as I was about to leave the torture chamber of embarrassment, Tyra Banks said, "And you too will have the chance to be America's Next Top Model. Yes you, the Jewish girl." If I had a full bladder, I would have emptied it right there. Thank goodness for bladder control.

As Ms. Banks stared me down, my story as an awkward girl stopped and the boy's story began. I somehow teleported into him, outside of the casting call and onto a happy suburban street. We or rather I was skipping along enjoying the sunny day. I tossed an old baseball into the air and caught it with ease. I thought, "Okay, so I'm a boy. But this isn't so bad. La dee la."

But things soon took a sour turn when we—or I—found myself with his fictional father, a overbearing and cruel police sergeant who came straight out of a 1950s B movie. We—or rather I—was sent to his office at the retro police station. He was very angry and sat me down in a short wooden chair as he came up with a punishment for my crime. I'm not sure what I did but it was bad enough to warrant writing my apology 100 times on his scratchy chalkboard while he angrily watched me with folded arms. Other odd punishments continued until he did his worst; he threw out the boy's only pair of shoes. Our pair of shoes. Do I have a problem with authority or what?

As I walked home, depressed and shoe-less, I slowly reverted back into a female. I was me, the younger dream—me who couldn't understand how she got involved reality television. I opened a letter in front of my parents and explained to them that I made it to stage two of "America's Next Top Model." For some reason, they found that a short Jewish girl would add some diversity to the program and they sent me a plane ticket for their first location shoot in Ethiopia. I prayed that they would drop me in the next act but since Ethiopia is supposed to be beautiful, I was a little excited nevertheless. Just as we got off the plane my alarm went off and I was released from nightmare.

Vivid dreams are part of my life. Some are actually worth telling and I'm not sure that this one qualified. I've been a 19th century Chinese peasant woman, a Western missionary in feudal Japan, and a secret agent on the run. This one was just odd. A bit too multiple personality for me. But why do I dream like this when so many people can't remember a single dream? Perhaps I'll never know the answer. But I could spend a few hours wasting my time on that question. Hmm. Something to do tomorrow.

Women Cabbies

2007-09-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

On a recent hot Sunday morning, my husband and I hopped in the nearest cab so that we could make it to brunch on time. We noticed something different, something not the same about our taxi; our driver was a woman. In fact, she was a lovely south Asian, middle-aged, lady from London. This was big news.

Can I tell you just how rare this ride was for me? In ten years of city living, I have never been fortunate enough to ride in a woman's cab. When I asked around, my friends could count similar occasions on one hand. In 24 years, one gal recalled two lady cabbies in all. Just two. Another friend of mine remembers a cab driver that fit the same description as mine. Perhaps it was the same one?

It must get a bit annoying to hear so many passengers exclaim, "You're my first female driver!" According to Reuters, females make up 1% of the city's drivers so when you see one, it is like finding a silver dollar in your piggy bank; you know they exist but you didn't think they were in regular circulation.

We chatted the entire twenty-minute ride up to Greenwich Village, discussing local politics, housing, tourists, and of course, the weather. She stayed off the phone and followed the rules of the road; every moment was civil and safe- also rare for NYC cab rides. She acted like somebody's mother, the kind who insists that she drive you home, just to be sure that you are delivered safe and sound. I wouldn't guess that every female cab driver acts the same. One could only hope that they somehow conform to this particular woman's style.

Lady, if you read this- keep up the good work and don't let the man get you down!

Cold August in NY

2007-08-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

According to the weather channel, our normally hot August got a dose of autumn yesterday when the temperatures fell to 55°F . That explains my odd urge to pile on the clothing and don a wool hat. Today is a bit better but still a bit too drafty for me at 65°F. This is reminiscent of my years spent in London. Now where did I store all of our tea and cookies?

Auntie Jessie back from Georgia

2007-08-20T10:59:00.000-04:00

Sorry about being MIA for so long. My sister had baby number 2 recently and I was fulfilling my auntie duties down in good 'ole ATL. What are the duties of an auntie, you ask? Well, there are many things that an aunt can do, even when the rest of the family is there to help.

For child number 1, it consisted of doing whatever my sister or brother-in-law asked of me (within reason). As a non-driver, that meant that I couldn't pop out to the store from her suburban home. However, we filled the hours with playtime, walks, feeding, reading, and my first attempts at changing diapers. Needless to say, the diaper part was not my favorite. Kids just don't stay still. Now changing her stuffed rabbit, hop-hop, that was a breeze.

As for the newborn child number 2, lot of it went like this "hold him, give him back, hold him, give him back" or "get me that pillow/bottle/bra/water/meds/blanket." At least I had a little breast-feeding advise to dispense from my countless hours of Internet perusing and message-board eavesdropping on helpful mothers. I hope that I remember the same advice if my time ever comes. Eek! My time?

This was the first time I saw my sister so soon after giving birth and boy did she impress me. Uncomfortable and in some pain, she still had a smile on her face and a lot of patience for the new arrival. He had some scary moments adjusting to life outside of the womb, like when he turned blue because his little heart needed a few more hours in order to close up a hole. Even my sister had to readjust to such a dependent and vulnerable child once again. At least, that was what she told me. Does everyone marvel at the size of tiny newborn? Even my undersized hands were able to safely hold him. I suppose some mothers would be happier if they came out even smaller but biology has its reasons...

A Typical Conversation with My Mom

2007-08-08T17:53:00.001-04:00

This is an incredibly funny video from the series "Tales Of Mere Existence" copyright by Lev Yilmaz. Check out his website for more wry animated humor. http://www.ingredientx.com/

We didn't move here for the weather

2007-08-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

We had some interesting weather this morning. I woke up to the sound of crashing thunder and thought "Aaah. The sounds of summer." This isn't very unusual. In fact, thunderstorms are to be expected during the height of summer. More unusual for our part of the world were the tornadoes that touched down in Long Island and Brooklyn according to some eye witnesses. USA Today wrote about the tornado in Islip Terrace, Long Island in the article "Tornado, storm slam New York."

It also paralyzed the Metropolitan Transit Authority, but what else is new? Still, it is shocking that the storms and subsequent floods put sixteen subway lines out of service. The only contingency plan offered by the MTA? They advised people to stay home. Truly, very helpful.
Read the NY1 News report here.

Not everyone outside of a major metropolitan city will understand my horror at this complete failure of infrastructure. Maybe you are more used to the pain of driving for an hour in horrible traffic, with the glare of the sun, and hot coffee spilling onto your seat. But imagine this other type of hell: rushing to the subway in the clammy heat of summer, you glance at your watch and feel reassured by the extra 30 minutes you gave yourself to get to work. But at the mouth of the subway station, at the top of the stairs, a line is already forming. You look to the street and taxis are few and far between. But that doesn't matter since you don't have enough cash to get to work because you are on a budget. The crowd of commuters is hot so you open a few buttons on your shirt. Sweat is dripping everywhere. Other people's sweat wipes onto your back, your purse, your cheek (that is the worst). The crowd moves but only enough so that you walk down one step for every two minutes you stand there. Do you give up or stick to plan A? You already wasted precious minutes. Eventually, people begin to move again and you are so excited that you don't notice a large puddle until your right foot crashes directly into it. The crowd stops again and you are trapped, standing in brown water which is slowly seeping through your sensible rain shoes. You gain inches as your nice work trousers sop up the stagnant water. Drops of condensation fall onto your head and into your eye from the ceiling. Finally you see that the crowd is only moving so that they can use the exit on the other side of the station. They are leaving the station because the subway isn't running anyway. You might wonder why you even got out of bed that morning because it would just be one of those days.

I grabbed this off of the MTA.info site:

Posted on:8/8/2007 9:39:36 AM

Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines. Customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service. The detours are as follows:

There is no train service in both directions between the 2nd Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station and Whitehall Street Station.

There is no Franklin Avenue Shuttle train service in both directions between the Prospect Park Station and the Franklin Avenue Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Long Island City-Court Square Station and the Smith-9th Street Station.

The train is running on the line in both directions between the Canal Street Station and the DeKalb Avenue Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the 14th Street Station and the South Ferry Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Penn Station-34th Street Station and the Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Harlem-148th Street Station and the New Lots Avenue Station.

The and trains are running local in both directions between the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Station and the Broadway Junction Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the 23rd Street-Ely Avenue Station and the Jamaica Center-Parsons-Archer Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Jamaica-179th Street Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

There is no train service in both directions between the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station and the Jay Street-Boro Hall Station.

There is no , or train service in both directions between the 125th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.

There is no train service in both directions between the Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway Station and the 8th Avenue Station.

There is no 42nd Street Shuttle train service in both directions between the Times Square-42nd Street Station and the Grand Central-42nd Street Station.

Astoria-bound trains are running on the or lines from the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station to the 36th Street Station.

trains are running with residual delays.

In addition, due to debris on the track at the Church Avenue Station, the and trains are running on the or line in both directions between the DeKalb Avenue Station and the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station.

Please expect delays in service system wide at this time.

Due to street closures in Mid-town Manhattan, the following diversions will be used until further notice:

Staten Island-bound X2 and X5

From 57th Street, south on Lexington Avenue to 42nd Street, west on 42nd Street to 5th Avenue, south on 5th Avenue to 34th Street, east on 34th Street to Lexington Avenue and regular route.

Buses should pick up at X1 bus stops on 5th Avenue, there is no stop at 41st Street and Lexington Avenue.

M98, M101, M102 and M103 South-bound

Regular route to East 42nd Street, east on 42nd Street to 2nd Avenue, south on 2nd Avenue to 34th Street, west on 34th Street to Lexington Avenue, south on Lexington Avenue and regular route.

While the frozen zone is in effect, please expect delays in service on the X2, X5, M98, M101, M102 and M103.

Another Dr. Who Departure

2007-08-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

David Tennant is leaving the series? Say it isn't so! Just when you get used to a new Dr. Who, they go and mess with our emotions by killing off the doctor, or rather, he regenerates so they can replace the actor and go on with the show.

A lot of us were very disappointed by the loss of the intense and mysterious Dr. #9 played by Christopher Eccleston. It was a very dramatic season finale in 2005 when Rose nearly sacrifices her life for his and he, in turn, died for her. But minutes later, thanks to regeneration, the doctor is well again, albeit with a new face and body. I stomped around for a while, unable to watch this new actor take over. How could he ever compare?

Eventually I came to appreciate David Tennant's new doc. His stylish slim suits paired with Converse sneakers and disheveled hair defined him as a hipper version of the character. He wasn't as tough as Eccleston but he still had the energy level to pull off the iconic doctor.

I'm not sure that we are about to lose Dr. #10 but knowing this series, I wouldn't be surprised. I caught this new of the latest doctor departure at syfyportal.com . You can read more about the rumors here. Yes, I am such a nerd for rumor-mongering about science fiction shows.

Climate Change Brought in for Questioning

2007-08-02T08:05:00.001-04:00

Suspect #1, a.k.a. Global Warming, a.k.a. Climate Change, was brought in for questioning regarding its role in our increasingly scary hurricane seasons.

Researchers Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Peter Webster of Georgia Institute of Technology analyzed a century of storm data to uncover whether the increasing storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic—observed by scientist and layman alike—are a result of natural cycles or human induced climate change. The authors of the study concluded that the frequency of tropical storms are increasing with the rising rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In turn, the cause of the warming SSTs looks like human produced greenhouse gases. So it isn't looking too good for C.C. (climate change) who is already up for charges for melting ice in the Arctic, and consequently adding to the mortality of polar bears in the region as well as economic instability for the local humans.

Image courtesy Steve Deyo, ©UCAR

Holland and Webster gathered storm and temperature statistics for the North Atlantic from 1900 to 2005 and found that they had increased in two sharp step functions (around 1930 and since 1995) separated by periods of relative stable activity. (Shown in graphic). They measured an increase in ocean temperature by approximately 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit before each period of increased storm activity. This last period has not yet ended so we could be looking at a few more interesting storm seasons up ahead.

This isn't the first report to link higher hurricane activity with sea-surface temperatures. Now, I haven't checked into every paper published on the subject, by I found at least one other report in Science online here. The paper by Holland and Webster contains a comprehensive list.

This information will no doubt make most of us wonder about Hurricane Katrina and just where we can lay the blame for that one. So far, no one has proven Climate Change to be solely responsible for the storm, as intense storms occur during every natural cycle and the ratio of major hurricanes to tropical storms still sits at around 55%. However, the frequency of these major hurricanes have increased with the increase in overall cyclones. A major hurricane is categorized as having over 110 mph 177 (km/h) winds. Katrina's winds reached up to 170 mph 274 (km/h) and its landfall speeds reached 125 mph (201 km/h).

The full report by Holland and Webster is published online in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London on July 30th. A detailed press release from the Georgia Institute of Technology is available here. Tell me if I missed anything.

If you want to learn more about climate change in general, the New Scientist has an interesting roundup of the 26 most common myths about climate change. Check it out.

Operation Banner Ends

2007-07-31T16:06:00.000-04:00

From the BBC: The British army's operation in Northern Ireland will come to an end at midnight on Tuesday after 38 years. They are reducing their presence from N.I. from 27,000 soldiers to 5,000.

From the International Herald Tribune: The British Army, for 38 years a prominent symbol of the sectarian antagonisms of Northern Ireland, closed down its operations there Tuesday.

Just in case you missed it! I've been relying on too many American news sources and almost missed it too.

Brunch and Celebs on Sunday

2007-07-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

Elijah Wood looks like a normal kinda guy. We saw him leaving a local diner in Brooklyn with a few other youngish folks. Of course I wondered, is that Elijah Wood, my favorite hobbit or does that man look too much like him to be true? Once he lit his cigarette and flashed those baby blues, I knew for certain that it was Elijah. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday, rather late for second breakfast, so he was probably finishing up his brunch.

Is it just me, or do all of the normal celebrities stick to NYC while all of the basket cases tend to make their homes in LA? I've been celebrity spotting for ten years and have yet to be flashed, screamed at, or insulted by any of these people. Although, you could you count the time a large body guard belonging to P. Diddy (or whatever he is called) tried to intimidate a friend and me so that we kept the appropriate distance from his table at Joe's Pub.

My man and I were on our way to our own brunch-scapade with 14 friends of friends. It was our second time at Patois but I will return again soon. Lovely food. And the fritatta with artichokes, potatoes, and tomatoes simply hit the spot. My IMDB research informed me that artichokes are a favorite of Elijah's as well, so I would recommend he try it too. The only complaint from our group- the egg dish (hollandaise?) with smoked salmon was a bit too light on the salmon. The Paupered Chef went so far as to call it the best brunch in Brooklyn.

Marlena Shaw at the Jazz Standard

2007-07-28T22:05:00.000-04:00

We just got back from an excellent show at the Jazz Standard, this moody venue just beneath the rib joint Blue Smoke. Want to know who we saw? My title should give that away. Marlena Shaw was excellent. She has a voice that could knock down a house and a sense of humor that had us laughing like we knew her.

You don't know Marlena Shaw? Well, she produced disco, R&B, and jazz hits in her she got her start in the 1960s and recorded on Chess Records sub-label, Cadet Records. Among her hit songs are "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" "Woman of the Ghetto," "Go Away, Little Boy" and "Feel Like Makin' Love." You can read a bit more about her at her agency's website here.

Oregano fighting flesh-eating bacteria and other cupboard cures

2007-07-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

A science editor friend of mine, who you shall know as "sciwrytress," took a fancy to the earlier flesh-eating bacteria story. After a little digging around on the topic, she found a few instances of natural antibiotics found in most of our cupboards. Oregano oil, chili peppers, turmeric are among the bacteria and/or parasite fighters.

Sciwrytress adds, "I think it works because plants use these kinds of chemicals to protect themselves from bacteria, etc. and hit upon something hard to evolve resistance against. There were other studies around the time of this last one showing that the herbs and spices most frequently used by people in a given region of the world (curry in the Indian peninsula, cilantro and chilies in Mexico,parsley and onions in parts of Europe, etc.) happened to be the ones most effective against local bacteria and parasites. People are pretty smart, huh?..."

Here is a quick survey of just some of the research using spices:

Oregano:
In 2001, Science Daily published a report from the Georgetown University Medical Center on their research with oregano oil and carvacrol, a chemical component of oregano which has also been show to kill off E. Coli. Georgetown University researchers combined oregano oil with staphylococcus bacteria in a test tube and observed that even low doses stopped the bacteria from growing, and in fact, stood up to the staph as well as traditional antibiotics. You can read the full story here. Just so we're all on the same page, staph infections are not "staff" infections and hence they are not necessarily something that you get from the staff at a hospital. Although it can happen.

Chilies, or capsaicin:
In 2001, the New Scientist reported a study at Virginia Tech University where scientists fed chickens with the capsaicin, the chemical that provides the hotness in chili peppers. The birds were then infected with Salmonella enteritidis. The chickens didn't have a spicier flavor but they had a significantly lower number of germs in their organs compared to those birds who weren't fedcapsaicin. For more information, check out the full story from the New Scientist " Chilli-eating chickens repel bacteria."

Turmeric, specifically the yellow bit curcumin:
In 2005, the New Scientist reported research on curcumin from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The scientists tested the effects of curcumin on mice and found that five daily doses of the spice reduced the number of plasmodium berghei parasites in the bloodstream. You can read the rest in article "Spice takes sting out of malaria." An even more interesting follow up to this research is available on SciDevNet " "Turmeric can combat malaria, cancer virus and HIV."
____________________________________________
We have every reason to worry about the overuse of antibiotics and the emergence of super bugs, but this research should give us some hope. We may discover that some of those old folk remedies, which were so easily dismissed by the medical establishment, could be just what the doctor ordered.

For more on the medicinal properties of chilies, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg, saffron, garlic and onions can be found on the website for the Royal Society of Chemistry http://www.rsc.org/Education/EiC/issues/2006May/SpicingupChemistry.asp

On a plane, pilot outranks sheikh

2007-07-27T16:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, I was procrastinating and reading random tidbits of news when I ran across this one Sheikh delays plane over seating. I wondered if he just was stuck in economy and wanted a better seat. I mean, if I were called Sheikh I might make all kinds of requests "I am a sheikh, I demand access to the first class bathroom." Or "You call this a chicken cutlet? I demand a decent steak even at 30, 000 feet!" That is one cool title.

But alas, the story is weirder than that. Reuters reported that the problem occurred on a British Airways flight from Milan to London. The sheik and his entourage of over seven people (including a servant) were seated together in business class when suddenly they realized that the women in the group were not sitting next to men that they knew. Eek! Strangers! On a plane? That is just crazy talk, I mean, I just bring my 200 best friends with me on all of my travels so this never happens to moi.

No one else agreed to swap seats and I imagine that they too had their reasons. So the sheik complained to the pilot and before long, he and his group got the boot. Meanwhile many the rest of the passengers, including those silly peons in economy (my neck of the woods) were delayed by three hours. At least we know who won that battle of wills! Or do we?

Ahh, the garden

2007-07-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

Trumpet vines frame the entrance to the garden from the house.

These might be Hydrangeas

The Red Lily

Hydrangeas on the footpath

This fish/snail/frog pond gets its share of visitors. Can you see the rabbit?
A very large beaver visited over the weekend too.

Hydrangea

Last but not least, the very proud sunflower hedge, planted just a few months ago.

I may be dressed as my version of a gardener but I hardly have a green thumb. My two parents, along with my nature-loving grandmother cultivate nature wherever they go, from Washington State to New Jersey, England to Romania. Just thought I'd share a bit of it with you.
Images (Copyright© A. Hornick)

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Takes a Bite

2007-07-17T18:01:00.000-04:00

More ocean scares from Galveston, Texas: www.click2houston.com.

After thirty minutes of fishing in the warm waters of Texas, bacteria found a chance to enter his blood stream through a cut in his leg. Within days, he developed a sever infection and may lose the entire leg.

If you have an open wound and insist on entering warm ocean waters, be aware of the bacteria Vibrio vulnifi cus. If you do have a cut of any sort, wash your wound with rubbing alcohol as soon as you leave the water. This bacteria can also spread to humans through contaminated seafood (mostly shellfish) but most of us know about the dangers of bad shellfish.

Flesh-eating bacteria in the ocean? That's a new one for me and it's going on my list. With all of its dangers, why are we so drawn to the clear blue ocean waters?

Abandoned Gold Mine to be Underground Lab

2007-07-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

Ever since I saw Lex Luther's sprawling hideout under Metropolis, I've always wanted my own underground "evil lair." Even some of the comic book good guys are allowed secret hideouts with fantastic techno-gadgets. Apparently scientists are also looking for the same type of real estate for their laboratories.

According to nature.com, the National Science Foundation has recently chosen an abandoned gold mine in South Dakota for an underground laboratory. They can conduct amazing experiments like mixing bat and dog genes together to make bat dogs. But I highly doubt that has made it into the agenda just yet. The current plan is to experiment on neutrons to create neutrinoless double-beta decay, a baffling title for a giant physics experiment that needs to be hidden 2,250 meters below the surface of the Earth. Very spooky.

Ever wonder if our physicists could accidentally create a black hole or recreate the Big Bang if they aren't careful? Well, don't let that keep you up at night. That is my job.

The weather is breaking my brain

2007-07-11T17:59:00.000-04:00

It's been too hot. You would think that writing a blog entry requires very little brainpower. That is wrong, my friend! We haven't even suffered any temperatures above 98 degrees but just you try sitting in a little windowless room in a New York heatwave and try to write. So once I peel off that sopping wet thinking cap, I'll get back to it. Promise.

Stars in Cafes

2007-07-07T11:59:00.000-04:00

In response to a comment about the Dancing Ladies entry- yes that was Emily Mortimer at my local cafe! I checked around a bit and read that she did indeed move to my part of Brooklyn in 2006.

She looks so much like herself on screen that I kept second-guessing my keen sense of celebrity identification. That reminds me of a similar situation with Henry Fonda's character in the movie "Lady Eve." When Eve, a con artist that he met on a cruise liner, showed up at his house, he didn't believe it was her because she looked exactly the same:

If she came here with her hair dyed yellow and eyebrows different or something...But she didn't dye her hair and she didn't pretend she'd never seen me before which is the first thing that anybody'd do. She says I look familiar...If she didn't look so exactly like the other girl, I might be suspicious, but you don't understand psychology. If you wanted to pretend you were somebody else, you'd glue a muff on your chin and the dog wouldn't even bark at ya.
(I grabbed this quote from http://www.filmsite.org.)

If this teaches me anything, it is to trust my celebrity spotting instincts. Although I would much prefer some kind of useful instinct, like somehow knowing how to unlock a safe, deliver a baby, revive a cardiac patient, disarm an armed attacker, hear sharks from 3 miles away, smell E-Coli in picnic baskets, etc.

No Fake Smiles from Brown

2007-07-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

My husband and I were away last weekend, aiming at a relaxing break to forget our worries when his home country hit the news. Apparently a sleeper cell decided to appoint themselves the Gordon Brown Welcome Wagon. This group of bungling terrorists decided to mark the beginning of his term with failed car bombs in London and a quick crash into the Glasgow Airport. After the authorities issued a few reports assuring us that their plans turned into a failure, we found the energy for some explicative-filled tirades against the would-be killers before calming down for some quiet reflection.

As I slowly sunburned in very odd places—like the middle of my forehead and my right big toe, I wondered if we were living in a Luis Bunuel film. Will this be known as the era that we filled our days with meaningless escapades and preoccupations so as to avoid the thought of random death? Good lord! Is this why I keep seeing idiot starlets on real news channels—because none of us can stand to hear the painful truth?

P.M. Brown seemed to deal with the situation quite well and you can see his response in this video on nytimes.com. He was everything you would expect in a British politician. He was quick to get to the point, left off the fake smiles, and didn't include meaningless touchy-feeling-happy-clappy phrases to make the public feel better. I already like him more than Tony Blair.

Goodbye Tony, Hello Gordon

2007-06-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

The decade of Tony Blair is over and another Scot is now taking the role of Prime Minister of the U.K. Gordon Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) from 1997-2007 and an MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath since 2005. But Gordon Brown's career in politics and civil service stretches far back to the early days in Edinburgh University. There is a quick bio available on BBC News here. He is often criticized for a lack of charisma but he must have had some magnetism for the "Brown Sugars" who accompanied Brown on photo opportunities during his campaign for university Rector, according to the report. I still need to see some evidence of these girls in miniskirts.

A Good Joke

2007-06-25T17:48:00.001-04:00

(Courtesy of Nick Fox-Gieg http://www.fox-gieg.com)

It's been a while since I've heard a good joke. How about you? When you start a joke with this line, "One gray rainy day, the Pope wakes up in a bad mood," it could go either way. But I actually laughed out loud at this one.

Living on location

2007-06-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

It is a rare moment when you can refuse a business opportunity, when the money just isn't worth it even if it seems to land on your doorstep. This happened to me just last week.

I was at my computer wearing only the grungiest of clothes when someone buzzed my apartment from the street. I was slightly unkempt since I was working from my home office and hadn't any social engagements planned that day. So I tried to ignore the call just in case I would have to show my face and very frizzy hair to a stranger. But after few minutes, every single apartment in the building was buzzing because of this individual who just wouldn't quit. I had to give in, and being one of the three or so people working from home, it was probably my turn to let the UPS/Meter reader/lost soul into the building.

Once I got to the video monitor, I saw that it was a slightly frazzled looking woman standing at the door outside. Another neighbor who forgot her keys? Not this time. She was a scouting agent looking to film a commercial in one of our apartments. They were offering a fee for the use of our rental and promised only one or two days of inconvenience. Would I be interested? Now, someone might find this to be an exciting opportunity, a chance to get into the world of television, and basically, money for nothing.

But I didn't bite. Much like the time that I ducked from my windows when the cult of Korean yoga instructors called me (long story), my first instinct was to run away. My anxiety levels shot up as I imagined a crew of burly television people invading my space while several diva-ish actors stomp all over the place or make unreasonable demands on my bathroom. While I am locked out of my own apartment, I would drink a gallon of water to compensate for my nervous sweating from worry over property damage, the rearrangement of my furniture, or a horrible accident with one of our favorite plants. I declined as politely as possible and turned off the intercom before she had a chance to sell me this opportunity.

New York is constantly renting itself out to film crews. Just a month ago the streets of Cobble Hill were full of huge trucks and equipment for the film "Baby Mama." When I lived on the campus at New York University, my roommates and I often had problems navigating the streets and sidewalks on our way to class. One early morning I just couldn't take it anymore. They had closed off every known route to my first class of the day. So, I cursed about the whole situation and blamed Hugh Grant in particular for filming "Mickey Blue Eyes" in my extended personal space. Hugh Grant happened to hear me and affected the "Please don't blame me, I don't even want to be here" look--which was a bit endearing.

After a while the sight of a film crew just loses its glamor and becomes just another group of people making a living in the city. So I would prefer to let them get on with their work somewhere else.

Ferrets For Freedom

2007-06-22T15:47:00.001-04:00

Not that I am a huge fan of ferrets but they do have a point...

Spike Joining the Dr. Who Universe

2007-06-22T10:06:00.000-04:00

Spike (James Marsters) was a very special peroxide player in the Buffy universe. He probably had the most interesting character arc as well. He began as an evil vampire mastermind, then after a failed attempt to kill Angel and take over, he was confined to a wheelchair during a long recovery, and finally he joined forces with Buffy to kill the evil Angelis. That was just in season 2. By the end of the series, Spike is one of the good guys, a true champion, often shirtless, and very funny. He popped over for the end of the Angel series and gave the star of the show (David Boreanaz) just the kick in the pants he needed.

If anyone else wanted to know what happened to this favorite from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, check out this article on SyFy Portal "James Marsters Makes Way To 'Torchwood'"

Dancing Ladies

2007-06-21T13:10:00.000-04:00

After a lovely cafe lunch, just tables from a chatty Emily Mortimer (or her doppelganger) and friend, I decided to grab a few of life's essentials at our local grocery store.

There was something extremely depressing about the fluorescent lights and piped music. Every one of my fellow shoppers looked like slight variations on a type—each in their late 60s to 70s with the same gray-white hair, cut to the same bob, hovering around the frozen dinners and comparing garbage bags. Altogether, it was a creepy scene.

I had to find some peanut butter and my favorite instant breakfast drink before losing my will to live. But then something happened before my eyes. These dreary ladies transformed from shuffling shoppers into dancing boppers. Where was my camera?! Up and down every aisle, they were singing and dancing like nothing I'd ever seen. Not that they turned into the caste of Chicago but they were each performing in their own way, some quietly singing along and others shaking it in the aisles. The song? Oh the title of that song will always be a mystery, but I believe it was a major hit in 1960.

Feeling Everyone's Pain and Pleasure

2007-06-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

Did you know that some people may have an unstoppable physical reaction to seeing violence or touch of any kind? In a new study at the University College London, a group of individuals exhibited the rare ability to feel the physical sensations of another person- you touch his arm, she feels the sensation in the same part of her arm too. The condition is called mirror-touch synesthesia.

Synesthesia occurs when a person experiences an unusual combination of senses at the same time. The particular sensations are different in each case. Someone might experience a mixture of taste and shape *That steak was very prickly!* or sight and sound. Numbers, letters, or notes correspond to colors like this: 5, 8, 10, a, b. Unlike reported LSD experiences, the phenomenon isn't temporary and the synesthete is born with this genetic condition.

What makes this particular form of synesthesia even more interesting is the combination of empathy and touch. Our mirror neurons are thought to be active in humans and other animals when we experience empathy, this explains "mirror-touch synesthesia."

This Science Now article, "My Brain Feels Your Brain" summarizes the study in which several people had mirror-touch synesthesia.

"They had the individuals and members of a control group report where they felt a touch on their bodies while observing another person being touched. During the task, an actual touch was applied to their bodies as well--either at the same location as the person being observed or at a different location. The researchers found that mirror-touch synesthetes were quicker at detecting actual touch when it was applied to the same location as that of the person they were watching. They were also more likely than control subjects to report a synesthetic touch as a real touch."

Even I thought it was painful to watch the foot breaking scene in "Misery" but could you imagine what it might be like for some of these people? Do they lose their heads every time a Stephen King character slashes a throat? The subjects weren't given a special horror/gore movie test as far as I know. On the bright side, what if they feel the effects of a massage just by watching?

Xanadu on Broadway

2007-06-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

A place. Where nobody dares to go. The love that we came to know. They called it Xanadu.... A million lights are dancing and there you are, a shooting star...Now we are here in Xanadu.

Have my campy dreams come true? I am crying animated tears of joy. Check out the website featuring Olivia Newton-John's title song.

Insomnia

2007-06-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

It finally happened. The big bad sleep disorder or syndrome or whatever called insomnia. I probably had a mild case. After all of these years of bad boyfriends, worries over grades, encounters with terrorists, and a sincere belief in ghosts did it finally happen to me?

At first I didn't believe that I was the type. There used to be a time when I looked forward to those few minutes before falling asleep when I could imagine any world or any situation to please myself. There was a few recurring fantasies about having superpowers and saving orphanages full of children. Sometimes I fulfilled my dress-up fantasies and imagined the 18th century court at Versailles. Then there were the typical pirates on the high seas scenarios where I convince the captain of the ship to let me take charge of the whole operation.

Then there are the dreams. I love to dream. I can remember some of my favorites up to 15 years ago. There is that one fascinating nightmare that I had as a four year old that I still can't shake where I was walking in a beautiful ballroom of some fancy hotel when WHAM! and explosion destroys the world around me, leaving shards of glass and twisted metal all around me. But even then, after waking from this horrifying apocalypse, I was never kept awake for too long. More sleep awaited me. A better dream. You can live out an entire alternate life within the nightly sleep cycle. I've been different races. In a few I lived as the other sex— and sometimes both at once. That was a very odd dream indeed.

For five days last week the sweetness of a full night's sleep eluded me. Each night it would start with a loud bang around 3.30-4.00 a.m. On night #1 I decided to scare myself with an overactive imagination. I scanned the room for the noise source. Looking at our closet I saw an impossibly large man standing in the dark. An intruder! He was going to kill me in my sleep but obviously froze up when I heard his clumsy entrance. But after a few moments and a bit more focus, I realized that it was just a mess of clothes dangling off hangers and onto the floor. I was safe, for the time being.

Then it happened again, each night for five nights last week and the bang and wallop of the crashing sounds outside also gave me a little clue. Oh yes, it was coming from my busy Brooklyn street. No real surprise there, I suppose. You can bet it is one of those garbage trucks. That, or a cement mixer. Oh why can't they work normal hours?

You may be thinking, "That is not insomnia, you foolish woman." But let me finish. Within moments I forget about the outside world and realize that I am not only awake but wide awake. This is an important distinction because when you are overtired, some kind of kick occurs inside of the brain and before you know it all of the worries of the day come flooding into the mind: must get renters' insurance; need to learn to drive like every other American; or why is it so hard to figure out the paperwork for my tiny retirement account? Those are only the first three upsetting thoughts among the dozen or so that can drive a person mad at 3.30 in the morning when nothing is to be done.

There will always be something to keep a person awake all night. Health fears, love fears, and general confusion about how to navigate our lives. THE MAN has made it very difficult indeed. But I now know the answer to insomnia of this sort.

My insomnia cure

Do not drink coffee after your supper. Make sure you finish that glass of wine at least 1.5 hours before bed. Turn on a fan or air conditioner to block out the noise and keep an extra pillow nearby in order to attach them to either side of your head if necessary. Most importantly, be sure to knock at least one item from your list of things-to-do during the day. (We finally got that insurance we needed. ) If all else fails, try to answer the following questions:

1. What are the three basic rock types?

2. What did you eat for lunch three days ago?

3. What is the difference between the summer solstice and spring equinox?

4. What is the birth order of your 3 best friends?

5. Which fantasy vacation do you find most appealing?

I guarantee that you will fall asleep within 20 minutes.

Fido- A Heartfelt Undead Movie

2007-06-13T15:14:00.000-04:00

At the end of "Shaun of the Dead," all of the zombies were tamed, rounded up, and put to work in low wage jobs. The new movie "Fido" addresses the social impact of such a strange world. This horror-comedy starring Carrie-Anne Moss of "The Matrix" fame and Billy Connolly in his first silent role. Here is a plot summary from IMBD:

Timmy Robinson's best friend in the whole wide world is a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido. But when FIDO eats the next-door neighbor, Mom and Dad hit the roof, and Timmy has to go to the ends of the earth to keep Fido a part of the family. A boy-and-his-dog movie for grown ups, "FIDO" will rip your heart out.

I haven't seen it yet so I can't write a review at the moment. However, the trailer did make me laugh, in a creeped out kinda way. I plan to see it once it comes to my local theater. The release date in the U.S. is June 15.

Osaka Scientists Invent Robot Child

2007-06-08T10:06:00.000-04:00

Scientists at Osaka University created this humanoid, a super-sized toddler, so that they can study its development, teach it to walk and even talk. This is a bit creepy to me, but that might be because I just watched a Dr. Who episode involving Cybermen. You can read all about it and see the Japanese news reports on the website "Pink Tentacle."

Wooden Towels and Natural Pools

2007-06-06T12:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize that their is real news out there. Turkish troops are chasing Kurds into Iraq. Some 6,000 people are protesting the latest G8 summit in Germany. Thousands are fleeing a cyclone in the Persian Gulf. The popemobile was attacked by a lone loony. But you should be on top of that stuff already. I'm this is exactly why it is my job to bring you news of towels and pools.

So first, towels made from wood! How crazy is that? The towels are made of something called beechwood microfiber and the company claims that the towels feel as soft as cashmere. You can buy them online at where the site also explains:

"These towels are a great alternative to those made of conventionally grown cotton, a crop whose production takes an enormous toll on the air, water, and soil, not to mention the health of people living and working in cotton country. (For example, nearly 2/3 of all pesticides used worldwide are applied to cotton crops.)"

I cannot keep up with green/sustainable/environmentally friendly/eco-safe products. Is cotton really that bad or is this just a great new marketing strategy and useful way to sell more beech wood?

Our towel discussion naturally leads me to another related topic of summer—pools! You know how the Germans are leading the world in green living? That might not be true, who knows? But, a German company called Held Teichsysteme has developed a more natural way to enjoy pool life. They design natural pools and swimming ponds that use micro-organisms and living plant roots to filter the crystal clear water. Check it out at http://www.teichmeister.de A highly reliable engineer is investigating just how eco-friendly these pools can be so expect some more news on this soon.

Snake Explodes after Swallowing Alligator

2007-06-05T16:32:00.000-04:00

This reminds me of those conversations I used to have with my roommates back in college. We would pick out two unlikely animals and guess who would win in a fight. In this case, the python and alligator were equally matched. You can read about it here.

Who would win in a fight?

Cougar vs. jaguar
Octopus vs. wolf
Orangutan vs. gorilla
Shark vs. lion
Moose vs. hyena
Alpaca vs. sheep
Astronaut vs. caveman (got that one from an Angel episode)

A Day In The Life Of An MC Escher Drawing (Short Film)

2007-06-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

For a little chuckle.

If they could grow organs, would you accept one?

2007-06-05T09:10:00.000-04:00

A Dutch television show highlighted the shortage of donor organs in the Netherlands when three patients in need of kidneys participated in a blind-date type of contest to win an organ. It turned out to be a hoax and by the time the truth was revealed at the very end of the program, it already upset a number of viewers. I still haven't seen it but I can imagine having a horrified expression on my face and the need to call up everyone I know to complain about the low we've hit with reality t.v. But the show was meant to highlight that plight of these patients and their urgent need for organs. This International Herald Tribune article provides some interesting commentary.

I agree that it is awful that people are ever in this position, begging for help. Organ donation is a huge deal and I would like to think that I would donate a kidney if a loved one was in need of it. But you can already tell by that statement that I am not exactly excited to jump into surgery for anyone unless the situation is dire.

Surgery itself is extremely dangerous and not everyone is keen to donate their body parts in life or death. In some cases int he U.S. humans aren't completely dead when their organs are harvested for donation. So apart from forcing the entire population to spill their guts whether they want to or not, why not grow the organs? If they could produce a sheep chimera with a few extra human organs, would you accept one if your life depended on it?

We've already modified plant and animal species over the last 10,000 or so years, including dogs and sheep to silkworms and bees. Corn's ancestor, teosinte, used to look more like a grass until farmers began selective breeding for larger ears with softer kernels. None of these farmers realized that they were selectively breeding for certain genes. Genetic modification, therefore, is as old as civilization itself.

Is there a huge difference between eating something that has been modified by the hands of humans and replacing body parts with human designed organs? We are already looking for a way to prolong human life beyond its natural expiration date (and isn't that the goal of medicine?) so why not apply the latest techniques to an old tradition and embrace the gifts of science?

Interesting links:
"Putting DNA to Work"- National Academy of Sciences
Check out Lee Silver's page. He has a lot to say about biotechnology

Things to Contemplate

2007-05-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

Guest blogger Andrew Hornick presents some thoughts on aliens...

If you like to read science fiction and watch it in the movies or on television, you must have given some thought to the issue of UFOs and associated alien life outside our solar system. If you cruise the Internet on a quiet rainy day, you will learn that there definitely are aliens, many seen from, or living on Earth, some captured by your government and some of us have even been traded by our government in exchange for alien technology. I’m guessing marketing voice mail and answering systems being among the first acquisitions.

According to the literature, there are a number of different types of alien life forms. This is expected as the universe has an almost infinite number of places for life to have formed and has had something like 15 billion years to do it in. That is a lot of time for many things to happen. The current culture seems to have registered a category called the “Grays” and some have identified up to three different types of Grays. The “Hybrids” are breeds obtained by genetically crossing Grays with humans and subsequently look somewhat like us…. but different. The “Reptilians” are kind of what you would expect. Lizard type folk that, of course, are carnivorous. And last, (I’ve avoided the term finally) the “Nordics” which come with blonde hair and blue eyes and are my favorite, assuming they come in female versions.

These aliens range from three feet tall to eight feet tall and apparently come from galaxies in the constellations Orion, Areturus, and Pleiades. There are all kinds of details about them from what they eat, how they communicate, and collusion with our government, to how they created religion to move our civilization along faster. This last item implies they are not all that much more advanced than we are.

All these things seem somehow possible if you have an open mind. One thing that stands out however, that I cannot help but seriously question. In the books, in the movies and on the Internet, there is no reference anywhere, let alone description, of their clothes. Just once you’d expect to hear, “These short gray guys wearing orange jumpsuits…” These beings land all over the world from deserts to mountains and they don’t wear clothes. If they were cold blooded, they would slow down in Maine and New Hampshire and not be able to abduct people very efficiently. You’d think someone would bring a sweater along? Ok, even a super plastic polyester of some kind. It also brings into doubt functioning on a space ship, that if it didn’t take years to get here, at least a week. Who’s in charge? Who calls the shots? Who cleans the toilets? No clothes, no uniforms, no stripes, no badges, no way to designate jobs or rank unless everyone on board is suppose to memorize their rank and everyone else’s rank before they leave home port. And if they are so advanced to have interstellar space flight, you’d think they had to reproduce to last that long and would have a family. So family, but no holiday gifts that Dad wears for sentimental reasons?

I’m sorry, but this is the loose end where all the storytellers have dropped the ball.

And hey, how come when people die and they come back as ghosts, they’re wearing clothes? Did their clothes die too? Do you get to take one outfit?

Do other people think about this stuff?
-by guest blogger Andrew Hornick

If Arnie Sold Cars

2007-05-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

I hate it when Arnold Schwarzenegger shows up in my dreams. He's always trying to sell something. Last night it was the world's fastest car. It looked like an extra wide Ferrari that stretched to a ten foot wide disk as it reached speeds of around 600 miles per hour. It was actually a great deal and could travel from Paris to Moscow in 2 hours; Timbuktu to Cairo in 30 minutes; and Baghdad to Istanbul in 25 minutes.

I was on the verge of buying the thing since I happened to have a suitcase full of gold bars when I realized that this could mean the end to warfare as we know it and the beginning of something far worse. How could anyone be stopped when they are speeding down the highway in a blur of dust and smoke? An entire army could invade on these land-based supersonic sports cars.

I turned to the California governor and said, "No Mr. Schwarzenegger, I can't buy this right now. I must find a safe place away from these cars. They could speed into my favorite city and drop off a battalion of uniformed hitmen before anyone could say boo."

"But they are hybrid cars," he said to me in his recognizable accent. But his salesman days were over.

The only reasonable thing to do during a dream like that is to buy a remote island and hope that I'm forgotten. It turned out to be a lovely island on the Mediterranean. The fear of the super cars dissolved into a cute little memory as I dug my feet into the Italian sands and waited for the end of the world. A world now so far away...especially now that it would again take hours upon hours or even days to travel to the farthest reaches of the Earth. But that was okay with me. Maybe the best progress occurs when we slow down.

This is probably a sign that I am still not ready to get a driver's license.

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-25T16:21:00.001-04:00

"That year, the Jones' decided to renew their vows somewhere different. If they had remembered to supply the priest with enough oxygen, I believe they would never have gotten the divorce." - Anastasia van Orange

It Happened in "Jurassic Park"

2007-05-24T16:59:00.001-04:00

It's a movie. It's just fiction. And yet how many people picked up random genetic engineering and dinosaur "facts" from this movie? Almost every non-scientist that I know outgrew his or her dinosaur obsession around the age of 12 but picked up the rest of their dinosaur trivia from the movies and mind of Michael Crichton.

But I have to give some credit to the film's creepy spin on reproduction. In recent news, an all female group of hammerhead sharks found a way to reproduce without a male counterpart:

"Researchers from the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland found no male DNA in the female baby shark, which was born in December 2001 and died shortly after birth, apparently killed by another fish. The mother was one of three female bonnetheads, a small hammerhead species, that had been captured in Florida and kept without male sharks for three years in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha."- New York Times

This immediately brought to mind a particular scene from the film, reproduced below:

DR. HENRY WU

You're implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will... breed?

DR. IAN MALCOLM
No, I'm simply saying that life, uh... finds a way.

Cue Creepy Music

I'm sure glad nothing like this happened in my all female dorm room in college.

Bernard's letter

2007-05-22T17:18:00.000-04:00

For all of the writers out there...

(from the amazing British sitcom, "Black Books")

Fear of the Ocean

2007-05-21T20:25:00.000-04:00

Ah the ocean, with its waves lapping up against the shore, and its many wonders and mysteries. Humans have a long history with this great and vast wet thing.

So why did this make it to my long list of phobias? Let's first look at the crazy creatures who call it home. Fish the glow, giant squid, tube worms, living sponges, sea bugs, moray eels, scary sharks, and giant mammals. And, apparently this giant Black Sea Bass. (Edward Lellewellen with a very large fish Credit: Library of Congress)

Air. Ocean dwellers don't need it. Isn't that a clear indication that they belong in water and we belong on sandy beaches or solid boats surrounded by lots of breathable air?

"Jaws." This movie ruined my beach bunny life before it ever had a chance. That reminds me, if you want to see bunnies reenacting the movie in 30 seconds, click here.

Zero warning. It's a perfect day with the perfect temperature and you are splashing around like an idiot when suddenly a creature whooshes past your unprotected legs. Or a big wave takes you down and you find yourself face to face with a stinging jellyfish. A coral reef full of gentle tropical fish is heaven for scuba diving fans until a hungry eel decides to take a bite.

Finally, you can't outrun anything in water. On land we can at least give ourselves a little bit of hope of escape. If a large animal, say a dog, decides to attack, you can try to outrun it. You could dodge hedges and mailboxes, turn the corner and wait for the opportunity to whack it with a stick. Or escape up a tree and wait for help. Unless there is a hungry wild cat hiding in the tree as well. Hmm. Maybe land animals are worthy of phobias as well. Snakes, wolves, creepy men in bowler hats (refer back to the photo)...

Heart in a Box

2007-05-21T14:28:00.000-04:00

This amazing piece of medical technology can successfully keep donor hearts alive and beating even after it is removed from the body. It should change everything. Including how we view the process of donating organs. Read more an article that manages to reference Edgar Allen Poe and the word "yuckiest" at msnbc.com.

I almost heart South Florida

2007-05-18T15:02:00.000-04:00

My husband and I got just back from a little trip to Florida. The thing about going on holiday, is that I always expect to be completely amazed by the new sights and sounds of my tourist destination. *wow, they dress different* *check out that cathedral* *this food might send me straight to the bathroom but it sure is delicious* Even Ft. Lauderdale was a bit of a culture shock for me. I would go as far to say it was an exotic experience, but not in the normal sense of the word.

First of all, it isn't a city. Rather it is a pastel town with lots of palm trees, yachts, old folks, buff folks, unfit folks, and a high percentage of blondes. However, everyone we encountered was nice, some were even angelic in nature.

These ladies were kind enough to pose for a photo.

Is it the constant sun and access to the beach that makes people automatically happy? Not so in Miami, which recently won some sort of award for rude driving.

Our hotel was located on the strip of beach that seemed to go extend all the way to the tip of Florida. We were afforded a great view of the ocean as well as the busy road that my husband likened to the video game Grand Theft Auto. So it was really the best of both worlds.

Ft. Lauderdale has it share its tacky restaurants and tourist traps like you would expect and I am kicking myself for not buying one of the $25 naked woman beach towels. An absolute bargain for a priceless piece of kitsch. Believe it or not, we did catch some sun in the few days that we were in Florida. We tried to take lots of black and white photos so that no one could contradict the fact that we were beautifully bronzed- temporarily at least. The sky had its share of smog or what have you from the smoke drifting over from the fire in the Everglades. That's right, the swamp was on fire!

Nestled the middle of a fancy strip of shops, is this fabulously tacky store full of frog sculptures.

During our little exploration of the popular Las Olas Boulevard, we found ourselves witness to a food and wine charity benefit for the Heart & Lung Assoc. A top-drawer crowd, I suppose, of mostly Ralph Lauren-wearing blondes (apart from the angels). Not that there is anything wrong with that but needless to say, this does not happen very often in Brooklyn. So, the exotic people of Ft. Lauderdale turned out to be the t.v. version of the clean-cut American. Go figure.

Do the Cosmonauty

2007-05-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

Have I stumbled onto a new Russian dance craze?

Eurovision!

2007-05-14T09:11:00.001-04:00

Before American Idol and Pop Idol there was Eurovision, an international song contest started up in 1956. ABBA won in 1974 for the fabulously cheesy song "Waterloo." The Semi-Final took place in Helsinki, Finland last weekend where Marija ŠERIFOVIĆ from Serbia placed number one above 14 countries for her song Molitva. Watching this video clip, I have new respect for circus-trained interpretive dancers.

Pause for a feminist moment

2007-05-07T11:55:00.001-04:00

Here, Lynn Harris at Broadsheet (part of Salon.com) discusses the irony of Randall Tobias, former Director of the U.S. Foreign Assistance and Admin. for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and his role in the D.C. prostitution scandal. Yes sir, he was a paying customer. The great part is that up until April 27th, he was responsible for enforcing the Anti-Prostitution Pledge as part of The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Any U.S. or International Agencies that wishes to receive US government money for AIDS/HIV prevention and treatment must oppose prostitution.

What it boils down to is this: a certain group of powerful men wish to maintain the odd view of women as either saints or sinners. We all know about the saint, or the nonsexual mother figure (now that has a bit of irony to it), exists solely to support and nurture men. The sinner is just as one-dimensional because that woman fulfills the role of male sexual gratification without any wants and needs of her own.

How does this directly relate to the pledge against providing sex workers with health benefits or access to contraception? When women complain about being objectified, part of the complaint is tied to the disposable nature of any object. Instead of cherishing these women as we should any other human being, the President and his ilk have already written them off for their immoral behavior. Of course, that doesn’t mean that these hypocrites (Randall Tobias) wouldn’t partake in the sexual economy. They are good American consumers, after all.

Medieval Music Locked in Stone

2007-05-03T09:13:00.000-04:00

Something was always a bit odd about the architecture of the Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, Scotland. Yes, it appears to be just another medieval church from the outside. Look how it innocently hosts medieval fairs and performs the sacraments of marriage. But, according to Thomas J. Mitchell, its arches contain carvings of cubes, arranged in a musically sequential way, each with specific markings that match Cymatics or Chladni patterns. After 27 years of studying these carvings, he and his son uncovered the secret to the music hidden in the chapel ceiling. You can listen to some of the composition on their website: http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/rosslyn.html.

Chladni patterns are produced when sound waves, at certain pitches or frequencies interact with a sheet of metal covered in sand or powder. You've got to see it in action to understand so check out this video of this phenomenon posted on Roger Bourland's blog.

These patterns were officially discovered by Ernst Chladni in the 18th century so an architect living in the 15th century architect shouldn't have known about these patterns. Was this secret maintained within a specific religious group for hundreds of years? What else does this chapel hide? No doubt the theories will spiral out of control. The secret of the location of the Holy Grail? The hiding place of all lost socks in the galaxy? Okay, let's not get too crazy.

Read more about it in Scotsman.com.

Lose your appetite while you are cooking

2007-05-02T15:09:00.000-04:00

Described as a whimsical egg separator, this little piece of equipment can take care of the appetite of any cook. Just watch how the egg white oozes out of the cartoon-sized nostrils. You'll never want to test your uncooked cookies or lick that extra batter off the spatula ever again.

Still, I know you want one.
You can find it on this website.

Happy May Day, one and all!

2007-05-01T14:25:00.000-04:00

I had no idea that May Day was anything other than a distress call for pilots in war movies. But with some time on my hands, I found out that the May Day celebration includes dancing around the Maypole and general merry making in honor of Spring. Another excellent excuse for a party!

Fun facts:

Its origins go back to the ancient Greeks and Romans

It is the another tree decorating holiday that former pagan cultures cherish so much

1914, when pole dancing was innocent.
(Original photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-USZ62-54028]

In 1889, bored with synchronized dancing and aimless carousing, the labor union movement and Socialists of the world decided have their kind of fun on May 1st, proclaiming that day the International Workers' Day. The demonstrations and parades also required synchronized behavior but this was the era of the popular marching songs judging by my great-grandfather's collection of 45s, so it still might have had some element of fun.

An early May Day Parade, when tough guys wore bowler hats.
(Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B2- 2010-12[P&P]

We can thank those socialists for giving us the manageable 8-hour work day in the United States. (But the fight continues, if you are paying any attention to the plight of undocumented workers or labor leaders elsewhere in the world.)

Enjoy the sunshine, revel in Spring, and make sure that your boss isn't committing any H.R. violations.

Don't Peeve Me

2007-05-01T11:10:00.000-04:00

Lately, a lot of my peeves tend to revolve around cellphones. For instance, I have to complain about those homicidal taxi drivers who carry on angry conversations while weaving in and out of traffic as customers bounce around in the back seat. There should be a rant-only blog somewhere devoted to taxi drivers and their "Death Proof " ways.

A major peeve of mine is the random cell phone user in public spaces for instance, trains or quiet little cafes. Some of this conversations are so tedious that I want to jump out of the window, hopefully into the path of a train moving in the opposite direction.

A typical cellphone conversation on the train to New Jersey:

"Hey. What's up, loser? [pause for answer] I'm just on the train. Ugh. I'm bored. [pause] Did you really? No, I said I'm on the train. I'm so bored. [pause] So we drinking tonight? [pause]..."

This can go on for two hours or until everyone's head explodes. Now that I think about it, this could be an enemy weapon used on commuters...

Other conversations are hilariously appalling like the one that I overheard in a cafe a few days ago. Just imagine it, a 20 something, hot pants wearing female, let's call her GIRL #1 , is drinking expensive wine with all of her "best friends." They abruptly leave her to do some shopping. After pouting for a few minutes, she whips out the cellphone. Mind you, I'm trying to read an FT article on global warming so some people might hate my type too.

Girl #1
Thanks for the necklace, mom. And the bracelet. It is sooo cute.
I love it. Did you mean to give me both? Anyway, I love it, it is so cute.

Okay, so that isn't so bad. It is always nice to hear someone say thank you.

By now Girl #2 sits down with her and although it is obvious that they are friends, she too gets onto a call. The rest of us quiet readers roll our eyes. A few minutes pass before I pay any attention and Girl #1 is on the line with her father.

Girl #1
You need to take out another loan for me. Just do it. Just do it! I can't believe you. [said in between sips of wine] Mom sold a car and gave me the money. She was just fine with that!

By the time she gets off the phone, she and her friend spend the next fifteen minutes ranting about her cheap father. Then they decide to go shopping, because it is still such a lovely day.

Doll Face

2007-04-29T19:20:00.001-04:00

(Courtesy of Andy Huang http://www.rootfilm.com/)

Beautiful and haunting, this video says more with its incredible animation than most of us can capture with words. We are dying to be perfect and to emulate the airbrushed images that we see and know to be beautiful. But we fail to recognize their artificiality.

Of course, I'm not above these things and just spent a half an hour asking my husband, "Are my eyes puffy? Do they look worse this year than they did last year?" It's a week before my 29th birthday and I'm coming to terms with the fact that I no longer look 21. Not to worry though, much like hormonal fluctuations, that preoccupation will soon pass.

Jeepers, are we living in a comic book world?

2007-04-24T22:33:00.000-04:00

Two bits of news just caught my attention and made me wonder if I will soon acquire my own superpowers sometime before my next birthday.

A new mineral was discovered in a Serbian mine in 2006. Tests by the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council in Canada revealed it to be composed of sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide. That meant nothing to me at first but the story floating around the media is that this is almost identical to certain substance with the power to kill Superman. Yes, that same mineral we know as "Kryptonite!"

(Image from Fleisher Superman cartoons. Public Domain)

"Fictional" Kryptonite also contains fluorine which presumably adds to its super radioactive power that only affects aliens from Krypton. Still, maybe we finally have a weapon against this madman who thinks he is better than we are...

While we're on the subject of alien planets, astronomers from the European Southern Observatory discovered an exoplanet (outside of our solar system) orbiting a red dwarf star that rivals the size of Earth. Is it habitable? Scientists are already talking about its potential for extraterrestrial life in this Science Daily news article.

Wait a minute, didn't Krypton orbit a red star?

The Smart Sisters--Part 1

2007-04-23T17:58:00.000-04:00

Ahh. Springtime in New York. My cold disappeared the day it hit 65 degrees. Funny that. I took advantage of the delightful weather and hit the local cafe to work on my freckles. It was probably a bad idea since this is just when all of the pale skinned folks transform from ghosts to sad little lobsters. Will this be my turn to burn?

After twenty sips of my iced coffee, I tried to do some writerly work and ended up inventing some odd characters to hang out with me. So here is some fiction for your entertainment...

The Smart Sisters: Felicia talks about boys

The food delivery truck was dangerously close to the fire hydrant. Felicia kept an eye on the Latino driver as he stepped onto the sidewalk, oblivious to his dreadful parking job. She popped a cigarette out of the pack and into her mouth and nudged her female friend with a little jab of the elbow. Sarah, the friend, was chatting on her cellphone to her idiot boyfriend but managed to produce a lighter nevertheless.

"Thanks babe," Felicia said as she handed back the lighter. She took a few short puffs of the burning cigarette and posed for a few minutes. It was the perfect sunny day for that kind of behavior.

The driver exited the nearby restaurant and leaped into his vehicle. He was gone for just under three minutes. 'Not bad,' Felicia thought. Last week he was fined for parking in that same spot but that was after five minutes. He must have a whole system worked out when he does his city deliveries.

"Achoo!" That was a sneeze. Felicia used her free hand to save the rest of the neighborhood from her cold. She wiped the invisible germs on her jeans and immediately questioned her decision to take up smoking again when she still had that head cold.

"You know, Sarah, you could let me go home early today. I'm in bad shape." Felicia actually worked for Sarah at the cafe but they were close friends from school so it did cause occasional problems in their working relationship. That, and Sarah was a bit of a flaky manager.

Sarah whispered some cute remark to the idiot on the other line and shut the phone. She followed it up with a big annoying sigh. Sarah pretended to make a decision and turned to Felicia with a serious expression. "He's so sweet. We're going to the Hamptons this weekend so I'm definitely done cheating on him."

She had to stifle a laugh. Felicia actually liked her friend and wanted to avoid hurt feelings but she was eager to interject with a few opinions about Vincent, the aforementioned idiot boyfriend. At the very least, she had to allow herself a few biting remarks.

"He's so lucky to have you, Sarah. I'm glad that you decided to go the faithful route because I believe that this could truly last."

"Do you think so?" Sarah asked.

"Oh yeah. I mean, just because you refuse to kiss him on the lips ever since he criticized your technique, and just because he doesn't read, well, that doesn't mean that you can't work it out." Felicia wasn't trying to hurt her friend. In fact, she wanted to see if anything would cause Sarah to think about her choices in men.

They stood quietly for a few minutes as they finished their cigarettes. Another truck pulled up to the same spot in front of the fire hydrant.

Sarah turned to Felicia and said, "Maybe I should just get the free weekend away and then break up with him."

We have a cold

2007-04-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

I have a head cold. It's not so terrible but it is affecting my ability to write or do anything other than blow my nose and feel a bit miserable. Yesterday was worse than today. Washing dishes was too difficult and reading an entire newspaper article caused me to fall asleep at my desk.

My novel is floundering and still embarrassingly short. I had intended to write an entire chapter for my sci-fi heroine to explore the underbelly of her neighborhood. She would find out what evils lurk in the shadows. She might even discover that she has more in common with the so-called villains than the good guys. Or something.

Maybe I should give her a cold as well. She will find out that she is the last living human to contract a cold in the year 2068. Or maybe she is a carrier of the cold epidemic that brought down a dictatorship 20 years ago. It can serve as a warning to all of my fictional war-hungry Presidents. Maybe the back story is better than the actual story that I am trying to write. All that I could manage to write yesterday was "This cold sucks." This is going to be the best book ever!

How to do nothing at work and still get paid

2007-04-17T13:27:00.001-04:00

This is a great teaching tool for those young kids who are just starting their first office job.

Spam From Another Dimension

2007-04-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

Is there a random word generator that spammers use in order to get past our email filters? Or are these actually the messages of sentient beings from another dimension? I actually love the combinations of subject titles that I've been getting and broke them down by category:

Strange facts
A Fedora is Non-submersible

Art surveys
Which Renoir to Shampoo?

Riddles
Is Pythagoras a cadet
A fiddle, myself

Dangerous sports:
Go mine slogging!

Shakespearean:
Her not unto thee, let go wickedly and departedly
A nosebag to Hannibal

Today in Virginia

2007-04-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

It is difficult to think of anything very witty to write about today's tragedy in Virginia. So far, the reports state that one shooter left 33 people dead on a college campus. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims.

Tales of epidemics, war, natural disasters, and murder are reported everyday. Humans have suffered from these tragedies longer than written memory. Some religious folks believe that the first murder occurred in the very first family when Cain killed Abel ("2001" fans will remember that the alternative version of the first murder took place when our primate ancestors figured out that tools and weapons were interchangeable). I bring up these well-known points because it strikes me that unlike these other tragedies, this massacre feels strangely modern. It is undeniable that modern weapons have enabled a single person to inflict damage on a large population. With so little information available, perhaps I am filling in the details of this story with others that recently have become familiar like the Columbine shootings, the DC snipers, and suicide bombers.

Was it a schizophrenic fantasy or depersonalization disorder? Did he imagine himself as a lone soldier who believed that each and every human had become an enemy? Did he stop believing in the institutions created by society because he no longer felt that he belonged? We won't ever know. Madness or clear-thinking, whatever the reason, it should be apparent to everyone that guns are ending up in the wrong hands time and time again. What bothers me most of all is the nihilist philosophy that has trickled into the public subconscious that accompanies unchecked hate that we see endlessly reproduced on our 24 hour news cycle. Give that man a gun or access to C4 and we're giving him the ability to kill anyone or anything in sight. You can bet that gun control will be a major issue in the 2008 Presidential election.

New Netherland

2007-04-13T11:12:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the one week absence. Did I jet to Paris or find myself in India? Nope. Just another family visit. This time to the grand state of New Jersey.

Did you know?

The first colonies in N.J. were Dutch. "New Netherland" officially encompassed New Jersey along with New York, parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania (after the Dutch took it from the Swedes).
The Dutch really wanted to keep this region but lost it twice to the English under Charles II.

From that brief look at the state's history, is it safe to conclude that that a king with the reputation as a shameless hedonist prevented New York and New Jersey from eventually legalizing pot. Oh the irony. Of course it is a bit of a stretch to qualify as a real academic theory but it makes me wonder.

Brooklyn Fire

2007-04-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

Accidentally brought to you by Con Edison?

Okay, so you can't really see anything from these photos. But I swear that there was a giant explosion that blew a hole in the street just outside of our apartment. Flames reached 12 feet into the air and the black smoke made its way into our apartment across the street. Look fire trucks!
All of the lights started to flicker in our apartment so we powered down for a while and watched the firemen. They climbed onto the roof and inspected the nearby supermarket, Key Food, and cleared the area. We waited and watched at a distance, wondering why they didn't start using the fire hoses. I could hear the rumbling and an occasional BOOM as more flames pushed through the underground into the air above it.

What do you know, just as the fire began to die down, Con Edison trucks arrived to the rescue.

An hour later I peeked out the window to see what looks like snow flurries. Is it winter again?? Alas, no, its just ash from the fire. It can't be easy to bring electricity to the millions if residents in New York City. But, isn't that what we're paying them to do? Maybe it is time to start installing solar panels and on every rooftop.

Murky Waters Part 2

2007-04-06T10:13:00.001-04:00

An update.

Retro Sci-Fi Skeet Shooting

2007-04-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

Original photo of telemetering ground equipment from NASA/JPL. Caption from me.

Another Actor for President?

2007-04-02T12:56:00.000-04:00

Nope, it isn't Arnold (he isn't eligible is he?) and forget Warren Beatty. The media is abuzz with rumors about Republican actor, Fred Thompson, who may or may not join in the ultimate popularity contest. Slate is so excited about this that they created a campaign ad for the former Senator free of charge. I'm not sure if it is funny or creepy. But it sure says something about the impact of that annoying "Law & Order" theme song, or rather note.

April Fool's Day Hoaxes

2007-04-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

We are such gullible creatures aren't we? Check out the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time compiled by the Museum of Hoaxes website. The best hoax was perpetuated in 1982 by the South China Morning Post and features packets of powdered water.

McCain's MySpace Page Hacked

2007-03-31T17:32:00.000-04:00

Sure, you have to be living under a rock if you don't have a MySpace® page, right? Well, I agree that it is time to create one before I get shown up by D.C. politicians who are using their pages to take the campaign to the people. Luckily, they haven't really got the hang of it just yet. Check out how this guy hacked McCain's page and reversed his opinion on gay marriage. This news is a few days old but it made me chuckle. You can read more about it and see what the "Daily Show" had to say about it on Mike Davidson's blog.

Fantasy Vacation

2007-03-28T18:14:00.000-04:00

It has been two years since I've been on a proper vacation without any obligations. Just fun and sun and relaxation. Do not weep for the spoiled brat. I realize that there are starving people in the world and that I should just devote myself to some worthy causes like knitting for cancer or collecting eyeglasses to mail off to Africa. Yes, I know! I am a bad person.

Now that is out of the way, let me share what I began to daydream at about 3pm today. If I had a million dollars, a lot of luck, and believed in magic. . .

The fantasy begins with a spontaneous decision to hail a cab. Once inside, I surprise even myself by telling the driver, "head for the closest airport!" There, my credit card would allow me to purchase the first available international ticket and I would jet out of New York within the hour (okay or 2). The staff decides to give me an upgrade to first class and seat me next to Daniel Craig and across from Madonna. After a few hours of chit-chat, some transatlantic cocktails, and finally a heart-to-heart with Madonna (who would turn out to be oh so lovely), I would wake up gorgeous and refreshed. Daniel Craig would invite me to an early lunch at his apartment but somehow my husband, a telepath, has read my mind and took care to call a limo to meet me at the airport. The car takes me to a secluded 5 star hotel with a lovely garden and pool and surrounded by enormous dunes for sand surfing. Both my husband and Daniel Craig want to take me out for dinner. . .