Friday, August 31, 2007

Proof is in the Pudding

My therapist...

(yes, I own one)

... has mentioned the once or twice that the number of thoughts and ideas for new projects buzzing around my head, combined with the many unfinished personal projects I have on the go, make even HER feel a little exhausted. Top that off with a subtle dusting of impatience and focus issues on my part, and it's a recipe for disaster.

A quick glance around my flat leads me to think she might just be on to something...

books 1&2:

book 3: book 4: books 5&6: book 7:

This is nothing new. There are pictures out there somewhere of a 7-year old Le Pew watching television whilst reading a book AND constructing some dodgy lego-technic invention, all at once. The parental units used to fire questions at me to verify whether I really did follow what was on TV AND in the book at the same time. Legend has it my feedback was accurate. Altho this might be the stuff of parental myth-making, it proves that my attention is scattered, to say the least.

It was with great pain then, that I decided to put books 1 to 6 back on the shelf, imposing an embargo on their re-un-shelving until book number 7 (Critical Mass by Philip Ball) has been thoroughly completed.

I believe sane people called it "focus". A neologism to many a neuron in my system.

I may need to consult my GP about the unabated side-effect: a continuous itch to grab an extra item to occupy myself with.

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Thursday, August 30, 2007

Bold Kiwi

If I haven't blogged this already, it was about time I did.
If I have blogged it before, forgive me my senior moment.

All in the spirit of "don't let your weaknesses stop you"

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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Free Market & Economics*

While I am a physicist by background, my current job requires a basic knowledge of a great many other subjects, which is exactly the way I like it. My boss, despite being a scientist by background also, is a very clever economist, which proves that one really needn't limit one's self to just the one field of study. You'll often find that people trained in more than one field, have an unusual and often interesting perspective on things.

To do my job well, it would be handy to have a better grasp on the basic principles of economics. So I've decided to spend a few weeks studying the subject in my spare time. And I have to say, I find it fascinating.

I'm guilty of participating in many a naive student protest against globalisation and free-market economies. While my peers and I undoubtedly had our hearts in the right place, I think few of us really knew what we were demonstrating against. And if we did, we certainly didn't have any alternatives on offer. These days, I firmly believe that it is pointless to argue something's rebuttal until you have a solid alternative. Which means you should study hard to find one.

In reality, there seems to be no such thing as a free-market. At least not a working example of it. Authorative regulations are strewn throughout the global market. And I believe this is neither a good nor a bad thing.

To me, it seems that our current economic model is first a reflection of our human nature and second, an endpoint of an intricate system seeking its natural balance. Those who know a little about Complexity Theory, will know that when many small components (like humans, businesses, governments) interact, some regular and predictable patterns emerge, often evolving towards some statistical state of balance (or in mathematical terms: towards an attractor).

To clarify my viewpoint, an example:

There are many rules in place to regulate the approval of new medicines. Before a drug can be put onto the market, it needs to go through a lengthy approval process. A patent needs to be applied for, the Company needs to prove that it is safe and efficient by means of extensive clinical data and if it wants to be reimbursed by the state, it will need to prove that is differentiated from other existing products and provides a substantial benefit for the patient... and so on.

Not only is this process lengthy, it is a costly investment too. While the government has put these regulations in place to protect society, it has led to a predictable downside: Because the cost of bringing a new product to market is high, it is justifiable only if there is a big market for it. In other words, unless Companies know that the product will be bought by a large group of individuals, it's hardly worth making it. They want a big profit margin, and a large return on investment.

As a direct result, Companies stopped trying to find medications for rare diseases. Fairly logical and predictable, if you think about it. Not enough people will buy it, so the return on investment is too small to even be considered as a viable option.

But our system keeps itself in balance: The Authorities came up with a new way to counter this downside. It created the status of "Orphan Drug". An Orphan Drug is a drug designed to treat rare conditions, generally with a prevalence of less than 5 per 10,000 people. If a company invests in making an Orphan Drug, the authorities reward the company with an extra 10 years of Market Exclusivity for that product.

Basically, products are standardly protected by a 20-year patent. This gives the Company up to 20-years of market monopoly, in which they can try to make enough money to regain their investment. After those 20-years, the patent generally expires (unless legal action is taken to extend it), and other companies can start making their own versions of it. But if you have invested in an Orphan Drug, the Authorities will grant you an extra 10-years of Market Exclusivity and this makes it more appealing for drug Companies to develop medicines to treat rare diseases. This new rule ensures that the general public gets what it needs and that the companies are happy.

Many would argue that this proves that a Free Market doesn't work, because the Authorities had to interfere. But this situation (in which companies stopped investing in rare diseases) was created by Authority interference in the first place, so it wasn't a Free Market to start with. At least, that's what I think. I believe the idea of a Free Market is a utopic idea. It'll never exist.

Instead, I feel that the current Market is an excellent example of action-reaction at work between many small components and a fairly balanced system emerging as a result of that interaction. I also believe, and I may be very wrong about this: that the Authorities are an intrinsic part of that economic system. It's not an external meddler, but an intrinsic part or our current economic model. I don't think you can think of the Market and the Authorities as individual systems entirely. They constantly feed on and into eachother and without the other, they wouldn't exist. The Market represents our human nature. So do the Authorities. They are driven by the same underlying principles (albeit with differing motives, humans have conflicting interests after all) and are simply smaller parts of the whole.

And like many dynamic complex systems, the balance will continuously shift. It's evolving. The recent move towards organic food, is a good example. It's due to an interplay between people's wants (healthy food) and people's needs (new money-earning products).

We are the key-players in this. It is our intrinsic nature that drives the economy. Our choices, needs and nature drive the economy. So I find it highly simplistic to pronounce our current economic model "bad" or "good".

It's simplistic nor simple. But fascinating, if anything.

*Disclaimer: my knowledge of economics is in an ongoing state of flux. My opinions and insights are likely to evolve. Deductions made in this blogpost are mine. As are fallacies in logic. Feel very free to comment and put me right.

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Monday, August 27, 2007

Mozzies on the loose

When I woke up yesterday morning, my right eye was swollen shut. It took me a while to figure out what was wrong, until my left eye was drawn to a bloody spot on the wall. It all came flooding back to me: I'd gotten up in the middle of the night, delirious with sleep, because a runaway mozzie had tickled my ear. Apparently I'd succeeded in hunting down and squashing said mozzie, as it was now spread out in a bloody smear on my wall.

I revel in not having to leave the house on a Sunday-morning, but this weekend, I'd forgotten the milk in the boot of my car, making it impossible for me to draft the essential morning caffeine shot. Which meant that I had to leave the house WITH the swollen eye in tow.

Let me tell you something: People stare. And if they rudely and unabashedly stare at something as simple as a Quasimodo-ish swollen eye, then how hellish must life be for people with a slightly bigger impairment?!? Bit of a reality check right there.

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Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Sunday Struggle #12

I've bookmarked enough links the last couple of weeks to compile a reasonably worthy Sunday Struggle, should you be in need of one. Here goes:

1. Free Implants:

This link works only intermittently, and is highly controversial. Women who want cosmetic surgery but don't have the financial means to get them, post their pleas (often with suggestive pictures) online. Other visitors (mostly men) can donate money to the causes they deem most worthy. While I don't condone the use of such sites or what they represent, it's an interesting example of how the web is used to serve just about any purpose these days.

It is the longest visual website in the world. Last I checked it was up at 22541.97 cm. You can create your own visual and upload it to their site, so that you too become part of this intercultural, creative, worldwide visual project! Click ENTER and scroll down the page to see the visuals. Inspirational to say the least

If you happen to be in Salzburg, you may want to check out this exhibition: Similar Diversity is an information graphic which opens up a new perspective at the topics religion and faith by visualizing the Holy Books of five world religions. The viewers should be inspired to think about own prejudices and current religious conflicts.


4. For the Geeks (Thx Disco!)

5. For Dutch/Flemish readers: BomVol: A new digital magazine. Clicking through the pages demonstrates a new non-hierarchical, non-linear structure of a magazine. Creative visualisations. Takes some getting used to, but is definitely an interesting new concept.

6. More stencils & wall-art: I just bought myself this one. (Thx Mimusic!)


7. Another one for the geeks: "Is there an association between the use of heeled shoes and schizophrenia?" (Thx again, putmy)


8. Fix your language: Common errors in the English Language. I'm always shocked to find how many words I still misuse/abuse.


9. Display clothing. Visual displays on clothing. Everyone that was with me on the Physics trip to Cambridge a couple of years ago, knew this was coming (CDT)... I guess it's finally here.


10. If you're looking for a good Sunday film, I'd highly recommend getting one of these out on DVD:

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Drosophila Melanogaster conundrum

I appear to be missing a few insects.

Bear with me on this one.

I'm not entirely sure why, but the building I live in is infested with fruitflies. It could be I have an overzealous geneticist for a neighbour, but that is merely conjecture. Fact of the matter is, they're quite literally bugging me.

So this morning, I decided to nuke them. I grabbed a kick-ass spray can of insecticide, shut all the windows so as to trap them, then held my nose shut with one hand and sprayed the contents into each of the rooms in my flat, before locking the door behind me and heading to work for the day.

When I spoke to my girrel on the phone shortly after, she logically induced that I was likely to come home to the not-so-proverbial graveyard shift. As in, I'd probably be shovelling fruitfly carcasses all night. Trouble is... I've just come home and while all the fruitflies have gone, there isn't a single carcass to be found.

I lie. There was one. A mosquito. The innocent bystander inadvertently in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, I'm in a wee bit of a predicament here. Where the hell have they all gone??? Could they have all curled up somewhere for a final bonding session, resigned to the fact that they were collectively and inevitably going to die? Did they escape through some inconspicuous holes I wasn't aware my flat had? Or... and I'm dreading this... have they sought refuge in my fully stocked, cow-carcass filled fridge, for one last final feast? I'm a tad apprehensive about opening the damn fridgedoor now.

Seriously? Where do fruitflies go when they die?!?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

I may be asking for blood donations soon…

Ok I exaggerate. But seriously. My latest bloodtest sent my doctor on the warpath and I may soon find myself bargaining for an easy way out. A blood transfusion being one of these easier escapes.

It turns out I’m severly iron-deficient, on the brink of anemic. Which really, if you think about it, is yet another proof that evolution is blind if not stupid. Women are ridiculously inefficient at iron absorption and as it turns out: I’m one of the rather more challenged of females.

If I was the slightest bit self-pityingly inclined, I’d be tempted to shout: “Not ANOTHER sodden minority membership!!” but you all know I’m a sucker for being different ;-)

The warpath destruction entails a whole list of dietary must and mustn’t dos, that has me losing the will to live. So to speak. The fact that I’m to abstain from caffeine is one thing, but to request I toss out my entire chocolate provision is just one step too far. I’m contemplating bloodtransfusions if there are any takers. Or givers, depending on your viewpoint.

I always felt I was reasonably intelligent, but the list has got me doubting. The MustDos include fortified cereals. Fab. If it weren’t for the fact that the MusntDos contain milk, which has me in a bit of a predicament. What’s the point of fortified cereals if there’s no milk to eat them with.

And before you suggest, I shall never surrender to soy. (Churchill’s got nothing on me).

To compensate, I’ve stacked my fridge with an entire cow’s carcass. This will undoubtedly leave my vegetarian better half mildly disgusted, but we all have to make some sacrifices here and there.

At any rate, keep them veins pumping. I might call on you sooner than you think.

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Monday, August 20, 2007

Stereo

It was only a matter of time really, before my girl caught the bug.

For those who prefer stereo to mono, I'm sure at times the blogposts will mirror each other. Although let it be stated for the record that my accounts are bound to be the truest version of the events *cough*

As for me. I'm in a strop. Since my girrel discovered the wondrous joys of blogging, I've had to do without my usual delightful lunchtime e-mail. And on a Monday no less ;-)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Ahem...

I'm sat in a wee caff with my wireless laptop. Had carrot-cake n a frappocino for lunch. This IS the life ;-) Oh, and I spent 10 minutes on this:





(via Katlijn)

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Taking a dip

When I opened my eyes this morning, I found two bright sparkly eyes staring right back at me. Big grin on her face. I can only guess at how long she'd been lying there like that, but for someone who'd only had 3 hours of sleep and about to face an 8 hour workday, she seemed surprisingly awake.

"YOU'RE HERE!!" she half-shouted at me, barely containing her excitement.

I smiled, felt a surge of happiness and nuzzled into her. Contrary to hers, my brain wasn't quite ready to kickstart the day yet. I folded my body into her and revelled in the snooze-time we had left before she was to start her daily morning routine.

As surprising as it may sound, it was a fabulously simple morning. Stuff other couples undoubtedly take for granted: Hearing her potter about the house and giggle along with Chris Moyles's Breakfast Show whilst she was showering and spiking her hair. The mad dash for clothes. And the strangely unrelated string of last-minute advises before she rushed out the door. "Cereal... eggs & tabasco too. Oh and yer Branston Pickles are where you last left 'em. Paper with directions to Tescos next to the bed. Will grab my bike to chiro when I get home. Take the starbucks in Borders, it may have wireless...".

I spent the day wandering her city without her. Browsed bookshops for hours, settled on their sofas with a choice selection and eventually bought them all, spending my entire months' bookbudget in one go. Watched people pass by the river Ouse alone or in groups, attempting to figure out what their excuse was for not being at work at 2pm on an idle Wednesday. Somewhat resentful that her city wasn't entirely mine for the afternoon.

Back home, stretched on the bed staring at the ceiling, her lingering scent set my tum aflutter. I contemplated what life would be like with her in it on a daily basis. Is it foolish to fear that I too would start taking all these little details for granted? That I would stop marvelling at the fact that her kitchen smells of bike-grease or that my heart would seize to jolt at the sight of the stack of New Scientist magazines on her toilet, dating back to the week we first met? Would I stop listening to her footsteps around the house? Would we still have talks that stretch way into the morning? And would our "hellos" become arbitrary rituals?

As naive as it may seem... I doubt that I could ever take Jo for granted. But these moments shed light on an extra dimension to our current situation. For all the downsides of a long-distance relationship, it forces you to take pause. To take notice. It stalls a naturally speedy process and allows you to savour it. One small, delicious bite at a time.

Monday, August 13, 2007

690kms and a North Sea apart.

I'm off to see her again. Tomorrow, after work.

I'm taking the car this time. There's something discontinuous about travelling by plane. You board, you disembark. The physical connection between your departure and destination as ellusive as the thin air you've travelled through. I find it somewhat unsettling. This is love we're talking about. I have a strange desire to feel the physical distance between me and her. To conquer it of my own accord. To know I can bridge the only thing that seperates us.

690kms and a North Sea apart.

I look forward to the drive. It'll be riddled with anticipation. The route as familiar as the lines on my palms. The time, gained to think. To let the rush of the impending "hello" build up gradually. To savour it. The longing. To know that at the end of the road, when the night has long come to a close and the morning has made its quiet entry, I'll be turning the key in her door quietly, so as not to waken her.

In my mind, I'll have rehearsed the silent trip up to her bedroom a thousand times over. In reality, she'll have gotten up at the sound of the engine approaching. She'll be waiting for me, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. The "hello" leaping onto me from through the doorway. And then the silence will return. All that will remain is the warmth of her embrace, the softness of her kiss, the calm returning to my head.

She'll grab me by the hand and without a further word, lead me up the stairs. The darkness blurring out the boundaries between us.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Bits n bobs

The only thing left to decorate in my flat are my walls. So I put two quotes up, one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom:

-Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast- Oscar Wilde


- Happiness? A good wine, a good meal and a good woman.
Or a bad woman. It depends on how much happiness you can handle.-
George Burns (courtesy of my girlfriend)



On another note, I've had my first 5 Holga filmrolls developed. I've so far not had time to scan them in, but I've taken a pic of one of them. It's a double-exposure shot, the first exposure with blue flash, the second exposure with red flash, taken mere seconds apart. It's cool how it renders the entire picture dynamic rather than static. More to come!

Friday, August 10, 2007

What goes around comes back around

I can't help but feel it was about bloody time their methods came back to bite them in the arse.

In the past five years, extraordinarily low interest rates in the US have led banks and other financial institutions to lend substantial sums of money to people with poor or no credit histories.
The idea was that, even if they eventually couldn't pay, the banks could recoup any losses by repossessing and reselling the houses - and in any case, house price rises would cushion the blow.
But now as interest rates have risen, so have repossessions. The US housing market has collapsed, and the banks find themselves saddled with a lot of bad debts."


The sad upturn of all this however, is that larger numbers of families that were never well off in the first place, find themselves even closer to ruin now...

From a pure scientific perspective, it's fascinating to watch the dynamics of the economic system at work. For now that the market's on the downward slope, oil prices have started to lower again too. It's a brilliant example of how a sufficiently interconnected system manages to balance itself out.

Friday, August 03, 2007

The Simple Pleasures

I mentioned a few weeks back that Jo and I checked out the Pixar exhibition in Edinburgh whilst we were up in Scotland. It seems odd, perhaps, that adults should be fascinated by animation films. But ever since A Bug's Life (I didn't care too much for Toy Story), I have been unequivocally hooked on Pixar. They have scored one hit after the other: Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars... and now... Ratatouille


Once I heard it was on at the local cinema, I simply couldn't resist. My unfortunate victim-companion for the evening was somewhat skeptical about going to what is essentially a kiddies film, at a late-night showing, on a Friday evening. All it took to get her hooked, however, was 30 seconds of the token brilliant Pixar pre-film short-feature "Lifted". In fact, the whole movietheater was in absolute stitches.

The feature film scored no less. I was captivated, enamoured, rolling with laughter and... touched. These guys, in my humble opinion, are genuine artists. They have an eye for the finer subtleties of life. Those little details that so intrinsically stitch together our daily being but all to oft go unnoticed, they manage to mirror back at us so recognizably, we can but find a part of ourselves in each of the characters and scenes.

If one thing could potentially have made my night more successfull, it was this: The announcement of the first movie installment of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I finished the last of the three books a little over 3 years ago, whilst experimenting in Zurich, and I've been itching to see the story visualised ever since. And in December... it'll be here at last. Perfect Christmas present: The Golden Compass (Jo babe, take note. Yer taking me to see it ;-))

- Lyra's alethiometer -