The Olympics are here! And I’m already over it.

The opening ceremony hasn’t even aired here in the U.S. and I am already bored of the Olympics. Isn’t that terrible? I blame all the media hype.
I blame the fact that for months, all I’ve been seeing everywhere is Olympics, China, China, Olympics, human rights, China, Tibet, Olympics, trade, oil, China, environment, China, Tibet, protests, [...]

Hong Kong is rainy this time of year. . . .

Well, I’m back from Hong Kong. After living there for nearly 3 years, you would think that I would be able to remember what the weather is like in summer. Luckily, I packed an umbrella, because we definitely needed it. It rained everyday. Actually, rained is a pleasant way of putting it for some of [...]

Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us, Tibet protesters.

I was scheduled to go to Kunming, China, in July as part of a thousands strong annual international academic conference. My panel’s topic? The cultural politics of disease prevention.  Specifically, I was scheduled to talk about bird flu, the sharing of samples, and all the politics that get involved in the implementation of health policies.
This [...]

Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair Pics vs. Pictures of Underage Models: What’s the diff?

[Is this also a 'sick' or 'sexual' photo? I suppose it's what we make of it. You could see a loving father/daughter or incest. I, personally, see a picture of two beautiful people who happen to be related.]
The backlash against Miley’s pictures in Vanity Fair should have been timed with a stopwatch. The reaction would [...]

Finally, some sanity about eggs, drinking 8 glasses of water per day, and other health fears that our grandparents never thought twice about . . .

One of the things that boggles my mind is the fact that some people will do anything to be “healthier”, where “healthier” is a stand-in for one or all of the following:

1. Look younger.

2. Stave off aging in all forms. Haven’t you heard that 50 is the new 30? (Or so people who are 50 [...]

People in New England and NY, prepare to buy a lot of Off! . . .

I’m sure that this story in the Times whizzed by a lot of people, but I’m scared.
Bats, which normally hibernate in the winter in caves in New York, Vermont, New Jersey, are dying in droves. They are flying out of their caves in winter - odd enough - and then dying right there in front [...]

Ah, spring break is finally here.

Me on Spring Break in Panama City - 1992. With my cheerleader girlfriend, Kathy.
Often my friends will ask me why I have decided to remain a lifetime student. They wonder why in the world would I forego a chance to earn more money and to have nice things. If I got a real job, they [...]

Solano Avenue in Berkeley makes me realize how much I hate people.

Solano Avenue is in North Berkeley, away from the rat-trap of downtown, campus, and students. It’s in an affluent neighborhood, with oodles of upscale shops selling you over-expensive things that you have absolutely no need for. Like a cloisonné vase turned into a one-of-kind lamp. Or fancy wool yarn for knitting. Or stiff leather chairs [...]

The Voice of Authority, or, the Authoritative Voice

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday about confidence.
As it turns out, when you are unsure of yourself, it shows. When you think that you are right, even despite evidence to the contrary, people believe you. Or rather, if you have that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, they believe in you. And once someone believes in [...]

Stuff White People Like

One of the entries on the popular new WordPress blog, “Stuff White People Like”, should be “Stuff White People Like”.
Since last week, approximately 17 different white people have told me about “Stuff White People Like”. They rave, they are addicted, they think it’s hysterical that “other” white people are so lame. No one I know [...]