Thinking Outside the Box

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This article really cheered me up this morning. I love this kind of innovative thinking!

Million dollar prize aims to lure new cancer ideas

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor1 hour, 30 minutes ago

Medical researchers teamed up with hedge fund managers on Wednesday to offer a new million-dollar prize for the best new idea for cancer research in the hopes of kick-starting innovative approaches.

They invited cancer experts, scientists and the general public to join an Internet-based club and compete for the Gotham Prize for Cancer Research.

Federal funding of cancer research has been flat, and is in fact lower than in recent years when inflation is taken into account, said Dr. Gary Curhan of Harvard Medical School.

And the system of seeking grants -- money to do research -- is based around pleasing either National Institutes of Health supervisors or gatekeepers at the advocacy organizations that pay for research on specific types of cancer, he said.

Curhan teamed up with hedge fund managers Joel Greenblatt and Robert Goldstein of private investment firm Gotham Capital to set up the prize club, found at http://www.gothamprize.org/.

"The goal here is to open up the site to people with ideas," Curhan told reporters in a telephone briefing.

"The winners of these prizes are not going to be those who are successful in evaluating the idea. It is going to be the person with the best idea."

Members post an essay or thesis outlining their ideas. Cancer researchers will be invited to peruse the ideas. At the end of the year cancer experts such as Dr. Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins University, one of the best-known researchers in colon cancer and cancer genes, will judge the entries.

"I have seen firsthand how many ideas with incredible potential never reach fruition," Curhan said. "We will only make significant progress in cancer research by learning from each other's successes and mistakes, and by building on each other's knowledge."

People who want to make individual contributions to a particular researcher, as opposed to making a general donation to a charity, are also invited to look at the site.

Curhan stressed he does not believe the NIH is unimaginative in funding research.

"Most of the work is incremental just because of the long tradition and because people tend not to pick risks. And you tend to write grants to what you think will get funded as opposed to your most innovative idea," he said.

"If you want to study something that may be relatively rare, it is not going to be given the same priority as something that is more common such as breast cancer or prostate cancer."

The prize was launched at the Ira Sohn Investment Research Conference, a charity cancer event named after a trader who died of cancer at 29. A second, $250,000 prize will be offered for pediatric oncology.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

OTR Microwave

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My husband, also known as Superman (by Jaden as he watched Jeff balance on two counters while installing the cupboards), has completed another major home improvement project. I am so impressed by him! Granted this one is almost a year from start (purchase) to finish but that wasn't his fault.

Here are the before, during and after pics!




Notice that hideous yellow paint that the previous owner left for us?
Eww!

Thanks to Jeff and Bob for all their hard work on this project. Soon I will post a pic of the best dividend of all -- a clear counter!

Mother's Day

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It occurred to me it might be nice to post something happy after reading about my dad's depressed state of mind. So here you go, see how my sweet boys made me smile upon waking with a beautiful hand-picked, and totally surprising, bouquet of flowers.


Once the camera was in action, Jaden wanted to assume his position behind the lens and snapped up this little gem:


I wonder what it's like to grow up with happy parents who love each other so much?

Sunday Thoughts

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How about a new feature from the volumes of my dad's writings -- Sunday Thoughts. I worked in the garage tonight and found some of his prose and some poems mixed in. These are much more "recent" than the poetry collections I have posted so far. These have actual dates!

8-13-93
Friday the Thirteenth

The Three D's have dethroned me.

Death, Depression and Desire
Rage in my mind like a forest fire.
Driven by a wind that's gone raving mad.
Mad as my emotional swings, from high
to low, passed happy, beyond sad.
Behind vacant eyes, my thoughts hang
suspended, frozen there by naked lies
living the life in the world about me.
Dazed and alone I wait for the day
to end, for the light to depart
so the night can descend.
The night that is still brighter,
than the darkness that is within.
My skin and bones remain rooted like
a hollow tree, a long time dead.
No vital fluids flow through me.
I'm haunted by ghosts of a mad man's dreams
pinned down on the wheel of desire,
where the flames are merely shadows
rising out of a dark black fire.
Time like a snake wraps around my body
and turns me to sleep. But sleep is
a tunnel vertical and steep, where
the night stores its distortions, of
which I am one, alone in the dark and deep.
Into the abysmal of the depraved am I,
Depression has taught me to desire the grave.
There's no way out and there's no way in,
No way to stop or to begin.
Just darkness and darkness and darkness again.
The Three D's have not only dethroned me
They've done me in.

This one has some really good parts, to my critical thinking English major mind. I like the image of the hollow tree in particular. However, I would argue strongly that this is autobiographical. In which case, I feel a great sadness when I read it.

Friday Poem

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I go down to the beach

  Upon the sand

I bare my feet
  To the young and ancient

My eyes roll out
  to all the beauty
  that surrounds me

My mind mingles
    with the ocean
    with the sky
    with the sand
    with the mountains
    with the sun
    with the seagulls
    with the people
    with the dogs
    with the sandpipers

My heart tries hard
  to sing a happy song

My mind grows weary
  knowing my heart is sad

My mind gets confused
  asking questions
  recieving [sic] answers

My heart is sad, still,
  I go down to the beach

Predictable

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Tonight I began the Grand Office Purge for the Grand Open House that will be happening around here sometime soon. Made it through three bins fairly easily and then hit the hard one. A mish-mash of papers, cards, receipts and old mail that clearly got shuttled from our Bennett Way move.

Found this gem in one of the old cards from a friend.

Definition of predictable --

Pack too much for vacation
in preparation of every
clothing mood, struggle to stuff
in overhead compartment
after making scene about
checking it, proceed to wear
the same thing every day.

Hilarious!

Honking Horns

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Today Jaden fell asleep in the car.

Today I didn't proceed on a green light the instant it turned green.

Today, for the umpteenth time, some impatient driver behind me laid on the horn to let me know about it.

It turned out the next stoplight was only one block away and we both were stopped at it, only this time, the driver was next to me. He was so mad at me from before that he pulled into the other lane as soon as we cleared the left turn.

His window was down so I decided to pipe up.

I said, "Do you know how many babies are sleeping in the backs of cars and get woken up when people honk their horns?"

He said, "Your #1 priority should be on your driving, not anything else!"

I said, "You don't need to honk over a one-second delay."

He said, "It was more than one second."

I said, "It is actually illegal in the state of California to honk your horn unless it is an emergency."

He said, "NO IT'S NOT!" just like whiney little kids do.

I said, "Either way, just try to be more patient with others. You can see your honking didn't get you very far."

He kept on talking but the light turned green so I STEPPED ON THE GAS.

Luckily Jaden slept through this whole "pleasant" experience.

And to Mr. Angry Impatient Middle-Aged White Nissan Pickup Truck Guy, check out the CA DMV website and brush up on your driver safety information!.

Don't Use Your Horn

  • If a driver is going slowly, and you want him or her to drive faster. The driver may be ill, lost, or having problems with the vehicle.
  • If slowing or stopping your car will prevent an accident. It’s safer to use the brakes than honk the horn.
  • To show other drivers that they made a mistake. Your honking may cause them to make more mistakes.
  • Because you are angry or upset.

So there.

Pantown

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Today Jaden and I scoped out an apt. complex in downtown SJ.

It turns out it was only one block from Japantown so I was talking to Jaden about that. He was so cute -- Mama what is Pantown?

"No no," I said, "it's called Ja-pan town." I said it's a community with a lot of Japanese people, Japanese restaurants and stores. I said it's a cultural hub.

He said, "Do they speak our regular language?"

I said they probably speak English and Japanese. I said regular is not really the best way to describe English. It's the native language that we speak but not for everyone.

He told a passerby, "We're going to Pantown but I don't speak Japanese yet!" She said, "Oh, me either!"

We found a noodle house and had shoyu ramen, (NO VEGETABLES right mama?), rice and edamame.


Show me your full belly Jaden...

Friday Poems

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I think I might try to post one of my dad's poems on Fridays. God knows there are volumes and volumes to choose from and this is one way for me to make time and read them. I have no idea when this was written. I don't even personally think this is very good poetry, but I do like the image of my dad sitting on some New York street watching the world go by.

A Few Minutes on Eighth Street

Now I'm here
sitting on a step
on Eighth Street
near the avenue
of Americas
I tell you this
the streets are
being walked on
the wrong way.
The shops are
being looked at
the wrong way.
I bend my head down
and stare at the ground.
I see the sun shining brightly
and everything is beautiful.
But beauty's not what
I want to write about
or is and should be known
but isn't and
that's why I must write
this next line.
Something's wrong, terribly.
I hear the feet go by
and everyone is walking.
I see the eyes
all roaming
and everyone is looking.
I see the sky so blue.
I see clouds of
angels hair
upon it.
I hear voices with
the footsteps.
I see the whole world
of Eighth Street
and it's flowing
green, green.
Someone again
said to me
What's the matter
with you?
It's been only
a couple of minutes
on Eighth Street,
But such a
long time.

Piccolo Blu

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Today I went to Hicklebees to get a few birthday gifts and I accidentally left my new Vanity Fair with an amazing article on electric vehicles behind.

So I went back with Jaden and while he was playing with the trains, I browsed the clearance area. And what a gem I found! A Leo Lionni book in Italian, half price!


I read it twice out loud right there in their rocking chair (softly though): once to myself and once to Jaden. It is such a joy!

The Trumpet of the Swan

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I found this at the library a few weeks ago and grabbed it for Jaden, who is super into audio books. He will sit in his room and listen and listen.

I am sad to say I had never read this book as a child or even heard of it at all until now. It is read by E.B. White himself and it is phenomenal. He has the most expressive voice and accent and Jeff and I laugh out loud many times while listening to him read this story. The old cob is our favorite character, he is priceless.

Jaden and I finished it this morning on the way to school and I feel sad that it's over. I definitely want to buy this one because I could listen to it again. The next times I won't be so nervous, I found myself anxious and anticipating some awful harm to come to Louis.

So! Six thumbs up from the Nichols! And 104 great reviews on Amazon as well.

Dylan

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Quintessential "Dad" music, Dylan is practically synonymous with my childhood. In fact, for most of my adult life, I would cringe at the sound of his voice because it conjured up such a spectrum of emotions and memories. But sometime after my first round with NHL, I shifted and welcomed his voice into my life. It comforted me for the first time and continues to do so.


Ran across this article on Ticketmaster this morning and was impressed by its length. I learned lots about Dylan; although his songs are deeply familiar, he was my dad's peer and not mine. So his story is not at all familiar to me. But I like to read about him. So I want to share it. Alas, I will only do the link because it is so long -- you'd be scrolling for days in my blog.

It's Official

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I am officially and publicly encouraging my husband to get his ass back on his bike.

I mean, sweety, what kind of example are you setting for our future cyclist here?

(Hey now, I know this can be a touchy subject so take that guilt trip with a huge container of salt).

The point is you have a duty, an obligation, to be the fearless cycling leader in our household and you've been on strike far too long. It's time. Sunday morning, Road Ride!!!

And...let's not forget about utterly sexy spandex!

First Sunshine

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This was a project for Worthy Wage Week next week at Jaden's preschool, he drew a picture for his teacher.


I am simply amazed at the progression of his artwork in recent months, the shift to more representational art. I am also sad because as he does this, the actual drawing, he often says things like "I can't draw _____" or "It doesn't look right."

You can see here how he interrupted himself halfway on his sunshine, he said, "it doesn't look like a sunshine" super frustrated.

But I love it. In fact, I think it's glorious.

I always tell him art is not good or bad, right or wrong and he can draw how he feels. Hopefully it sinks in because I think his process is beautiful.

Monday Morning

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Not enough sleep last night and a late start to the day, I woke up and realized all I had to do this day with my tired brain and body. Here's my list.

8 loads of laundry waiting to be done
dishes
sweeping
return library materials (about 15 books, 2 movies and some cds)
lots of preschool stuff to get done
grocery shopping

The laundry is as follows: 2 for Jaden, 2 for house -- towels & sheets, 4 for us -- blacks, normal colors, whites, Jeff's socks. I know I could combine some of my laundry into bigger and fewer loads but honestly I find it harder to complete the laundry cycle when I have to fold a huge pile of whatever (particularly Jaden's clothes). So I break it down. And Jeff's socks are special so they get to go on the handwash cycle and delicate light dry cycle. Easier to separate them, those high maintenance fellows.

The preschool stuff: prepare for our parent/teacher conference on Friday, fulfill his teacher's request for a baby picture for an activity she's doing this week, and book orders due tomorrow and I haven't ordered in a long while.

I also have to work which I couldn't do this morning because Jaden missed 2/3 of preschool time. So gotta do that during nap instead of napping myself.

And it's National TV-Turnoff Week so that is going to be a huge family struggle too. (I think it should be "TV Turn-Off Week" by the way).

Well I did check one thing off my list today: disappoint a really nice person. Gee. I feel so accomplished.