What's up with Netflix?

OK, the "very long wait" for a movie in my Netflix Q never used to last more than a week, maybe two at the most, but now the waiting periods seem to last much longer. It is possible that I've slipped in the hierarchy of subscribers. People who keep movies at home for a long time cost the company less money and are rewarded by getting the movies that have a "wait" sooner than subscribers who go through their movies quickly (and thus go through more movies in any given period). But I don't think I'm going through movies any faster now than I used to.

About a month ago, Netflix stopped selling its excess (used) DVD's. They never explicitly said this (or maybe they did, and I missed the news story), but I am guessing that they are now buying far fewer copies of each movie. This would explain the seemingly much longer waiting period for any given movie in great demand.

I liked the old system better. But I imagine they can churn more of a profit by buying far fewer copies of new (= expensive) movies. I'll have to try to view this as an opportunity to practice patience.

Seasonal Delights

We're nearing the end of pomegranate season. I'm wondering why pomegranate season is so short. We can buy pretty much any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year now, thanks to the global shipping network. (Whether we *should* be consuming produce from far away is a thorny issue that I won't address here.) When it's winter here, it's summer in the southern hemisphere. Does nobody farm pomegranates in the southern hemisphere? I realize they're most popular in Asia and the Middle East, not Africa or Chile or Australia. But maybe the farmers down there could make a killing exporting them to the people who miss them nine months out of the year.

Speaking of seasonal delights, I thawed out some of the pesto I made from the basil I grew over the summer. It's wonderful to be able to taste a little bit of summer sun on a cold, dreary day.

Missing Out on Thanksgiving

Being sick sucks. Being REALLY sick REALLY sucks.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

This poster gives some statistics to support the argument that, the more literate the mother, the lower the risk of infant mortality. Sounds pretty reasonable, and I just love Soviet propaganda.







IU offers a course on comparative health systems, specifically those in the U.S. and Russia. The course involves a two-week trip to a city in southern Russia, Rostov-on-the-Don. The trip is expensive, but something like two-thirds of the students pay nothing, as there are some sweet scholarships available.

I'm studying nursing and am very interested in health policy. Given my background in law, I might someday be able to participate in making health policy. I speak Russian. It's a little rusty, but this program offers an 8-week course of specialized health policy Russian, so I would get to brush up and learn all the necessary terminology.

At first, this seems like a no-brainer. I should go, right? But the trip is immediately after graduation, and I'm likely to be busy packing for a move. (Not sure where yet---that subject will be addressed in future posts.) Will I feel like jetting off to the other side of the world for two weeks?

What should I do?

Mandate for a Change

As Rhonda would say, "Woo hoo!!!!" Obama soundly defeated McCain. It was depressing to learn, however, while listening to Bill Moyers interviewed on "Fresh Air" today, that racism is still alive and well in the South, which is pretty solidly red on the electoral map. Only 1 in 6 white voters in Mississippi voted for Obama. So there *are* places even more backwards than Indiana. Scary.

Please please please please please . . .

Indiana has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Here's hoping we break that tradition tonight.

Oh, and the sangria gum's actually pretty good.

Brush with Death . . . and Prejudice

Today, for my Critical Care clinical, I spent the day in an ICU. One of my two patients was covered in white supremacist tattoos, including swastikas. I wondered how he would feel if he knew that one of his caregivers (yours truly) is Jewish. Lucky for me, he's been unconscious for some time.

And during the night, his nurse noticed that his pupils were fixed and dilated. Never a good sign. This morning, his nurse and I took him downstairs for a CT scan of his head. The radiology tech and a radiology nurse showed me a big white blob in one side of his brain (on the computer screen) and explained that this was an intracerebral hemorrhage (i.e., bleeding in the brain). Later, a radiologist read the scan and saw, in addition to the bleed, some herniation. This is when part of your brain moves to a place in the skull where it doesn't belong, usually because of increased pressure in its original location. Brain herniation is usually followed by death.

In other words, our patient would likely be already dead if not for his ventilator. The docs and a social worker set about contacting his family to get their permission to "wean" him from the vent. Word on the floor is that the patient is estranged from his wife and kids, so nobody expects them to disagree with the plan. I left before they were reached.

I've previously cared for patients who were not going to live much longer, but today's was the most immediately impending death I've encountered. It's weird, but I don't feel the overwhelming sadness I've felt with past patients. This probably has something to do with the fact that two of the prior patients with fatal diagnoses were newborn babies. It probably also has something to do with this guy's white supremacist tattoos. Does that make me a terrible nurse (in training), if I don't get that upset when an asshole dies?

Great Internet Radio Station / Election / Gum and Wine

I enjoy listening to a variety of jazz here. Just press the "ecouter" button to set it up. It's from France, and their motto is "All the jazz, all the emotions." But they play nice music, anyway.

Speaking of emotions, I'm feeling a bit jittery about Tuesday's presidential election. They usually call Indiana for the Republican candidate at about 8:30 a.m. on election day, so it's somewhat shocking but definitely exciting to be a swing state this year. Here's hoping we have something to celebrate Tuesday night . . . .

To take my mind off the election, I'm trying some new gum. I bought two new Orbit flavors: Positively Pomegranate and Sangria Real (that's "royal sangria" in English). One of my fun discoveries during my two trips to Kazakhstan was the wide variety of gum flavors available there. (These flavors were also Orbit, made by an American company---Wrigley's, before Orbit was sold here). My favorite was Fresh Lemon (svyezhii lemon). I stocked up on it before returning home. Sadly, Orbit's new pomegranate flavor seriously disappoints. It's certainly sweet and fruity but doesn't taste like pomegranate. Have yet to try the sangria flavor. It scares me a little.

Speaking of wine, I've discovered a very tasty wine in a box. No, seriously. The brand is Wine Cube, and it's available at Target. I've tried three of their varieties and am happy to report that the 2007 Vintner's Red Blend is very tasty. And cheap. It's available for a limited time only, so stock up!

OK, They're Not Russian, But This Is Still the Funniest Thing on the Internet

I was a Russian Studies major and have spent time in four of the republics of the former USSR (and no, nobody in Kazakhstan looks anything like Borat), including Russia. As a Slavophile, I was excited to hear that some Russians had made a response to Sarah Palin's ludicrous assertion that Alaska's proximity to Russia somehow imbues her with foreign policy experience.

Turns out the two smokin' hot guys here are not actually Russian, but they did a good job with the accents, clothes, and interior decor. The mullets are a little more questionable but still hilarious.

Some people commented that "Vlad" isn't really a Russian name. What about Putin?

Heartwarming Story on the (almost) Eve of the Election

Obama employs some creative, caring staffers. Or do they do this sort of thing just for the free publicity? Nah, I'm not that cynical yet.