Raithe

Well, the joys of the flu have been spinning around the family for a bit, and I've managed to keep a low grade flu for the last week. The whole "slightly raised temperate, slight headache, general ache, ticklish throat and cough". I'm kind of at the point I'm saying "damn it, just hit me properly so you can clear up. Stop only partially visiting and lingering!" Of course, while I've got this I can't go visit mom in the hospital. Her stay there has been going on hm , about 7 weeks now. They managed a partial bronchoscopy last week, but for various reasons couldn't get all the tests they wanted. The results they did get haven't got them happy, and they're discussing other ways to look at her lungs. The only "good" way they have is to go in from the side, but they don't want to do that since her chest isn't in that great a condition at the moment and they'd end up having to pin one of her lungs to keep it inflated. Or something to that effect - it's always fun to get the partial copy of what doctors say via the sick person. One of the specialists visited her the other day and was all "Well, you're sounding better then you were." Then they listened to her breathing, and promptly went with the "Of course, if you came into my clinic and I heard this, I'd have you admitted to hospital that day, so you'll be here awhile longer."

Heh, that didn't take long.. io9 - First Hobbit Fan Edit cuts Trilogy in Half

http://youtu.be/O1CvOVmc-KY

Well I definitely seem to be on the flu-boat.

Well, Keannu works in John Wick because the character is meant to be very self-contained and controlled for the majority of the film. Even the start, where he's going through the funeral has that..slow loss/grief being held in check feel. I was impressed that he managed that angry outburst sequence towards the end, so it actually worked quite well.

John Wick. I'd definitely rate it up there as one of the better action/revenge flicks of the last few years. I mean, it's not out and out amazing, but pretty damn good for the genre. Helped by a lot of very good supporting actors. It's full of "thatguy/thoseguys", face's you'll know who are pretty damn good at acting in those roles.

It's all about having the vital information... io9 - 80% of Americans Support Mandatory label on foods containing DNA... The results of Lusk and Murray's survey also highlight a contradiction central to GMO labeling campaigns that would see all genetically modified foods blanket-labeled as "GMOs," regardless of the modification they contain, or towards what end they were produce. Prima facie, such initiatives seem like a laudable effort to provide consumers with information. What's ironic, UC Berkeley biologist Mike Eisen explains in a recent blog post, is how little information consumers would actually receive from such a mandate: The Oklahoma State food survey reinforces Eisen's point: A blanket DNA label would be even less informative than a blanket GMO label. And yet, an overwhelming majority of Americans support it, because we have a right to know. We have a right to know what, exactly? Over at WaPo, Somin ruminates on what can be made of the Oklahoma State food survey: Eisen writes in his blog post that, in supporters of blanket GMO labels, he sees "a lazy and self-satisfied acceptance of an internally incoherent piece of legislation that, rather than giving consumers the 'right to know', will actually protect their desire to know nothing." I'm not as cynical as Eisen. I like to think of myself as an idealist. But the Oklahoma State survey has dealt a heavy blow that idealism. When participants of the survey were asked if they had read any books about food and agriculture in the past year." Roughly 81% answered "No," and 3% answered "I don't know." The 16% who answered "Yes" were asked to give the title of the food and agriculture book they had most recently read: These results seem pregnant with significance, but I'm too dispirited to unpack it, at the moment.

And for the other side of things.. Saudi Muslim Leader Organising Legal Action Against Charlie Hebdo over Mohamed Cartoons

This article's from the middle of last year, but might be worth a thought or two... Why is Florida and Texas so strongly against off-grid living practices that they deem it illegal?

Well, we seem to have Flu circling through the family, the dog is getting anxious because mom's been in hospital for over a month now, and from the comments by some of the specialists it looks like she'll be staying in for a fair few more weeks. Having anxious dog spending the night running around to various rooms in an attempt for comfort to get settled, combined with the hourly coughing fits of the flu-infected does not inspire a great nights sleep.

Science! And Photography!

Heh. For those Lost fans.. Independent - Lost Writer Admits They Just Made it Up as They Went Along

Just for those people in need of an "Awwww" moment... http://youtu.be/uRmoowIN8aY

Sometimes it's just about the background sound, even when you can't understand the lyrics.. http://youtu.be/vQOn2jDxC5c

Dylan Dog - Dead of Night Brandon Routh from a few years ago playing a fading private investigator pulled back into the New Orleans supernatural world. It can't quite seem to decide if its a comedy, or a horror or some weird blend of investigative action-mystery, but it has a certain enjoyable campy edge to the proceedings. With the typical assortment of vampires, werewolves, and assorted zombie types lurking around the French Quarter...