dan collier

Malaria and how to beat it - The Economist reports on a study in 3 African countries that looked at the effectiveness of selling cheap mosquito nets versus giving away mosquito nets to mothers at health clinic visits. The free nets were more effective at preventing malaria in children. This finding may not stretch too far beyond mosquito nets, but I think it could be extended to healthcare in general. Despite well known risks, people without disposable income will forego preventative care. And it is cheaper for society to pay for prevention than treatment.

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Is the US really bringing stability to Baghdad? - I thought this was a good article from The Independent (UK) as a counter point to the avalanche of “the surge is working” news reports. The reporter is a longtime Middle East correspondent and formerly was stationed in Lebanon.

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The Poetry of Roger Clemens - From free form to haiku.

“Glute”

I have strained my glute
On a couple occasions.
I wish I could tell you
How many occasions.
-Feb. 5, 2008, deposition

development & foreign affairs & links posted by: dan  @  17 Feb 2008 23:45 | Comment (1)

Design for Asia Awards 2007 - Business Week has a photo set of the winning entries. I would have given it to the camera, about which they write “It evokes the days when cameras lasted a generation with its retro look and feel”.

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Chinese Kids Get Foreign Toys - Time magazine has an article on an interesting trend. In my house it has been a long standing battle against collecting more and more cheap Chinese plastic toys. We last bought a Chinese toy probably in early spring.

About a month ago, I googled Lego to find out where they are manufactured. Jaxon will soon be happy to learn they are made in Denmark and Czech Republic, and decorated in Denmark, Czech Republic, Mexico and the US.

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Race and IQ, cont. - More Malcom Gladwell on genetics and IQ. A good one page summary of the 4 page article I linked to.

foreign affairs & ideas & links & photos posted by: dan  @  14 Dec 2007 23:58 | Comments (0)

An update about the Money magazine “Millionaires-in-Chief” article I wrote about a couple days ago. The article is now up at CNN Money. Here is the text, and here is the more interesting part: “Where they got it… and where it goes.”

links & politics posted by: dan  @  10 Dec 2007 19:14 | Comments (0)

Newsweek has an interesting book excerpt that explores the role of Harry Truman in the founding of the state of Israel. The book is Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989. Without discounting the validity of a Jewish state or Truman’s good intentions, I’m not sure I would classify this particular series of decisions as courageous. Unless we’re using Churchill’s definition:

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
– Winston Churchill

To skip all the ads and pagination, you might try the print version.

books & politics posted by: dan  @  23 May 2007 14:28 | Comments (0)

Then on our darkest night, she brings shining light
As is the tradition in Sweden, we awoke this morning at dawn to a candlelit room and Naomi singing Sankta Lucia.

Lucia is a European holiday which originated in Italy, but has become thoroughly Swedish. It is a holiday to celebrate the return of the light (Lucia) in the season of darkness. I can’t think of a better reason for a holiday.

Today’s sunrise in Stockholm was 8:37 AM and sunset was 2:47 PM. So for obvious reasons, the celebration with glögg and lussebullar started around 10 AM.

Watch the official celebration on streaming Swedish public television (direct links: RealVideo | WMV). The show is an hour long, but you’ll see all you need to see in the first song. Here are the lyrics with English translation. As always, something is lost in translation.

religion posted by: dan  @  13 Dec 2006 13:13 | Comments (0)