Lauren Wu dot com

Today is Free Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins. Visit one of their participating stores from 6 to 10 p.m. and get a FREE 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream. Choose from any available flavor. Ben & Jerry had a similar promotion yesterday.

Six Feet Under is one of the reasons I subscribe to HBO. In a recent episode, Claire's art teacher (Olivier) reminisces about having a relationship with an older woman, and mentions that a popular song at the time was "I Wear My Sunglasses At Night". He hastily adds, "What an insipid song". I looked up the word insipid at Merriam-Webster Online to look up the definition:

1. lacking taste or savor : TASTELESS
2. lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge : DULL, FLAT

Then I discovered a whole host of related words: INSIPID, VAPID, FLAT, JEJUNE, BANAL, INANE... they all mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character.

• INSIPID implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest: an insipid romance with platitudes on every page.
• VAPID suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit: an exciting story given a vapid treatment.
• FLAT applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest: although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat.
• JEJUNE suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance: a jejune and gassy speech.
• BANAL stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy: a banal tale of unrequited love.
• INANE implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality: an inane interpretation of the play.

Ironic that there are so many interesting words to describe something that's boring!

Yay! Today, the WSJ reported that World Health Organization (WHO) lifted its warning against nonessential travel to Toronto because it was satisfied with local measures to stop the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. No new SARS cases has been reported among the community at large for the past 20 days (double the length of the incubation period). The ban is effective tomorrow (Wednesday, April 30, 2003).

In other good news, Dr. David Heymann, the WHO's chief of communicable diseases, said that "the worst is over [with respect to SARS] for Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto and Vietnam". However, he does not believe there is reason to celebrate yet, "Certainly the risk and the threat of this disease becoming an endemic disease -- a usual disease in humans -- is still very great."

I don't like shopping. No really, it's true. Most people - especially men - don't believe me when I say that, but my husband will readily confirm that statement. The main reasons are (1) it's difficult to find something that fits me (2) I'm ch... er... frugal and (3) it takes so LOOOOONNNNNG to try on clothes. The exception to this rule is when I make my annual trip to Hong Kong. That's when I load up on clothes and SHOES (it's almost impossible to find anything in the U.S. in a size 4.5 or 5.0).

So why am I writing about shopping since I'm not really interested in the topic? Well I recently went to lunch with some folks, and the ladies in the group talked about Kate Spade (did you know that she's related to David Spade?). Kate Spade diaper bags to be precise. Of course, this conversation was way beyond my comprehension since I've been using the same, hardy, well-worn Nine West handbag (I've lost the strap, but that hasn't deterred me from using it) for the past 4 years. My point is this: while I'm oblivious to fashion, there are still plenty of women out there who are single-handledly supporting the consumer spending index, especially the luxury goods portion. And so, my dear friends, this blog is dedicated to you.

WSJ had an article this morning about outlet malls, and how they're attracting more upscale tenants/designers. That's good news to customers of Kate Spade (diaper bag, anyone?), Loro Piana, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Carolina Herrera - newcomers to the outlet mall scene (Donna Karan and Escada are old hats at this). The caveat is that some designers don't necessarily carry the same merchandise in their outlet stores as their regular retail stores. Polo Ralph Lauren outlets, for instance, focus on the designer's moderately priced goods and don't carry the "Purple Label" line. Also, although products are heavily discounted, they're still expensive.

You just knew that somebody would be keeping track of all this, and sure enough, OutletBound.com keeps a database of current manufacturer stores listed by outlet center and brand name.

As an added bonus, if you are a Kate Spade fan, and have no desire to search for and visit an outlet that carries her goods, here's a 25% coupon for her products that is valid from May 1, 2003 to May 3, 2003 (read the fine print for any restrictions). Happy shopping!

I have had an aversion to macroeconomics (microeconomics I'm cool with) for as long as I can remember. All the books I have encountered have an exceptionally high "snooze" factor (even for a textbook) which prevented me from slogging through the material and learning it. I did take a macroeconomics course at MIT Sloan, but I was too light on theory to really appreciate Lester Thurow's highly entertaining lectures (and I don't recall any theory being taught in that class).

Although I'm regretting the decision now, it seemed like a good idea at the time, so I applied to take the CFA Level I exam this year. Based on a friend's recommendation, instead of buying half a dozen overpriced textbooks to read a handful of chapters on various topics, I purchased a set of Schweser study guides instead. Each study guide summarizes "must know" information and provides sample review questions. They're excellent. And guess what? They have a study guide on macroeconomics! Exactly what I was looking for. Of course, now that I've read the material and finally get it, it has dawned on me why I abhor the subject. It's because there are several competing theories on macroeconomics, and even after decades (and possibly centuries) of debate, there is no right answer to what a government's fiscal policy should be, or now markets should (or should not) be regulated. To an engineering-minded person like myself, the concept of "there is no answer" is unacceptable!

If you have similar negative feelings towards macroeconomics, I'd like to refer you to The Economist, which publishes a Big Mac Index every year. It's a fun way to learn about purchasing-power parity, and provides a method of determining whether a country's currency is correctly valued. The Economist calls it "Burgernomics". According to the THEORY of purchasing-power parity, in the LONG RUN (all these caveats and disclaimers when it comes to macroeconomics), exchange rates should move twards rates that would equalize the prices of an identical basket of goods and services in any two countries. In Burgernomics, The Economist's "basket" is a McDonald's Big Mac, which is produced in 118 countries. The Big Mac PPP is the exchange rate that would mean hamburgers cost the same in America as abroad. Comparing actual exchange rates with PPPs indicates whether a currency is under- or overvalued.

As I emphasized in the previous paragraph, this is theory only. In reality, the model is flawed because

...Big Macs are not traded across borders as the PPP theory demands, and prices are distorted by taxes, tariffs, different profit margins and differences in the cost of non-tradables, such as rents."

Li Lian Ong of the International Monetary Fund even wrote a whole book on the index. She says that the Big Mac Index is quite accurate in tracking long term exchange rates, but there are "persistent deviations from PPP", and highlights the fact that "emerging-market currencies are consistently undervalued", perhaps due to differences in productivity:

Rich countries have higher productivity than poor countries, but their advantage tends to be smaller in non-tradable goods and services than in tradables. Because wages are the same in both sectors, non-tradables [Lauren's Note: Big Macs are non-tradable] are cheaper in poorer countries.

So what are the results and predictions for this year based on the Big Mac Index?

• The Chinese yuan is the most undervalued (their burgers cost $1.20) and the Swiss franc the most overvalued (their burgers cost $4.52). Compare this to the average price of a Big Mac in the U.S. which is $2.71.
• The euro is overvalued against the USD.
• The Australian dollar is likely to see the biggest gain.
• The British, Swedish and Danish currencies are significantly overvalued against the euro. The pound will fall further against the euro.
• China will come under increasing pressure to revalue the yuan

Pretty neat, huh? There's a whole section on foreign exchange in CFA Level I, so it will definitely help me there. All this talk of burgers is making me hungry too...

Shortly after 9/11, 1000 Torontonians went down to NYC and booked tickets for Mamma Mia on Broadway. The 1,000 Torontonians wanted to celebrate NYC. They also wanted to support an industry and NYC tradition deeply affected by the terrorist attacks.

Every summer, Toronto depends on millions of tourists who come to our city from all over the world, and especially from neighbouring US states, to enjoy the museums, the galleries, the ball games, the restaurants and our own thriving, vibrant theatre district. This year, the stigma of SARS -- a disease that is far less lethal than influenza and perhaps less sinister than the West Nile virus -- has left us off the tourist trail. Or restaurants are struggling, our theatres are empty and numerous Asian-Torontonian small businesses -- restaurants and take-outs -- are suffering potentially irrevocable damage.

While one must exercise caution in the face of the unknown, may I appeal to you to view the SARS situation in Toronto in the same reasonable light as the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), who have sent experts to this city to evaluate the crisis, and who concluded in a statement made on Thursday, the 24th of April, that a travel advisory for Toronto was neither warranted, nor would it be of any value.

According to a story published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the CDC is not warning U.S. citizens against going to Toronto. "We understand the patterns of transmission in Toronto," said Dr. Julie Gerberding of the CDC. "They make sense, the epidemiologic picture is complete and there's no suggestion that a traveller going to Toronto is inadvertently coming into contact with a SARS patient. ... Our understanding of the information we have available right now is that U.S. citizens travelling to Canada are not at risk for SARS if they stay out of hospitals and follow some common sense precautions."

If you or your friends were planning a summer trip to Toronto, please don't let the stigma of SARS be an impediment. In the spirit of the 1,000 Torontonians who partied in NYC after 9/11, please do visit us this summer: enjoy Canada, enjoy Toronto, and most importantly, enjoy yourselves!

I read in the Economist that San Francisco, CA (or maybe it was the Bay Area, CA or even CA in general) has the dubious distinction of having the most expensive gas in the U.S. Fortunately, I don't drive a Mack Daddy SUV or other gas-guzzling vehicle. In fact, my little New Beetle is the most fuel efficient, snazzy looking, compact vehicle around... except for the New Beetle Convertible which I sadly cannot possibly justify. Even so, I'm always on the lookout for cheap gas, and was therefore quite thrilled to find that GasPriceWatch has a feature which shows gas stations with the lowest prices in any given area in the U.S. or Canada.

Now I've always been told that gas is a commodity, and so all gas with a specific rating, e.g., "87" (I'm not even sure what that means), is the same. It's been a while since I looked at the oil & gas industry, but I assume that the uniformity is due to the fact that there are only a handful of producers sourcing this stuff. Given my assumptions, which may be incorrect, I wonder about this little independent gas station (I'll call it Station X) I pass by on the way to work which has significantly cheaper gas (by about $0.20/gallon) than most other gas stations in the vicinity. How do they do it?

In an effort to save money, last week, I filled up my tank with Station X's 87 gas (at $2.10/gallon). Now my BugMobile usually goes ~350 miles before I hit the red line and have to fill it up. This time, however, I had only driven ~300 miles before this occurred. That's 50 miles less! I'm a suspicious person by nature, so the thought crossed my mind whether Station X adds funky stuff in their fuel to "bulk it up". So I've decided to run a crude experiment. I filled up with Station X's gas again this morning and I'm going to see how far I can go before I need to refuel. Then I'm going to switch to another gas station's gas, and compare the mileage. I'll keep you posted on my findings.

I'm supposed to be planning a wedding, but haven't done anything about it yet. I guess I just don't have the energy of other Super Brides who can visit multiple venues faster than a speeding bullet and evaluate dozens of vendors in a single bound. I think I'm more the exception than the rule. In fact, I'm probably considered a mutant (as in "X-Men"). Yeah, call me "Sloth": my power is the ability to ignore all social pressure due to laziness! But seriously, this article from the Washington Post [4/28/03 Note: link deleted because it doesn't work anymore] is a pretty funny read about how crazy (American) wedding planning can be. I especially like the quote:

''Have you ever wondered why it takes a bride months and months to plan a wedding, but a good funeral can be pulled together in two days? The elements are all the same -- church, minister, music, flowers, guests, food.'' -- Lori Rispoli

This is a great true story about how blog saves lives. Thanks to Joe Maller who posted a link to this on his weblog.

Since today is Easter Sunday (Happy Easter everybody!) I thought I'd post a cartoon Jenn sent me that I thought you'd enjoy.

Finally watched "The Ring" which is an English (American) adaptation of a popular Japanese movie called "Ringu". Both should be available for rent at your favorite local or online rental store.

I won't post a comprehensive movie review of "The Ring" since there are already so many out there already. In fact, I highly recommend Rotten Tomatoes which aggregates reviews into a convenient "Tomato Meter Reading" from 0%-100%. Anything with less than a 60% rating is considered a rotten tomato and thus probably not worth watching. I liked "The Ring" a lot. It's the third scariest movie I've ever watched behind "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others".

The other movie we watched was "Beijing Bicycle" which is a 2001 Chinese film. It's an interesting snapshot of the some of the social issues in modern day Beijing. For all the modernization that has occurred in the city, most people are still living modest lives and are struggling to make ends meet. Regardless, there is a daily massive influx of "wai di ren" (country folk) who come to Beijing in the hopes of striking it rich. The movie reminded me of the time I spent in Beijing learning Mandarin.

Labels: movies

I'm a little late to the game, but I recently discovered two nifty references from VisiBone for web designers. One is the Web Designer Color Reference Card and the other is the HTML Card. I bought mine from Amazon.com because they count towards free shipping (for orders over $25). VisiBone charges a flat $5 for shipping & handling, but they have a much wider variety of products.

I drive a Volkswagon New Beetle and I'm proud to say that I love my bug. But there's a recurring problem with it that's driving me nuts. Apparently there's a plastic sheet at the bottom of the car (your car probably has one too) called a "weather guard". I'm sure it provides some nominal level of protection against rocks on the road, but nothing more. The problem I have is that Beetles (and I'm also told VW Golfs) are low so there's not much clearance between the road the bottom of the car. So if you go over a bump or drive up a ramp quickly, the weather guard will get hit and become damaged. And once it's hit a couple of times (doesn't even have to be that hard), it will progressively loosen until it turns into this twisted hunk of plastic that drags along the ground making a very scary noise. I know because it happened to me... already for the SECOND time since I bought my vehicle in 2000!

So how much do you think it costs to replace this chunk of injection plastic molding (probably made in China or Taiwan)? As it turns out, there is not one, but THREE PIECES to the weather guard. The list prices for the part (excluding labor charges) are as follows:

• Center $55.87
• Right $44.78
• Left $79.66

I used a shop called Federal Collision Center in Mountain View, CA to have the repairs done. They're AAA approved, and also recommended by Progressive Insurance. I've had repair work done by them in the past, and I've been very pleased with their responsiveness, professionalism, prices and quality of work. I just wish no repairs were required at all!

I originally used H&R Block online to do my taxes because of the convenience. All I had to do was fill in a simple questionnaire and then fax a bunch of documents to a tax preparer who would then prepare my taxes. The concept was great, and the fees were certainly reasonable, but the tax return was incorrect. I ended up going to an H&R Block office in person and have somebody redo the return. The problem was, I had ended up paying twice: once online (they don't let you see your return until you pay) and once at the H&R Block office. So I called H&R Block online to explain the situation and they promptly refunded the online tax preparation fees. It took less than 5 minutes. Now that's what I call excellent service.

"Research by Denise Donnelly of Georgia State University, who is writing a book on celibacy in marriage, shows 16% of couples fail to have sex at least once a month, a pattern she found predicted marital unhappiness and divorce."

Interesting WSJ article about frequency of sex in marriage.

"Men 35 or older have half the chance of fathering a child within 12 months, compared with a man who is younger than 25. That is the case even when the age of the mother is taken into account."

So says a WSJ article suggesting that men also have biological clocks, although they work differently from women's.