The Social Network

Due to circumstances beyond my control (a long plane ride), I watched "The Social Network". I didn't really want to watch it, but also sort of did, kind of like a train wreck. I also wanted to see sudo*-Matt Welsh's cameo teaching Operating Systems.

I was pleased that Hollywood got some of the technobabble correct (apache with a SQL backend), and I loved that the closeup of Mark's laptop showed it running *nix. I also thought it was cute they re-branded the iBook laptop as "Book".  

However, I was greatly displeased with how the film portrayed women. By my count, there was only one female character who was not: a flake, a flirt, a drunk, a girlfriend, or crazy - and she was a lawyer with hardly any personality depth. Why were there no female engineers, or CS majors? Or, heck, I'd even take an Art History major. Just somebody with some brains to accompany the legs.

I was also displeased with how Mark Zuckerberg was portrayed. I don't know the real Mark, but the director seemed really dedicated to employing the geek-with-zero-social-interaction-skills trope. Couldn't the actor have smiled occasionally? Been somewhat friendly now and then?

So, Hollywood, your scorecard is: B+ for suspending my geek disbelief, but an F for perpetuating stereotypes.

---

(*) Pun intended! 

Kit Heath Minimalist Fashion Trend Alert

This seasons catwalks have seen many designers really go for the minimalist look against last seasons busier floral explosions. Whites, pastels, breezy silks and earthy shapes are clearly a theme for this coming summer, along with just enough structure to demand its place upon the catwalk.

Needless to say floral patterns are here to stay for a little while longer, but the top line designers such as Calvin Klein and Alexander Wang have introduced a minimalist theme into this coming season with their tailoring, which have little or no pattern prints amongst these collections. 

The difficulty for the fashionista is to decide on how to accessorise?
How do you accessorise an outfit designed to be sleek and edgy without overwhelming the effect with over baring, fussy jewellery?
But on the other hand how do you stop a contemporary design from becoming just a dull and staid bit of cloth?  

The Kit Heath spring 2011 collection features designs which will gently add that little touch of finishing required to make an outfit complete. The summery blue hues and delicate whites on tactile solid sterling silver will complement these designs perfectly. Not overwhelming the overall look, allowing both the jewellery and the clothes to maintain their effect.


Contemporary, clean and crisp designs from the Kit Heath Spring 2011 collection include Grecian White Jade Stone Ring and the Blue Jade Oasis Pebble Necklace. 

To find out more about this collection please email Kit Heath and we will get back to you or visit www.kitheath.com.

ENJOY!

Gluten-Free January Survey Data, Part I: Demographics and Limitations

Thanks to Matt Lentzner for organizing Gluten-Free January, and everyone who participated and completed the survey, we have a nice data set illustrating what happens when a group of people stop eating gluten for a month. Janine Jagger, Matt and I have been busy analyzing the data, and I'm ready to begin sharing our findings.

GFJ had over 500 participants, 527 of which received the survey and 279 of which completed the survey at the end of the month. Of those who received the survey, 53 percent completed it. I think these are respectable numbers for a survey of this nature, and it reflects the conscientious nature of the people who participated in GFJ.

Demographics

Although respondents were primarily from the United States, I'm happy to say that the data represent 18 different nationalities:

Respondents represented a diversity of ages, the largest group being 30-39 years old, with similar numbers in the 20-29 and 40-49 year groups.
Respondents were just under 2/3 women.

Respondents represented a variety of weights, but the sample was biased toward lean people, in comparison with the general population. There were not many obese participants.
Overall, I was pleased to see that the demographics were quite diverse, particularly in the age and gender categories.

Limitations

There are a few caveats to keep in mind when interpreting the survey results:

1. GFJ participants do not represent a random cross-section of the population at large. They represent primarily health-conscious individuals who were motivated enough to make a substantial dietary change. In addition, many of the people who participated probably did so because they already suspected they had a problem with gluten.
   
2. The survey response rate was 53%. Although I think that's a reasonable number considering the circumstances, it leaves open the possibility that survey responders differ from non-responders. It's conceivable that participants with better adherence and better outcomes were more likely to complete the survey than those who did not adhere to the diet or had neutral or unfavorable outcomes, despite our efforts to encourage everyone to complete the survey regardless of adherence or outcome. So the results could be biased toward positive outcomes, meaning that we will need to see a strong effect for it to be believable.
   
3. This was a non-blinded diet trial without a control group. There's no way to know how much of the effect was due to avoiding gluten per se, how much was due to overall changes in diet patterns, and how much was a placebo effect.
   

With that in mind, what can we take from the survey data? I feel that we can use it to answer the following question: "what is likely to happen when a motivated, health-conscious person decides to avoid gluten for a month?" And I think we can also use it to generate (but not test) hypotheses about the effects of eating gluten on the general population.

is it spring already?  i'm over winter and rain....

*images courtesy of vogue, house and garden, everly true

Kit Heath Kids Celebrates Birthstones!

Kit Heath Kids collection of sterling silver birthstone jewellery including birthstone charm beads, birthstone stud earrings and guardian angel necklaces are to be cherished and adored, but what do each of them mean and why are they associated with birthdays?

Originally the tradition is said to come from the old testament story of Moses' brother the high Priest Aaron, who wore a ceremonial breastplate with 12 stones on. These were to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year.
Through the ages to present day, the wearing and gifting of gemstones became popular as people believed in their healing properties and it is believed that the old testament story is what has driven the symbolism of the stones allocated to the months of the year.
These stoones have been given as gifts to our young ones since at least the 15th century to be worn as a symbol of luck and well being.


Kit Heath Kids celebrate the birthstone trend with semi-precious stones and sterling silver, creating a collection of silver birthstone jewellery which include:

Sterling Silver Birthstone Charm Beads
Sterling Silver Guardian Angel Necklaces
Sterling Silver Stud Earrings

Kit Heath Kids Birthstone guide:
 

January – Garnet the stone of success, protection and happiness. Creative and friendly. 	February – Amethyst the stone of wisdom, said to aid sleep and healing. Advernturous and fun.
March – Blue Topaz the truth stone, used to increase awareness and energise the wearer. Hopeful and strong. 	April –  Rock Crystal is known as the “master healer” stone. Innocent and strong hearted.  
May – Green Quartz the heart stone, said to bring the wearer intuition. Lovable and happy.  	June – Moonstone is said to bring good fortune and enhance instinct. Faithful and helpful.  
July – Ruby the wealth stone believed to enhance focus and motivation. Content with a love for life.	August – Peridot is the cleansing stone, eradicating bad energy and harnessing the positives. Happy and lucky. 
September – Sapphire is the stone of destiny, said to bring the wearer the fulfillment of dreams. peaceful and truthful. 	October – Opal is said to be the stone of inspiration and enhances the imagination. Hopeful and innocent.  
November – Citrine  is the fortune stone, said to bring abundant wealth. Strong and Joyous. 	December – Turquoise it’s the purification stone and is believed to eradicate negative energy. Happy and successful.  

Click here to see more birthstone jewellery