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Our observations of the world around us

• Celebrating Great Student Design by Justine Carleton on May 30, 2008

  Ohio State University’s Department of Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and one of its major events is nearly here: the 2008 Spring Exhibition, to be held at the amazing new OSU Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus.

  The Spring Exhibition will showcase senior thesis projects by more than 50 graduating students. Top projects in each of the three major categories will be selected based on problem definition and solution, research, and visual result. I’m pleased to be serving as a judge for the Best in Category competition.

  An opening reception will be held for professionals June 3 from 5 to 8 p.m., and a general reception will be open to the public June 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will then run through June 13.

  For directions to the OSU Urban Arts Space, download the official invitation/map or visit the Urban Arts Space homepage.

  

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• The Quest for Ideal Sleep by Dan Rockwell on May 21, 2008

  Working in research has a funny way of making you say “D’oh!” sometimes, like Homer Simpson. 

  Last year I worked on a study for Respironics, a company that makes devices for people who have trouble sleeping.  One facet of the project was to figure out what “ideal sleep” was all about. It was fun study; we talked to lots of people who sleep just fine, versus those who don’t. We talked to people about their sleep rituals—how they prepare for good night’s sleep—and it was fascinating to help them express how good sleep feels. 

  Respironic’s customers deal with a condition called sleep apnea, a growing problem that afflicts thousands of people every day. If you snore, are overweight, or have been known to wake up with headaches or fall asleep in traffic, you may have sleep apnea. Respironics’s CPAP machine helps people deal with apnea by creating continuous positive airways pressure, which is a key to sleeping better. 

  Anyway, the study went well—we uncovered some great data and it really helped Respironics. All said and done, right? Wrong!
  About eight months after the project, my own doctor suggested that I get tested for sleep apnea.  Now, I’m a big guy, snore, and yeah, I do occasionally have a headache when I wake up, but I’ve never fallen asleep in traffic. Regardless, after a few nights in sleep study lab, I did a classic “D’oh!” when I saw the results. I had sleep apnea all along, and never realized it. 

  So I’m now in the process (or “quest” as I call it) to find ideal sleep. The most compelling part of the experience so far—aside from sleeping great using the CPAP device—was seeing my data from the sleep lab. It was presented in really nice charts and graphs that let me see at a glance how I poorly slept and how I struggled. The data-obsessed kid in me was thrilled. 

  For me, sleeping with the CPAP device is simply amazing. No more headaches, no snoring, and the device is pretty quite at night. There are some challenge in finding the perfect fit (you sleep with it placed over your nose and mouth), but the results of great sleep far, far outweigh it.  Ideal sleep can be had; my quest is nearly complete.

  If any of these symptoms sound familiar, be sure to visit Sleep Apnea.

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• Spring Froil 2008 by Dan Rockwell on May 13, 2008

  

  What can we say?  It’s a tradition.

  Every year around this time, the folks at Lextant gets together for our slightly embarrassing and entirely delicious annual gathering.  OK, delicious might be pushing it. Maybe crunchy describes it better?

  Seriously, it’s good. This past weekend was Spring Froil 2008, with the requisite batters, dips, and swamp boil ingredients. “Froil” refers to the two turkey fryers we fire up—one with oil (for deep frying shrimp, mozzarella balls, cheesecake, Twinkies...you name it), the other with water (for a stew of seafood, veggies, and seasonings). As always, it became a frying frenzy of goodness.

  Micro-brews, sweet potato fries, kids and Frisbees...much fun was had by all.  Here’s the photographic proof.

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