Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

The eyeball tattooing procedures were done by Howie (LunaCobra.net), with photos by Lane Jensen (of Tattoo and Piercing Magazine ). The first procedure was done on Pauly Unstoppable using a traditional hand-poked technique. The eye distorted significantly but it was difficult to get ink to hold. Probably about forty strikes in all were done but so far it seems like limited ink held. Because the we had trouble getting the ink under the surface (and were able to “wash” it out of the small needle incisions), we tried the second procedure, on Josh using a 29ga needle and syringe, thinning down the ink very slightly with an antibiotic eyewash. Since the goal was simply to blanket the white of the eye in color, there wasn’t a need for fine detail. The first injection was shallow and appeared to dissipate on the surface, but the second injection was at the perfect level and formed a dark bubble of ink just over the sclera (in the third picture you can see some of the ink running back out of t...

Mitsubishi: Mitsubishi has released the first sketch of its Frankfurt bound concept crossover, the Concept-cX. It sports a look up front that's clearly evocative of the new Lancer, and its hatchback-style bodywork is set off by an upward-sweeping character line along its flank. The Euro 5 emissions-compliant crossover will be powered by a 1.8L clean diesel engine that features a variable-geometry turbocharger, a diesel oxidation catalyst, and a diesel particulate filter. The economical power plant is mated to Mitsubishi's twin-clutch transmission, and its interior will make use of Mitsubishi's environmentally-friendly Green Plastic . The 13-foot-long CUV also uses an electronic 4WD system and incorporates an SUV-style high seating position. No cargo capacity numbers have been given yet, but Mitsubishi did say that a split tailgate is used at the rear of the vehicle. We're sure that more info on the Concept-cX will become available closer to the start of the Frankfurt sh...

Tata Motors, a $7.2 billion company, on Wednesday acquired two iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in an all cash deal of $2.3 billion. The company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Ford Motor Company for the purchase of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) comprising brands, plants and intellectual property rights. The Tata Sons and Tata Motors chairman, Mr Ratan N. Tata, said, "We are very pleased at the prospect of Jaguar and Land Rover being a significant part of our automotive business. We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavour to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact. We aim to support their growth while holding true to our principles of allowing the management and employees to bring their experience and expertise to bear on the growth of the business." A few days ago Mr Tata had told a news channel that he was acquiring these two brands because "we are trying to take our pla...

Transman Thomas Beatie gives The Advocate a first-person account of how it feels to be pregnant and carrying a child for his wife and himself. Thomas Beatie: To our neighbors, my wife, Nancy, and I don’t appear in the least unusual. To those in the quiet Oregon community where we live, we are viewed just as we are -- a happy couple deeply in love. Our desire to work hard, buy our first home, and start a family was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until we decided that I would carry our child. I am transgender, legally male, and legally married to Nancy. Unlike those in same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, Nancy and I are afforded the more than 1,100 federal rights of marriage. Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decide...

By Maureen Dowd: Just when I thought my head would explode from trying to figure out delegate math, I'm hit with call-girl math. The arithmetic of procuring a prostitute who is both experienced and inspirational is even more complicated than the arithmetic of procuring a President who is both experienced and inspirational. If you're a frugal governor who doesn't even like paying his political consultant bills, as opposed to an Arab sheikh or a Vegas high roller, do you really need to shell out $4,300, plus minibar expenses, to a shell com pany for two hours with a shady lady? Aren't there cheaper hooker hook-ups on Craigslist? It makes you wonder how sharp Eliot Spitzer's pencil was on the state's fiscal discipline. And how does it add up that Steamroller No. 1 suddenly morphs into Client No. 9, a nom d'amour with the ring of an overpriced Gucci cologne for men, giving untold thousands for untold years to a prostitution ring that has hourly rates based on ra...

The American box office saw biggies like 10,000 BC and The Bank Job hit screens but what’s really got film goers and critics interested is a simple small film titled Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Directed by Indian born Bharat Nalluri, this directorial debut has been declared a sleeper hit in the US, leaving behind big budget films like 10,000 BC. Nalluri's film features Amy Adams and Frances McDormand in a light hearted romantic comedy set in 1930's London. The story revolves around Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, who finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job and an attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. The film drew rave reviews from the likes of The New York Times and The Washington Post, especially for it's performances. “We had a sneaking suspicion that putting Amy and Frances together would be a real pairing, a real, dynami...