Alternative reality: MetaCortex style

MetaCortex is the world's foremost software and information systems development company. Specializing in business solutions, security solutions, home applications and computer gaming, you can find the MetaCortex brand on over 80 per cent of computer software worldwide. Currently, MetaCortex has regional headquarters in 22 countries and employs over 250,000 people worldwide. Far-reaching innovation is our goal, along with bringing the 6 billion inhabitants of our small planet together. That's MetaCortex. Serving you into the 21st century."
From the website of MetaCortex, www.metacortechs.com.

Underscore Hosting was founded in 1999 as a web development company. We soon expanded to become a hosting company, and have developed and hosted hundreds of websites, from small personal sites to large corporate intranets, auction sites, e-commerce, database driven sites, and more.

In 2001, Underscore Hosting entered into an exclusive partnership with MetaCortex, the world's largest software and information systems company. We are currently upgrading all of our systems and services to utilize some of MetaCortex's amazing new technologies. When the upgrade is complete, we, along with MetaCortex, will be unveiling a new paradigm in information systems and technology.
From the website of Underscore Hosting, www.underscorehosting.com.

Never heard of Metacortex? Well, we're not surprised. The company-btw, it is supposed to have a development centre in Bhopal-doesn't exist. The site, and several others put up by Underscore Hosting (it doesn't exist too and a sampling includes www.theaquapolis.com, www.sheismissing.info, www.heismissing.info, www.paintover.net, and www.leiphe.net), are part of an extensive ARG (Alternative Reality Game) developed purportedly by the brothers Wachowski, the duo that gave us the Matrix trilogy. Purportedly, because the secretive duo hasn't said a word about the game. Still, it exists, a tangled skein involving the discovery by Jesse Avery, the son of former MetaCortex CEO James Avery, that the world isn't what it seems but is controlled by a huge computer network. James' investigations come to the attention of agent-clones called monitors, who spirit him and his wife away (are they the two featured in the heismissing/sheismissing sites) and Jesse begins his quest for them. The story has other strands as well, but if you are a Matrix fan you're probably better off discovering them yourself. For the record, there are enough clues to get you started scattered across this article. MetaCortex? Well, that's the company Neo is supposed to have worked for in the first motion pic. The rabbit hole gets deeper. Go on, take the red pill.

-Neo

SFF, ANIME, AND Q

Uma Thurman: Actress of the year

Yes, we know some of our readers would rather watch The Pianist, but the year, in terms of motion pics, has belonged to science fiction and fantasy, anime, and Mr Q (and Ms U). Here are a few threads. The third part of two trilogies that will certainly go down in motion pic history, Matrix and The Lord of The Rings played themselves out (fine, TLTR: TROTK is yet to be released as this piece is being written but will be by the time this magazine hits the stands) on the big screen. Anime gained a mainstream following thanks to The Animatrix, a series of nine short animated films set in the world of The Matrix. And Quentin Tarantino did his bit for the 1970s and 1980s HK martial arts classics with Kill Bill (it even has a chapter in Anime). Our choice of actress of the year, probably the only such honour this magazine will give out this year: Uma Thurman, the U in the Q&U credited with the script of Kill Bill. From Gattaca to Kill Bill to the forthcoming Paycheck (based on a Philip K. Dick short story), the lady has acted in some of the coolest pics of all time and two of them were made in 2003.

HEALTH NOTES
Mood Foods

There are two kinds of workers in most workplaces. There are those who believe in food for thought, happy in the nourishment their work (and any idea related to it) provides them. Then, there are those who believe in food as a comfort-providing thingamajig that can ease the pain of a missed deadline and the boss' consequent outburst, a colleague's promotion, even the dull ache resulting from acid gnawing away at ones insides, often the by-product of too much work or too much stress (the two, as most of us know, aren't the same).

Feeding one's feelings instead of one's hunger, or emotional eating, is a common disorder. "Food has always been used as a source of solace," explains Mumbai-based nutritionist Rajshree Vachhrajani. It isn't just negative emotions such as the one we have listed above that spur eating. "Rewards and incentives have always been associated with food that is rich in fats and carbohydrates," she adds. "No one binges on an apple."

We have, all of us, our own comfort foods. To this writer it is the lowly dal-chawal; for someone from South of the Vindhyas it could be home-made idlis and sambhar; and for someone else it could be chicken soup or apple pie. Comfort foods are fine as long as they are used in moderation, especially when someone is ill. But too much dependance on them is a short cut to disaster. Some execs find that a loaded-with-calories pizza seems to reduce the stress; others that a chocolate bar has almost magical pick-me-up qualities. That could hurt. "Emotional eating is a roller-coaster ride to obesity," says Vachhrajani. "Heart disease and diabetes were the earlier manifestations; now, we are seeing sleep apnea." The last is a potentially life-threatening breathing disorder that involves the suspension of breathing (for short intervals of time) during sleep.

Most people tend to associate emotional eating with obese teenagers and lachrymose women (the latter typically stuffing themselves silly with chocolate). Unfortunately, says Nimesh G. Desai, Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Superintendent at Delhi's Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, the jet-setting middle-aged executive falls right in the middle of the danger zone. His counsel: health food, music, and exercise, lots of it. "Physical exercise can provide a great high too," he laughs. Now, if everyone were to take his advice, every employee who gets a yelling could end up a triathlete.

-Payal Sethi

HEALTH SNIPPETS

1 INCH=$789
We know what you're thinking but perish the thought. Research carried out by Timothy Judge, a professor of management at the University of Florida, shows that tall people earn more than short ones (the headline explains the equation). Judge is worried at this trend because he believes that except in pro basketball, height isn't a qualification for most jobs.

WALK THE BABY
You wouldn't classify it as such but did you know that pushing a baby in a stroller for around 30 minutes (1.5 miles) can burn about 630 Kjoules. That classifies it as a moderate exercise, a little better than bicycling 3 miles in 30 minutes. The next time the baby needs walking, volunteer.