X3

I saw X-men III last night. Although I really should have been studying, and now I'm horribly unprepared for a final I have on Thursday on Developmental biology (yuk!), it was definitely worth it.
It was one of the best made movies I've seen this year, and although the story didn't exactly go the way I had hoped (The killed Scott AND Jean.. my FAVOURITE X-men), it was still awesome.
Its weird.. I've done so much molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics to know that the stuff they put on screen is completely impossible.. but at the end of the movie, I still left with an enchanted feeling of "what if?" and a feeling in the pit of my stomach that can only be classified as disappointment that I dont have any cool mutant powers.. Then of course the mind wanders into what kind of superpower I would posess.. Its times like these when I wish I didn't know anything about the workings of the human body, and to be able to think that something like this COULD actually be possible..
Anyhow... to all my faithful readers.. if you haven't seen it, do so. its comes with my stamp of utmost approval.

random thought.. if theres only one of them, would you call him/her an "X-man" ??

inappropriate, but true...

you can learn a lot about a person by looking through their personal belongings.
I don't plan on elaborating on this... lets just leave it at this :-)

random

I went for a haircut earlier today.. as the woman started cutting, she gave me a sidelong glance and said "you've put on weight".
I left her a tip for her honesty, and a pretty bad haircut.
From tomorrow, I stop eating.

The 90/10 theory

This is a lil theory that pertains to biological research around the world, and the funding issues that come along with it.
90% of the money put into medical research by the United States goes towards curing diseases that affect 10% of the worlds population.
I always knew there was a skew, but I never realised it was this bad.. Diseases like cancer, parkinsons, and alzheimers... mostly ailments of middle to upper class caucasians who can afford treatment. On the other hand, diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and malaria, which are predominantly diseases of the third world, affect the people who cannot afford expensive drugs and treatment. As a consequence, pharmacological companies often look at these treatments as a waste of resourses, and as a consequence, very little is being done to solve them.
Its shocking to know there are so many educated people out there who believe that tuberculosis has been eradicated.
Even worse than this is the fact that more money is being put into developing treatments to prevent balding and skin wrinkling than all infectious diseases put together..
Its a cruel world we live in.

the all american dream

What exactly is that anyway??? People say I'm living the all american dream.. Does this mean that all americans have the same dream, or that americans are dreaming about an existance which is essentially "all american" and devoid of other races?

From what little I watch of the news, I have come to the conclusion that the USA loves to meddle in other peoples affairs.. The whole issue with iraq, israel vs. palestine, india vs. pakistan, Vietnam etc etc.. My naive outlook on world politics today had led me to believe that it was out of genuine concern that these acts were performed..
Untill recently.
I'm now convinced (I'm sure everyone else was quite some time ago.. I'm jus a lil slow) that this is NOT the case. I think the US government likes to stick its unwholesomely large nose into everyone elses private matters jus to check out whats goin on..
There are several parallels that can be drawn between the USA and an old, idle, fairly well to do woman... She's bored, primarily because everything in her life went off so well.. She doesn't have to work excessively hard to keep herself going on a day to day basis, so she drops by her friends (less fortunate friends, might I add) on a day to day basis and comment on the inferiority of their lives.
Now you (and I hope SOMEONE reads this) might ask why I'm getting all hot and bothered about this now, when this has been goin on for a fair few years now..

And I'm gonna tell you..

Because earlier this morning, it hit a subject thats VERY close to my heart, and I get agitated whenever someone even mentions it..

its called the 90/10 theory, and in a minute, you're gonna hear all about it :-)

Abercrombie and Fitch

There's just something about that shop that makes you want to buy stuff. True, its ridiculously expensive, and meant for guys with a six pack (as opposed to guys who drink 'em).. and yet, I'm compelled to buy stuff every time I enter that store! Its weird though.. Just trying on their stuff makes me feel great because whatever I wear makes me look awesome.. No easy task, but I salute you Mr. Abercrombie and Dr. Fitch (I dunno why, but I just feel that Fitch should be a Dr.)

the incontinence issue...

so as it turns out, I'm NOT incontinent..
I just pee a lot when I'm really nervous.. And this is accompanied by bouts of nausea, extreme restleness (seriously, I mean EXTREME), inability to concentrate and a continuous desire for unhealthy food..
This pretty much sums up the last 3 days of my life.

the male mind..

Aside : After I post this, I'll be a confirmed science geek, but I don't care.. I think this stuff is really cool :-)

so for all you chicks out there who have ever thought that a guy thinks with his penis, its time to eat your own words..
There are a set of genes encoded in the testes (balls, for the uninitiated) called the MAGE genes.. Now in certain men who have certain types of brain tumors, these MAGE genes are actually expressed in the brain.. SO.. you have proteins from the male reproductive system now expressed in the brain :-)
Hence, if a guy DOES think with his dick, don't blame him.. he can't really help it ;-)

The high school from hell

So as part of my experiences as a grad student, I decided to get some teaching experience.. and who better to teach than willing high school students who cling onto every word you say, and whose minds are waiting to be moulded into engines of thought..
ok.. its a little over-dramatic.. but its my firt time actually teaching in a school, and I was really psyched about it!
Besides, the over-dramatization makes what I'm about to say ever so much worse..

So this is a big high school on 33rd and Park Ave.. pretty 'hoity-toity' location..
I entered the school.

To get into the main building, you have to pass through a metal detector, and they frisk you with that weird looking cattle prod like device they have at airports.. then you put your bag through an actual baggage scan!!
and who's monitoring this?? Not some security guards, but acual NYPD policemen.. it was INSANE.. After about ten minutes (which is how long it took to get into the damn building), I walked upto the classroom..

Begin : nightmare no2.
Far from eager minds waiting to be moulded, I saw a whole load of tenth grade kids without minds.. And honestly, I don't blame them..

Begin : nightmare no3.
The TEACHER.. Miss Bonus (irony?) was probably the most incompetent woman on the face of the earth.. She looked like one of those people who did drugs all through the 70s which left her mind so thoroughly screwed up that she was doomed to remain stoned for all eternity..
to cite an example, lemme jot down a conversation i had with her in the class..
*I was demonstrating how bacteria which express GFP glow when you expose them to UV light*

her: thats a UV light?
me : yes
her: where can u buy one?
me : I dunno.. I guess through some research company like Biorad
her: ahh... (she looks at the lamp).. Is this one of those lights they have at discos and clubs?

me : yeah yeah.. this is it!
her: ohh.. it makes things which are white become fluorescent! thats why they tell you not to wear white bras and panties to a club..

me : *silence* (!)
her: you know... otherwise your bra and panties would glow and everyone would see them..

me: errr.. ok..

How can this woman actually TEACH other people???

Now... I can't blame it totally on her.. some of the kids were outrageous..

kid: miss bonus.. you've got a really big ass!
her: *marginally reproving look* sit down everyone!
kid: uhh.. don't look at me like that.. you know you do!

WOW! I could just see myself getting kicked right outta my high school for saying anything remotely like THAT!

In the end, I dont think the kids really learnt a lot, but they saw some glowing bacteria, and did a little experiment of thoer own.. If any one of them goes on to do anything remotely scientific, I'll give myself a pat on the back :-)

Diet Coke

I've been drinking coke from as far back as I can remember.. I love it, and didn't think that ANYTHING would come between me, and what can only be described as my first love..
The other day, someone asked me to try a diet coke... Under some amount of duress, I took the can and started to drink it..
It tasted like swill. I honestly felt a little nausea after drinking it.. BUT.. while I was drinking this, I did happen to notice that diet coke contains NO calories.. I was always under the assumption that it contained about half the calories of regular coke, so I was always like "whatever"..
But the prospect of getting a drink of coke with NO calories was a little hard to digest (pun intended)..
Anyway.. by the end of the can, it didn't taste all that bad, and I could understand what they mean by it being an aquired taste..
Now.. armed with this new knowledge, I had another can the next day, and another the day after.. and for the past ten days or so, I've been enjoying a can of Diet coke while I study..
Now.. While I was out to lunch today, I ordered a regular coke (I actually didn't order a "Regular coke", I just ordered a "coke".. force of habit, you see)..
The coke came to the table.. (it wasn't a magic can of coke.. the waitress brought it)
and it tasted like SWILL! I coudn't believe it.. I just could not drink it because it tasted AWFUL..

Now this is a potentially upsetting situation..

Ten days of drinking diet coke has effectively ruined 20 odd years of drinking sugar loaded regular coke.
I suppose this is a good thing, and I should look on the bright side.. But I refuse to.. I will look upon this as the disaster that it is, for I have parted ways with my first love, only to replace her with a skinnier, younger variant.
the coke is dead.. long live the coke!

when do they grow up?

It was 2 am.. I had to run back to the lab to take out some cells for a timed experiement that I was doing.. It was kinda cold, so I put on a sweater vest (a sleeveless sweater, for the uninitiated)
In the background, I hear what appears to be a mix between a howl, and a gasp.. all in all, a fairly unpleasant noise..
"Whats THAT???" My sister.. visiting for a couple of weeks, makes no pretense at hiding her disgust.
"what?", I reply in a confused tone, all the while, knowing exactly what she's talking about.
"the sweater... You can't seriously OWN a aweater vest"
"I actually have a couple of them"

And here begins my fashion training by my 16 year old baby sister.. Its slightly pathetic.. It seems like yesterday I was wrestling with her and pulling out her hair.. Ok, I confess.. that actually did happen yesterday..
But y'all know what I'm talking about.. When did MY sister become more fashion savvy than I? I honestly see nothing wrong with wearing a sweater vest with shorts..
Apparantly, its a majoy faux pas.

So for all you sweater vest fans.. the style is out.. and apparantly, has been out for quite a while.

sigh.. I shall have to aquire some more "trendy" outfits.

FACS

I HATE the stupid facs machine.
its a stupid, time consuming, unreliable technique..

AND I CAN'T GET THE STUPID THING TO WORK!!!

pee pee

I pee-ed 6 times this afternoon.. I think I'm getting incontinence.
I hope its not serious.

mission impossible

So Tom Cruise made MI-1 (I'm not sure, but I think it was just called MI at the time), and MI-2..
Then he waited a couple of years, got a lil insane, and then made MI-3.. I'm not sure of the chronological order of craziness vs. MI-3.. depends really on how long it took to make the movie.. which in turn depends on how crazy he was.. MAN.. this is ONE viscous (spelling??) circle..

ok ok.. I digress..

So the point is, that MI-4 will come along soon enough, and then we get to the intesting one.. MI-5.

Here's what I think is gonna happen..

Her royal highness, the queen of England, fed up with the promiscuity of 007, James Bond (because we ALL know the royal family aint promiscuous!) will look overseas for her no.1 agent..
She finds Tom Cruise, and says to herself "hem hem.. lets give him a shot"
So he comes..
on his motorbike..
blows wind up her skirt..
After a lot of "hem-hemming" and an excuse for the maralyn monroe "skirt move", she sends him on a mission..
Pissed off at having to give birth with her mouth closed and her eyes open, Katie Homes stars as the villian.. an American Housewive seeking revenge..
Theres the usual ensuing saga.. couple of people are killed, some hot sex scenes, perhaps the occasional silent birth.. the usual stuff.. so I'll cut to the chase.

Katie Homes falls desperately back in love with TC, proclaiming that she'll never open her mouth again..
TC, suddenly feels desperately homesick, and while chasing after Canadian Terrorist, stops head in his track and sings the Star Sprangles Banner..
The Queen (god bless her), takes the bus to Selfridges to buy a new dress..

Now theres a movie everyone would watch ;-)

the sunshine state

The "Happiest Celebration on Earth" comes with a bloody long queue. What exactly am I talking about? Read on..
Since the ol' folks and the younger sibling decided to visit me in this land of liberty and freedom, we decided to take a trip to see Mickey, Donald, and the whole gang and Disney World in Florida.. Now I could say that this was entirely spearheaded by my sister, but who the hell am I kidding? I'm totally into the whole Disney "experience"..
The only drawback, as I briefly alluded to earlier were the damn lines to most of the rides.. It just annoys me when you wait in line for half an hour for a ride that lasts all of two and a half minutes! Space Mountain was a lot of fun, and not nearly as scary as I expected it to be.. The huge big rollercoaster at Universal Studios, on the other hand, scared the crap outta me so much that I decided not to go on it.. On hindsight, I wish I had gone, because I feel like a bit of a wuss (is that how u spell that?) right now..
I bought myself a big Goofy hat, which made me look, well... for lack of a better word, goofy.. but thats not really a suprise.. I think Goofy and I are some sort of kindred spirits.. Mebbe a past life connection, or twins separated at birth, coz I see big similarities in our thought processes and the consequences of many of our actions..

Lets move on to a slightly more surreal aspect of the trip..
I had to take a taxi to the airport coz I was heading back to New York, and my folks were goin somewhere else.. (in case you were wondering, I haven't gotten to the surreal part as yet)
So the taxi driver, much like the majority of the population of this highly sociable country, took all of two minutes to strike up conversation.. As it turns out, the dude had gone to GRAD SCHOOL in NYU.. Now the obvious, but highly inappropriate question would be..
"dude.. if you went to grad school, why on earth are you driving a taxi?"

Needless to say, I didn't ask him this..
But in light of his aforesaid sociable nature, and also pleased to be in the company of a current grad student, he tells me that he did some sort of chemisrty in grad school, went on to some sort of chemical synthesis industry, led a happy and fulfilling life of synthesizing some obscure compound thats probably an essential component of hairspray, and then retired..
sounds pretty normal.. but I'm not done yet..

So like many people in the united states, he moved to good ol' Florida to retire, spent the better part of a year golfing, fishing etc etc.. y'know.. retirement-ish stuff.. and promptly got bored... so much so that he JOINED A TAXI COMPANY and drives around idiotic tourists like myself to the airport at seven in the morning..

Now this honestly scared the living daylights outta me.. Could this be me, fifty odd years from now? I shudder to think.. After a lifetime of working in a lab, wouldn't you wanna do something slightly more interesting than drive a taxi through the "magical kingdom"?

I have taken a vow to do something interesting with my life.. I will not let my blog, fifty years hence, to read..

"I drove a yappy lil grad student to the airport this morning.. He told me wot he intends to do with his life, and I secretly laughed, knowing that there was no way in hell"

So there reads my vacation in Florida. The sunshine state.