Recently, a woman heard that the house from the movie "A Christmas Story" was up for auction on eBay. She jokingly told her husband, who claims that it is his favorite movie. Well, he won the auction for $150,000 without even consulting her. (She is in the Navy and was at sea; he said he "didn't have time" to ask.) He didn't even see the house, which is in Cleveland (he and his wife live in California).
He then spent $200,000 restoring the house and filling it with antique furniture that exactly matches the furniture in the movie. It is open as a museum, and for $5 you can walk through it. Across the street he opened a gift shop. One of the many things that he sells are replica "leg lamps" from the movie. You can have them shipped in wooden crates that say "FRAGILE" (pronounced "frah GEE Lay") and be accompanied with a certificate that says "You've won a major award!". (I think they will also send telegrams saying the same.)
I really wanted to get one for Hyunmi and one for my brother, but the full size ones are almost $200, so I had to pass. However, last year this guy made $700,000 selling leg lamps. That is crazy. Who is buying them all?
Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Festivus, etc etc.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
'Tis the season... to turn to the Dark Side
Many of you living in NYC have probably heard about the bonuses coming out of Wall Street this year, particularly those at Goldman Sachs, who is rumored to be giving out over $16 billion in bonuses.
IF Goldman Sachs had 1 million employees, and it were divided equally, then everyone would get a $16,000 bonus (that's two-thirds of my stipend). I can promise you that Goldman Sachs does not have 1 million employees, and if they did, the janitors would not be getting a $16,000 bonus.
There is an article on ABC News that discusses, whimsically one might say, the Goldman Sachs' bonuses. It states that the average bonues will be over $600,000. The head honcho is supposedly getting a $100 million bonus. The article then goes on to say what one could do, in the holiday spirit, with $100 million. Sadly, I doubt said honcho will even partake in a fraction of that philanthropy. (You should read the article; it's crazy.)
Which brings me to the title of my post: Wall Street represents the Dark Side to me. I see no good coming out of such a place. OK, I bet someone there donates money to charity. But have you ever heard of anyone who said, "I want to work on Wall Street so that I can earn millions of dollars and use that money to fight polio." Of course not. Nobody goes to Wall Street to earn lots of money to give it away. They go because they are greedy. Plain and simple.
It doesn't have to be an all-consuming greed, though. With that qualifier, I am hereby formally announcing my plan to work on Wall Street for 1-2 years upon graduation. The way I figure it, I can easily save $100,000-200,000 in that time if I keep my lifestyle the same. Naturally, Yilin might try to throw a monkeywrench in things once we marry, with her expensive taste and all. However, I already told her that if we are going to live in NYC, it is only to save money so that we can put a down payment on a house far far away from citylife and have something saved for our retirement. Otherwise we might as well move out ASAP. (I really do not want to stay here longer than absolutely necessary.)
The second phase of my plan is to find a job that requires a maximum of 40 hours per week and gives weekends off. (That is the holy grail to grad students. Trust me.) I can already here someone saying, "But what about vacation time?" Well, at this point any vacation time is better than none, so I'll take it. Oh yeah, with weekends off I will have almost 100 days of vacation a year that I normally don't have: 52 weeks times 2 weekend days per week equals 104 days off, minus the occasional weekend day off that I take once in a while. (I bet you didn't realize that you have over 100 days off per year; what have you been doing with all that free time? I hope not wasting it...)
"But wait," you say. "That wasn't my first question. My first question was, 'You won't make as much money as you did on Wall Street.'" Well, that's not a question, but OK, I'll bite: you are correct. If I get a 40 hour per week job I will make less money (in all likelihood). That's fine by me. I value free time (to spend with Yilin, to spend with my family, to pursue my own interestes, etc) far more than I do money. Besides, after living for 7+ years in NYC on a grad student stipend, I can live anywhere off of any amount of money and not be uncomfortable.
The real question is whether or not the Dark Side will consume me...
IF Goldman Sachs had 1 million employees, and it were divided equally, then everyone would get a $16,000 bonus (that's two-thirds of my stipend). I can promise you that Goldman Sachs does not have 1 million employees, and if they did, the janitors would not be getting a $16,000 bonus.
There is an article on ABC News that discusses, whimsically one might say, the Goldman Sachs' bonuses. It states that the average bonues will be over $600,000. The head honcho is supposedly getting a $100 million bonus. The article then goes on to say what one could do, in the holiday spirit, with $100 million. Sadly, I doubt said honcho will even partake in a fraction of that philanthropy. (You should read the article; it's crazy.)
Which brings me to the title of my post: Wall Street represents the Dark Side to me. I see no good coming out of such a place. OK, I bet someone there donates money to charity. But have you ever heard of anyone who said, "I want to work on Wall Street so that I can earn millions of dollars and use that money to fight polio." Of course not. Nobody goes to Wall Street to earn lots of money to give it away. They go because they are greedy. Plain and simple.
It doesn't have to be an all-consuming greed, though. With that qualifier, I am hereby formally announcing my plan to work on Wall Street for 1-2 years upon graduation. The way I figure it, I can easily save $100,000-200,000 in that time if I keep my lifestyle the same. Naturally, Yilin might try to throw a monkeywrench in things once we marry, with her expensive taste and all. However, I already told her that if we are going to live in NYC, it is only to save money so that we can put a down payment on a house far far away from citylife and have something saved for our retirement. Otherwise we might as well move out ASAP. (I really do not want to stay here longer than absolutely necessary.)
The second phase of my plan is to find a job that requires a maximum of 40 hours per week and gives weekends off. (That is the holy grail to grad students. Trust me.) I can already here someone saying, "But what about vacation time?" Well, at this point any vacation time is better than none, so I'll take it. Oh yeah, with weekends off I will have almost 100 days of vacation a year that I normally don't have: 52 weeks times 2 weekend days per week equals 104 days off, minus the occasional weekend day off that I take once in a while. (I bet you didn't realize that you have over 100 days off per year; what have you been doing with all that free time? I hope not wasting it...)
"But wait," you say. "That wasn't my first question. My first question was, 'You won't make as much money as you did on Wall Street.'" Well, that's not a question, but OK, I'll bite: you are correct. If I get a 40 hour per week job I will make less money (in all likelihood). That's fine by me. I value free time (to spend with Yilin, to spend with my family, to pursue my own interestes, etc) far more than I do money. Besides, after living for 7+ years in NYC on a grad student stipend, I can live anywhere off of any amount of money and not be uncomfortable.
The real question is whether or not the Dark Side will consume me...
Monday, December 04, 2006
The World Beard and Moustache Championships
What do real men do in their spare time? They grow facial hair. And of those real men who like to spruce up their appearance, the "metrosexuals" amidst the real men, how do they spend their spare time? Training for the World Beard and Moustache Championships. (Well, these men would be considered metrosexual in Alaska.)
Be amazed at the fullness and luxury of what these men can do. Team USA has recently shifted their philosophy to include category specific training, and some members have begun training for categories that the team has no competitors in. Why?
An excerpt from the website:
By God, for your country grow a beard or moustache and head to Brighton!
(Note that the only category I would consider entering is "the highly competitive full beard natural category, the category many consider the marathon of the WBMC".)
Be sure to check out the gallery, and carefully read the category titles that each individual competes in.
Be amazed at the fullness and luxury of what these men can do. Team USA has recently shifted their philosophy to include category specific training, and some members have begun training for categories that the team has no competitors in. Why?
An excerpt from the website:
The German beard clubs who started the WBMC have long dominated the competition. The Germans' domination can be attributed to their superior organization and the large number of active and enthusiastic participants. At the most recent WBMC held in Berlin, Germany, in October, 2005, Germany won gold in 14 of the 17 categories. Cynics point out that the Germans made the rules, picked the venue, hosted the competition, picked the judges, defined the categories, etc.
By God, for your country grow a beard or moustache and head to Brighton!
(Note that the only category I would consider entering is "the highly competitive full beard natural category, the category many consider the marathon of the WBMC".)
Be sure to check out the gallery, and carefully read the category titles that each individual competes in.
Friday, December 01, 2006
That's it, I'm moving.
When is enough enough? When it is December 1st, I'm walking around outside in a t-shirt, and I am warm. It is in the 60's this morning in NYC and expected to reach 70F. This is an unacceptable situation.
The solutions: either move very far north (latitude 60 or higher), move to a high altitude (8000+ feet), or move to a location that is both far north and at a high elevation. I find the ideal temperature to be about 50F. Perhaps cooler. I would much prefer to live somewhere that never reaches above 60F in the heat of the summer.
Yesterday it was -21F in parts of the Colorado Rockies and they've had snow since September. That is my dreamworld. New York City is my nightmareland.
Moving to a cold rural environment is one of my highest priorities. I realize that most of you will not come visit me, and that is sad, but I'll get over it. ;P
The solutions: either move very far north (latitude 60 or higher), move to a high altitude (8000+ feet), or move to a location that is both far north and at a high elevation. I find the ideal temperature to be about 50F. Perhaps cooler. I would much prefer to live somewhere that never reaches above 60F in the heat of the summer.
Yesterday it was -21F in parts of the Colorado Rockies and they've had snow since September. That is my dreamworld. New York City is my nightmareland.
Moving to a cold rural environment is one of my highest priorities. I realize that most of you will not come visit me, and that is sad, but I'll get over it. ;P
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
That most glorious and gluttinous day in honor of our Almost-National Bird
Yilin and I went to my parents' house for the long Thanksgiving weekend. It was great: I got to sit around and just do nothing. We got to see my brother and his girlfriend, my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, etc. Oh yeah, we ate turkey. ;)
But the whole Thanksgiving-and-Pilgrims thing got me to thinking: they brought seeds and potatoes and other foodstuffs over with them. It seems like an obvious thing, to take what you need to plant crops and not just what you need to eat on the transatlantic journey. But would I have done the same? Even though I consider myself reasonably intelligent, somehow the answer is "no".
I think I would take enough for the journey with a little extra, but I wouldn't have thought about planting crops when I got to shore. I probably just would've assumed that there were edible plants somewhere, but plenty of fish, fowl, and game for me to hunt and kill and eat. Bread? I can live without that. Meat? Absurd! Live without meat?! Preposterous.
I guess that would've been my role in the New World: a hunter. Maybe a hunter/gatherer. Certainly not a farmer, unless it were necessary. Perhaps I would be more of a livestock kinda farmer, domesticating wild animals or something. Sure, the pilgrims needed farmers, but who really wanted to live without meat?
But the whole Thanksgiving-and-Pilgrims thing got me to thinking: they brought seeds and potatoes and other foodstuffs over with them. It seems like an obvious thing, to take what you need to plant crops and not just what you need to eat on the transatlantic journey. But would I have done the same? Even though I consider myself reasonably intelligent, somehow the answer is "no".
I think I would take enough for the journey with a little extra, but I wouldn't have thought about planting crops when I got to shore. I probably just would've assumed that there were edible plants somewhere, but plenty of fish, fowl, and game for me to hunt and kill and eat. Bread? I can live without that. Meat? Absurd! Live without meat?! Preposterous.
I guess that would've been my role in the New World: a hunter. Maybe a hunter/gatherer. Certainly not a farmer, unless it were necessary. Perhaps I would be more of a livestock kinda farmer, domesticating wild animals or something. Sure, the pilgrims needed farmers, but who really wanted to live without meat?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Lost
I spent a good part of yesterday cataloguing what was lost when our -80C freezer thawed. At least, I catalogued what I specifically lost: the embryos/experiments resulting from the use of 354 eggs, 24 litters of mice, and 29.4 days of manwork.
The good news is that half of the stuff was from my old project and therefore unlikely to ever be put to use; i.e., it was lost anyway. The bad news, so to speak, is that this is a gross underestimate of time and animal life lost. The lost time estimate assumes that everything was done as efficiently as possible by a theoretical human performing experiments nonstop for 7.5 hours per day, and that experiments have no incubation periods.
In reality, there are very few days in which I can perform 7.5 full hours of experimental work. Those are usually 12+ hour days that feel twice as long as they actually are. You see, when you leave something incubating in the cold room for one hour you are not working for that hour, therefore that time does not count as lost. The only time counted as lost is the 5 minutes every hour that you change a solution. So while the experiment/processing takes 3-4 days to perform, it is only actually 5 hours (+/-) of work lost. Or so the insurance company says.
So you see, I probably lost 4-6 months of experiments rather than the 1 month estimate. But again, about half of it was stuff that I would never use.
Ed figures that the total loss, translated into a dollar amount, comes to a laughable $76,000. This does not include stuff generated by people who left the lab and aren't here to catalogue it. (But again, this stuff wouldn't likely be used, so it technically doesn't matter too much.)
This dollar estimate is laughable for two reasons: 1) it is, again, a gross underestimate of the value of lost material; 2) you can't put a dollar amount on anything that an 8th year grad student does. Even if I saw one cent of this insurance payment (which I won't), it could never replace the fact that my time in grad school has been extended due to the need to replicate these experiments. In fact, I would pay $76,000 for this never to have happened.
Anyway, I am beyond caring about it at this point; I am too focused on getting done whatever it is I need to get done to graduate.
The good news is that half of the stuff was from my old project and therefore unlikely to ever be put to use; i.e., it was lost anyway. The bad news, so to speak, is that this is a gross underestimate of time and animal life lost. The lost time estimate assumes that everything was done as efficiently as possible by a theoretical human performing experiments nonstop for 7.5 hours per day, and that experiments have no incubation periods.
In reality, there are very few days in which I can perform 7.5 full hours of experimental work. Those are usually 12+ hour days that feel twice as long as they actually are. You see, when you leave something incubating in the cold room for one hour you are not working for that hour, therefore that time does not count as lost. The only time counted as lost is the 5 minutes every hour that you change a solution. So while the experiment/processing takes 3-4 days to perform, it is only actually 5 hours (+/-) of work lost. Or so the insurance company says.
So you see, I probably lost 4-6 months of experiments rather than the 1 month estimate. But again, about half of it was stuff that I would never use.
Ed figures that the total loss, translated into a dollar amount, comes to a laughable $76,000. This does not include stuff generated by people who left the lab and aren't here to catalogue it. (But again, this stuff wouldn't likely be used, so it technically doesn't matter too much.)
This dollar estimate is laughable for two reasons: 1) it is, again, a gross underestimate of the value of lost material; 2) you can't put a dollar amount on anything that an 8th year grad student does. Even if I saw one cent of this insurance payment (which I won't), it could never replace the fact that my time in grad school has been extended due to the need to replicate these experiments. In fact, I would pay $76,000 for this never to have happened.
Anyway, I am beyond caring about it at this point; I am too focused on getting done whatever it is I need to get done to graduate.
Monday, November 20, 2006
What the...?
I saw a link this morning. A little snippet of "news" (or, more accurately, an "item of interest") on the front of Yahoo!'s website. Apparently, a lot of people are searching Yahoo! for recipes or instruction on how to cook turducken. My first response was "WTF is turducken?". I clicked on the link.
For those of you, like me, who have never heard of a turducken, allow me to describe it to you. A turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. It sounds excessive, gluttonous, and on the verge of morally wrong in so many ways. I can't wait to try it! Last year the big craze was deep-fried turkey (which I have yet to try), and this year it's turducken. I wonder if anyone tried to deep fry one of those yet...
One of the people who posted a comment on Yahoo!'s turducken page said that the turducken inspired his favorite creation: the pheaparquail! The pheaparquail is a pheasant stuffed with a partridge stuffed with a quail. (Five bucks says this person snubs their nose at ordinary chicken.) I don't even know where to buy a pheasant or a partridge, so this culinary delight will have to wait.
The mere idea of creating a culinary matryoshka doll is intriguing. (Matryoshka dolls are those wooden Russian dolls where you find one inside another inside another...) My first thought was the pilamacon: a pig stuffed with a lamb stuffed with bacon. That seems a bit large, though, and beyond my capacity to prepare in my NYC apartment. Besides, bacon isn't really an animal. *Obligatory Simpsons quote:
For those of you, like me, who have never heard of a turducken, allow me to describe it to you. A turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. It sounds excessive, gluttonous, and on the verge of morally wrong in so many ways. I can't wait to try it! Last year the big craze was deep-fried turkey (which I have yet to try), and this year it's turducken. I wonder if anyone tried to deep fry one of those yet...
One of the people who posted a comment on Yahoo!'s turducken page said that the turducken inspired his favorite creation: the pheaparquail! The pheaparquail is a pheasant stuffed with a partridge stuffed with a quail. (Five bucks says this person snubs their nose at ordinary chicken.) I don't even know where to buy a pheasant or a partridge, so this culinary delight will have to wait.
The mere idea of creating a culinary matryoshka doll is intriguing. (Matryoshka dolls are those wooden Russian dolls where you find one inside another inside another...) My first thought was the pilamacon: a pig stuffed with a lamb stuffed with bacon. That seems a bit large, though, and beyond my capacity to prepare in my NYC apartment. Besides, bacon isn't really an animal. *Obligatory Simpsons quote:
Homer: Lisa honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?So let's hear your best culinary matryoshka delight, and see who's cuisine reigns supreme!
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Birthday Surprise the Third
Well, my third and final birthday surprise from Yilin was that my brother and his girlfriend came to NYC to visit for the weekend. I was not expecting this. We had a really good time that weekend, alternately eating a lot and relaxing.
Then the following weekend Nick and Marianne visited from Montreal and took me (us, really) to dinner at the crazy Japanese drinking-place-that-has-no-name-in-English (it's true; if I could read Japanese I would tranliterate the name of the establishment, but since every sign that looks like it might be the name of the place is written in Japanese, and I can't read Japanese, we'll never know...). We had a great time.
The weekend following that, Yilin's parents were in town. We did a lot of shopping, and ate a lot of Asian food. It was fun.
So, with the past three weekends shot, workwise, I am going to make an effort to get a lot done this weekend. I have been working late this past week, and will probably continue to do so for a long while. (I have some more counting to do: 120 photos x 15 minutes/photo = 30 hours of staring at a monitor counting cells.)
Then the following weekend Nick and Marianne visited from Montreal and took me (us, really) to dinner at the crazy Japanese drinking-place-that-has-no-name-in-English (it's true; if I could read Japanese I would tranliterate the name of the establishment, but since every sign that looks like it might be the name of the place is written in Japanese, and I can't read Japanese, we'll never know...). We had a great time.
The weekend following that, Yilin's parents were in town. We did a lot of shopping, and ate a lot of Asian food. It was fun.
So, with the past three weekends shot, workwise, I am going to make an effort to get a lot done this weekend. I have been working late this past week, and will probably continue to do so for a long while. (I have some more counting to do: 120 photos x 15 minutes/photo = 30 hours of staring at a monitor counting cells.)
Friday, October 27, 2006
Birthday surprise the second
Yilin continued to uphold her promise of 3 birthday surprises last night when she took me to dinner at The Striphouse. It's not what you're thinking. The Striphouse is a well-known NYC steakhouse that is decorated a bit like a burlesque house: the walls, ceiling, and chairs are all deep red, the lighting is low, there are black and white photos everywhere (mostly of 'manly' men, but a few are of naked women), the wallpaper has nude silhouettes amongst the victorian-floral prints.
I have been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while. I've heard lots of good things about it, but never had the chance to go, nor the money to spend. Well, that's not entirely true. I have had the money to spend, but I usually opt to spend it at Peter Luger's, my favorite restaurant in NYC.
Last night, we had a bibb salad (with bacon!), strip steak, crispy goose-fat fried potato, black truffle creamed spinach, and bittersweet chocolate ice cream for dessert. Yes, and a bottle of red wine, too. It was fantastic.
(Yilin asked, "Why is the potato fried in goose fat? That seems ridiculous." I responded, "Tell me how ridiculous it is after you taste it. I equate it to my bacon fat french fries that I want to make." Sure enough, after it arrived and Yilin tasted it, she understood why it was fried in goose fat.)
I was very happy that Yilin brought me there for my birthday. But let me mention something else which occured that fateful day.
It started off well: I had breakfast with Yilin, and she toasted some banana bread that she made for my birthday. I went to lab and had El Malecon for lunch, with a Guinness.
However, before I left to meet up with Yilin, Hyunmi and Katie stopped by my lab. They had a bag with them. After shouts of "Happy Birthday!" and hugs all around, Hyunmi pulled out a card and handed it to me. It was a funny card, but I won't get into it to much more than to say that it had a very very manly 'woman' on the front.
She then handed me the bag which contained gifts from her, Mike, and Katie. I unwrapped them and was surprised and delighted to see that they bought me Ansel Adams' three part series on photography which is often regarded as required reading for any serious photographer. (The books are: "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print".)
I had been eyeing these books for about a year, so naturally I was wondering how they knew that I wanted them. It crossed my mind that perhaps they just went and got these books based on their reputation, and knowing that I have been taking photography more seriously. Then Hyunmi said something interesting.
"Amazon wishlists are great."
Apparently, sometime in February, I had set up an Amazon wishlist and put these books on it. I completely forgot. My only explanation is that I set it up as a reminder to myself of books that I wanted to order. (Of course, it makes me look like an idiot to forget about a reminder...)
Hyunmi, Katie, and Mike must've searched Amazon.com to see if I had a wishlist, which I did, and then read through it to buy me birthday presents. That was very... sneaky. But appreciated.
Can today be better than yesterday? Maybe, maybe not. But I will still give it a chance.
I have been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while. I've heard lots of good things about it, but never had the chance to go, nor the money to spend. Well, that's not entirely true. I have had the money to spend, but I usually opt to spend it at Peter Luger's, my favorite restaurant in NYC.
Last night, we had a bibb salad (with bacon!), strip steak, crispy goose-fat fried potato, black truffle creamed spinach, and bittersweet chocolate ice cream for dessert. Yes, and a bottle of red wine, too. It was fantastic.
(Yilin asked, "Why is the potato fried in goose fat? That seems ridiculous." I responded, "Tell me how ridiculous it is after you taste it. I equate it to my bacon fat french fries that I want to make." Sure enough, after it arrived and Yilin tasted it, she understood why it was fried in goose fat.)
I was very happy that Yilin brought me there for my birthday. But let me mention something else which occured that fateful day.
It started off well: I had breakfast with Yilin, and she toasted some banana bread that she made for my birthday. I went to lab and had El Malecon for lunch, with a Guinness.
However, before I left to meet up with Yilin, Hyunmi and Katie stopped by my lab. They had a bag with them. After shouts of "Happy Birthday!" and hugs all around, Hyunmi pulled out a card and handed it to me. It was a funny card, but I won't get into it to much more than to say that it had a very very manly 'woman' on the front.
She then handed me the bag which contained gifts from her, Mike, and Katie. I unwrapped them and was surprised and delighted to see that they bought me Ansel Adams' three part series on photography which is often regarded as required reading for any serious photographer. (The books are: "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print".)
I had been eyeing these books for about a year, so naturally I was wondering how they knew that I wanted them. It crossed my mind that perhaps they just went and got these books based on their reputation, and knowing that I have been taking photography more seriously. Then Hyunmi said something interesting.
"Amazon wishlists are great."
Apparently, sometime in February, I had set up an Amazon wishlist and put these books on it. I completely forgot. My only explanation is that I set it up as a reminder to myself of books that I wanted to order. (Of course, it makes me look like an idiot to forget about a reminder...)
Hyunmi, Katie, and Mike must've searched Amazon.com to see if I had a wishlist, which I did, and then read through it to buy me birthday presents. That was very... sneaky. But appreciated.
Can today be better than yesterday? Maybe, maybe not. But I will still give it a chance.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Fall Foliage Hike 2006
This past weekend Yilin and I joined Mike and Hyunmi and Alex and Sara (our new lab tech and his wife) on a hike in the 'Gunks. It was cool and windy, but actually perfect fall weather for hiking. The leaves were pretty much in peak color (perhaps we were a tad early), so it was very beautiful.
We ended the day with a trip to Bacchus (a New Paltz restaurant) for a beer, which turned into dinner and more beer, followed by hitting Cookies and Cream for an ice cream dessert.
You can view photos here.
Miscellanea: This morning I went to Student Health to get vaccinated. Yilin and I are attending a wedding in Costa Rica in March, and I haven't been vaccinated against anything in years, so I thought it would be wise. For a mere $225 I had the pleasure of becoming a human pin cushion by receiving vaccinations against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Typhoid. I am interested to see how I feel this afternoon. :)
We ended the day with a trip to Bacchus (a New Paltz restaurant) for a beer, which turned into dinner and more beer, followed by hitting Cookies and Cream for an ice cream dessert.
You can view photos here.
Miscellanea: This morning I went to Student Health to get vaccinated. Yilin and I are attending a wedding in Costa Rica in March, and I haven't been vaccinated against anything in years, so I thought it would be wise. For a mere $225 I had the pleasure of becoming a human pin cushion by receiving vaccinations against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Typhoid. I am interested to see how I feel this afternoon. :)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Domo Arigato Mr. Morimoto
Yilin was feeling a bit bummed for the past two days, so I decided she needed cheering up. We all know the best way to cheer someone up is to surprise them, usually with a scary costume and late at night. (Well, OK, maybe that isn't the best way.) Last night I left lab early, showed up at her place of work 5 minutes before she was to leave, and surprised her. I took her to dinner at a fancy pants restaurant opened by famed iron chef Masaharu Morimoto. The restaurant: the eponymous 'Morimoto'.
We got there at an early enough time to sit at the sushi bar and watch the sushi chefs work their sushi magic. Interestingly, there was some white guy who was a sushi chef. Somehow, being white made us question his credentials ("Yeah, like you know how to make sushi, whitey."), but he seemed to know what he was doing. Also, there was a female sushi chef (Japanese), which I thought was odd because I remember hearing that women are not regarded as highly because they supposedly have warmer hands. (Which I don't believe because I have never met a woman with warm hands.)
The meal was amazing, needless to say. I won't go into specifics other than to say that Yilin's eyes and smile were huge the entire time from sheer ecstasy. (Not the drug, but the joy of eating seafood.) I thought she was the happiest I had seen her in days; until He walked in.
She was staring open-mouthed over my shoulder and squeezed my arms tightly with both hands. She practically shrieked in a school girl voice, "It's Morimoto!" I turned around, and sure enough he stood there in the flesh. He was wearing a medium gray samurai-style kimono with the sleeves tied up around his arms ala Toshiro Mifune in Yojimbo. (I missed it, but before I turned around he apparently closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and then began his brief walk around his restaurant.) It was as if he were prepared for battle. A battle worthy of Kitchen Stadium and Iron Chef America, no doubt.
Yilin was beside herself. As he walked past within a foot of us, I kid you not, she waved her hands in circles in front of her, wafting his smell up to her nose, and then she inhaled deeply. She was completely smitten. As I said, I kid you not. I could never make up anything that ridiculous.
I was then privy to the extent of her fanaticism: she told me that he was like a rockstar to her, and that she was torn between Morimoto and Mario Batali as to whom she loved the most. She then told me that they were numbers 1 and 2, and that I was number 3. (Well, at least I rank higher than Bobby Flay, the other male chef on Iron Chef America.)
And so, Yilin was once more her happy smiling self, in love with life and everything around her. It only took one good meal to restore her to her former condition. One good and expensive meal, that is. I hope she doesn't become bummed out too often once we are married. ;)
We got there at an early enough time to sit at the sushi bar and watch the sushi chefs work their sushi magic. Interestingly, there was some white guy who was a sushi chef. Somehow, being white made us question his credentials ("Yeah, like you know how to make sushi, whitey."), but he seemed to know what he was doing. Also, there was a female sushi chef (Japanese), which I thought was odd because I remember hearing that women are not regarded as highly because they supposedly have warmer hands. (Which I don't believe because I have never met a woman with warm hands.)
The meal was amazing, needless to say. I won't go into specifics other than to say that Yilin's eyes and smile were huge the entire time from sheer ecstasy. (Not the drug, but the joy of eating seafood.) I thought she was the happiest I had seen her in days; until He walked in.
She was staring open-mouthed over my shoulder and squeezed my arms tightly with both hands. She practically shrieked in a school girl voice, "It's Morimoto!" I turned around, and sure enough he stood there in the flesh. He was wearing a medium gray samurai-style kimono with the sleeves tied up around his arms ala Toshiro Mifune in Yojimbo. (I missed it, but before I turned around he apparently closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and then began his brief walk around his restaurant.) It was as if he were prepared for battle. A battle worthy of Kitchen Stadium and Iron Chef America, no doubt.
Yilin was beside herself. As he walked past within a foot of us, I kid you not, she waved her hands in circles in front of her, wafting his smell up to her nose, and then she inhaled deeply. She was completely smitten. As I said, I kid you not. I could never make up anything that ridiculous.
I was then privy to the extent of her fanaticism: she told me that he was like a rockstar to her, and that she was torn between Morimoto and Mario Batali as to whom she loved the most. She then told me that they were numbers 1 and 2, and that I was number 3. (Well, at least I rank higher than Bobby Flay, the other male chef on Iron Chef America.)
And so, Yilin was once more her happy smiling self, in love with life and everything around her. It only took one good meal to restore her to her former condition. One good and expensive meal, that is. I hope she doesn't become bummed out too often once we are married. ;)
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Birthday surprise the first
Yesterday I told you that Yilin had a birthday surprise for me. Well, she was very sneaky. (No, she wasn't so sneaky as to not actually have a surprise; there was one.) Yesterday afternoon she emailed me and told me to meet her at a particular restaurant. I was almost there when she called and said that she was actually across the street from me. She then walked toward me and told me that we weren't really going to that restaurant; there were other plans.
She handed me an envelope, I opened it, and inside were two tickets to "Spamalot"! Now, I usually dislike musicals, but how could anyone possibly dislike anything by Monty Python? Especially when it is a "rip-off" of "The Holy Grail"? So we ate a quick dinner at a nearby pizza place (John's Pizzeria, I think; Hyunmi first brought me there). Then we dashed over to the theater to sit in pretty much the best seats: first row of the Mezzanine (first balcony), slightly to the left of center. Amazing seats, really.
As for "Spamalot": hilarious. Absolutely non-stop funny. Sure, they recycle some bits from the movie, but there is a bunch of new stuff as well. They also throw in one of their most popular songs, which was featured in "The Life of Brian". (I won't tell you which one; you'll have to see the show.)
I don't think I can ever go see another musical, as no other musical could ever possibly be as good. Ever. Even the program is funny: there is a fake "About the Cast" section that could easily be confused for the real thing except upon reading it. (It's long, too.)
That was the best birthday present I have gotten so far. (Yes, I realize it is the only one I have gotten so far, unless you count my half of the lamp.) Therefore, the gauntlet has been thrown, the high mark made, and the standard set: everyone reading this will have a tough time topping that birthday present. But I have faith in you; I know you can do better. I challenge you to best that gift.
She handed me an envelope, I opened it, and inside were two tickets to "Spamalot"! Now, I usually dislike musicals, but how could anyone possibly dislike anything by Monty Python? Especially when it is a "rip-off" of "The Holy Grail"? So we ate a quick dinner at a nearby pizza place (John's Pizzeria, I think; Hyunmi first brought me there). Then we dashed over to the theater to sit in pretty much the best seats: first row of the Mezzanine (first balcony), slightly to the left of center. Amazing seats, really.
As for "Spamalot": hilarious. Absolutely non-stop funny. Sure, they recycle some bits from the movie, but there is a bunch of new stuff as well. They also throw in one of their most popular songs, which was featured in "The Life of Brian". (I won't tell you which one; you'll have to see the show.)
I don't think I can ever go see another musical, as no other musical could ever possibly be as good. Ever. Even the program is funny: there is a fake "About the Cast" section that could easily be confused for the real thing except upon reading it. (It's long, too.)
That was the best birthday present I have gotten so far. (Yes, I realize it is the only one I have gotten so far, unless you count my half of the lamp.) Therefore, the gauntlet has been thrown, the high mark made, and the standard set: everyone reading this will have a tough time topping that birthday present. But I have faith in you; I know you can do better. I challenge you to best that gift.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Canadian Thanksgiving
Yilin and I drove up to Montreal this past weekend not only for Thanksgiving (Canada holds it the Sunday of our Columbus Day weekend), but also for the Moon Festival, and because her aunt and uncle were in town.
Driving to and from wasn't too bad; we made decent time and traffic was ok. New Jersey is the worst place to ever drive and I am sorry to say, but it is my least favorite state thus far. I suppose it is possible that I could dislike another state more, as I have only really been to 15 for an appreciable amount of time. That leaves 35 states that have the potential to be worse than New Jersey, in my opinion. But I digress.
Saturday we met up with the reverend who will be marrying us. We had a nice conversation, and he recommended a book on married life. (We will be buying and reading that in the near future.) He's a great guy, and didn't make us feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. I mention that because I have heard some horror stories from friends about meeting with the priest/reverend/minister beforehand...
Afterward we all had a nice dinner which Yilin, Siska (Yilin's mom), and Yen-I (Yilin's brother) prepared.
Sunday we went to visit some friends of my future in-laws for another great meal. They have a cottage on a lake, so we got to canoe for a bit and relax by the water. All-in-all a good day and a great way to finish a fun weekend.
Tonight Yilin has some sort of birthday surprise for me, even though my birthday is more than 2 weeks away. It seems very mysterious...
Driving to and from wasn't too bad; we made decent time and traffic was ok. New Jersey is the worst place to ever drive and I am sorry to say, but it is my least favorite state thus far. I suppose it is possible that I could dislike another state more, as I have only really been to 15 for an appreciable amount of time. That leaves 35 states that have the potential to be worse than New Jersey, in my opinion. But I digress.
Saturday we met up with the reverend who will be marrying us. We had a nice conversation, and he recommended a book on married life. (We will be buying and reading that in the near future.) He's a great guy, and didn't make us feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. I mention that because I have heard some horror stories from friends about meeting with the priest/reverend/minister beforehand...
Afterward we all had a nice dinner which Yilin, Siska (Yilin's mom), and Yen-I (Yilin's brother) prepared.
Sunday we went to visit some friends of my future in-laws for another great meal. They have a cottage on a lake, so we got to canoe for a bit and relax by the water. All-in-all a good day and a great way to finish a fun weekend.
Tonight Yilin has some sort of birthday surprise for me, even though my birthday is more than 2 weeks away. It seems very mysterious...
Friday, September 29, 2006
The Morning After
For those of you who are interested, last night's dinner with Yilin's ex went well. He seems like a good guy, and has a decent sense of humor. After dinner we went for a drink before heading back uptown. I went into lab for about half an hour and crashed within seconds of getting home.
And, for those of you who are really interested, I did not sport a mustache, but showed a plethora of chest hair. Yilin's ex has very little body hair, and looks like he doesn't have to spend more than 1 minute shaving, so I was able to exert my masculinity that way. ;)
And, for those of you who are really interested, I did not sport a mustache, but showed a plethora of chest hair. Yilin's ex has very little body hair, and looks like he doesn't have to spend more than 1 minute shaving, so I was able to exert my masculinity that way. ;)
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The Mustache Effect
Yilin told me the other night that an ex-boyfriend of her's is in town and she'd like to meet up with him. I'm fine with this, so we'll get together tomorrow night. However, it got me to thinking this morning...
I feel that most men want to look good and dress nice if they are meeting their girlfriend's ex. Likewise, most women want their current boyfriend to look good when meeting their ex-boyfriend. I suspect it all has to do with creating feelings of jealousy and not-so-subtley saying, "See how much better I did than being with you?"
I don't really care for any of that; there are far better ways to create negative feelings and doubt in exes that provide an infinitely greater amount of amusement.
For example, the last time I (sort of) met up with someone from Yilin's past, she was mortified. Why? Because I had this mustache, and we ran into some people who are very good friends with her last boyfriend. She was hesitant to introduce me, and afterward kept saying things like, "Oh my God, they are going to tell him that I am dating a guy with a mustache!" Naturally, this amused me greatly.
What amused me even more was what I imagined this ex-boyfriend's reaction upon hearing that Yilin now dates a guy under 30 years old who sports a full mustache. His first response must've been shock ("What?! Why on Earth would she date a guy with a mustache?"), followed by intense curiosity ("Who is this guy that can woo women with his ubermasculine facial hair?"), and finally leaving him in a state of utter perplexity and despondency ("What is so wrong with me that she is dating a guy with a mustache?").
Therefore, the only course of action upon preparing to meet this other ex-boyfriend tomorrow night is to shave off my peripheral 1/4" stubble and leave a mustache. Granted, it will be a bit thin, but I can tell him that I am just starting to let it grow. I can even bring a photo of me with the full mustache just so he knows what it will look like. I'll carry the photo in my wallet, pretending that it is always there.
Yilin is horrified by this idea, and says that she will run away and take him to another restaurant if I show up with a mustache. She won't let him meet me. However, she'll be too busy catching up with him to notice me sneaking up behind her. When I give her that first kiss on the cheek and say "Hello" she will feel my mustache brush against her face and it will be "Game over, Josh wins".
By doing something so trivial, so ingenious in it's simplicity, as to meet Yilin's ex-boyfriend while sporting a mustache, I will be inducing a whirlwind of self-doubt. The final result of such an encounter is that he will seriously question himself, his masculinity, and his ability to get women. Or, to put it more simply, what I like to call "The Mustache Effect".
I feel that most men want to look good and dress nice if they are meeting their girlfriend's ex. Likewise, most women want their current boyfriend to look good when meeting their ex-boyfriend. I suspect it all has to do with creating feelings of jealousy and not-so-subtley saying, "See how much better I did than being with you?"
I don't really care for any of that; there are far better ways to create negative feelings and doubt in exes that provide an infinitely greater amount of amusement.
For example, the last time I (sort of) met up with someone from Yilin's past, she was mortified. Why? Because I had this mustache, and we ran into some people who are very good friends with her last boyfriend. She was hesitant to introduce me, and afterward kept saying things like, "Oh my God, they are going to tell him that I am dating a guy with a mustache!" Naturally, this amused me greatly.
What amused me even more was what I imagined this ex-boyfriend's reaction upon hearing that Yilin now dates a guy under 30 years old who sports a full mustache. His first response must've been shock ("What?! Why on Earth would she date a guy with a mustache?"), followed by intense curiosity ("Who is this guy that can woo women with his ubermasculine facial hair?"), and finally leaving him in a state of utter perplexity and despondency ("What is so wrong with me that she is dating a guy with a mustache?").
Therefore, the only course of action upon preparing to meet this other ex-boyfriend tomorrow night is to shave off my peripheral 1/4" stubble and leave a mustache. Granted, it will be a bit thin, but I can tell him that I am just starting to let it grow. I can even bring a photo of me with the full mustache just so he knows what it will look like. I'll carry the photo in my wallet, pretending that it is always there.
Yilin is horrified by this idea, and says that she will run away and take him to another restaurant if I show up with a mustache. She won't let him meet me. However, she'll be too busy catching up with him to notice me sneaking up behind her. When I give her that first kiss on the cheek and say "Hello" she will feel my mustache brush against her face and it will be "Game over, Josh wins".
By doing something so trivial, so ingenious in it's simplicity, as to meet Yilin's ex-boyfriend while sporting a mustache, I will be inducing a whirlwind of self-doubt. The final result of such an encounter is that he will seriously question himself, his masculinity, and his ability to get women. Or, to put it more simply, what I like to call "The Mustache Effect".
Monday, September 25, 2006
Lighting Fixtures
Disclaimer: The following true-to-life account is my version of events (if "the truth" can be referred to as "my version"). Some parties involved may have differing opinions of what really happened. Think 'Rashomon', but less epic.
In early May, my mom mailed Yilin a gift certificate to Anthropologie (a clothing/furniture/home decorating store with a vintage-y "I salvaged this from a junkyard/yard sale" look) as an engagement present. (At this time, my mom didn't yet know Yilin's taste or style, except when it came to men, haha.)
Yilin wanted to use the gift certificate to purchase something she could always keep and remind her of that magical day when her dreams came true and I proposed to her. She therefore opted to buy a home furnishing item rather than a dress or other piece of clothing. Quickly, Yilin narrowed the object in question down to a lamp.
She and I had gone once or twice to Anthropologie and scoped out the lamps, but they are kind of pricey and we had a bit of trouble agreeing on one lamp. (Guess what? Our tastes differ. Surprise, isn't it?)
I was talking to my mom and she asked me what I would like for my birthday (which is in October). I said that I didn't want anything, or couldn't think of anything, but if I did, I would let her know. I then told my mom about the lamp situation to keep her updated on our lives together.
The next day my mom called me and told me that as a birthday present she would mail me a gift certificate to Anthropologie (of equal value to the first). Her idea was that now I had equal say in the lamp (due to my equal contribution of money), and the entire cost of the lamp was covered so we wouldn't have to pay the difference.
After I thanked her and got off of the phone it hit me: she just gave Yilin another gift certificate, thinly disguised as a birthday present to me. I joke with Yilin that my parents love her more than me, but this was ridiculous. We all know who will have the final say on the lamp, regardless of my "equal monetary contribution", so who's present is it really?
(Note: My mom has overheard a telling of this tale, and denies that this gift certificate was intended as a birthday present for me, but I still testify that she said it was.)
This past weekend "we" picked out and purchased a lamp. We didn't get a lamp shade because they only had a few styles and we didn't think that they worked with this lamp, so we will pick one up elsewhere. But Yilin and I are happy with our choice, and look forward to many years of use from this lamp.
I suspect that this will be the last time I ever have a say in the interior decoration of our house. The notable exception being my library, which Yilin conceded I could decorate however I wanted. Of course, we don't have a library yet, as we don't have anything that could pass as a house yet, but someday soon enough we will.
In early May, my mom mailed Yilin a gift certificate to Anthropologie (a clothing/furniture/home decorating store with a vintage-y "I salvaged this from a junkyard/yard sale" look) as an engagement present. (At this time, my mom didn't yet know Yilin's taste or style, except when it came to men, haha.)
Yilin wanted to use the gift certificate to purchase something she could always keep and remind her of that magical day when her dreams came true and I proposed to her. She therefore opted to buy a home furnishing item rather than a dress or other piece of clothing. Quickly, Yilin narrowed the object in question down to a lamp.
She and I had gone once or twice to Anthropologie and scoped out the lamps, but they are kind of pricey and we had a bit of trouble agreeing on one lamp. (Guess what? Our tastes differ. Surprise, isn't it?)
I was talking to my mom and she asked me what I would like for my birthday (which is in October). I said that I didn't want anything, or couldn't think of anything, but if I did, I would let her know. I then told my mom about the lamp situation to keep her updated on our lives together.
The next day my mom called me and told me that as a birthday present she would mail me a gift certificate to Anthropologie (of equal value to the first). Her idea was that now I had equal say in the lamp (due to my equal contribution of money), and the entire cost of the lamp was covered so we wouldn't have to pay the difference.
After I thanked her and got off of the phone it hit me: she just gave Yilin another gift certificate, thinly disguised as a birthday present to me. I joke with Yilin that my parents love her more than me, but this was ridiculous. We all know who will have the final say on the lamp, regardless of my "equal monetary contribution", so who's present is it really?
(Note: My mom has overheard a telling of this tale, and denies that this gift certificate was intended as a birthday present for me, but I still testify that she said it was.)
This past weekend "we" picked out and purchased a lamp. We didn't get a lamp shade because they only had a few styles and we didn't think that they worked with this lamp, so we will pick one up elsewhere. But Yilin and I are happy with our choice, and look forward to many years of use from this lamp.I suspect that this will be the last time I ever have a say in the interior decoration of our house. The notable exception being my library, which Yilin conceded I could decorate however I wanted. Of course, we don't have a library yet, as we don't have anything that could pass as a house yet, but someday soon enough we will.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Science Dorks
I just caught myself laughing at a joke that is about as nerdy as it can get. Even a lot of scientists would probably think it too lame to laugh. Then I started thinking about all of the dorky science jokes/conversations that I've had with friends since the good ol' days of RPI. (This does not include scientific conversations where average people would think it is "nerdy"; I'm talking stuff that my friends and I said, "Whoa. THAT is nerdy.")
Feel free to contribute if you are a scientist or circulated amongst science people while in college (i.e., engineers). If you are not a scientist, or don't know any scientists other than myself, then sit back and laugh at us.
(For the sake of nonscientists reading this blog, try to explain why your joke/conversation is funny. Remember, they don't know any science.)
1) The joke I laughed at today: There is a refrigerator on our floor that is set to 37C (98.6F) for growing bacteria. (I guess it is technically not a refrigerator, but that is beside the point.) A sign on the outside states "ABSOLUTELY NO RADIATION ALLOWED IN THIS FRIDGE!". Basically, the owner doesn't want radioactivity potentially contaminating a piece of equipment that many others use. That's smart. However, a comment scrawled below the text of the sign was smartass: "No radiation? Not even visible light?"
Why this is funny: Because visible light is a form of radiation. Therefore how can anyone use the fridge without visible light getting inside?
2) Not really a joke, but dorky: In college, my buddy Jim left RPI to attend the local community college for a semester to "get his grades up" (although he never returned...). While there, he took physics. One day in class, the professor asked, "Does anyone know the charge of an electron?" Nobody made a sound. "Anyone?" the professor pleaded. At this point in Jim's story I cut in and yelled, "What?! It's 1.6x10-19! Don't they know anything?!" Jim said, "Yeah. I just raised my hand and said 1.6x10-19 and everyone thought I was some kind of genius." We laughed a lot at the 'stupidity' of those kids.
Why this is funny: Because I was a second year biology major who was finished with his mandatory two semesters of physics and I knew the charge of an electron. I was surrounded by physicists and engineers whose job it is to know these things, and it amazed me that anybody in college wouldn't know what the charge of an electron is. I am ashamed to say that I did think they were stupid for not knowing that piece of information. But it is funny to laugh at our dorkiness.
Feel free to contribute if you are a scientist or circulated amongst science people while in college (i.e., engineers). If you are not a scientist, or don't know any scientists other than myself, then sit back and laugh at us.
(For the sake of nonscientists reading this blog, try to explain why your joke/conversation is funny. Remember, they don't know any science.)
1) The joke I laughed at today: There is a refrigerator on our floor that is set to 37C (98.6F) for growing bacteria. (I guess it is technically not a refrigerator, but that is beside the point.) A sign on the outside states "ABSOLUTELY NO RADIATION ALLOWED IN THIS FRIDGE!". Basically, the owner doesn't want radioactivity potentially contaminating a piece of equipment that many others use. That's smart. However, a comment scrawled below the text of the sign was smartass: "No radiation? Not even visible light?"
Why this is funny: Because visible light is a form of radiation. Therefore how can anyone use the fridge without visible light getting inside?
2) Not really a joke, but dorky: In college, my buddy Jim left RPI to attend the local community college for a semester to "get his grades up" (although he never returned...). While there, he took physics. One day in class, the professor asked, "Does anyone know the charge of an electron?" Nobody made a sound. "Anyone?" the professor pleaded. At this point in Jim's story I cut in and yelled, "What?! It's 1.6x10-19! Don't they know anything?!" Jim said, "Yeah. I just raised my hand and said 1.6x10-19 and everyone thought I was some kind of genius." We laughed a lot at the 'stupidity' of those kids.
Why this is funny: Because I was a second year biology major who was finished with his mandatory two semesters of physics and I knew the charge of an electron. I was surrounded by physicists and engineers whose job it is to know these things, and it amazed me that anybody in college wouldn't know what the charge of an electron is. I am ashamed to say that I did think they were stupid for not knowing that piece of information. But it is funny to laugh at our dorkiness.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Honey
I am writing to tell you about honey. About one month ago when Yilin and I were grocery shopping I wanted to buy some honey. A quick look at the appropriate shelf at Fairway revealed that there are many varieties of honey one can purchase; not just different brands, but different varieties.
This I was aware of: there is clover honey, wildflower honey, etc. I spotted a chunky little jar with honey so deeply brown it looked like molasses (almost). I immediately grabbed it and read the title "Wald Honig". Everything on the label, except for about 5 words in small print on the back, was in German. The jar cost something like $8.99 for maybe 12 fl ozs.
I bought the Wald Honig (Wild Honey), harvested from bees in the Black Forest of Germany.
It is the most ridiculously good honey I have ever eaten. It is like honey concentrate without being overly sweet, if you could imagine such a thing. When my brother and his girlfriend recently visited I had them try it and they were blown away by its flavor as well. So I gave them the jar figuring they would never find that brand (BioPhar) in Massachusetts.
Needless to say, I had no more honey. Therefore, when Yilin and I went grocery shopping this weekend I bought another jar. This time, however, I selected "Bluten Honig". It is an opaque golden color with a very creamy sweet taste. Last night Yilin and I made baklava using this honey. It is unreal.
If you ever see this brand of honey, buy it. I am sure any of their varieties are good, but I vouch for the two that I have discussed here. Trust me, you won't regret it.
This I was aware of: there is clover honey, wildflower honey, etc. I spotted a chunky little jar with honey so deeply brown it looked like molasses (almost). I immediately grabbed it and read the title "Wald Honig". Everything on the label, except for about 5 words in small print on the back, was in German. The jar cost something like $8.99 for maybe 12 fl ozs.
I bought the Wald Honig (Wild Honey), harvested from bees in the Black Forest of Germany.
It is the most ridiculously good honey I have ever eaten. It is like honey concentrate without being overly sweet, if you could imagine such a thing. When my brother and his girlfriend recently visited I had them try it and they were blown away by its flavor as well. So I gave them the jar figuring they would never find that brand (BioPhar) in Massachusetts.
Needless to say, I had no more honey. Therefore, when Yilin and I went grocery shopping this weekend I bought another jar. This time, however, I selected "Bluten Honig". It is an opaque golden color with a very creamy sweet taste. Last night Yilin and I made baklava using this honey. It is unreal.
If you ever see this brand of honey, buy it. I am sure any of their varieties are good, but I vouch for the two that I have discussed here. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
More Audio Books
I am currently listening to "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain and downloaded from LibriVox. It is hilarious. I highly recommend reading or listening to it.
Yesterday, I listened to "The Invisible Man" by H. G. Wells. That was good. I didn't know more than that it was about a scientist who turned himself invisible and was desperately trying to undo his condition. I was not prepared for the latter half of the book. It reminded me of both "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson and "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley, which I had previously read. I recommend all three.
EDIT: Yesterday was the anniversary of my relocation to New York City on August 15th, 1999. Today is the first day of my 8th year of graduate school. Eighth year. Consider that I have been living in Washington Heights and studying furiously for 7 full years. Isn't that the duration of a biblical plague? Perhaps graduate school should be measured in units of 'biblical plagues.'
Yesterday, I listened to "The Invisible Man" by H. G. Wells. That was good. I didn't know more than that it was about a scientist who turned himself invisible and was desperately trying to undo his condition. I was not prepared for the latter half of the book. It reminded me of both "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson and "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley, which I had previously read. I recommend all three.
EDIT: Yesterday was the anniversary of my relocation to New York City on August 15th, 1999. Today is the first day of my 8th year of graduate school. Eighth year. Consider that I have been living in Washington Heights and studying furiously for 7 full years. Isn't that the duration of a biblical plague? Perhaps graduate school should be measured in units of 'biblical plagues.'
Monday, August 14, 2006
100.
Lately, my work has insisted entirely of counting cells. There are many ways that one can count cells: you can count them under a microscope, you can count them with a flow cytometer, you can count them on a slide. I do not like counting cells. I will not count them under a microscope, I will not count them with a flow cytometer, I will not count them on a slide. I do not like counting cells, I do not like them Mel I'm Swell. (I couldn't resist the parody, no matter how poorly done.)
No, I am counting cells from images I captured with a digital camera attached to our microscope. It takes me about 13-15 minutes per image. If I am focused I can go through 4-4.5 per hour. I have 180 images to count. Do the math.
Let me tell you, it is extremely boring. Incredibly intensely boring. Sadly, this causes my productivity to drop because I want to check my email, I want to surf the internet, I want to do a crossword puzzle; anything to engage my brain at all. Besides, staring very hard at a monitor for long stretches is not good for you, never mind doing so for 6+ hours straight.
As a result, I will occasionally get up, walk around, rub my eyes and look out the window at something off in the distance, get a drink of water, stretch my legs, etc. However, I can't get too distracted or I get less done, prolonging the agony of counting. So the boredom remains. Until I listened to an audio book.
I had on my computer an Agatha Christie murder mystery (a short story with Hercule Poirot) that was about half an hour long. I listened to it while I counted. I could count and count away while listening, without the need to do something else! My brain was not rotting! So I tried to find more audiobooks. I typed "free audiobooks" into Google and had almost no luck. I found a site with a few machine-read audiobooks and tried it out. Not bad, but the choices were limited.
I mentioned this to Hyunmi and she logged into iTunes so we could take a look. And we were shocked. The average relatively-new fictional audiobook was about $35! Harry Potter 6: $65. Are you for real? For a downloadable mp3 that has zero duplication cost you are going to charge me $65? Some very 'cheap' audiobooks could be got for $14 or so. What a rip off.
So naturally I decided to look harder for more free downloadable audiobooks. That is when I stumbled onto LibriVox. It is an organization that is trying to create downloadable audiobooks of literary works in the public domain, like those on Archive.org (which they are working with) or Project Gutenberg (whom they are also working with).
(If you haven't heard of either of those organizations, I highly recommend checking them out. Archive.org has tons of old films and commercials digitized and downloadable, and Project Gutenberg has almost any copyright free book available for download. Copyright free books in the U.S. are basically those published before 1923.)
Anyone can volunteer for reading a book, or just a chapter, at LibriVox's website. Most people just read one chapter, so each book is a group effort. It is strange to have an audiobook with different readers for each chapter, but you quickly get used to it. I would like to volunteer someday, perhaps when I finish my PhD. ;)
Yesterday I finished Agatha Christie's "The Secret Adversary" which is over 8 hours long. I then started on "Aesop's Fables". I'm not sure what I'll listen to next, but as long as it keeps me interested and focused while I count, I am not too concerned.
By the way, this is my 100th post on this blog.
No, I am counting cells from images I captured with a digital camera attached to our microscope. It takes me about 13-15 minutes per image. If I am focused I can go through 4-4.5 per hour. I have 180 images to count. Do the math.
Let me tell you, it is extremely boring. Incredibly intensely boring. Sadly, this causes my productivity to drop because I want to check my email, I want to surf the internet, I want to do a crossword puzzle; anything to engage my brain at all. Besides, staring very hard at a monitor for long stretches is not good for you, never mind doing so for 6+ hours straight.
As a result, I will occasionally get up, walk around, rub my eyes and look out the window at something off in the distance, get a drink of water, stretch my legs, etc. However, I can't get too distracted or I get less done, prolonging the agony of counting. So the boredom remains. Until I listened to an audio book.
I had on my computer an Agatha Christie murder mystery (a short story with Hercule Poirot) that was about half an hour long. I listened to it while I counted. I could count and count away while listening, without the need to do something else! My brain was not rotting! So I tried to find more audiobooks. I typed "free audiobooks" into Google and had almost no luck. I found a site with a few machine-read audiobooks and tried it out. Not bad, but the choices were limited.
I mentioned this to Hyunmi and she logged into iTunes so we could take a look. And we were shocked. The average relatively-new fictional audiobook was about $35! Harry Potter 6: $65. Are you for real? For a downloadable mp3 that has zero duplication cost you are going to charge me $65? Some very 'cheap' audiobooks could be got for $14 or so. What a rip off.
So naturally I decided to look harder for more free downloadable audiobooks. That is when I stumbled onto LibriVox. It is an organization that is trying to create downloadable audiobooks of literary works in the public domain, like those on Archive.org (which they are working with) or Project Gutenberg (whom they are also working with).
(If you haven't heard of either of those organizations, I highly recommend checking them out. Archive.org has tons of old films and commercials digitized and downloadable, and Project Gutenberg has almost any copyright free book available for download. Copyright free books in the U.S. are basically those published before 1923.)
Anyone can volunteer for reading a book, or just a chapter, at LibriVox's website. Most people just read one chapter, so each book is a group effort. It is strange to have an audiobook with different readers for each chapter, but you quickly get used to it. I would like to volunteer someday, perhaps when I finish my PhD. ;)
Yesterday I finished Agatha Christie's "The Secret Adversary" which is over 8 hours long. I then started on "Aesop's Fables". I'm not sure what I'll listen to next, but as long as it keeps me interested and focused while I count, I am not too concerned.
By the way, this is my 100th post on this blog.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Dirty Dirty NYC
I have always thought that NYC was a dirty place. In fact, I have never been to a dirtier place (although I am sure they exist): garbage on the streets, garbage on the subways, dog crap all over the sidewalks, stains of God-knows-what on the sidewalks where the trash is left out in front of bars and restaurants, etc, etc. But two recent events highlighted the filth that NYC is capable of harboring (and I'm not talking about people here):
- Last weekend I was in Central Park and I stopped by Turtle Pond (the algae covered pond next to Belevedere Castle). I was standing by the water on some rocks when I heard a rustle in the plants behind me and off to the right side. I turned around to see a dead pigeon lying next to the fence at the border of the plants. On the other side of the fence a rat was reaching through and eating the pigeon. Any city where you witness a rat eat a pigeon is a dirty city.
- This morning after Yilin and I finished our run, we were stretching in the park near our apartments (at 173rd and Fort Washington Ave), and we saw a squirrel hopping along with a piece of garbage in its mouth. Fine, squirrels eat garbage (I told you that NYC is a dirty place). But it wasn't any old piece of garbage, like a food wrapper. It was a used condom. We saw a squirrel chewing on and sticking its mouth in a used condom.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
My wedding ring
Roughly two months ago, Yilin and I were out looking at wedding rings for her. She was trying to decide what style she wanted, and what would compliment her engagement ring the best. Hopefully, the two would coincide. It seemed that she was favoring either a plain band (possibly titanium, as it is darker than her platinum engagement ring and she liked the contrast), or a platinum band encrusted with diamonds. Naturally, I was hoping she would choose the former, as tradition (supposedly) claims that the groom buys the bride's wedding ring, and vice versa. (Not that I am a cheapskate, but I am still paying for her engagement ring...)
I had heard that titanium wedding bands exist, and I know that Mike has one, so I was intrigued. I mean, how many guys don't think titanium is cool? Besides, it is ultra-practical. As a non-jewelry wearer and a rather practical guy, if I have to wear a wedding ring, I want a ring that I won't even know I am wearing. Lastly, what really represents 'love' better: a heavy ring which weighs down upon the hand and is made of a semi-precious metal drastically overpriced by consumer demand, or a ring that is virtually indestructible yet light as a feather?
Titanium is 93 times more abundant than copper in the Earth's crust, weighs about 55% of the equivalent volume of steel, and is uber-strong. Why would anyone choose another metal? Gold has an ultimate tensile strength of a mere 15,000 psi. Platinum? Barely stronger at 18,000 psi. Pure titanium has an ultimate tensile strength of 31,900 psi. The alloy most commonly used (grade 5 aerospace 6Al-4V-titanium alloy) has an ultimate tensile strength of 170,000 psi, and would be drastically lighter than a gold or platinum ring of equivalent size. Hell, I could probably use it as a piece of pro when rock climbing. ;)
Of course, knowing how cheap titanium really is (I have a $9 titanium spork for camping, and given its abundance it can't be that expensive), I knew that the $150-$200 that jewelry stores were charging was entirely too much for a simple unadorned rounded band. So I went to eBay. (The idea of buying one's wedding ring at eBay amuses me.)
Good God, there are thousands! I quickly realized that the exact style titanium wedding band I wanted could be had for about $20, even $10. But that wasn't cheap enough for me. So after about 20 minutes of Yilin saying "Just spend $20 and get that one!" I found the one ring for me (not to be confused with The One Ring).
With 27 minutes remaining and no bids on the auction, I signed on, bid, and won my wedding band for 99¢. That's right: not even a full dollar. The shipping was $10.50, which is 1061% the cost of the ring. The seller offered insurance for $3. I asked Yilin if she thought we should get the insurance and she replied, "It's 3 times the cost of the ring! We'll just buy a new one if it's lost in the mail." She had a point.
So in the end, I got the exact wedding ring I wanted, I bought it on eBay, and it was less than $1. What does all of this mean? (No, not that I am loony.) It means that Yilin got off easy, while I am looking forward to buying her diamond-encrusted platinum wedding ring. Oh joy.
I had heard that titanium wedding bands exist, and I know that Mike has one, so I was intrigued. I mean, how many guys don't think titanium is cool? Besides, it is ultra-practical. As a non-jewelry wearer and a rather practical guy, if I have to wear a wedding ring, I want a ring that I won't even know I am wearing. Lastly, what really represents 'love' better: a heavy ring which weighs down upon the hand and is made of a semi-precious metal drastically overpriced by consumer demand, or a ring that is virtually indestructible yet light as a feather?
Titanium is 93 times more abundant than copper in the Earth's crust, weighs about 55% of the equivalent volume of steel, and is uber-strong. Why would anyone choose another metal? Gold has an ultimate tensile strength of a mere 15,000 psi. Platinum? Barely stronger at 18,000 psi. Pure titanium has an ultimate tensile strength of 31,900 psi. The alloy most commonly used (grade 5 aerospace 6Al-4V-titanium alloy) has an ultimate tensile strength of 170,000 psi, and would be drastically lighter than a gold or platinum ring of equivalent size. Hell, I could probably use it as a piece of pro when rock climbing. ;)
Of course, knowing how cheap titanium really is (I have a $9 titanium spork for camping, and given its abundance it can't be that expensive), I knew that the $150-$200 that jewelry stores were charging was entirely too much for a simple unadorned rounded band. So I went to eBay. (The idea of buying one's wedding ring at eBay amuses me.)
Good God, there are thousands! I quickly realized that the exact style titanium wedding band I wanted could be had for about $20, even $10. But that wasn't cheap enough for me. So after about 20 minutes of Yilin saying "Just spend $20 and get that one!" I found the one ring for me (not to be confused with The One Ring).
With 27 minutes remaining and no bids on the auction, I signed on, bid, and won my wedding band for 99¢. That's right: not even a full dollar. The shipping was $10.50, which is 1061% the cost of the ring. The seller offered insurance for $3. I asked Yilin if she thought we should get the insurance and she replied, "It's 3 times the cost of the ring! We'll just buy a new one if it's lost in the mail." She had a point.
So in the end, I got the exact wedding ring I wanted, I bought it on eBay, and it was less than $1. What does all of this mean? (No, not that I am loony.) It means that Yilin got off easy, while I am looking forward to buying her diamond-encrusted platinum wedding ring. Oh joy.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
I still love grad school
Some initial analysis leaves little hope for my experiments which thawed. I won't know the extent of the damage until I go through all of them. I am assuming the worst. So it goes.
Monday, July 31, 2006
I love grad school
I was going to blog about how I was only stuck in lab for an average of maybe 6 hours per day this weekend, and how I was able to get outside and actually feel the sun on my face for more than 10 minutes. But something happened yesterday afternoon that changed everything.
Our -80C freezer lost power sometime on Friday or Saturday, and when I discovered this yesterday it was at +1C. That is above freezing. That is very very bad.
The freezer is in a room separate from our lab, and is in such a place that if you weren't going to use it, you would have no idea if it were off or on. Well, Ed (my advisor) is attending a meeting in Japan; Victor (a fellow grad student) is in Canada renewing his visa; Amy (our lab tech) doesn't work on weekends. So it was just me, and I don't need to put things in or take things out of the -80 everyday. So the power loss went undetected until yesterday. (Fortunately, another lab on the floor had some space in their freezer, so about 25% of our stuff could be moved to another freezer immediately.)
This freezer stores most of our lab's experiments before they can be properly analyzed, as well as certain lab reagents and stocks of tissue. All of this needs to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. If not, it quickly becomes worthless. Some things cannot be thawed and refrozen, while some can. Experiments cannot be thawed and refrozen.
I only had 6 or 7 experiments waiting to be analyzed (as opposed to years of stuff, which some people keep in the -80). My experiments were hovering at the freezing point (their location in the freezer prevented them from thawing, so their status is questionable). If lost, it will take about 1-2 months to repeat those experiments, maybe longer for some. That's 1-2 months longer it may take me to graduate. Of course, I won't know if they are lost until I analyze them. If certain aspects of the analysis don't look completely normal, then I will have to trash the whole experiment and assume it is unsalvageable.
I will lose/have lost much more than that, but most of the stuff isn't too crucial, but will probably still require time in order to replace.
So everything I was going to do this week will be on hold while I try to ascertain what was lost and what wasn't. I'm not particularly hopeful, but I am trying to stay unbiased until I can analyze everything.
It looks like I may be graduating some time in the spring rather than this winter. Aaah, such is the life of a graduate student.
Our -80C freezer lost power sometime on Friday or Saturday, and when I discovered this yesterday it was at +1C. That is above freezing. That is very very bad.
The freezer is in a room separate from our lab, and is in such a place that if you weren't going to use it, you would have no idea if it were off or on. Well, Ed (my advisor) is attending a meeting in Japan; Victor (a fellow grad student) is in Canada renewing his visa; Amy (our lab tech) doesn't work on weekends. So it was just me, and I don't need to put things in or take things out of the -80 everyday. So the power loss went undetected until yesterday. (Fortunately, another lab on the floor had some space in their freezer, so about 25% of our stuff could be moved to another freezer immediately.)
This freezer stores most of our lab's experiments before they can be properly analyzed, as well as certain lab reagents and stocks of tissue. All of this needs to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. If not, it quickly becomes worthless. Some things cannot be thawed and refrozen, while some can. Experiments cannot be thawed and refrozen.
I only had 6 or 7 experiments waiting to be analyzed (as opposed to years of stuff, which some people keep in the -80). My experiments were hovering at the freezing point (their location in the freezer prevented them from thawing, so their status is questionable). If lost, it will take about 1-2 months to repeat those experiments, maybe longer for some. That's 1-2 months longer it may take me to graduate. Of course, I won't know if they are lost until I analyze them. If certain aspects of the analysis don't look completely normal, then I will have to trash the whole experiment and assume it is unsalvageable.
I will lose/have lost much more than that, but most of the stuff isn't too crucial, but will probably still require time in order to replace.
So everything I was going to do this week will be on hold while I try to ascertain what was lost and what wasn't. I'm not particularly hopeful, but I am trying to stay unbiased until I can analyze everything.
It looks like I may be graduating some time in the spring rather than this winter. Aaah, such is the life of a graduate student.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Google Video
I'm not sure if I mentioned this crazy website, but Google Video has a lot of very interesting clips. I mostly check out those pertaining to sports or general humor.
These are the most interesting ones I have seen in the past few days:
These are the most interesting ones I have seen in the past few days:
- Samurai sword vs bullet: Watch what happens when you fire a 9mm pistol at a real katana (not the $200 garbage you can easily buy, but the blades made by a true master). The implications for ninja everywhere are astounding.
- Hamster wheel gone wrong: This is just hilarious. Who doesn't love dumb pet tricks?
- Giant girl doll: This is just weird and creepy, but cool at the same time. (I suspect Katie is going to be creeped out, big time.)
Check 'em out, suggest more, and just waste time.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Edutainment
I am not certain of the origin of that word, although I suppose a quick Google or Wiki will yield info on its etymology. However, I can tell you all about my first exposure to edutainment. In order to see through my eyes, we will take a journey on a time machine, all the way back to the bygone year of 1989. In 7th grade, we had some sort of computer class. I forgot the name, but I won't forget the old Apple computers: black screens with green text. We might've even had one Apple IIe, which was color!
But we all know the reason those computers were even invented: The Oregon Trail. No computer game ever compared to that, or ever will. (OK, maybe some other games were equally innovative, like Civilization, Wolfenstein 3D, or Doom. But those are hardly edutainment. Well, maybe you could learn something from Civ, but how about Lemonade Stand?) I remember how hard it was to even survive the trip to Oregon, nevermind having all of your party live.
Two days ago, I stumbled across disk images and an Apple IIe emulator for Windows. Since then I've played a game or two, and had loads of fun. Honestly, how many people my age first heard of dysentary through this game? Probably everyone. That's why this tshirt is so funny.
Well, as an adult with some cognitive ability, let me tell you that it is not hard to finish the game as it was before. But attaining a real high score is. In three games my highest score is about 3900. The world record? >53000! I can't even fathom how. If you load the game and view the top ten scores, you can see how the scoring works. Anyone who figures out a reasonable method to break 20000 points is one smart person.
Well, download the game and reminisce. For those of you who've never played the game, give it a whirl. If you type in the names of people you know, it's pretty funny when they get cholera and die. Sort of. You know what I mean.
But we all know the reason those computers were even invented: The Oregon Trail. No computer game ever compared to that, or ever will. (OK, maybe some other games were equally innovative, like Civilization, Wolfenstein 3D, or Doom. But those are hardly edutainment. Well, maybe you could learn something from Civ, but how about Lemonade Stand?) I remember how hard it was to even survive the trip to Oregon, nevermind having all of your party live.
Two days ago, I stumbled across disk images and an Apple IIe emulator for Windows. Since then I've played a game or two, and had loads of fun. Honestly, how many people my age first heard of dysentary through this game? Probably everyone. That's why this tshirt is so funny.
Well, as an adult with some cognitive ability, let me tell you that it is not hard to finish the game as it was before. But attaining a real high score is. In three games my highest score is about 3900. The world record? >53000! I can't even fathom how. If you load the game and view the top ten scores, you can see how the scoring works. Anyone who figures out a reasonable method to break 20000 points is one smart person.
Well, download the game and reminisce. For those of you who've never played the game, give it a whirl. If you type in the names of people you know, it's pretty funny when they get cholera and die. Sort of. You know what I mean.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Photography
A few weeks ago I came across a call for entries to the 'World in Focus: Travel Photography Contest' sponsored by National Geographic Traveler. There are professional and amateur divisions, with multiple categories per division (although I think there are more 'professional' winners than 'amateur' for some reason).
I immediately considered entering, and then realized that I
Alas, I will have to wait until next year's contest... if this is a yearly thing. (I hope it is.)
In the meantime, I will admire the few winners from previous contests that they have online, and I suggest you do so as well. They are darn good.
(I added a long wedding photography rant on that website; the link to which is now in the sidebar on the right.)
I immediately considered entering, and then realized that I
- Don't have any 'nature' photos shot since January 1, 2005 (one of the rules)
- Don't have time to take any 'nature' photos before August 14, 2006 (the day before the deadline)
Alas, I will have to wait until next year's contest... if this is a yearly thing. (I hope it is.)
In the meantime, I will admire the few winners from previous contests that they have online, and I suggest you do so as well. They are darn good.
(I added a long wedding photography rant on that website; the link to which is now in the sidebar on the right.)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Where have you been?
Yes. I have been absent. I will continue to flit in and out of blogspace for a while as well. Too much to do, not enough time to do it. Here are highlights, in reverse chronological order.
Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat. I am coming down with a cold in the middle of the hottest (thus far) heat wave in NYC. How did I manage that, praytell, when nobody else is sick? Easy: not enough sleep/rest, and too much work. Continue to find out why.
This past weekend I worked some, but not too much; about 15 hours or so. Yilin and I saw "Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest". I liked it a lot.
Last week was mostly work. Yilin's birthday was Monday, but she had class until 10pm, so we didn't celebrate that night. Instead, I made her soft shell crabs on Tuesday night. She loved it.
The weekend of the 7-9th, my parents, Yilin and myself flew up to Montreal on a private jet so that our folks could meet for the first time. (My dad won the grand prize at his company's Christmas party, which was a trip on the company's private jet to any destination within 1000 miles; my parents happily offered to use that to meet Yilin's parents.) Everything went well. We ate a lot of great food and saw a TON of stuff in Montreal. Yilin had a surprise birthday party complete with trick candles (she had never heard of such things, so it was hilarious).
The Wednesday and Thursday of that week, the only days I was in work (we left Friday morning for Montreal), I put in a lot of hours in lab. No rest.
The Fourth of July was spent driving and taking the train, returning from Tim and Jaime's awesome wedding, which was the previous Monday in Narragansett, RI. They were kind enough to let Yilin and I stay at their spacious apartment the night of the wedding. Yilin and I had taken the train to my parents' place and then borrowed their car to drive to RI. We got back the same way, but in reverse.
Prior to that I worked a lot.
The previous weekend my cousin Rachel had her wedding in Pennsylvania, which was super fun. I had a blast, and I tore up the dance floor like it was a tissue. ;) Unfortunately, we had arrived in PA at like 1am or something crazy, so I was quite sleep-deprived. But I still had fun.
Prior to that I worked a lot. My memory is hazy, but early in June Yilin and her mom went to Paris, during which time I slaved in lab like I haven't done in years.
So how'd I get sick? Well, starting when Yilin went to Paris, I worked a lot, didn't get much rest, and never had the opportunity to rest. This is still ongoing, although I have gotten a few hours here and there to relax in the past week, and I have gotten a couple of nights of full sleep.
So, hopefully this weekend I will be able to take half a day off on either Saturday or Sunday and just sleep.
Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat. I am coming down with a cold in the middle of the hottest (thus far) heat wave in NYC. How did I manage that, praytell, when nobody else is sick? Easy: not enough sleep/rest, and too much work. Continue to find out why.
This past weekend I worked some, but not too much; about 15 hours or so. Yilin and I saw "Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest". I liked it a lot.
Last week was mostly work. Yilin's birthday was Monday, but she had class until 10pm, so we didn't celebrate that night. Instead, I made her soft shell crabs on Tuesday night. She loved it.
The weekend of the 7-9th, my parents, Yilin and myself flew up to Montreal on a private jet so that our folks could meet for the first time. (My dad won the grand prize at his company's Christmas party, which was a trip on the company's private jet to any destination within 1000 miles; my parents happily offered to use that to meet Yilin's parents.) Everything went well. We ate a lot of great food and saw a TON of stuff in Montreal. Yilin had a surprise birthday party complete with trick candles (she had never heard of such things, so it was hilarious).
The Wednesday and Thursday of that week, the only days I was in work (we left Friday morning for Montreal), I put in a lot of hours in lab. No rest.
The Fourth of July was spent driving and taking the train, returning from Tim and Jaime's awesome wedding, which was the previous Monday in Narragansett, RI. They were kind enough to let Yilin and I stay at their spacious apartment the night of the wedding. Yilin and I had taken the train to my parents' place and then borrowed their car to drive to RI. We got back the same way, but in reverse.
Prior to that I worked a lot.
The previous weekend my cousin Rachel had her wedding in Pennsylvania, which was super fun. I had a blast, and I tore up the dance floor like it was a tissue. ;) Unfortunately, we had arrived in PA at like 1am or something crazy, so I was quite sleep-deprived. But I still had fun.
Prior to that I worked a lot. My memory is hazy, but early in June Yilin and her mom went to Paris, during which time I slaved in lab like I haven't done in years.
So how'd I get sick? Well, starting when Yilin went to Paris, I worked a lot, didn't get much rest, and never had the opportunity to rest. This is still ongoing, although I have gotten a few hours here and there to relax in the past week, and I have gotten a couple of nights of full sleep.
So, hopefully this weekend I will be able to take half a day off on either Saturday or Sunday and just sleep.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Wedding Website
Too much has been going on recently, and rather than provide piddly updates on big events, I will hold off on telling you what I have been upto.
In the meantime, I put up a wedding website. Feel free to leave feedback there.
(If you haven't noticed, I have refrained from talking about wedding stuff here. I know many of you won't be interested, and I wanted any such discussion to be consolidated. Believe me, I have a few things to rant about...)
In the meantime, I put up a wedding website. Feel free to leave feedback there.
(If you haven't noticed, I have refrained from talking about wedding stuff here. I know many of you won't be interested, and I wanted any such discussion to be consolidated. Believe me, I have a few things to rant about...)
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Fatman Redux
Not too long ago, I had linked in a previous post the story of one Manuel Uribe, the fattest man in the world. At the time, he was 550kg (1102 pounds). (Compare this with Jon Brower Minnoch, the heaviest man ever, who weighed in at 635kg, or 1400 pounds!)
Well, he's making news again, as he has managed to lose 200 pounds in about a month and a half. Now the article says that he weighed 1235 pounds, which of course is nastier. Either way, he lost about 5 pounds a day, if this is to be believed. Of course, he wants to lose another 770 pounds.
I encourage you to follow the link and closely examine his photo. (Click on it for a larger version.) What is evident about him from the photo?
Go ahead. I'll wait.
You're back? OK, this is what I saw:
*Shudder*
Well, he's making news again, as he has managed to lose 200 pounds in about a month and a half. Now the article says that he weighed 1235 pounds, which of course is nastier. Either way, he lost about 5 pounds a day, if this is to be believed. Of course, he wants to lose another 770 pounds.
I encourage you to follow the link and closely examine his photo. (Click on it for a larger version.) What is evident about him from the photo?
Go ahead. I'll wait.
You're back? OK, this is what I saw:
- He's wearing a sheet.
- The sheet covers a huge bulge which may either be his stomach or testicles, you decide.
- He's doing a full split.
- His foot, ankle, calf, and knee are all the same size.
*Shudder*
Friday, June 23, 2006
"Ninja can only be killed by other ninja."
That was a quote from a very very bad ninja movie I once saw. There is a scene in which a ninja has his head severed by a non-ninja, yet the head floats after the attacker to kill him. Seriously.
I read this article almost 2 months ago, but figured everyone here would be so interested since you all love ninjas more than your mothers. It's about how the 'last ninja' will choose his successor sometime soon.
The article also details one student's quest to earn his fifth level. The challenge? He must kneel with his head on the ground, eyes closed, and dodge a sword attack directed at his head. Who holds the sword? The Grand Master himself.
If that is all it takes to achieve fifth level, then I have lost respect for ninja. I was able to dodge sword attacks while bound with electrical tape and blindfolded at the age of 3. And not just one sword attack; fifteen. From 6 men, all at the same time. And I grew up to be a scientist, not a stealthy assassin. Amateurs.
I read this article almost 2 months ago, but figured everyone here would be so interested since you all love ninjas more than your mothers. It's about how the 'last ninja' will choose his successor sometime soon.
The article also details one student's quest to earn his fifth level. The challenge? He must kneel with his head on the ground, eyes closed, and dodge a sword attack directed at his head. Who holds the sword? The Grand Master himself.
If that is all it takes to achieve fifth level, then I have lost respect for ninja. I was able to dodge sword attacks while bound with electrical tape and blindfolded at the age of 3. And not just one sword attack; fifteen. From 6 men, all at the same time. And I grew up to be a scientist, not a stealthy assassin. Amateurs.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Hmmm, what have I gotten myself into?
There was an interesting piece of news that I noticed yesterday. Namely, a 25 year-old Chinese woman killed her husband with a sword because he refused to cook her dinner.
She says it was an accident. If that is true, then it sucks to be her (although it may suck more to be him): no guy in his right mind would ever marry her now. At 25 she is a spinster for life.
As far as I know, Yilin doesn't own any swords, but I haven't thoroughly checked her apartment. I will do that today while she is at work. ;) Naturally, any martial arts weapon will raise a red flag. It's not like I would be digging through drawers and say, "Clothes, clothes, clothes... Nunchakus, clothes, clothes. Phew! No swords here!" (I realize that nunchakus are Japanese, and that not all Chinese people know kung fu, although the Boxer Rebellion would suggest differently.)
I think I am safe for now. I suppose that once I get married I will really have to start worrying. Then she will have me trapped and I will be unable to escape spousal abuse. Perhaps I will buy swords of my own...
She says it was an accident. If that is true, then it sucks to be her (although it may suck more to be him): no guy in his right mind would ever marry her now. At 25 she is a spinster for life.
As far as I know, Yilin doesn't own any swords, but I haven't thoroughly checked her apartment. I will do that today while she is at work. ;) Naturally, any martial arts weapon will raise a red flag. It's not like I would be digging through drawers and say, "Clothes, clothes, clothes... Nunchakus, clothes, clothes. Phew! No swords here!" (I realize that nunchakus are Japanese, and that not all Chinese people know kung fu, although the Boxer Rebellion would suggest differently.)
I think I am safe for now. I suppose that once I get married I will really have to start worrying. Then she will have me trapped and I will be unable to escape spousal abuse. Perhaps I will buy swords of my own...
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
What is today?
Today is the first day of summer. It is also the longest day of the year, in terms of daylight; i.e., it's not actually longer than 24 hours. Well, daylight savings time (the last Sunday in October) is actually 25 hours long because we change our clocks back one hour.
But, hours aside, do you know what this means? The fact that it is the summer solstice?
It means that the days get shorter from here on out and it's almost ice climbing season!!! Yes, my calendar currently revolves around Martin Luther King, Jr Day. That's the day when ice in upstate New York is as solid as it gets and the climbing is good through March.
I cannot wait for winter!
But, hours aside, do you know what this means? The fact that it is the summer solstice?
It means that the days get shorter from here on out and it's almost ice climbing season!!! Yes, my calendar currently revolves around Martin Luther King, Jr Day. That's the day when ice in upstate New York is as solid as it gets and the climbing is good through March.
I cannot wait for winter!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
About gosh darn time.
Finally, after about 3 mostly frustrating years (give or take a few weeks) I have been able to partly answer one of the two major questions I am addressing for my thesis. I am happy, tired, excited, relieved, motivated, and depressed all at the same time. The moment seems very anti-climactic, but I am glad that it has occurred.
There are some experiments in the works that will hopefully allow me to fully answer that question, within a month or two. As for the other major question, well, it is unlikely that I will be able to easily answer it without answering the first question.
I know, I am being vague, so let me explain the biological phenomena I am investigating and the questions I seek to address. The following is an excerpt from my Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) Meeting last December. It is incredibly information dense as the whole thing is supposed to be a summary of my thesis up until that point in time crammed into the miniscule length of 5 single-spaced pages.
There you have it. My two main questions are:
1) What is the source of the BMP signal?
2) Which of the (many) BMPs is it?
My recent breakthrough addresses the first question. I have determined that the BMP signal is from a peripheral source. Our biggest candidate for the source is the sympathetic ganglia, where the sympathetic neurons reside (those neurons being the target of innervation by the SPNs). The other experiments I have in the works will (hopefully) indicate whether this hypothesis is true.
If all of that doesn't make any sense, well, sorry. I know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and if I posted some drawings/photos it would help make it easier to understand. I also realize that Biology is a language that only those trained in it can speak. Someday I will translate my research into English for my friends and family who don't speak Biology and give them a short talk with pictures to illustrate my points. However, that could take months to put together if I assume no more than high school level Bio taken more than a decade ago.
If someone asks you what I study, you can say one of the two following sentences, depending on your level of understanding and/or ability to memorize:
A) He studies developmental neurobiology.
B) He studies the development of a population of cells in the spinal cord during embryogenesis.
That's as simple as I can make it, although it reveals no details whatsoever. You can also tell people that my research will help victims of spinal cord injury live longer healthier lives. That's potentially true. Perhaps. ;)
There are some experiments in the works that will hopefully allow me to fully answer that question, within a month or two. As for the other major question, well, it is unlikely that I will be able to easily answer it without answering the first question.
I know, I am being vague, so let me explain the biological phenomena I am investigating and the questions I seek to address. The following is an excerpt from my Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) Meeting last December. It is incredibly information dense as the whole thing is supposed to be a summary of my thesis up until that point in time crammed into the miniscule length of 5 single-spaced pages.
The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for maintaining homeostatic function within the body as well as performing nonhomeostatic functions such as the "fight-or-flight" response to life threatening situations. This system uses a 2-cell circuit to relay signals from the central nervous system to the periphery. Sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs), whose cell bodies are located in the thoracic level spinal cord, project axons to the prevertebral and paravertebral sympathetic chain ganglia, where they innervate postganglionic cell bodies. The postganglionic neurons innervate target organs, such as the heart, lungs, and liver.
During development, the SPNs begin as a subset of the postmitotic motor neuron precursors that migrate from the ventricular zone to the lateral horn of the thoracic spinal cord. Most of the motor neuron progenitor pool adopts a somatic motor neuron fate, while the SPNs migrate to a more dorsal location and form the intermediolateral column in mouse and the column of Terni in chick. Downregulation of the transcription factor Hb9 is required for SPN specification and their characteristic migration.
Antibody against Phospho-Smad1/5/8 (PS1) specifically marks developing SPNs in chick and mouse embryos. BMP ligands function by binding type II and type I BMP receptor complexes, initiating a cascade of phosphorylation. In vertebrates, the type I receptor phosphorylates a positive Smad which then translocates to the nucleus to regulate transcription. Therefore, the presence of PS1 is indicative of active transduction of a BMP signal.
There is a correlation between the extent of SPN axon projection and SPN PS1 immunoreactivity. PS1 appears in SPN nuclei only when some axons reach the sympathetic chain. This raises the possibility that the SPNs are not receiving a BMP signal from the spinal cord, but rather from the periphery, despite BMP5 expression by the SPNs in chick and BMP expression in the roofplate. This peripheral signal is possibly from the sympathetic postganglionic neurons (the targets of SPNs), which require BMP signals from the dorsal aorta and express BMPs themselves.
We have also confirmed that embryonic chick and mouse SPNs are responding specifically to BMP signals. The SPNs of conditional BmprIa mutant mice, which lack receptor expression in the developing spinal cord, never stain for PS1 or nNos, and Isl1 staining is significantly reduced. Additionally, when the BMP-inhibitor Noggin is misexpressed in the spinal cord of chick embryos via electroporation, PS1 staining is lost in the SPNs. Therefore, loss of function and gain of function experiments support a role for BMPs in SPN development.
Taken together these observations raise several questions about the source and identity of the BMP signal. For instance, is the BMP originating from within the spinal cord or from peripheral tissue? If the signal is local in origin, why do only SPNs respond to it? If there is a peripheral signal, is it the BMP, or might it be a requisite non-BMP cosignal? Is there a difference between initiation and maintenance of the BMP signal? If the signal is derived from the periphery, are somatic motor neurons, which also project axons outside of the spinal cord, also competent to respond?
There you have it. My two main questions are:
1) What is the source of the BMP signal?
2) Which of the (many) BMPs is it?
My recent breakthrough addresses the first question. I have determined that the BMP signal is from a peripheral source. Our biggest candidate for the source is the sympathetic ganglia, where the sympathetic neurons reside (those neurons being the target of innervation by the SPNs). The other experiments I have in the works will (hopefully) indicate whether this hypothesis is true.
If all of that doesn't make any sense, well, sorry. I know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and if I posted some drawings/photos it would help make it easier to understand. I also realize that Biology is a language that only those trained in it can speak. Someday I will translate my research into English for my friends and family who don't speak Biology and give them a short talk with pictures to illustrate my points. However, that could take months to put together if I assume no more than high school level Bio taken more than a decade ago.
If someone asks you what I study, you can say one of the two following sentences, depending on your level of understanding and/or ability to memorize:
A) He studies developmental neurobiology.
B) He studies the development of a population of cells in the spinal cord during embryogenesis.
That's as simple as I can make it, although it reveals no details whatsoever. You can also tell people that my research will help victims of spinal cord injury live longer healthier lives. That's potentially true. Perhaps. ;)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
She's Back!
Yilin and her mom (perhaps I should say 'my future mom') have returned from Paris. Their plane was delayed, but that was the only snag in the their voyage back to NYC. I made them dinner, and had it waiting for their arrival at Yilin's apartment. We ate, they told me about Paris, showed me some photos, showed me stuff that they bought, and they even gave me gifts!
I was surprised when Yilin gave me a gift: a Netherlands soccer jersey! Bright orange, baby. It's not particularly Parisian, but it's a lot easier to get in Europe than it is in the US. I don't think she should've spent that much money on me, especially since she felt that she should've bought more than one pair of shoes there. However, I think it was a much wiser use of Euros than a pair of shoes, regardless who gets to wear it. (If you don't know, the Dutch won their first match, and as far as I am concerned, will win the rest of them!)
Also, I was even more surprised when Siska (Yilin's mom) gave me a gift. That I was not expecting at all. She bought me a watch, something that I don't have. (Well, I have a wristbandless digital watch that was purchased in Chinatown for $5 over 6 years ago, which occasionally works and accompanies me on hikes.) It's a big, stylish Diesel watch. This morning, I put it on while getting dressed, and felt ashamed of wearing a t-shirt with it as it is too nice a watch to be worn with a t-shirt.
Alas, I suppose this means that I will have to start wearing shirts other than t-shirts.
Nah. ;)
I was surprised when Yilin gave me a gift: a Netherlands soccer jersey! Bright orange, baby. It's not particularly Parisian, but it's a lot easier to get in Europe than it is in the US. I don't think she should've spent that much money on me, especially since she felt that she should've bought more than one pair of shoes there. However, I think it was a much wiser use of Euros than a pair of shoes, regardless who gets to wear it. (If you don't know, the Dutch won their first match, and as far as I am concerned, will win the rest of them!)
Also, I was even more surprised when Siska (Yilin's mom) gave me a gift. That I was not expecting at all. She bought me a watch, something that I don't have. (Well, I have a wristbandless digital watch that was purchased in Chinatown for $5 over 6 years ago, which occasionally works and accompanies me on hikes.) It's a big, stylish Diesel watch. This morning, I put it on while getting dressed, and felt ashamed of wearing a t-shirt with it as it is too nice a watch to be worn with a t-shirt.
Alas, I suppose this means that I will have to start wearing shirts other than t-shirts.
Nah. ;)
Thursday, June 08, 2006
What happened to me?
As I may or may not have mentioned, Yilin is in Paris with her mom. They left on Friday and are scheduled to return Tuesday next week. As such, I am free! Ha ha!
This past weekend seemed rather different, being a free man. I walked around Central Park and shot a roll of film (yet to be developed), went climbing at the 'Gunks with Rob, Claire, Eric, and Colleen, and of course went to Claude's. However, as much as I enjoy these activities, something seemed amiss.
This week I have been working, doing some leisurely reading (a while since I have had that opportunity), watching some crap on TV. I went and saw "The Omen" opening night with Katie, had dinner with Hyunmi and Katie last night, and just been bumming around.
I have come to the realization that I miss Yilin greatly. I can't believe I am even saying something like this on my blog, but it's true. It's all I have been thinking about the past few days. As such, there really is nothing else for me to talk about here.
Except the World Cup, which starts tomorrow. :)
I am fairly confident that I have figured out a way to watch the games on my computer. There is a peer-to-peer (aka p2p) TV program called 'TVAnts' that allows users to watch digital television feeds over the internet. Like any p2p program, the more people watching a channel, the better your streaming connection. As many of the channels are international (China mostly, but from all over), it will be a matter of looking to see which is the most watched channel during one of the World Cup matches and tuning in.
Why do I say "most watched channel"? Because it is estimated that 3.5 billion people will be watching the final. That's over half the population of the entire world. Think about it: more than 1:2 people will be watching the same event at the same time, glued to television sets everywhere. Amazing.
So, in the grief that accompanies the absence of my betrothed, I will drown my sorrows in soccer and beer tomorrow at noon, cheering loudly as Germany drubs Costa Rica.
This past weekend seemed rather different, being a free man. I walked around Central Park and shot a roll of film (yet to be developed), went climbing at the 'Gunks with Rob, Claire, Eric, and Colleen, and of course went to Claude's. However, as much as I enjoy these activities, something seemed amiss.
This week I have been working, doing some leisurely reading (a while since I have had that opportunity), watching some crap on TV. I went and saw "The Omen" opening night with Katie, had dinner with Hyunmi and Katie last night, and just been bumming around.
I have come to the realization that I miss Yilin greatly. I can't believe I am even saying something like this on my blog, but it's true. It's all I have been thinking about the past few days. As such, there really is nothing else for me to talk about here.
Except the World Cup, which starts tomorrow. :)
I am fairly confident that I have figured out a way to watch the games on my computer. There is a peer-to-peer (aka p2p) TV program called 'TVAnts' that allows users to watch digital television feeds over the internet. Like any p2p program, the more people watching a channel, the better your streaming connection. As many of the channels are international (China mostly, but from all over), it will be a matter of looking to see which is the most watched channel during one of the World Cup matches and tuning in.
Why do I say "most watched channel"? Because it is estimated that 3.5 billion people will be watching the final. That's over half the population of the entire world. Think about it: more than 1:2 people will be watching the same event at the same time, glued to television sets everywhere. Amazing.
So, in the grief that accompanies the absence of my betrothed, I will drown my sorrows in soccer and beer tomorrow at noon, cheering loudly as Germany drubs Costa Rica.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Political Correctness in Girl Scout Cookies?
Note: The following is a theory that arose in a discussion of why Girl Scout Cookies have the names that they do. Anyone who has read or knows about this, please let me know. I have yet to research it myself.
Growing up, I remember how great it would be the (few) times my brother and I could convince my mom to buy an over-priced box of Girl Scout Cookies. My favorites have always been Caramel Delights, with Grasshoppers coming in a close second.
What struck me as odd was seeing a box of Caramel Delights a few years ago, but noting that they weren't called "Caramel Delights," but rather "Samoas." My first response: WTF is a Samoa?
And what the heck is a Tagalong? I have a vague recollection of that cookie, but certainly not that name. (I am also not sure Thin Mints were "Thin Mints" but rather "Grasshoppers".)
It was joked that in Connecticut, there was a movement to remove us from racial or ethnic sounding food, as my friends here in NYC had always eaten "Samoas" and had never heard of "Caramel Delights". Who in Winsted ever heard of an ethnic restaurant besides all-you-can-eat Chinese? Taco Bell? Italian certainly. Samoa cookies??? No.
My friends thought we were/are too white for our own good. Perhaps, but I don't see the need to have a different name for a cookie based on the region of the U.S. in which it is sold. That just smacks of... something bad, particularly when the name in question is ethnic.
Is my memory distorted or what? Correct me, my faithful readers. Those who grew up with me in Connecticut, come to my defense (if that is possible). The responses of current or former Girl Scouts are given more credence.
Growing up, I remember how great it would be the (few) times my brother and I could convince my mom to buy an over-priced box of Girl Scout Cookies. My favorites have always been Caramel Delights, with Grasshoppers coming in a close second.
What struck me as odd was seeing a box of Caramel Delights a few years ago, but noting that they weren't called "Caramel Delights," but rather "Samoas." My first response: WTF is a Samoa?
And what the heck is a Tagalong? I have a vague recollection of that cookie, but certainly not that name. (I am also not sure Thin Mints were "Thin Mints" but rather "Grasshoppers".)
It was joked that in Connecticut, there was a movement to remove us from racial or ethnic sounding food, as my friends here in NYC had always eaten "Samoas" and had never heard of "Caramel Delights". Who in Winsted ever heard of an ethnic restaurant besides all-you-can-eat Chinese? Taco Bell? Italian certainly. Samoa cookies??? No.
My friends thought we were/are too white for our own good. Perhaps, but I don't see the need to have a different name for a cookie based on the region of the U.S. in which it is sold. That just smacks of... something bad, particularly when the name in question is ethnic.
Is my memory distorted or what? Correct me, my faithful readers. Those who grew up with me in Connecticut, come to my defense (if that is possible). The responses of current or former Girl Scouts are given more credence.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
short and sweet
Hello all. I would like to let everyone know that I am still alive and well. This past weekend Yilin and I went to Middlebury College for her brother's graduation and then to Montreal to scout locations for the wedding.
Good news: we found a place. We booked the place. Everything is A-OK.
Bad news: none. Ha!
I will be setting up a wedding website hopefully within the next few days, and a link here will point you there for all your wedding news needs. (I know you don't need to know every step, but it will save me time from calling my parents; especially if I can get Yilin to update the site.)
That's it for now. Expect a new post by early next week with news of the website. In the meantime, read about what is going on in Torrington. (For those of you who don't know, Torrington is the 'large' town/city down the road from Winsted, where I grew up.)
Good news: we found a place. We booked the place. Everything is A-OK.
Bad news: none. Ha!
I will be setting up a wedding website hopefully within the next few days, and a link here will point you there for all your wedding news needs. (I know you don't need to know every step, but it will save me time from calling my parents; especially if I can get Yilin to update the site.)
That's it for now. Expect a new post by early next week with news of the website. In the meantime, read about what is going on in Torrington. (For those of you who don't know, Torrington is the 'large' town/city down the road from Winsted, where I grew up.)
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Inconceivable!
Last night Yilin and I attended an event at the National Academy of Arts and Letters, where she used to work. The academy was inducting several new artists and writers as members. I knew that there were names I recognized (Stephen Sondheim), but it had slipped my mind who was going to be there.
That is, until we saw examples of art/writing displayed by the various inductees, causing me to immediately regret not bringing my camera. You see, the academy took it upon itself to induct Wallace Shawn. That's right: Fezzini from "The Princess Bride". Now, they say it is because of his writing, but we know the real reason he was inducted (his amazing performance in the aforementioned movie, naturally).
And then there he was, walking around in the crowd. This was my first celebrity sighting in New York City, and I can't imagine it could be better. Sure, with Yilin I have been within a yard of Robert Redford, Helena Christensen, Frederique Van Der Wal, Ryan Seacrest, Naomi Watts, Daniel Boulud, and I think a few others I am forgetting. But it matters not, since I never saw those people. We would walk past and half a block later Yilin would tell me. So I'd turn around to look but of course the person she mentioned would be gone.
But not Wallace Shawn. I resisted the urge to approach him and tell him how much I loved his performance in "The Princess Bride" as I am sure he is tired of hearing about it. I also resisted the urge to ask him to say "Inconceivable!" as I am sure everyone asks him to do that as well. So I just stood and looked at him for about a minute before moving on. (On a side note, he is rather short.)
Now my lack of celebrity sightings finally paid off. I must've been saving them up just for this one brief encounter, and it was worth it.
That is, until we saw examples of art/writing displayed by the various inductees, causing me to immediately regret not bringing my camera. You see, the academy took it upon itself to induct Wallace Shawn. That's right: Fezzini from "The Princess Bride". Now, they say it is because of his writing, but we know the real reason he was inducted (his amazing performance in the aforementioned movie, naturally).
And then there he was, walking around in the crowd. This was my first celebrity sighting in New York City, and I can't imagine it could be better. Sure, with Yilin I have been within a yard of Robert Redford, Helena Christensen, Frederique Van Der Wal, Ryan Seacrest, Naomi Watts, Daniel Boulud, and I think a few others I am forgetting. But it matters not, since I never saw those people. We would walk past and half a block later Yilin would tell me. So I'd turn around to look but of course the person she mentioned would be gone.
But not Wallace Shawn. I resisted the urge to approach him and tell him how much I loved his performance in "The Princess Bride" as I am sure he is tired of hearing about it. I also resisted the urge to ask him to say "Inconceivable!" as I am sure everyone asks him to do that as well. So I just stood and looked at him for about a minute before moving on. (On a side note, he is rather short.)
Now my lack of celebrity sightings finally paid off. I must've been saving them up just for this one brief encounter, and it was worth it.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Wanna buy a MIG-21?
Here is some interesting news (keeping in line with my recent post): A Chinese businessman recently bought a MIG-21 fighter jet off of eBay, but demanded a refund when he was told that the jet wouldn't be shipped overseas from the U.S.
It is unimportant in my opinion that he can't get the jet. What is important is this: his winning bid was a mere $24,730! Think about it: every young boy I knew dreamt of owning and flying a fighter jet. When we grew we forgot about these childhood dreams, as many people do. Little do we realize that as adults we can make them a reality. Especially when the cost of such a dream is less than a new car!
Forget buying a car when I move out of NYC, I am buying a fighter jet!
It is unimportant in my opinion that he can't get the jet. What is important is this: his winning bid was a mere $24,730! Think about it: every young boy I knew dreamt of owning and flying a fighter jet. When we grew we forgot about these childhood dreams, as many people do. Little do we realize that as adults we can make them a reality. Especially when the cost of such a dream is less than a new car!
Forget buying a car when I move out of NYC, I am buying a fighter jet!
Monday, May 08, 2006
It's a mad mad world
Do you read the news? I don't mean stupid political nonsense, such as U.S. President George W. Bush stated that his best moment during the past five years in office was catching a large perch from a lake on his property. (The sad truth is, that was his best moment in office.)
I mean real news, like the 104 year-old woman who just married her 21st husband, a 33 year-old idiot. (Really, who marries someone seventy years older than themself?)
Or did you read the one about the 550kg man who is trying to lose weight? (For those of you who quickly forget everything about the metric system moments after learning it in grade school, 550 kilograms is the equivalent of 1102 pounds.) Of course, the best thing he could do is to stop fucking eating! Seriously, take vitamins, drink water, and try to move.
Even better still, is the return of the Pillsbury Doughboy to his supermarket in NH. A four-foot tall Doughboy was kidnapped and held for ransom, in an attempt to prevent a grocery store from closing its doors for good. After a 3-week ordeal of sightseeing, strip clubs, and heavy boozing, the kidnappers left the unharmed Doughboy near a pond to contemplate his future unemployment. (This is a great video to watch, but I think it requires Windows Media Player.)
If my news doesn't read like Jerry Springer, then I don't read it.
I mean real news, like the 104 year-old woman who just married her 21st husband, a 33 year-old idiot. (Really, who marries someone seventy years older than themself?)
Or did you read the one about the 550kg man who is trying to lose weight? (For those of you who quickly forget everything about the metric system moments after learning it in grade school, 550 kilograms is the equivalent of 1102 pounds.) Of course, the best thing he could do is to stop fucking eating! Seriously, take vitamins, drink water, and try to move.
Even better still, is the return of the Pillsbury Doughboy to his supermarket in NH. A four-foot tall Doughboy was kidnapped and held for ransom, in an attempt to prevent a grocery store from closing its doors for good. After a 3-week ordeal of sightseeing, strip clubs, and heavy boozing, the kidnappers left the unharmed Doughboy near a pond to contemplate his future unemployment. (This is a great video to watch, but I think it requires Windows Media Player.)
If my news doesn't read like Jerry Springer, then I don't read it.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Ummm... Coincidence?
Yesterday, while eating lunch, I grabbed a copy of one of the free local newspapers lying around our conference room, intent on solving the crossword puzzle. I noticed that the date on the paper was this past weekend's (April 28-30), so for the heck of it I glanced at my horoscope, wondering what it would predict about the weekend I just had. Below is a scan of the date and paper name, as well as my horoscope:
No horseshit.
No horseshit.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Are you word-verification-challenged?
For those of you who are word-verification-challenged, I am sure that you are delighted by Blogger's new adaptation of the handicapped feature. (I just noticed it this morning.)
Now, when required to enter the word verification in order to comment on a blog, like my blog for instance, you can click on the pictogram of the blue handicapped person near the text entry box. The computer will then read out loud the letters/numbers that you must type into the box.
I don't know if use of the handicapped symbol in such an event is proper or not, but shouldn't the little blue wheelchair-bound individual depicted at least be wearing a helmet? The type of people who struggle in correctly typing short sequences of letters usually fall down a lot or hit their heads on random objects like buildings.
It therefore amuses me to no end that certain friends of mine, who invariably struggle with the word verification, are now regarded as handicapped by Blogger. Well, perhaps that isn't a fair assessment. I will say that anyone who actually uses that feature is handicapped, and should be wearing a helmet. I think that those are the type of people who would choose to wear helmets while performing an activity which carries an extremely low risk of head injury, like snowshoeing.
Of course, I don't know why it is called word verification in the first place, as there are never words to type in, only random strings of alphanumeric code. I am certain that Dan, who is a novelist, can attest that the "words" are never actual "words."
Naturally, I will go so far as refraining to comment at all if I cannot enter the proper string of letters, rather than accept using the handicapped feature.
It's the principle of the thing.
Now, when required to enter the word verification in order to comment on a blog, like my blog for instance, you can click on the pictogram of the blue handicapped person near the text entry box. The computer will then read out loud the letters/numbers that you must type into the box.
I don't know if use of the handicapped symbol in such an event is proper or not, but shouldn't the little blue wheelchair-bound individual depicted at least be wearing a helmet? The type of people who struggle in correctly typing short sequences of letters usually fall down a lot or hit their heads on random objects like buildings.
It therefore amuses me to no end that certain friends of mine, who invariably struggle with the word verification, are now regarded as handicapped by Blogger. Well, perhaps that isn't a fair assessment. I will say that anyone who actually uses that feature is handicapped, and should be wearing a helmet. I think that those are the type of people who would choose to wear helmets while performing an activity which carries an extremely low risk of head injury, like snowshoeing.
Of course, I don't know why it is called word verification in the first place, as there are never words to type in, only random strings of alphanumeric code. I am certain that Dan, who is a novelist, can attest that the "words" are never actual "words."
Naturally, I will go so far as refraining to comment at all if I cannot enter the proper string of letters, rather than accept using the handicapped feature.
It's the principle of the thing.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
I popped the question...
And she said, "No, wait. What's going on?! I'm confused!"
"No?! You said, 'No'?"
"Wait. Yes. I'm confused!"
There you have it. She rejected my proposal, but I managed to pressure her into marrying me. ;)
A photo slideshow is visible here. (Note that if you click on a photo, you should be able to follow a link to download a full-size version to print. For those of you who are interested, i.e. mom and dad.)
Friday, April 28, 2006
So much for that one
Well, all of my previous predictions turned out wrong. Even the "safe assumptions."
Yesterday, at about 11:45am I became the victim of SpyFalcon. If you haven't heard of this... program... then good for you. I hope you never encounter it. I also hope that someday I encounter the person(s) responsible for coding this. In that situation, I would do what Marsellus Wallace would do. Let me tell you why.
SpyFalcon was disguised as a little program which I intentionally downloaded, hoping to have another video codec to use when converting video files from one format to another. The website from whence it came was dubious, so I exercised some caution. Norton detected nothing during the download, and I even manually scanned the file. Well, as soon as I double-clicked that .exe file I knew something was wrong: it had disappeared.
Then SpyFalcon, a supposed anti-adware program, was launched from my computer. I knew I had installed no such program. It told me that my computer was infected with adware, and if I followed some website and upgraded to a fancy version of SpyFalcon, my problem would be solved. Sure enough, every 30 seconds icons would flash messages from my system tray (the bottom right corner next to the clock in Windows XP) and pop-up ads (some pornographic) would appear. My web browsers were formatted to use some supposed security site as homepages, and threw more pop-ups at me. Hyunmi can attest to this, as she saw me cursing and struggling to get rid of it. Getting hard work done on a computer with this problem is nigh impossible.
I uninstalled SpyFalcon, yet all of the pop-ups and web browser mishaps continued. I found the processes responsible, but killing them was useless; they restarted instantly. I couldn't delete the files because they were in use. Norton found nothing, so that was useless. AdAware couldn't do anything either.
Some searching told me that my registry and Windows System32 folders were infected as well (which I suspected). After trying a number of approaches, including legitimate 3rd party software (which detects SpyFalcon, but will only delete it if you purchase an upgrade), I finally found a program that a French guy wrote. It worked. And I only wasted 6 hours of my day.
Then, I continued to get pop-up ads.
SpyFalcon was kind enough to install software from outerinfo.com, an ad website, naturally. (Do not visit this website.) Funny, but they have an uninstall tool for their software. The only way to get rid of there virus-like adware was to use their uninstall software. How can that be legal?
At that point, even though I was victorious, I was tired from battling villains on par with rapists and drug dealers. I finished up a few things at lab and had a quick dinner before picking up Yilin at her class. So no relaxing for me.
Oh yeah, I also caught a cold yesterday. Yilin told me this morning that she feels sick, too. Great. Computer virus and rhinovirus, all in one day.
Yesterday, at about 11:45am I became the victim of SpyFalcon. If you haven't heard of this... program... then good for you. I hope you never encounter it. I also hope that someday I encounter the person(s) responsible for coding this. In that situation, I would do what Marsellus Wallace would do. Let me tell you why.
SpyFalcon was disguised as a little program which I intentionally downloaded, hoping to have another video codec to use when converting video files from one format to another. The website from whence it came was dubious, so I exercised some caution. Norton detected nothing during the download, and I even manually scanned the file. Well, as soon as I double-clicked that .exe file I knew something was wrong: it had disappeared.
Then SpyFalcon, a supposed anti-adware program, was launched from my computer. I knew I had installed no such program. It told me that my computer was infected with adware, and if I followed some website and upgraded to a fancy version of SpyFalcon, my problem would be solved. Sure enough, every 30 seconds icons would flash messages from my system tray (the bottom right corner next to the clock in Windows XP) and pop-up ads (some pornographic) would appear. My web browsers were formatted to use some supposed security site as homepages, and threw more pop-ups at me. Hyunmi can attest to this, as she saw me cursing and struggling to get rid of it. Getting hard work done on a computer with this problem is nigh impossible.
I uninstalled SpyFalcon, yet all of the pop-ups and web browser mishaps continued. I found the processes responsible, but killing them was useless; they restarted instantly. I couldn't delete the files because they were in use. Norton found nothing, so that was useless. AdAware couldn't do anything either.
Some searching told me that my registry and Windows System32 folders were infected as well (which I suspected). After trying a number of approaches, including legitimate 3rd party software (which detects SpyFalcon, but will only delete it if you purchase an upgrade), I finally found a program that a French guy wrote. It worked. And I only wasted 6 hours of my day.
Then, I continued to get pop-up ads.
SpyFalcon was kind enough to install software from outerinfo.com, an ad website, naturally. (Do not visit this website.) Funny, but they have an uninstall tool for their software. The only way to get rid of there virus-like adware was to use their uninstall software. How can that be legal?
At that point, even though I was victorious, I was tired from battling villains on par with rapists and drug dealers. I finished up a few things at lab and had a quick dinner before picking up Yilin at her class. So no relaxing for me.
Oh yeah, I also caught a cold yesterday. Yilin told me this morning that she feels sick, too. Great. Computer virus and rhinovirus, all in one day.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Prognosticative Blogging
Most people blog about things that they experience, encounters they have, or people/events that they have heard about. I thought about this and wondered, "Why?" Therefore, I am dedicating this post to blogging about things that I have not yet experienced, encounters I have yet to be part of, and people or events I haven't even heard about.
Thus, the experiment of prognosticative blogging is born. Of course, it comes in many flavors.
1. Short term safe assumptions
Today will be an interesting day. After a slow start in the morning, my experiments will require much more attention. Tonight I will relax at home and do some reading before I meet Yilin once she gets out of class.
2. Random chance occurences
When I go home today, I will see a delivery man on a bicycle get hit by a car. It will be terrible. I will try to help him, and call 911.
3. Unrelated people/events
You will hear a story about a man in Oregon who found a giant squid washed up on shore, much larger than any specimen previously documented by scientists. There will be a number of photos with the news story here.
4. Wildest dreams come true
I will be walking home today and run into Jackie Chan and Jet Li filming a movie in Washington Heights called "Kung Fu Justice in the 'Hood". When I walk by, the directorial tagteam of Ang Lee and John Woo will spot me and ask me to play a minor role. I will get to fly to Hong Kong for the premiere.
5. Are you on drugs?
A freak storm with green clouds will tear in over the Hudson River from New Jersey, raining down frogs and purple octopi. The earth will split open and a seven-armed man will crawl forth, with a sword as a tongue and explosions for eyes. Buildings will melt all around me, and I will be swimming in a thick sky of blue dandelions, bumping into the rock hard clouds as I float away.
Thus, the experiment of prognosticative blogging is born. Of course, it comes in many flavors.
1. Short term safe assumptions
Today will be an interesting day. After a slow start in the morning, my experiments will require much more attention. Tonight I will relax at home and do some reading before I meet Yilin once she gets out of class.
2. Random chance occurences
When I go home today, I will see a delivery man on a bicycle get hit by a car. It will be terrible. I will try to help him, and call 911.
3. Unrelated people/events
You will hear a story about a man in Oregon who found a giant squid washed up on shore, much larger than any specimen previously documented by scientists. There will be a number of photos with the news story here.
4. Wildest dreams come true
I will be walking home today and run into Jackie Chan and Jet Li filming a movie in Washington Heights called "Kung Fu Justice in the 'Hood". When I walk by, the directorial tagteam of Ang Lee and John Woo will spot me and ask me to play a minor role. I will get to fly to Hong Kong for the premiere.
5. Are you on drugs?
A freak storm with green clouds will tear in over the Hudson River from New Jersey, raining down frogs and purple octopi. The earth will split open and a seven-armed man will crawl forth, with a sword as a tongue and explosions for eyes. Buildings will melt all around me, and I will be swimming in a thick sky of blue dandelions, bumping into the rock hard clouds as I float away.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
I say "Gosh darn, it's been a while!"
Wow. It has been a long long while, hasn't it? For this, I apologize. But I can explain.
First off, it hasn't helped that Blogger has been very slow. (They have been updating the server that my blog is on.) But that is neither here nor there (I'm not sure what that phrase literally means, but everyone uses it).
It comes down to this: my advisor has decided not to apply for tenure. This means that he will have to leave the university. Of course, his "scheduled" departure date is after I plan on graduating, so it shouldn't affect me. However, why take a chance? Therefore, I am busting my butt to graduate 'on time.'
As a result, rugby has suffered, other hobbies have suffered, and blogging is suffering. I do plan on getting things more or less up and running; fewer updates, for sure, but updates nonetheless.
Quick recap: Easter was good. Yilin came to Connecticut, met my dad's side of the family. Or at least those who were there, and everyone had a good time. I ate a lot of food, and loved every single bite.
Yilin's parents were in town this past weekend. Her mom is still here, and today they are shopping.
(I said it would be a quick recap.)
I feel like I am forgetting to write something, so I won't worry about it. Instead, let me tell you to go see the movie "Snakes on a plane." It hasn't come out yet, but it will. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, which is reason enough to see any movie. But in a recent article in "Life", Mr. Jackson reveals to us that the movie was directly influenced by people posting on the internet. The movie went from a PG-13 movie with no violence, nudity, or F-Bombs, to an R-rated gorefest with plenty of T&A. (Ok, so I am exaggerating a bit.) How did this happen? People read leaked copies of the script, posted suggestions to the director, and he listened!
Amazing. But even more amazing is this: People posted fake movie posters, trailers, and began selling merchandise! (The director himself bought $1000 of fake merchandise.) One particular line in one of the fake trailers actually made it into the movie!
(Guess who says that?)
Anyway, the fact that the public had input on a movie while it was being made is awesome enough to warrant seeing it.
First off, it hasn't helped that Blogger has been very slow. (They have been updating the server that my blog is on.) But that is neither here nor there (I'm not sure what that phrase literally means, but everyone uses it).
It comes down to this: my advisor has decided not to apply for tenure. This means that he will have to leave the university. Of course, his "scheduled" departure date is after I plan on graduating, so it shouldn't affect me. However, why take a chance? Therefore, I am busting my butt to graduate 'on time.'
As a result, rugby has suffered, other hobbies have suffered, and blogging is suffering. I do plan on getting things more or less up and running; fewer updates, for sure, but updates nonetheless.
Quick recap: Easter was good. Yilin came to Connecticut, met my dad's side of the family. Or at least those who were there, and everyone had a good time. I ate a lot of food, and loved every single bite.
Yilin's parents were in town this past weekend. Her mom is still here, and today they are shopping.
(I said it would be a quick recap.)
I feel like I am forgetting to write something, so I won't worry about it. Instead, let me tell you to go see the movie "Snakes on a plane." It hasn't come out yet, but it will. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, which is reason enough to see any movie. But in a recent article in "Life", Mr. Jackson reveals to us that the movie was directly influenced by people posting on the internet. The movie went from a PG-13 movie with no violence, nudity, or F-Bombs, to an R-rated gorefest with plenty of T&A. (Ok, so I am exaggerating a bit.) How did this happen? People read leaked copies of the script, posted suggestions to the director, and he listened!
Amazing. But even more amazing is this: People posted fake movie posters, trailers, and began selling merchandise! (The director himself bought $1000 of fake merchandise.) One particular line in one of the fake trailers actually made it into the movie!
I am sick and tired of these motherf---ing snakes on
this motherf---ing plane!
(Guess who says that?)
Anyway, the fact that the public had input on a movie while it was being made is awesome enough to warrant seeing it.
Friday, April 07, 2006
A REAL Fan
There is a man who loves "The Princess Bride" more than anyone ever. Why would I say that? Because he single-handedly re-enacted the "Battle of Wits" scene. It is ridiculous. Watch it here. (Requires WMV.)
Monday, April 03, 2006
Sacre Bleu! Cabane a Sucre!
This past weekend, Yilin and I flew to Montreal to visit her parents (thanks to their generosity), and also to celebrate a timeless Quebecois tradition: cabane a sucre, or "sugar shack." This was probably the most unique meal I have had in years. The idea is that every spring, when the maple sap flows, maple syrup is made and a giant feast is held to celebrate. The particular sugar shack we went to was called "Sucrerie de la Montagne." It is world famous, as is it's owner Pierre Faucher, who is instantly recognizable by his beard. Images of him and his majestic beard, both carved and drawn, decorate every wall, nook, and cranny of the place.All manner of tasty food is prepared, with maple syrup flowing freely like water. Dozens and dozens of people sit around big wooden tables on big wooden benches and eat this feast. All the while a band will play on a stage, people will be dancing and singing, and everyone has a good time. Of course, there is alcohol to help facilitate this sort of behavior, but I think that the sheer rate of sugar consumption per capita is enough to substitute for so commonplace a drug.
Imagine this, if you will: You pull into a parking lot which is overflowing with cars, only to realize that the only available parking is on the street. Walking up the driveway towards the cabane (that's "cabin" in English, for all the uncosmopolitanites like myself) you see a long line of people waiting to buy tickets. You walk into a very large log cabin, wait for the hostess to seat you, and are faced with the sight of hundreds of people feasting on a variety of foods, all of which are drowning in maple syrup.
Ok, that is a bit of an exaggeration. There were hundreds of people feasting, but not everything was drowning in maple syrup. Except for my plate. I ate everything that was put in front of me with maple syrup on top: bread and butter, pea soup (yes, I put maple syrup in my pea soup; at this point Yilin's mom informed me that there was no emergency room open at night within an hour of their house), sausages, meat pie, meatballs, ham, baked beans, omelette, bacon, pickles, pancakes, and sugar pie. If the bottle of maple syrup wasn't communal I probably would've taken a swig. I can't get enough of that maple sugar stuff!Needless to say I felt as if I had just eaten a Thanksgiving feast. Stuffed beyond belief, and as happy as a clam.
It was good to see her parents again. I always enjoy going to see them in Montreal as they treat me like family. The weather was great, so we didn't even need jackets while we were there. And I also got to experience the hospitality of their neighbors Lilian and Claude, who have their own sugar shack in their back yard! They made us waffles, a cake (I can't remember the name, but it was like an angelfood cake filled with maple syrup), maple-sugar-brownie-square-like things that were great, and "le tire" (I probably got that wrong as I know about 5 French words, all of which I used in the title of this post). This 'le tire" thing is great: you take warm maple syrup and pour it over packed ice, then as it is hardening you roll it onto a popsicle stick. Amazing.
And that is the one word I would use to describe this past weekend: amazing. It was good to get out of lab, good to get out of NYC, good to see her parents, and good to eat a lifetime supply of maple syrup. I have already decided that I am going to build a sugar shack, wherever I live. If I have to build one in my apartment and tap maple trees in Fort Tryon Park, I will. Type II diabetes here I come!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Research subjects needed!
There are always signs around campus soliciting people to become research subjects. They usually ask for very little of you (Play video games! Take a personality quiz! Donate blood!), and appropriately compensate you very little. I have always kept my eyes on them, and have had some friends here at Columbia subject themselves to the mercy of researchers. However, the studies are usually not something I want to participate in, or I don't qualify.
I am generally not interested in any study that pays over $100. Why? Because you have to be violated in the worst imaginable ways to earn >$100 in a research study. My roommate participated in a study that paid $400 once. It required taking skin biopsies from his ass on 4 or 5 consecutive days, the last day being a biopsy following some number of hours after he had taken some research drug. For those unaware of what a skin biopsy entails, let me tell you. They take something akin to a hole puncher and "punch out" a bit more than a half-centimeter (~1/4 inch for you non-scientist Americans) diameter piece of skin. When I say "skin" I mean all of the layers of skin, not just some surface cells. You require 2 or 3 stitches per biopsy. The result? He has a line of 5 little circular scars on his right butt cheek. Scar myself and take some unapproved drug for $400? No thanks.
The craziest study I heard about (which also paid the most) was one conducted before my time here at Columbia, but related to me by a friend of mine. It paid men about $8000. Only men. Why? Well, imagine what differentiates a man from a woman. No no, I'm not talking about logical thought, practicality, reason, or the ability to resist impulses. I mean physically, below the belt. Now imagine what these researchers are going to do to that soft, vulnerable, nerve-rich... organ... for 20 times what 5 skin biopsies pays. This means at least 20 times the pain. Imagine. Think of the worst thing possible, then imagine something worse. (For the record, my friend didn't know what they actually did, but she thought along the same lines as me. Ouch!)
Researchers don't pay that much without inflicting tremendous suffering. Consider that the most I have heard about being given to a woman as compensation for pain/damage to her reproductive system was about $2000, and that was for something that could render the woman unable to bear children! Think about it. I am pretty sure that most sperm banks don't pay donors, or pay a mere pittance of $25-50. Women, on the other hand, can easily command $8000, up to $25,000 if she is Ivy-League educated, for egg donation as that can cause fertility problems later in life. Given that disparity, what could the study which paid men $8000 involve?
The other reason I don't really follow any of these up is that I am not qualified. I am not overweight. I do not smoke. I do not have asthma. I am not bilingual. I am not female (which cuts me out of about 75% of all studies). I am not 40+ years old. I do not have a history of mental illness, nor does anyone in my family. (Insert pithy comment here.)
So imagine my surprise when a study on stress was looking for control subjects. I took the screening examination (a series of questions asking mostly about my physical health, mental health, drug and sexual history, etc), and qualified for the study. It entailed taking some "personality-like" tests. Supposedly only taking one hour of my valuable time, it offered $20 compensation. According to my calculations, I make less than $7 an hour, so $20 is like a Christmas bonus!
I took the tests, filling them out faster than anyone ever had, I am sure. It still took me an hour. Which means that with the prescreen, it took a total of one hour 15 minutes. (They are sneaky that way, aren't they?) When I went to pick up my $20 cash, I was asked a few more questions. To my delight, I found out that I qualify for another study that pays $40-60. Hesitantly, I asked about it. ($60 moves the study into the pain category.)
This other study requires that I donate blood (1.5 to 2 ounces, or about 4 tablespoons; about 60 mLs for you scientists or metric system users). On a later date I have to take a test while be exposed to stressful things. One such stressful event is noise emanating from headphones. The noise would get progressively louder. The other thing is electric shocks, on the level of static electricity. I believe that the woman mentioned that the shocks were applied to my finger, which is good. For $60, those shocks might be applied anywhere... The shocks also increase in intensity. I was told that the study will end when I am uncomfortable. It should not reach the level of pain. I can take these tests under stress for one or two days. If two, they have to be consecutive. Another $20 for one day, $40 if I go both.
Today I donated the blood, got paid, and signed up to do 2 days of test taking next week. Mwa ha ha! Foolish researchers! They have no idea that I am the zen master. I figure I can withstand more than anyone they ever tested, even if I am not supposed to try. I plan to throw off their distribution, big time. :)
Interestingly, the informed consent waiver-thing I had to sign today included some interesting language. First, this sentence:
Note that this is the same NIMH in the book (and movie) "Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH," aka" The secret of NIMH." Also, observe the words "national resource." That's right, my DNA is a national resource, baby. Carefully preserved and guarded for future generations to benefit from. Additionally, there were these two sentences concerning consent to let researchers studying... things, other than stress, use my DNA:
Sounds awesome! I can only hope that my DNA is used in unsavory ways! Without any hesitation whatsoever I immediately signed the additional consent. Imagine the possibilities...
So for those of you out there who participated in research studies in the past, perhaps during college, let's hear all about it.
I am generally not interested in any study that pays over $100. Why? Because you have to be violated in the worst imaginable ways to earn >$100 in a research study. My roommate participated in a study that paid $400 once. It required taking skin biopsies from his ass on 4 or 5 consecutive days, the last day being a biopsy following some number of hours after he had taken some research drug. For those unaware of what a skin biopsy entails, let me tell you. They take something akin to a hole puncher and "punch out" a bit more than a half-centimeter (~1/4 inch for you non-scientist Americans) diameter piece of skin. When I say "skin" I mean all of the layers of skin, not just some surface cells. You require 2 or 3 stitches per biopsy. The result? He has a line of 5 little circular scars on his right butt cheek. Scar myself and take some unapproved drug for $400? No thanks.
The craziest study I heard about (which also paid the most) was one conducted before my time here at Columbia, but related to me by a friend of mine. It paid men about $8000. Only men. Why? Well, imagine what differentiates a man from a woman. No no, I'm not talking about logical thought, practicality, reason, or the ability to resist impulses. I mean physically, below the belt. Now imagine what these researchers are going to do to that soft, vulnerable, nerve-rich... organ... for 20 times what 5 skin biopsies pays. This means at least 20 times the pain. Imagine. Think of the worst thing possible, then imagine something worse. (For the record, my friend didn't know what they actually did, but she thought along the same lines as me. Ouch!)
Researchers don't pay that much without inflicting tremendous suffering. Consider that the most I have heard about being given to a woman as compensation for pain/damage to her reproductive system was about $2000, and that was for something that could render the woman unable to bear children! Think about it. I am pretty sure that most sperm banks don't pay donors, or pay a mere pittance of $25-50. Women, on the other hand, can easily command $8000, up to $25,000 if she is Ivy-League educated, for egg donation as that can cause fertility problems later in life. Given that disparity, what could the study which paid men $8000 involve?
The other reason I don't really follow any of these up is that I am not qualified. I am not overweight. I do not smoke. I do not have asthma. I am not bilingual. I am not female (which cuts me out of about 75% of all studies). I am not 40+ years old. I do not have a history of mental illness, nor does anyone in my family. (Insert pithy comment here.)
So imagine my surprise when a study on stress was looking for control subjects. I took the screening examination (a series of questions asking mostly about my physical health, mental health, drug and sexual history, etc), and qualified for the study. It entailed taking some "personality-like" tests. Supposedly only taking one hour of my valuable time, it offered $20 compensation. According to my calculations, I make less than $7 an hour, so $20 is like a Christmas bonus!
I took the tests, filling them out faster than anyone ever had, I am sure. It still took me an hour. Which means that with the prescreen, it took a total of one hour 15 minutes. (They are sneaky that way, aren't they?) When I went to pick up my $20 cash, I was asked a few more questions. To my delight, I found out that I qualify for another study that pays $40-60. Hesitantly, I asked about it. ($60 moves the study into the pain category.)
This other study requires that I donate blood (1.5 to 2 ounces, or about 4 tablespoons; about 60 mLs for you scientists or metric system users). On a later date I have to take a test while be exposed to stressful things. One such stressful event is noise emanating from headphones. The noise would get progressively louder. The other thing is electric shocks, on the level of static electricity. I believe that the woman mentioned that the shocks were applied to my finger, which is good. For $60, those shocks might be applied anywhere... The shocks also increase in intensity. I was told that the study will end when I am uncomfortable. It should not reach the level of pain. I can take these tests under stress for one or two days. If two, they have to be consecutive. Another $20 for one day, $40 if I go both.
Today I donated the blood, got paid, and signed up to do 2 days of test taking next week. Mwa ha ha! Foolish researchers! They have no idea that I am the zen master. I figure I can withstand more than anyone they ever tested, even if I am not supposed to try. I plan to throw off their distribution, big time. :)
Interestingly, the informed consent waiver-thing I had to sign today included some interesting language. First, this sentence:
Your data and DNA will be sent to a repository run by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and will be maintained as a national resource to qualified research scientists around the world...
Note that this is the same NIMH in the book (and movie) "Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH," aka" The secret of NIMH." Also, observe the words "national resource." That's right, my DNA is a national resource, baby. Carefully preserved and guarded for future generations to benefit from. Additionally, there were these two sentences concerning consent to let researchers studying... things, other than stress, use my DNA:
It is important that you understand that if you agree to this additional consent, we do not know at this time all the ways in which your DNA might be used. It is possible that some of the uses may be troubling to some individuals.
Sounds awesome! I can only hope that my DNA is used in unsavory ways! Without any hesitation whatsoever I immediately signed the additional consent. Imagine the possibilities...
So for those of you out there who participated in research studies in the past, perhaps during college, let's hear all about it.
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