It's happening again -- three tests in one week. The only thing quelling my aching brain is a moderately delicious cupcake and coffee from the OU cafe. Internet window shopping helps, too.

Seriously, for the love of god, I cannot wait until the weekend. I could go for some Chobani yogurt right now.

so \m/ metal \m/

this video is bitchin'

thanks (reddit)

Why hello blog, we meet again. I'm currently camped out at San Jose International Airport drinking coffee-flavored chocolate milk (iced caffe mocha from Peet's) utilizing the complementary wi-fi provided by this fine establishment. It's worth noting I'm typing this on my ancient iPhone.

Trip Highlights:

#1, always, is seeing my boyfriend :)
#2, California sunshine. I'm rocking a slight hint of color without looking used & abused. Horray for vitamin D!
#3, Santa Cruz & UCSC. We stayed a skip away from UCSC -- which offers one of the only science writing programs in the country. Given that it was Memorial holiday I didn't have time to check it out. Santa Cruz is full of awesome spots to chill and shop but it's extremely bum-friendly. Seriously -- while seeking out a bar downtown, I overheard two floaters having a scuff because, allegedly, one pulled switchblade on the other in a church parking lot. I digress.
#4, Firefly mango black iced tea.

**Ugh, my phone is giving me troubles, will update with more later.**

I see you baby, shakin'

This is too funny.

Photo credit

I'm not a huge drinker but...

I imbibed the most delicious beer last night, Magic Hat's Vinyl Lager. The label is a neo-1960's work of art as well! I hung out in my kitchen last night, drinking vinyl and making bracelets for the Orphan Outreach project. You pretty much make bracelets, send them to Grand Rapids and they will send them to orphanages in Russia. I guess Russia has tons of orphans that end up on the wrong side of the tracks and a little handmade hope never hurt anybody! I chose colors off the label's color scheme -- I'm stoked to send them out!

"buck melanoma, moley russell's wart"

I'm exhausted! Week one is over and I've got gnarly shin splints. School is stressful and since the weather broke I have no excuses. I  have too many lazy, duldrumy days during winter. I pack on ten lb's while chillaxing in my warm living room watching Wife Swap marathons. I get it but then again my grades tend to dip during this time. The classic combo of winter funk and seasonal depression. Does ash tray gray snow lumped up on the curb make anyone feel good? No, I don't think so.

~*~*~*~

I wrote the above yesterday but fell asleep before finishing. My first math quiz was a buzz kill. I'M NOT RAIN MAN and given I'm taking a 'remedial course' for math non-geniuses, I CANNOT DO SIX PROBLEMS IN A COOL 15 MINUTES. My test taking skills fall short and I believe slow and steady wins the race when it comes to double checking. It's not beyond me to bubble in the wrong column on a standardized test (see my ACT) because I easily fluster. On a high note, yesterday's Japanese quiz went swimmingly.

Welp, I'm at a loss for words because I don't understand the correlation between beauty and skin resembling the nommy, crusty deep fried bits found in a bucket of KFC's finest. My youngest cousins are hypnotized by tanning beds and no matter how much I drill into them that 'exposure to UV light increases your chances of developing skin cancer' they don't seem to give (excuse my cuss) a flying fuck. Is my approach wrong? Probably, but I'm extremely moved by this video I watched courtesy of reddit created by the David Cornfield Memorial Fund (dcmf.ca). This message is one worth spreading!

I'm off to work on my my mother's day gift. It's a surprise! Catch ya later. 

hajimemashite!

SURGES! ...of ideas hit me for this blog while driving home from Oakland yesterday. Seventy percent were complaints but that's life I suppose.

pandushi? yeahh boy.

Summer semester has commenced! I'm plagued with making meaningful connections of a bunch of arbitrary facts, figures, letters, words and nonsense. Letters and words? Yep. In a much needed escape from microbiology I enrolled in Japanese. Watashi wa S desu! I didn't feel like pissing away summer daylight waiting for micro to roll around so delving into the culture of my su-shay gobbling counterparts was option two!

I'm getting algebraic in MTH 062! COLLEGE TEXTBOOK SCAMMAGE ALERT!

$150 for my school's looseleaf textbook, wtf? It's only half of the official book, mind you. I don't have time for intense amazon-half.com-ebay-chegg searches because summer session is brief (and uh, I'm broke). All is well though -- I bought a used copy and luscious lavender binder to boot.

 

Photo credits:

Sushi

Adventure time!

Chianti anybody?

Y'know what are beautiful and get smushed into powder far too often? Moths. Sweltering summer nights are ahead and my mother, the saint that she is, will lock me out of the house with the porch light on. I can see it now -- after imbibing one too many vodka + fill the the blank here a battle of epic proportions goes down: me vs. my house key vs. the moths. Ahh...summer.

160,000 species of moth exist on our fair planet! The Smithsonian offers a brief overview of moths on their Bug Info page (check it out here).

fava beans!

Now, a reference to The Silence of the Lambs is in order because I dig macabre stuff. The Death's Head Hawkmoth (genus Acherontia) are charming creatures and thanks to evolution's sense of irony, a tiny human skull pattern is found on the thorax (see right). Our favorite villain Buffalo Bill raised these kinds of moths in the film. In actuality, the cocoons were made from tootsie rolls and gummy bears (thanks imdb). A new morbid treat in the works? I think so.


It's also quite ironic I stumbled upon these moths during my plight to save the bees. These moths are known to attack beehives!

However, slight variations exist between this moth and the one famously featured on the poster. Salvador Dali's In Voluptas Mors was substituted for the organic skull found in nature (see left).

Three species of DHH moth are found in Europe and Asia including the Acherontia Styx Styx picture below.

Photo Credits:

Silence of the Lambs movie poster found here 

Death's head hawkmoth thanks to wiki

Dali image

Amazing natural artwork courtesy of this exceptionally cool moth enthusiast website

I'm not sure how many practice problems I completed today but it has to be near 9,000. It's to the point where I don't care because my brain cannot possibly comprehend any more information tonight. With that, I keep singing  my own version of the Black Eyed Peas hit I just can't get enough but y'know with the words "I just don't give a fuck." There is so much to know! Blehhhhhh, another potential retake in my future.

Photo credit

Happy Earth Day!

Who's gonna go see Disney's African Cats? Ironic -- Michelle Obama cancelled her Earth Day event due to the weather.

Photo credit

pen to paper

Yikes, so I was looking at the past winning entries for the essay contest I entered a few weeks ago. I have a new appreciation for four sentence paragraphs but I don't know if my work is exactly what the judges are looking for. I guess I'm different. I neglected to start any of my sentences with "co-op this, co-op that" and I have the farthest thing from a corporate style internship. Even though I'm not busting balls bringing my boss hot coffee and nervously sweating the presentation of my first 'real' project, I learn valuable things. I certainly work in a more relaxed environment where I'm only mildly chastised for rolling out a bed à la The Dude (after an exam of course) and putting together a reaction.

Hey, did you hear? I suck at studying!

Organic Chemistry by Brian Dettmer

This isn't news or anything. Whenever there is work to be done I'd rather waste time reading Harry Potter or marvel at my sticker collection. Seriously?! How do super brains do it? I'm studying glycolysis right now and I swear I yield a single molecule of ATP instead of two -- I have zero energy! In the same way the body stores glycogen to use later, my brain stores minuscule nuggets of information I pick up while working in a lab studying none other than cellular metabolism. Go figure.

I was reamed a few weeks ago because I forgot that one molecule of glucose yields two molecules of pyruvate which in turn is converted into two molecules of lactate. If you don't give a single fuck about this last sentence, do not go into biology!

I mean, biochemistry is fascinating (really, aspects of it are). The catabolic break down of sugar molecules like glycolysis are universal and our cells are badass little pieces of machinery cranking out energy allowing us to do work son!

Now for some inspired music to motivate!

This gave me a giggle

Thanks quickmeme!

from the lab bench

Surprise! I haven't been into the lab in over a week. Why? My boss said to focus on finals which is exactly what I'm doing. I must admit, I miss it. Slowly but surely I'm turning into the lactate assay master. Hmm, that sounded almost dirty. My boss mentioned I could take the summer off but I don't want to. I'm just starting to find my comfort zone and use my nimble fingers to properly pipette solution into test tubes. Plus I desperately need to earn some cash for any extra expenses.

Speaking of cash, I think I need to saturate this blog with a little angsty rant. Out of the countless times I've spent on hold with financial aid only once have I been met with a friendly voice on the other line. Yes, today wasn't one of those days. As usual, the helper lady took a typical, condescending tone treating me like I'm incompetent. I'd just like to say THANKS. It seems like somebody needs more baby animals in her life...

...you're welcome.

Photo credit

noteworthy

I always feel a high of accomplishment after finishing a paper. On the flipside, if the paper is a crap shoot I usually feel an overwhelming sense of dread. No worries, I tried hard on our final paper!

I dunno what it is about the preview for Water for Elephants but the Florence + the Machine song "Cosmic Love" that plays in it always gets me. I love it.

That's all.

lazy Sunday

This song makes me long for summer. Green leaves! Ahh what a concept, trees with leaves and air warm enough to expose bare skin. 

Last October, I tuned into Coast to Coast AM's Halloween broadcast aptly named Ghost to Ghost. The whole show is focused on listener ghost stories. I know science relies heavily on evidence and paranormal investigations are often thought of as a form of pseudoscience. Trust me, I swear this story has a scientific hook! 

One listener called in and told a tale so chilling it freaked me the hell out. This is my paraphrase (I'm going off memory here) and time most likely distorted some stuff.

So listener calls (I'll call him Joe for the story's sake) in and begins by stating he attended his father's funeral a few years ago. The funeral went as funerals go and afterward Joe returned home. Joe's dad loved Latin and spent time studying at a monastery. 

That night, an uneasiness swept over Joe as he peered outside his kitchen window as saw what looked like a lemur. "A lemur?" he thought, it can't be. Lemurs are only found on Madagascar and at your local zoo. With no zoo for miles, Joe did what any sensible American with internet access would do -- google 'lemur'. Joe uncovered that lemur is derived from the Latin word lemures, a culturally derived term used to describe the walking dead or restless spirit.

Hallucination or not, while perusing the BBC, Sir Richard Branson, the filthy rich founder of Virgin Mobile, reminded me of this story. Since Branson is dripping with diamonds he plans to import lemurs on his Caribbean island. The goal is to let the lemurs roam free on his BVI isle Miskito. Problem? This idea is a double edged sword. Yes, Branson can pat himself on the back for attempts at lemur conservation, providing the troubled species with a new place to thrive, but how will other flora fare from the introduction of  a potentially invasive species? Time will only tell. Read it here.

Whenever I read "Branson" I think of Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreaction saying "Braaaaandanowitz". Is this just me?

In stitches

I plumb forgot to write my group blog critique! It happens...

Sorry for the 10,324 url change but I think this one is for good! Even though I want a majority of the posts on this blog to reflect some scientific content the name "fromthelabbench" is too dry. I'm one of the few opting out of killing their blog.

Artist Aubrey Longley-Cook does massively cool stuff with thread over at spoolspectrum.blogspot.com. I cannot wrap my head around some of his pieces.

I'm a pretty big sucker for anatomically themed anything and with that, this bat would be up on my bedroom wall in 2.5 seconds flat.

Bat country!

I'm into crafty things (my blogroll of craft-minded people is growing) especially embroidery. My problem is looking at way too many amazing embroidered pieces online instead of creating my own. The internet is making me restless. I can only scroll through so many pages on tumblr before my brain feels like it's rotting. My desk is overflowing with sharpies, stickers and other oddities. Poor Rosa's terrarium is lost in the clutter.

Finals are coming up and I need to set my priorities straight. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language will be read, internalized and understood by the 26th. I have yet to start my final reflection paper on blogging and my biochemistry exam falls on the 20th. Stepping away from the computer is a mandatory step I have to take (nearly impossible -- like trying to keep an electron away from an atom's nucleus).

A final thought, cupcakes sound pretty delectable right now.

happy coffee day!

Caffeine molecule

Finished my paper! Woo-woo! I really put that one off, eh? Time for a Twin Peaks marathon (the series was recently added to Netflix instant view, I'm so lucky). Technically I should study some for organic chemistry but I have all tomorrow to do so...

Caffeine is a funny drug. I usually drink two cups of coffee mid-morning because if I have more than two I'm wired and if I have less I'm about as useful as when I succumb to the bottle (super sleepy)! I stay far, far away from energy drinks.

WebMD just published an article detailing that a genetic predisposition may contribute to caffeine cravings. Two genes influencing caffeine metabolism were identified by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

It's possible I'm one of those folks unable to metabolize large quantities of caffeine, thanks mom and dad!

do not want!

When your mom busts out the Neil Diamond on the iPod -- it's not conducive for essay writing. I'm 1200 mediocre words in and there's no turning back. I want at least 1500+ excellent words (I'm cut off at 2500). The deadline strikes closer and I have to throw some kind of resume schtick together to submit. They'll review it and realize my little to no experience in the real world. C'est la vie, all I want to do is write a bitchin' paper.

Relax and allow your mind to be blown!

what the buzz!

I have a lot of writing to do today! My entry for the co-op essay contest is pittering along to say the least. My boss wants to read it too -- motivation right? Um, it's due tomorrow, also. I have an advising appointment at 3 (my first!) and the dude is gonna be like "why has it taken you four years to come around??"

A friend enlightened me to this video and you need to check it out! Save the bees--it's pure craziness the chemical agents we plunder our plants with is destroying them. Unfortunately there isn't a screening of the documentary in the mitten but the least you can do is plant some wildflowers.

If you care, Oakland is offering a class in permaculture this summer. I'm down to take it but I'd also like to graduate before 2020. Contributing to a sustainable way of life in sync with nature is boss! But I digress -- I'm too poor to spend a grand+ learning about this fascinating science. I can garden for next to nothing in my backyard and Google offers oodles of information on permaculture.

I got 99 problems and the biggest bitch of them all rules the world

Organic chemistry exam tomorrow and my head is feeling wonky. The sooner this semester ends the better. If I didn't have to work on Friday my modus operandi for Thursday night = boozing it up.

I'm in a constant battle with my curriculum. Organic chemistry is an elephant and when you try to shove an elephant into a corn kernel it doesn't work out well for either party. I tell myself to 'be better' constantly. Study more, pay closer attention, work out more problems -- in the end I still struggle to remember every fundamental and fact.

If you look at my transcript it's plainly evident I'm not cut out to ride with top-notch, wound up pre-medical students. I can't take another four years of memorizing trifle I can look up in books. I accept this truth. I like to write and scouts honor, I do it billennia times better than test taking. My use of the possibly made up word billennia may  negate this...

(picture source)

fdasfdsjafhds!!!#@$#@$#

marymary handmade makes awesome jewelry like this happy sloth necklace picture on your left. The proper fireblasting of science and nature into wearable pieces of art completes my day!

For your viewing pleasure!

I appreciate a good cheeseball lab safety video from the early nineties. Safety is important! You'd never want your lab partner to accidentally acid wash your jeans! Watch all four parts on the scienceclassinfo channel if you're ambitious...

the illest photo blog on the block

I get nerdy eyegasms from fresh photons, a tumblr-hosted, science-based picture dump.

do not want!

THIS IS NOT GOOD!

(found via this blog)

'"Well, my name is Claire Trimer and I'm a baby sloth wrangler."' -- sunnydale22, youtube.com

In tandem with my second-to-last post you should make a mental note that sloths are fucking awesome and one of my favorite animals. I'm going to develop a new section of this blog (along with my from the lab bench segments and uncommon quarks) devoted to unparalleled badassery of the animal kingdom. I'm on a little Life of Pi high. Let the term "sloth sanctuary" resonate on your tongue for a sec because it's a complete redundancy (see video below)!

A sloth's entire life is a sanctuary until he descends downward from his tree to take his weekly dump. True fact, thanks to wiki, a sloth poops once a week into the same handcrafted dirt hole. This dump-dive is when the sloth is at his most vulnerable. How vulnerable do YOU feel when you poo? Yeah...the similarities between humans and our primal ancestors run deep. If you don't believe me, let my man Attenborough tell you. BOO!

Some link love for my lackadaisical lifemates? No prob. 

Three-toed sloth love at National Geographic. 

Semi-funny SNL digital short honoring sloths.

Sloths.org is a site of sloth photography (yeah, this exists). 

Lastly and most importantly The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica!

I'll be shocked if someone reads this

salvation army post #3

This reminds me of Blood, Sweat & Tears the band my parents are into.

Friday night blog sesh anyone? As far as the Salvation Army goes, I'm intrigued. I had no idea the organization was so Jesus-y. Um, I guess pulling into a church parking lot was a dead giveaway. I find religion fascinating and cRaZyYYYYYY. If an organization is doing good for others by way of faith and in a respectful manner I'm all for it. However, if the motivations behind a groups deeds are to fulfill an agenda, BOO! That's dumb in my opinion. Others will argue, who cares about an agenda as long as they are getting the job done? I dunno. If an earthquake trampled my home, livelihood and family the only thing on my mind would be survival, my loved ones and the bare necessities. Not scripture or God's ultimate plan. Prayer is a personal journey and if the afflicted find solace in doing so that is their decision.

Would you willingly read a blog about the Salvation Army? I wouldn't. How much can be said? "Salvation army started in blah blah blah. I sorted yellow balls. They have a pretty decent facility. Volunteer your time. It makes you feel good because you contribute a priceless gift to your community. They help alcoholics." Perhaps it's our paltry attempt at spreading awareness which is cool but trying to motivate others is questionable. I find people who want to help have the match lit under their asses already. Listening to me garble on about the cause is...well, sad.

Story of my life.

salvation army post #2

I would rather study for my biochemistry exam than help at the Salvation Army this afternoon. I know, I know...it's only two hours that I'd usually nap away anyway. I've managed B's on the past two exams but I'm desperate to raise my grade before the semester's end. I have so much to do before the summer each moment I salvage is precious. I wonder what we'll be doing at Salvation. Rumor has it something outside but today's weather mimics the gloom-and-doom of an overcast winter day. Did you know the Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian church?

My dumbass had the opportunity to register for algebra months ago.

I feel like a muppet baby.

salvation army post #1

It was nice helping out at the Salvation Army last Thursday because I spend an inordinate amount of time absorbed in myself -- my schoolwork, my family and friends, my dog, my various internet pursuits, yadda yadda yadda. Don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger to volunteer work. I spent a year + cleaning cages at Leader Dog for the Blind but I was wholly motivated by self interest and adding a notch to ye old veterinary school app. It was a good diversion from ordinary academia and a well-needed reminder that people exist who are less fortunate.

lub-dub: a whale song

Blue whale heart posted reddit a day or two ago. Wowzaaa!

k-i-s-s-i-n-g

The Science of Kissing by Sheril Kirshenbaum was a "meh" read. I loaded up my kindle with new and noteworthy books before I headed to California and this tome about why people love or loathe tonsil hockey was included. Maybe it's because I'm already aware of basic anthropology, human behavior and  biology but I wasn't exactly blown away. The book totes some interesting historical lessons about kissing and interludes into the evolution of my favorite pastime--making out, duh. The final chapters regale information about the threesome we technically experience while kissing another. No, Charlie Sheen is not on this party train (wow, I need to quit with Charlie Sheen references). It's bacteria you dupe! The book concludes with current kissing experimentation in the works.

I would include more information about this book but I read it two weeks ago and you can obviously tell what kind of impact it had on me.

I think I'll end with this nugget of an infographic I found on tumblr:

bone? this way

Snoop Dogg was quoted this week saying he'd be too scared to engage in sex with Lady Gaga. He might be right! In her latest music video for the song Born this Way, Gaga dons skeleton face make-up as she dances around in a black tux. Let me not be the first to say that whole music video is a mind fuck. Anywho, her bony counter part is Canadian body-moder Rick Genest. His anatomical make-up, on the other hand, is of the permanent variety. This is simply another instance where science and art coalesce or monster mash if you will.

Video can be watched here.

Photo source/artist unknown.

super nerds rejoice!

Check out these cute as fuck C-3PO and R2D2 flash drives. You can snag them on fredflare.com.

Wow, she has really big brains

Damn you faulty technology! My jeep's window regulator is busted and I'm currently stationed in their waiting room taking advantage of the free wi-fi. I suppose that's a catch-22 because having Internet access is glorious. This is a perfect opportunity to catch up on my BBC, Times, and of course, the Charlie Sheen saga. Sheesh, usually sitting in waiting rooms makes my tiger blood boil, but not today.

Since a smarty-pants like Natalie Portman won the Oscar for best actress last Sunday, the New York Times science portion came out with this article detailing the secret lives of a couple Hollywood brainy types. A worthy, quick read if you've got nothing better to do or want to push off some studying!

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Hopefully this stuff is ultra-pasteurized.

I...I...want to throw up.

Who wants to eat ice cream made from another person's bodily fluids? Not I.

shop around

I would squeal with delight if somebody presented me with these nebulae-enhanced notebooks.

Photo courtesy of freshphotons

Or this microscope necklace ($12) found on shanalogic.com.

the clever dinopsis

While I'm perusing the frozen food section of Meijer, gladiator spiders rigging booby traps to catch prey, mate!

I will be totally groove sharkin' like this guy if tomorrow's exam goes well

That's all :)

assignment: a response to Julie/Julia (for school)

bonjour bitches! I'm Julia Child!

I'm enjoying a French glass of wine while I work on these questions for school, pardon my slur (or rant).

To begin (not that anyone really cares) I didn't like the film Julie & Julia -- not the first time I saw it, nor the most recent.  I was dragged to an MJR Cineplex by my mom and accompanying neighbors on a steamy mid-August day in 2009. The mission: girls day. Why is it a requirement that on every stinking girls day I must endure at least one chick flick? Nothing against the genre (I have mad love for Meg Ryan and her kinfolk) but come on!! I oftentimes deem ear-friendly music adored by women in their early forties "mom jams" -- EVERYONE, the movie Julie & Julia is a total visual mom jam. The whole time Amy Adams whines while Meryl Streep burbles with Julia Child likeness. I don't get it. The movie's only saving grace: Stanley Tucci. Who am I kidding, I'm a Stanley Tucci fan girl. Ever since he chased down Beethoven in his cow skin boots my heart's been a flutter. Now, for the stuff you actually care about.

1. Julie Powell used her blog to relay bits and pieces of her life, specifically the Julie/Julia project. The writing is good. I'm finding words I wish I knew how to use. There is an ever present effort to give recognition to her readers. This line specifically (from October 27, 2003) made me laugh,

"God, it’s like how Hemingway would feel if he suddenly, against all his instincts and will, took a job writing Hallmark cards."

2. I think there is a definite blending of journaling and memoir. Sometimes she relays a day's events and in her most recent post (detailing Julia Child's death) she writes from the heart. A storytelling quality also exists in her posts.

3. Um, did Amy Adams utter the F word once in the movie? The real Julie seems a bit ballsier than Amy Adams piss-poor portrayal of her. I wish the real Julie played Julie in the movie -- that would have been a better spent $7 indeed. Ticket sales probably would have plummeted per my requests (damn!). AA's Julie went from super whiny to less whiny when she finally gets her end-all-be-all book deal at the film's finish. As far as authenticity goes clearly I like the real blog more. I don't think the movie makers integrated enough of it. Who would pay to see some thirty-something spat about her poorly laundered wool coat, no one cares. The screen play dabbled in enough of the blog to let the plot flow smoothly on screen.

4. The film was partially about blogging but I found part of it focused on Julie getting over whatever insecurities she harbored about her own failures and successes. The other half was Meryl Streep donning skirts aching over her bellybutton as she attempted to flambe her way through culinary adversity. The whole point was well meshed for the move because Julie looked up to Julia for strength and encouragement. Like an Aesop fable a lesson was presented, don't give up on life just because your job sucks and your friends are more successful -- good things will happen to you too!

Can you really blame Mrs. Child for not giving a turkey's tail feather about some blog in her late years? She was probably like what the hell is the Internet? All that was on her mind in '04 was getting drunk on wine that had notes of dunkaroos in its bouquet (just like me).

To conclude, I hope this makes sense.

apollonian gasket, explained

If you've eve been like "wudduhfuh is an apollonian gasket??" let this little spark plug explain it to you: 

Rightly so, my job was just made a LOT easier. 

name change

Eminem? Circa your cinematic debut? Is that you?

There??? Did this lovely dissection graphic get your attention? I decided to change my url from littleowlsong (because the name does not reflect the content of my posts) to fromthelabbench.blogspot.com. Capice?

Photo courtesy of freshphotons

from the lab bench - Tyler Durden edition

Ya know that scene in Fight Club where Brad Pitt licks his lips, smacks them together and plants a nice one upon Edward Norton's hand?  Afterward Mr. Pitt liberally dusts a fine white powder atop the new kiss which sends Mr. Norton into a writhing pain? If you don't, care if I remind you?

Lye! Fantastic lye, also known as sodium hydroxide or NaOH mixed with a little saliva are the agents of this excruciating chemical burn. If you've seen Fight Club you're aware lye is often an ingredient used in soap making and in the manufacturing of paper products and whatnot. Yesterday I had the pleasure of mixing up a solution of sodium hydroxide to act as a buffer and decrease the pH of another solution. I accurately measured out solid chips of NaOH with still hands comparable to a surgeons. I then added the chips to a beaker containing the corresponding amount of water to make a 4 normal sodium hydroxide solution. This beaker, with stirring rod in tow, was carefully placed on a hot plate to ensure proper mixing. As the NaOH pellets interact with the water, heat can be seen dissipating from the beaker (the same kind of heat plundering Ed's hand). No wonder another name for sodium hydroxide is "caustic soda".

consider the following?

Long time no post, eh? Sorry for the blog neglect, and erm...a little homework neglect as well. Let's see, if you didn't know, I spent the last week in California which is why my head has been up my arse in regards to "real work". Spring break is almost over and I have quite a bit to accomplish in the coming days. Biochemistry test on Monday and I'm ill prepared at the moment. Luckily I am equipped with a semester's worth of cell biology crammed into my tiny noggin and the coming test covers the amazing biomolecule protein. Many hours will be spent in the lab between Monday and Thursday learning tissue culture and what not. The cherry on top of my sundae has to be the organic chemistry test falling on Thursday, March 3rd. I think I'll write about some other stuff because my life, is boring.

Photo courtesy of blueginjava.tumblr.com

Why my memory is my memoir

I wrote my memoir about running when it hits forty because I miss warm weather. I like warm weather and feel isolated in my home once winter creeps up and taps me on the shoulder like a big fat jerk. I didn't really extrapolate on my cabin fever in the memoir because I didn't have time to. Sorry about the giant space after the title I'm not sure why formatting was acting stupid on me -- perhaps it has something to do with copy and pasting my work from Word.

In the meantime, Happy Valentine's Day all! 

You might as well thank your biochemistry for all those lovey-dovey happy feelings being in love makes you feel. Sorry oxytocin, you need a shout out too!

Oh, what? Too cynical? Fine. It's the human condition to fall in love. Now leave me to my box of chocolates, har-har.

Thank you tumblr for pretty pictures.

writing On Writing...

I own two Stephen King books -- The Shining and The Cell. I have yet to read either, but I just might after reading exactly 35% (100 pages, hah) of his book On Writing. I'm tossing around reading the remaining 65% of On Writing because, shockingly enough, it's a good book and might just end my inability-to-finish-a-book slump. His writing isn't bogged down with fluff. Pretty language isn't a bad thing but when you're used to reading Tolstoy-thick research papers, being concise is much appreciated.  

Stephen King doesn't suck. He's a gazillionaire penning a bunch of bestselling genre-spanning novels. I'm surely interested in what kind of creep weirdo wrote the book It, aren't you? Perhaps this is more attributed to Stanley Kubrick's evil genius film making but I recall a spine-tingly sensation across my back as the hallucinatory hotel blood river scene surged across my Zenith's screen. 

King constructs his memories in On Writing with a fluidity that allows for a proper melding of space and time. It's really cool. He admits he can't recall a great deal from his early childhood but he manages to touch on it with funny (and some grossly sad) anecdotes. I think these are needed to get the full picture of King's semi-permanent roots and how he came to write. 

The book reads like a good story but generally I think there are elements of storytelling in memoirs. King doesn't get all gooey and melt to pieces but he's speaks of being rejected and his struggles young writer. I'm worried I will have an early 1970s Stephen King moment after graduation. No one will want me to pipette in their test tubes...wait, that doesn't sound quite right, sigh... It's possible he wasn't supposed to publish Carrie until 1974 and the universe wouldn't make sense if he wrote it a moment sooner or later. It took his wife's reassurance to let him know he had something. 

I'd like to finish the book before I speculate as to what King's big take home is with On Writing. When King talks of his childhood, was anyone else unable to shake the image of Gordie/young Wil Wheaton from Stand By Me from their brain? 

A great to-do list

I'm not looking forward to scheduling classes for the summer and fall. I have no plan and I suck at going to see advisors. I also need to take a math placement exam at Macomb because surprise! I have yet to take any math classes for some odd reason. I like math too, it's something structured when my life is chaotic. I figured I would delay an algebra class because I need to take my GRE come August and a refresher in math is much needed.

I'm also starting to look at graduate programs and applying this fall is a daunting task. Along with the cost of the GRE, application fees go hand in hand with applying. Do not get me started on how much it costs to actually attend graduate school. Is succumbing to the man and getting a job a better option? I don't think so, I don't want to cut my educational adventures short. Before I know it I'll be three kids deep and the whole thing'll be a bust.

For the time being, I'm more interested in investing in my ever-increasing book collection. My latest purchase: Final Exits by Michael Largo is an illustrated encyclopedia of how we die. While at the Borders counter I also picked up a copy of Szunyoghy and Feher's Human Anatomy for Artists for ten bucks, hell yeah! I sincerely believe the cashier was questioning my motives, but trust I have none. I just love books, especially ones on anatomy. It's like a weakness. This past Christmas I received a copy of the Barnes and Noble G'd out special edition of Grey's Anatomy with all the bells and whistles. It's gorgeous. 

It's time to get serious though. I must allocate my funds to impending doom and rejection. Hey adulthood, when did you spring up and start feeling real??

insect lore

Ming-baby

I'm majorly distracted right now. This usually happens before a big exam, like this coming Friday in biochemistry. Well, in the tradition of procrastination, I figured I'd post some pictures of my summertime pets. I purchased two praying mantis egg sacs at the beginning of summer from English Gardens and the results were these amazing creatures. One-hundred to 200 translucent mini-mantises (I'm talking a centimeter big) hatched from one sac. This is Ming, she lived in my front bush for two months and I peeped on her daily chillin'.

guess who (hint: I chose a TV character)

Wow! Another eventful evening spent at the Cheesecake Factory serving some pleasant but mostly ungrateful patrons. My feet are KILLING me. I would love nothing more than to strip down, take a bath and enjoy a nice glass of wine or two while I’m at it! Oh shoot I almost forgot…the guys are expecting me across the hall.

I wonder what crude remarks Howard will make tonight, and in what language. Ya know, scratch that. Ever since I hooked him up with Bernadette he’s been much less, umm, disturbing. I really should watch what I write on this thing cause I don't know if who and his big brain are cyber stalking me! I wonder if he’ll ever find a girlfriend. It looks pretty grim but I guess if Amy is taking up his time all the better, lol. I wonder what’s on the menu for tonight, Thai, Chinese, or pizza. Mmm, I hope Thai but I think I’ll have to take a rain check on that bath and do some therapeutic shoe shopping tomorrow. G’night all! 

from the lab bench

Chemistry, 2006 by Thomas Allen 

Yesterday (Tuesday, January 25, 2011) I spent a cool three hours getting acclimated to the lab I will be working in, hopefully, until I graduate. I observed and at one point assisted in performing a lactate assay with another student lab assistant. To phrase this as clearly as possible, a lactate assay is a test demonstrating one kind of biochemical pathway.  It involves the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which catalyzes lactate, the chemical compound in question, into pyruvate, another biologically important molecule. All of this stuff matters in processes like lactic acid fermentation, which occur when we metabolize or pump some iron. Whenever you 'feel the burn' you're actually feeling the build up of lactic acid in your muscles.

Spectrometer 20

Brown and clear bottles, some big and others small, were pulled from a fridge you neglect to store your lunch in because it's stocked with chemicals. I watched my new colleague pipette test tubes with the necessary requirements (water, buffer, LDH, etc) that allow the chemical reaction to take place. Twelve test tubes were set up with five different concentrations of lactate as well as one control. For accuracy, each concentration was allocated to two test tubes.The tubes were placed in a room temperature bath for thirty minutes and an ice bath immediately after the 30 was up. Putting the tubes into an ice bath halts the reaction. Afterward all samples were read using a Spec 20. A Spec or Spectrometer 20 is a piece of equipment that measures the amount of light absorbed by a solution (our dial was set to absorption not transmission which is the amount of light that passes through). Lastly, we attempted to construct a standard curve plotting our data, which is still in progress. Is it just me or is Excel 2010 newly confusing?

One of the better parts of this experience, thanks to funding, is not having to use wholly inaccurate rubber-bulb-big-glass-stick pipettes. Yay!! I know I will be running more assays because the whole point is to refine my laboratory techniques. 

who says scientists have no personality?

I have to leave for class in a few but my once-professor-now-boss showed me this gem yesterday:

 

the hunt

Science + art: felt and embroidery petri dishes.

Hot damn, I feel so limited. I'm on the hunt for a well-written, science related blog authored by a female. I found this chick's blog http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/ but I'm on the fence. Stephanie Chasteen is the self proclaimed "sciencegeekgirl" and she has the chops, and by chops I mean a PhD in physics, to hold that title. She posts some relatively interesting content but I feel a slight disconnection to her writing. Her posts are informative but lengthy. Lengthy because I scoured my biochemistry book all afternoon and I'm beat. I would rather find a blog more similar to mine -- student work, a little less polished and wholesome, more raw writing. I could be asking for the impossible but I might as well stick her in my RSS feed for the time being.

Photo courtesy of freshphotons

abundance

The Jeep is officially mine! My car died at the end of December (the power steering pump went causing a detrimental chain reaction) and my parents gave me their old Jeep while they went car shopping for a new one. I'm extremely lucky and incredibly fortunate.

My kindle also came in and I have something to say on the matter. First, amazon shipping never fails to impress me with their promptness. I don't mind waiting an extra few days for free shipping because I'm saving some change I can spend on Pita Pit. So, kindle came, along with a copy of my favorite Sandra Bullock movie Practical Magic and my material possessions are just making me happy as a clam for the time being. I can't get any good use out of them though because I have a biochemistry test next Friday and some mad catching up to do. 

The authentic book v. digital book debate makes my head spin. I'm a bibliophile through and through but my shelves are stocked. Moving out is going to be one giant hassle because of my ever-increasing book collection. Here is my pros and cons lists for the paperback and the pixelated.

Real books - pros

• Nothing beats the feel of a $5.99 Meijer special, it's like a textual adventure. 
• New book smell
• Sharable
• If it only cost $5.99 who cares if you spill something on it or drop it in the pool after lounging. This really depends on the book though. If Janet Evanovich's Three to Get Deadly turns into a crinkle fan I could care less but my pristine and overpriced biology reference books, it's safe to say I covet.
• Libraries and might I suggest checking out the site http://bookshelfporn.com/ if you are so willing, all you English majors creeping on my lameass blog.

Real books - cons

• Old book smell, unless you're into that sort of thing
• Books are awesome. My only real issues with them are superficial (like yellowing and mustiness) and that they take up space if you have too many.

Digital books - pros

• Storing up to 3,500 books is impressive. Even more impressive if you can read them all. This reminds me of a quote by Sylvia Plath, though a little depressing

"I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life. And I am horribly limited."

The first line rings true and the second half of the quote kills me. The great thing about books and reading is it allows you to peek inside the lives of others, feel happiness, anguish, pain, etc., fantasize and escape from the mundanities of your own existence. Yes, time is limited but I seize the opportunity to learn as much as possible while on this unbelievable floating rock. 

•  Amazon (I use amazon because I'm not familiar with other e-reader territory) offers free books 
• Ease of selection. I can start a book, realize it's stupid, and move onto something else. This might interplay with the increasing trend of generation instant gratification. 
• In tune with the last bullet, flights and layovers will be much more pleasant thanks to portability. 

Digital books - cons

• I have mentioned this in previous blog posts but story time! Story time would feel sterile on a kindle. Children's book illustrations are gorgeous which leads me to my next point...
• My future kids will be exposed to the beauty of coffee table photo memoirs like Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust. I can't see photo books translating well on a digital reader.
• Spillage. My e-reader is the gulf and my 7-11 Big Gulp is the Deepwater Horizon. Let's get real. My hugely oversimplified analogy to an Earthly offense like the complete annihilation of the gulf ecosystem and economy is not comparable.
• I'm not sure if this is a con or not but here it goes. I have no problem reading the sports section of the New York Times while on the porcelain throne. If you're an environmentally conscious citizen newspaper will be recycled anyway. While on the toilet, the proximity of e-reader/laptop/iPoo to hygienically questionable areas bothers me. 

With that, I think I'll end this ramble. If you have anything else to add or disagree with feel free to leave it here. I'll give a more proper review on functionality once I put the thing to good use!