Happy 31st wedding anniversary Amma and Appa! Your dumbass daughter forgot again....but the wishes are sincere and heartfelt.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
House Vs. Grey's Anatomy
OK...so I have an unhealthy amount on interest in this show. I can't help it. Hugh Laurie has sucked me in. But, being an inherently fair person, I decided to give the other medical drama, Grey's Anatomy a chance as well. And really, there is no comparison. House wins...hands down.
Here's why:
But on the whole, if I want to watch a soap with medical miracles, I'll watch Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi Bahu thi and marvel at the 200 year-old Ba.
Unrelated aside: I'm rather sad. Dumbledore is gay!(Not being non-PC, just never pictured him as gay!) JKR can make anyone anything, now that she's wrapped it up. Next we'll find that McGonagall is a dominatrix. Whatever!
Here's why:
- House has its share of medical gaffes...but at least you have to be a doctor to figure them out. Grey's Anatomy had an infant with Rasmunssen's encephalitis. They did a hemispherectomy(!) on her. Baby still had her goldilocks post-op. We couldn't have a bald baby girl, could we? That would spoil the whole cutesy effect.
- House has drama in it.(Their favorite dialogue is: If we're right patient lives, if we're wrong patient dies. Lets test our hypothesis on our living, breathing subject.) But Grey's Anatomy has sappy drama. (Protagonist is sleeping with hot surgeon, who neglects to mention itsy-bitsy fact that he is married, leading to lots of angst. Innovative!)
- Talking about sex...House has sex in it, but they have the decency to wait until they're out of the hospital, and in the comfort of their homes(thus far..haven't watched everything.) In Grey's Anatomy, everyone's doing someone...and its always in the hospital...while they're on call. Its like they have a secret sex room (like the Room of Requirement) at their disposal 24/7.
But on the whole, if I want to watch a soap with medical miracles, I'll watch Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi Bahu thi and marvel at the 200 year-old Ba.
Unrelated aside: I'm rather sad. Dumbledore is gay!(Not being non-PC, just never pictured him as gay!) JKR can make anyone anything, now that she's wrapped it up. Next we'll find that McGonagall is a dominatrix. Whatever!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Why my life sucks...
- I'm buried under a heap of Westerns and Co-IPs and growth curves.
- My cloning isn't working.
- My PCRs have suddenly gone haywire.
- The mice are not co-operating either. Either they have some kind of flesh-eating bacterial infection or they've been bad boys and fought each other really brutally. Gruesome stuff!
- Plus I have loads of paperwork I should have done ages ago, AND the 1st rough draft of the grant due on Monday.
Tomorrow better be a better day!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
WTF news item that got my "goat" today!
Is this gem in the health and science section of the TOI website. Let me start by clarifying something. Yes. I am an idiot for reading TOI. Accepted.
But, in my defence, this article was in the health and science section. I thought it would be some study that found that scantily clad women enjoy eating meat. Bizarre..yes. I was also expecting a good laugh...which is usually why I read TOI. But reading this crapola in the morning is not conducive to completing delicate experiments with a cool head. So, I am MAD.
I don't even want to get started on the feminist(some would even call it human!) aspect of this silly article. Its beyond outrageous. Lets just focus on some of the other stuff. That way I'll feel better, and my experiments won't suffer.
Exhibit A:
Sheik Hilali said there were women who "sway suggestively" and wore make-up and immodest dress ... "and then you get a judge without mercy (rahma) and gives you 65 years".
Your grammar, dear sir, is shocking! At the very least it should be; there are women who sway suggestively(no doubt its the weed that accounts for the swaying, just like in that Hare Krishna Movie. All the women swayed as one!) and wear make-up and dress immodestly.(full stop) Then you get a judge without mercy(or even "a merciless judge" works), WHO gives you 65 years.
How shocking! A judge who sends men to jail for raping women. These Australians, I tell you. Silly buggers.
Exhibit B:
"But the problem, but the problem all began with who?"
Repetitive. Never end a sentence with who. Someone please give this Hilali dude a Wren and Martin.
Exhibit C:
The leader of the 2000 rapes in Sydney's southwest, Bilal Skaf, a Muslim, was initially sentenced to 55 years' jail, but later had the sentence reduced on appeal.
WTF is "leader of the 2000 rapes?" Could it possibly be leader of the gang that raped 2000 women? Were they going for some kind of world record maybe? Now they have clubs that have raping women on their agenda? 2 rapes, you're in. 5 and you become an associate member. 20 and you're an executive member. Great. All we need. Rapists of the world uniting in the pursuit of a singularly pure goal. Forcing themselves brutally on unwilling women.
God save me! Hilali is an ass. But thats OK...I wouldn't expect him to be anything else. The TOI journo who wrote this piece is another case altogether. And the editor (or whoever the f*&% did it!) who put in the health and science section...kudos to you. You rock! Not only do you not know the meaning of health and science, but you also managed to impair my health (my sanity is important to my health) and my science in one fell swoop. Thank you.
But, in my defence, this article was in the health and science section. I thought it would be some study that found that scantily clad women enjoy eating meat. Bizarre..yes. I was also expecting a good laugh...which is usually why I read TOI. But reading this crapola in the morning is not conducive to completing delicate experiments with a cool head. So, I am MAD.
I don't even want to get started on the feminist(some would even call it human!) aspect of this silly article. Its beyond outrageous. Lets just focus on some of the other stuff. That way I'll feel better, and my experiments won't suffer.
Exhibit A:
Sheik Hilali said there were women who "sway suggestively" and wore make-up and immodest dress ... "and then you get a judge without mercy (rahma) and gives you 65 years".
Your grammar, dear sir, is shocking! At the very least it should be; there are women who sway suggestively(no doubt its the weed that accounts for the swaying, just like in that Hare Krishna Movie. All the women swayed as one!) and wear make-up and dress immodestly.(full stop) Then you get a judge without mercy(or even "a merciless judge" works), WHO gives you 65 years.
How shocking! A judge who sends men to jail for raping women. These Australians, I tell you. Silly buggers.
Exhibit B:
"But the problem, but the problem all began with who?"
Repetitive. Never end a sentence with who. Someone please give this Hilali dude a Wren and Martin.
Exhibit C:
The leader of the 2000 rapes in Sydney's southwest, Bilal Skaf, a Muslim, was initially sentenced to 55 years' jail, but later had the sentence reduced on appeal.
WTF is "leader of the 2000 rapes?" Could it possibly be leader of the gang that raped 2000 women? Were they going for some kind of world record maybe? Now they have clubs that have raping women on their agenda? 2 rapes, you're in. 5 and you become an associate member. 20 and you're an executive member. Great. All we need. Rapists of the world uniting in the pursuit of a singularly pure goal. Forcing themselves brutally on unwilling women.
God save me! Hilali is an ass. But thats OK...I wouldn't expect him to be anything else. The TOI journo who wrote this piece is another case altogether. And the editor (or whoever the f*&% did it!) who put in the health and science section...kudos to you. You rock! Not only do you not know the meaning of health and science, but you also managed to impair my health (my sanity is important to my health) and my science in one fell swoop. Thank you.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Addicted to House...
As surely as House is addicted to Vicodin. I'm a fan.
The medicine is pretty far out. I mean.... highly trained specialists run their own lab tests, and calibrate centrifuges as well! House performs autopsies on neonates and cats with consummate ease. They misdiagnose and nearly kill their patients in practically every episode. And whats with all the breaking and entering into patients' houses?
But..Hugh Laurie does a superb job of portraying the obnoxious Dr.House. He's in your face, mean, loud-mouthed and pompous. Jesse Spencer provides the hotness factor. Allison Cameron is miss-goody-two-shoes. Omar Epps is the only one out of the three to have shown backbone thus far.(I've only watched the first 10 episodes)
But its interesting, fast-paced, and Hugh Laurie is awesome. Broodingly sexy in a crumpled-shirt wearing, I'm addicted to pain medication so-sue-me, kinda way. Girls always like the bad boys! So, I like House.
The medicine is pretty far out. I mean.... highly trained specialists run their own lab tests, and calibrate centrifuges as well! House performs autopsies on neonates and cats with consummate ease. They misdiagnose and nearly kill their patients in practically every episode. And whats with all the breaking and entering into patients' houses?
But..Hugh Laurie does a superb job of portraying the obnoxious Dr.House. He's in your face, mean, loud-mouthed and pompous. Jesse Spencer provides the hotness factor. Allison Cameron is miss-goody-two-shoes. Omar Epps is the only one out of the three to have shown backbone thus far.(I've only watched the first 10 episodes)
But its interesting, fast-paced, and Hugh Laurie is awesome. Broodingly sexy in a crumpled-shirt wearing, I'm addicted to pain medication so-sue-me, kinda way. Girls always like the bad boys! So, I like House.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A Sunday adventure: In search of the Mohawk Trail
Roomie and I chose a Sunday that was more summer than fall to chase the Mohawk Trail for some leaf-peeping. Fortified by our favorite coffee, and an Ipod filled with songs like this one, we set out to explore the fall foliage.
Our first stop was was the French King Bridge in Erving. The view from this bridge, that crosses the Connecticut River was splendiferous.
After that we promptly lost our way and ended up taking a long drive on an Interstate. But, it was not a bad thing, because we ended up at Deerfield, where the Yankee Candle Factory is located. They had a large store with every scented candle imaginable. Including some rather unimaginable fragrances like Moonlight Cove.(As far as I know neither moonlight nor coves have scents!) They also had a little village in there with a full-fledged christmas display. It was rather weird to see the make-believe snow inside, when people were in shorts outside. But, whatever. It was a rather nice display actually.
After making our way through knights and christmas trees and angels, we finally left the "Scenter of the universe", and found our way back. We drove through Greenfield and Shelburne, before making our way to the quaint little town of Shelburne Falls(no falls here, btw. We were mighty disappointed). We had heard of the Bridge of Flowers, and wanted to explore it. The first bridge we saw was the monstrosity below.
Both of us were a little taken aback. Surely, no one could call that a bridge of flowers! Fortunately, there was a real bridge of flowers, and it was very pretty. Had several species of flowers growing. Some were lovely, and some rather Chupke-Chupke evoking!
Gobi ka phool anyone?
After a leisurely stroll through the bridge, we had the most sinful ice-cream at a fudge store. I totally recommend the chunky chocolate mousse at the local fudgery in Shelburne Falls! After this sustaining nourishment, we walked through the 200 feet that made up downtown Shelburne Falls. Turns out they have a geological marvel there...glacial potholes, no less!
I dunno why, but I found those ancient potholes hilarious. I knew they were a miracle of the ice age or whatever, but all I could think of was toilet jokes. Chee! Having had our fill of potholes, we made our way back.
Our last stop was the town of Turner Falls (no falls again. Sigh!) But a lovely lake(with ducks!), and the sight of the evening sun peeking through the autumn leaves more than made up for the lack of a waterfall.
To say the fall foliage was at its peak would be an exaggeration. I think the dry weather and extended summer have put paid to those prospects. But every once in a way there would be a tree, either crisply, freshly yellow, or sunburst orange, or magnificently, flamingly red. Zimbly spectacular. It was a wonderfully picturesque drive.
A Sunday well-spent.
Our first stop was was the French King Bridge in Erving. The view from this bridge, that crosses the Connecticut River was splendiferous.
After that we promptly lost our way and ended up taking a long drive on an Interstate. But, it was not a bad thing, because we ended up at Deerfield, where the Yankee Candle Factory is located. They had a large store with every scented candle imaginable. Including some rather unimaginable fragrances like Moonlight Cove.(As far as I know neither moonlight nor coves have scents!) They also had a little village in there with a full-fledged christmas display. It was rather weird to see the make-believe snow inside, when people were in shorts outside. But, whatever. It was a rather nice display actually.
After making our way through knights and christmas trees and angels, we finally left the "Scenter of the universe", and found our way back. We drove through Greenfield and Shelburne, before making our way to the quaint little town of Shelburne Falls(no falls here, btw. We were mighty disappointed). We had heard of the Bridge of Flowers, and wanted to explore it. The first bridge we saw was the monstrosity below.
Both of us were a little taken aback. Surely, no one could call that a bridge of flowers! Fortunately, there was a real bridge of flowers, and it was very pretty. Had several species of flowers growing. Some were lovely, and some rather Chupke-Chupke evoking!
Gobi ka phool anyone?
After a leisurely stroll through the bridge, we had the most sinful ice-cream at a fudge store. I totally recommend the chunky chocolate mousse at the local fudgery in Shelburne Falls! After this sustaining nourishment, we walked through the 200 feet that made up downtown Shelburne Falls. Turns out they have a geological marvel there...glacial potholes, no less!
I dunno why, but I found those ancient potholes hilarious. I knew they were a miracle of the ice age or whatever, but all I could think of was toilet jokes. Chee! Having had our fill of potholes, we made our way back.
Our last stop was the town of Turner Falls (no falls again. Sigh!) But a lovely lake(with ducks!), and the sight of the evening sun peeking through the autumn leaves more than made up for the lack of a waterfall.
To say the fall foliage was at its peak would be an exaggeration. I think the dry weather and extended summer have put paid to those prospects. But every once in a way there would be a tree, either crisply, freshly yellow, or sunburst orange, or magnificently, flamingly red. Zimbly spectacular. It was a wonderfully picturesque drive.
A Sunday well-spent.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Breaking News
I've taken the first steps towards starting to study.
I watched 4 episodes of House, M.D back to back.
I watched 4 episodes of House, M.D back to back.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
You've got to be kidding me!
Are they freakin' serious about this?
What was the terrible movie again...Oh darling..yeh hai India!
Dumbasses! I'm sure wiser counsel will eventually prevail, but to even come up with this stuff requires creativity. Well done parliamentary standing committee. Take a bow! In fact...take a bow(Gandiva type) and stuff it up your...!
What was the terrible movie again...Oh darling..yeh hai India!
Dumbasses! I'm sure wiser counsel will eventually prevail, but to even come up with this stuff requires creativity. Well done parliamentary standing committee. Take a bow! In fact...take a bow(Gandiva type) and stuff it up your...!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Arbit stuff. (very inane)
1). Overheard at very fun party on Friday evening where several people were rather "happy"*:
X: Who is Rakhi Sawant?
Y: She kissed Mika,no?
Z: No. Mika kissed her.
X: I don't like Mika. He is nasal.
Y: Himesh is more nasal than Mika..and you like him.
Z: I like Gabroo. Thats not nasal.
Me: Whatever!
2). Same party. Different people.
A: Why is hard lemonade called hard?(This after downing a Mika's. Ooops. I mean Mike's!)
B: Because it has alcohol in it.
A: Shit. But I don't drink.
B: You do now babe!
A: Will I get high?
B: No.
A: I feel dizzy.
B: You're fine.
A: I feel like I'm slurring my speech.
B: No. You're fine.
A: I'm drunk, aren't I?
B: Oh puhleeze. Will someone give me a refill? I need more alcohol to deal with this paranoia.
3). Not only do I have a non-working dishwasher, and a broken shower faucet, but also a fridge in which everything goes bad super-quick, a stove that is emanating smoke from the wrong places, and a heating system that does not work! Fun!
4). Oh...I just remembered, add an electrical system that was installed when Edison was alive. My cup runneth over. We have a little list of what appliances we cannot operate simultaneously:
Washer+Microwave = fuse udna
AC+Washer = fuse udna
Microwave + electric room heater = fuse udna
I give up! Ennala mudila!
5). Festival season is upon us again. Oh joy! Diwali in the lab again! I hope no one asks me why we celebrate Diwali again. I'm sick of explaining the story to overgrown buffoons with an overdeveloped interest in (exotic!)Indian mythology. Yes. We have more than one God. In fact we have 33 million of them. Deal with it dudes!
6). I'm a big fan of John Milton. Actually, thats patently untrue. I've read exactly one sonnet that Milton wrote, which was in my syllabus in Class X. Everyone has read it. Its called "On his blindness". The last sentence is very famous. It goes like this:
"They also serve, who only stand and wait."
I wish HZ would apply this principle to me. I would love to just stand and wait. Or, in my case, sit in front of a laptop/TV and wait. I do promise HZ everlasting devotion in return. This came to me because lately, HZ has been "extracting day labor, night denied."
Heaves loud sigh.
*Amma, and any other relatives who are reading this: I was sober as a judge. Promise!
X: Who is Rakhi Sawant?
Y: She kissed Mika,no?
Z: No. Mika kissed her.
X: I don't like Mika. He is nasal.
Y: Himesh is more nasal than Mika..and you like him.
Z: I like Gabroo. Thats not nasal.
Me: Whatever!
2). Same party. Different people.
A: Why is hard lemonade called hard?(This after downing a Mika's. Ooops. I mean Mike's!)
B: Because it has alcohol in it.
A: Shit. But I don't drink.
B: You do now babe!
A: Will I get high?
B: No.
A: I feel dizzy.
B: You're fine.
A: I feel like I'm slurring my speech.
B: No. You're fine.
A: I'm drunk, aren't I?
B: Oh puhleeze. Will someone give me a refill? I need more alcohol to deal with this paranoia.
3). Not only do I have a non-working dishwasher, and a broken shower faucet, but also a fridge in which everything goes bad super-quick, a stove that is emanating smoke from the wrong places, and a heating system that does not work! Fun!
4). Oh...I just remembered, add an electrical system that was installed when Edison was alive. My cup runneth over. We have a little list of what appliances we cannot operate simultaneously:
Washer+Microwave = fuse udna
AC+Washer = fuse udna
Microwave + electric room heater = fuse udna
I give up! Ennala mudila!
5). Festival season is upon us again. Oh joy! Diwali in the lab again! I hope no one asks me why we celebrate Diwali again. I'm sick of explaining the story to overgrown buffoons with an overdeveloped interest in (exotic!)Indian mythology. Yes. We have more than one God. In fact we have 33 million of them. Deal with it dudes!
6). I'm a big fan of John Milton. Actually, thats patently untrue. I've read exactly one sonnet that Milton wrote, which was in my syllabus in Class X. Everyone has read it. Its called "On his blindness". The last sentence is very famous. It goes like this:
"They also serve, who only stand and wait."
I wish HZ would apply this principle to me. I would love to just stand and wait. Or, in my case, sit in front of a laptop/TV and wait. I do promise HZ everlasting devotion in return. This came to me because lately, HZ has been "extracting day labor, night denied."
Heaves loud sigh.
*Amma, and any other relatives who are reading this: I was sober as a judge. Promise!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Ethics in science
There is an interesting editorial in Nature this week about the training young scientists receive in ethical behaviour from their mentors. I reproduce parts of it below. Emphasis mine.
"Researchers have always depended on their seniors to convey the peculiar knowledge of the lab. Techniques, values, scientific judgement and survival skills are imparted by good mentors at the bench and through challenging discourse at lab meetings or in the local pub. Young scientists enjoying such inductions are popularly viewed as the lucky ones, as opposed to those reared on the 'sink or swim' principle.
Melissa Anderson and her colleagues at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis decided to investigate the relative effects of mentoring and formal instruction in setting a young scientist's ethical framework. They analysed the 3,250 respondents from a 2002 survey of about 6,900 grantees of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) who were asked about their formal ethics instruction and the informal mentoring they had received — and how these had affected their subsequent behaviour.
As many as a quarter of the NIH PhD fellows in 2000–01 had not taken ethics courses or been mentored in ethics workshops or discussion roundtables. One quarter of the survey respondents admitted that they did not feel well prepared to del with ethical issues in their work.
More positively, about 90% of both early- and late-career respondents had discussed ethics with their mentors or colleagues and had been mentored in good research practices. Among younger scientists, biologists were among the least likely to have been mentored in ethics. It seems they received more mentoring in getting financial support for their work. Social and physical science postdocs were more likely to be mentored in how to survive in their fields and develop professional relationships.
So does the extent of mentorship and/or formal ethics training correlate with behaviour? The survey asked participants to report various types of problematic behaviours. Formal instruction exerted a disappointing influence on the early-career scientists: in fact, it significantly increased the odds of poor choices when collecting and analysing data, dealing with other researchers' confidential information or allowing funders inappropriate influence. Formal training was also correlated with a higher likelihood of not giving proper credit to others. How could this be? Perhaps such courses introduce scenarios that were unimaginable beforehand while suggesting that others have got away with such behaviours.
The results of mentoring early-career scientists were better but still mixed. Research mentoring (teaching good practice and presentation of one's results) and ethics mentoring decreased the likelihood of bad behaviour in almost all categories. But receiving mentoring advice on how to survive in the field and form professional relationships, or on how to support one's research, increased misbehaviour."
That biologists get more training in writing grants than ethical behaviour I can readily believe. Its a dog-eat-dog, publish or perish, we'll scoop you if we can, no tenure if you don't have the moolah, world out there. I see PIs all around me feverishly writing...for about 6 months of the year. So, thats spot-on.
Its interesting that formal training increases the chances of misbehaviour. I don't buy that "others got away with it" theory. Surely the fact that you are presented with those scenarios should act as a deterrent, rather than encourage you. Especially when you discuss them in the context of an ethics course, where the misconduct is dissected in detail, and everyone is saying as loudly as they can that the people who did it are scum. I don't understand this one at all.
Oh well. I should just stick to writing frivolous posts about silly movies and dishwashers. This stuff makes my last few gasping grey cells writhe in agony.
"Researchers have always depended on their seniors to convey the peculiar knowledge of the lab. Techniques, values, scientific judgement and survival skills are imparted by good mentors at the bench and through challenging discourse at lab meetings or in the local pub. Young scientists enjoying such inductions are popularly viewed as the lucky ones, as opposed to those reared on the 'sink or swim' principle.
Melissa Anderson and her colleagues at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis decided to investigate the relative effects of mentoring and formal instruction in setting a young scientist's ethical framework. They analysed the 3,250 respondents from a 2002 survey of about 6,900 grantees of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) who were asked about their formal ethics instruction and the informal mentoring they had received — and how these had affected their subsequent behaviour.
As many as a quarter of the NIH PhD fellows in 2000–01 had not taken ethics courses or been mentored in ethics workshops or discussion roundtables. One quarter of the survey respondents admitted that they did not feel well prepared to del with ethical issues in their work.
More positively, about 90% of both early- and late-career respondents had discussed ethics with their mentors or colleagues and had been mentored in good research practices. Among younger scientists, biologists were among the least likely to have been mentored in ethics. It seems they received more mentoring in getting financial support for their work. Social and physical science postdocs were more likely to be mentored in how to survive in their fields and develop professional relationships.
So does the extent of mentorship and/or formal ethics training correlate with behaviour? The survey asked participants to report various types of problematic behaviours. Formal instruction exerted a disappointing influence on the early-career scientists: in fact, it significantly increased the odds of poor choices when collecting and analysing data, dealing with other researchers' confidential information or allowing funders inappropriate influence. Formal training was also correlated with a higher likelihood of not giving proper credit to others. How could this be? Perhaps such courses introduce scenarios that were unimaginable beforehand while suggesting that others have got away with such behaviours.
The results of mentoring early-career scientists were better but still mixed. Research mentoring (teaching good practice and presentation of one's results) and ethics mentoring decreased the likelihood of bad behaviour in almost all categories. But receiving mentoring advice on how to survive in the field and form professional relationships, or on how to support one's research, increased misbehaviour."
That biologists get more training in writing grants than ethical behaviour I can readily believe. Its a dog-eat-dog, publish or perish, we'll scoop you if we can, no tenure if you don't have the moolah, world out there. I see PIs all around me feverishly writing...for about 6 months of the year. So, thats spot-on.
Its interesting that formal training increases the chances of misbehaviour. I don't buy that "others got away with it" theory. Surely the fact that you are presented with those scenarios should act as a deterrent, rather than encourage you. Especially when you discuss them in the context of an ethics course, where the misconduct is dissected in detail, and everyone is saying as loudly as they can that the people who did it are scum. I don't understand this one at all.
Oh well. I should just stick to writing frivolous posts about silly movies and dishwashers. This stuff makes my last few gasping grey cells writhe in agony.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Lessons learnt from HTPL
So I watched Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Limited a few days ago. It has some very good actors in it. Shabana Azmi. Boman Irani. Abhay Deol, who is always so darn earnest its hard to dislike him. And Sandhya Mridul. Who I rather liked in Waisa Bhi Hota Hai-PartII. I don't think I've ever seen such a collection of a wonderful actors in such a mediocre movie. For what its worth, here's my take on it:
1). NRI husband: Big no no...they're all gay! Especially the ones with longish, straggly hair and mongrel-like eyes.
2). Hairstyles of the 70s should stay in the 70s...what say Mr.Irani?
3). Arjun Rampal=Sure-shot flop. (More power to him for being such a trier though.)
4). Indian men in the des: All bleddy philanderers!
5). The Lifetime Achievement Award for best portrayal of a sorry bastard belongs to Kay Kay, and Kay Kay alone. (Witness: Corporate, Hazaaron K Aisi, Life in a metro, and now HTPL) The man is a genius. Lau him.
6). Amisha Patel: There's a reason her parents gave up on her.
7). Raima Sen: Aaj ki Draupadi. No sari. Also no lajja. And no need Lord Krishna. She can pulverize the goons all by herself.
8). Scene of the movie: Boman planting a big smackeroo on Shabana's lips in broad daylight. Stylish and funny, not to mention...romantic!
9). The most important lesson I learnt from HTPL: Superpower couples exist. Now that I think about it...I think I know one. Annoyingly, cloyingly sweet, and disturbingly alike. Yeah. I know one of those couples.
10). A final thought....a burning question that was not answered in the movie: Do all superheroes wear their chaddis outside their tight tights?
1). NRI husband: Big no no...they're all gay! Especially the ones with longish, straggly hair and mongrel-like eyes.
2). Hairstyles of the 70s should stay in the 70s...what say Mr.Irani?
3). Arjun Rampal=Sure-shot flop. (More power to him for being such a trier though.)
4). Indian men in the des: All bleddy philanderers!
5). The Lifetime Achievement Award for best portrayal of a sorry bastard belongs to Kay Kay, and Kay Kay alone. (Witness: Corporate, Hazaaron K Aisi, Life in a metro, and now HTPL) The man is a genius. Lau him.
6). Amisha Patel: There's a reason her parents gave up on her.
7). Raima Sen: Aaj ki Draupadi. No sari. Also no lajja. And no need Lord Krishna. She can pulverize the goons all by herself.
8). Scene of the movie: Boman planting a big smackeroo on Shabana's lips in broad daylight. Stylish and funny, not to mention...romantic!
9). The most important lesson I learnt from HTPL: Superpower couples exist. Now that I think about it...I think I know one. Annoyingly, cloyingly sweet, and disturbingly alike. Yeah. I know one of those couples.
10). A final thought....a burning question that was not answered in the movie: Do all superheroes wear their chaddis outside their tight tights?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Existential Angst OR I'm plain pissed off today, and this is just a RANT!
Now that I have finished making my presentation for tomorrow, I can rant with a clean conscience:
1). If you must give a talk, atleast pretend to be enthusiastic about your work. If you sound bored, imagine the rest of us poor souls.
2). Actin and myosin are involved in axonal retraction. Big deal. I'm not shocked/surprised!
3). Chinese people in my lab: Its plain rude to talk in Chinese all the time when there is someone around who does not understand the language.
4). Chinese people in Science: Don't bitch about your supervisors making you work too hard. You don't have a life. You don't make an attempt to have one. You enjoy rotting in the lab on sunny weekends. You choose to do it. So don't blame it on the advisors.
Oh...and its not abnormal to NOT work an occasional weekend. Yep. Really. Try it sometime. Its called relaxing. And if you ever did it, you might be less uptight and nicer people on normal workdays.
5). Chinese people in general: Your food smells. And not in a good way either.
Yes. Very Non-PC of me , I know. But if you had to put up with the 45 minutes of whining that I had to today...you would have tossed PCness into the trash as well.
6). Speaking of food..I am never making Baingan Bharta again! Its a source of unnecessary tension between roomates who otherwise get along fine. Na banega Baingan ka Bharta, na bajegi bansuri!
This is turning out to be a very angsty week! And just last week I was informed that my posts had a "joyful ring" to them. Yeah, right!
1). If you must give a talk, atleast pretend to be enthusiastic about your work. If you sound bored, imagine the rest of us poor souls.
2). Actin and myosin are involved in axonal retraction. Big deal. I'm not shocked/surprised!
3). Chinese people in my lab: Its plain rude to talk in Chinese all the time when there is someone around who does not understand the language.
4). Chinese people in Science: Don't bitch about your supervisors making you work too hard. You don't have a life. You don't make an attempt to have one. You enjoy rotting in the lab on sunny weekends. You choose to do it. So don't blame it on the advisors.
Oh...and its not abnormal to NOT work an occasional weekend. Yep. Really. Try it sometime. Its called relaxing. And if you ever did it, you might be less uptight and nicer people on normal workdays.
5). Chinese people in general: Your food smells. And not in a good way either.
Yes. Very Non-PC of me , I know. But if you had to put up with the 45 minutes of whining that I had to today...you would have tossed PCness into the trash as well.
6). Speaking of food..I am never making Baingan Bharta again! Its a source of unnecessary tension between roomates who otherwise get along fine. Na banega Baingan ka Bharta, na bajegi bansuri!
This is turning out to be a very angsty week! And just last week I was informed that my posts had a "joyful ring" to them. Yeah, right!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
One of those days...
Some days I really love my work. Its exciting. I'm having fun doing experiments that are interesting, and actually work! Today is NOT one of those days. There is a difference between working hard, and working like a donkey. Today is a donkey day. I've been doing mundane, meaningless, trivial things that any technician with a modicum of common sense can do. And its not over yet. Sigh.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Science this week
Its been a stellar week for Telomere biologists. There are 2 great telomere papers, one in Science and the other in G&D this week. The Science paper in particular was very interesting to me. They actually show that the telomeric DNA(which is actually just several kilobases of TTAGGG repeats) is transcribed into RNA. Of course, its non-coding RNA. Its impossible to envisage that DNA forming any functional protein. But non-coding RNAs are the most interesting creatures. Last years' Nobel went to Fire & Mello for their discovery of the phenomenon of RNAi, which is mediated by small RNAs. MicroRNAs are now the flavor of the month. They have been found to be involved in gene regulation at multiple levels, not just post-transcriptional gene silencing. Both siRNAs and miRNAs are non-coding RNAs. So, the finding that telomeric DNA is actually transcribed into RNA(albeit non-coding RNA) is fascinating. The authors suggest that this RNA could play a role in regulating chromatin organization around telomeres. The fact that cellular senescence is associated with genome wide chromatin remodeling is well known. It will be interesting to see if telomeric RNA influences this process, and how it does so.
And the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology this year has been announced. Mario Capecchi and his co-winners are a long awaited choice. I remember HZ being quite ticked off last year that the discoverers of RNAi (a relatively recent finding-1998) had been honored before the people who came up with the gene targeting strategy in mice.(a discovery made in the 80s) Mario Capecchi's story is a classic. HZ related it to me last year when we were driving back from Woods Hole. Capecchi was separated from his mother at the age of 4. She was sent to a concentration camp. He lived on the streets for 4 1/2 years by himself. His mother survived the concentration camp, and they then moved to the States after the war, where he started school for the first time at the age of 9. The rest, as they say, is history. Its well known that he is a brilliant scientist. Also, I've been told he is a wonderfully supportive mentor. What an inspiring story, and what a MAN to have made his life what it is.
And the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology this year has been announced. Mario Capecchi and his co-winners are a long awaited choice. I remember HZ being quite ticked off last year that the discoverers of RNAi (a relatively recent finding-1998) had been honored before the people who came up with the gene targeting strategy in mice.(a discovery made in the 80s) Mario Capecchi's story is a classic. HZ related it to me last year when we were driving back from Woods Hole. Capecchi was separated from his mother at the age of 4. She was sent to a concentration camp. He lived on the streets for 4 1/2 years by himself. His mother survived the concentration camp, and they then moved to the States after the war, where he started school for the first time at the age of 9. The rest, as they say, is history. Its well known that he is a brilliant scientist. Also, I've been told he is a wonderfully supportive mentor. What an inspiring story, and what a MAN to have made his life what it is.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Random observations from a trip to Quincy Market
1). Haymarket is dirt cheap. Also dirty.
2). There was a man dressed in 18th century costume for no apparent reason.
3). Also had the pleasure of seeing 2 completely stoned women, sitting on a bench, doing drugs. Outside Cheers. While toddlers played with their balloons or whatever around them. Weird.
4). A troop of African-American men doing some very random "nautanki". They even had this guy who kept going "aaaooooo" like Shakti Kapoor. Lots of very silly people stood around them, gaping like idiots...and paying for that s*%t!
5). 1953 Chevrolet. Cherry-red. 2-seater. Driven by very determined dude. It took him several minutes to get her(i.e the engine) going. His wife sat beside him...giggling. I don't know if she was embarassed to be sitting in that piece of hideousness or just excited.
6). Bombay Bazaar(or something like that. The first word is definitely Bombay) makes Navratan Korma with broccoli*. Apparently, one of the 9 jewels is broccoli. Bloody baskets!
7). Pumpkin Spice Latte is the way to go at Starbucks!
8). Never place thermocol carton with Samosa in it, in your handbag. The chutney will spill all over your very nice bag, and your bag will smell tamarind-y forever.
* What do you have to do to get a decent Indian meal around this place? Udipi makes sour dosas. Bollywood Grill is overpriced. The food is just OK, and the servers are rude. India Cafe-Less said the better. Punjabi Dhaba-yuck! Its just ridiculous. I have my hopes pinned on Dosa Temple...recently opened at Framingham, where Chennai Woodlands used to be. Its vegetarian only...and the name sounds appetising. Jury's still out on this one.
2). There was a man dressed in 18th century costume for no apparent reason.
3). Also had the pleasure of seeing 2 completely stoned women, sitting on a bench, doing drugs. Outside Cheers. While toddlers played with their balloons or whatever around them. Weird.
4). A troop of African-American men doing some very random "nautanki". They even had this guy who kept going "aaaooooo" like Shakti Kapoor. Lots of very silly people stood around them, gaping like idiots...and paying for that s*%t!
5). 1953 Chevrolet. Cherry-red. 2-seater. Driven by very determined dude. It took him several minutes to get her(i.e the engine) going. His wife sat beside him...giggling. I don't know if she was embarassed to be sitting in that piece of hideousness or just excited.
6). Bombay Bazaar(or something like that. The first word is definitely Bombay) makes Navratan Korma with broccoli*. Apparently, one of the 9 jewels is broccoli. Bloody baskets!
7). Pumpkin Spice Latte is the way to go at Starbucks!
8). Never place thermocol carton with Samosa in it, in your handbag. The chutney will spill all over your very nice bag, and your bag will smell tamarind-y forever.
* What do you have to do to get a decent Indian meal around this place? Udipi makes sour dosas. Bollywood Grill is overpriced. The food is just OK, and the servers are rude. India Cafe-Less said the better. Punjabi Dhaba-yuck! Its just ridiculous. I have my hopes pinned on Dosa Temple...recently opened at Framingham, where Chennai Woodlands used to be. Its vegetarian only...and the name sounds appetising. Jury's still out on this one.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Foolish, silly Beatrice!
I am not a Shakespeare reader. The only play I ever read was "As you like it". And that because it was compulsory reading in Class X at snobby St.Mary's. But for some inexplicable reason, my Netflix queue had "Much Ado about nothing" in it. So, when it arrived yesterday, I was compelled to watch it. And I was pleasantly surprised. Because not only did I understand most part of the ye olde English, but I also enjoyed it. Excellent acting, well-made movie. Light-hearted fun.
One particular passage stuck in my head. Partly because I was so struck with it that I played it back over and over again.
DON PEDRO
Will you have me, lady?
BEATRICE
No, my lord, unless I might have another for
working-days: your grace is too costly to wear
every day. But, I beseech your grace, pardon me: I
was born to speak all mirth and no matter.
DON PEDRO
Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best
becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in
a merry hour.
Now, I have frequently thought that I was made to speak all mirth and no matter. But if Mr.Hotness Personified, Denzel Washington was telling Me that my silence offended him, and to be merry best became me...my answer would have been:
I'll get the garlands. We can cut your finger for sindoor. Chuck the mangalsutra for now. You can buy me one on our honeymoon! I'll see you at the Pahari-wala temple in five!
Update: I just remembered..I can't marry DZ. If he had said I was born in a merry hour, I would have laughed in his face, and he would have stalked off in princely anger. Because I was born under the most unfavorable nakshatram of Moolam. Merry...duh! I'm told I'm a positive harbinger of evil. So thats that. Real life obtrudes on pleasant dream scenario again. Damn!
One particular passage stuck in my head. Partly because I was so struck with it that I played it back over and over again.
DON PEDRO
Will you have me, lady?
BEATRICE
No, my lord, unless I might have another for
working-days: your grace is too costly to wear
every day. But, I beseech your grace, pardon me: I
was born to speak all mirth and no matter.
DON PEDRO
Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best
becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in
a merry hour.
Now, I have frequently thought that I was made to speak all mirth and no matter. But if Mr.Hotness Personified, Denzel Washington was telling Me that my silence offended him, and to be merry best became me...my answer would have been:
I'll get the garlands. We can cut your finger for sindoor. Chuck the mangalsutra for now. You can buy me one on our honeymoon! I'll see you at the Pahari-wala temple in five!
Update: I just remembered..I can't marry DZ. If he had said I was born in a merry hour, I would have laughed in his face, and he would have stalked off in princely anger. Because I was born under the most unfavorable nakshatram of Moolam. Merry...duh! I'm told I'm a positive harbinger of evil. So thats that. Real life obtrudes on pleasant dream scenario again. Damn!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Misery!
I have a terrible case of the sniffles. My voice sounds like a foghorn. My nose is runny. I hurt all over. Sneeze! Sneeze! Cough! Cough! I feel the flu coming on...
I really cannot work with the stinky mice today. I'm going home.
Life sucks!
Dearest Amma,
I am glad that you find my blog a source of enjoyment. I have always known that you have a fiendish sense of humour. Why else would you name me Charusheila (and spell sheila with an "ei", making it practically impossible for me to have a single important document that spells my name right?) And why else would you bestow upon me a nickname that I would never in a 100 years disclose on a blog?
In any case, being an acchi beti, I must dutifully submit that anything that brings you enjoyment, is worth doing!
Love,
Your much beleaguered daughter
In any case, being an acchi beti, I must dutifully submit that anything that brings you enjoyment, is worth doing!
Love,
Your much beleaguered daughter
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
To cheat or not to cheat...that is the question!
I was doing my weekly round of the holy trinity of scientific journals (Nature, Cell, Science) when I found this article about Woo-Suk Hwang, and how he was back in business in Thailand. It reminded me of an ethics course I took in the Spring Semester. One that I fully hated. Partly because it was organized in a manner calculated to put anyone who has an IQ above 2 to sleep. Partly because it upset me. I believe we discussed 5 cases of scientific misconduct in detail. 3 of those cases involved Indians. The other 2 were of the esteemed gentleman mentioned above, and a Japanese couple whose names I forget. In any case, all Asian.
Now, all of the cases we discussed were well-known instances of scientific misconduct. They included the Amitav Hajra case, the most astonishing tale of one Dr.Ram Singh, and the more fuzzy case of Vipin Kumar. Amitav Hajra owned up to his cheating. Dr.Ram Singh was the comic relief in this very bad Bollywood movie. He was the supremely annoying, bad "Madrasi" accented Mehmood. His most hilarious claim was that he couldn't produce the data because the termites ate it! Vipin Kumar was found guilty, but seems to have moved onto other things in life.
In any case, the reason this made me uncomfortable, was that I had to go into a room filled with 10 American students, and discuss these cases. And the question that remained unasked directly, but hung around the room like a pungent fart, was this: Are Indians more prone to cheating than people of other nationalities? They wouldn't be blamed for asking this question because 3 students(all Indian) from my class were kicked out of graduate school in the first year for plagiarism. Another 2 from the year above mine were also asked to leave around the same time for the same reason. They were Indian too. 5 cases of plagiarism in 1 year...and all of them were Indian. And while I don't know the details of the case involving the people in the year above mine(And hence,am loth to comment on them. Innocent until proven guilty and all that), I am intimately acquainted with the happenings that led to the dismissal of my colleagues. Let's just say there's no smoke without fire.
My first reaction to the choice of cases in the ethics course was that of anger. I felt that the person organizing the course had deliberately picked these cases. Why, I don't know. She could just be racist, or she may want to prove a point in a very obvious way. To give her the benefit of the doubt, she could also be insensitive enough to not realize that she had picked cases that were overwhelmingly from 1 community, and hence might be construed as offensive. It bothered me to the extent that I went around asking faculty members in my department whether they felt that they had seen more cases of scientific misconduct by Asians than Americans. Every person I asked said No. One of them even suggested I make my displeasure known to higher authorities. Which of course, being a spineless wimp, I didn't do.
But after I gave it some thought, I realized that we are a country where integrity is given short shrift. If you get caught by a "mama" for not wearing a helmet, you quickly whip out a Rs.50 note, and you're on your way. If you want to get your drivers' license, don't even think about going to the RTO without an "agent" to smooth your way. You want an internship completion certificate, when you didn't do your rural posting...Rs.3000, and you're home free. I remember one Obs/Gynae exam that we took in the third year. Every single student in the class barring me and a bosom pal, had their textbooks open underneath their desks. The Proctor knew what was going on. She just didn't care. Chalta hai, na!
We do seem to accept corruption without question in India. Is this why we cheat? Because we don't see it as wrong? Or are the incidents above isolated cases? I believe they are. I think it is always a deeply personal choice to cheat. Just like the way people choose to fall in love with A instead of B, or prefer Palak Paneer to Baingan Bartha. I'm in agreement with the author of this excellent article. But I can't help wondering if our morals have been slightly loosened by the nonchalant acceptance of what is clearly wrong in our country. I hope not.
Now, all of the cases we discussed were well-known instances of scientific misconduct. They included the Amitav Hajra case, the most astonishing tale of one Dr.Ram Singh, and the more fuzzy case of Vipin Kumar. Amitav Hajra owned up to his cheating. Dr.Ram Singh was the comic relief in this very bad Bollywood movie. He was the supremely annoying, bad "Madrasi" accented Mehmood. His most hilarious claim was that he couldn't produce the data because the termites ate it! Vipin Kumar was found guilty, but seems to have moved onto other things in life.
In any case, the reason this made me uncomfortable, was that I had to go into a room filled with 10 American students, and discuss these cases. And the question that remained unasked directly, but hung around the room like a pungent fart, was this: Are Indians more prone to cheating than people of other nationalities? They wouldn't be blamed for asking this question because 3 students(all Indian) from my class were kicked out of graduate school in the first year for plagiarism. Another 2 from the year above mine were also asked to leave around the same time for the same reason. They were Indian too. 5 cases of plagiarism in 1 year...and all of them were Indian. And while I don't know the details of the case involving the people in the year above mine(And hence,am loth to comment on them. Innocent until proven guilty and all that), I am intimately acquainted with the happenings that led to the dismissal of my colleagues. Let's just say there's no smoke without fire.
My first reaction to the choice of cases in the ethics course was that of anger. I felt that the person organizing the course had deliberately picked these cases. Why, I don't know. She could just be racist, or she may want to prove a point in a very obvious way. To give her the benefit of the doubt, she could also be insensitive enough to not realize that she had picked cases that were overwhelmingly from 1 community, and hence might be construed as offensive. It bothered me to the extent that I went around asking faculty members in my department whether they felt that they had seen more cases of scientific misconduct by Asians than Americans. Every person I asked said No. One of them even suggested I make my displeasure known to higher authorities. Which of course, being a spineless wimp, I didn't do.
But after I gave it some thought, I realized that we are a country where integrity is given short shrift. If you get caught by a "mama" for not wearing a helmet, you quickly whip out a Rs.50 note, and you're on your way. If you want to get your drivers' license, don't even think about going to the RTO without an "agent" to smooth your way. You want an internship completion certificate, when you didn't do your rural posting...Rs.3000, and you're home free. I remember one Obs/Gynae exam that we took in the third year. Every single student in the class barring me and a bosom pal, had their textbooks open underneath their desks. The Proctor knew what was going on. She just didn't care. Chalta hai, na!
We do seem to accept corruption without question in India. Is this why we cheat? Because we don't see it as wrong? Or are the incidents above isolated cases? I believe they are. I think it is always a deeply personal choice to cheat. Just like the way people choose to fall in love with A instead of B, or prefer Palak Paneer to Baingan Bartha. I'm in agreement with the author of this excellent article. But I can't help wondering if our morals have been slightly loosened by the nonchalant acceptance of what is clearly wrong in our country. I hope not.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Carpe Diem.....ummm...err...not really!
"Carpe Diem", said Robin Williams in "Dead Poets' Society", which I watched last night. Seize the day! It seemed to work for the young men around him. They certainly were inspired. Me..not so much. The movie was just OK. Some parts were OTT. And they spent way too much time over the suicide scene. I mean...you know the kid is going to kill himself. Why spend 10 minutes dressing it up, or in this case, dressing him down? And now I know where Robin Williams started with the whole eccentric, free-thinking professor role that he finished so well in Good Will Hunting. Now that, was a great movie. Matt Damon was brilliant, not to mention, easy on the eyes.
In any case, this is not a review of DPS or GWH. This is about the fact that I've been trying to Carpe Diem for the last 1 week now, without success. Its much easier to BS on my blog, than to actually write a grant, which needs to make enough scientific sense for the reviewer to consider handing over a reasonable sum of money over to me. So I can make that long awaited trip to Naples.
I'm off to try and think up a brilliant hypothesis..or atleast, one that sounds plausible.
In any case, this is not a review of DPS or GWH. This is about the fact that I've been trying to Carpe Diem for the last 1 week now, without success. Its much easier to BS on my blog, than to actually write a grant, which needs to make enough scientific sense for the reviewer to consider handing over a reasonable sum of money over to me. So I can make that long awaited trip to Naples.
I'm off to try and think up a brilliant hypothesis..or atleast, one that sounds plausible.
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