Go Elf Your Self

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Research, if only hitting the button twice was the answer

This definitely is not supposed to happen. What are we looking at here? We're looking at the platinum electrode that broke off from the high voltage block of a Beckman Coulter PACE M/DQ Capillary Electrophoresis insturment. This is not supposed to happen normally. If you see this once in 3 years, it would be rare. To see this TWICE in a month, well, I should play the lottery apparently. These things will bend, which its done way more than its share. The capillary is more prone to breaking, but while it did break for the thrid time in a month earlier that day, this disaster shouldn't have happened. I enjoy doing research for the discover and the dificulty in figuring out what the meaning is. I didn't go into research because I wanted a 10k+ machine to beat me down and wear me out.

What this means is that the service agreement that my boss paid for (at basically the expense of me ever going to a conference) will be used a lot. I'm a researcher not a mechanic, I can hear Leonard "Bones" McCoy scream that now at Kirk and Spock. Of course, I'm dreading the next set of words, "He/She/It's dead, Jim". The other shoe will drop and I'll have done nothing but bring something to its death instead of using it like a tool to solve a problem.

Safe Havens

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"

Safe haven laws popped up in response to under sexually educated girls having babies and dumping them in the garbage literally. Why did they do this? Fear mostly. didn't want to tell their family they have had sex, much less a baby. Didn't wan to live with the burden to raise a child. Basically, as a parent, you can take your newborn to a hospital ER, say I can't, walk away, and the hospital arranges for the baby to be adopted. Simple. Only Nebraska could mess this up.

First, I lived in Nebraska while going to Creighton (where a great deal are being dropped off since it is the first major MedCenter one encounters if you take 480 going West; it's UNMC if you take I80). Nebraska is unique of all 50 states because its state assembly/legislature is unicameral, that is only one house (technially the Senate). Also, to be a legal adult you have to be 19 years old.

Because, there was no second house to review the Nebraska state haven law, no one bothered to think, maybe AGE LIMIT like the other 49 states have? It begs the question to how sadistic the parents are who first searched to see what state they could abandon their kids in after the first few who were Nebraskans were dropped off because the locals new child in Nebraska means 19 and under. The flood gates opened and kids every where dreaded the trip that said Omaha was where they were headed.

Luckily there are only a dozen or so parents so cold hearted. Unluckily, most dropped at least two. That means, we'll have two dozen really messed up people in 15-20 years. Good luck Nebraska, because you wanted results, never wanted to compromise, and still want to hold onto the spirit of the Consetoga wagon, you are now on the hook for two dozen teenagers and children.

HOPE

That's all I got to say. HOPE.

Promise to return at least the possibility of HOPE over fear.
Promise of a middle class life to HOPE you do better than your parents
HOPE your children do better than you
HOPE that people can believe in a dream
HOPE that instead of division, we have unity.
HOPE that you are poor or even not rich that your voice will be heard.

HOPE. HOPE. My god, there are moments in history. Kennedy was the first WWII generation president. His generation served until Bill Clinton the first baby boomer. Now we have the post baby boom, pre Gen X the so called Jones generation. I've just watched another generational change.
HOPE,

Sadness

Obama's grandmother passed away today. I can only hope she's proud of her grandson who should become the next president. We can put to rest any theories about why he missed campaign events last week. This lady did a wonderful job making sure he had it right in his head and heart.

I've figured it out!!!

I've finally figured out who John McCain reminds me of. Senator Kinsey (played by Ronny Cox) from Stargate SG-1. He wanted to control everything, and if he didn't, threw tantrums and tried to wreck it for everyone else. Top it off, he always said "I put my country first". That's funny, as a senator, I'd think you'd put your state's residents first and sometimes, what is good for one state isn't good for the country or other states. Anyways, he always "knew" and didn't need to listen to expierenced field commanders. Things would go well if we did it his way only. In the end, it leaves you with a parasite and spaced.

Yet another reason to vote Barack Obama. Alright, not really, but Go STEELERS tonight on Monday Night Football!!!

Happy Halloween: The Definition of Being a Man

First off, I voted yesterday. All done. Obama has at least 1 vote as do Sen Harkin, Jim Leach and handful of others as well as voting to retain all judges at this time.

Next, I'm reminded of That '70s Show where Red explains to Steven what it means to be a man. Doing things you absolutely loathe because the people you care about most want to do them or share them with you. I'm in that boat tonight. I hate Disney's High School Musical series. The songs are lame. The characters are cliches if not down right racial stereotypes (sans Zac Efron being a scholarship worthy basketball player--any college basketball fan knows if you're not recruited when you're 13/14 there is no way you'll be recruited when you're a Junior in high school). My wife is bribing me with things that I would normally accept, and I stil don't want to do it. I finally caved, went into start my CE work at about 6:45 AM today just so I'll make it on time home to leave. Definitely doing what I don't want to do all around.

Monkyes, Monkeys I say to you, MONKEYS

What? I can't have a completely silly post?

The following are questions monkeys would like elected officials to answer:

When you throw poop at each other, do you really expect it to stick and not stink?

Why does the first one who throws his poop always get thrown out of the tree?

Do you believe in evolution? What about adaptation or selection of genes due to external pressures be it sexual selection, environmental, disease or food supply?

Do you know how hard it is to only eat your nuts save your raisins for Sunday?

Prehensile tails, why the discrimination/hatred towards them?

How come we're smarter than George W. Bush?

If you blow up or screw up the planet, in 4000 years, we're gonna kick your asses. Wait, not a question, but a statement of fact.

I can't vote for any canidate for Congressman

I can't vote for either major party canidate for Congressman in the US House of Represenatives. Politically I just can't stand Marienette Miller-Meeks-R. Personally, I'm terribly disappointed in Dave Loebsak-D aka Nutsack!

When my wife was going through the immigration mess, after being told to wait 6 months for a response after being told the response will come in 6 months, and hearing nothing, I wrote a letter to both my Senators, Tom Harkin-D and Charles Grassley-R. Within 1 week I got calls, emails and letters form Sen Harkin's office. Within 3 weeks I got calls and letters from Sen Grassley's office. Grassley's staffers even apologized for not responding sooner because it went through the Washington office first before coming back to the Cedar Rapids office. Essentially they got the same responses that we got. They said this is infuriating/not right/all the things my wife and I were feeling with the process. Did it resolve anything? No. Did it make us feel better? YES. Immensely.

What did Dave Nutsack's office do? 6 months later, after the initial letters and 4 months after my wife received her Green Card/Permament Resident Status, Nutsack's office sent this tirade email on how Nutsack will fight illegal immigration. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? What the hell does her green card application have to do with illegal immigration???? Nutsack lost my vote for forever.

I think on election day (or early voting) I'll write in the name of the person Nutsack defeated in 2006 for this seat, Jim Leach, the founding member of the Obama-icans. At least his views are compatible for this area, and he's seeing beyond the direction of his party.

Why Obama not taking public financing shows McCain-Feingold work

Barack Obama, hopefully the next President of the United States, opted not to take public financing of his election campaign. He promised earlier, when he thought he may not make it out of the primaries, that he would. Than something happened. I'm a fairly late comer to the party (about May). He started getting money, lots of money, in 20s and 50s and 100s. In all political campaigns, big money donors split about equally between the canidates. Now, the small donor on the internet makes up the difference.

John McCain and Russ Fiengold wrote a law capping donations to try and prevent any one special interest from becoming beholden of a canidate. Republicans decried this as opressing free speech. It isn't. Actually it has leveled the playing field.

Howard Dean came along in 2004 before Iowa and New Hampshire and decided to use this method to reach people to give small donations. He rolled up big money, but could never translate it to people coming out and voting in January. Course, that scream didn't help either. But the revolution began. The small guys together collectively had as much pull as the big donor.

If the big money is going to split like always, where's the difference going to come in? Yep, the small money donor. Obama is going to be the first politician in a long time beholden to the people. Assaulting him for opting out of public financing is ridiculous. The people have spoken in this case. Their small donations said, Senator Obama, we're with you, please opt out.

McCain is a victim of his own doing. He may have written the law that will bring about his political downfall. The people aren't donating to him (in all fairness I do think the Republicans are 1 election behind in internet fundrasing with Ron Paul being the Howard Dean figure, buzz, crazy and money, no votes).

While that is a lot of money, but it says to me, just remember, every person who gave you $20 they probably could barely afford in this economic time. You'll owe us, Mr President. But at least he'll be willing to listen where as the previous Presidents would not.

One Great Gift

From Ungrouped Pictures

The first Chinese Emperor, almost 5000 years ago, commissioned an army to guard him in the afterlife. 1 Million Terra Cota warriors, each individually crafted were made.

From Ungrouped Pictures

That's one million custom warriors made of clay that are life size. The tomb was forgotten until nearly 15 years ago when it was rediscovered by a farmer in Shanxi province.

From Ungrouped Pictures

Now, there is a burgeoning tourist business both for foreigners and the always nationalistic Chinese to take back replicas of these warriors in scales from 4" to life sized replicas. My wife recently went home to Beijing, but traveled around as well. She got me 2 warriors in 6" scale.

From Ungrouped Pictures

Research is Insanity

Research is Einstein's definition of insanity: repeatedly doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Yesterday, I spent nearly 7 hours waiting for that little bugger of a structure to elute on my capillary column. The first 3 times it didn't, the fourth time, it was exactly where it was predicted to be. What gives? Injector variance can only explain so much. Wall, head, my brains, all over the smashed parts of the CE.

Why I (sadly) cannot support the GI Joe 25th Aniversary line

25th Aniversary Scarlet, Carded Scarlet, 1982 Scarlet

First, I'll say that I actually enjoy the appearance with the 25th aniversary GI Joe line. It takes many of the serious anatomical flaws of the A Real American Hero (ARAH) line that was from 1982 until 1994 and in various incarnations from 1997 to 1999, and 2000 to 2006. It also replaces the dreaded o-ring which was prone to breaking because it held the torso to the legs.

I consider Star Wars to be my soul, but GI Joe to be the more realistic side of my personality. My views on GI Joe have evolved as I have. I've gone away from the science fiction, laser cannon, aspects to everyone has a real (or real enough) world weapon, vehicles have to have some function, and the technology should match what is probable or available.

That said, during the 2000-2006 time frame especially, paint applicaitons and accessories improved. They could take fairly detailed or simple molds from the ARAH line, update a character, and put it out on the market. I bought a fair number during this time. Why? Some of my originals had broken thumbs, waist pieces, foot pegs, etc. Basically they were well worn toys, and I could recapture my childhood, possibly pass it on in the near future. Also, a plus is the different plastic is used in the arms/hands meaning no more broken thumbs!!!


So I have basically a "new" version of most of the classic charaters I owned and needed a replacement, and several other characters who I never was able to get. There were the same anatomical problems. The line sort of withered, never catching on with kids, and barely keeping the adult fans interested.

Than came the 25th Aniversary line. New body type eliminating the o-ring. It also moved the femur/pelvis joint to the side and instead of in front just to either side of the center line. My biggest complaint on the 25th line in terms of representation is that it doesn't hide the joint that is in the midchest representing the ribs on the lower body and they have chicken legs. These representations are fairl accurate to the card art, the comic art or the tv cartoon renderings. These figures are essentially superior to the ARAH versions. However, the technology to make them existed essentially from 2002 on. The other thing is that these are also quarter of an inch taller on average changing the scale from 3.75" to 4" scale. Why wait? Why not make these superior versions sooner? They have more articulation, they have more anatomically correct versions. The answer is probably adult GI Joe fan whining about the o-ring and body changes.


I bought these characters twice already in 25 years. I can't buy them a third time with most being in the last 5 years. I'm not totally boycotting, but I am only acquiring certain accessories, vehicles and only new characters or things called the DVD packs which bundle several figures, a build an accessory item (the M.A.S.S. Device from the original cartoon), and the DVD of 5 episodes that focuses on what was included toywise. The price point makes it the equivalent of buying a DVD movie anyways, so for the price of the movie I get a bunch of toys I can either keep or trade away to others for toys I actually want.

For this reason I don't actively collect this toy line. I realy don't actively collect Star Wars that much either. I'm only looking at comic packs for the most part in that area for pretty much the same reason (they make new characters instead of tweaking existing ones).

Fall TV 2008

So what do I watch on TV?

Daily it's the news shows, usually with a political focus. Hardball, Countdown for me. The News Hour with Jim Leher. My wife however favors CNN shows. Also, the weather on KWWL out of Waterloo, IA, the local NBC affiliate.

The thing that I watch that consumes most of my time is the NFL. On TV, it is better to watch good offenses. In the stadium it is better to watch good defense. Since I don't have the money to have tickets, offense rules the day. Usually that means teams like Indianapolis, New England, San Diego, Green Bay, Dallas, Washington and Philadelphia. It's been hard watching this season since there's been injuries and turn over of rosters on all teams but Washington and Philadelphia. But they've shown great offense, a real explosive nature. This weekend helped with the Colts absolutely clobbering the Ravens top rated defense. There's just something about on TV watching offesne the preciscion, the close up replays that TV can do at home. At the stadium, where you can see the whole field, its better to watch defense so you can see the scheme and flow and speed of the players.

Next is the 3 CSI shows. I cried last Thursday as the original debuted and they went through solving the crime of who killed Warrick. It was one of the few times that the science actually played second fiddle making it much more like a Miami episode. The scientist in me looks at half the analysis they do and go, wrong insturment, not enough calibration, wrong method on insturment, etc.

In the spring, after football is over comes 24. I didn't watch the first season, but have caught every subsquent one and seen the first season reruns. Outside of having our foreign policy lifted from this show, there's really nothing wrong with anything about it.

After that comes House. Doctors are idiots, patients lie. House is just entertaining.

I've invested 15 years in e.r., so I'm watching the last season. Don't care if the show is a shell of what it was, that I don't care about anyone anymore. Time invested, stubborness, gonna stick it out this season for no other reason than the Marc Greene flashbacks.

After that comes Star Wars Clone Wars. This series is better than the previous, however pales to the books and comics. I loathe the character of Ashoka, Anakin's padawan. I do understand the concept and it's a good concept, they need Knights, so all avaialable Jedi Knights have to train any potential learner, and he's got to not pass on his bad habbits to her, but her syntax and personality make me shiver.

Stargate Atlantis. I love Rodney McKay, what can I say? Nice long story line with Daniel Jackson from SG-1. We find out there are "evil" Asgard in the Pegasus galaxy.

Last but not least, the PBS "how to shows" which I group together since they're all shown together in a block on Saturdays here. First off is my wife's favorite, Martin Yan's China. Dumplings, noodles, traditional Chinese comfort foods. Next, Steve Ralchain's Primal Grill. It's helped a lot the last few months especially on not burning and keeping the grill clean. The New Yankee Workshop and Ask This Old House. I don't watch these as much, but tell my wife they'll help us with what to look for in a home, Hometime and This Old House.

After that, my wife watches Prison Break. I'm indifferent. She tends to download shows from China off the internet. Since I don't speak the language, I don't watch them.

Lost ID

Here is hiding in plain site.  My wife will torment me over this.  I have lost my ID today.  I went out of my building for a bit just to escape.  You have to understand I work in a big concrete building laid out like a DNA double helix (i believe I'm in a purine).  But by being on an inside wall, I no windows, no visible windows, etc.  I'm obvlivious to the weather, light/day unless I go outside or see what the little icon is on the weather report.  

From Paul's Psychotic Passages, Pics, and Passions

Well that said, lost my ID someplace between the lab and outside.  I've retraced all my steps several times.  No luck.  UGH $20 out the ass, plus gotta tell the dept secretaries/HR people to change my building access.  

The Credit Crunch/Bank Crisis

This is something that the bubba's of the world will never get. Be it their idealology, be it the fact they lack the sophistication to see the interconnected complexity, or the fact they don't want to try something, have it be ineffectual and retry it. This is and has always been about the local bank and the mortgages.

I come at this from obviously a scientist perspective as well as a more progressive. Believe it or not those things work well together. First, I believe you try something. You observe the results and make changes as needed. AS a pogressive/liberal my belief is that when things are important and hurting people, the government is the only entity that can intervene. Remember, enemies are also domestic and not always living beings.

First understand this, the problem resides with banks and their holding of mortgages. Because they are regulated, banks are not issuing loans to other banks, businesses and people right now. What normally has happened is that some Wall Street firms, foreign governments/investors, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would purchase these mortgages. Things some how got deregulated that allowed Fannie and Freddie to than sell these to Wall Street or have all of Wall Street be able to buy these directly. This has frozen. This means banks won't lend.

Additionally, this is hurting governments that depend on property taxes. They won't be able to meet their payrolls/services. That means they'll have to borrow, but guess what, they won't be able to borrow. Further catastrophe. Actually I'm reading at CNN that califorinia is at this point.

But bottom line is that this is hurting people. People have to come up with more for down payments, pay higher fees/closing costs, pay higher interest rates to get loans that they would've qualified for a year ago/historically.

Business, I have learned, use short term loans to buy things to sell or improve themselves and for payroll. They can't do this. So they have to lay off employees. They can't order new inventories. This affects the manufacturers because they can't sell their products (and if you have money), thus you can't buy it from the stores. The factory has to lay some one off because they have to halt production. The little lunch shop has to lay people off because the factory workers aren't coming in. Worse, the people aren't collecting pay checks so they can't pay back their loans further exhasburating the problem. It's a vicious circle. That's relatively simple.

The free market is an idea just like democracy and communism. The ideal is obviously not the same as the implemented version. An ideal free market would still buy these loans from banks because 90% of everyone is still paying on them. However human fear and greed are involved. The problem is no one knows when they buy these large bundle of loans what the bad 10% are. Wall Street is the way these loans are financed through bonds (mostly) and stocks (some what). No one is buying these. Now that means nothing is moving, so things are freezing up.

The Treasurery Secretary made a plan. Make me a super investor with no oversight. Congress said, not so fast. Here are the rules. You only get so much money. You have to come to try to apply it to home owners and banks with mortgages. Etc. It also includes disaster assistance for Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma for floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. Is it perfect? No. Will it work? Don't know. On short notice, it is the best we got that'll get everyone at least moving a direction.

Sadly, our leadership FAILED MISERABLY at explaining this. Actually, knowing who our leadership is, Bush, its not suprising that it failed. He's got a track record of failing at business and government.

So why take this action? First, history. Herbert Hoover. Bush still wants to avoid topping the list that Hoover usually is mentioned on, although he still has a shot at being there. More history, the do nothing, let the market fix it was very popular response in the 1880s till the 1920s for people named Vanderbilt, Rockerfeller, Morgan etc which predates Federal Reserve and deficiet spending. We have a middle class now. We don't want to regress to the robber barrons who'd be replaced by athletes and celebreties are the only ones who can afford anything. Next, and a bit more relevant historical example is Japan in the 1990s. The banks in Japan basically stopped lending saying people/businesses were overextended. The Parliment voted to do nothing. Japan's economy has basically been in a state of minimal growth, job loss, and personal bankrupcy ever since.

Now, social scientiests/economists will say that they are true scientists. That's not true. While they have theories, study patterns, test hypothesis and revise them based on their observations, they fail the final aspect of the scientific method. The ability to make predictions accurately. While I may have historical actions, this won't predict actions taken now and how they'll work. However, we can objectively state that if nothing is happening, and it's making it worse, a logical rational person could say "doing nothing will make it worse". So doing something should change if we do something. This, for the Sarah Palin's of the world, is the weak point.

The scientist in me says that's equilibrium-like. Disturbing one side, should create a ripple to affect things so it doesn't achieve the maximum settling and no action taken can reverse it. Side note, equilibrium in biology means death unless prefaced as steady state. I also believe in network biology and economics in a global scale borrrows a lot from network theory which is borrowed really from computer science. A small change at specific hub, can feed through the network to change the entire dynamics in unknown and remarkable ways. But if we don't do the right thing, guess what? We can always go back and change it.

The progessive says by directing that at the home owners, by allowing foreclosure avoidance, and banks to lend people money, should be sufficient. will it be immediate? Nope. But it will happen. Either way, it avoids the possible greater moral hazard of leaving people without jobs unable to pay what they owe further exhasburating the problem. We also avoid putting it off till later.

People who oppose this are for job losses. They are for people having their homes foreclosed. They are for governments coming up short, closing schools, not repairing road and bridges (Minneapolis/St Paul anyone???) etc. To punish the greedy and the fearful, they want to punish us all. ENOUGH. Grow a set. Sacrifice for the greater good. Suffer briefly so you don't have suffer permamently. I'm running out of euphamisms.

Wife is away...

Well my wife has gone home for the first time in almost seven years for three weeks. Believe it or not, I've been good.

What have I done? For the most part, slept. I've been sick.

I've played my choice for a video game on the Wii, The Force Unleashed. I actually started a few days before she left, but have finished the "light side ending".

I enjoyed this game. I like being able to swing the controller and have it work as a light saber. While there are almost 20 Force Powers, I only remember about 5. Which is highly effective enough for me. The biggest thing about the game are the hidden upgrades. You can upgrade your health bar, your Force Power bar (how long you can use your power before "resting"), lightsaber "crystal", light saber color crystal, light saber hilt, and holocrons. Holocrons are EU creations in which Jedi/Sith store their knowledge and pass it on for future generations. These Holocrons are accessible between levels and show concept art. Occassionally while viewing they give you a code to enter. All the codes are available online. But I only enter those the Holocrons give me.

I think I'm going to start using this to review more toys, games and shows as I remember to update, just to keep things light.

The REPUGNANT Convention

I watched 15 minutes of the Republican Convention.  I had to puke.  Number one, everything is not solemn or special.  Number two, when did all the manequins in Dillards/Von Maur/etc leave to go to St. Paul?  I have yet to meet some one who wears the american flag in every piece of clothing, but forgot that 40 years ago you were opposed to that same thing by the hippies.  

Well I went up one channel and who should appear, but everyone's favorite Libertarian kook, Ron Paul.  Course, the only part of his message that makes sense is on patriotism.  Patriots are for liberty and people, not policies and governments.  Of course, how can he say people can do what they want when they can't do everything they want to them with respect to reproduction?  Well he's got 10k or so with him.  The convention hall has a few thousand more, but will be the last time McCain ever gets that sort of crowd.  

Anyways, lets get back on topic.  So McCain picks this woman from Alaska.  She advocates she's a reformer.  She hires Abromoff's law firm.  She fires people in positions who didn't support her canidacy for mayor.  She tries to fire the cops who won't fire her former brother-in-law because he divorced her sister.  She was against the bridge to no where all along, but yet campaigned as being for the waste of money.  She advocates absitance only education.  Her daughter gets pregnant and says she'll just have to grow up fast.  .  

Maybe, just maybe, she should've said something like this, "First, don't have sex.  That way you can't get pregnant, you can't get a disease.  If you do choose to have sex, you better take the steps to make sure you don't get pregnant or diseases.  Here's how..."  It's much better than having a 17 year old girl being forced into a (sham) marriage.  Not like statistics say the younger the mother and just marrying for the sake of the child do damage to the child.  No that's science, the Republicans rejected that too.  I wish that girl well.  I wish her parents to hell for giving her such a crappy and misguided guidance.  

But enough piling on this poor woman and her beliefs.  What this says is what Obama's been saying all along.  It is about judgement.  It says, pander to women who wanted Hillary for VP after she ceded (but probably don't understand Hillary didn't want the position), pander to party who didn't want your first choices, pander to a bunch of people who called your own daughter illegitimate and worse.  

Ron Paul just went after Federal Reserve Bank.  Course, he's wrong on guns on planes.  Just because they had guns, doesn't mean they would've been drawn or not taken over. Anyways...

It says McCain is a maverick.  But do you really want a guy who doesn't get what he wants on the international scene go and respond using the military?  He's a Sectagenarian throwing a tantrum with this pick!!!  Of course, he's nearly been a washout at both the Naval Academy, Flight School, which probalby led to an inexpierenced INEPT pilot in a war zone.  What do you think the consequences would be?  Guess what, it happened.  At least, he wisened up on the ground and became a hero than.  But 5 years of car batteries to the  testes in a pool of water does something to the brain.  It doesn't make it work normal.  Guess what, you shouldn't be elegible for office, much less being in public till you can get a team of psychiatrists who can say you're not wacko.  

Barack Obama can't take a 10% chance on change.  I can't personally take some one who is impulsive, rash and has faulty wiring upstairs.  Bad judgement, bad history, bad politics and continuation of bad disproved policies.  

I think John Kerry said it best, Senator McCain is the Maverick, is against the disastorous policies of the past, is his own man.  CANIDIATE McCain is a politician, a conformist, thinks the status quo is good,  is pandering to the worst degree.  He was before it before he was against it.  John McCain is the hypocrite, the liar, and the one who has betrayed his own character and principles of the past.  If you want to make yourself about your character and convictions, don't change them and expect me or anyone else to believe them.  

Here's more of that conversation...

Mysogynist Pig: What are you still doing here?

PUMA Nutjob: Hillary was brain washed. Obama got to her and brainwashed her into nominating him

Mysogynist Pig (getting out Blackberry): One sec here. Zell, baby. You still got them dueling pistols? I want you to come to Denver and put one in me and this nut job here. ...Uh huh. Well large, small calibur, want me to see it coming whatever. Just make sure it's clean and blows both our heads clean off...No, I don't think that guy from SNL will be here too. Alright, later, thanks Senator. Ok, lady.

PUMA Nutjob: See, Obama got to him too. He's crafty, sly, and I have a $3 bill that says he's a Muslim! And that traitorus skank Pelosi never let us vote on HRC for Veep either. Instead it went to that guy.

Mysogynist Pig: Sure, listen crack pot. I could explain that to you, but alls that guy did was right the Violence Against Women Act, the Crime Bill, and a whole bunch of other stuff that basically would make it a really long time in jail should I do what needs to be done.

PUMA Nutjob: You can't buy into the propganda.

Mysogynist Pig: Olberman, get out the tazer. O'Reily's here!!!

Matthews vs the PUMAS

Now this is funny. Plants or women who are so bitter that they can't see the end game. PUMAS are the faction of nut job Hillary Clinton supporters who think they were robbed and Hillary should be the nominee or at least the Vice Presidenial nominee. The Party Unity My ASs group takes just about any rumor and believes its true. Of course, Matthews is the mysogynst who's insulted Clinton and every chance (both deserving and not). This is sort of a funny conversation. The comments are even more hillarious.

Here's a hypothetical summary of their conversation
Mysogynstic Pig: Lady, you're a whacko.

PUMA-Nut job: You're a mysogynistic pig!!!

Mysogynstic Pig: True, but you're still whackier than fruit loops in chocolate milk

PUMA-Nut: HRC will still win, even if we have to lock all the doors to force a re-vote

Mysogynstic Pig: Christ lady!!! You're almost Ron Paul Psychotic honest in your zeal. Why don't you hand me over your kids now before they end up hung from the stalls in middle school?

PUMA-Nut: I have sources

Mysogynstic Pig: You got problems, screws loose, 48 cards while playing 52 pick up.

PUMA-Nut: Obama's a Muslim

Mysogynstic Pig: McCain's a woman hating two timing, abortion clinic doctor killing record.

PUMA-Nut: I got sources.

Mysogynstic Pig: This is hopeless. Shit lady, I'm calling the cops. I've been freaked before, but you could harm some one or yourself.

Free Radicals modulate signalling

In this recent article in Nature, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature07181.html, there is talk of something that I've suspected and spent the last few years working on. Free radicals are one of the mechanisms that mediate fast synaptic transmission. In otherwords, free radicals could possibly explain why our thought seem so instantaneous and not as delayed as the whole process of synaptic release and binding and diffusion.

Let me break this down for some of the lay people out there. First, there's a molecule, a protien hormone that regulates hunger (there's several actually, but here we have one). What it does is help with mitochondrial potentials, the engery producing organelle of the cells. Most neuronal cells (both neurons and glial cells) have more mitochondria than other cells This engery production happens in the membranes of the mitochondria in several protiens aka the cytochromes. An electrial potential builds up along this chain because the membrane acts to separate charged ions on the varying sides of the membrane. Break up this chain of protiens, decoupling, and you change the potential, leave reactants (some free radicals), and have a general change in energy production.

Free radicals act fast in a bumper car like method. They bump into another molecule, not really caring what it is, and basically cause that one to become a free radical while the original goes back to "normal", and so on and so forth. Now the cytochromes use this process to transport electrons down its chain to produce energy. So where do these things go if this process isn't working? Well free radicals are fast. They difuse (travel) all over. Bumping into things. Change enough things, modulate the potential of the cell membrane, and an action potential could form leading to synaptic transmission.

My interests are in finding out what the exact radical chains are as they do this process. It's nice to know now that some one can generate them and explain how it starts. should I ever return to the neuro field full time this is where I'd like to go.

I'm back

Been awhile, been kinda crazy. Mostly in my head. Got a new job at the university of Iowa. So I quit the hellish job that caused 95% of the problems in my head.

I now do capillary electrophoresis. I work with this stuff:

Yo' momma eats this for breakfast.

Started a group with no members on Facebook for CE. About to move. What a week/year its been.