But I have been busy with my modeling career as a taco costume model. As you may imagine, with "Dia de los Muertos" coming up business is crazy right now. To top things off it has been somewhat busy at work, partly due to my inability to use silencing RNAs to knockdown expression of a gene of interest. Of course it just dawned on me that silencing technology and me must be the biggest scientific oxymoron in history. After all my middle name is Chatter Box.
On a semi-serious note, I do want give big kudos to a middle-aged lady that we see every morning on our way to work in a nearby road. Every morning we see her on her jogging attire power-walking with a grocery store bag where she puts an assortment of trash that litters the roads she walks on. Needless to say, she does this without a thank you from anyone and does a great service to the neighborhood. While I am sure she will never read this I want to send an electronic Thank You to you for your unselfish behavior and may you get many years of good karma.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Farming
Some time ago Nate recommended that I read Collapse by Jared Diamond. I started the book while we were in Pittsburgh and I must say that I am impressed, and overwhelmed, so far. The first chapter of the book, covering the environmental, social, and economic difficulties of the state of Montana is incredibly interesting.
One part I thought was incredibly interesting was the complications associated with farming. Now, I have heard about pesticides and fertilizer run-offs polluting the water supply but Diamond also talks about weeds, salt content, crop types, and other factors that can greatly influence the fertility of the soil as well as the surrounding water supply and environment. I guess what I am trying to say is that I never thought about how complicated farming can be. Farming is not only about growing your crops and making sure the area you farm is well taken care of, but also involves minimizing the effects of farming on the surrounding environment.
I bring this up because Nat and I like to grow vegetables and spices in a small plot in our yard and I have been thinking about starting such a plot in our new house. When planning out what it would take to set up the plot my main concern was about what I could add to the clay-rich soil we have in our backyard to foment the growth of our crops. My thought process never took into account that tilling the soil, or planting certain crops, or even introducing certain crops could result into irreversible or damaging effects to our surrounding environment.
Furthermore, it made me realize that while I always thought that the study of the environment was complicated, I greatly underestimated how complicated environmental interactions really are. Forget global warming, how about we try to figure out how to not exterminate everything in our sights as we continue to build suburbs everywhere we can.
One part I thought was incredibly interesting was the complications associated with farming. Now, I have heard about pesticides and fertilizer run-offs polluting the water supply but Diamond also talks about weeds, salt content, crop types, and other factors that can greatly influence the fertility of the soil as well as the surrounding water supply and environment. I guess what I am trying to say is that I never thought about how complicated farming can be. Farming is not only about growing your crops and making sure the area you farm is well taken care of, but also involves minimizing the effects of farming on the surrounding environment.
I bring this up because Nat and I like to grow vegetables and spices in a small plot in our yard and I have been thinking about starting such a plot in our new house. When planning out what it would take to set up the plot my main concern was about what I could add to the clay-rich soil we have in our backyard to foment the growth of our crops. My thought process never took into account that tilling the soil, or planting certain crops, or even introducing certain crops could result into irreversible or damaging effects to our surrounding environment.
Furthermore, it made me realize that while I always thought that the study of the environment was complicated, I greatly underestimated how complicated environmental interactions really are. Forget global warming, how about we try to figure out how to not exterminate everything in our sights as we continue to build suburbs everywhere we can.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Price of Health
As many of you know, Nat and I flew up north to visit her folks and brother in Pittsburgh. Nat's dad has been going through the rigors of chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Thankfully, although he has lost a ton of weight due in part to the chemo and in part to a strong dose of antibiotics to treat an infection he looked in great spirits. It is pretty crazy to think that the body can handle the abuse of chemo and still function somewhat ok. After all, the treatment targets actively dividing cells and there are lots of those in the body.
One aspect of the treatment that cannot be underscored enough is the incredible cost. Medical bills for the hospital stays, surgeries, treatments, drugs, and apparatus that are needed for all of this to work pile up incredibly fast. If I recall correctly, the cost of each treatment of chemo, of which there is going to be between 8 and 12, costs upwards of $10,000 (I think the actual figure is 12-16K). Since all of this started the medical bills have been upwards of $160,000!!! Thankfully, my in-laws have medical insurance in the form of Medicare as well as Medi-gap. What this means is that bills that would have otherwise bankrupted them are manageable and allow them to focus on the task of getting healthy again rather than worrying about the bills.
On the other hand, there are lots of people out there that do not have the luxury of medical insurance and are left with bills that will basically ruin their financial future. Where I understand that people worry that having nationwide health insurance may lead to abuse of the system, I find it hard to understand how people can so easily place a dollar value on someone's health. Yes, nationwide health insurance will undoubtedly lead to some people abusing the system, but the cost of such cases will be spread over such a large number of people (taxpayers) that the hit will be minute.
For those arguing that the quality of health care will be affected, I would like to point to several European countries that have excellent health care while still having nationwide coverage for their citizens. Furthermore, the rich can still pay for private health care if they choose so. And if this is too much of a stretch, how about at least guaranteeing that every child is at least covered? Is there any reason why a kid should not receive health care?
I just hope that when people hit the ballot boxes they vote based on principles rather than blindly based on party lines. There are as many good and bad Democrats as Republicans as Independents out there.
One aspect of the treatment that cannot be underscored enough is the incredible cost. Medical bills for the hospital stays, surgeries, treatments, drugs, and apparatus that are needed for all of this to work pile up incredibly fast. If I recall correctly, the cost of each treatment of chemo, of which there is going to be between 8 and 12, costs upwards of $10,000 (I think the actual figure is 12-16K). Since all of this started the medical bills have been upwards of $160,000!!! Thankfully, my in-laws have medical insurance in the form of Medicare as well as Medi-gap. What this means is that bills that would have otherwise bankrupted them are manageable and allow them to focus on the task of getting healthy again rather than worrying about the bills.
On the other hand, there are lots of people out there that do not have the luxury of medical insurance and are left with bills that will basically ruin their financial future. Where I understand that people worry that having nationwide health insurance may lead to abuse of the system, I find it hard to understand how people can so easily place a dollar value on someone's health. Yes, nationwide health insurance will undoubtedly lead to some people abusing the system, but the cost of such cases will be spread over such a large number of people (taxpayers) that the hit will be minute.
For those arguing that the quality of health care will be affected, I would like to point to several European countries that have excellent health care while still having nationwide coverage for their citizens. Furthermore, the rich can still pay for private health care if they choose so. And if this is too much of a stretch, how about at least guaranteeing that every child is at least covered? Is there any reason why a kid should not receive health care?
I just hope that when people hit the ballot boxes they vote based on principles rather than blindly based on party lines. There are as many good and bad Democrats as Republicans as Independents out there.
Monday, September 3, 2007
I have a dream
Continuing with the baby theme that seems to be running amongst the readers and writers of blogs, I had a dream last night about a baby, a human one this time, being in our midst. While I don't recall the entire dream, I remember the best part. That is, I was pushing a stroller and suddenly I paused and peeked inside it. In the strolled there was a baby, which in the dream I knew was mine. The baby looked fairly normal except that it had quite a bit of thick hair and a pair of thick sideburns. When I say sideburns, I mean Elvis, the 70s, Jemaine (see below and please see The Flight of the Conchords on HBO or You Tube).
All I need is Aaron to dig up his dream book and translate this dream for me. Mexican baby with a lot of hair and chops. I am sure this means that my kid is going to be musical.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Burn baby, burn!
What happens if you grab a bottle of very hot agar with a paper towel and you stupidly swirl it to make sure that it has all melted?
Even better than the huge blister was getting a phone call from our neighbor to let me know that the old owner of the house, the racist ones that live down the street, are complaining about the look of our new fence. Apparently the lattice atop the old fence does not qualify as visually pleasing to her so she is thinking about sending an "anonymous" complaint to the home owner's association. I have not seen the by laws but I sure hope that they can tell me exactly what a pretty fence is supposed to look like.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Who do you root for?
With college football starting up this weekend, college fanatics are running around the country proudly displaying their school colors. This morning, for example, I came to work with my UNC hat, coffee mug, and T-shirt, clearly leaving no question as to my affiliation with the program. For those of us that have done more schooling after our undergrad experience, affiliation with one sports program over another can be tough. In my case, even though I went to a big DI school, Arizona State, and I had a fairly good time there, I was not enveloped by the sports programs there.
For one, I never felt like the campus fully backed their sports teams, which doesn't help an undergrad that didn't grow up watching their sports teams become part of the fan base. Also, with the Arizona Cardinals playing in the same stadium as the Sun Devils, and me having strong feelings against that franchise, it created more of a distance between me and the team. I also lived off campus thus keeping me from some of the in-campus activities that foster team spirit. Lastly, ASU didn't really have an alternative sports program that was promoted enough for fans to attend to. The basketball team stunk something else and while the baseball team has been fantastic for quite some time, I never felt like it was promoted enough and I just missed out on it. In the end, I just made it through 4 years of undergrad basically having attended 1 sports event I can remember, a University of Arizona-ASU basketball game that ASU miraculosly won. Oddly enough, I have found myself following ASU athletics more since I left ASU.
This brings me to UNC. When it comes to college spirit and making you feel part of the family, UNC is completely opposite to ASU. I am sure having one of the classiest DI basketball programs helps, but when I started graduate school in 2002 the pride and joy of the town was the soccer program. Even so, from day one I was enveloped in what it is to be a Tar Heel. The wonderful college atmosphere of the Chapel Hill campus is at polar opposites of the metropolitan ASU campus, and even Vanderbilt campus where I work now. Living in Chapel Hill means being and breathing Tar Heel blue. It is ubiquitous, from the stadium seats, to the subsidized public transportation, to the wonderful Carolina Blue fire engines. That said, while a college campus helps foment crazed fans, it is not an absolute requirement. I had the pleasure of interviewing at the University of Texas-Austin when I was looking at graduate programs. While UT is in Austin, a decently sized metro area, it still breathes UT athletics.
While I think a very important factor in creating a good collegiate atmosphere is winning, there are plenty of programs out there with deranged fans that do not win on a frequent basis, especially in the big 3-football, basketball, baseball (think Ivy League, for example). Another factor is the close to religious experience that it can be to attend a sporting event.
My first year at UNC, coming off an 8-20 season, I attended a fall 2002 game between UNC and a low end DI program. Our seats were on the last row of the Dean Dome and for someone that didn't grow up watching UNC-basketball this should have been nothing more than attending a basketball game between a big DI program and a small one. Yet, I clearly remember getting goose bumps when I reached my seat and turned around to see the beautiful hardwood court of the Dean Dome. Then, I was baptized a Tar Heel when the team hit the hardwood minutes before the start of the game and the crowd started chanting:
For one, I never felt like the campus fully backed their sports teams, which doesn't help an undergrad that didn't grow up watching their sports teams become part of the fan base. Also, with the Arizona Cardinals playing in the same stadium as the Sun Devils, and me having strong feelings against that franchise, it created more of a distance between me and the team. I also lived off campus thus keeping me from some of the in-campus activities that foster team spirit. Lastly, ASU didn't really have an alternative sports program that was promoted enough for fans to attend to. The basketball team stunk something else and while the baseball team has been fantastic for quite some time, I never felt like it was promoted enough and I just missed out on it. In the end, I just made it through 4 years of undergrad basically having attended 1 sports event I can remember, a University of Arizona-ASU basketball game that ASU miraculosly won. Oddly enough, I have found myself following ASU athletics more since I left ASU.
This brings me to UNC. When it comes to college spirit and making you feel part of the family, UNC is completely opposite to ASU. I am sure having one of the classiest DI basketball programs helps, but when I started graduate school in 2002 the pride and joy of the town was the soccer program. Even so, from day one I was enveloped in what it is to be a Tar Heel. The wonderful college atmosphere of the Chapel Hill campus is at polar opposites of the metropolitan ASU campus, and even Vanderbilt campus where I work now. Living in Chapel Hill means being and breathing Tar Heel blue. It is ubiquitous, from the stadium seats, to the subsidized public transportation, to the wonderful Carolina Blue fire engines. That said, while a college campus helps foment crazed fans, it is not an absolute requirement. I had the pleasure of interviewing at the University of Texas-Austin when I was looking at graduate programs. While UT is in Austin, a decently sized metro area, it still breathes UT athletics.
While I think a very important factor in creating a good collegiate atmosphere is winning, there are plenty of programs out there with deranged fans that do not win on a frequent basis, especially in the big 3-football, basketball, baseball (think Ivy League, for example). Another factor is the close to religious experience that it can be to attend a sporting event.
My first year at UNC, coming off an 8-20 season, I attended a fall 2002 game between UNC and a low end DI program. Our seats were on the last row of the Dean Dome and for someone that didn't grow up watching UNC-basketball this should have been nothing more than attending a basketball game between a big DI program and a small one. Yet, I clearly remember getting goose bumps when I reached my seat and turned around to see the beautiful hardwood court of the Dean Dome. Then, I was baptized a Tar Heel when the team hit the hardwood minutes before the start of the game and the crowd started chanting:
I'm a Tar Heel born
I'm a Tar Heel bred
And when I die
I'm a Tar Heel dead.
So it's Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah! Rah! Rah!
I'm a Tar Heel bred
And when I die
I'm a Tar Heel dead.
So it's Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Where have you gone?
Well, if I haven't lost all you faithful readers by now it is a small miracle. I have been awful about posting just about anything on this site. I guess things have been just a little too hectic as of late and the blog has just dropped in the priority list. Also, work on the house, short of cleaning, has come to a grinding halt. Grinding halt until this weekend when Natalie and I decided, early Sunday morning, to extend our Phoebe-containment device (a.k.a. backyard fence).
Prior to Sunday afternoon, said containment device consisted of 4 foot tall vertical wooden slats around the perimeter of our backyard. After the incident where Phoebe had enough of the tiny barking dog next door and jumped the fence, the neighbors added 7 foot tall privacy fence between our yards, but the rest of the fence remained too jumpable. So, instead of spending money we don't have on a decent privacy fence, we did the next logical thing, bough a bunch of 4-by-8 wooden lattice at the Home Depot and nailed it to the top of the pre-existing fence. The result is a fairly awkward looking, yet useful and not incredibly ugly containment device that stands about 6 feet tall (to attach it you actually lose a foot, thus not ending up with a 8 foot tall fence.
Finally, I want to close with a few words of encouragement about my work. Due mainly to the rotund phase of the moon I am sure, I have started to feel more at ease at work. This is a welcoming feeling because life is a lot sweeter when life at work is comfortable.
Prior to Sunday afternoon, said containment device consisted of 4 foot tall vertical wooden slats around the perimeter of our backyard. After the incident where Phoebe had enough of the tiny barking dog next door and jumped the fence, the neighbors added 7 foot tall privacy fence between our yards, but the rest of the fence remained too jumpable. So, instead of spending money we don't have on a decent privacy fence, we did the next logical thing, bough a bunch of 4-by-8 wooden lattice at the Home Depot and nailed it to the top of the pre-existing fence. The result is a fairly awkward looking, yet useful and not incredibly ugly containment device that stands about 6 feet tall (to attach it you actually lose a foot, thus not ending up with a 8 foot tall fence.
Finally, I want to close with a few words of encouragement about my work. Due mainly to the rotund phase of the moon I am sure, I have started to feel more at ease at work. This is a welcoming feeling because life is a lot sweeter when life at work is comfortable.
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