R.E.S.E.A.R.C.H.E.R.S.

Lest we forget.

2009-11-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

As the number of surviving veterans dwindles, it's more and more important to keep those memories alive. The Memory Project recounts Canada's participation in the Second World War, from the perspective of those who experienced it. Stories, photos, historical documents.. a very powerful collection. Check it out.

http://thememoryproject.com/

Labnotes: Getting nowhere fast.

2009-11-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Music Monday: Bear-y good tunes for the science.

2009-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's Monday.

Spent the first half of yesterday driving for hours in the rain, and the second half sitting in a cold dark lab, attempting to make sense of hundreds of pages of data in preparation for a big meeting I have on Tuesday.
Some horrible case of restless legs had me up all night.
Got soaked running for bus.
Missed bus.
Waited for next bus.
It was full of drippy/coughing/sniffling/contaminated Moody Monday-ers.
The cables came off 10 meters from my stop and the driver would not let us out.
They were out of soy at the coffee cart.
PI is running late and wants me to conduct interviews for new tech until he arrives.
Interviewee is late.
I need a musical escape.

This week, I share with you one of my new favorite bands. I first heard them a few years ago on a compilation by my favorite Glaswegian artist, the insanely multi-talented David Shrigley. Grizzly Bear is quickly gaining popularity.. which I am happy about but also a bit sad about. You know that feeling where you want artists to do well, but you like having them as your little secret so you can go see them live in intimate locales??

It appears I am not the only fan; Grizzly Bear is loved by many from Radiohead to Jay-Z to Paul Simon.

Not sure how to classify this band.. I like to call them orchestral folk. Whatever they are, they are the soundtrack to my sciencey-chaos this week. Whadda ya think?

Music Monday

2009-11-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

A great live version of SNAFF with my favorite incarnation of Elton John's band. In honor of EJ who is ill with the flu and E.coli.

Thoughts on the use of animals. As pets, food, research subjects.

2009-11-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

A great article in the New Yorker this week discussing how much Americans love their pets, but also love their burgers. It's got me thinking about animal research again -- I know, our favorite topic!

We have so many strict regulations when it comes to using animals as research subjects, but it seems that slaughter houses have it so easy. This makes no sense to me.

Yes I am a vegetarian, but some of my Pumas are leather and I will never give up cheese.. and I don't try to persuade others to stop eating meat, but perhaps we should take a fraction of the energy we spend either protesting against or defending the use of animals in scientific research and put that into looking at agricultural abuse of animals (I'm talking to you, science bloggers!).

Remember Sloan?

Riding the wave: coming up to my 2 year mark next month...

2009-10-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Music Monday: The soundtrack to rainy day data analysis.

2009-10-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I've found the perfect accompaniment to the sound of numbers crunching.

With rain streaking down the lab windows.. with my woolen-socked feet in wellies and my jacket dripping behind my chair.. with my computer monitor stacked with open programs and As and Ts and Gs and Cs dancing across the screen, Jack Savoretti is inspiring my science this week.

Here is one of the tracks I love from his debut release Between the Minds (2007):

And here's one from his latest album Harder Than Easy (2009):

My favorite song of his is called "Songs from different times", which was apparently featured on last week's Grey's Anatomy, but I could not find a video for it. It's worth the $0.99 on iTunes!

Grant-induced hangover.

2009-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

GOODBYE GRANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

HURRAY, grant season is OVER.

Tonight.... we celebrate. With hockey and beer and good friends.

Then relax.... until January when we start all over again.

Dr. A is for Auntie.

2009-10-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm an aunt for the 7th time!!!!

My sister had her first child, a gorgeous baby boy, this past weekend. What an amazing experience to be at her side throughout the pregnancy and hold her hand through the labour.. and even more incredible to hold my nephew and just stare at him for hours. A head full of jet black hair, tiny wrinkly fingers, and those loooong eyelashes.... all formed in 40 short weeks.

Biology is sofa king cool.

home science

2009-10-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Fig 1: Number of moths on the balcony is inversely correlated with the amount of cat food consumed.

Stop shoveling shit on my progress!

2009-10-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like all your hard work is unraveled, tromped on, ignored, or that it is worthless?

I'm having one of those weeks/months/years.

I am mad at you! Rude secretary. Empty handed post man. Funding agency. Interweb. Murphy. "Friend". Angry bus driver. Ivory Tower bureaucrats. Spell check. Term limits. Scale. Fruit flies. Immune system. Physical therapist who makes me do painful exercises. Laundry in the dryer that I remember as soon as I lay down. Cold weather killing my tomatoes. Leave me alone.

Aren't you all glad I'm back to blogging? I know you missed my whining :)

Music Monday: Emerging from the grant writing bubble.. for just a short break.

2009-10-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

In the midst of everyone's favorite time of year, I decided to give myself a day off from writing. I submitted the first of 2 big grants yesterday, and the next is not due for 2 weeks. The last month has been hectic with balancing writing (which I very nearly gave up on even before attempting!) with major changes in my life, not to mention the health problems that continue to be hurdles. On top of all that my best friend, my sister, is due to deliver her first baby any minute now.

With all the chaos around me, I've turned to music to help me stay focused while at my desk. All summer I have been enjoying Metric's latest album, Fantasies.

The first single, Help I'm Alive -- perfect way to kick off a day of writing

The acoustic version of this song is also fantastic..

And for those days where I am lucky enough to take a break from the writing and tackle an experiment I prefer older Metric hits... like Grow up and blow away.

Better late than never...

2009-09-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

The UK government has finally apologized to Alan Turing, mathematician, code breaker and one of the most significant contributors to defeat of the Nazis. He was subsequently prosecuted for being gay and sentenced to chemical castration, where upon he took his own life. Shame it took so long, even bigger shame it ever happened, lets be glad we've moved on from those savage times (another reason to be filed in the 'never look back and think things were better in the old days' folder)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/11/pm-apology-to-alan-turing

Music Monday - RIP Guy Babylon

2009-09-08T00:14:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe it the other day when I went to a Elton John website and discovered that his long time keyboard player, Guy Babylon, had died at the FAR too young age of 52, apparently of a heart attack. I've seen Elton a couple of times and if you've ever had the pleasure of seeing him you'll know what a tour de force he is as a performance artist. Babylon was a tremendously skilled musician and a very big part of this, so music Monday this week is in his honor and features him playing every instrument on a self composed song.

Mechanisms, schmechanisms

2009-09-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Science is observational in nature, but everyone must have a mechanisms - and a crystal structure - and a clinical impact - and and and....Sadly observational appears to have become almost as dirtier a word as liberal at Fox News.

Yawn!

Music Monday: Aztec Camera

2009-08-16T22:38:00.001-07:00

Bloody loving the new wave Scottish bands from the 80s at the moment. Here is a great live version of a great song by Aztec Camera - sound quality is not perfect but love the double drumming!

More NHS bashing by the republican right.

2009-08-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

As if to prove my last point:

This is pathetic media of the worst detritous type.

First:

Physicians are respected in the UK - very much so and very much so more than scientists. They also command higher salaries - considerably. The status of a Dr in the UK is now, has always been and likely always will be one of the best professions - ask anyone trying to get into medical school there how tough it is.

Second:

This is a salaries thing is it you moron? How about scientists? On average we command a 10 point higher IQ than physicians. And many of us get treated like shit. I receive a piss poor salary in respect of my qualifications (half that a physician might expect). I get NO benefits. I am treated with contempt by my employing institution, yet I and no one else I know resorts to becoming a terrorist and nor would we ever.

And just look at that coverage by Fox news - a deliberate attempt to conflate socialized health care with terrorism. Ridiculous and wrong in every possible way.

Republican right - get your filthy toxin spewing tanks off the NHS's lawn

2009-08-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

One of the best things that ever happened in Britain was the formation of the NHS. It was not ever thus. We also used to have private health care. But it was decided that a National health care system was necessary and against entrenched resistance it was set up. Ever since it has not been perfect, but it has been there and everyone can get treated properly and at whatever age and whatever income bracket. Nice article in the Guardian

The debate in the US, from the outside, over health care, seems (pardon the pun) sickening. It is all about the vested interests of those greedy rich people in the system who profiteer out of it. And they all have their hands in the pockets of those least well off. The insurance companies, busy advertising and lobbying with money they should spend on treatment; through to drug companies putting on big mark ups for drugs so they can make big money (mostly to fund their obscene marketing budgets); through to the ridiculous bureaucracy required to arbiter all the claims...through, even, to some of the health care professionals - frankly some doctors salaries are obscene.

You can have this system if you want. I think it is sick and holding the US back from being even more productive. I agree with Mathew Chapman, also, that it is one of the root causes of the abundance of religion - it gives people something to fall back on. We don't need that in the UK. We have the NHS. Everytime I fill out a form for insurance either here - or for travel insurance in the US (which by the way has a box for Worldwide except the US, because the US is SO expensive), I am constantly reminded how glad I am that I have the NHS. I can always go back to that and I will be treated properly.

When you get cancer, or have a child born with a chronic condition or get old, without insurance in the UK, you are not financially fucked by greedy insurance companies quick to point out loopholes (oh I'm sorry you're condition is too serious for us so no coverage). No you are taken care of. Imagine already the less stress that causes. You are not cut off because of your age or anything like that.

Just another point for those morons on the right in the US who wish to characterise this as socialism. In Britain you can and always have been able to have private health care if you so want - it is your choice - but you are still going to have to pay in for the NHS, enough people still do it.

Everytime there is a bang the world is a wanker short

2009-08-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Billy Connolly on religion, funny:

Senator Al Franken

2009-07-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely thrilled Al Franken has won the second senate seat for Minnesota. Anyone who thinks he is just a comedian and not qualified to be a US Senator should go read any of his books then go and view the videos by the currently elected elite and consider who you would prefer:

And just as the icing on the cake - it REALLY pisses off Bill O'Reilly and Fox News - BAD loooooooosers

Music Monday - Kirsty MacColl

2009-07-05T23:54:00.001-07:00

Great Billy Bragg cover.

Reflections

2009-07-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've been gone a while. Not because of the last post I wrote, but because of much more important things in life, which are still on going.

Sadly non of those involve sharing my life with a cat, which is frustrating as hell because there are a great many that desperately need and deserve good homes.

After the last post I have had chance to reflect. I clearly was not capable of a rational discussion on this, as evidenced by the hyper inflammatory way in which I started the post. This is a shame and I am somewhat frustrated by this because I think that is what is needed and we cannot allow ourselves to be complacent about what is tolerable in research. I don't think digging ourselves into pro or anti test camps is what is needed. One of the reasons for this is I am also equally sickened by those people on the animal rights side who see violence and terrorism as justified. It is not and such people equally sicken me. As if one form justifies the other - like that warped and derranged person that killed the abortion doctor. Violence of any form is horrific and to be absolutely abhorred whether it is towards an animal or a human.

As for my position. My position is pretty much as it is in the last comment I made in the post.

I do not think of anyone as evil, someone who acts humanely and does not cause suffering and I know for a fact this can be done in a great deal, indeed the vast majority, of animals experiments...I also know a great deal of animal work is vital, however I find most of it regrettable and something we should actively work to get away from.

I do not want cats (or for that matter dogs and primates) used in fatal and/or severe and lasting painful experiments, in fact I think such experiments inhumane - I grant you I do not know how much or little of that goes on. I don't need a scientific justification for that opinion - just a humane one and it is the principle that matters to me. Nor do I need to exempt myself from being a research scientist, I am entitled to that opinion and I shall stick to it. By being a research scientist I am not committed to the status quo and I am not obliged to defend that which I do not agree with, I'm amazed that anyone should think otherwise.

I can also accept that some of the statements I made were far too inflammatory, I also made clear in the last comment why that happened. I am human too. I am very much more comfortable with the laws and regulations in Britain than I am in North America regarding animal experiments generally. I very much like the http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/.

So that is that for that topic.

This did also reveal something else to me. I do not know how some bloggers do it. You may start to see less from me, because, quite frankly I have other things to do. I am amazed and very impressed by those that can run post-docs/research labs and yet still engage in lengthy blog posts and comment runs. Good job!

Great video

2009-07-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you have a spare 50 minutes, then this uncut interview of Craig Venter by Richard Dawkins is well worth watching - he takes Richard Dawkins on a tour of his sequencing facility. And shows him their current machines and the ABI and Roche 454 machines they were also trying out as well as the robots used for cloningin E.coli necessary for their existing technology. For those of us who enjoy seeing what other people's labs look like it is great and it gave me a good pause for thought about the future direction of biology too.

Oooh, but we unleashed a lion.

2009-06-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Take a week or two away from the blogosphere and you come back to mess! It's like we went away for the weekend and our teenagers got drunk and invited the school bullies over to trash the house. Ah.. I love when my shit-stirring co-blogger gets people riled up. It will bring in more traffic for my lovely drawings and of course for Photo Phriday (which, incidentally has no guesses for the last entry!! Your perfect streak has ended dear readers!).

I have not read the entirety of posts/comments regarding Dr J's post on cats as research subjects (because I am still following the links around teh internetz), so I will refrain from making a specific argument for now. What I will say is I know him to be very emphatic in his love for felines (as I am!), and any time we feel such strong emotions about a contentious issue and these emotions are intertwined with stress and pressure in our work/personal lives, we run the risk of becoming irrational in conversation.

I agree with many of the points made by Dr J and some of the commenters on said issue, and would hope that anyone who wishes to have a say on the topic would comment on the thread to inform bloggers and readers if and where the conversation has been continued.

We now take you back to your regularly scheduled program.