Friday funnies (braindead media)

In case you ever suspected the media works hard to emphaize their point of view, you should check this out. NBC Today segment on NE flooding busted. The picture is priceless.

And no, I didn't actually see the segment about this. I don't watch much network television. But supposedly ABC did a story where they evaluated the security at nuclear generators at college campus. Here's the University of Arizona's response to the story. The article fails to mention that the reactor will be shut down and dismantled in the upcoming years due to a lack of nuclear physics interest on campus.

As a side note to campus security, I have to admit that it's pretty good, and most of it is not easily detectable. Ever since 9/11 (then the nursing school shooting two years ago), people are simply more aware of security threats. For example, animal researchers spend April on "high alert" for animal rights activities. This year, the red flags went up in late March because someone saw a couple people taking pictures of the main animal building on main campus. I don't know if they ever caught the snap happy people, but the same day the word went out to animal researchers and the FBI was notified. Thankfully the animal facility our critters are in the underground facility. Yet I also notice that animal staffers keep an eye on anyone walking along the unassuming hallway by the main entrance (fortunately, they all know me).

Only the beginning?

Wow, this is scary. If you are not interested in reading for yourself, here's a brief summary:

A girl in Vietnam was caring for her brother who was suffering from bird flu. She was never in contact with birds, but still fell ill (rare person to person transmission). Virus isolated from her showed an amino acid substitution of the neuraminidase protein. The drug Tamiflu acts on the neuraminidase protein, and this substution makes Tamiflu essentially usless.

I can't find the supplement information. Perhaps it'll be up in a couple days. So I can't see their evidence of how the girl became ill, or what eventually happened to her brother. That's my major gripe about Nature publications - short articles followed by 20 pages of supplements.

No more pink lab

I'm still scratching my head about how it all went bad so quickly. This summer, there were six girls in the lab and two guys (not including boss). We had joked that we were going to pain the lab pink.

Now in mid-October, and I'm the only girl in the lab, and the two guys are still here (plus boss). So I'm having to get used to what it's like to work with guys. Here's a summary of the crap I've had to deal with this week:

I made two media bottles. One guy used part of one bottle; the other guy used a good portion of the other. So we have two partially empty bottles. In fustration, I poured one bottle in the other and returned it to the fridge.

Media stains on the laminar flow hoods. If you don't clean it up shortly after the spill, it leaves a stain on the bench.

Waste bottles close to overflowing.

Biowaste bags overflowing. I just finished autoclaving it and disposed of properly.

Waste to incenerate was full in the tissue culture room. They mentioned having to go downstairs later this afternoon near the biowaste cold storage. Yet, didn't offer to take the trash down. So in my skirt and heels, I am lugging the red bags down to the cold storage room.

Various lab supplies are running low. So they whine to me instead of ordering more.

My conclusion - guys are slobs. I am slightly annoyed that they can whine about things, but heaven forbid they help do something about it. I'm not the mother figure here, but ignoring it doesn't help.

Where's Emily Post when you need her?

Okay, long story short - I've met boyfriend's dad (several times). His dad was even there when my folks joined us for dinner in Phoenix a couple weeks ago. My dad and his dad got along so well the rest of us were falling asleep at the table before they got the hint that perhaps they should call it a night.

Since they got along so well, he's also been invited to Thanksgiving dinner this year. I have a slight concern about what my Grandmother might say, but think we can avoid a major incident.

I have told my boyfriend to invite his dad, but haven't heard back on wether or not he actually DID so. I don't see any reason why he wouldn't (we get along, and I'm sure he'd love to spend hours talking to my dad).

Anyway, his computer is on the fritz, so he's using boyfriend's computer while poor boyfriend is working long hours at the shipyards. But his Messenger software logs him in anytime the computer is fired up. I'm debating if I should start a conversation "Hi bf's dad" and see if he replies to see if he's interesting in coming to Thanksgiving dinner at my folks house.

Is that proper? Am I overstepping my bounds? I will have to think about this over breakfast (and lots of coffee)...