Towards the cliff of insantity

So I get an email update from the United Nation Foundation called the UN wire. It has articles about public health, economics, and environmental issues from all over the world. Anyway, I have been following this crazy story about the president of Gambia (Yahya Jammeh). He has claimed that he is curing people of HIV/AIDS with a natural herbal cure. Apparently he goes around to hospitals and give patients herbal potions and rubbing them with and herbal paste. And now he has dismissed the UN official from Gambia ( Fadzai Gwaradzimba) for being criticizing the cure. (You can read the whole article here ). She also warned that this claim may encourage people of West Africa to engage in "risky behaviors". In my opinion the validity of his claims is about equal to saying there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance and that mental illness can be cured with exercise and vitamins.

"And I ask you, Lord, to take this man's hiccups to heal him!" - TV Evangelist

Intrigue in the lab

As I mentioned in my last post, the freezer melted down. Now there is this question of how it happened. Jim (the PhD student that I work with) thinks that someone was rearranging stuff in the freezer (which was packed to the gills) and then overworked the compressor when the freezer was trying to cool it down. I am inclined to believe this specifically because I could tell that things have been moved around. One of my fellow grad student (Ian) joked that he was going to collect forensic evidence to determine what happened (I'm not sure what evidence there would be). So this whole catastrophe has at least made it more interesting in the lab.

"Do it, you monkey boy! I'm the boss of you!" - Jimmy

In case I missed chopping away at a glacier

This morning, I went to the lab to start doing PCR and found that the -80 freezer was not working. Not only did I get to move all the boxes and samples but I got wipe out the entire freezer as well as do my PCR and purification. So my day was pretty busy. And the rest of my week will be busy as well. I have two plates I need to make to send for sequencing this week. I also will be collecting rat blood and preparing to my in vitro exposure experiment this week as well. So wish me luck that I won't go crazy this week.

"Explode Bobby! Stick of dynamite!" - Hank Hill

Just because I'm going for a record number of posts in one day

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

BOBBY: I hope Grandpa treats the baby better than he treats you.
DIDI: Oh, he will, Bobby. Until the baby crosses him.

Just In Case You Didn't Know

What Catherine Means

C is for Calm A is for Abstract T is for Tame H is for Hip E is for Extraordinary R is for Romantic I is for Influential N is for Natural E is for Energetic

What Does Your Name Mean?

"Don't buy inferior Arrow Girl cookies! What are they offering? Oatmeal? That's for breakfast. Mint? What are you, sixty? Dog poop? What kind of flavor is that for a cookie? Oh, my mistake, that's their peanut butter."- Bobby Hill

A New Theory

In music there is a thing called a sophomore slump in which the second album is not as good as the first album. I think there is a similar thing in television but it a junior slump (the third season). There are three shows that I watched that had or are having a poor third season. The show "Alias" had two really strong season and then everything went to pot in the third season due to mismanagement of situations put forward at the end of the second season. "Lost" had such a phenomenal TV-altering first season. It really helped create a resurgence in serial dramas that are highly character driven (compared to procedural dramas like "CSI:" and "Law and Order"). But the third season just isn't as good (and it seemed like the writers don't seem to have a larger picture in mind). And the last show is "Veronica Mars". The first season featured a spunky of main character and was funny and highly enjoyable. And know in the third season the show has not only lost its spark, but the main character is coming off as a judgmental bitch. All I know is that if I ever create a TV show, I am only going to have two seasons. It just seems like some shows start to run out of gas after a couple years.

For all of you that has tried to learn to drive a stick shift:
"The left brake's not working!"-Dale Gribble

Money is so wasted on the wealthy

So I just finished watching the most amazing film on "Independent Lens" called "Motherland Afghanistan" (click here to go to the website for the film). Afghanistan has one of the highest rate of maternal mortality during childbirth in the world and the second highest rate of infant mortality. In the film, the filmmaker's two doctor parents return to Afghanistan to help improve conditions in the hospitals, specifically for women's hospital (the husband is an OB/GYN and the wife was a GP). The couple visits two hospitals in the film. The first one is Rabia Balkhi, which is located in Kabul and receiving assistance from the the US department of Health and Human Services (in what was renamed the Laura Bush Maternity Ward). Before they left for Kabul, the doctor submitted a list of needs to care for the patients and help train the doctors (he never received any of the supplies he asked for). I could not believe the conditions of the hospital. The patients have to bring some of the needed supplies with them to the hospital (and there was one seen when the doctors had to sort through the suture material to find some that was not rotten and would break when they were stitching someone up). The doctor eventually left because he was convinced that he wasn't making a difference (plus not having supplies didn't help). He return two years later to another hospital run by the Shuhada Organization which was much cleaner and better run than the Kabul hospital. The Shudada Organization is run by Afghans specifically and is working to educate women and girls about their rights and how to protect themselves. So watching this film made me really think about what women face all over the world. I feel privileged to not only live in a country that recognizes women's rights but to be part of a family that really appreciates strength in women. And of course, the film made me want to donate money to help the work done by this organization. Which brings me to the title of this blog. With some exceptions ( like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), most rich people do not donate enough money to charity (in my opinion). Why can't someone like Donald Trump or Paris Hilton donate half of their money to charity? I know that if I had the means I would donate a lot of money to charity (especially considering that one of my dreams is to create a foundation like the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and fund lots of programs on PBS). I guess I just don't understand owning lots of buildings and homes; you can't live in 3 houses at once.

"All I see is a crying drunk and a mean sissy."- Hank Hill

A Small Musical Milestone

So I officially have more than 1000 songs on my iPod (1001 to be exact). I'm not sure if I should be proud of the fact that I have/know that many songs. When I first got my iPod, I thought "There is no way that I will every have 1000 songs, I don't even know that many songs" but I guess I was wrong. And I'm sure at this point I own about 40-50 CDs so I have access to more than 1000 songs. The things is, I can stand doing the most crappy jobs as long as I have music to distract me. Its doesn't matter if the job is mind-numbing tedious and lasts for hours, just give me some good music and I am fine.

And on a completely unrelated note, I was adjusting a link to Robert Osborne on a previous post and so I looked up Turner Classic Movies and then read about Sydney Pollack who used to host "The Essentials" on Saturday night (He also directed "Out of Africa" and "Tootsie" among others). Turns out he was born in Lafayette, Indiana. How cool is that?


"Tell you what, if you play some catch with your old man, I'll buy you that album you want by those guys I hate." - Hank Hill

"All this time I thought I was an "extra extra large," but that's why my clothes never fit right. Turns out I'm a "medium!"- Bobby Hill

Alien encounters

So I just finished watching "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" on TCM (that movie won an Oscar for best art direction). It made me think about the fact that most movies that involve alien/human encounters, the aliens are not peaceful (think "War of the Worlds", "Signs" and "Independence Day". ) I think that it is really interesting that two of the three Spielberg movies featuring aliens, the aliens are peaceful (and look child-like, this means you E.T.). Except of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" most movies made before Close Encounters featured malicious aliens. And a most movies after Close Encounters and E.T. also have more malicious aliens than benign aliens. Maybe directors and producers think that more people will see a movie with an "us vs. them" theme versus cooperation between humans and aliens.

"This record is all Bill's got. Should we rock-paper-scissors to see who keeps him from killing himself in the bathroom?" -Dale Gribble

Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a nice day everyone! This is the 100th post of this blog! Who knew I had so much to write about?

"If you leave, she wins. And dating is all about who wins and who loses."-Hank Hill

Also: In one week, there is an episode of "The Office" directed by J.J. Abrams, who created one of my favorite shows: "Alias" and wrote "Regarding Henry".

So it's not just a clever name

I think Ted Turner is getting really lazy. It used to be just running "A Christmas Story" for 24 hours on TBS. Now, TNT is showing 24 full hours of "Law and Order" this coming Monday (which starts on Sunday night at 10pm). Which means all I have to do is get Ted Turner to by the rights for "King of the Hill" and then my wish for a station showing 24 hours of "King of the Hill" is one step closer to coming true. I love "Law and Order" so I am total looking forward to Sunday/Monday. I think what I love about that show is that the episodes are self contained. So if you miss an episode, it doesn't matter, you are going to totally confused when you watch the next episode. I read that more network are trying to develop more self contained shows ( I guess it's sort of an alternative to "Lost"). But, on Monday there is a 12 hour "King of the Hill" marathon to celebrate 10 years of "King of the Hill". As a result, I'm conflicted but I will be doing lab work on Monday so it may be completely moot.

"Now all we need are three more of those, four wheels, an engine, some kind of frame and a cassette radio, and we've got our death car!" -Bobby Hill

my mom is cooler than yours!

I got my Valentine's Day package today, which I believe makes me the first one! But I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I won't spill too much; all I will say is that mom sent me the best DVD which my sisters as well so perhaps I could be persuaded to send it to one of them (or bring it with me sometime!) In other news, there is a winter storm advisory in place until Tuesday afternoon for my county. The local news station have the warning running at the bottom of the screen as well as a map of the effected areas. But they don't show the entire state and it seems like every county in Iowa is the same size rectangle and since I am not good with my Iowa geography yet, I just looked it up at the NOAA website instead. So I think I will curl up with some tea and watch my new DVD.

AGENT: There's a catalog shoot tomorrow for Caulfield's of Texas. They're launching a new line of clothing called "Gravitas."
BOBBY: I want that account.

This conversation serves no purpose

I have been meaning to post an new entry believe me! The main problem that I have is not having anything to write about. I've been busy in the lab for most of the week, so I have been running PCR, gels, and sending 96 well plates for sequences (which I get to repeat again next week). As a result, the highlight of my week has been watching some movies on Turner Classic Movies. I saw "Lilies of the Field" on Thursday, which I really enjoyed . What I love most about watching movies on TCM is the intro to the movies by Robert Osborne. I love that he isn't too serious when he is introduces the movies (which isn't hard for movies like "Muppets take Manhattan"). I learned that the producer of "Lilies of the Field" used he is house as collateral for a loan to get the movie made. I made a list of the movies that I want to catch during the month, so I'm sure that I will write about those movies as well (which includes a Joseph Cotton movie that I have never seen).

"I have personally seen Tommy and Rollo kill a gopher with a pigeon."-Dale Gribble

Wants to have a snow day that will turn its parents into kids

This morning I woke to about 4 inches of snow on the ground with snow still falling. My first thought was "Great a snow day, no class." Then I remembered, I'm an adult. I miss snow days. It was always a happy surprise to wake up and then find out that you have the whole day to yourself and no classes. And then go play outside for hour before coming back inside to the warmth and hot chocolate. Now all I think when it snows is "Great, now I have to scrape my car and its going to take forever to get to the lab because people can't drive in snow." Actually traffic wasn't too bad, I think people know to expect snow every year so they at least know how to drive in snow. And, the city did a pretty good job of plowing the major roads.

"Okay, I have been through this before in Montana. Nobody lick any flagpoles!"- Peggy Hill

"If you want, I can show you how to make a bomb out of a roll of toilet paper and a stick of dynamite."- Dale Gribble

Being a weirdo is completely optional

So I am home on the farm to watch the Superbowl (but mostly to see my parents and do some laundry). We had some friends over for the game which meant that I helped mom make about 3 time more food than we needed. One dish that we made was pork curry bites with homemade naan. I convinced mom that we could make the naan instead of buying pita bread. We baked the naan on griddle and it was great. And, since we are swimming in eggs, I made my signature dessert of angel food cake. Angel food cake is one cake that I know I can make reliably so any time I have a chance to make it, I do. When I go back to Iowa, I will be starting my in vitro work on the effect of PCB on the immune system, specifically cytokines. So I will be spending a lot of time in the lab. But the good thing is it is time for "31 Days of Oscar" on Turner Classic Movies, which is probably one of my favorite times of the year. I already know what I will be doing next Friday, watching "The Muppets Take Manhattan".

"We could be your backup band. "The Dale Gribble Bluegrass Experience." -Dale Gribble

Pay attention because I don't want to have to fail you

So today, I felt a lot better about going to the lab and getting things done. Besides running PCR and purifying the PCR product, I also replaced the UV lamp on the water machine in the lab. Which reminds me of two things, one I don't understand why some lab machines use less common screws and two I love the toolbox in my car. The water machine in the lab uses a torque wrench (which I had in my toolbox). I am skeptical that most labs have that extensive of a toolbox. In my old lab at Purdue, I had to take apart a shelving unit that used hex bolts (again something that I have in my toolbox). I really do love my toolbox, it makes me feel like I can take apart or attempt to fix anything. My sister Lucy recently talked about something similar (when one of her co-workers said "Ask Lucy, she was raised like a boy"). Due to my childhood, I often think about the "typical" childhood of most girls my age. I am happy that I can change my own oil and work cows. Right now I am watching "Frontline/World" on PBS. They showed a short report about a terrorist cell in Toronto in which they interviewed a guy that infiltrated the cell before the cell was shut down. He said something about interesting about extremism. He said that being in the cell made him begin to think about joining the men( in the cell) with their jihad activities and that the wrong influences at critical points in life can completely alter your life. I've always wondered how someone becomes a fanatic for a cause, but maybe it only takes a few fanatics to create a huge movement.

OK, to let you all know that Frontline doesn't air only depressing stories, they aired a segment about "Play Pumps" which is a grassroots movement that installs little merry-go-rounds that can pump water while kids are playing on it. The guy who developed it was working in advertising in South Africa thought that women should not be spending to much time pumping water so he worked with an engineer to develop this merry-go-round/ water pump. The water gets stored in a little water tower and then the water runs to a tap. And the water tower has print public service announcements about HIV/AIDS awareness (which targets children specifically as they are the ones that are using the Play Pumps). Both the US government and rapper Jay-Z have raised/promised money to install these Play Pumps all over Africa.

"Wake up, Hank! These people kill 400,000 of their own satisfied customers every year!"-Dale Gribble

Sometimes we all get a little apathetic

So today for some reason, I am feeling completely apathetic about everything. I didn't want to wake up this morning which inevitably led to not wanting to go into the lab (which I did but mostly because someone else is working on the project with me.) Usually, I'm gung-ho about doing stuff in the lab, but for some reason I just don't want to do anything (but sleep). I think is maybe that I am putting in a lot of time in the lab and I have yet to see any real progress, but hopefully that will change. I think tonight I will just drink some tea and go to bed early.

"Hank, you are not Joseph's father. Dale is Joseph's father. Well, actually, John Redcorn is Joseph's father, but Dale doesn't know that. The point is, you are only his godfather. You are not supposed to take over for Dale until he is gunned down by federal agents. That is the agreement." -Peggy Hill

Bonus Quotes:
JOSEPH: You're telling me I'm from outer space? Like E.T.?
DALE: Actually, no. He was a purebred alien, and had a heart of gold. You're only half-alien, and at times can be a tad self-absorbed.

HANK: I guess you had your own idiot man-child to deal with.
BOBBY: That Joseph. He's really... really like his dad.
HANK: Yep. Those Gribbles are two nuts on the same sundae.
(Who wants ice cream now? Me!!)

Oh for the love of Harold Lloyd!

Well I had a very full and busy day today. As I mentioned yesterday, I went to the movies today to see "Pan's Labyrinth" which I really enjoyed. There are two stories in the movie, one about the little girl attempting to complete 3 task in order to be princess of a underground kingdom and the other about her stepfather attempting to kill remaining anti-Fascist rebels in the area. The director mixed different elements of mythologies from several cultures in a really interesting way. I think he also captured the brutality and grimness of post civil war Spain (the movie is set in 1944). As a result that were some scenes that were so intense (and a little gory) that you had to look away. And the end is really bittersweet. But the best part is the interesting visuals the director presents of the mythical creatures. The faun looked both a little bit like the classical man-goat but a little like an old-growth tree as well. I recommend the movie highly.
Finally after months of waiting, a new King of the Hill episode was aired on FOX. It was great, thank goodness that show is back on! And right now I am enjoy some silent shorts starring Harold Lloyd on TCM. If you haven't seen any Harold Lloyd movies, you really should. Some of the best physical comedy you will ever see was done by Harold Lloyd. His films are enjoying a bit of revival as of late due to TCM showcasing them on the Silent Sundays.

"If only I could get over these pre-coup jitters."- Dale Gribble

No, not the queen of diamonds!!

I just finished watching "The Manchurian Candidate" on Turner Classic Movies "The Essentials." It was a little strange watching Frank Sinatra in a dramatic movie (since I have really only seen him in "On the Town" and "Guys and Dolls"). Even stranger is the fact that Angela Lansbury plays mother to man that is only 3 years younger than herself. But, I do like international spy thrillers so I did enjoy the movie. And there were a few parts that were funny as well. Specifically when Frank Sinatra is playing solitaire while trying to figure out the trigger (the queen of diamonds) for Raymond Shaw (who is the Manchurian Candidate) and the guy Frank's character is talking to keeps interrupting him to tell him the next play in the game. Tomorrow, I am going to the movie theater to see the Mexican movie "Pan's Labyrinth" which has received excellent reviews. It is supposed to very interesting visually, which is one of the main reasons that I would like to see it on the big screen. And Sunday also marks the return of King of Hill on FOX. Hooray!!

"Let's not wait these two minutes talking about things that will never be." -Connie Souphanousinphone

Good to know

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack, I've been too long, I'm glad to be back" Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos. But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

"Why would there be cheese on Betsy?"- Hank Hill (For those who don't know, Betsy is Hank's guitar)

And love, true love

Is it possible to be in love with a cookbook? Because I am! I love the King Arthur Cookbook mom got me for Christmas. It takes a Joy of Cooking approach by devoting parts of the book equipment and ingredients, but also on the specific food type (i.e. there is about 5 pages about different suggestions for ways to incorporate making bread into your schedule.) There are some many recipes in it as well. Last night, I looked through it and tabbed recipes I want to try, and there were about 75 recipes (at least). It is probably the most complete baking cookbook I have ever seen. The only glaring omission was a recipe for angel food cake. But having recipes for Navajo Fry Bread, Glazed Yeast Doughnuts, Boston Creme Pie, and Danish seems to make up for it. What I really like about it, is that the overall tone is very down to earth. When talking about English Muffins, the introduction says: "You can get pretty good English Muffins at the store, but if you want a challenge, you can make them from scratch. " Ah, L'Amour. (And now I'm totally ready to help mom run her bed and breakfast!)

HANK: I'm only going to read this once. "Hi, my name is Ladybird. I like long walks, my arthritis medication, and two cups of kibble a day. I'll try to outsmart you and get three cups, but I know you're too clever for that, Ms. Platter."
LUANNE: I don't know, Uncle Hank. She did write this letter and everything.
HANK: Trip's off.

Consider it done!

You Belong in the UK

Blimey! A little proper, a little saucy. You're so witty and charming... No one notices your curry breath

What English Speaking Country Are You?

"I already picked the country for our vacation: America. And the state: Texas. And the town: Denton. I don't care what their police did to that cyclist, it's still a good town." - Hank Hill

Hmmm....

Your Birthdate: August 2

You may watch someone from afar before you finally decide to make your move. It takes a long time for you to develop an attraction to someone. Generally, you prefer to pick who you love. Anyone who tries to rush you is in for some heartache. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 3 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 4 You are most compatible with people born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, and 29th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

"Your initiative is really impressing me, and not just because you're ladies." - Hank Hill

The Third Man (so much better than the third wheel)

A few days ago, TCM aired one of my favorite movies "The Third Man". There are some many reasons that I love that movie. Firstly, the fab Joseph Cotton is in it. I love Joseph Cotton and I think he is one of the most underrated "classic" movie stars. He was a lot of movies that I really enjoy, i.e. Gaslight and Portrait of Jeannie. Secondly, it is the best movie that Carol Reed ever made. I think that poor Carol Reed gets a bad rap because "Oliver!" won best picture, which was not one of his better pictures (mostly because 2001: A Space Odyssey wasn't even nominated) . Thirdly, Orson Welles in the movie. He gets equal billing with Joseph Cotton, but you don't see him until about a third of the way into the film. So the first time I watched it, I kept thinking "Where is Orson Welles? When is his going to be in the movie?". And fourthly (and the nerdiest reason), it really shows post-war Vienna and the portioning of the city into zones. When I took a history class about Post-War Europe, my professor mentioned it as one of the best movies that showed what Vienna looked like after the war. Anyway, I highly recommend see the movie "The Third Man" if you get a chance.

Hank: "Everyone likes a hard worker"
Dale: "Of course they do! They do all the work for them!"

"Well, we would all like to make time for the roaches." - Dale Gribble

Alas, pro football is almost over

So, it is almost time for the Super Bowl. I personally am rooting for the Saints, because Drew Brees used to play for Purdue. I used to root for the Bears when Kyle Orton was the quarterback (again played for Purdue), but since he was replaced by Rex Grossman (who I think is an idiot). Anyway, the whole reason for me bringing this up is that Stephen Colbert had Lynn Swann on his show to help him slam the Bears, Patriots, and Colts. And his taunt for the Bears was the best: "Hey Chicago I'll tell you what's gross man, the Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. He turns it over more than a drunk sorority girl at a toga party. Also, your municipal government is notorious corrupt." I was quite impressed the Lynn Swann held his own and even let Stephen try on his Super Bowl ring (to which Stephen commented that he could wear it on his neck).

DR. TATE: Mr. Hill, you were born with no muscle mass here, no cushioning. For years you've basically been sitting on your spine. You suffer from a disease called Diminished Gluteal Syndrome, or DGS.
HANK: I don't understand. What does that mean?
DR. TATE: Mr. Hill, you have no ass.

Bonus Quote:
HANK: You want me to wear a fake heiny?
DR. TATE: Mr. Hill, are your shoes fake feet?
and of course
"My orthodic !!" - Hank Hill

Highlight of this week

What I am looking forward to this week? Bill O'Reilly is going to be on The Colbert Report on Thursday. I've been watching The Colbert Report for a couple weeks now, and man do I love Steve Colbert. He used to be on The Daily Show and then he was on Strangers with Candy (which is one of the funniest shows I have every seen). He is so tongue and cheek (which I love). If you can, I highly recommend catching the Colbert Report.

"You're damn right it wasn't! You think you're the only one who loved that truck? I spent the best years of my life in that truck."- Bobby Hill

Bonus Quotes:

"I can't believe it, I'm in your seat" -Bobby Hill
"I'm driving the hell out of this truck."-Bobby Hill

Put on your flannel pajamas and start your interpretive dance

After having no snow for the month of December and most of January, finally here comes the snow! Here is a picture of the courtyard outside my apartment:

And the weather is finally closer to the typical winter weather. The low for Tuesday night is 1. So time to break out my flannel pajamas (hooray!)
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well. When I was in high school, instead of classes we would have an assembly and then have breakout discussion sessions (which were always interesting). The best part was that one of the college counselors would perform an interpretive dance for the occasion. I'm not sure if that was the best way to honor MLK but her heart was in the right place I guess. Perhaps I will prepare a dance for next Jan. 15th.

"Bethany, it does not matter if your avocaydoes are hard. Life is hard. You cannot make authentic guaycamowl out of lima beans and Ritz crackers. (hangs up) Oh, these people! Gringos" - Peggy Hill

Back-up singers and remakes

I'm watching an old John Denver concert on PBS and I can't help but be fascinated by the back-up singer just over his left shoulder. Firstly, there is only one back-up singer (not 2 or 3 which seems weird). Secondly, she keeps doing a strangest little dances for the songs. If you have ever heard any John Denver, you know that his music it not really dance music. So her dancing is just varying speeds of swaying and strange arm movement. And she reminds me of the back-up singers from the James Taylor tribute concert from a few months ago. One of the singers was a middle-aged white guy with glasses and long hair. I'm not saying that middle-aged men can't be back-up singers it just looked really weird.

On a completely unrelated note, a remake of the movie "The Hitcher" is being released this weekend. What I think is totally stupid, is that there is an ad for a sneak peek of the movie. Isn't the seeing the original movie a sneak peek? I can't believe how many remakes are getting made in the past very years. Thankfully most of the remakes are horror movies, hopefully I will never see a remake of "Citizen Kane" with Tom Cruise (or know of it's existence, if it does exist I can guarantee I will not see it).

"Damn zero-tolerance. Using a saw as a weapon makes about as much sense as using a gun to cut a two-by-four. That's how my dad built my tree house. How he cleaned it, too."- Hank Hill

There is no gel that can thwart me (as yet)

Today, I returned to the lab. I helped do some PCR work and then ran the PCR product on a gel. I was working with two other people who hadn't worked with gels in a while. Fortunately, I was able to recall most of what I have learned about pouring and running gels. As a result, I looked like I knew what I was talking about. And I got to use a computer that still had Window 3.1 on it (it is used to take pictures of the gels, so you can imagine that it didn't get updated regularly.) Tomorrow, I will be running the PCR product through a purification kit. And then repeat about 73 more times. Eventually I will be sequencing the PCR product to validate mutants (please note this is the tail-end of the Big Blue Assay that I worked on last year). In the mean time, my mom lent me her "Ultimate Dolly Parton" so I am enjoying listening to the CD in the evening. Hopefully I will have a more interesting post soon.

"What kind of a doctor are you anyway? Will you do something? What are all these machines for -- what about that laser? Use that laser on my husband right now!" - Peggy Hill

Bonus Quote:
" I'm not gonna be blind forever, you know. And the second I see some ass, I'm kicking it. " - Hank Hill

hello gorgeous

Finally, pictures! (I got a digital camera for Christmas from my sisters)


Here is Ellis and Bridget













And Silas preparing for a nice day trip (with an empty daypack)

Ellis and his faux-hawk

HANK: Pass me some more of that cookie dough. Mmm! I never knew you could eat it raw. It's almost as good as ice cream.
LUANNE: You know, they make ice cream with cookie dough already in it.
HANK: Damn, sister, get me my keys!

Bonus quotes:
"I did what you couldn't do. Now, I'm not saying you're not good at what you do, I'm just saying I'm better. I went in there and fixed her, like fixing a carburetor. And you know what? It was fun. Like fixing a carburetor." - Hank Hill

"Your heart is telling you? Who's the boss, you or your heart? You are! Your heart is your employee! So get your heart off its butt and back to work!"- Hank Hill

Growth and catastrophe

In the cells, the shrinking to microtubules is due to catastrophic events. And since microtubules are dynamic, they often cycle between growing and shrinking. Why exactly am I talking about microtubules? Well I feel like microtubules are a good analogy to the number of people at home over the winter holidays. At one point, there were 15 people at the house (four were under the age of two) and now we are back down to just 3 (soon to be two after I go back to Iowa). I loved having everyone at home (even though it got a bit noisy at times). But now everyone has returned to their homes. We had our delayed Christmas on the morning of 3oth. I was so excited to give my presents. I was able to finish a lap quilt for my mom, but I wasn't able to finish the king-size quilt for my sister Rachel. Hopeful I will get it done in the near future. I was able to surprise my brother-in-law Trey with the Johnny Cash Children's album. And Bridget was happy with the quilting fabric I picked out for her (it was two weeks of fun and trying to get a good variety of fabric). Soon I will be heading back to Iowa and back to lab work and writing.

"I need hard copies! I could lose everything, Hank. Seven-letter Boggle words, my Peggy Hill self-abridged Thesaurus, musings, ponderings on their way to being musings -- "rap music, wrapping paper?" I know I can crack that nut."- Peggy Hill

A more lyrical post

Due to the fact that I have very little to post about, I am going to post the lyrics to a song that I am in love with at the moment (honestly, I think I could listen to it on a continuous repeat for an hour). So here it is, "Sleeps with Butterflies" by Tori Amos (from her album The Beekeeper)

"Sleeps With Butterflies"

Airplanes
Take you away again
Are you flying
Above where we live
Then I look up a glare in my eyes
Are you having regrets about last night
I'm not but I like rivers that rush in
So then I dove in
Is there trouble ahead
For you the acrobat
I won't push you unless you have a net

You say the word
You know I will find you
Or if you need some time
I don't mind
I don't hold on
To the tail of your kite
I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly then boy

Balloons
Look good from on the ground
I fear with pins and needles around
We may fall then stumble
Upon a carousel
It could take us anywhere

I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly boy

"I just had a test last semester, and now I have to take another test! It's not fair! How often in real life are you tested?" -Luanne Platter

Merry Christmas all

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We are having a delayed Christmas in our family (since the most important thing is for all of us to be together.) I will be spending the day working on my homemade Christmas presents and watching movies. Required viewing will include "Shop Around the Corner" which I think is the best Jimmy Stewart movie. If you ever have a chance to see it you should. I was lucky to receive it on DVD for last Christmas (which is good because it won't be on TCM today). I hope everyone has a happy holiday and gets to spend lots of time with friends and family.

BOBBY: Better honk, Dad. It won't feel like Christmas Day if we miss the Little Drummer Boy.
HANK: I'm doing the best I can, and -- wait a minute, you're being sarcastic. You have no interest at all in seeing that little boy play his heart out, do you?
BOBBY: Nope. (I would like to note that my mother dislikes that song.)

Back from a long absence

I have been home at the farm for nearly a week now (hence the lack of blog posts). My sister Bridget arrived the day after me, with Orrin and Silas. I had a really good time playing with Silas (he really enjoyed being pushed on this little toy cart, I think he likes the wind blowing in his face.) And then Rachel, Trey and little Ellis arrived two days ago. So for a while there were two babies here at the farm (we were knee deep in babies). But the Bridget, Orrin, and Silas, have since left for Michigan to visit Orrin's side of the family. But they will be back to celebrate our belated Christmas when Lucy and Josh will be here from Colorado. And what have I been doing with my free time? Mostly baking cookies and spending time with my sisters. And working on Christmas presents ( I realized now that I was insane when I decided to make something ). I'm going to try to read some over my vacation. I wasn't able to read very much over the semester (Cell Bio and grading pretty much ate up a majority of my free time). But next semester should be nice. I am taking my thesis credits and then one class independent study which means I can try to finish all the work for the class faster than normal (which is my plan, I would like to finish the class within a month and a half of the semester. ) My progress with my reading project has been dismal (I have only read one book (Russia)) but hopefully I can read two of the books I took home with me and write short little reviews on them (which I haven't done for the one book I have read yet). I promise to do better!

"I'm skeptical that you could yet intrigued that you may"- Dale Gribble

Sometimes I say "Okay" instead of "Fine"

I haven't posted anything in almost a week due to my marathon Cell Bio study session over the weekend. I had my test on Monday night and it went okay. And now for the rest of the week, I will be busy counting cells on blood slides and grading exams. I am also going to finish my Christmas shopping. The only people I need to shop for are my brothers-in-law. After almost 20 years of on having to find gifts for one man (my father), suddenly I have 5 males to worry about. On Friday, I will be leaving for home for 3 weeks and get to see all my sisters at the same time since March. And now I am going back to rest my overtaxed mind for a little longer.

"You see, Bobby, your daddy's gene'ation's givin' away everything we fought for! Pannyma Canal. Mexican legs. You people would give back Gandhi's diapers if you had 'em!" - Cotton Hill

Bonus Quote:
"But I told you where the leg was!"- Cotton Hill

Quality in a square

While I was in Germany, Rachel had a delicious candy bar from Ritter Sport. It was a butter cookie (like a Leibnetz) covered in chocolate (think of a Kit-Kat but about 1000 times better). I was sure that I could never find this in America so I bought two before I left for America. And then yesterday, when I was making a dent into my Christmas shopping at Target I was trying to find the fastest checkout lane and lo and behold there was the exact Ritter Sport candy bar that I enjoyed in Europe. Oh how I love Target! Andritter sport (whose tagline is Quality in a square). I also need to mention that I received a package from Lucy today that totally made my day (she sent me Godiva hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows). Now I will turn my attention back to "Charade" on TCM (with a super frightening James Coburn, and a slightly less scary George Kennedy (who doesn't really scare me, I've seen him in Naked Gun to many times).

"With all respect and honor, I would not be saddened if both you and your father went to hell." - Junichro

Bonus quote
" I cannot leave work in middle of the day. I am assistant manager. One of only thirty." - Junichro

What happens when John Adams joins the CIA?

By John Adams I mean of course William Daniels who played John Adams in "1776". And played a CIA agent on the episode of "The Closer" that aired last night. The whole episode just made me want to watch "ALIAS" right after (but I resisted and went to bed instead). I've been spending most of my time lately doing cell count on blood smear slides. To do it is about as interesting as it sounds. But I have gotten better and faster at ID the different cells types. My favorite is the neutrophils because it is easy to determine. Less easy is monocytes and leukocytes because the monocytes can look like the leukocytes but stain lighter (hence the difficulty). And starting tonight, I will begin my marathon studying for my last cell bio test on Monday night. I did alright on that third exam (Ask my any question about vesicle fusion in cells, I only missed 1 point on that section!) so I don't have to be super stressed out. I think at this point I have to do really poorly and everyone else has to do really well for me to get a C (exactly where I like to be). I am also trying to stay on top of my Christmas shopping as well. I am a little over 50% done so that's good.


HANK: I need a gnome. Not just any gnome, a Winklebottom.
SALES MANAGER: A Winklebottom? Why not just ask me to move a rainbow?
HANK: I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or just weird.

Bonus Quote:
PEGGY: Excuse me, do you know of a plant that can withstand over-watering, inadequate fertilization, and perhaps some over-zealous pruning?
TEENAGE CLERK: Yeah, they're called weeds.

Spending some quality time with JT

Tonight on PBS there is an episode of Great Performaces featuring the great James Taylor. He was honored this year at the MusiCARES person of the year. Unfortunately, James Taylor didn't play for the entire hour and half because it was a tribute concert. But there were some people that I like ( Bonnie Raitt and Sting to name a few). And India.Arie had the awesomest bag ever which had a picture of a very young (circa "Sweet Baby James") James Taylor on it. It seems so weird to see James Taylor (and other singers that my mom loved like Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and Paul Simon) looking old because when I was first introduced to them, they were still young (from seeing album covers). I always think "JT when did you get so old and lose all your hair!?" (For the record, I think the same thing when I see Paul Simon too. Less so for Judy Collins and Emmylou Harris, I mostly think about how pretty their silver hair looks.) My friend Fiona from the Academy used to refer to another employee as JT and I of course always thought she meant James Taylor. So I hate when people refer to Justin Timberlake as JT. Even after James Taylor dies, Justin Timberlake will never be JT.

"My Sloppy Joe is all Sloppy and no Joe."- Bobby Hill

Don't Make Me Live in a House of Wee

So right now, my PBS station is running Britcom One Season wonders and tonight it was "The Savages" which is about a married couple with two young children. The little boy, Luke, keeps wetting the bed. And eventually the house begins to smell like pee (hence the title). The show was so funny (and features the fab Geoffrey Palmer from "As Time Goes By"). And now for a short overview of my trip to Heidelberg. After I arrived at the Frankfurt Airport, Trey found me and then we drove to their house (after a quick stop at a local orchard for some cider). And I got to meet my adorable nephew Ellis for the first time. I swear I have never seen such a smiley baby (nor one that was able to pinch the smallest amount of skin!). Then on Monday, I walked around Bammental with Rachel and Bridget (and their babies). On Tuesday, we visited Heidelberg castle and walked around Heidelberg. The castle tour was really good (and interesting, more about the people that had lived there than anything else.) And then of course on Thursday, the three of us (with some help from Silas) made the fantastic Thanksgiving dinner ( I made the pie filling and mashed the potatoes). And on Friday, we went (sans Trey) to the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. It was amazing all the stuff that was for sale there, all sorts of hats, toys and assorted knickknacks. And of course we the traditional gluehwein. After returning from the Christmas market, we celebrated Bridget's birthday by playing a game and watching some Pee-Wee Herman. I had a wonderful time in Germany and I can't wait to see all my sisters at Christmas.

"Wait a minute. I don't recall a change in plans being in the original plan."- Dale Gribble

Bonus Quote:
"Plan 51-Tango! In the event of a hostile takeover of the gun club, resulting in a Dale-threatening situation, I flee to Costa Rica. Why do we even have the drills if you're not gonna pay attention?" - Dale Gribble

We'll Start on this crappola tomorrow

So I am back home again in Iowa City. I spent a lot of time today in airports, but all in all the day wasn't too bad. I promise that on Sunday, I will do a whole write up for my blog (between working on my presentation, my occupational health assignment, and my cell bio write-up and grocery shopping). But for now, I will be going to bed. Good Night!

"Dangit, Bobby, people will see that oil stain and think I'm a drunk."- Hank Hill

Bonus Quote:
"Well, I'm happy for me, but I am sad for you. But don't worry, honey, I will keep this between you, me, Bobby, and the family therapist we will undoubtedly need to see."- Peggy Hill

An American in Heidelberg.

I haven't posted in a while so there will be talk of my test and my trip to Frankfurt. First my test on Thursday night went alright. Not a well as the first one, but I wasn't in the depths of despair after like with the second one. There has been an increase in attempted sexual assaults in Iowa City recently so of course I was super concerned that I would be attack on Thursday (my week has not been the best disaster-wise so I just assumed the worst). But I arrived at the bus-stop with out incident. Then one Friday, I attend a lecture by Andrew Fire who just won the Nobel. I didn't get to actually see him though, because so many people attended, there were two rooms of overflow (and the lecture was broadcast to those two rooms). His lecture was really interesting and he seemed like a really nice guy. After the lecture, I started to do some hard-core packing and cleaning for my week long absence. All I will say about my suitcase is that it was heavy and only 25% clothing. My flight on Saturday wasn't until about 6, so I was able to sleep in a little and watch some of the Purdue-Indiana game (Purdue Won!!) before I drove to Davenport to drop off my car at Sarah's and then have her drive to the airport. I got to visit with her for about an hour which is always fun before I went to the Quad Cities airport. My flight from the Quad city airport to Chicago was fine, we were about 10 minutes early (which was good because I had about 10 minutes to catch my connection) but then we had to wait for a gate. So I was freaked out about catching my connection but I got on at the final boarding call. The flight to Frankfurt wasn't too bad, but I wasn't able to sleep very much because the woman in front of me had to recline her seat and then move around (so she was constantly hitting my knee with her seat). But my luggage wasn't lost and I found Trey without a problem so it was okay. I will be updating through the week about my adventures in Heidelberg.

"Between the drugging and the lying, someone in this family has got to show a little got-dang integrity."- Hank Hill

Fun Fact

I know I haven't posted in almost a week, but what can I say, I'm lazy! I went home to the farm for the weekend to get ready for my trip across the pond(in less than a week yikes!) But before I go, I have a cell biology test to study for, as well as a ton of papers to read, and work on my presentation about neurological diseases in farmers. So I have been pretty busy. But the weekend at home was very nice (even the drive home was like driving through a monsoon). I was able to watch a Purdue game with other Purdue fans (for the first time of the season) and I am happy to say that Purdue won (over Illinois) and is now bowl eligible. And mom sent back part of a hero and potato soup with me so I am enjoying the soup right now. Now I am reading in my cell bio book about filaments, and this is where I am getting a fun fact for this post. If you ingest a death cap mushroom, a remedy is do ingest a large amount of raw meat (the actin filaments from the meat bind to the toxin instead of your own actin filaments) . Enjoy!

"It's a "Fun Run," Dad. I ran until it stopped being fun. Happened quick."- Bobby Hill

Expect some delays

okay, I know I promised a review of the Russia book, and I swear I am working on it! Tonight, instead of working on the review, I watched Paula Poundstone on Bravo. And she was hilarious (as I expected). I thought I would share one little gem from her routine. She said that she wished she had a degenerative disease because she already feels achy and tired, but if she had a degenerative disease everything she did would be courageous. "I would role out of bed at noon, and everyone would say she insisted on getting up. She just gives and gives until she has nothing left." Hopefully that will tide you off until my Russian review.

"Your dad's days of hating me are coming to a close. Who can hate a kid who can Charleston?" -Bobby Hill

And just because I love this quote, I can't resist:

"I'm glad I'm not the lama. The Chane Train stops for the ladies." - Chane Wasonasong

Killer Shrews, Killer Shrews, K-I-double L- E-R Shrews

So, this weekend I watched Mystery Science Theater 3000 featuring Killer Shrews (hence the title) as well as "Swamp Diamonds" and "Manos: The Hands of Fate". But believe it or not, that was not the highlight of my weekend, (but it was pretty good.) No, the highlight of the weekend was the fact that Purdue was able to actually hold on to a two point lead and beat Michigan State this weekend, hooray! Iowa, on the other hand, continued it's downward slide by losing to Northwestern. Which I don't really feel bad about because one of the student sports writers said that Purdue was one of the worst teams in the Big Ten (well at least Purdue beat Northwestern, jerk!) And I had a fancy Sunday dinner with a friend. I made some fab panna cotta on Saturday so I had her over for some fettuccini alfredo with chicken, broccoli, and foil bread as well as panna cotta with raspberries. Since I am cooking for one, I don't get really excited to make a fancy-ish dinner so it was nice to stretch my culinary muscle once in a while. And of course I enjoyed watching MST3K over the weekend, it reminded me of my sisters (especially "Swamp Diamonds").

"Marriage is about trust, and she betrayed him. It was like a knife in his heart when she stuck that fork in his back." -Peggy Hill
Bonus Quotes:
"Leanne's first husband is working on an offshore oil rig in the gulf, and he swears he's coming ashore until I fax him her death certificate. " - Hank Hill

"Bobby, red alert! Get over to Dale's house and lock the door." - Hank Hill

Please allow me a few minutes on my soapbox.

As part of my TA duties for my class (Environmental Health), I am update the slides and notes for the web-based course. I am starting on the slides about the ecosystem and the notes mention the importance of maintaining biodiversity because some plants and animals could have therapeutic value to human. And I can't help but think, why can't we maintain biodiversity so the ecosystem doesn't get all wonky? Why is the only reason to protect something is because it might be helpful to human one day? Can't we just protect species so our children's children actually know what the natural habitat for a lemur is (as opposed to a zoo enclosure)? Maybe it's just me, but it seems that protection of the environment for human-centric reason sort of got us in the mess we are in now. But then again maybe the ends justify the needs, and it should not matter the exact reason for maintaining biodiversity as long as it is being maintained.

Reading Around the World update: I have about 25 more pages for Russia, I should have my first review for this project by Monday!

"I've seen some things that I have never seen before. Like the sunrise, morning dew, and snails on the sidewalk. I never want to see those things again." - Bobby Hill

Hugh Laurie= Brit Genuis

I saw Hugh Laurie on Saturday Night Live and I can't keep this quote to myself :
"There will be British humor tonight. It will feature very elborate puns that will take days to figure out with most likely very little pay off. "

"Six a.m. and already the boy ain't right."- Hank Hill

It's The Gator- Mater

So yesterday, I watched the Pee Wee Herman live show on DVD. I haven't watched that since our house burned down in 2001. I underestimated how much of that show that I remembered. Meaning I spent almost the entire 58 minutes laughing so hard my stomach hurt. I been having kind of a crappy week, so watching some Pee Wee was just what I needed. I had to sort some slides and stain them this week. And of course at the semester is more than half over, I'm getting anxious to make some real progress on my thesis work. So I have been apprehensive about everything from when am I going to be finishing my thesis to what am I going to do after I graduate (if I graduate). All that worrying has affected my ability to go to sleep (because that it when I think about it). So hopefully I will calm down soon, so I can sleep. To make myself feel better, I have been getting Mystery Science Theater movies through Netflix. I watched "Hercules versus the moon men" that featured a never ending sandstorm scene. But Joel, Tom, and Crow made a some jokes about an L. Ron Hubbard book including: "How much money are we going to get out of Tom Cruise pg 54."

"Bill!! Bill, you have to be the stupidest man on the planet to think this is a good idea! Have you seen what you're wearing?! That outfit makes you look like a sequined train wreck! Look at you!! You're part of a twelve-headed Jackass! This chorus is the feces that is produced when shame eats too much stupidity! You people make me envy the deaf and the blind!" - Dale Gribble

Bonus Quote: "Normally I'd tell you to go to my blog, but even that's being censored by Hank." - Dale Gribble

Susanaphone

Over the summer, I watched an musical with Judy Holliday called "Bells are Ringing". In the movie, Judy Holliday's character works at a telephone answering service called Susanaphone. And I admit there are times that I want to answer the phone by saying "Susanaphone". There is also this song I love by a British group with a line "I tried to call on your answerphone" which again makes me want to use Susanaphone. Anyway if you have a chance to see "Bells are Ringing" I highly recommend it. Even though Dean Martin is in it, Judy Holliday is so cute. And my mom told me that my grandma Diane really liked that movie so that of course made me much more receptive to it.

"Boyce Hubert, minister. Although I've lost my faith. 'Course, I did find a pretty great parking space on my way in. But the Lord works in such mysterious ways, who the hell knows?" - Boyce Hubert

Bonus Quote: "I'm not sure if there's a God, or a heaven, but one thing I can tell you, your daddy's going to Hell." - Boyce Hubert (to Hank about Cotton Hill).

A Slice of Fried Gold

Daylight savings time, I curse you! For twenty+ years, I never had to deal with the bi-annual changing of every clock in your possession. But now that I am living in Iowa, I do have to change my clocks. The first year was not so bad I was totally on top of changing my clocks. But this year, I totally forgot. And it wasn't until I consulted the clock on my laptop and then the clock on the wall (at about 11am, after I had already been up for about 4 hours) that I remembered it was time for the clock switching. The worse part is that Indiana has finally fell under the spell of daylight savings times, which means I have no idea what the time difference is between me in Iowa and everyone else I might want to call. That is the total disadvantage of being a moron (about daylight saving time which I all I will admit to being a moron about). In other news, this blog has reached a (semi)-milestone, this post is the 60th post of the blog. So thank you all for willingly reading my semi-coherent rantings about everything under the sun. And for enjoying my King of the Hill quotes that end the posts. There is something totally gratifying in knowing people will make a little time in their day to see how you are doing (or thinking).

CLERK: Okay, the tag says they need food and water and dirt and sun and love.
BOBBY: Can I substitute extra love for sun? I kind of have to hide these in my bedroom closet.
CLERK: No way, man. That'd be going against the tag. Unless... okay, I know someone who can help you, but the problem is that he's at another store, and you're like, at this store.
BOBBY: I have a bike.
CLERK: Oh, that changes everything.

Bonus Quote:
"...So I finally got up the nerve to ask Nancy for a raise in my allowance. It did not go well."- Dale Gribble

(In case you were wondering, the title came from the strange but extremely funny movie "Shaun of the Dead")

Check your barn doors

So I got the famous Halloween package from my mom today. Let me tell you, it was the best package that I have ever gotten. She sent all sorts of gummy goodies, lotion, ponytail holders and headband (truly a women after my own heart, I can never have too many hair things) and some really cute socks (which I one thing I love about my mom, I can always count on getting cute socks from her around the holidays). Also in the package is our family's fall staple, candy corn mixed with dried roasted peanut (the perfect mix of salty and sweet). But the highlight of the whole package, my own DVD copy of "Prairie Home Companion" movie (which is the origin of the title). It was just as lovely as I remembered when I saw it over the summer with my mom. It was still funny and bittersweet at the same time. And the music was so wonderful and fab. So now, I don't need to wait a week to get my Garrison Fix.

"Did you mean for the words to come out like that, or did they just come out randomly?"- Hank Hill

Bonus Quotes:
"I didn't think that I was possible to feel both ignored and violated."- Hank Hill

"I am your worst nightmare. I have a three line phone and nothing but time on my hands" - Dale Gribble

Inside the Mind of a Bibliophile

So, I will be flying from the Midwest to Germany over Thanksgiving vacation. And the first thing that I think about in terms of packing is not what clothes am I going to pack? No, it's what books should I take? How much time would I have to read while I'm there. Should I pack thick books or several thin books? How bad is my addiction? Really bad. I have a book in my bookbag for readding on the bus and one in my purse. I'm reading this memoir about another bibliophile and I am able to give a name to a common practice : doublebooking. This means reading several books at the same time. Currently I am quadruplebooking. "The Life of Pi" is my purse-book, my bus book is "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", I have a book to read while I am brushing my teeth (in the bathroom) which is "So Many Books, So Little Time" and then a "pop" novel to read for about 15mins before bed (to relax my mind). The key when you are double or triplebooking, is to make sure that the books are different enough to not run together (thus I advise against doublebooking with "David Copperfield" and "Great Expectations"). But doublebooking might be why I am giving myself plenty of time to finish my "Reading Around the World" project.

DALE: Yeah, man, I tell you what, man, dang ol' detector, man, government take away freedom of smoke, talkin' 'bout yo, man.
HANK: Yeah, man, I tell you what, man, dang ol' boy ain't right, man, talkin' 'bout kick your ass, man.
BOOMHAUER: For God's sake, Hank, act like an adult. And keep it down, guys, will you? I am trying to get through an article on vintage Camaros, and I've been on the same dang page for twenty minutes.
BILL: Dang ol' pretty pretty pizza, man, I tell you what.

Bonus Quote:
"B-A- Bay, B-E Be, B-I- Bicky Bi B-O Bo, Bicky Bi Bo!"- Dale Gribble

Xanax Salad Sprinkles

Every Sunday, when 1pm rolls around, I listen to prairie Home Companion. And sadly, it is becoming the highlight of the week. For almost two hours straight, I listen to Garrison Keillor and company while I do some reading or wash dishes. And giggle... a lot. I don't think words can really express how much I love Prairie Home Companion. There is something that is so appealing to me about the homespun silliness (and charm) of the show. From the episode of Guy Noir to the fake commercials (like the one from this week advertising Xanax Salad Sprinkles as a pick-me-up for these dark fall days) to the music (sometimes the music parodies as well), there is always something that makes me feel better. Paul Simon turned 65 this week, so they had a music parody of "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" about going into a retirement home that was so funny I couldn't stop laughing (it included a line about buying a flannel shirt (instead of cambric) in plaid because it hides the dirt). But I think that why I always feel better after listening to Prairie Home Companion is that it reminds me of my mom and being home on the farm. So after a stressful week of school, for two hours a week, I just get to think about home and nothing else. And that is magic of Garrison Keillor.


HANK: Bobby, how would you like to help me out around the shop for a few days? I can't pay you, but you can have all the snacks you want. We've got fruit pies, pretzels, all kinds of Newtons...
BOBBY: You had me at "fruit pies."

Bonus Quote:
"Uncle Hank, you're in denial"- Luanna Platter

Breaking my heart

So both "my" college teams lost today. Purdue lost to Wisconsin and Iowa lost to Michigan. And to make matters worse, Notre Dame came behind to beat UCLA. The only brightspot for the whole college football Saturday was the fact that Penn State won. So hopefully fans will leave Joe Pa alone. Seriously though, you do not even think about firing Joe Pa, you let him retire. I think it should be a rule, once you have coached at one college for more than forty years, your job should be secure until you either retire or die. I had a pretty rough Thursday as well thanks to an almost impossible test in Cell Bio. When I started I was really worried because no one else looking like they were freaking out, but slowly lots of people started asking questions to the TAs so I took that as a sign that everyone was equally confused as I was. And then the next day in class the (new) lecturer said "I heard you guys had a rough night last night with the exam", understatement of the century to say the least. But that leads me to the conclusion that everyone did about as bad as I assume that I did. C'est la vie...

BOBBY: Do you really think the Cowboys would move to Arlen?
HANK: I sure do, son. Just imagine what it'll be like. We'll go get autographs, and Troy Aikman will toss the ball around with you. I wish I had Dandy Don Meredith or Roger Staubach throwing me passes when I was your age. Even Craig Morton would have been okay. I love you, Bobby.
BOBBY: What?!
HANK: Uh... nothing. Hey, look, a bird!

And just because I can't resist this quote (and the likelihood that I will every write an appropriate posting is probably zero)
DALE: Hank, a hunting trip's not just about getting drunk or shooting deer. It's about getting out in the woods, away from the government, where your paper money is useless unless you run out of leaves. Where a man can let down his guard and share his biggest fear.
HANK: Dale, you with your guard down is my biggest fear.

An Open Apology To Gaston Leroux

Sorry Gaston, but I have to nix you from of my reading list. I am almost eighty pages into "Phantom of the Opera" and I just can't get into it. I think that I am just not a gothic girl. I love Northanger Abbey which just makes fun of gothic novels. But I tried, I really tried. Instead I am going to read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn for Russia. And Gaston, you have been replaced on the list. For France, I am going to read "Wind, Sand, & Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (who wrote "The Little Prince"). This book it about his solo flights during and before World War II. (He disappeared during a flight). And I have been wanting to read this book for a while now.
In other interesting news, I was cutting through the basement of the hospital were the photos of all the former med students are posted and a picture caught my eye. It was for Dr. Katz. That's right, Dr. Katz exists. He probably does not have a completely idiot son named Ben (who has a little stuffed bull) but I can hope!

"It's hot and the tray is heavy. My boss calls me Tommy and watches TV in a hot dog suit and I think he might be a moron."-Bobby Hill

Weekend in review

This weekend, I went back to the farm for the first time in more than a month to attend a wedding on a friend from college. This is the first wedding that I have attending in nearly five years that did not require me getting up early to either get ready to be in the wedding or to help with preparations for the wedding. It was a nice but bizarre feeling. Let it be noted that I did attend the rehearsal dinner and helped the bride get dressed (I was the assistant to the maid of honor, my sister). This weekend also featured helping Lucy get dressed in the car, while driving, on the way to the church because she was positive that she would be the last person there, so she had to at least arrived dressed. The wedding was beautiful and Courtney (the bride) looking radiant. Also there were big football happenings this weekend. Purdue beat Northwestern (giving them a 5-2 record) and more shockingly, Indiana beat Iowa. Leading to complete distress by members of the Iowa faithful. Most disappointing, there was a huge brawl during the third quarter of the Miami game this weekend (which featured hitting people with helmets and cleat-stomping). Gee, I wonder if there is too much aggression in sports (or men in general)? Speaking of excess aggression, this weekend was the annual rite of passage known as clamping the calves. Dad's friend Brad (and his 7-year old son Spencer) were there to help us. Brad suggested just using rubber bands, but I will let Lucy provide her objections to that suggestions. And the last project that Lucy and I worked on (before I return to the daily grind at school) was honey separation. We only did about 1/4 of the hives before I had to leave. All I know is that I don't know what the hell Dad is planning on doing with all that honey (and extra wax!). I think Lucy and I need to make plans to make several batches of soap over Christmas. Whooo!


"Minh, it's finally happening! Bobby Hillbilly is marrying hillbilly cousin! You owe me five dollars!" - Kahn Souphanousinphone
Bonus quote:
HANK: You're going to have to marry Luanne.
BOBBY: But I'm only twelve years old!
HANK: Well, just think, you can be married for eighty years.
BOBBY: Dad, you can't make me marry Luanne!
HANK: Yes I can, Bobby -- you're only twelve years old.

Kindred Spirits

Last week, my friend Sarah came to visit me and we had lunch and went to the bookstore together. We had a blast walking around looking at books and talking. And I was reminded why we were such good friends. We both have never read "Catcher in the Rye" for the same reason, specifically most people who read that book do it because they think other people will think they are both cool and rebellious. (And of course I shared Rachel's excellent quote "Anyone who reads that book and uses it as a type of philosophy is an idiot). And she and I decided that we don't usually enjoy books that are considered "must-read" or some of the books in the "literature canon". I really don't like to be told to read a novel for reasons x ,y , z . I like to decided why I should read the book and what is important. But that is just me. I also have a problem with people using literature as a way to exclude people. I read "The Jane Austen Book Club" which everyone was raving about, and I hated it. Maybe I didn't get it but I just hated it for the specific reason it that the women seemed to unnecessarily bitchy. It is four women (who have read Austen) who begin a bookclub and invite a man (who has never read any Austen) and then make fun of him throughout the book and completely ignore the fact that he is voluntarily reading Austen (which is not common for men in general fictional or not). Maybe I'm idealistic, but literature to me can act as an equalizer.

"My Joseph better not be sterile -- I need my seed to live on. Certain plans of mine require additional Gribbles." -Dale Gribble

Bonus Quote:
"Have you forgotten who you are? You are Hank freakin' Hill! The man who won the Texas Propane Association's Blue Flame of Valor award! The man who drove raccoon after raccoon out of our attic, armed only with a broom-handle and a pillowcase! And the man whose sperm struggled through that tiny urethra God cursed you with to create our wonderful son!" -Peggy Hill

A Bold New Plan

One of my goals in life is to visit every country in the world (or at least every continent). This may never happen, so I have decided to embark on a related and possibly easier plan. I am going to read a book from every country in the world. So what do I hope to get out of this experience? I do want to broaden my literature horizon, I usually like to read British authors or historical novels. I hope by reading more authors, I can appreciate new perspectives. I plan on posting updates of my progress on this blog. So stay tuned for more. . .

"Bobby, why don't you go look in the Adventure section? Anything about a boy with gumption should be fine." -Hank Hill (advising Bobby at the book store)

Bonus quote:
"(reading): "The elf-lord Flyfandel knelt upon the bed of dandelions. 'Young wanderer,' quoth he, 'I have woven you a magic breastplate'"-- Ugh! Bobby, television!" - Hank Hill

Scream Real Loud

Time to break out the giant underpants because I finally was able to watch an episode of PeeWee's Playhouse on Cartoon Network. The show started airing in July, but I was never able to catch it until last night. I needed a study break and suddenly there was PeeWee. I haven't watched an episode of PeeWee's playhouse and I forgot how fantastic the show was. I love the use of claymation for the "special effects" like Pee-Wee in space. I think it made it much more interesting that CGI graphics. And I can't ignore the use a claymation for Penny and the Dinosaurs. I love the Penny cartoons. I still thought the show was hilarious, even as an adult. I think that is a mark of a good kid's show, that adult can watch it and enjoy it (which I don't think is true with some kid's shows today, I want to deafen myself every time I see a little bit of Dora the Explorer.) And PeeWee's Playhouse had a really good cast, I mean Phil Hartman, Laurence Fishburne, and S. Epatha Merkerson were all on that show. I highly recommend watching PeeWee's playhouse or PeeWee's Big Adventure.

"They're not jokes, Bill, they're painful lessons. I thank my father every day for all the tricks he played on me. He taught me the most wonderful lesson a child can learn: Never trust nobody. That's how I know Bob Dole's faking that dead arm." - Dale Gribble

Bonus Quotes:
JOSEPH: Dad, can me and Bobby bring life preservers?
DALE: If you want to be sissies.
JOSEPH (to Bobby): He said yes!

BILL: Who wants a dollar? Say me.
BOBBY: Me!!

Nobel Prize

Today, the Nobel committee announced the winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine: Andy Fire and Craig Mello. They did work on RNA interference in C. elegans. My Cell Bio. Professor mention these two researchers in class and that she thought that they would win the Nobel prize at one point. In our discussion class we talked about them winning the prize as well (which is when one of classmates said that Fire and Mello sounds like some 70s folk group). The discussion leader said that he was surprised the Fire and Mello won this year because they published their findings in 1998 and that is a short time for Nobel recognition. We talked about the people who have won multiple times (Marie Curie specifically) and then he couldn't remember the name of the other multiple winner : Linus Pauling (Linus Pauling was heavily involved in determining the structure of DNA). On of the other students thought he was thinking about Rosalind Franklin and then the student remarked that someone stole the work of her desk as we were leaving. And of course I said, "I hate Watson, he is such a jerk." To which the professor said that Watson once spoke at Iowa, and he thought he was a jerk as well. But it got me thinking about the Nobel. It would be really cool to personally know someone who won, but at the same time I think that the Nobel committee might be full of crap. Only 11 women have won the Nobel despite nominal work (i.e. Lise Mietner). And it has been awarded for "debatable" advancements (like when it was given to Antonio Egas Moniz for developing the lobotomy). But on the upside there is an Ig Nobel awarded by the Annals of Improbable Research for work that cannot or should not be reproduced. Maybe that's what he was going for with the lobotomy.

"It's upset the balance in the alley. There used to be one cool married guy and one cool single guy. Now it's just me and three losers."- Dale Gribble