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