hella

Even the black crowd uses that word constantly up here.

SfN Conference 2007. I'm so excited. Can't you tell? Flying in, hanging out around the airport (maybe) until 9 PM, then going over to my cousin's place.

Crack may be visiting me sometime next year. I may be visiting her next year since she has a car and a place for me to stay in Houston. Sweet. I can avoid going home, secretly taking the car to Houston, and crashing there for a week or so.

Dr. Nogales, from UC Berkeley, came today to give a presentation about her research. If I had a researcher as a role model, it would be her, minus the thick eyebrows. Foreign accents are much more captivating when used to give a presentation over science. She only talked about microtubules, which isn't the most interesting topic in science, but when she says it with a South American flair- OH MAN. Her overall presentation was excellent: appropriate use of hand gestures, comedy, and throwing her body all over the front of the classroom.

The only thing tacky about the seminar was that the people hosting it bought Dora the Explorer-themed paper cups for people to pour their apple juice in.

She also showed some computer generated graphics of microtubule assembly/disassembly along with the Dam1 ring that wraps around the polymers. What do I need to know in order to produce amazing graphics such as those?

Memorable quotes from the talk: "I always like to have some sex (with my science)." In parentheses because I couldn't hear the last part- just guessing it might be that. Who doesn't like to have sex with their science, ESPECIALLY the grad students. You know who I'm talking about.

Another quote: "cellular matrimony." In reference to the alpha/beta tubulin dimers. Even certain cells join together like a match made in heaven. My molecular composition is condoning marriage?! I'm fighting off that itch as long as I can, although the benefits would be wedding gifts from the registry. Why don't single people get gifts for staying single and not growing up kids who are destined to become obese in this current society?