The thing about Christmas vacation is that everything is rushed and stressed before Christmas, but relatively boring and anti-climactic afterwards. I normally have just antenna t.v., and I've been taking advantage of my parents' Dish Network t.v. while visiting them.
This is what I've learned from t.v. these few days:
1. Surfers in Southern California have a history of being territorial and have attacked other surfers they consider non-locals. I watched a really bad half-hour documentary to learn this on the Documentary Network.
2. There is a battle brewing in New Zealand over milk containing A1 casein versus A2 casein. A study has showed that A1 casein containing cows milk is linked to diabetes, and there are claims that it is also linked to brain development issues (e.g. autism). A2 containing cows milk apparently does not have these links and is closer to the milk made by humans. The battle is brewing because most milk in Europe, New Zealand and Australia is A1 milk and switching over to A2 would mean changing over to Jersey and Guernsey instead of Holstein milk cows. (The U.S. sells mainly A1 milk also)
3. There are scientists who argue for 'geo-enviromental engineering' machines/devices to reverse climate change. They have tested things like CO2 scrubbers and pumps to move ocean water from one part of the ocean to another. What could have been really interesting t.v. turned out to be more crappy semi-science and what I consider to be a really bad idea. Truthfully, instead of trying to create clouds to reduce the warming effect of the sun, shouldn't we just do stuff that works with nature to prevent the need for artificial clouds?
4. You should not wear skinny jeans unless you are a skinny and tall person yourself.
5. 'House' is one of the few re-runs that I can stand to watch over and over again.
6. Ghosts are people who have died and have not passed on. Spirits are people who have died, passed on, and 'return' to us every now and then. Poltergeists are ghosts that are up to no good. And Angels are 'different' beings and were never humans. Getting rid of ghosts in a house is apparently as easy as lighting a few candles and telling them to go away.
Even with a few hundred t.v. channels, it is a struggle to find anything worthwhile as my list above indicates. I'm satisfied with having antenna t.v. and just watching the specific cable shows that I enjoy online at hulu.com or other online t.v. sites. I might miss some stuff like the documentaries on milk production, but I waste a lot less time watching the other garbage.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Dream versus premonition
A few weeks ago I dreamt that I was sitting on a plane that was stranded in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. It had crashed without falling from the sky, but everybody on the plane was fine. While we were sitting around waiting to be rescued, an avalanche of snow fell on top of the plane. The layer of snow above my head was very small so I was able to dig myself out and dug out several other people on the plane.
The dream was vivid but I didn't take it to be much else than a dream--though I did tell people about it the next day.
Then a week later I read in the news that a plane in Denver had slid off the runway and crashed. There were some injuries, but nobody died.
This wasn't exactly my dream but I was a little wigged-out by the similarities.
Last night I had a dream that there was a big flood.
I never dream of disasters. I dream about not being able to find the classroom where I am supposed to take (or administer) a test. I dream about getting a bad haircut and being naked at the grocery store. I can not remember ever having a plane crash, avalanche, or flood dream except the ones that I've had these past few days.
I must be watching too much news. With the weather patterns, it's not too much of a stretch to say that once the snow melts there will be a big flood. Or that the snow is going to cause problems with travel and avalanches.
It's just a weird feeling when a dream becomes sort of real.
The dream was vivid but I didn't take it to be much else than a dream--though I did tell people about it the next day.
Then a week later I read in the news that a plane in Denver had slid off the runway and crashed. There were some injuries, but nobody died.
This wasn't exactly my dream but I was a little wigged-out by the similarities.
Last night I had a dream that there was a big flood.
I never dream of disasters. I dream about not being able to find the classroom where I am supposed to take (or administer) a test. I dream about getting a bad haircut and being naked at the grocery store. I can not remember ever having a plane crash, avalanche, or flood dream except the ones that I've had these past few days.
I must be watching too much news. With the weather patterns, it's not too much of a stretch to say that once the snow melts there will be a big flood. Or that the snow is going to cause problems with travel and avalanches.
It's just a weird feeling when a dream becomes sort of real.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Nobel Prize winner versus George Clooney
The weekend before Thanksgiving was the annual retreat for my department at work. The keynote speaker this year was the 2007 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology, Mario Capecchi. Typically famous scientists usually arrive for a talk, give the talk, and then leave. However, Dr. Capecchi was nice enough to stay for the whole weekend! It was an obvious thrill for a lot of people to say that they had talked to, played ping pong with, and bowled with a Nobel Prize winner. He is obviously a great man who has an even more amazing life story.
Dr. Capecchi was born in pre-World War II Italy and when he was very young his mother was taken by the Nazis to Dachau for protesting the Fascists. From the ages of 4 to 9 he lived on the streets of Italy starving. His mother was released after the war and spent a year searching for him. She found him in a childrens hospital/orphanage where all of the children were naked and their daily meal consisted of a cup of coffee and a crust of bread. Apparently his mother gave him his first bath in 6 years when she found him. They then came to the U.S. to live with his uncle (mother's brother) and aunt in Pennsylvania. As Dr. Capecchi described it, he passed through Ellis Island on a Sunday and started school on a Monday. It was the first time in his life that he had been to school and he did not know how to read or write, nor did he know English. It is obvious that his family cared a lot about him and helped him get a proper education. He ended up doing his PhD under James Watson (of double-sided DNA Nobel Prize fame), and eventually took a professor position at the University of Utah where he did his work on homologous recombination in eukaryotes and created gene knock-out mice. This technique basically allows us to make mice with specific genetic mutations (i.e. mouse models) that cause and/or mimic diseases like cancer, obesity, and Parkinson's.
With all of this, Dr. Capecchi is a really nice man. I think a lot of people were intimidated by him the first day of the retreat. I saw him walking around the posters by himself and pretty much sort of isolated because people were afraid to talk to him. But as the weekend progressed, people got over their fears and were excited to get some face time with him. It was sweet.
The retreat ended with a talk given by Jorge Cham, the comic strip artist for PhD Comics. Being more of a grad-school pop-culture talk, his talk was entertaining and not intimidating. It was the cotton candy ending to a meat and potatoes weekend. When I spoke to Jorge during the book signing, he seemed sort of defensive about the fact that he is now a comic strip artist and not a practicing engineer. It makes me wonder how long he is going to keep this up.
The title of this blog is 'Nobel Prize winner versus George Clooney'. The Nobel Prize winner is obvious, but what about George Clooney? Last weekend I was hiking in the hills close to where I live and as we came down from the hill towards the houses, my sister said that George Clooney lives in that area. As we were walking past one house, I heard people playing basketball. The house had a huge court in front that was wrapped in green tennis court netting. My sister and I distinctly heard a man talking while playing basketball. Yup, that man was George Clooney.
If I were hosting a dinner party and had to pick between Mario Capecchi and George Clooney, Mario Capecchi would definitely win the invite... but I guess that it would be okay if George Clooney hung around for drinks afterwards ;)
Dr. Capecchi was born in pre-World War II Italy and when he was very young his mother was taken by the Nazis to Dachau for protesting the Fascists. From the ages of 4 to 9 he lived on the streets of Italy starving. His mother was released after the war and spent a year searching for him. She found him in a childrens hospital/orphanage where all of the children were naked and their daily meal consisted of a cup of coffee and a crust of bread. Apparently his mother gave him his first bath in 6 years when she found him. They then came to the U.S. to live with his uncle (mother's brother) and aunt in Pennsylvania. As Dr. Capecchi described it, he passed through Ellis Island on a Sunday and started school on a Monday. It was the first time in his life that he had been to school and he did not know how to read or write, nor did he know English. It is obvious that his family cared a lot about him and helped him get a proper education. He ended up doing his PhD under James Watson (of double-sided DNA Nobel Prize fame), and eventually took a professor position at the University of Utah where he did his work on homologous recombination in eukaryotes and created gene knock-out mice. This technique basically allows us to make mice with specific genetic mutations (i.e. mouse models) that cause and/or mimic diseases like cancer, obesity, and Parkinson's.
With all of this, Dr. Capecchi is a really nice man. I think a lot of people were intimidated by him the first day of the retreat. I saw him walking around the posters by himself and pretty much sort of isolated because people were afraid to talk to him. But as the weekend progressed, people got over their fears and were excited to get some face time with him. It was sweet.
The retreat ended with a talk given by Jorge Cham, the comic strip artist for PhD Comics. Being more of a grad-school pop-culture talk, his talk was entertaining and not intimidating. It was the cotton candy ending to a meat and potatoes weekend. When I spoke to Jorge during the book signing, he seemed sort of defensive about the fact that he is now a comic strip artist and not a practicing engineer. It makes me wonder how long he is going to keep this up.
The title of this blog is 'Nobel Prize winner versus George Clooney'. The Nobel Prize winner is obvious, but what about George Clooney? Last weekend I was hiking in the hills close to where I live and as we came down from the hill towards the houses, my sister said that George Clooney lives in that area. As we were walking past one house, I heard people playing basketball. The house had a huge court in front that was wrapped in green tennis court netting. My sister and I distinctly heard a man talking while playing basketball. Yup, that man was George Clooney.
If I were hosting a dinner party and had to pick between Mario Capecchi and George Clooney, Mario Capecchi would definitely win the invite... but I guess that it would be okay if George Clooney hung around for drinks afterwards ;)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Today at the farmers market...
One plus of not running the marathon this morning is that I was able to go to the local farmers market. While there, I saw William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) shopping for produce. They looked scraggly like they just got up out of bed and did not change their clothes before deciding to go to the market. They were definitely not 'shiny' like you see in the movies or on t.v. In fact, most of the other people at the farmers market looked a lot more put together and awake than they did (at 10a.m.). They also looked very annoyed which gave me the impression that they were not enjoying themselves.
So I didn't run the marathon today because of the wildfires. But I did get to see some celebrities. I guess it's an L.A. trade-off.
So I didn't run the marathon today because of the wildfires. But I did get to see some celebrities. I guess it's an L.A. trade-off.
Mother Nature wins again
It is 5 a.m. and I can't sleep.
At 3:42 a.m. someone's car alarm went off on the street. I checked my e-mail and there was still no updates. Since I couldn't sleep, I went downstairs and got ready for the marathon as if there were a chance that it would still proceed as planned. I made my oatmeal and drank my tea. Then at 4:05 a.m. I got the e-mail saying that the Pasadena Marathon had been cancelled due to poor air quality from the wildfires surrounding Orange County and Los Angeles. Phone calls were exchanged over the next half hour as I contacted people and people contacted me regarding the cancellation. I tried to go back to sleep again, but I'm an insomniac and now up for the day.
I think the organizers made the right decision. After years of planning, it has to have been a hard decision to pull the plug today. From the beginning, the race organizers have taken the runner into account and this decision reinforces that. I look forward to whatever solution they may have for the cancellation because that have my full confidence and respect. If they want to increase interest and make a lot of people happy they will reschedule the marathon for mid-February when the L.A. Marathon was supposed to take place.
As for me, I have been specifically training for the Pasadena Marathon for half a year now and was looking forward to the marathon today. It was going to be my 'big payoff' before going into a much needed rest and recovery mode. It was also supposed to be a day of spiritual rebirth-- where each step symbolically represented the past that I am leaving behind and the future that I am moving towards. It was something that I did during the L.A. Marathon, and was planning on doing today. Oh well, I guess there will be no endorphin and sugar-depletion induced feel-good high involved in my rebirth today. Bummer.
At 3:42 a.m. someone's car alarm went off on the street. I checked my e-mail and there was still no updates. Since I couldn't sleep, I went downstairs and got ready for the marathon as if there were a chance that it would still proceed as planned. I made my oatmeal and drank my tea. Then at 4:05 a.m. I got the e-mail saying that the Pasadena Marathon had been cancelled due to poor air quality from the wildfires surrounding Orange County and Los Angeles. Phone calls were exchanged over the next half hour as I contacted people and people contacted me regarding the cancellation. I tried to go back to sleep again, but I'm an insomniac and now up for the day.
I think the organizers made the right decision. After years of planning, it has to have been a hard decision to pull the plug today. From the beginning, the race organizers have taken the runner into account and this decision reinforces that. I look forward to whatever solution they may have for the cancellation because that have my full confidence and respect. If they want to increase interest and make a lot of people happy they will reschedule the marathon for mid-February when the L.A. Marathon was supposed to take place.
As for me, I have been specifically training for the Pasadena Marathon for half a year now and was looking forward to the marathon today. It was going to be my 'big payoff' before going into a much needed rest and recovery mode. It was also supposed to be a day of spiritual rebirth-- where each step symbolically represented the past that I am leaving behind and the future that I am moving towards. It was something that I did during the L.A. Marathon, and was planning on doing today. Oh well, I guess there will be no endorphin and sugar-depletion induced feel-good high involved in my rebirth today. Bummer.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Card carrying member of the UAW
A few months ago, I described that the UAW petitioned to represent the University of California system post-docs. Well, last week I got an e-mail informing me that it is now in effect. Here is an excerpt from that e-mail:
For your information, the Office of the President Labor Relations had notified us that the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has confirmed majority support for Pro-UAW in the bargaining unit determination to represent Postdoctoral Scholars and Postgraduate Researchers at all UC campuses. Approximately 1,000 individuals at UCLA are included in this new systemwide bargaining unit, with a total estimated at approximately 6,400 members.
We understand that the University will send a letter of recognition to PERB today, November 3rd. At that point, Pro-UAW will have exclusive representation rights, and there may be no changes in working conditions, including wages, unless authorized through the systemwide negotiation process.
The American auto industry is practically on death's door and the UAW decided that unionizing PhD's was the logical next step for survival? I grew up in American Motors Corporation country. I saw the UAW burden that company with strikes and demands to the point where the company pretty much died. And I saw the aftermath as friends' parents lost jobs, the economy in my hometown crashed (and never fully recovered), and the people and town were forgotten once the UAW no longer needed them. Needless to say, I am now a card carrying member of the UAW, and I'm not proud of it.
For your information, the Office of the President Labor Relations had notified us that the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has confirmed majority support for Pro-UAW in the bargaining unit determination to represent Postdoctoral Scholars and Postgraduate Researchers at all UC campuses. Approximately 1,000 individuals at UCLA are included in this new systemwide bargaining unit, with a total estimated at approximately 6,400 members.
We understand that the University will send a letter of recognition to PERB today, November 3rd. At that point, Pro-UAW will have exclusive representation rights, and there may be no changes in working conditions, including wages, unless authorized through the systemwide negotiation process.
The American auto industry is practically on death's door and the UAW decided that unionizing PhD's was the logical next step for survival? I grew up in American Motors Corporation country. I saw the UAW burden that company with strikes and demands to the point where the company pretty much died. And I saw the aftermath as friends' parents lost jobs, the economy in my hometown crashed (and never fully recovered), and the people and town were forgotten once the UAW no longer needed them. Needless to say, I am now a card carrying member of the UAW, and I'm not proud of it.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Sometimes you're right, sometimes not so right...
It turns out the guy that I saw last weekend could not have been Lance Armstrong since he did a bike race in Texas last weekend (and of course won). BUT, while I working a water station for the Leggers this morning, I saw Aaron Eckhart running in front of one of our pace groups. He eyed some of the water and goodies on the table, and one of the people working the water station offered him water. He turned it all down and as he was running away, the woman who offered him water and I were like, "Hey, that's Harvey Dent from Batman!" Then we all started talking about the movies that he was in and how good he looks in real life.
It was fun and I have additional spotters to confirm my sighting this time!
It was fun and I have additional spotters to confirm my sighting this time!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Is that... running past me?
In an earlier entry I noted that I saw Lisa Ling while running by the ocean earlier this year.
Over the summer, I also saw the actress who plays Dr. Cuddy on House (Lisa Edelstein) running by the beach. I wasn't 100% sure it was her the first time because it was early in the morning, she didn't have make-up on, and her hair was a bit messy-- but I saw her again a few weeks later running along the same path by the beach and am fairly certain it was her.
I *think* my biggest sighting happened this morning. As I was running along the same ocean path where I saw Lisa Ling, a man who looked a lot like Lance Armstrong ran past us. I only saw him for a few seconds because, like a high school algebra problem, he was approaching us at X mph and we were approaching him at Y mph (so we were actually approaching each other at X+Y mph). He was wearing sunglasses so I didn't see his eyes, but he was wearing one of the popular yellow Livestrong wristbands. I nodded to him as we ran past each other, and he looked over at us.
My friend Shannon (who lives in the movie star haven of Brentwood and is sort of blase about this stuff) thought it probably actually was Lance Armstrong. So until I hear otherwise, I am going to assume that yup, my Saturday morning running comrade was indeed Lance Armstrong ;)
Over the summer, I also saw the actress who plays Dr. Cuddy on House (Lisa Edelstein) running by the beach. I wasn't 100% sure it was her the first time because it was early in the morning, she didn't have make-up on, and her hair was a bit messy-- but I saw her again a few weeks later running along the same path by the beach and am fairly certain it was her.
I *think* my biggest sighting happened this morning. As I was running along the same ocean path where I saw Lisa Ling, a man who looked a lot like Lance Armstrong ran past us. I only saw him for a few seconds because, like a high school algebra problem, he was approaching us at X mph and we were approaching him at Y mph (so we were actually approaching each other at X+Y mph). He was wearing sunglasses so I didn't see his eyes, but he was wearing one of the popular yellow Livestrong wristbands. I nodded to him as we ran past each other, and he looked over at us.
My friend Shannon (who lives in the movie star haven of Brentwood and is sort of blase about this stuff) thought it probably actually was Lance Armstrong. So until I hear otherwise, I am going to assume that yup, my Saturday morning running comrade was indeed Lance Armstrong ;)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Florida Wildlife
I had planned a Florida vacation that included camping and snorkeling and lots of interaction with nature. Unfortunately, Mother Nature intervened and it rained really really hard while I was there. My friend Michelle and I ended up enjoying the local sites around the Florida Keys instead. Most memorable was Fantasy Fest in Key West. We had not heard about it until we showed up in Key West to take the ferry boat to the Dry Tortugas National Park. It is a two week long festival that includes a Mardi Gras style parade, 'costume' contests, lots of liquor, and nudity. Well, not complete nudity. The website for Fantasy Fest says specifically that "Nudity is illegal. Key West city code specifies that body paint does not constitute clothing." So we did see women wearing pasties and men wearing a sock (not on their feet).
The kicker of it all is that we saw these not-completely-nude people walking down the street at noon. And they were definitely not in their 20's or 30's. Many of them looked like they were hippies in the 60's which would make many of them in their 60's or 70's. That's right. We saw 60-year old practically nude men and women walking down Duval Street around lunchtime. Yes, I have pictures. No, I'm not going to post them.
To round out the wildlife sightings, we also saw some alligators, crocodiles, and an iguana in the Everglades; and a dolphin and flying fish in Biscayne National Park. And of course, lots and lots of birds everywhere.
Here are some of my impressions of South Florida:
The kicker of it all is that we saw these not-completely-nude people walking down the street at noon. And they were definitely not in their 20's or 30's. Many of them looked like they were hippies in the 60's which would make many of them in their 60's or 70's. That's right. We saw 60-year old practically nude men and women walking down Duval Street around lunchtime. Yes, I have pictures. No, I'm not going to post them.
To round out the wildlife sightings, we also saw some alligators, crocodiles, and an iguana in the Everglades; and a dolphin and flying fish in Biscayne National Park. And of course, lots and lots of birds everywhere.
Here are some of my impressions of South Florida:
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Little changes make a big difference
I have been doing the sports physical therapist exercises for a week now and I can feel the difference. I also had a gait test and after some corrections to my running form, my 11 mile run yesterday actually felt great!
The rotated pelvis problem that I have isn't noticable in a mirror, but I could definitely see it on the video from my running gait test. For the running gait test, I ran on a treadmill for about 45 minutes (overall) while the physical therapist videotaped me from the back and side. The PT then analyzed every aspect of my movement from hip to toes in video-taped slow motion.
My old running form was more straight legged and lazy, and the rotated hip causes the right leg to be a little longer than the left. As a result, my right hip compensates by tilting up during each step and the rest of my body compensates for the hip by tilting in various directions. My right ankle and foot overpronate (collapse the arch), and my lower back arches to the right more. This all explains why my right foot and ankle and lower back hurt sometimes.
After doing a little search on the web, it seems like a rotated pelvis is more common than I thought. It just isn't diagnosed that often because the symptoms are typically things like back or knee pain-- and when people have back and/or knee pain they tend to think the problem is the back or knee. Also, diagnosing it requires someone willing to spend time to do a full structural exam-- something most MD's don't have the time and/or knowledge to do. It's too bad because from what I've read, a small misalignment in the hips can cause pain pretty much everywhere in the body because everything is off-kilter.
Fixing my messed-up alignment is going to take a couple of months of strengthening and stretching. For the first phase (first month) I was given a set of stretching exercises that takes about 30 minutes to get through, and another set of strengthening exercises with light weights that takes at least 30 minutes to go through. The list is pretty thorough and works everything from my neck and shoulders down to my calves and hamstrings. The exercises aren't strenuous at all, just time consuming.
The one exercise specifically designed to stretch and push my right pelvis back into alignment is a high lunge. Basically, I lunge my right leg against a heavy chair or the wall with my right foot at about mid-thigh height bouncing three times. I am supposed to do this several times a day on my right side only. I have started to feel a little bit of aching in my right hip and I'm assuming this is because I am stretching the hip back into place.
As for my running form, I was told to lift my legs up more in front and in back. It feels like I am doing a combination of high-stepping and butt-kicking, but from the video my form looks much more fluid and efficient this way. I was given gradually increasing time intervals to slowly incorporate the new running form into my runs. I tried it yesterday morning and the new form felt really good compared to my old lazy legged form.
I'm amazed how these small changes could make such a big difference in just one week. I'm so glad that I found the root of my problem now when I'm still relatively young! Now the thought of being a 70 year old marathoner doesn't sound so impossible for me :)
The rotated pelvis problem that I have isn't noticable in a mirror, but I could definitely see it on the video from my running gait test. For the running gait test, I ran on a treadmill for about 45 minutes (overall) while the physical therapist videotaped me from the back and side. The PT then analyzed every aspect of my movement from hip to toes in video-taped slow motion.
My old running form was more straight legged and lazy, and the rotated hip causes the right leg to be a little longer than the left. As a result, my right hip compensates by tilting up during each step and the rest of my body compensates for the hip by tilting in various directions. My right ankle and foot overpronate (collapse the arch), and my lower back arches to the right more. This all explains why my right foot and ankle and lower back hurt sometimes.
After doing a little search on the web, it seems like a rotated pelvis is more common than I thought. It just isn't diagnosed that often because the symptoms are typically things like back or knee pain-- and when people have back and/or knee pain they tend to think the problem is the back or knee. Also, diagnosing it requires someone willing to spend time to do a full structural exam-- something most MD's don't have the time and/or knowledge to do. It's too bad because from what I've read, a small misalignment in the hips can cause pain pretty much everywhere in the body because everything is off-kilter.
Fixing my messed-up alignment is going to take a couple of months of strengthening and stretching. For the first phase (first month) I was given a set of stretching exercises that takes about 30 minutes to get through, and another set of strengthening exercises with light weights that takes at least 30 minutes to go through. The list is pretty thorough and works everything from my neck and shoulders down to my calves and hamstrings. The exercises aren't strenuous at all, just time consuming.
The one exercise specifically designed to stretch and push my right pelvis back into alignment is a high lunge. Basically, I lunge my right leg against a heavy chair or the wall with my right foot at about mid-thigh height bouncing three times. I am supposed to do this several times a day on my right side only. I have started to feel a little bit of aching in my right hip and I'm assuming this is because I am stretching the hip back into place.
As for my running form, I was told to lift my legs up more in front and in back. It feels like I am doing a combination of high-stepping and butt-kicking, but from the video my form looks much more fluid and efficient this way. I was given gradually increasing time intervals to slowly incorporate the new running form into my runs. I tried it yesterday morning and the new form felt really good compared to my old lazy legged form.
I'm amazed how these small changes could make such a big difference in just one week. I'm so glad that I found the root of my problem now when I'm still relatively young! Now the thought of being a 70 year old marathoner doesn't sound so impossible for me :)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fast food eating women
I recently saw the following audition notice under the role name "Fast food eating Women":
"I would like a wide range of women who are not in very good shape. I don't want giant obese people, just folks who look like they could stand to lay off the cheeseburgers. Would like looks to range from very normal to charactery/quirky. Also would like women who are good with physical comedy."
I don't want to comment too much on the text because the word selection speaks for itself. This is a Hollywood job ad. They will probably use someone with my body size for this role... even though I run over 20 miles a week, I wear size 6 jeans. I am fat for L.A. but healthy sized by all other measurements. Sad, huh?
"I would like a wide range of women who are not in very good shape. I don't want giant obese people, just folks who look like they could stand to lay off the cheeseburgers. Would like looks to range from very normal to charactery/quirky. Also would like women who are good with physical comedy."
I don't want to comment too much on the text because the word selection speaks for itself. This is a Hollywood job ad. They will probably use someone with my body size for this role... even though I run over 20 miles a week, I wear size 6 jeans. I am fat for L.A. but healthy sized by all other measurements. Sad, huh?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Gotta move that pelvis!
Last week I had a structural exam with the physical therapist at Phase IV. This was the first time that I have had a full structural exam and it went a little something like this: take off your shoes and socks and stand over there, now turn around, now bend this this way, now hold this limb in place while I push it, now sit over there and twist this way, now lay over there and bend this limb, etc. etc.
Edwin, the PT, measured my ability to rotate, bend, and extend every joint within my core body, legs and arms. The only joints I think he missed are my jaw and my fingers. He even pulled out a tape measure and a big plastic protractor to measure my extensions and positions on one side relative to the other. The result was a slight bit of weakness adducting one of my legs, unbalance in the flexibility to rotate my neck (injured by a chiropractor a few years ago), not so great posture in my upper back, and that my right hip is rotated forward from my left hip.
The rotated hip was newly diagnosed but not surprising. It's probably caused by a combination of running on the slanted part of a road, and driving in L.A. traffic (use just one leg to brake and accelerate). I expect that some of my hamstring, back, and other pain is caused by the discrepancy in leg length caused by the rotation in one hip over the other. In fact, one of my running partners this morning--who is herself a trained PT-- says that it is a problem that she often has. When it happens to her, she has the same sorts of pains in her hamstrings and legs. Her solution is to go to a chiropractor who releases the tension in the hip by massage so it then aligns properly again. She says that she helps it by getting lots of massages.
Hmmmm.... getting lots of massages.... besides the expense, it doesn't sound like too unpleasant of a treatment plan! I'm going to see Edwin again next week. Let's see if his treatment is as pleasant as the 'lotsa massage' solution.
As for the posture, well, I have horrible posture. It's a bad habit. I read a lot and hunch over in front of the computer or lab bench a lot. I know that I am not alone. I've often wondered if those special posture devices that you see in the back of magazines would help me. My next session is on Monday and I assume that I will be assigned a lot of back and core strengthening exercises to help with the posture. We'll see!
Now where is that phone number for the massage therapist...
Edwin, the PT, measured my ability to rotate, bend, and extend every joint within my core body, legs and arms. The only joints I think he missed are my jaw and my fingers. He even pulled out a tape measure and a big plastic protractor to measure my extensions and positions on one side relative to the other. The result was a slight bit of weakness adducting one of my legs, unbalance in the flexibility to rotate my neck (injured by a chiropractor a few years ago), not so great posture in my upper back, and that my right hip is rotated forward from my left hip.
The rotated hip was newly diagnosed but not surprising. It's probably caused by a combination of running on the slanted part of a road, and driving in L.A. traffic (use just one leg to brake and accelerate). I expect that some of my hamstring, back, and other pain is caused by the discrepancy in leg length caused by the rotation in one hip over the other. In fact, one of my running partners this morning--who is herself a trained PT-- says that it is a problem that she often has. When it happens to her, she has the same sorts of pains in her hamstrings and legs. Her solution is to go to a chiropractor who releases the tension in the hip by massage so it then aligns properly again. She says that she helps it by getting lots of massages.
Hmmmm.... getting lots of massages.... besides the expense, it doesn't sound like too unpleasant of a treatment plan! I'm going to see Edwin again next week. Let's see if his treatment is as pleasant as the 'lotsa massage' solution.
As for the posture, well, I have horrible posture. It's a bad habit. I read a lot and hunch over in front of the computer or lab bench a lot. I know that I am not alone. I've often wondered if those special posture devices that you see in the back of magazines would help me. My next session is on Monday and I assume that I will be assigned a lot of back and core strengthening exercises to help with the posture. We'll see!
Now where is that phone number for the massage therapist...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Longevity is my goal
I have been having stiffness and cramping in my hamstrings, hips, and ankle for the past few months. It started as stiffness after runs over 18 miles or so, and has now become cramps and pain after more than 9 or so miles. I tried taking a break from running for a week, and then two weeks, but it didn't completely alleviate the pain during or after running. Since I am scheduled to do the Pasadena Marathon in November, and do not want to take a complete break from running before the marathon, I decided to go to a sports exercise physiology clinic for some help.
Even though I am a very average athlete, I chose to go to Phase IV because I had heard a lot of good things about them. Apparently, they service a lot of serious (i.e. Olympic) athletes. On Friday, I went for the initial consultation meeting where they described their program and services, and I described my needs and goals. I am scheduled to have a full body structural assessment by a physical therapist this coming week, and over the next few weeks will have a gait assessment, VO2 max assessment, and follow-up training over the next 4 months.
One question they asked me was 'What goal are you working towards?' They mentioned that some people have goals of completing a specific race, or climbing a specific mountain. At the time, I didn't have any particular goal in mind besides alleviating the pain.
On my Saturday morning group run, I ran with a 71 year-old (Charles) who is on the second round of doing 50 marathons in 50 states. By second round, I mean that he has already completed the initial goal of doing 50-in-50 and is doing another 50-in-50. He has 12 more marathons to go before he has completed 100 marathons in 50 states. He has already done over 120 marathons in his lifetime. I asked him how he kept himself from burning-out and he said that he always runs races slow, and always looks forward to the next race.
After running and talking with Charles, I realized that longevity is my goal.
When I turn 80, I want to still be able to run a marathon, hike in the mountains, travel to foreign countries, or do whatever I want to do. I don't want to just run the next race, I want to be healthy enough to run the next 50 years. I look forward to seeing what the physical therapists can do to keep me towards that goal!
Even though I am a very average athlete, I chose to go to Phase IV because I had heard a lot of good things about them. Apparently, they service a lot of serious (i.e. Olympic) athletes. On Friday, I went for the initial consultation meeting where they described their program and services, and I described my needs and goals. I am scheduled to have a full body structural assessment by a physical therapist this coming week, and over the next few weeks will have a gait assessment, VO2 max assessment, and follow-up training over the next 4 months.
One question they asked me was 'What goal are you working towards?' They mentioned that some people have goals of completing a specific race, or climbing a specific mountain. At the time, I didn't have any particular goal in mind besides alleviating the pain.
On my Saturday morning group run, I ran with a 71 year-old (Charles) who is on the second round of doing 50 marathons in 50 states. By second round, I mean that he has already completed the initial goal of doing 50-in-50 and is doing another 50-in-50. He has 12 more marathons to go before he has completed 100 marathons in 50 states. He has already done over 120 marathons in his lifetime. I asked him how he kept himself from burning-out and he said that he always runs races slow, and always looks forward to the next race.
After running and talking with Charles, I realized that longevity is my goal.
When I turn 80, I want to still be able to run a marathon, hike in the mountains, travel to foreign countries, or do whatever I want to do. I don't want to just run the next race, I want to be healthy enough to run the next 50 years. I look forward to seeing what the physical therapists can do to keep me towards that goal!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Black-tie event!
Last Saturday I attended the re-opening gala for the Mark Taper Forum-- a theater that is part of the Los Angeles Civic Center in downtown L.A. It was an invite-only affair primarily for large donors to the theater. However, my sister is an employee and she received an invite for her and a few guests. And I was lucky to be one of the guests.
There was a special dinner before the show held on the plaza in front of the Taper for the donors. The entire plaza area was surrounded with huge temporary walls of greenery and cloth so it was almost impossible for someone to look into the area and see the VIP guests. While waiting for the doors to open for the non-dinner attendees, I saw Laurence Fishburn standing outside the doors smoking a cigarette. I pulled out my camera and joked with my friends about asking him to take a picture of us (not with him, just of us alone ;).
After we entered the theater, I had so much fun looking at all of the people in their fancy dresses and tuxedos. It was crowded and was difficult to move around. While waiting for people to move up the stairs, I looked over and saw Angela Bassett waiting to move down the stairs. She saw me notice her so I gave her a friendly smile and she smiled back. She looked just as gorgeous in real-life as she does in the movies.
While we were taking a quick self-guided tour of the newly renovated theater during the intermission, we saw Ron Rifkin, Victor Garber, and Joel Grey hanging out with each other. I also saw Robert Sean Leonard who plays Dr. Wilson on 'House' which was a bit of a thrill since I love that show and think that he is a great actor. I also saw Ed Begley Jr. who my sister remembers as 'that guy who sells earth-friendly detergent at the farmers market.'
The play showing at the theater was 'The House of Blue Leaves'. It starred a bunch of people that we recognized from television shows-- John Pankow (Mad About You), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Kate Burton (Grey's Anatomy), and Diedrich Bader (the Drew Carey show).
After the play, they had an after-event reception with drinks on the plaza. Dame Edna was holding court with some children from one of the sponsored charities at the reception, and Tony Shalhoub (Monk) was there joking around and taking pictures with Dame Edna.
As we were leaving the gala over the Red Carpet, a woman asked my friend to take a picture of her and her mother with their camera. Standing behind the woman was Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Sylar on Heroes. Seeing him was a bit of a surprise. He looked much taller in real life than I had imagined.
The next morning I was buzzing from the fun of the evening. I felt a little bit like Cinderella at the ball that night... and now, two days later, I'm back to my regular world of blue jeans and t-shirts. *sigh*
There was a special dinner before the show held on the plaza in front of the Taper for the donors. The entire plaza area was surrounded with huge temporary walls of greenery and cloth so it was almost impossible for someone to look into the area and see the VIP guests. While waiting for the doors to open for the non-dinner attendees, I saw Laurence Fishburn standing outside the doors smoking a cigarette. I pulled out my camera and joked with my friends about asking him to take a picture of us (not with him, just of us alone ;).
After we entered the theater, I had so much fun looking at all of the people in their fancy dresses and tuxedos. It was crowded and was difficult to move around. While waiting for people to move up the stairs, I looked over and saw Angela Bassett waiting to move down the stairs. She saw me notice her so I gave her a friendly smile and she smiled back. She looked just as gorgeous in real-life as she does in the movies.
While we were taking a quick self-guided tour of the newly renovated theater during the intermission, we saw Ron Rifkin, Victor Garber, and Joel Grey hanging out with each other. I also saw Robert Sean Leonard who plays Dr. Wilson on 'House' which was a bit of a thrill since I love that show and think that he is a great actor. I also saw Ed Begley Jr. who my sister remembers as 'that guy who sells earth-friendly detergent at the farmers market.'
The play showing at the theater was 'The House of Blue Leaves'. It starred a bunch of people that we recognized from television shows-- John Pankow (Mad About You), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Kate Burton (Grey's Anatomy), and Diedrich Bader (the Drew Carey show).
After the play, they had an after-event reception with drinks on the plaza. Dame Edna was holding court with some children from one of the sponsored charities at the reception, and Tony Shalhoub (Monk) was there joking around and taking pictures with Dame Edna.
As we were leaving the gala over the Red Carpet, a woman asked my friend to take a picture of her and her mother with their camera. Standing behind the woman was Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Sylar on Heroes. Seeing him was a bit of a surprise. He looked much taller in real life than I had imagined.
The next morning I was buzzing from the fun of the evening. I felt a little bit like Cinderella at the ball that night... and now, two days later, I'm back to my regular world of blue jeans and t-shirts. *sigh*
Monday, September 01, 2008
Disneyland Half Marathon
My friends who ran the Disneyland Half Marathon last year said that it was a lot of fun. I believed the hype, and signed up for the race. The registration is expensive for a half marathon ($100+misc fees) but I thought the experience would be fun and I had to try it. The race runs around and through Disneyland and California Adventure for the first four miles. Then it is directed through the 'neighborhoods' of Anaheim past Angel stadium and back through Disneyland to the finish.
I'm typically up for a good half-marathon. I've done quite a few because they are usually a lot more fun than a marathon-- I usually feel great afterwards, and they don't require extra training over my daily running routine. Unfortunately, I think I will have to play the role of Cruella de Ville and say that I didn't really enjoy this race (I know, Boo! me).
Starting from the beginning, the race was irksome. The pre-race instructions (which were posted online a few days before the race) were vague about how to get to the race expo to pick up my registration/bib. They assumed everybody knew how to get to the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center (or were staying at a Disney Hotel) and did not even provide a hotel address. Also, the expo was placed in the back of the Disneyland Hotel without clear signs on how to get there unless you parked at the $12 hotel lot. I parked at the Downtown Disneyland parking lot (first 3 hours are free) instead and ended up walking around and asking several people how to get to the hotel and expo.
The real clue that the race organizers are probably not serious runners themselves was the fact that the safety pins they gave us to attach the bibs were HUGE. They were almost the size of diaper pins. I ended up using some other smaller safety pins from a previous race to attach my bib.
On the morning of the race, there were lots of really enthusiastic people. It should have made the race more fun, but instead it was annoying because the streets of Disneyland are too narrow to move that many people efficiently-- especially when they wear huge costumes and stop to get pictures with the Disney characters (which I admit to doing also, see below). I darted and wove through the crowd which added about an extra mile to my race (according to my Nike plus).
It wasn't like a hometown half- marathon race like Palos Verdes, San Jose, or Los Angeles' City of Angels. All of the people cheering the race through Disneyland were paid employees which made the race support feel a little forced with the frozen smiles and beauty-queen waves. Later, in the streets of Anaheim, they did have a few high school kids and bands cheering which was fun. But I couldn't help thinking how volunteers at other races cheer people on for community spirit versus for free tickets to Disneyland. I really missed seeing those personal 'Go Cindy, Love Mom' type of signs on the side of the road that I usually see at really crowded races.
What I think really annoyed me the most was the humidity--which is not Disney's fault. It has been uncharacteristically humid in Southern California this summer and it made the race exhausting. I was cranky at the end, and people singing (or was it piped in?) 'It's a Small World' through the last tunnel before mile 12 made some people hurl-- literally. Okay, that may be an exaggeration. It was probably the heat and exertion that made them stop on the side of the road. But I FELT like hurling when I heard the music. Does that count?
This is probably a great race for Disney fanatics and first-timers who are looking for a half-marathon party. I guess that I am just too much of a Scrooge McDuck and feel that the race wasn't worth the cost. I'm glad that I did it so that I don't have to do it again.
As promised earlier, here are a few of my documented "celebrity" sightings.
Buzz and Woody:
Boo and Sully:
And here is the door-knocker sized medal from the 'Happiest Race on Earth':
I'm typically up for a good half-marathon. I've done quite a few because they are usually a lot more fun than a marathon-- I usually feel great afterwards, and they don't require extra training over my daily running routine. Unfortunately, I think I will have to play the role of Cruella de Ville and say that I didn't really enjoy this race (I know, Boo! me).
Starting from the beginning, the race was irksome. The pre-race instructions (which were posted online a few days before the race) were vague about how to get to the race expo to pick up my registration/bib. They assumed everybody knew how to get to the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center (or were staying at a Disney Hotel) and did not even provide a hotel address. Also, the expo was placed in the back of the Disneyland Hotel without clear signs on how to get there unless you parked at the $12 hotel lot. I parked at the Downtown Disneyland parking lot (first 3 hours are free) instead and ended up walking around and asking several people how to get to the hotel and expo.
The real clue that the race organizers are probably not serious runners themselves was the fact that the safety pins they gave us to attach the bibs were HUGE. They were almost the size of diaper pins. I ended up using some other smaller safety pins from a previous race to attach my bib.
On the morning of the race, there were lots of really enthusiastic people. It should have made the race more fun, but instead it was annoying because the streets of Disneyland are too narrow to move that many people efficiently-- especially when they wear huge costumes and stop to get pictures with the Disney characters (which I admit to doing also, see below). I darted and wove through the crowd which added about an extra mile to my race (according to my Nike plus).
It wasn't like a hometown half- marathon race like Palos Verdes, San Jose, or Los Angeles' City of Angels. All of the people cheering the race through Disneyland were paid employees which made the race support feel a little forced with the frozen smiles and beauty-queen waves. Later, in the streets of Anaheim, they did have a few high school kids and bands cheering which was fun. But I couldn't help thinking how volunteers at other races cheer people on for community spirit versus for free tickets to Disneyland. I really missed seeing those personal 'Go Cindy, Love Mom' type of signs on the side of the road that I usually see at really crowded races.
What I think really annoyed me the most was the humidity--which is not Disney's fault. It has been uncharacteristically humid in Southern California this summer and it made the race exhausting. I was cranky at the end, and people singing (or was it piped in?) 'It's a Small World' through the last tunnel before mile 12 made some people hurl-- literally. Okay, that may be an exaggeration. It was probably the heat and exertion that made them stop on the side of the road. But I FELT like hurling when I heard the music. Does that count?
This is probably a great race for Disney fanatics and first-timers who are looking for a half-marathon party. I guess that I am just too much of a Scrooge McDuck and feel that the race wasn't worth the cost. I'm glad that I did it so that I don't have to do it again.
As promised earlier, here are a few of my documented "celebrity" sightings.
Buzz and Woody:
Boo and Sully:
And here is the door-knocker sized medal from the 'Happiest Race on Earth':
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Notes from my time travels
Last weekend, I went back to the city that I grew-up in for my high school reunion. I sort of felt like my adult self had gone back in time to hang-out with my child self.
It had been several years since I had been back, so I was prepared for some of the sensory differences between Wisconsin and Los Angeles. In Wisconsin, it feels like the grass is greener, the streets are cleaner, the buildings are smaller, and there is more breathing room. But I wasn't prepared for the extreme sense of nostalgia. I wasn't prepared for the homesickness for a time and place that have already passed.
Visiting places that I had once known well--like my old neighborhood, former schools, and favorite stores-- was a bit of a thrill. Some things were different. A lot was the same. I would drive down streets and associate childhood events with the buildings and streets. Re-visiting my hometown was like seeing an old boyfriend several years after parting ways. There was comfort and easiness, but an awkward knowledge that it comes from a past intimacy and not from the present reality.
I am still in contact with several friends from high school, and we agreed to attend the reunion together. I think we were all a little nervous about the reunion for different reasons. But I think that we all had fun in the end. It was interesting to see the changes and paths my former classmates took in life. Plus it was really fun to see what they look like now ;) Though a few people had not matured and still lived in their high school personna, most people were living their lives in the present. Did people hang-out with the people in their high school cliques? Yes, but it was only natural. These were the people they knew best in school and the people they most wanted to catch up with. I know that I was guilty of this.
The funny thing is, through all of the weight gain, balding, and wrinkles, we all seemed to see each other as we did in high school. We were comfortable with each other in these roles, but I would like to think that we were mainly grown-up enough to not limit ourselves and others to our high-school selves.
I REALLY disliked high school. However if I had to do it again, I would do a lot of things the same. They were awful experiences, but necessary to build character and strength that I have needed at various times in my life.
It has been a few days and I finally feel like I am back in the present. The jet-lag on time travel is something fierce.
On a side note for those of you looking for a celebrity sighting:
I hung out with The Pig.
It had been several years since I had been back, so I was prepared for some of the sensory differences between Wisconsin and Los Angeles. In Wisconsin, it feels like the grass is greener, the streets are cleaner, the buildings are smaller, and there is more breathing room. But I wasn't prepared for the extreme sense of nostalgia. I wasn't prepared for the homesickness for a time and place that have already passed.
Visiting places that I had once known well--like my old neighborhood, former schools, and favorite stores-- was a bit of a thrill. Some things were different. A lot was the same. I would drive down streets and associate childhood events with the buildings and streets. Re-visiting my hometown was like seeing an old boyfriend several years after parting ways. There was comfort and easiness, but an awkward knowledge that it comes from a past intimacy and not from the present reality.
I am still in contact with several friends from high school, and we agreed to attend the reunion together. I think we were all a little nervous about the reunion for different reasons. But I think that we all had fun in the end. It was interesting to see the changes and paths my former classmates took in life. Plus it was really fun to see what they look like now ;) Though a few people had not matured and still lived in their high school personna, most people were living their lives in the present. Did people hang-out with the people in their high school cliques? Yes, but it was only natural. These were the people they knew best in school and the people they most wanted to catch up with. I know that I was guilty of this.
The funny thing is, through all of the weight gain, balding, and wrinkles, we all seemed to see each other as we did in high school. We were comfortable with each other in these roles, but I would like to think that we were mainly grown-up enough to not limit ourselves and others to our high-school selves.
I REALLY disliked high school. However if I had to do it again, I would do a lot of things the same. They were awful experiences, but necessary to build character and strength that I have needed at various times in my life.
It has been a few days and I finally feel like I am back in the present. The jet-lag on time travel is something fierce.
On a side note for those of you looking for a celebrity sighting:
I hung out with The Pig.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Garden
Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived a townhouse with a small patch of dirt in the front and a little bit of porch space. When she first moved into this place, she placed a cute little gnome named Floyd in the patch of dirt to decorate the 'garden'. That night, Floyd disappeared and the girl was very sad :(
But this did not deter the girl and she adopted another gnome, Olaf, and placed him on her front patio out of sight from people on the sidewalk:
All was well in Gardenland when one day, a baby deer statuette appeared in the garden where Floyd had once been. How did this happen? and Where did the deer come from? The girl enjoyed the deer and left it in the garden for everybody to enjoy. But one day, a month later, the deer statuette also disappeared. The girl was once again sad :(
She adopted another tiny gnome named Steve and placed him next to her banana plant on the second floor patio:
And one day at the zoo, the girl saw a cute little pink flamingo and she adopted it to keep Steve company:
But the girl never forgot about little Floyd, her first gnome. Until one day, her sister-in-law sent her a huge surprise! Floyd (facsmilie) came home! This time, the girl put Floyd next to Steve so the two could frolick in the dirt together:
And everybody was happy in the little garden. The girl was happy, the flamingo was happy, the gnomes were happy, and the garden was happy :)
The End.
But this did not deter the girl and she adopted another gnome, Olaf, and placed him on her front patio out of sight from people on the sidewalk:
All was well in Gardenland when one day, a baby deer statuette appeared in the garden where Floyd had once been. How did this happen? and Where did the deer come from? The girl enjoyed the deer and left it in the garden for everybody to enjoy. But one day, a month later, the deer statuette also disappeared. The girl was once again sad :(
She adopted another tiny gnome named Steve and placed him next to her banana plant on the second floor patio:
And one day at the zoo, the girl saw a cute little pink flamingo and she adopted it to keep Steve company:
But the girl never forgot about little Floyd, her first gnome. Until one day, her sister-in-law sent her a huge surprise! Floyd (facsmilie) came home! This time, the girl put Floyd next to Steve so the two could frolick in the dirt together:
And everybody was happy in the little garden. The girl was happy, the flamingo was happy, the gnomes were happy, and the garden was happy :)The End.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The UAW to represent PhD scientists?
I got an e-mail yesterday notifying me that the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) has petitioned to represent all post-doctoral researchers in the University of California system. Apparently there are a little over 5,000 UC post-docs and they claim to have gotten over 50% of our signatures on the petition. By having signatures from over 50% of the people, the UAW automatically represents all post-docs if California's public employment relations board (PERB) determines that the signatures are valid.
The UAW tried to unionize us 2 years ago (2006). We were told that the movement was not started by a post-doc, but by someone from the UAW who had been involved in unionizing graduate students at the University of Washington and University of California. At the time, UC post-docs started a multi-campus letter-writing campaign to dispute the UAW's claims towards unionization (Science article describing the backlash). In the end, the petition was thrown out because many of the signatures the UAW submitted were not valid. Some signatures were not from actual post-docs, and some signatures were from post-docs who rescinded their names from the petition. Basically, their methods of gaining signatures were 'shady' and people didn't like it.
Because it failed 2 years ago, I was surprised to see this issue come up again. Once again, I am VERY skeptical that the UAW actually has signatures from over 50% of post-docs in the UC system. What really surprised me is how quietly it came up this time. I have seen no chain e-mails or anti-pro-uaw websites popping up. Are post-docs really for UAW representation this time?
If you ask the post-docs that I know, the answer is NO! We are NOT for UAW representation of post-docs. But somebody out there must be if they got signatures from over 2,500 people (or maybe they didn't?).
I am not against unions. I am just against a union in this case. First of all, all UC post-docs get basic benefits like health insurance and access to a retirement plan. Also, the UC provides resources to help with safety and job issues. Plus, post-docs tend to be intelligent and highly motivated people who have chosen their positions and have other options if they do not like their jobs. We are a far cry from starving factory workers with no other prospects in life.
Yes, lots of professors treat their post-docs badly and make their lives miserable. But I highly doubt the UAW could make any difference in these cases-- they aren't going to negotiate giving a person credit on a paper when they do the work, or making sure someone gets a good recommendation when they deserve it. The UAW isn't going to make an asshole PI less of a jerk.
Also, some post-docs earn their higher salaries by bringing in grant money and their own fellowships. This money comes from the government and non-profit foundations. By forcing these people to unionize and take potentially lower salaries, they are being penalized for success. Also, all taxpayers and charitable donors are being penalized too. Some of the money they had assumed would be going towards medical research, cleaning the environment, or building better business models would directly line the pockets of UAW fat-cats instead.
The UAW takes over 1% of our salaries if they represent us. Assuming there are 5,000 post-docs who make $40,000/year on average, this means the UAW gets $2 million/year. It is obvious why they want to represent us. The question is, why in the world should WE want THEM?
Update: Post-docs are now part of the union.
The UAW tried to unionize us 2 years ago (2006). We were told that the movement was not started by a post-doc, but by someone from the UAW who had been involved in unionizing graduate students at the University of Washington and University of California. At the time, UC post-docs started a multi-campus letter-writing campaign to dispute the UAW's claims towards unionization (Science article describing the backlash). In the end, the petition was thrown out because many of the signatures the UAW submitted were not valid. Some signatures were not from actual post-docs, and some signatures were from post-docs who rescinded their names from the petition. Basically, their methods of gaining signatures were 'shady' and people didn't like it.
Because it failed 2 years ago, I was surprised to see this issue come up again. Once again, I am VERY skeptical that the UAW actually has signatures from over 50% of post-docs in the UC system. What really surprised me is how quietly it came up this time. I have seen no chain e-mails or anti-pro-uaw websites popping up. Are post-docs really for UAW representation this time?
If you ask the post-docs that I know, the answer is NO! We are NOT for UAW representation of post-docs. But somebody out there must be if they got signatures from over 2,500 people (or maybe they didn't?).
I am not against unions. I am just against a union in this case. First of all, all UC post-docs get basic benefits like health insurance and access to a retirement plan. Also, the UC provides resources to help with safety and job issues. Plus, post-docs tend to be intelligent and highly motivated people who have chosen their positions and have other options if they do not like their jobs. We are a far cry from starving factory workers with no other prospects in life.
Yes, lots of professors treat their post-docs badly and make their lives miserable. But I highly doubt the UAW could make any difference in these cases-- they aren't going to negotiate giving a person credit on a paper when they do the work, or making sure someone gets a good recommendation when they deserve it. The UAW isn't going to make an asshole PI less of a jerk.
Also, some post-docs earn their higher salaries by bringing in grant money and their own fellowships. This money comes from the government and non-profit foundations. By forcing these people to unionize and take potentially lower salaries, they are being penalized for success. Also, all taxpayers and charitable donors are being penalized too. Some of the money they had assumed would be going towards medical research, cleaning the environment, or building better business models would directly line the pockets of UAW fat-cats instead.
The UAW takes over 1% of our salaries if they represent us. Assuming there are 5,000 post-docs who make $40,000/year on average, this means the UAW gets $2 million/year. It is obvious why they want to represent us. The question is, why in the world should WE want THEM?
Update: Post-docs are now part of the union.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Being Human
The longer that I am in Los Angeles, the less human I feel. The constant barrage of "what's in it for me" and "I want things my way, screw you" behavior wears at me and I have sort of closed my eyes and formed a robot-like mentality so I don't absorb too much of the negative energy directed my way.
But yesterday, I had a little reminder that I am indeed human.
The place where I am living is going to be tented for termites in a few weeks and the condo owners met yesterday to discuss the process with the exterminator. Before the meeting there was concern about one condo owner. She had previously stated that she was against the tenting and had "bought some poisons from Home Depot and sprayed it on her porch and there are no termites anymore", and that we should spray around her. There was concern that she did not understand the process (since English is her second language) and she would not leave her unit for the spraying. One neighbor tried to knock on her door to talk to her and she wouldn't answer for him. I tried calling a few times before the meeting and she didn't answer. I ended up leaving a phone message stating that we could discuss her concerns and maybe help her out.
She didn't show up to the meeting.
Immediately some of the other condo owners wanted to hire a lawyer to put a lien against her property to force her to leave her unit. Many of us felt horrible about this, and we left the meeting feeling a little horrible about the entire thing.
Yesterday evening, after the meeting was well over, she called me. She told me that she didn't have a job and didn't have the money to pay for the tenting, and that she had asthma and didn't know how to move her plants. She was extremely concerned about her plants. So I talked to her as a compassionate neighbor. I told her there was the possibility of paying in small increments. I also told her that I would help her move her plants to the side yard where they would not be killed. And after I told her this, her demeanor completely changed. She was extremely grateful and willing to go through the tenting.
As I lay in bed after the phone call, I realized that I felt human for the first time in a long time. Since moving to L.A., I have gotten used to being bullied into submission. It's hard not to feel jaded against people when this happens. But this was a little reminder that sometimes operating from a place of love is better than operating from a place of fear.
Hopefully I don't forget the feeling too soon.
But yesterday, I had a little reminder that I am indeed human.
The place where I am living is going to be tented for termites in a few weeks and the condo owners met yesterday to discuss the process with the exterminator. Before the meeting there was concern about one condo owner. She had previously stated that she was against the tenting and had "bought some poisons from Home Depot and sprayed it on her porch and there are no termites anymore", and that we should spray around her. There was concern that she did not understand the process (since English is her second language) and she would not leave her unit for the spraying. One neighbor tried to knock on her door to talk to her and she wouldn't answer for him. I tried calling a few times before the meeting and she didn't answer. I ended up leaving a phone message stating that we could discuss her concerns and maybe help her out.
She didn't show up to the meeting.
Immediately some of the other condo owners wanted to hire a lawyer to put a lien against her property to force her to leave her unit. Many of us felt horrible about this, and we left the meeting feeling a little horrible about the entire thing.
Yesterday evening, after the meeting was well over, she called me. She told me that she didn't have a job and didn't have the money to pay for the tenting, and that she had asthma and didn't know how to move her plants. She was extremely concerned about her plants. So I talked to her as a compassionate neighbor. I told her there was the possibility of paying in small increments. I also told her that I would help her move her plants to the side yard where they would not be killed. And after I told her this, her demeanor completely changed. She was extremely grateful and willing to go through the tenting.
As I lay in bed after the phone call, I realized that I felt human for the first time in a long time. Since moving to L.A., I have gotten used to being bullied into submission. It's hard not to feel jaded against people when this happens. But this was a little reminder that sometimes operating from a place of love is better than operating from a place of fear.
Hopefully I don't forget the feeling too soon.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The guy who created Body Worlds
Last Friday I saw a celebrity of sorts-- Gunther Von Hagens gave a talk at UCLA. Dr. Von Hagens is the man who patented the plastination process that is responsible for the Body Worlds exhibits. For those who may not have heard of Body Worlds, they are a series of exhibits where human bodies are plastinated after death and peeled apart and posed in various life-like positions. This exhibit has been so popular that they are on exhibition version number 4, and others have created several knock-off exhibits.
I have had several occasions to see Body Worlds, but chose not to go because something about the entire concept does not sit well with me. In fact, I wasn't planning on going to Von Hagens' talk except several people in the lab were going (yup, I sometimes go to academic talks based on peer pressure).
He had a full house. All the seats were taken and people were standing and sitting on the steps on the side of the lecture hall. Since the lecture was hosted by the Department of Pathology in the medical school, I could understand the interest in his talk. A lot of people attended because (1) they were curious about the man who created the exhibit, and (2) they understood his results and wanted some insight into the process. Basically the guy brought his version of science to the masses and the masses included educated scientists at UCLA.
Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly), the talk was more of an oral history of the exhibit and a slide show of his 'work'. It was not a very technical talk. His technique was summed up in one slide (*technique summarized below). His talk was more of an art exhibit talk and during the Q&A, he received a question that pretty much 'accused' him of being an artist rather than a scientist. Truthfully, I think he is an artist that uses scientific technique and facts as his materials and canvas. But I think there is nothing wrong with that because a lot of science is personal interpretation anyways. A lot of science is more art than unbiased 'science'.
From the scientific and teaching point of view, I have no problems with his work. One of his Q&A criticisms was that he artificially colored muscles and other parts of the body rather than leaving them 'as is'. For anybody who has had an anatomy lab knows, it is hard to differentiate between different parts of tissue 'as is' and the contrast helps people understand what they are looking at. Plus, looking at an entire body the color of boiled chicken feels morose. In the same vane he was also been criticized for 'posing' the bodies. I also agree with him that it is more interesting and educational to see the entire body in positions of movement and action rather than posed as they would be in a morgue.
However I can't seem to put aside my spiritual and ethical biases. I find his work creepy. The funny thing is that he is starting to include animals like giraffes and elephants in his exhibit and I found those slides fascinating and not creepy. I did not, however, feel the same way with the human body slides. I think it is the same queasiness I feel when I see people missing limbs on television or read about dismembered body parts. There is something about seeing bodies when they are not the biological 'norm' that just feels dreadful. When Von Hagens showed a picture of his newer 'works' where he shifts body parts around like a cubist painting, I was particularily turned-off. I would probably feel this way about animals if he started to shift their body parts around too.
As for the man Von Hagens himself, I found him to be over-the-top. He constantly wears a fedora and speaks with a lot of 'flair'. He was more of a circus barker than a scientist. Then again, I wonder if it would have been more creepy if he were very technical and scientific. He has a strong East German accent. Technical descriptions of body position and dissecting of body parts would have been like a caricature of a bad guy scientist in an Indiana Jones movie.
Am I now more likely to see a Body Worlds exhibit? Yes, I would go mainly to see the animals. But I don't plan on putting in any extra effort to make it to his exhibits any time soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Shortly after death, the bodies are saturated with very cold acetone to essentially freeze the tissues in acetone. They are then soaked in a liquid plasticizer (think epoxy) and placed under vacuum. The vacuum causes the acetone to evaporate out of the tissues and the plasticizer to be pulled into the body. The plasticizer is then cured using the corresponding fixer (such as UV light or a second chemical).
I have had several occasions to see Body Worlds, but chose not to go because something about the entire concept does not sit well with me. In fact, I wasn't planning on going to Von Hagens' talk except several people in the lab were going (yup, I sometimes go to academic talks based on peer pressure).
He had a full house. All the seats were taken and people were standing and sitting on the steps on the side of the lecture hall. Since the lecture was hosted by the Department of Pathology in the medical school, I could understand the interest in his talk. A lot of people attended because (1) they were curious about the man who created the exhibit, and (2) they understood his results and wanted some insight into the process. Basically the guy brought his version of science to the masses and the masses included educated scientists at UCLA.
Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly), the talk was more of an oral history of the exhibit and a slide show of his 'work'. It was not a very technical talk. His technique was summed up in one slide (*technique summarized below). His talk was more of an art exhibit talk and during the Q&A, he received a question that pretty much 'accused' him of being an artist rather than a scientist. Truthfully, I think he is an artist that uses scientific technique and facts as his materials and canvas. But I think there is nothing wrong with that because a lot of science is personal interpretation anyways. A lot of science is more art than unbiased 'science'.
From the scientific and teaching point of view, I have no problems with his work. One of his Q&A criticisms was that he artificially colored muscles and other parts of the body rather than leaving them 'as is'. For anybody who has had an anatomy lab knows, it is hard to differentiate between different parts of tissue 'as is' and the contrast helps people understand what they are looking at. Plus, looking at an entire body the color of boiled chicken feels morose. In the same vane he was also been criticized for 'posing' the bodies. I also agree with him that it is more interesting and educational to see the entire body in positions of movement and action rather than posed as they would be in a morgue.
However I can't seem to put aside my spiritual and ethical biases. I find his work creepy. The funny thing is that he is starting to include animals like giraffes and elephants in his exhibit and I found those slides fascinating and not creepy. I did not, however, feel the same way with the human body slides. I think it is the same queasiness I feel when I see people missing limbs on television or read about dismembered body parts. There is something about seeing bodies when they are not the biological 'norm' that just feels dreadful. When Von Hagens showed a picture of his newer 'works' where he shifts body parts around like a cubist painting, I was particularily turned-off. I would probably feel this way about animals if he started to shift their body parts around too.
As for the man Von Hagens himself, I found him to be over-the-top. He constantly wears a fedora and speaks with a lot of 'flair'. He was more of a circus barker than a scientist. Then again, I wonder if it would have been more creepy if he were very technical and scientific. He has a strong East German accent. Technical descriptions of body position and dissecting of body parts would have been like a caricature of a bad guy scientist in an Indiana Jones movie.
Am I now more likely to see a Body Worlds exhibit? Yes, I would go mainly to see the animals. But I don't plan on putting in any extra effort to make it to his exhibits any time soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Shortly after death, the bodies are saturated with very cold acetone to essentially freeze the tissues in acetone. They are then soaked in a liquid plasticizer (think epoxy) and placed under vacuum. The vacuum causes the acetone to evaporate out of the tissues and the plasticizer to be pulled into the body. The plasticizer is then cured using the corresponding fixer (such as UV light or a second chemical).
Saturday, May 31, 2008
I'm the Coupon Queen!
I just got back from a trip to the local Ralph's Grocery store where I saved over $32 on my bill, and I ended up paying about $36. That almost a savings of 50%! I was so proud of myself that I called my mom and reported my success. She thought it was funny and commented on the extra work that I had to do to save money. But the truth is that it wasn't that much extra work and it isn't rocket science.
My system is as follows. I leave the coupon section from the Sunday paper and other ads on the dining room table with a pair of scissors. When I am eating breakfast, I go through the coupons and clip out the ones for items that I expect to purchase within the coupon expiration period. Then I file the coupons in a small plastic envelope with divisions that have labels like 'dairy/cheese' and 'paper products'. Before I go to the grocery store I make of list of things that I need to buy and go through the coupon folder to see what coupons I have that match the things on my list. I also bring the coupon envelope with me to the grocery store just in case I see something that is on sale that I could store and have a coupon for--like toilet paper. Ralph's has double coupons everyday so I tend to go there because the coupons go further.
It just happens that there were a bunch of coupons for organic foods about a month ago to celebrate Earth Day. These same foods are on sale right now because I think the store stock-piled for people who would use the coupons the same week they came out in the newspaper. Now they are selling the excess inventory.
Yes, it is sort of silly to be happy over saving money using coupons. In all honesty, it isn't just about the money savings-- though that's a big incentive. I think a lot of coupon people enjoy 'beating the system' with their coupons. I'm not a religious coupon clipper. I go through periods where I clip them, but most of the time I'm too lazy or don't bring the coupons with me. But I just have to say that a friend told me that his mom paid for his first two years of college by setting aside the money that she saved using coupons and investing that money elsewhere. Coupon money is money afterall! I just wish they had coupons for gasoline...
My system is as follows. I leave the coupon section from the Sunday paper and other ads on the dining room table with a pair of scissors. When I am eating breakfast, I go through the coupons and clip out the ones for items that I expect to purchase within the coupon expiration period. Then I file the coupons in a small plastic envelope with divisions that have labels like 'dairy/cheese' and 'paper products'. Before I go to the grocery store I make of list of things that I need to buy and go through the coupon folder to see what coupons I have that match the things on my list. I also bring the coupon envelope with me to the grocery store just in case I see something that is on sale that I could store and have a coupon for--like toilet paper. Ralph's has double coupons everyday so I tend to go there because the coupons go further.
It just happens that there were a bunch of coupons for organic foods about a month ago to celebrate Earth Day. These same foods are on sale right now because I think the store stock-piled for people who would use the coupons the same week they came out in the newspaper. Now they are selling the excess inventory.
Yes, it is sort of silly to be happy over saving money using coupons. In all honesty, it isn't just about the money savings-- though that's a big incentive. I think a lot of coupon people enjoy 'beating the system' with their coupons. I'm not a religious coupon clipper. I go through periods where I clip them, but most of the time I'm too lazy or don't bring the coupons with me. But I just have to say that a friend told me that his mom paid for his first two years of college by setting aside the money that she saved using coupons and investing that money elsewhere. Coupon money is money afterall! I just wish they had coupons for gasoline...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Ray Bradbury!!!
My general reaction when I see a celebrity/famous person is something like, "Oooh, I just saw [insert name here]." Sometimes it registers in my memory long enough for me to want to post it in my blog, but most of the time it doesn't rate at all. Thus, the infrequent updates on celebrity sightings.
Yesterday I saw a play of 'Farenheit 451' at the Fremont Center Theater in South Pasadena, and Ray Bradbury happened to show up and speak a couple of words for the show and sign books and playbills afterwards. I was over-the-top excited to meet him! I wanted to get this blog up a.s.a.p.!
Mr. Bradbury is 87 years old and still writing. Before the play, he introduced his friend Forrest Ackerman (who is 91 years old). Mr. Bradbury credited Mr. Ackerman with starting his career as a science fiction writer by asking him to join the 'Clifton's Cafeteria Science Fiction Club' and with giving Bradbury money to start a weekly and go to the Worlds Fair in New York. It was from essays and stories written during this time that got Bradbury noticed. To true hard-core science fiction fans, seeing Mr. Ackerman would be just as (or even more) exciting than seeing Mr. Bradbury since Ackerman is the original sci-fi fan and has the ultimate sci-fi collection in his house in L.A.
Mr. Bradbury also wanted to note that he was wearing a medal that he got recently from the French-- The French Order of Arts and Letters Honor. You can see it in the picture above where he is signing a copy of a book that I brought from home, "The Toynbee Convector". He was surprised to see the book because it wasn't one of the books on sale at the playhouse, and he said that the book was the first book that Ted Turner had ever published 30 years ago and that Turner was still rich ;) My book is actually a first edition published in 1992 story copyright in 1983, but I wasn't about to correct him.
I was intimidated by him-- not because he is scary-- because I have known his name for a big hunk of my life. I read Farenheit 451 in junior high school and really respected him for his ideas and writing. The people at the playhouse told me to stand next to him for the picture, and my sister said that I was really shy about it. I admit, I was shy, but I got the picture anyways:
I got a picture with RAY BRADBURY and me! OMG! I was giddy and happy in the car afterwards.
Who cares about those other famous actors, I met RAY BRADBURY!!!
Of course, not everybody would care about this as much as me. Apparently somebody showed up at the theater last night expecting to see the film, Farenheit 451. When they heard that it was a play and that the playwright was there, they left because they wanted to see a movie.
Monday, May 12, 2008
My silly mom
I had the following conversation with my mom yesterday (on Mother's Day):
Mom: Your daddy says these lemons are dried and we have to use them. They look okay. (Starts to peel the lemon and break it into sections) I wonder if they are good.
Me: Are you really going to eat the lemon ?!?!
Mom: Why not? It looks okay. (Puts a lemon section in her mouth)
Me: What are you doing?!?!
Mom: (Face scrunches up and lips pucker a lot)
Me: I'm taking a picture of this! (Runs to get camera)
and voila:
My sister and dad came into the kitchen to see what was going on and started laughing when they saw my mom eating the lemon. She only had one section and decided that it was too sour to eat.
That's my mom! She's silly and I love her for it :)
Happy Mothers Day!!!
Mom: Your daddy says these lemons are dried and we have to use them. They look okay. (Starts to peel the lemon and break it into sections) I wonder if they are good.
Me: Are you really going to eat the lemon ?!?!
Mom: Why not? It looks okay. (Puts a lemon section in her mouth)
Me: What are you doing?!?!
Mom: (Face scrunches up and lips pucker a lot)
Me: I'm taking a picture of this! (Runs to get camera)
and voila:
My sister and dad came into the kitchen to see what was going on and started laughing when they saw my mom eating the lemon. She only had one section and decided that it was too sour to eat.
That's my mom! She's silly and I love her for it :)
Happy Mothers Day!!!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Are you impressed?
When my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were in L.A. for a visit a few weeks ago, we went to Hollywood to see the walk of fame. Predictably, there were characters trying to make money off of the tourists, a la:
The guy charged a dollar for the picture. There was also a really sad looking Superman and Spiderman on the street. Do you think these guys pay royalties to DC or Marvel Comics? I'm guessing not.
Two weeks before they came, I spent a few hours up in the Antelope Valley Poppy Fields (about an hour north of my house) and saw the following:
I posted more pictures on my photosite if you want to see more pictures of the flowers. They were gorgeous and worth every penny I spent ($5 for parking and gas to get there).
The Hulk on the other hand-- worth the kitsch? You decide.
The guy charged a dollar for the picture. There was also a really sad looking Superman and Spiderman on the street. Do you think these guys pay royalties to DC or Marvel Comics? I'm guessing not.
Two weeks before they came, I spent a few hours up in the Antelope Valley Poppy Fields (about an hour north of my house) and saw the following:
I posted more pictures on my photosite if you want to see more pictures of the flowers. They were gorgeous and worth every penny I spent ($5 for parking and gas to get there).
The Hulk on the other hand-- worth the kitsch? You decide.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Justin Chambers at Walgreens
My celebrity sightings always seem to be people that many of my co-workers don't recognize because they are foreign born or much younger than me. Yesterday however, I scored a 'big one'.
As I was walking back to my car, I had to stop for a car backing out from the space next to my car. As he was backing out, I looked at the driver and he looked back at me. Then I kept on looking and he looked back at me again. It was Justin Chambers, a.k.a. Careve from Grey's Anatomy.
Yes, he was cute in real life. Even cuter than on t.v.
This celebrity sighting brought me recognition and respect from my co-workers-- they watch Grey's Anatomy but had no idea who Lou Grant/Ed Asner or Lisa Ling (previous sightings) are. Either I am a more thorough conoisseur of American television, or they just watch less t.v. than me. Sadly it is probably the latter.
So I don't forget to mention it for posterity, Alice and I were at a restaurant where Zack Efron and Vanessa Hudgens happened to be dining a few months back. We didn't know they were there until paparazzi hounded them as they walked out the door. The paparazzi were horrible with the flash pictures and quickly jumping in their cars to follow them. Just from seeing that, I think the law that prohibits paparrazi from getting within a few hundred feet of celebrities is a good idea.
As I was walking back to my car, I had to stop for a car backing out from the space next to my car. As he was backing out, I looked at the driver and he looked back at me. Then I kept on looking and he looked back at me again. It was Justin Chambers, a.k.a. Careve from Grey's Anatomy.
Yes, he was cute in real life. Even cuter than on t.v.
This celebrity sighting brought me recognition and respect from my co-workers-- they watch Grey's Anatomy but had no idea who Lou Grant/Ed Asner or Lisa Ling (previous sightings) are. Either I am a more thorough conoisseur of American television, or they just watch less t.v. than me. Sadly it is probably the latter.
So I don't forget to mention it for posterity, Alice and I were at a restaurant where Zack Efron and Vanessa Hudgens happened to be dining a few months back. We didn't know they were there until paparazzi hounded them as they walked out the door. The paparazzi were horrible with the flash pictures and quickly jumping in their cars to follow them. Just from seeing that, I think the law that prohibits paparrazi from getting within a few hundred feet of celebrities is a good idea.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Hello Lisa Ling!
During my run along the ocean this evening, Lisa Ling ran past me in the opposite direction. Lisa was originally on 'The View', that women's daytime talk show, and is currently on 'National Geographic Explorer' and a correspondent on 'The Oprah Show'. As she was approaching us on the trail, she looked familiar but I couldn't place the face. My initial instinct was that she was someone in my running group but as she ran past my running partner said, "Hi there Lisa Ling!"
Just from her look and demeanor she seemed like a nice person-- like someone I would be friends with. It was nice to see a friendly celebrity.
Just from her look and demeanor she seemed like a nice person-- like someone I would be friends with. It was nice to see a friendly celebrity.
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