Eppendorfs, Gilsons and Bunsens

I never given much thought of why I am used to call micro centrifuge tubes for eppendorf tubes until I moved to the States and my new lab mates (very loosely used term) look at me funny when I started talking about eppendorfs. “You mean micro centrifuge tubes?” and I nodded. It never occurred to me that it is just a brand name, silly me. It’s probably the equivalent to calling all soft drinks for coke, or ginger ale if that is what you like.

Gilsons, the micro pipettes, on the other hand I am not sure of. Are they a brand? The first ones made? Or am I supposed to call them pipettes as well? In that case, how to I distinguish “real” pipettes (ranging from 0.5 ml to 25 mls) from the Gilsons i.e. the disposable ones versus the non-disposable ones. Gilsons cost plenty as an old friend of mine said.

Furthermore I realized today, or tonight rather, that again I am stuck with the lab bench adjacent to the wall on left side of the row. This might not be a problem but when the Bunsen burner is attached to the gas hook up is also on the left side is does become a problem for little ol’ me. Why? Because yours truly is left handed. So, I also realized that putting your latex gloved hand over the invisible flame (the burner I have hasn’t got a thing to adjust the air intake but only the amount of gas flowing) while trying to grab a sterile bacterial “smearer” hurts. It was the smell that made me realize I put my hand in the flame. The hurt came later. And then I saw the yellowish glove turned a bit deep orange/burned… Ah well, not too much of a burn but I was pretty much waiting for this to happen. Always strange to have a bench that is opposite what you need.

At least I think I have good data from the sad bacterial that did not want to grow until 3 pm rather than being over and done with at noon, so I got out of the lab by 9. I’ll count them tomorrow but the ODstudies looked really interesting. Hopefully they will cooperate more tomorrow so I can repeat it without too much hassle. Now, time to sleep.

money and grants...

Watching one of those horrific ‘reality’ programs on TV, in this case the show ”Daddy’s spoiled little girl” on We, I think I would react differently to the whole trust fund thing. I mean, not only did my parents raise me with manners and politeness towards people that is something that definitely seems to be lacking in these people portrayed, if I had a trust fund jeez what kind of research I could do. Hm, I know that that probably is not true, with ethical rules and guide lines and all, but still… the notion that I think I would do research if I had a trust fund is somewhat mind-boggling for me at times. (It screams a of little geekiness or maybe obsession although I kind of find it a little better than spending it all on bubbly wine to sprout over my so call friends as people seem to be doing all over the world,) Other women would probably go for shoes. And men would probably go for cars or some new technical gizmo. Oh, or maybe a big mansion to actual own a house to live in? Would be a new thing for me!

Well, leaving the gender stereotype – I would probably go for some shoes, after all it is a small addiction for me* - but still being able to go to different conferences in order to meet people and discuss research without being begging for travel grants (mental note to self: need to write the grant application for the conference in September and book a plain ticket for the same) or just not have to work for the salary.

End of ranting since the show stopped and I need to go to bed before getting back to the wondrous research business tomorrow.

*shoes are the one thing I do end up buying more often than other things – books excluded - simply because they are easy to try on and most often does not require a fitting room or messing with.

Why hockey is so big?! And of course... bye bye Canucks

This article made me teary eyed. Yep, I am a sappy sentimental Swede on the other side of the world and I miss my country sometimes. Or at least I miss the happy feeling portrayed in the article. Gosh, if that was the truth though… that would be an even bigger thing. Well, it is not that they are lying in the article, get me right, it is the fact that if every town was as good at self assurance and pride we might stand a chance against those thoughts we breed as a community back home. Sometime I wonder if we were all indoctrinated while sleeping in day care with “Don’t think you are anything else than average. Don’t perceive you are different than others. Don’t stand out. Everyone striving for success will fall harder when the fail” or Jante as we call it.

Ok, that was wrong of me. Not true. Or just a little… but truthfully I would like to visit Örnsköldsvik some time. Just to see it. Gotta love a town that has 30 000 inhabitants but still 7000 people on average attendance at game time in the arena!

Back to NHL and Stanley Cup (and yes, I can see my reports getting fewer and fewer now). Canucks played like, ah well I didn’t see that game yesterday. Tried to but when no TV channel in my vicinity proved to be able to let me watch it I gave in and waited for the game to be over. I fell asleep before the second over time was over. As expected Niedermayer (Scott not his brother) made the goal. Ah hem, when you go down better loose against the best huh?

Selanne, Pronger, Niedermayer and Luongo

Ok, I am the first to admit that I don’t like The Ducks. First of all, how can you want to call a cool hockey team ducks? I mean, in some way I should probably not disagree since it is an old [British slang] word for “beautiful woman”/”cute girl”/affectionate for "female" – kind of what Spike calls some of his love interests and he is from the late 19 century. It is therefore, in the male chauvinistic and misogynic world of hockey, a brave name!

On the other hand, if you see a fight between a predator and a duck, who would you think would win? Yes, exactly my point. So, not because of the name itself but maybe rather that it was a lousy movie (actually I think they made two or three ‘The mighty Ducks’ and I have an inkling that Joshua Jackson was in the first one, with Charlie Sheen) and that Disney started the real team after the movies. It is just strange.

Anyhow, when I saw the Ducks play in January I almost got into trouble when I laughed when T. Selanne made yet another brilliant pass to one of his team mates. “What are you doing?!” came from a guy sitting next to me. I tried to explain it in some way to say that since he is Finnish and also because he is good, I just enjoyed watching someone that knows how to play hockey play. It didn’t really work out but the guy at least stopped looking at me as if I was cheering for the wrong team.

Well, last night I wanted so bad that the Sedin brothers could have done something. Reading today that they weren’t playing together and not at all in the first half? Why not? They’ve scored more than others in their team the last games, together with Naslund / their captain. Though, I do not know what the game looked like since I really made a mature decision and stayed home rather than going wandering looking for a pub where I could watch the game (maybe one down town, maybe) since I knew I had to get up real early this morning. I stayed at home and watched the updates on nhl.com and let me tell you, I was happy when it said 2-1 Canucks in the beginning of 3rd. Of course that didn’t last. Selanne did his thing and made 2-2. OT next. And I went to bed before that even started. Probably best since they lost. And now it is 1-3 for Canucks in games. I guess I will have no teams in the playoffs soon…

I really understand and appreciate that Pronger (top five in offensive leaders) and Niedermayer are nominated for that trophy, as well as Canuck’s goalie Luongo (top five goalies). It is just too bad that the first three guys in this entry are on the wrong team, the stupid duckies – the reservoir for the severe bird flu in the world. Ha.

Canucks or Stars

Well, of course my teams have to play like they never have played before (as in never played hockey before). Predators are out. I am not too surprised, or sad, for that matter since I still think Forsberg has the disadvantage of being considered the best Swedish player although I would really like to have the consitency factor calulated in that equation. I mean, Sundin has almost never been injured and that makes him a stability factor - but sure, The Maple Leaves are not even in the play off (as usual more or less).

So, Canucks managed to do exactly what I was scared of Thursday. They had the Stars at 3-1 in games... and now it is 3-3 and the LAST game is tomorrow. In Vancouver. Which might be good.

Since I am not in Vancouver and since I have the peasant cable I will have to think about what to do tomorrow. Especially since I have kick boxing and might be downtown a bit late in time for the game. Ah well, I might be satisfied with looking at the live feed on nhl.com. I mean, if the loose (knock on wood and all that) I don't think I want to see it. Too depressing.

I really need to get a life different from hockey. Time to dinner now.