A fellow grad student of mine had an article written about him in the Chronicle, the Duke paper. The article itself was rather dumb (not a fault of his), but then he is quoted as saying:

"I want to do something that other people won't. Sometimes I'm so far away from the box, I don't even know what shape a box is anymore."

I just found out this morning that a postdoc in lab here at Duke (someone I was acquainted with, but didn't know well) died in his sleep this weekend, leaving a wife and a two year old son. I'd guess he was in his mid-30s ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

This year's first year graduate students graduated from high school at the same time I graduated from college.

OUCH.

I'm trying to compare protein sequences to detect where a particular activity is coming from in my protein. This involves the computational/biochemical equivalent of finding 5 precisely spaced needles in a very large stack of needles. When it works, it's wonderfully satisfying. When it doesn't, it's this side of banging your head against a wall, ( Read more... )

But I think it just might be worth it. :-D

One of my birthday presents was an eels CD (Blinking Lights and Other Revelations). Quickly becoming my favorite song on the CD is Railroad Man. The central metaphor is that of a railroad man in an age that has no use for railroads or their operators any more.

things are faster now
and this train is just too slow
and i know i can walk along the ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

God has been very gracious, and despite hearing of the passing of my best friend from junior high (Daniel) yesterday, it was a good birthday.

As mentioned previously, Arielle brought fantastic chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting in to lab. And then after work she took me to the Lotus Leaf Cafe for dinner. I highly recommend it. Everything ( Read more... )

With the Saints give rest O Christ, to the souls of thy servants,

where sickness and sorrow are no more, neither sighing,

but life everlasting.


( Read more... )