Kid Vs. Pole

To play tennis, you usually need a net. For this net to stay vertical, there are two poles over which some cord keeps the net taut.

As the title of this post alludes to, I would be the kid in "kid vs. pole." Yep, one of my top three embarrassing moments there. I was messing around and running to spike a ball that was already out of play. I looked down a few times to make sure I didn't run into anything. Apparently I didn't look enough times. End result: I ran almost full speed into a stationary pole. Said pole slammed into my upper abdomen. (Later, I found it was the right upper abdomen, according to the smallish bruise.) This was then followed by a minute of curling into a ball on the ground.

Having a basic knowledge of anatomy, I was kinda worried about what the pole may have done to me. My entire upper abdomen hurt, and I started thinking about my spleen and liver. As a relatively young and healthy kid, I wasn't seriously worried. But in the back of my head, I still thought of what it may have hit. Fast forward two days later, and it still hurts when I run, bend over, and get up from laying down. Guess those obliques took most of the force...and are still complaining about it.

I've taken kicks to the gut, chest, face, and back when I was training in Tae Kwon Do. But back then I was at least able to divert some of the force coming at me. Not so much this time. At least I only got the wind knocked out of me and will only be sore for a few days or so. I'll get that pole back next time. Either that or I won't run straight into it.

Bush's Latest Contribution(?) to Stem Cell Research

GW recently vetoed a bill aimed at reversing his 2001 restrictions on federally funded stem cell research. Specifically, the bill was looking to allow funding for research on discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization. Don't worry though, he okayed funding for "ethically responsible" research. Sweet! Wait, what? I'm not entirely sure what that means. Apparently, nothing - he's allowing researchers to work on stuff that they already could. I'm not saying that immoral stuff has never happened in science: Tuskegee and the Holocaust are the first two that jump to mind. But on the other hand, I don't think all scientists are willing to sacrifice their morals and human life in the name of science. So thanks Bush, you pretty much gave us nothing out of this latest veto and speech. Actually, I'm pretty sure you slowed down scientific progress.

One thing Bush seems intent on reiterating is that he will not allow America to destroy embryos for stem cell research. But wait, they're already destroyed as part of the in vitro fertilization process. Bush doesn't seem to have any problems with IVF. The moral fabric of America seems to be just fine, in spite of IVF embryo destruction. It seems that this moral dilemma has been posed and resolved, in favor of helping those who are biologically less fortunate. Society has decided that allowing infertile couples to conceive is a greater cause over the destruction of unused embryos. So Bush, if you're going to use the platform of embryo destruction to support your research ban, I'd appreciate you mentioning something about IVF and trying to attack that community.

Some might say that Bush isn't questioning the integrity of scientists and citizens per se. Instead, he's questioning what might happen if embryonic stem cell research is given federal backing. He's implying that things will get out of control and we'll be doing such things as producing embryos solely for the purpose of research or full human cloning. BTW, I'm against those previous two examples becoming realty. For one, has research been conducted in violation of Bush's now six year mandate? To my limited knowledge, no. And if it had been, I'm pretty sure it would be big news, as it would give Bush incredible support in a "see I told you so" type of way. But it hasn't.

So one simple solution is to allow embryonic stem cell research on those IVF embryos (with parental consent) already destined for destruction. This is what the vetoed bill was going to do. I'm not saying give science carte blanche on what they can do with these embryos. But just as Bush has already done, legislation could be passed to prohibit such things as full human cloning. Regulatory bodies such as IRBs are already in place to maintain ethical standards in research. But research regulation isn't the major hurdle here, as such institutions are already in place. The major hurdle is allowing such research to actually happen.

Disclaimer: this previous argument assumes a rational president. IVF was happening both before and after his 2001 speech; embryos were being destroyed both before and after his speech. No embryos are being created only for the purpose of research. Instead, they were already destined for destruction after implantation. So Bush, don't stand too far behind your wall of ethical concerns of embryo destruction. Why not further science a bit through stem cells? After all, it is science that allowed infertile couples to conceive in the first place.

As a molecular and cellular biology major, my dismay at Bush's stance comes from knowing the possible benefits of such research. Even as an MCB major I'd like to think that I've considered the negatives of ES research. In doing so, I still support the cause. But I digress. In 2000, there were about 16 million Americans with diabetes, with 23 million projected for 2010. In type I diabetes, stem cells could be used to generate functional pancreatic tissue and islet beta cells or to somehow offset the autoimmune response causing DM I in the first place. Type II DM has a wider range of etiologies, including hepatic and muscle tissue. Given various metabolic dysfunctions and glucose dysregulation, stem cells could be used to introduce normally functioning enzymes and regulators. Having done neurogenesis research for the past two years, I can appreciate the implications of stem cells in the neuroscience field. Neurogenesis is known to occur in only two small regions of the brain. Those who suffer through strokes, chronic seizures, and neurological disorder (Parkinson's, Huntington's) all have various areas of their brains damaged. Currently neurogenesis is confined to areas involving learning and memory, with these new neurons' roles still being established. If stem cell neurons could be introduced and integrated into brain-damaged areas, then there is a chance to regain motor and cognitive function.

I realize that my examples of stem cell therapy are radical interventions when compared to conventional therapy. But therein lies one of the biggest promises of stem cells. The chance to provide actual cures for various conditions as opposed to just treating them. With DM I, stem cells could make it possible to eliminate insulin problems at the source, instead of using passive treatments like insulin injections. Same thing for various neuro disorders. I know that this type of work will take time and money to develop. Which brings us back to the here and now. We've gotta start somewhere. Bush isn't helping that case.

I'm not the only person out there sharing this view. Republicans such as John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are in favor of expanding stem cell research funding. Science has reported (from research at Duke and Johns Hopkins) that sixty percent of those who've undergone IVF would like to donate their unused embryos to stem cell research. So Mr. Bush, a large number of Americans are in favor of stem cell research, members of your own party are in favor of it, and your main ethical problem has a significant logic problem. What? You say my reasoning is ambiguous and dated? I'll change my rhetoric as soon as you change yours - we've only heard the same thing for the past six years. At least mine has some logic behind it.

Tangos Everywhere!

And by tangos, I mean cicadas. By everywhere, I mean Chicagoland. Wtf is a cicada? This is.

Anyway, I've been hearing that there are supposed to be a lot of cicadas coming out of the ground as part of a 17 year cycle in Chicagoland. Here's some more stuff on that: wiki; Chicago Tribune.

Posting about the Schaumburg IKEA reminded me of how one cicada hitched a ride on my car windshield from the hotel to IKEA. While he (she?) was on the car, I got a good look at it. Those things are pretty damn big for a bug and they've got really big, blood red eyes. And while passing through some wooded areas, I found that those things are insanely loud.

When the thing first landed on the windshield it took me a minute to figure out that it was a cicada. Even knowing that, I still found the thing to be way too big and way too freaky-eyed.

IKEA

I'm cleaning out my laptop bag for the hell of it, and I come across a map from last week's trip to Chicago. Now you would think it'd be a map of Chicagoland or something, but that's just not true. It is a map to the Schaumburg IKEA.

This IKEA is probably one of the biggest single purpose stores I've ever been in. And actually, the nearby Woodfield mall is the biggest mall I've been in. Anyway, they handed out these maps as you walk in the store. And as soon as you get the map, there is an escalator staring you in the face. This implies that there's a second level to the store. True story there. But wait, not done yet. There's actually a third floor too. And these aren't any wimpy sized floors either. Each is probably around the size of your local small-town Walmart, if not bigger. According to wiki, the square footage is something like 458,000. When numbers start getting that high, it just gets translated to "big-ass building" in my mind.

What do they sell? Personally, I had no idea of who they were until a few months ago. But apparently they have anything you need to furnish an apartment/house. These floor listings are the main headings from the map. First floor: carpets, greenroom, garage/attic/basement. Second floor: bedrooms, bath, workspace/office, children's, seasonal stuff, lighting. Third floor: living rooms, home decor, dining, kitchens. Yep, they've got all that stuff. And a lot of it. Most of it is pretty cheap too. Granted, there's assembly required and it probably won't last forever. But hey, it's gotta be cheaper for a reason.

There were a couple of things that I'd never seen in a furnishings store. There's an escalator for carts. This guy runs right next to the people escalator. All you do is push your cart up to the cart escalator, it gets caught on some sort of latching, and then it goes up/down right beside you. There's also a restaurant, a cafe, and a bistro. Just in case you get hungry, sleepy, or anticipate road munchies apparently. About the last category, I saw a reasonable number of out of state plates. Kinda surprised me.

So yeah, the Schaumburg IKEA is a pretty big place with lots of cheap furniture. As a med student (aka poor student), there's a high probability I'll be getting some stuff from said IKEA. Kinda sucks that it's a thirty mile drive from my apartment though. Is there a chance the stuff I buy will 1.) be owned by a lot of other people or 2.) not last 10 years? Yes on both accounts. But hey it's cheap and it'll fill my apartment up. Besides, the only stuff I plan on paying decent money for are a mattress and a futon. I place semi-high value on my sitting and sleeping implements :D

Sign Here, Initial Here

Yay me! On Friday I signed on an apartment. One bed, one bath, and a real living/dining area. It's got a laundry room and bike storage right across the hall too. It's a little more than I was wanting to pay, but compared to the other apartments I'd looked at, it was worth it (hopefully). The bedroom is a respectable size, whereas most of other places' bedrooms could be mistaken for very large walk-in closets. The living/dining area is also a decent size, which a few other places had, but not all. It's also only about a 12 minute walk from UIC's med school and Cook County Hospital. About a five minute walk from some bars and restaurants (Italian, Thai, Chinese, American, even a Bar Louie). About a 10 minute walk to an L station that'll take me downtown. And since UIC already has us pay for an unlimited CTA pass, I'm good to go on either the L or on buses.

The only negatives to the apartment are that it's a ground apartment - you take stairs down to my place when you enter the building. The kithchen is kinda small, but that seems to be a recurring theme in the area. Also, there's no central air. I've gotta put in a window A/C unit. There's no assigned parking for the building. I'll be buying parking through Chicago, which lets me park in the neighborhood, but without any assigned spot.

There have been some weird (IMO) things while I looked for apartments. It seems like most of the apartments in the area weren't built with central air, just central heat. I met two realtors/landlords who are Illinois alumni. I was scheduled to look at an apartment one day, only to have it get rented before I got a chance to see it. One apartment was setup so that as soon as you walk through the front door, you walk into the bedroom. From the bedroom you can then either enter a bathroom (which itself had an in-window A/C) or enter the living/dining room/kitchen area. Another apartments' tenants had two couches in the living room. Not so strange, but the actual bedrooms had mattresses stacked against the wall, along with bikes and other random stuff. Another apartment had a couch in the kitchen. In his defense, he didn't have an actual living room, just a ginormous bedroom. The security deposits around here are for 1.5 months vs. 1 month. If interested in an apartment, more than one realtor wanted a nonrefundable "holding fee" while they ran a credit check (which I paid for). If credit checked out, they wanted the security deposit in three days, otherwise you lose the apartment. One realtor (who I almost signed with) wanted cash for the security deposit. Coming up with that kind of cash (~$1500) when you're out of town led to a few problems. No one cashes personal checks, ATMs don't have that kind of money, and credit card cash advances have interest rates that burn holes in your soul (no grace period apparently). Figured something out though, but it was little uneasy walking around with that kind of money.

But, I'm pretty happy with the place I found. Almost in my original price range ($50), good location, decent size and setup. Signing on a place makes me even more excited about moving here in August. Just not looking forward to furnishing the place and actually moving my stuff.

Is That Really Necessary?

So me and the family are eating lunch at some Thai restaurant around the UIC area the other day. Specifically, we're around the west campus and this is where a lot of UIC's (and Rush's) health schools are located. As we sit down, I notice that one of the guys at the next table is wearing a white coat. Now, there are a few professions that wear white coats: butchers, lab techs, science researchers, pharmacists, PAs, doctors. But I had a pretty good idea of which group this guy belonged to. After a few ninja-like glances to avoid staring, I read his jacket stitching as "University of Illinois Medical Center." Yep, thought so. A pretentious doctor wearing his white coat around, just screaming for attention and wanting everyone to know who he is. Asshole.

The restauarant we were at is probably a 10-15 minute walk from his hospital. There is no reason for him to still be wearing his white coat. Maybe if you're heading home, fine. But not in a restaurant. And since his white coat was a long one, this means he was an attending (full) physician - not a med student (we get short white coats). Meaning, I know he's got an office, a locker, or some med student that can keep his lab coat when he leaves the hospital.

Aside from my personal abhorrence for these attention whores, there are a few semi-real reasons he shouldn't be wearing his white coat outside the hospital. For one, it was probably around ninety degrees outside. I know that you're already burning up under your shirt and tie. I'm pretty sure that throwing a lab coat over said apparel does not help the case. But also, the fact that the lab coat's been in the hospital should be reason enough to leave it behind. It's been around all sorts of sick people and whatnot. I don't want to eat lunch next to an article of clothing which has been in one of Chicago's academic and higher level hospitals. Hell, it is in the "Illinois Medical District," I imagine that some pretty nasty stuff passes through here.

When it comes down to it though, the guy's douchery (yes, it's a word) in wearing his white coat everywhere is what pissed me off the most. Oo, you're a doctor. Good job. Now stop advertising it to the world. What? You couldn't hear me over your self-admiration and general jackassery? That's too bad. The thing is I've already met a few people who are already full of themselves and are going to end up like this guy. Ah well. A couple bites of some chicken curry, and I'll forget about these folk.

Snack Time!

It's edible, it's incredible, it's: the egg. I've started eating hard-boiled eggs as snacks. Throw a few in some water, and I've got snacks for a few days. No frying, no mixing. Just crack and eat. I've been missing out up until now.

As you can tell, exciting times in the life of Illinaisa...

Summer Happenings

Been home for about three weeks now, and I've gotten a few things done. Not anything productive or noteworthy, but they've nonetheless happened.

TV Shows
Just finished the sixth season of South Park. I've never really sat down and watched the show until the last year or so. Good stuff, as I'm sure you all already know. I've got a couple more seasons lined up, so I'm set for a bit. I also finished the first season of How I Met Your Mother. Also great stuff. NPH does an awesome job, and I blew through the first season in no time. I've recently started recording ER on TNT. Again, good show - although I might be a bit biased. Ah well. Anyway, TNT is currently airing episodes from later seasons and these have been considered to be lesser quality vs. earlier seasons. If that's the case, then I think I'll be a fan of the series as a whole. Sadly, no one seems to rent out ER seasons. I watched a couple recorded episodes of Planet Earth (Discovery Channel). About what you'd expect from a nature show, but different - and I like it. It carries a theme throughout the show (mountains, ice worlds, ocenas), and moves reasonably quickly between different locales. Emperor penguins are cool and dolphins are smart ones. Ooo, and Man vs. Wild comes back on in a few weeks. If you don't already know, Bear Grylls is the man. If he needed to survive on the former planet of Pluto, he'd make it happen.

Video Games
As for the game that I'm currently working through, it'd be Call of Duty 2 for 360. If you played the first one, it's more of the same with some updated graphics. More of the same is, in this case, a good thing. I've started playing SimCity 2000 again. No real reason as to why, I just had the urge to play it again. Awesome game, even if it is something like ten years old. I've also got some random moments of Guitar Hero 2 and Halo 3. Halo 3, as far as multiplayer goes, is looking pretty good. They've updated a few things, and I'm a fan of what they've done. If you liked Halo 2 MP, you'll probably like Halo 3. I've also got a couple more games that I'm looking to beat this summer. How many I beat depends on how much I actually end up working this summer. Hooray loans!

Other Random Stuff
I got the radiator in my car replaced. Sadly, it didn't fix the issue of occasional bubbling sounds or the mysteriously overfilling/flowing coolant reservoir. Hopefully though, it has more cooling capacity than the old one, and can hold off overheats better. Not that it happened all the time with the last one, but maybe now it'll just never happen. Got my final financial aid letter from UIC, and it's actually $6 cheaper vs. their estimate. Hoo-rah. I cleaned my computer both on the inside and outside. It was long overdue. The outside was getting to be kinda nasty and even more so on the inside. There were layers of dust everywhere on the inside. Probably about 50% of my heat sink was covered in a 1/8 inch layer of dust. Clean all of that off, remount the heat sink, and now it's running 25°F cooler. Yay.

As you can tell, there's been a lot of exciting stuff happening... It beats school though. At least I get a trip up to Chicago in a few days.