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Monday, December 21st, 2009

mistymarshall

11:24p A giant dies....  I am sad to say Edwin Krebs has passed away. This makes me infinitely sad. When I was a mere undergraduate he sort of inspired me to study science. Although he didn't know it, I will never forget the day I read the chapter of my neuroscience book about the role cAMP (which he discovered) in learning and memory. I mean who would have thought adding and removing one little phosphate could so drastically impact every single aspect of science. That this process is the foundation of all that we learn and hold as consciousness. It was a lightbulb moment, I was hooked. I never thought anything as cool as second messengers (signal amplification) could exist. Oddly enough when I look back on the science that I do, I have ended up being a biochemist like our Edwin and I still love second messengers now as much as I did back then. They are just some of the coolest molecules in science. When I got a chance to finally go to grad school, I ended up at UW which funnily enough was where he was a professor emeritus. Okay maybe this played some little role in my desire to go to grad school there. I will always remember the day I saw the last classroom lecture he would give where he actually showed us his process of discovering cAMP. I sat there in this little library classroom staring at this scientific giant who was dressed nattily in dumbfounded wonder. Then I ran home and told my then husband John while jumping up and down in excited glee, that I SAW ED KREBS LECTURE....HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!!!!!!! Well it was pretty damn cool. But I did always love that Ed could sleep through almost any lecture, especially the featured Krebs lecture, usually in the front row, and still ask the most intelligent and well thought out questions after. A habit that Randy Moon in our department took up after Ed was not around so much (he even slept through one of my committee meetings with only six people and still kicked my butt in the questions later). So RIP Edwin...you influenced me more than you could know or understand. I will treasure always standing on one side so I could talk science with you as I was privileged to actually be able to do so. Today a giant passes onward and I honor him the only way I know how, by remembering......

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mistymarshall

6:14p Joie OMG my mom sent me the elf yourself meme. Although it has not ever died from previous years, still...um...wow. This is what parents do with to much free time! *edit* she just elfed me on facebook...facepalm....Looks like she did the whole family... Anyway, Joie to all of you on the longest night of the year. May you celebrate with love and remember the good parts of the year in spirit tonight. It is the perfect time for renewal and celebration and magic on this Yule night and I urge you all to share the wonder. (I think someone has to..) current mood: chipper

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Sunday, December 20th, 2009

mistymarshall

3:32p Snow and economies  It is truly winter here now. The snow is blowing hard outside my window. Everything is covered in six inches of powder making me wish I was on a ski slope instead of  drinking my warm spicy chai tea and watching...and thinking. Thinking of all things about economies and world finance. Thinking about the power of the Euro, the weakening dollar, the possibly explosive depression the US may enter and my future. Thinking about the nice economic stability I have now compared to a couple of years ago when I would worry each month if I could pay my rent, let alone my bills. I think I can live without the stress of maybe being homeless every month. I am thinking because in a year and half this little cozy stability may disappear and I must decide now where to cast my next net. But...I don't know where or how to even begin. There are pros and cons to remaining in Europe versus going home. Both are doable in different ways. But they depend much on other countries economies. So I am thinking of economies and wondering what to make of it all. There are so many things in addition to a good job that makes up the kernel of happiness inside. Some of those factors I am awaiting the outcome on right now. One thing I have come to know is the language barrier. It is hard, so very hard to connect with people you can't communicate with because you do not speak the language. Let's not even talk about dating. This gives the US and London big support, plus also France. I do read French relatively fluently and I know after living there I would be speaking fluently within a short period. Trying to undertake German, while I know enough to get around and order food, it is a hard language and I will not be fluent for some time. I am not so enamoured of remaining in Germany as I have not been happy here. But the science funding is quite excellent here and that is something to consider as it is not in the US so much. However, the US does have all my friends and family although they are scattered across the country with the biggest concentration being in Seattle (which also has the tightest job market for what I do currently)....sigh. As you can see there is no easy answer. Any thoughts out there in LJ land on economies? I am considering England, France and Germany in addition to the US. Also, possibly Switzerland as they have good science but I don't really want to live there. I am curious how others have found it to be once they lived outside the US for a while. How was it when you returned if you returned. Any thoughts?

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Thursday, December 17th, 2009

mistymarshall

4:12p Alien updatery So this is a totally cliche shot but I was having fun playing with filters and experimenting with processing in photoshop. I am learning slowly about the editing aspects. It is easier than the lighting aspects. Plus, creating made me feel better as I have been in a funk for a couple of days. so for your viewing..... He says I'm not like other girls....I can't say he is wrong. ( personal updatery behind cut.. )

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