Aspen Snowmass Powder

Today was another snowy ski day with clouds on the upper slopes. We skied the Two Creeks area concentrating on the Cascade run as it had been groomed last night. This means that under the fresh snow there was a smooth solid base. We did it again and again. However, I have been having problems with my boots. The foam rubber is contracting so it is difficult to adjust them so that they fit tightly. We had tea and coffee at the Two Creeks lodge and I consulted the rental group. They crafted some custom foam inserts that provided the needed bulk to provide a tight fit. I should probably buy new boots but I may get into boarding when we get home and will need new equipment for that sport. I know that I am an old guy but what the heck.

We did a run on Elk Camp Sandy Park after lunch but it was in the clouds so one could only see the trees whizzing by as one hurtled down the slope hoping that there was nothing substantial in the way. The remainder of the day was spent on Two Creeks with and excursion to the West Fork run. Few people know about this run so it was pure powder and great fun. Back at the lodge and after the required time in the Jacuzzi we headed off to the Wildwood steakhouse one road above the mall for a fantastic meal. My snow bunny had prime rib with sweat potato fries and I had wild boar sausage and buffalo (real buffalo) short ribs. I believe that the Wildwood is the best restaurant in the Snowmass area.

Skiing in “warm” weather and bright blue skies

Today the breakfast was fried eggs that were only palatable if you were really hungry, and I was. After the usual exercise of putting on multiple layers of ski clothes and the two knee braces I am now wearing, we headed out from our ski in, ski out hotel to the new detachable sixpack lift. When we got to the bottom of the slope we were told that it was not working. This gave us a chance to take the new mini-gondola back up to Snowmass mall just above our hotel. The picture is from a gondola car looking at three going the other way and across from our hotel. It is a strange gondola as the cars are in compact groups of three. Most gondolas detach from the main cable so that they are going slowly when one climbs aboard. They then reattach to the main cable and continue up the mountain at a greater rate of speed. This is the best of both worlds, slow entry and rapid up the mountain. However, this gondola changes speed so that when a cluster of three cars reaches the terminal all the gondolas slow down. Once the passengers are loaded, they all speed up again until the next group of three reach the terminus. This technique must be less expensive but it all seems to work.

Now back at the village mall we skied across the slope to another lift to get to the Burn area by taking two additional lifts. Once up there it was beautiful with azure skies, the occasional white fluffy cloud and pine trees with branches bending under a heavy burden of fresh snow. The picture is of the snow bunny with whom I have been sleeping with the view from the top of the Burn in the background. On one run we started out above a cloud, skied through it and then out the bottom.

The Mexican meal last night was affecting me. At one point, I felt as if I might float off the slope because of the gas. There were occasions when I believe it helped to propel me down the slope. Part way through the morning we headed over to the Elk Camp area which was a mistake because everyone else was there. Some how it isn’t right to complain while enjoying such a beautiful experience. For lunch we went to Gweyn’s which is located at the top of the High Alpine lift and admired the view while noshing on our traditional tuna melt. Then over to Two Creeks for a few runs and back to the hotel and Jacuzzi. After the heat therapy we went to the mixer in the hotel lobby for wine and unhealthy food while enjoying a roaring fire in the fireplace.

After a solid breakfast of French toast we took the new detachable six-pack up to Sam’s Knob and then down to the Burn lift all in a snowstorm. It had snowed during the night so there was powder everywhere. The wind was creating drifts on Sneakies so after Powdering it down to Adam’s avenue we took trestle over to Elkcamp and then down cascade to two creeks. The staff had groomed a number of slopes but they all had 6 inches of powder on top of the solid base so we had great fun bounding through the powder. We were both impressed with our improve ability to deal with powder. It can be a lot of fun but one must alter one’s technique to take the deep white stuff into account. You can’t do short turns but must do wide graceful turns even if you are hurtling down the slop near the speed of sound. This is probably the wrong thing to say
but I have yet to fall. We enjoyed the soup lunch provided by the hotel and headed back out into the snow.

After some wine in the Jacuzzi with snow falling on our heads we got dressed and sauntered over to the Double Tree après sky party. Twrp Anderson and John (I’m just a country boy) Sommers provided the entertainment from 3-6 pm. Twrp shoes horses in the off season. The picture of the group doesn’t include John as he was prepping for a colonoscopy. good luck John! I always ask that they play “the sloop John B” but this year Twrp seemed to be a little weak on the words. Then we were off for a delicious Mexican dinner.

Skiing in Aspen Snowams

This was our first day on the slopes. It was a glorious clear day with little wind and a reasonable temperature for 10,000 ft in the mountains. For our friends that know Snowmass, they have changed a number of things. The wood run lift is no more so getting to Elk Camp and Funnel is more difficult. They have added a six person chair that goes from the base to the top of Sam’s Knob. To get to Elk Camp you then have to “Trestle” over from Adams Avenue, a real pain although it does work. The new six passenger detachable quad has a midway stop to one can ski over to the coney glade lift for lower level skiing and another way to get to the Burn. They plan to have a gondola from the base to Elk Camp, which will become a ski school center but until that is in place it will be difficult to get to the eastern slopes.

This morning we took the new six pack detachable lift to Sam’s Knob (by the way, they have torn down the restaurant on Sam’s Knob but plan to replace it with a new facility) and then Adam’s avenue to the Burn lift. Up the lift and then to a beautiful ski down Sneaky’s, one of our favorite runs as it is on the edge with fantastic views of the mountains, then back to the burn lift and down Shear Bliss which had been groomed the night before. There was also snow last night so one enjoyed a groomed slop with 5 inches of new powder on top, Fantastic. Next we skied over to Funnel and up to Elk Camp for another run in the powder. Then we went over to Creekside on the Two Creeks portion of Snowmass for two more great runs. Now it was lunchtime with the usual tuna melt sandwiches at Gwyen’s where we met and had a very interesting talk with an emergency room doctor from Rhode Island. After lunch, we headed over to Sam’s Knob again with a run down the expert slope, Campground, which afforded some excellent views of three dog sled teams from Kolbrolnik. After another pass at the Burn with a glorious run down Sneaky’s we headed in to the Jacuzzi and a little wine and a discussion on Intelligent Design. The Jacuzzi is always a place to meet interesting people. Then it was off to the grocery (there is no thing such as “good deals” in Aspen) and then to the Stew Pot for some very tasty lamb stew. Hopefully, over night my muscles will not tie up and we can go at it again tomorrow.

off to Aspen to ski

Podcasts for scientists

I have just discovered Podcasts. A Boston talk radio station (96.9) http://www.wtkk.com/ , carries a program between Noon and 1:00 hosted by Eagan and Braude. They are a lot of fun with Margery Eagan being somewhat more conservative than far left Jim Braude. Unlike most talk radio hosts they don’t harangue one with a political point of view but focus on off beat topics. Because of their time slot, I often miss them our have to leave my car part way through the show. Today I decided to check out the station’s web site to see if there was anything I could download. There was. They podcast the thing so one can simply download the program to one’s computer or so I thought. However, there was no file to download but instructions to copy a URL (the www thing) to one’s player. Well, I did not have a player. After some searching on the web I downloaded several players including something called iPodder and the Yahoo music engine. It isn’t easy, but hidden in their menus are little boxes that will accept the URL WTTK wanted me paste into my player. Why can’t this be more direct? These critical functions always seem to be hidden rather than upfront where they should be. It is probably that these players want you to buy their stuff rather than download free stuff from somewhere else. However, once these URL accepting boxes were found and used, it all worked. My next discovery was the podcasts at NPR. I am fan of “Science Fridays” but rarely can listen when it is on. Now I can get the broadcasts at any time and listen when it is convenient for me, even when walking or working out. Technology is fantastic. It is interesting that we have had ways to time shift TV for some time but it has never been easy to time shift radio until now.

New England Horse and Trail Pleasure Rides

As the snow swirls about pleasure trail riders contemplate spring. What
pleasure rides did they enjoy most last year and what new areas await exploration? This year come April 1st all the spring New England Horse and Trail pleasure trail rides will be posted on the Web site http://www.nehorseandtrail.com/ .

Usually there are 50 or so rides to choose from all over the New England area. Massachusetts has the most rides with Maine a close second. Connecticut, R.I., New Hampshire and Vermont also all have rides. All are marked rides so one can go as fast or slow as one chooses and ride english or western. Choices abound with mileage ranging from 3 to 25 miles. Some rides offer both short and long options. Some are judged rides but the majority of rides are just to give riders the opportunity to view different scenery and meet others with like interests.

Before one goes on an organized trail ride one needs a well trained horse that is use to things that one may encounter on rides. Water, hills, bridges, dogs and traffic are common on trail rides. Bring a friend for support as all horses are herd creatures. Your horse should be in condition to do the distance one plans on riding. If you are new to pleasure trail riding the “Pleasure Trail Riders Guide” which comes with your membership in NEHT can be a big help by telling you what to expect and how to prepare for your first group pleasure trail ride. It is good to start with a shorter ride closer to home. There are even weekend camping rides once you have mastered long one day pleasure rides.

NEHT encourages riders to set personal goals. We offer a recognition plaque to any horse that completes 250 miles of registered rides. There are sixteen breed distance awards showing that Arabs to Fjords make great trail horses. This is something that almost all horses can do.

The big NEHT awards ride will be April 30th in Groton Ma. This ride is the Littleton Horse Owner’s Art Caruso Memorial trail ride offering both 10 and 18 miles of trails along the scenic rivers and town forest trails of Groton. This ride use to be the first ride of the season but now there are often earlier rides in April. Veteran trail riders will warn you to always check the Web postings or phone as rain can be the nemesis of trail riders. No one enjoys swimming in the cool of spring crossing streams or riding through boggy mud. Last year with the monsoons a couple rides were cancelled or rescheduled.

Consider trying a pleasure trail ride this year. Dressage, eventers, hunters and even show horses benefit from a change of pace. If you like getting out of the rink enjoying different scenery, pleasure trail riding may be just the fun you are looking for.

The mode of action of penicillin

Today while up in the attic, I came across an old picture. It is a scanning electron micrograph of mutant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria showing cells that are shrunken and broken. What is Staphylococcus aureus? It was once called the “old man’s friend” because it ended the life of people on the brink of death and just needed a little help. It lives on the skin of all of us but becomes a pathogen only if we are weakened. Why do I have this picture? It is because I took it as part of my Ph.D. research, which confirmed the mode of action of penicillin. Tipper and Strominger had noted that certain nucleotides used in cell wall biosynthesis accumulate when S. aureus cells are treated with penicillin in theory because the enzymes that would convert them to cell wall are inhibited by penicillin causing the precursors to accumulate. My work showed that conditional temperature sensitive mutants of these enzymes would cause the same accumulation of cell wall nucleotides. This proved that it was inhibition of these specific enzymes that caused cell wall to not be built or repaired in the presence of penicillin. The trick was in figuring out how to select for such mutants. This find has brought back a lot of old memories. One Saturday the extract in a series of samples turned red and I knew I had my Ph.D.

Running the Hounds

Today we exercised the foxhounds on a farm in Pepperell. The master laid the drag and the experienced hounds and puppies gave a good account of themselves. We also tested the new radio collars but not on the hounds. The masters hid two in the woods and we searched them out with a small and a larger receiver. To get maximum directionality one needs to keep the gain on the system as low as possible and to scan the receivers slowly from left to right. If the gain is too high one will get a signal in all directions and if one scans too fast the response of the system will occur after the correct direction has been passed. After our trials were over, we had a delicious but distinctly unhealthy breakfast.

Brandley Hersh Hox genes and development

Today I took the “T” into Northeastern to hear an excellent seminar on HOX genes and the regulation of development. The organism of interest was drosophila melanogaster with which I once labored in graduate school in the 60s. How things have changed. Back then about all one could due was to breed the fruit flies in milk bottles on banana paste and look at them under a binocular microscope. In this talk, Dr. Hersh was taking genes out and putting them in with reporter molecules that could show just where in the wing bud a gene was active and where it was not. HOX genes are conserved throughout bilaterally symmetric organisms and control the development of many structures. One of the keys of these studies is that the control of when genes are turned on and turned off and not how many genes there are is most important. A simple worm has only half the genes that we possess but we do a much better job of controlling when they are active and when they are inactive. When I was in school it was impossible to examine a whole genome to determine which genes are turned off or turned on in a specific structure such as a wing bud. Today it is a matter of course. The speaker showed examples of numerous flies that had been genetically engineered to contain specific nucleotide sequences that aided in his evaluation of the control mechanisms. It just isn’t fare that it was so difficult back then and so “easy” today.

Radio collars for the location of lost hounds

Today we tested a series of radio collars and two receivers. One receiver was small and professionally done. It can support 15 different collars with a larger and cruder receiver supporting 20 different frequencies. It was pouring rain today so we only tested them indoors but they seemed to work well although at such close range on had to turn down the gain so that the receivers would not be swamped with signal. If the gain is too high the receivers loose their directionality as they get signals from all directions. With lower gain the receivers only respond when pointed in the direction of the transmitting collar. In the field the distance should be large enough so that gain will not be much of an issue. This weekend if the weather permits we will do a field trial.

Diane needs a kidney - Alport's Syndrome

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you at a critical juncture in my friend’s, Diane Glass, life. She has been diagnosed with Alport’s Syndrome, a very rare inherited disease that affects the kidneys. Diane’s brother, Jack, died of Alport’s at the age of 57. Without a suitable kidney donor Diane may face the same fate.


Although Alport’s Syndrome affects both men and women it usually occurs earlier and with more severe symptoms in men. Almost all men will eventually have to be treated for end stage renal disease (ESRD). The percentage in women is one in ten. Diane is in the unlucky ten percent category.

I have known and been a friend of Diane’s for over thirty years. While she first worked for me in a business capacity, and Diane is now one of my most precious friends. Her ability to work unselfishly for others and to always be upbeat even as a kind of “Sword of Damocles” (aka Alport’s Syndrome) hangs over her head, is a true testament to her perseverance.

Even though Diane has suffered from severe asthma, skin cancer, hyperthyroidism, anemia and underwent coronary bypass surgery (all unrelated to Alport’s Syndrome) it never stopped her from doing things important to her. She helped her son with college and medical school and continues to take care of her elderly mother who lives in Alabama. And like most busy people she fills her plate even more with volunteer activities. She has given much to animal-related causes, to the National Kidney Foundation, the Special Olympics and to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

There is no cure for Alport’s Syndrome. To survive, Alport’s patients with ESRD will require hemodialysis or a kidney transplant. The good news is that with a successful transplant, Alport’s patients can live a long, healthy life. The bad news is that Diane’s chances of getting a living-related transplant from a family member is not good. With a small family and a son who could very well develop Alport’s Syndrome in the future, Diane knows she must look outside her family for an available kidney.

So far Diane feels fairly well although her kidney function continues to decrease. She is at the point that very soon she will have to decide whether to go on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant. I’m sure you’ve heard that the only requirement for being a live kidney donor is that the blood type matches. Diane’s is O positive/negative. If Diane cannot find a living donor, she will go on dialysis and then be placed on the very long cadaver kidney list. Because there is a much better long-term success rate with a living donor, I promised Diane I would write to anyone who might be able to help make this happen. If you have any thoughts, please let Diane or me know.

What I’m really hoping to do is to “flatten the search,” through my network of friends and their network of friends.

Thanks for your interest.

Sincerely,

Pete Phildius

phildius@avitrainc.com
781-575-9790 (office)


cc: Diane Glass
dglass@avitrainc.com
781-575-9790 (office)

The Mind Body Connection

Welcome back Steve and Adrian

One of my Christmas gifts was a three CD set of “Your Body is your subconscious mind” by Candace Pert. Dr Pert was the discoverer of the Opiate receptor and seems to be currently focusing on how our mind is affected by this and other neuronpeptides and how we can consciously affect their levels. Her position is that we now know the chemical details of the mind body connection and should pay more attention to it.

Dr. Pert is an excellent scientist but is currently getting a little too “New Age”. I believe that the basic idea of a “chemical subconscious” has merit but cannot be taken too far.

The text below is from the promo for this audio book.

Your brain is not in charge." This revelation by Dr. Candace Pert challenges conventional science – and everyone interested in total wellness – to reconsider how our bodies think, feel, and heal. As the leading pioneer in a radical new science of life, this bestselling author and world class neuroscientist has given us an inside look at the molecular drama being staged within every cell of the human body – and a glimpse into the future of medicine. Now, in her own words, Dr. Pert describes her extraordinary search for the grail of the body’s inborn intelligence with Your Body Is Your Subconscious Mind.Dr. Pert first came to prominence when she dazzled the scientific community with her discovery of the opiate receptor in 1972. But this breakthrough event was only the beginning of a uniquely productive – and often controversial – career. On Your Body Is Your Subconscious Mind, Dr. Pert describes her efforts over the past two decades to actually decode the "information molecules," such as peptides and their receptors, that regulate every aspect of human physiology. Her model of how these biochemicals flow and resonate, distributing information to every cell in the body simultaneously, has unlocked the secret of how emotions literally transform our bodies – and create our health. Easily shifting from a bench scientist’s view to a spiritual one, she relates her research to past and present mind/body topics, ranging from AIDS and cancer to the chakra system. Dr. Pert’s personal and compelling voice makes this a listening experience that is part detective story, part spiritual odyssey – and entirely irresistable. From the wisdom of the body to the wisdom of the laboratory, Your Body Is Your Subconscious Mind takes listeners on a scientific adventure of the first order, escorted by this pathfinder, iconoclast, and "goddess" of neuroscience.

RNAi and chimeric dimers – our best hope for future therapeutics

There is a revolution in progress in biotechnology. We are always being attacked by other organisms and have a number of defense mechanisms at our disposal. The most obvious is our skin. But we have other biochemical tricks including our immune response composed of both a cellular seek and destroy army and a macromolecular antibody defense force. Recently, a new mechanism has been discovered. It is amazing, as we have spent billons of dollars on trying to understand the components and capabilities of our bodies but missed this one until almost the end of the millennium.

Some viruses are composed of double stranded RNA. Double stranded RNA is unique as we are loaded with double stranded DNA and single stranded RNA but not much in the way of double stranded RNA. So a mechanism that could detect and destroy double stranded RNA would not hurt us but would protect us from this class of viruses. Such a mechanism was identified in plants in the 1980s but due to technical difficulties was not confirmed in mammals until 1998. When double stranded RNA enters the cell an nuclease called dicer cuts it up into 21 nucleotide lengths. These oligonucleotides then complex with a system that chops up any RNA with that sequence which effectively keeps the virus from replicating and we are saved. Using the tools of modern biochemistry we can make any RNA at will so it is possible to use this system to turn of the expression of any gene we want. One makes a 21 or so nucleotide strip of double stranded RNA that is unique to the gene of interest and the system will turn off that gene. If one has a nucleotide sequence from sequencing some genome like ours that is for a gene whose function is unknown; one can make the appropriate double stranded RNA and turn off the gene to see what happens. One can also make double stranded RNA that will turn off the expression of critical genes for other viruses such as HIV even if the virus does not itself contain double stranded RNA. The key is that one procedure can do all these things. Instead of looking for a different drug to protect against each type of virus one can use easily made double stranded RNA made by a common procedure to turn off anything.

Things are not really as simple as this sounds but they are certainly much better than having a different chemical to treat each disease. Here, slight modifications of a single chemical can be used to treat anything from HIV to cancer. However, one problem is delivery. How do you get it into the cell and especially into the correct cell. An article by SONGCHUAN GUO,1 NUSKA TSCHAMMER,2 SULMA MOHAMMED1 and PEIXUAN GUO1,* HUMAN GENE THERAPY 16:1097–1109 (September 2005) describes an ingenious technique. They have constructed a molecule composed of two modified double stranded virus units that each contain the 21 base pair sequence required for the RNAi process. To one of these units they add a molecule that will bind to the surface of certain types of cells. This surface binding helps the double stranded RNA select the desired cell type and to enter the target cell. The beauty of this technique is that the ”turn it off signal” will not be added to all cell types and that its uptake in the desired cell type will be enhanced. So if you want to turn off a gene in stomach tissue but not muscle tissue it should be possible. The beauty of this technique is that a single process can turn off practically anything. All the drugs would be made the same way containing approximately the same components. This should be especially useful for combating influenza as the virus would not have to be grown in chicken eggs and a switch from one strain to another would be straightforward. There is hope for the future.

There is hope – good smelling manure

I get email from several science oriented sites. Discovery News had a recent offering on “Scientists De-Stink Dung” that describes a process developed by the Monell Chemical Senses Center that uses a couple of techniques http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060109/destunkdung_tec.html?dcitc=w10-001-ai-0000 .

They add a chemical, the ethyl ester of 3-methyl-2-octenoic acid, that is pleasant smelling but when added to manure renders it’s odor neutral. This compound takes advantage of a phenomenon called cross adaptation where one compound binds to its receptor and to the one for the bad odor blocking the effect of the nasty smelling compound(s). They also add certain undisclosed chemicals to reduce the effect of ammonia and sulfur containing compounds.

This process would be a boon for those of us who live with horse lovers. You see, horse lovers can’t smell the manure while the rest of the human race aware of its contribution to the atmosphere. This development could put us all on equal footing.

The Danger of Grapefruit and what is a natural food?

In the past I have been a member of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry but have let my membership lapse. However, they keep sending me interesting items over the internet including a presentation on drug interactions caused by activity modifications of P450 cytochrome enzymes. These enzymes function to help remove chemicals that could be harmful to the body by oxidizing them. We have a number of these enzymes with somewhat different specificities and considerable genetic variation. Certain compounds can increase or decrease the activity of these enzymes and cause problems in drug therapy. The dose of a drug is selected based on the “normal” levels of activity of the P450 enzymes. If the activity of these enzymes are altered, then there could be more of less of the drug available resulting toxicity due to high levels or under treatment due to low levels.

This phenomenon is one of the reasons that doctors continually as you what drugs you are taking. It turns out that there are flavonoids in grapefruit juice that can down regulate the cytochrome P450 3A4 causing certain drug concentrations to be elevated to the point of toxicity. Lipitor is one such drug.

Today at breakfast a friend said that his doctor told him that since he took Lipitor before going to bed that the effect of drinking grapefruit juice in the morning would not be problematic as the Lipitor levels would be low at that time anyway. This suggestion sound reasonable but one should check with one’s physician before following this advice. I don’t like the stuff anyway so avoiding it is fine with me. However, other “natural foods” also have compounds that can affect this system so one should be careful. From the genetic point of view, there is very little even in a natural foods store that is natural. Growers have engineered most foods we eat through selection over the centuries so that our foodstuffs are some distance from their “natural” origins.

http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/grapefruit-interactions-what-is-present-in-grapefruit.htm

http://gcrc.med.unc.edu/investigators/diet/diet_cyp450.html

Glycemic index, load, insulin and cauliflower

While in Florida I enjoyed a cauliflower replacement for mashed potatoes at a posh restaurant and cauliflower soup made at home by my sister in law. The idea is that cauliflower has a lower glycemic index (glycemic index of 0) than mashed potatoes (glycemic index of 92) ( http://www.carbs-information.com/glycemic-index-vegetables/cauliflower-gi.htm ) and will help you live longer by not threatening your insulin system. Fortunately the smell of the vegetable doesn’t carry over to the entrée but a texture is produced that is similar to dastardly root vegetable. The recipe contains a little flower, some milk (glycemic index of 27) and yogurt (glycemic index of 36). Cauliflower is obviously the best but the other ingredients are not too bad, especially when compared to potatoes. There is another index called glycemic load which corrects for the actual amount of an ingredient in the dish. Glycemic index is a way to compare foods while glycemic load is a way to compare foods adjusted for serving size. That is, if you use a pinch of potatoes in a lot of milk the glycemic load of the dish will more closely resemble that of milk and not that of potatoes. Keep that insulin in control. I probably should calculate the glycemic load of the nachos I ate in Florida but that would be too depressing.

A recipe for cauliflower soup stolen from somewhere on the web is listed below:
INGREDIENTS:
1 large cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed
chopped parsley for garnish
Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION:
Trim cauliflower; cover with water and steam until very tender. While cauliflower is steaming, sauté onion in the butter until softened. Add flour to butter and onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring to blend flour into butter.

Slowly add 3 cups of milk, the sour cream or yogurt, and stir or whisk until thickened. Drain cauliflower and blend in a food processor until smooth. If desired, process the milk mixture for a smoother texture. Add pureed cauliflower to thickened milk mixture and stir well. Heat through. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese.

The Genographic Project, National Geographic

My sample of cheek scrapings is on its way to the laboratory. I plunked down $100 to participate in this analysis of human migration (https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html ). This web site is excellent providing the ability to track the path of specific markers. I am sure that I will spend a lot of time here when my mitochondrial and Y chromosome markers are revealed.

A few days after signing up on the web a nice box arrived with the sampling equipment (swabs and tubes), instructions and an excellent DVD. The DVD provided a video of the sampling process and an excellent movie of what has recently been accomplished in studying human migration by analyzing mitochondrial and Y chromosome markers from people around the world. The purpose of this program is to extend those studies. My contribution will provide me with information on the location of my ancestors and provide some help for the extension of the program to others around the world who probably are much more interesting to the population genetics than my humble sample.

I recommend that all sign up and help out.

The cold Northeast and quantum weirdness

We are back in the cool of the Northeast. The weather is about the same as when we left with the sky bright and sunny. A friend who almost killed me twice is now retired and a science enthusiast as I. He sends out regular Emails on topics of interest including the latest on:

January 6, 2006

SCIENCE JOURNAL
By SHARON BEGLEY

The Magical BehaviorOf Subatomic ParticlesMoves Into Real WorldJanuary 6, 2006; Page A9


This includes yet another example of quantum weirdness where reality only happens when something is observed. Initially such strange things were observed only on subatomic particles. Now larger structures including aggregates of up to 100,000 atoms show the same strange behavior.

The following link: www.nist.gov/public_affairs/images/NIST_CatStates_embed.html1 is a government site that includes a Quick Time graphic of five atoms rotating both clockwise and counter clockwise at the same time. One atom is looked at with a photon and all five now only turn in one direction. So when the photon looked at one atom, it’s wave function collapsed into one direction of rotation not both ways at once and the other four that were not probed did the same thing.

What is really real?

Leaving the warm condo behind

This picture is of the codo that was our home for two warm and sun filled weeks over Christmas. Now we are washing clothes, mucking stalls and cleaning the house. The contrast makes the time in Florida seem even better.

Return to the cold, Brian Green and string theory

1-5-2006 After a breakfast of some health food cereal and several cups of coffee we went for a final swim including a dunk in the ocean. It was cool at about 70 degrees F but not body numbing. However, some type of small seaweed had floated in that hid just under the surface of the water and made one feel that sea creatures were crawling up one’s legs. I left the water. After the swim in the ocean, the pool and the Jacuzzi we returned to complete our packing. Hopefully we haven’t left Vesta too much of our stuff. The trip to the airport went without a hitch and I am continuing to read “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Green. It is another book on quantum mechanics and cosmology. After reading so many books on the subject one would think that I would finally get it. I haven’t. However, several of Green’s analogies have provided a greater depth of understanding assuming that the stuff is right in the first place

Mom leaving Naples and aquasize

1-4-2006 Mom left for Cleveland using an airport wheelchair to get aid in negotiating the complexities of the airport.. A call in the Evening assured us that all was well. She even got a turkey sandwich on the flight and was home in time for the Rose Bowl. On our return from the airport we had a light lunch at Tin City which allowed a view of the water traffic. This was the same location used for the earlier fishing trip from hell. Another group of hopeful fishermen were leaving as we arrived for lunch. Hopefully, the will have greater success than our crew. Upon returning to the condo we did an hour of aquasize in the west pool. Me and a bunch of old rich women. Before supper I walked a couple of miles on Gulf Shore Blvd. N. to Maxwell’s for a martini. I find that a halfway martini improves one’s composure for the return trip.

The everglades are new

1-3-2006 In the morning there was an early swim before my wife’s brother, sister in law and boy and girl munchkins took off for the airport. In the afternoon we took an electric boat ride at the nature conservancy hearing about the history of the everglades and the delicacy of the current ecosystem. Interesting points included that at this latitude most of the world is desert and that the current ecosystem in southern Florida is rather new only having existed since the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. At the conservancy is a wood carver of exceptional ability. He has an open workshop so one can watch him carve away. A friend brought over some excellent lasagna for supper. I walked about four miles up to the Venetian Village and back. The evening was warm with a gentile breeze as I walked between the mountainous condominiums. Although it was far from natural; it was beautiful.

lets drown uncle carl

1-2-3006 Another day of swimming with my nice and nephew who again focused on the “lets drown our uncle” game. This game alternated from the cold Gulf to the warm pool. Fortunately, their quest for my demise was not successful. We made queso asado dip composed of chariso sassuage and melted cheese which was washed down with margaritas. Chicken seasoned with garlic and chili powder were grilled in the pool and Jacuzzi area again with garlic and chili powder.

Edison's home and nachos

1-1-2006 We got up by 8:30, made coffee but had some trouble finding the filters that seemed to be in a location that had nothing to do with coffee utensils or supplies. Wendy was up first, then me, then mom, then Vesta, Sola, and Ben with Tim and Nancy the last to arise. After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage, we eventually got the whole group together and headed up North to Ft. Meyers and the Edison museum. The operators had done a lot of renovation as termites were destroying the houses. However, the best part was the laboratory and museum with many interesting exhibits on the great man’s inventions. Many of the rooms had short video clips including an A&E show on Edison. On the way back we stopped for lunch/supper at a Mexican restaurant where I O.D’ed on some rather good nachos. I worked some of it off during an evening swim in the pool with the kids. Later in the evening we watched a Modern Marvels marathon on the History channel. The marathon included segments on coffee, distilled spirits and beer. Very interesting.