Finally caught up with Mugglecast episode 222!

Highlights of this post:

o    Harry Potter and The Biggest Loser made me cry this week. 

o    I hope that my letter to Mugglecast will be featured in the Chicken Noodle Soup section of the podcast.

o   As either Dictator for Life (Xazmin) or First Tiger Hobbes*, EVERYONE will be required to use general scientific words in their vernacular because by golly I dislike having to reduce the meaning of my research further.

o I apologize to Gonzaga, whom I eliminated in the first round. Words cannot express my regret... especially since I forayed into the gambling world with this year’s tourney.

To follow up with content from my first post, I was hesitant to maintain a blog because I thought the events of my life were too simple. I perform science research, read for fun, eat string cheese and goldfish crackers when hungry, and sleep in my Gryffindor color themed bedroom. However, as this blog will reveal, the crux of my adventures begins with just a few simple thoughts...

Last Sunday, I snuggled into my maroon and gold bed sheets and began to read the last six chapters of the Deathly Hallows (DH). Keep in mind that I have only read DH thrice since it was released in the summer of 2007. Regardless of my limited reads, the six books that precede DH have been read plentifully. The magical world of HP is intensely alive in my imagination. Consequently, I have spent far more time than the average muggle debating the virtues of particular characters in the series. I have loved every minute of the volatile discussions regarding Dumbledore’s grand plan, Voldemort’s calculated moves, and Severus’s allegiance. I state this because the emotion associated with all of the memories I have had regarding the series climaxed to an epic finale. I cried as though it was my first time reading the book. I cried despite knowing the outcome. I cried despite laughing at my emotional reaction. Eventually, the tears and laughs gave way to a crazed smile as I wondered at my experience. I happily concluded that graduate school has not tempered my imagination; instead it is robust as ever and primed to be entertained. Weirdly enough, The Biggest Loser has recently assumed that role. I enjoy the show because it requires persistent individual effort. The work is physical. It is mental. It is emotional. Of course the show is also a business, hence it is tricks-y. I will elaborate on this point in the future when I am a wreck because Moses Kinikini was eliminated (or he won).

Returning to HP things, I want to mention my second [mental] escapade this spring break. I have been a dedicated fan of the podcast, Mugglecast since 2007. I fell out of tempo with the episodes momentarily (i.e. graduate school happened). This week, I downloaded elapsed episodes for my listening pleasure. It did not fail to make me laugh. Two episodes in, I desired to put my happy feelings into action. Using my mugglenet ID, I will submit a letter to the hosts of Mugglecast. I want them to know that if Peter Pan were to put me on the spot and demand a happy thought, it would be listening to Mugglecast! I think there is a great chance my letter would be featured in the Chicken Noodle Soup section of the podcast. The essence of the letter will be about a scientist who works late in the lab. This scientist will credit listening to Mugglecast as being one reason why she has not yet turned into an evil mad scientist. I am tickled with the idea. 

With respect to my third highlight from above, the statement stands alone. I had to write about my research goals concerning the dual function of the pro-death protein Noxa. It was a challenge that surely should put me on equal footing with Dumbledore. After such a feat, I would not hesitate writing after my name, Order of Merlin First Class. Forthcoming history books will begin, "In the morning of Thursday, March 17th, 2011, a very frustrated future Dictator For Life announced that her first edict would be for ALL to understand key science words. This includes creatures from Earth and aliens from the expanding universe." And so I will begin by introducing a super easy word: proliferate, which means to increase in number rapidly. 

Science sentence: Stable Noxa expression is common to proliferating thymocytes and leukemias. 

Non-science sentence: Sauron’s armies proliferated with the support of his puppet Saruman.

Last highlight, March madness has arrived! Oh boy, do I love this season. My bracket this year was determined mainly by my emotional regard for a team. The only time I doubted myself was with 11th- seeded Gonzaga and 6th-seeded St. John’s. I had NEVER eliminated the Zags in the first round until this year. I allowed my logic to play a little too much into that match-up. St. John’s was my January “team of the month”. They beat Duke after playing a handful of other ranked teams. I thought they were battle-tested and battle-worthy. Alas, they were not Thursday night. I'm happy that they continue, but sad that I let my logic rule my gut-feeling...at least this time. And for the one person who will be disappointed that I put money on my bracket. It was a whopping $5 with Arizona coming out victorious. :-)

*One of my nicknames as a kid was ‘hobbie’, which evolved to ‘hobbie-schnobbie’, then hobbes, and now back to hobbie-schnobbie (we have to be blood-related for you to get away with that)