The pharma/biotech blog world is buzzing about Andrew Grove's rant about the pharma industry. Derek Lowe, at In the Pipeline does an excellent job explaining much that is wrong with Mr. Grove's logic, so I don't see any reason to add my comments. However, I will share one funny moment from my morning read through my inbox: not long after I received a message from a coworker linking to Mr. Grove telling pharma that (among other failings) they don't try to learn from their mistakes, I received another message telling me about the ongoing analysis into the torcetrapib debacle. If this doesn't constitute trying to learn from a mistake, I'm not sure what would.
What I find most sad about the whole thing is that there may well be something the pharma industry could learn from the semiconductor industry, but now we'll never know about it, because Mr. Groves couldn't be bothered to learn how the industry he was critiquing actually works. Heaven knows that the pharma industry could use some bright ideas right now, so it is too bad that this opportunity has been missed.
I got one other interesting tidbit in my inbox today: a link to the BBC writeup on a study that found a gene that determines whether or not breastfeeding will have a positive impact on a child's IQ. Or rather, whether or not NOT breastfeeding will have a negative impact, since really, we evolved to breastfeed. It has long been known that, on average, breastfed babies end up with a slightly higher IQ than formula fed babies. (I want to emphasize the "on average" bit- the differences aren't huge and I'm sure that there are plenty of very smart people who were fed formula as babies.) Now the FADS2 gene has been identified as determining whether or not the breastfeeding choice impacts IQ. The FADS2 protein is involved in metabolizing fatty acids. It was previously known that certain fatty acids are important to brain development, and their presence in breast milk has been hypothesized to be the reason that breastfeeding is linked to higher IQ.
All in all, this is a nice, neat story. Since 90% of the population have the allele that apparently makes the baby susceptible to an IQ boost from breastmilk, it doesn't change the standard advice that "breast is best". There are a heap of other benefits to mom and baby in addition to this one, too- ranging from fewer ear infections for the baby to faster weight loss for the mom.
So why don't all mothers breastfeed? I think it is because breastfeeding is surprisingly hard for the first time mom. The baby knows how to suck, but not necessarily how to feed, and the mom doesn't really have a clue how to help. You're worn out from delivery, suddenly sleep-deprived, on a wild hormone ride that makes you cry for no apparent reason, and now you can't even feed your baby. You thought breastfeeding would come naturally, and the people around you just want you to feed that baby so it will stop crying. All of this makes it easy to give up on breastfeeding. This is a shame, because once you get through the hard bit at the beginning, breastfeeding is a wonderful experience. Not only is it good for you and the baby, but it feels good, too. My advice to new moms is: don't be discouraged that it is harder than you thought it would be. It is no reflection on you as a mother, and doesn't mean you don't have enough milk or "can't" breastfeed. Almost all women can breastfeed- afterall, that is what breasts are actually designed to do. Get help from a lactation specialist, the La Leche League, or a support group (most hospitals seem to run these now). Don't miss out on this opportunity.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
Hello, World (take two)
It has been far too long since I've posted. What happened? I got pregnant, had a baby.... Pumpkin is 7 months old now, and I have finally started to find time for things not directly related to either the baby or work.
I have been experiencing strong urges to blog, but not about our "big trip" (maybe I'll get back to that later). I've been reading a lot of science blogs (from friends and strangers) and occasionally think I should write something about science. But mostly, I've been wanting to write about the wild ride that is working Momhood. I've had some specific questions come up, and have turned to the web to find answers. Instead, I've found whining, hateful rants from the "child-free" (don't call them "childless"- more on that in a later post), and Pollyanna-type articles with no useful information at all about anything a Mom working in the real world might care about. I've also found some useful info, but it has been overwhelmed by the cruft. So, in the sort of act of supreme egotism that the blogosphere makes possible, I've decided to fill the void.
However, I've also decided that a "theme blog" just won't work for me. I am too opinionated on too many topics to limit myself to travel stories or posts about expressing breastmilk in weird places. So rather than start a new blog, I've decided to repurpose this one, and use the label feature to help anyone who might read the blog find the sorts of posts that are interesting to them. I'm also going to abandon my Zenbits blog, and post my little tidbits of Zen here, once a week. Hey, it is my blog. I can do whatever I want.
I have been experiencing strong urges to blog, but not about our "big trip" (maybe I'll get back to that later). I've been reading a lot of science blogs (from friends and strangers) and occasionally think I should write something about science. But mostly, I've been wanting to write about the wild ride that is working Momhood. I've had some specific questions come up, and have turned to the web to find answers. Instead, I've found whining, hateful rants from the "child-free" (don't call them "childless"- more on that in a later post), and Pollyanna-type articles with no useful information at all about anything a Mom working in the real world might care about. I've also found some useful info, but it has been overwhelmed by the cruft. So, in the sort of act of supreme egotism that the blogosphere makes possible, I've decided to fill the void.
However, I've also decided that a "theme blog" just won't work for me. I am too opinionated on too many topics to limit myself to travel stories or posts about expressing breastmilk in weird places. So rather than start a new blog, I've decided to repurpose this one, and use the label feature to help anyone who might read the blog find the sorts of posts that are interesting to them. I'm also going to abandon my Zenbits blog, and post my little tidbits of Zen here, once a week. Hey, it is my blog. I can do whatever I want.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Aussie Road Trip: Koala Patting
Australia's unique animals are a big draw for a Northern hemisphere native. Apparently, this attraction is not as strong for people from Southern hemisphere island nations where the only native species are birds. My Kiwi Hubby enjoyed the stranger marsupials at the Sydney zoo, but rolled his eyes whenever I expressed my desire to visit the Billabong Koala Park on our way north from Sydney. The guidebook said that they would let you pat a koala, and once I read that, I knew we had to visit.
Koalas are a big deal in the U.S. It was national news when the San Diego Zoo got its first bunch of koalas, and the koala exhibit still draws sizable crowds despite the fact the star attractions are usually asleep. The koalas we saw at the Sydney zoo seemed more active than the ones I was used to back home. Several were noticeably awake, and one was even swinging from a tree branch. This just whetted my appetite for a closer encounter with a koala. Hubby tried to disuade me by telling me that koalas are drugged out, stupid creatures that eat their own poop. All of this is true, but they are also cute and furry. I was adamant- we were going to the Billabong Koala Park.
We stopped in on the second day of our Aussie Road Trip. We bought wallaby food and chased futily after decidedly non-hungry wallabies, trying to get them to eat from our hands. It was already mid-afternoon, and the wallabies had clearly had enough of their food by this point in the day. I finally got a wallaby with a joey still in her pouch to eat a little bit from me, which was cool. The main attraction was yet to come, though. At the appointed time, we gathered at the koala enclosure with the other tourists. One of the keepers gathered a koala into his arms, and while she dozed/stared vacantly into space, we all lined up to have a pat.
Koalas are surprisingly fuzzy. I am not sure that this is the best way for a koala to live her life, but it was certainly a great experience for me- I pick it as one of the highlights of our trip. Hubby just rolls his eyes when I say that and reiterates his objections to the koala's eating habits. This from a man whose favorite North American animal (the squirrel) habitually eats out of garbage cans.
Koalas are a big deal in the U.S. It was national news when the San Diego Zoo got its first bunch of koalas, and the koala exhibit still draws sizable crowds despite the fact the star attractions are usually asleep. The koalas we saw at the Sydney zoo seemed more active than the ones I was used to back home. Several were noticeably awake, and one was even swinging from a tree branch. This just whetted my appetite for a closer encounter with a koala. Hubby tried to disuade me by telling me that koalas are drugged out, stupid creatures that eat their own poop. All of this is true, but they are also cute and furry. I was adamant- we were going to the Billabong Koala Park.We stopped in on the second day of our Aussie Road Trip. We bought wallaby food and chased futily after decidedly non-hungry wallabies, trying to get them to eat from our hands. It was already mid-afternoon, and the wallabies had clearly had enough of their food by this point in the day. I finally got a wallaby with a joey still in her pouch to eat a little bit from me, which was cool. The main attraction was yet to come, though. At the appointed time, we gathered at the koala enclosure with the other tourists. One of the keepers gathered a koala into his arms, and while she dozed/stared vacantly into space, we all lined up to have a pat.
Koalas are surprisingly fuzzy. I am not sure that this is the best way for a koala to live her life, but it was certainly a great experience for me- I pick it as one of the highlights of our trip. Hubby just rolls his eyes when I say that and reiterates his objections to the koala's eating habits. This from a man whose favorite North American animal (the squirrel) habitually eats out of garbage cans.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Trip Story: Sydney
Sydney is one of those cities that you can tell is very nice to live in, but where the touristy things to do aren't necessarily very obvious. It reminds me a bit of San Diego (my current home town) in that respect, and once I started thinking about this, I was struck by the similarities. Both have great beaches and famous zoos. Both also have nearby mountains for hiking and weekend getaways, although I think Sydney's Blue Mountains seem a bit further away than San Diego's Cuayamacas.
Perhaps the touristy things to do didn't seem so obvious because we didn't try to pack that much touristing in during our visit to Sydney. We were staying with Hubby's sister and her boyfriend, and visiting time was obviously a priority. We did see and do some cool things, though. We visited the aforementioned Taronga Zoo and admired the marsupials we had never heard of. The zoo has an impressive collection of marsupials, and even the koalas were up and about when we visited. I liked the bilby the best. It looks a bit like a mutant rabbit, with medium-sized ears that poke out of its head at an awkward angle and legs that are just a little bit too short. It is one of those animals that is so ugly it is cute.
We also spent a night out in the Blue Mountains, where I discovered that Aussies are almost as crazy as Kiwis about hiking up and down things. We stayed in Katoomba, and decided to take a hike down to view the Katoomba Falls. The falls were impressive, as were the 900 or so stairs we had to climb down and then back up (because we missed the last running of the incline railroad that would have taken us back up the hill). It is a measure of how beautiful the area is that I thought the hike was worth it, was still speaking to Hubby at the end of it, and even consented to walk out to see the sunset on the Three Sisters after a rest in the hotel. The Three Sisters are an impressive set of rock outcroppings. They looked amazing in the late light.
Two of the coolest things we did in Sydney involved alcohol, which is perhaps not surprising given the Aussie reputation for enjoying their drink. After our visit to the zoo, we met our hosts at the Opera Bar for drinks. The drinks were overpriced and w
e were warned off the food altogether, but it has a cool outdoor seating area, and you can't beat the view: the Opera House was in front of us and the Harbour Bridge was behind us. It was a glorious, warm, sunny day, and all seemed right with the world, or at least our little corner of it. The next day, we took a pub tour of the historic Rocks section of Sydney. We weren't sure how good this would be when we signed up, but we figured that at least it would involve a few beers, so it couldn't be all bad. It turned out to be great. We had a an excellent guide, who made up for his non-Aussieness (he was Canadian) by knowing lots of really interesting stories about early Sydney and the history of the buildings we visited. We learned about how unsuspecting sailors would get jumped, clobbered with socks full of sand (so that the incriminating evidence could be poured away), and robbed in the alleys, and about how the marks on the large stone blocks that make up so many of the buildings in the area were put there by the convicts who carved the blocks out of stone, to allow the wardens to see if they were making their quotas.
All in all, we really enjoyed our time in Sydney, and I was a bit sad to leave. I was also anxious to see some more of Australia, though, so we loaded up our little rental car, and headed north.
Perhaps the touristy things to do didn't seem so obvious because we didn't try to pack that much touristing in during our visit to Sydney. We were staying with Hubby's sister and her boyfriend, and visiting time was obviously a priority. We did see and do some cool things, though. We visited the aforementioned Taronga Zoo and admired the marsupials we had never heard of. The zoo has an impressive collection of marsupials, and even the koalas were up and about when we visited. I liked the bilby the best. It looks a bit like a mutant rabbit, with medium-sized ears that poke out of its head at an awkward angle and legs that are just a little bit too short. It is one of those animals that is so ugly it is cute.
We also spent a night out in the Blue Mountains, where I discovered that Aussies are almost as crazy as Kiwis about hiking up and down things. We stayed in Katoomba, and decided to take a hike down to view the Katoomba Falls. The falls were impressive, as were the 900 or so stairs we had to climb down and then back up (because we missed the last running of the incline railroad that would have taken us back up the hill). It is a measure of how beautiful the area is that I thought the hike was worth it, was still speaking to Hubby at the end of it, and even consented to walk out to see the sunset on the Three Sisters after a rest in the hotel. The Three Sisters are an impressive set of rock outcroppings. They looked amazing in the late light.Two of the coolest things we did in Sydney involved alcohol, which is perhaps not surprising given the Aussie reputation for enjoying their drink. After our visit to the zoo, we met our hosts at the Opera Bar for drinks. The drinks were overpriced and w
e were warned off the food altogether, but it has a cool outdoor seating area, and you can't beat the view: the Opera House was in front of us and the Harbour Bridge was behind us. It was a glorious, warm, sunny day, and all seemed right with the world, or at least our little corner of it. The next day, we took a pub tour of the historic Rocks section of Sydney. We weren't sure how good this would be when we signed up, but we figured that at least it would involve a few beers, so it couldn't be all bad. It turned out to be great. We had a an excellent guide, who made up for his non-Aussieness (he was Canadian) by knowing lots of really interesting stories about early Sydney and the history of the buildings we visited. We learned about how unsuspecting sailors would get jumped, clobbered with socks full of sand (so that the incriminating evidence could be poured away), and robbed in the alleys, and about how the marks on the large stone blocks that make up so many of the buildings in the area were put there by the convicts who carved the blocks out of stone, to allow the wardens to see if they were making their quotas.All in all, we really enjoyed our time in Sydney, and I was a bit sad to leave. I was also anxious to see some more of Australia, though, so we loaded up our little rental car, and headed north.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Pests
I knew before we left on the trip that I would suffer from mosquito bites anytime we were in a locale in which these creatures are endemic. I am, for some reason, irresistible to mosquitos, so much so that they will ignore my mosquito repellant-free husband and find the one spot on my exposed skin that I failed to slather with DEET. I don't even bother bringing mosquito repellant from home when we travel- the 15% DEET I can buy in the U.S. is too wimpy. I wait until I can buy something that is at least 20%, and preferably 30% DEET. So what if it melts plastic and those fancy modern fabrics? It keeps the mosquitos away.
When I get bitten by a mosquito, I don't just get a little red bump. It starts out small, but soon swells to the size of a nickel, or even a quarter. Then it slowly fades, passing through a mottled spot phase that is so ugly that I often feel compelled to cover it with a band-aid, lest passers-by think I am afflicted with a strange, potentially contagious skin disorder. Some bites even leave lasting darks spots, that fade only over the course of months or years. It is now almost November, and I still have a couple dark spots from the bites I got in Malaysia in February. Despite my best efforts with DEET, I have been bitten in every place I have ever visited in which mosquitoes are common, except Cambodia. I found my lack of mosquito bites in Cambodia amusing, since this was the one leg of our big trip that was to a location considered malarial, and we had to take Malarone while we were in the country, and for several days before and after. Maybe Malarone changes how I smell, and makes me less attractive to mosquitoes. Or maybe the government of Cambodia has run a successful mosquito-eradication campaign around Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat, Regardless of the reason, I certainly wasn't complaining about the lack of bites. For one thing, Cambodia also has dengue fever, and there is no prophylactic or treatment for that. You just have to suffer through the disease that is called "break-bone fever" in some places.
Given my known mosquito-drawing nature, it was no surprise that I found mosquitos to be the most annoying pests on our trip. I may even have complained about my bites enough to cause my husband to share that sentiment. I expected the strange and disturbingly large creepy-crawlies of Malaysia and Thailand to be the second most annoying pests. I was wrong. The only large and freaky bugs we saw in Malaysia were in cages or other controlled environments. The only annoying bug in Thailand was a large cockroach who refused to stay in our bathroom and away from our sleeping quarters in the little hut we had on Ko Ngai. This ruined my sleep while I was there, and, not wanted to suffer alone, I duly ruined my husband's sleep. Don't feel sorry for him. He could have killed the thing and made us both happy. He apparently missed the bit of the wedding vows where he promised to squash large bugs for me and insisted on trying to reason with me about how harmless the cockroach was and how it was more scared of me than I was of it. I thought that if it was so scared, it should leave my room. It probably thought the same about me. I was paying for the privilege of being there, so I decided to stay put. Besides, there were probably cockroaches outside, too.
The second most annoying pest of the trip was not in the tropical climes at all. It was in Australia, in both Canberra and Sydney. Anyone who has spent any time in these cities can probably guess the identity of the mystery bug. It is the common fly. The Aussie flies are the most annoying fly I have ever encountered. They are incredibly persistent and unafraid of harm from humans. They will land on you while you are moving. You can swat one away, literally making contact with it as you push it aside, only to have it turn around and fly right back at your face. They are also disturbingly numerous. Whereas you might encounter one or two flies on a stroll here in San Diego, you will probably encounter one or two hundred on a similar stroll in Canberra. I do not think I exaggerate, and if I do, it is only because the flies that I did encounter insisted on accompanying me for my entire stay outdoors. They follow you whenever you go outdoors. I was constantly surprised that there wasn't a little black cloud around my husband (in a nice change from the mosquito case, these flies preferred him to me) . Ten minutes outdoors in Canberra was enough to make me understand why the stereotypical Aussie outback hat (as worn by the philosopher Bruces in the Monty Python sketch) has corks tied to it. The corks would keep the flies away, and really, looking a little silly is a small price to pay for relief from these pests.
When I get bitten by a mosquito, I don't just get a little red bump. It starts out small, but soon swells to the size of a nickel, or even a quarter. Then it slowly fades, passing through a mottled spot phase that is so ugly that I often feel compelled to cover it with a band-aid, lest passers-by think I am afflicted with a strange, potentially contagious skin disorder. Some bites even leave lasting darks spots, that fade only over the course of months or years. It is now almost November, and I still have a couple dark spots from the bites I got in Malaysia in February. Despite my best efforts with DEET, I have been bitten in every place I have ever visited in which mosquitoes are common, except Cambodia. I found my lack of mosquito bites in Cambodia amusing, since this was the one leg of our big trip that was to a location considered malarial, and we had to take Malarone while we were in the country, and for several days before and after. Maybe Malarone changes how I smell, and makes me less attractive to mosquitoes. Or maybe the government of Cambodia has run a successful mosquito-eradication campaign around Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat, Regardless of the reason, I certainly wasn't complaining about the lack of bites. For one thing, Cambodia also has dengue fever, and there is no prophylactic or treatment for that. You just have to suffer through the disease that is called "break-bone fever" in some places.
Given my known mosquito-drawing nature, it was no surprise that I found mosquitos to be the most annoying pests on our trip. I may even have complained about my bites enough to cause my husband to share that sentiment. I expected the strange and disturbingly large creepy-crawlies of Malaysia and Thailand to be the second most annoying pests. I was wrong. The only large and freaky bugs we saw in Malaysia were in cages or other controlled environments. The only annoying bug in Thailand was a large cockroach who refused to stay in our bathroom and away from our sleeping quarters in the little hut we had on Ko Ngai. This ruined my sleep while I was there, and, not wanted to suffer alone, I duly ruined my husband's sleep. Don't feel sorry for him. He could have killed the thing and made us both happy. He apparently missed the bit of the wedding vows where he promised to squash large bugs for me and insisted on trying to reason with me about how harmless the cockroach was and how it was more scared of me than I was of it. I thought that if it was so scared, it should leave my room. It probably thought the same about me. I was paying for the privilege of being there, so I decided to stay put. Besides, there were probably cockroaches outside, too.
The second most annoying pest of the trip was not in the tropical climes at all. It was in Australia, in both Canberra and Sydney. Anyone who has spent any time in these cities can probably guess the identity of the mystery bug. It is the common fly. The Aussie flies are the most annoying fly I have ever encountered. They are incredibly persistent and unafraid of harm from humans. They will land on you while you are moving. You can swat one away, literally making contact with it as you push it aside, only to have it turn around and fly right back at your face. They are also disturbingly numerous. Whereas you might encounter one or two flies on a stroll here in San Diego, you will probably encounter one or two hundred on a similar stroll in Canberra. I do not think I exaggerate, and if I do, it is only because the flies that I did encounter insisted on accompanying me for my entire stay outdoors. They follow you whenever you go outdoors. I was constantly surprised that there wasn't a little black cloud around my husband (in a nice change from the mosquito case, these flies preferred him to me) . Ten minutes outdoors in Canberra was enough to make me understand why the stereotypical Aussie outback hat (as worn by the philosopher Bruces in the Monty Python sketch) has corks tied to it. The corks would keep the flies away, and really, looking a little silly is a small price to pay for relief from these pests.
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