papabear’s blog

Americans Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine Monday for discovering a way to turn off the effect of specific genes. According to a news release issued by the Karolinska Institute, Mello and Fire were honored for discovering “a fundamental mechanism for controlling the flow of genetic information.

In 1998, the American scientists Andrew Fire and Craig Mello published their discovery of a mechanism that can degrade mRNA from a specific gene. This mechanism, RNA interference, is activated when RNA molecules occur as double-stranded pairs in the cell. Double-stranded RNA activates biochemical machinery which degrades those mRNA molecules that carry a genetic code identical to that of the double-stranded RNA. When such mRNA molecules disappear, the corresponding gene is silenced and no protein of the encoded type is made.

“RNA interference” is already being widely used in basic science as a method to study the function of genes and it is being studied as a treatment for virus infections, heart diseases, cancer and several other conditions.

Fire, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mello, of Harvard University, published their seminal work in 1998.

This is absolutely brilliant news, and well deserved by these two superb scientists. Their findings make a big contribution to scientific research. Big implications for cancer research already made possible by their stunning discoveries.

Went to see the show room of a high class condo today. Beautiful decor, large size (about 3500-4000 square feet), and gorgeous finishings. Wow!

Thought I would look into one for investment/retiremnet use in the far future, but this particular one is sooo high class, I think I would give it a skip. I heard Jimmy Choo bought a couple of units here.

The news media is going gah-gah over Anousheh Ansari's, America's first woman space tourist, return to earth after her news-making tour to outer space on board a Russian space flight. Her "tour" included a stay at an international space station. Incredible.

She reputedly spent over $20 million for her trip to space. The ultimate holiday of a lifetime?

Naw... I don't think that's a trip for me, even if I had that kind of money. There are enough things and places to see on this earth that I could travel a lifetime to see -- and still not complete the journey. Space is not a destination for me.

If you had that kind of money to blow, would you spend it on a trip like this?

I think that I should have to get Woodward's new book, State of Denial. The book seems make some interesting comments the conduct of the war in Iraq, and on the Bush administration.

According to the analysis of the book by New York Times, Woodward paints a portrait of "President Bush as a passive, impatient, sophomoric and intellectually incurious leader, presiding over a grossly dysfunctional war cabinet and given to an almost religious certainty that makes him disinclined to rethink or reevaluate decisions he has made about the war." This appears to be in contrast with his previous portrayals of the president as being capable and in charge of the administration in his preceding two books.

I wonder why?

The NYT appears to suggest, too, that Woodward is writing in a more personal vein, a more critical voice than formerly, trying to make up for what was a previously an erroneous analysis of the White House.

NYT wrote, "As this new book’s title indicates, Mr. Woodward now sees Mr. Bush as a president who lives in a state of willful denial about the worsening situation in Iraq, a president who insists he won’t withdraw troops, even “if Laura and Barney are the only ones who support me.” (Barney is Mr. Bush’s Scottish terrier.) Mr. Woodward draws an equally scathing portrait of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who comes off as a bully and control freak who is reluctant to assume responsibility for his department’s failures, and who has surrounded himself with yes men and created a system that bleached out 'strong, forceful military advice.' "

Sounds interesting. I will have to read the book and make up my mind up for myself.

Got a call from an old friend with whom I had lost contact for over thiry years His daughter's getting married, so would I come? Of course, I would.

"It's a week day, on a Tuesday; would that be alright?"

"Er... No, actually that's not so good a day, cos' it's normally a day when I have a very busy schedule at work."

"So, the alternative is, you come for the prenuptuals (that's some rituals and ceremonies perfomed at the bride's house before the actual wedding ceremony and reception). Of course, the wedding reception would be nicer, and the hotel where it is going to be held is much grander."

I was going to have to rearrange my schedule for the Tuesdays anyway so that I could attent the wedding reception. I couldn't let my friend down. Besides, the reception is where other old friends would be present, so we could meet up.

"No, old friend, I am definitely going to your daughter's wedding reception. I will rearrange my schedule on that day so that I can appear at that reception."

He sounded pleased. So I will get there, by hook or by crook.

I find that some people don't know the difference between a nice boss who lets them have a say and listens to them, and one of their own stooges/friends.

I think that as a boss, I deserve a degree of deference even if I do allow my workers to talk to me; I allow them to disagree with me, but they have to realise that finally, the buck ends with me. So I make the final decisions, and what I say goes.

And when they talk to me, they have to show me respect -- AND some deference to me.

Sometimes these people forget the pecking order, and they try to teach me what to do or say. Sometimes rather rudely, or condescending way. They think that they can say whatever they want and even criticise me in front of other, just because in the past I've listened to their opnions and gave credit where credit was due. I'd even admit and apologise when I did something wrong.

But showing me up, especially disdainfully? That's going over the top, I think.

So today, one of them crossed the line and I told her off in front of all the others in my office. Normally, I always take them aside if I have to discipline them, but this time I wanted to broadcast a lesson to them all.

I told them all not to forget who's boss. And to mind what they say, especially in front of clients and other people.

While this does not change my policy of being an open, friendly and approachable boss, one who allows others to speak their mind, I do expect a modicum of respect and deference from my workers under the right circumstances.

They have to toe the line, and they must not cross the line that I draw. To do so means they have gone too far. Cross the line, and it means DEATH!!

I gave enough warning, I think

Wife and I went for our weekly dancing lessons again today. And good exercise it was. We learned the jive today -- actually we have been practicing it for quite a few weeks now and there's still quite a few moves left to learn -- and it certainly was lively.

Our dancing instructor is an old man, but boy does he love to dance. He gives hourly, individual lessons so that he can devote his full attention to his students. We like it this way, and we get to learn properly. I know, learning how to jive is nothin' much, but to us, it is a good pastime, and a good way to spend our evening. Besides, it is a dance that I have always wanted to learn since college. I never had the chance to learn back then cos' I was too busy studying or working. Now that I can afford the lessons, I am making the most of it.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the jiving. Dancing at full speed for an hour was energy consuming. I was sweating hard by the end of the hour. I enjoyed today's session so much that I was reluctant to quit when the next couple turned up for their session, and we had to leave. Oh well. I can look forward to next week's lesson.

Then we went for a pizza, but our favorite pizza shop was closed for renovations. Oh well, so I go for the evening without a heavy meal. Had a salad instead when we got home. That was good, too. At least this should help contribute towards my target loss of one kilo for this week. More about this some other time...

It is remarkable how some things that are said, even if under one's breath, can cause so much harm. We all know how often we mumble something nasty or blurt out something that we feel at the spur of the moment without thinking about it first. How often have we regretted things that we have said without forethought, even if there was no malice intended?

I am not sure whether Cherie Blair had really said those things that a reporter said she overheard during the Labor party conference. But many people seem convinced that she did.

So suppose she did. It was so careless of her. What she said would have caused considerable harm to the Labor party.

The lesson to be learned here is this: Keep your mouth shut. Like the famous cartoon scene in which the mother rabbit said to Bambi's friend, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it."

And it would be apt to remember the Buddhist rule of Right Speech in our every day life.

Wife and I drove 90 miles to check out our second home in the city. It's a condominium in a nicely developed lifestyle enclave. Kinda like an investment. If we can rent it out to a nice family, fine; if we can't, fine too. We can always stay there when we go to the theaters. It's in a nice location.

Cost me a good bundle to buy, but I think that it is a good investment. Now I gotta think of furnishing it. The condo is nicely finished, so I don't have to do much on it. Just have to bring in some furniture, put up some wall paper in the master bedroom, put in the kitchen hob, cooker and oven, fix the lights, and make sure the developer fixes the little defects properly.

The condo people are pretty helpful, and they have a package for doing up the place. Not cheap, but having them do the job for me will really save me a lot of hassle. I suppose one has to pay for what one gets.

Maybe I will just leave the job to them.