Ever wish you had a third arm?

A baby boy in China was born with two well-developed left arms, and doctors are currently deciding how to proceed, in terms of surgery options. You know, I thought this baby would look freaky, but it's actually pretty cute.

via Boing Boing

World Cup fever

The World Cup is coming! Let's put it in perspective: In 2005, 93 million viewers watched the Superbowl. 28 billion viewers are expected to tune in to the 2006 World Cup. The games begin on June 9, with the opening match between host Germany and Costa Rica. Here's the schedule.

To get yourself in the mood, here's some footage of Ronaldhino doing the same tricks as a kid as an adult.

Movie Review: X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Last night, I saw X Men 3. Although I am a huge nerd, I've never been into the comic book thing, except for a brief Archies phase during elementary school. My friend Aimee convinced me to see X-Men 2 when it came out, and I got hooked. I went back and rented the first movie, and enjoyed that one as well, so I have been looking forward to this newest iteration. I don't want to spoil it for any fans who haven't seen it, so I'll keep my commentary brief. It wasn't nearly as good as the second movie (my favorite of the three), and the dialogue suffered from some unimaginative writing (but was not nearly as painful as the recent Star Wars movies), but I still liked it. Highlights included, as always, Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine- seriously, so hott- and Patrick Stewart as Xavier. Of the new characters, I really enjoyed Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast. I think they tried to pack too much in to the movie, and I would have preferred fewer characters with a bit more plot depth.
One question for those of you who have seen it- the boy who is the "cure", what else has he been in? I couldn't figure it out and it was killing me. Also, for fans of the series, stay through the credits for a little treat at the end.

Weekend Report: the BRUUUCE edition

Friday: Went out for drinks, then visited friends to see their new baby and new apartment, and ended up playing drinking games with at a grad school friend's house party (sans Kid and Play).

Saturday: BRUUUUUCE! Lisa, Meg, their dad, and I headed down to Great Woods or Whateverthehellit'scalledthesedays to catch Bruce Springsteen playing with the Seeger Sessions Band. We arrived a couple of hours early for some good old fashioned tailgating, and enjoyed tasty food and beverages as well as the entertaining company of fellow tailgaters. Bruce fans are a devoted bunch: conversation topics included "how many times have you seen Bruce live?" and stories of face-to-face encounters with the man himself. My favorite tale came from a tough-looking guy who was parked to our left: "It was 1984, I was at a gym in Worcester, and there he was in the locker room, combing his hair in the mirror....I introduced myself, and then I watched him walk away, like he was a chick or something." We even had a little sing-a-long session with a couple musicians, and Lisa and I horrified Meg and Mr. Radden by adding our own voices (and borrowed tambourines) to the choir.

I've seen Bruce twice before, once at Fenway with the E Street Band, and once as a solo act during the Devils and Dust tour. This time, he was playing with a 17 piece band that included a banjo, tuba, washboard, and, as always, the luckiest woman in show business, Patty Scialfa. The music consisted of high-energy folk tunes, with elementary school favorites like "Pay me My Money Down" and "Erie Canal". The Boss also gave a touching tribute to New Orleans, performing a powerful version of "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live" as well as "When the Saints Go Marching In."

I had a great time and would recommend catching this tour if it comes to your city- even if you aren't a Bruce fan, I guarantee you'll be converted.
For more reviews, check out what Lisa and the Boston Globe had to say.

Sunday: Enjoyed a pancake breakfast courtesy of Chef Radden, did some errand running and some sunning, and ended up out of the town once again. I joined Lisa, Meg, and Liz for dinner at the Barking Crab, followed by a tour of Southie. Once we discovered that Latin Night at the Seaport did not actually exist, we stopped by Lucky's and caught some Sinatra music, hit the Irish scene at Shenanigan's, and ended up the Playwright, conveniently located right near my apartment.

Monday: I am repenting for my weekend gluttony and am actually at the lab, planning to work for a few hours. Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Look, I'm JFK!

Hmmm...but after I read the caption, I'm not so sure it's a compliment.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Evidence of an overactive imagination (mine)

Whenever I walk into the building where I work and the front desk is vacant, I always peer behind it to make sure that the security guard isn't lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

The Evolution of Dance

Got 5 minutes? Watch this YouTube clip. I especially enjoyed the middle school dance section of the routine.

Bad news for Boston gals

Theo's off the market.

Pearl Jam

Last night, I saw Pearl Jam at the TD BankNorth Garden. When I was younger, I was never much of a Pearl Jam fan. I preferred Nirvana's music, and all of the popular jerkfaces in my high school just looooved Pearl Jam, so that gave them a negative connotation in my mind. Over time, PJ won me over. First, I met a couple of people in college who were big Pearl Jam fans and who weren't assholes. Then, I read a few interviews with Eddie Vedder and liked what he had to say. Next, PJ took on vile Ticketmaster (remember that?) and did some collaboration with Neil Young. So, they grew on me. The show last night was a lot of fun. The only complaint I had was with the sound quality- it was pretty muffled, and you could barely make out the vocals on several songs (good thing everyone in the crowd already knew all of the words). Then again, Pearl Jam always sounds like that. They played three sets and included many of their well known hits, like Alive and Can't Find a Better Man, and did a great job showcasing the guitarist on Evenflow. In honor of Bob Dylan's birthday, they covered Forever Young (not one of my Dylan faves) and Masters of War (that's more like it), and ended the night with Neil Young's Keep on Rockin in the Free World. Eddie Vedder kept talking about how great the crowd in Boston is ("I don't say this in any other city, I swear!") and congratulated the recent college graduates several times (apparently he didn't notice that the majority of the people in the crowd were in their late 20s and early 30s).

Here's the Boston Globe review of the show.

Some observations:
1. My Morning Jacket opened, and although I like their music, I felt sorry for them, as I always do for opening bands at big shows.
2. People still smoke pot in concerts, which I think is hilarious. I mean, in an indoor venue with no smoking, it's so obvious where it's coming from. I'm surpised people have the nerve.
2. For the first time in my life, there was a line out the door of the men's room, and the women's room was EMPTY.

The dark side of the mountain

An outraged Sir Edmund Hillary responds to the recent tragedies on Mt. Everest.

Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary said Wednesday he was shocked that dozens of climbers left a British mountaineer to die during their own attempts on the world's tallest peak.

David Sharp, 34, died apparently of oxygen deficiency while descending from the summit during a solo climb last week.

More than 40 climbers are thought to have seen him as he lay dying, and almost all continued to the summit without offering assistance.

"Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain," Hillary was quoted as saying in an interview with New Zealand Press Association.

40 people saw this guy and NO ONE HELPED HIM? That's awful. Several years ago, I ran the last 20 miles of the Boston Marathon as a training run for the San Diego Marathon. It was the second worst running experience of my life (first worst? let's just say that "runner's runs" isn't a myth). It was a hot day, I started out way too fast, I was completely unprepared for the hills, and I hit the wall HARD. I felt miserable. About 16 miles in, I caught up to a wheelchair racer struggling with an uphill. The guy must have been in pretty bad shape, because the wheelchairs get a head start and we slow runners never even see them. I knew I should offer to push him up the hill to help him out, but did I? No. I honestly felt like I was going to collapse at any minute, and I didn't think I had the excess energy to expend pushing some dude I didn't know. Plus, I was afraid I might offend him by asking him if he needed help. And guess what? I've regretted it ever since. I should have asked. He could have said no if he didn't want the help, but I don't think he would have. So what if it wore me out and I was unable to finish my training run? It was just a training run. Don get me wrong, I don't feel that bad about it. I'm sure the guy ended up finishing, and it's not like he was DYING or anything. But it depresses me to think that 40 people ignored a man in mortal danger because they were so focused on their own personal goal of climbing Mt. Everest.

The wonder of it all

I went to see the Boston Pops last night. The Pops are an orchestra for the masses, and are most famous for performing the works of former conductor John Williams, including the music from Star Wars, ET, and Indiana Jones. Last night's show was a jazz fest, featuring jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli's set was part musical talent, part comedy show, and he even managed to out-ham the biggest ham in Boston, Keith Lockhart himself. The voice and the man seemed oddly familiar to me, but I couldn't figure out how I recognized him, until he announced that he was going to play the song that made him famous. Take a chance, make it happen... Pop the cork, fingers snappin? Oh yes, it's the Foxwoods theme song! He even changed one line to "Yes, I am that guy." I had a fun time at the Pops, but hearing the Foxwoods jingle performed live was definitely the highlight.

In a new country

Montenegro votes to split from Serbia and become an independent nation.

Good thing there's no category for hare-brained

I'm

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (64%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (38%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Aren't you also supposed to be able to determine this by which thumb is on top when you clasp your hands together?

quiz via Robert

Congratulations, Finland!

Finnish heavy metal group Lordi won the Eurovision song contest with their hit Hard Rock Hallelujah. The group, whose four members hail from a small town north of the Arctic Circle, gave Finland their first win in over 40 years of competition, complete in insane latex zombie costumes. Previous Eurovision winners include ABBA and Celine Dion.

Weekend Report

Friday- Went to a bachelorette party at Faneuil Hall. Fun times.

Saturday- Moved furniture all morning, then attended a crawfish boil (hosted by MJ and her boyfriend) followed by a 30th birthday party in Portsmouth, NH. I decided once and for all that I do not like fancy restaurants. Well, it's not that I don't like them, it's that I don't like them any more than normal restaurants. Why pay $25 for an entree when I'd be just as satisfied with a $12 entree somewhere else?

Sunday- Went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum for the first time, and I enjoyed it. The lady herself was quite renown for her eccentricities and her wealth, and the museum certainly reflects both. The museum was targeted in 1990 in a famous art heist, which remains unsolved.

I'm really tired this morning, evidenced by the fact that about an hour into my weekday, I realized that my shirt was on inside out.

How did I not hear about this until right now???

Axl Rose got into a fistfight with Tommy Hilfiger at an NYC club...and lost. Not kidding.

via PITNB

Survey

Does this piece of laboratory glassware make you laugh?

Good intentions diverted once again

Yesterday, I planned to go the gym after work, but my friend Nikki emailed me late in the afternoon to ask if I wanted to meet her for a glass of sangria after work. I opted to take advantage of the rare sunny afternoon and ditch out on my workout plans. We went to BarLola, a tapas bar in the Back Bay that opened last year. I liked it: great location, fun ambiance, friendly staff, and a lot cheaper than the other downtown tapas restaurants. We sat in the outdoor patio area and drank pitchers of sangria and I tried the old tapa standby, the tortilla espanola. The only downside is that it's definitely a chick restaurant- it was packed with tables of women and gay men, and the occasional straight guy dragged there by his girlfriend, which isn't a downside at all if you're just going to get some food and drinks and have a good time with your friends. BarLola, I'll be back.

Beer lovers explained

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thanks, but I really don't deserve it.

So, I just found out that I won an award from my department, in recognition of "scholarly and/or scientific achievement, values of collegiality and scientific integrity." It's very strange that I won it, because usually they give it to students close to finishing who already have a few publications under their belt. I am still a good two or three years away from finishing, and I have a big, fat ZERO publications (slams head repeatedly against desk). Basically, I won it due to my personality and not my performance. Not that my personality is all that winning, but you get the gist. It's a recurring theme with me- like, I was the one who made the sports team because I got along with everyone and tried hard, not because I had sufficient skill. Well, I suppose I should just be happy and not analyze it- because there's a $500 prize. I'm not sure yet if the money is for personal use or for laboratory supplies, but I'm going to use it for laboratory supplies regardless. Um, NOT.