“I like Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society”

For whenever I start feeling sorry for myself
[Via Respectful Insolence]

I know I kvetch from time to time about the currently dismal funding situation for biomedical research and worry about whether I’ll be able to keep my lab funded. However, every so often I’m reminded that cancer researchers by and large have it pretty good, at least compared to some academic disciplines:

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Cynicism vs. naivete. More academia humor.

Nice story about getting to the rally in DC

My Contribution to Restoring Sanity
[Via EvolutionBlog]

Your humble blogger went to the big rally yesterday. Here’s what it looked like:

I never noticed it before, but the National Mall looks a lot like the Vienna/Fairfax Metro stop. But let me start at the beginning.

I hit the road at 8:30 in the morning, which normally would get me to DC well before noon. I figured there would be traffic and delays, but I did not feel obligated to attend the whole, three-hour event. Maybe I get there by one, I thought, and still have two solid hours of rally fun! It had occurred to me to drive to DC the night before and find a place to stay for the night. But, even leaving aside the fact that I had other plans for Friday night, my understanding is there wasn’t a hotel room available anywhere near the city.

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Great pictures and essay. Almost 6 hours just to get near the rally. But luck was with him. Got to the train station. Found a parking spot. Got on a train. Walked to the back of the rally.

Always nice to hear about perseverance paying off. Many people just went to the nearest bars.

Everyone who worked on creating the iPad should see this video

NYT Story on the iPad as a Device for the Disabled
[Via Daring Fireball]

Don’t miss the accomanying video.

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I’ve worked on projects that resulted in products that changed people’s lives. I know the intense personal reaction that comes from realizing that working on even the smallest bit of game-changing projects can positively impact people’s lives.

This video shows the effect the iPad can have on a very disabled child who still has an intelligence that needs engaging. The iPad lets him do things almost impossible before. The iPad can can empower him to interact with the world in ways previously closed to him.

I hope every single person who helped make the iPad possible sees the video and realizes just how important their effort was. It changes lives.