Friday, June 12, 2009

NOS and Boulder beer- Day something

I'm sitting in Denver International Airport enjoying the free wireless. Way to go DIA!!!! Every airport should have free wireless. It's 2009 after all.

I’ve done a very poor job of reporting on the NOS lately. Sorry. Instead of a blow by blow account, let me give a summarizing overview of things at the 2009 NOS and other things I have thought of and done. I will give a more detailed beer review tomorrow. As a preview let me say, I tasted 2 dozen beers in one day.

Part 1: NOS tidbits.

Robert Grubbs used a blue laser pointer. Very cool. I guess when you win a Nobel prize you can treat yourself to fancy little gadgets.

Phil Baran just might make it in this business. After hearing his talk, which ended the Symposium, I am convinced he is probably the top young star in Organic Chemistry.

Paul Wender's talk was not as brief as his taxol synthesis, relatively speaking. But, it was interesting.

The Symposium was superb. I am proud to say that I attended every lecture and looked at every poster. While it was awesome, I leave feeling a bit of melancholy. Seeing what remarkable things these people I have done, I look at my professional accomplishments and can't help feeling inadequate and unaccomplished. I'll get over it.

I was disappointed that it rained a lot. That put a damper on doing outdoor activities. I was finally able to see mountains on the day I left.

Part 2: Other observations and occurances

I rented a car and got a Toyota Yaris. What a stupid interior design. The speedometer is in the middle of the dashboard. Stoopid.

I mailed home some dirty laundry to avoid the $15 checked bag charge and to avoid waiting for my bag at the airport. I meant to include some lotion and toothpaste (both nearly full) since those are not allowed on carry-on luggage (they were more than 100 mL). I forgot to include them. IDIOT!!! I was forced to ditch them both in the garbage at the security checkpoint. Lesson learned.

8 comments:

MJenks said...

What talk did Wender give? Was it his bryostatin/bryologue talk?

Chemgeek said...

Wender's talk was entitled "Some Global Problems in Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine"

He talked about 5 or 6 different things. One of which was bryostatin.

I'd have to check my notes for to provide more info.

Anonymous said...

I think if you drive a Yaris you have to turn in your man card.

MJenks said...

My friend Joe said nothing of the raccoons. He saw a lot of squirrels, but no raccoons.

I postulated that you were so drunk, you thought the squirrels were raccoons.

He also agreed with your assessment of the Monday night poster session.

Chemgeek said...

I am sure the raccoons were real. My undergrad advisor, who was there, also feared the rabid rodents. We walked back to our dorms together after a late night poster session. It was like the "Lion and tigers and bears. Oh my" scene in Wizard of Oz.

Lisa-tastrophies said...

?????inadequate and unaccomplished???????
You TEACH!! Where the hell do you think those guys learned that stuff? Sitting on the toilet? Someone had to give them the building blocks to create their greatness. That someone was a TEACHER! A COLLEGE PROFESSOR!!! Hello, you are adequate and look at what you accomplished ~ you joined the mortar that is foundation for everything that has ever been passed down from generation to generation.

And seriously? Raccoons??

Lisa-tastrophies said...

P.s. sorry about the semi-yell-out on the last comment. I promise, you are the smartest chemist I know and I think the world of you & wasn't trying to be mean.

Chemgeek said...

Lisa: No worries. You're right. I do do something important (I said "do do"). Thanks for the boost.