National Chocolate Chip Day News

I have not yet received any contest entries.  Don't miss out!

I think Dr. Malona needs a hug, so be sure to stop by his desk and give him one.

We need volunteers for the next member profile.  Matt gave us a great interview which was posted today, so the standards are high!

Group Member Profile: Matt Naylor

Mr. Naylor was kind enough to allow us to conduct an interview with him and here are the results:

 

1. Where in the world have you been that you thought was paradise?  Mt. Rainier, WA
2. What is your favorite bumper sticker?  I'd rather be here, now
3. What would you do if you didn't have to work?  Farm
4. What is your pet peeve in traffic? Lack of conviction
5. Who is your favorite dead politician? Abe Lincoln
6. Ever been arrested? No
7. Who would you call for bail money? My dad
8. Name a time when you got into big trouble with your parents. I was a perfect child
9. When you were small which superhero did you like? Batman
10. Can you fake any accents? NO!
11. You wouldn't be caught dead where? Trenton
12. If you had a time machine that could take you back in time, what year would you go to and why? 1940, intrigue leading up to the second world war would be fascinating
13. Do you have any hidden talents? Whistling
14. How far east can you go before you're heading west? For me, 5 years
15. Most hated chore on the household chore list? Historically washing dishes
16. Which bad habits of other people drive you crazy? I'm not usually easily bothered by people Griping and deprecation
17. Which kind of puppies do you hate the most?  Chihuahua or any form of rat dog
18. What in the stupidest habit that mankind participates in regards to the environment? Packaged food
19. Do you have any relatives in jail? Not that I know of
20. Where is your bloodline originally from? 1/4 Scottish, a fraction Cherokee (but who isn't?) and the rest is a Caucasian mutt
21. If you had to, what family member would you kill off and why? My dad's sister's family who refused to RSVP for our wedding and then said they were coming but didn't show up.  We even had a hotel room reserved for them.
22. If you had to eat a raccoon, how would you cook it? Through the wisdom of my Chinese mother in law, I would boil it first to remove toxins, and then pressure cook it.
23. What is your earliest memory? I remember being enamored with a small yellow book in the shape of a school bus at around 2 years old.
24. What was your favorite musical group when you were in Junior High? Switchfoot
25. Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid. Slow summers and cushion forts
26. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? An architect
27. What was your favorite childhood injury? Falling off my bike into gravel, still a scar on my knee
28. When was the first time that you had beer? Probably at home in front of my parents when my dad let us try everything in the liquor cabinets at about 14.
29. Was there ever a time when you were frightened for your life? Yes, at a haunted cabin in Washington on our honeymoon
30. Worst roommate you ever had, give some details. A nocturnal, overbearing social butterfly who became one of my best friends
31. Which is the best vacation you've ever had. Road trip from Berkeley to Princeton with three friends
32. Which is the funniest prank you have ever played? Giving my wife a fake ring two days before I proposed
33. You're about to make your way down the green mile, what do you have as your last meal? BBQ ribs, fried okra and a beer
34. How much deeper do you think the Pacific Ocean would be if the sponges that grow in it did not suck up all the water? About a bathtub's worth
35. Who is the person you respect the most and why? My father, his priorities and sacrifices
36. What outdoor activities do you like to do? Backpacking, hiking, sea kayaking, paintball and gardening
37. If your house was on fire and you could grab only 3 things before leaving, what would they be? Hard drive of photos, backpacking knife and bible
38. What would your dream job be? Teaching at a small liberal arts college supplemented by keeping a small family farm
39. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Seattle, WA
40. If you could start your own restaurant, what would it be? California cuisine, locally sourced
41. Do you have a favorite ride at the amusement park? Go-carts
42. Do you have any phobias? Fungus, anything squirmy
43. What do you think the greatest invention is in your lifetime? LCD TV                                         

Tuesday Mad Libs!

With the unexpected absence of Maurice, our fearless leader Jeff graciously agreed to complete this week's Mad Lib.

A Gangsta Story

Tommy the gangsta cat was walking up the street to his shovel in the bathroom. But just as he came inside he saw that all his gangsta antelopes had been replaced with sordid stuff. He was so mad that he kicked his upper thigh and fell into the computer. Then, when he got out, he started searching all of the shovel. But after five hours of looking around he saw a wallet walking around with all his bling. So, Tommy stopped the fool and murdered all the items that the wallet had stolen from him. "What's your problem you superfine bottle!! If you wanna be a gangsta, buy your own bling and clothes, don't steal mine!" Tommy crushed. And then he went home and lived strikingly ever after.

Also, Amy has been experimenting with outfits inspired by Lady Gaga. Please support her in this effort.

Contest time!

Since we have a drawer full of fun prizes, we thought it was a good time for a contest!  The prize this week is:

Two (2) football field shaped JELL-O molds and one (1) heart shaped icecube tray!

And the contest is to come up with the most reasonable molecule for which chemdraw predicts one of the protons with medium confidence.  The winner will be selected at 4 pm on Friday, August 6.  Entries should be brought to me as a printout.  Up to three (3) entries per person will be accepted.  Good luck and happy Watermelon Day!

Monday News

A2 and A3 are now shut down.  Remember to retrieve your samples quickly from A1 as it will fill up.

Someone left the door to the -78 freezer open.  Please ask a senior lab member if you are unsure of how to close it.  Otherwise it sounds an annoying alarm that the island and 61 must endure while it cools down again.

Please don't be afraid to post on the blog and comment on posts.  This is supposed to be an interactive forum.  In the future I may hold orders hostage until posts are made.

Mike won the weight loss competition.  I think he volunteered to use his winnings to throw a party for the group.  How nice of him!

We learned last week that the Groves group is entirely unprepared for the upcoming move.  If you see them wandering around looking lost during the move, please stop to show them the way.