On the way home

Amazingly, the international terminal at Kiev Borispol Airport has free wireless interent. This amazes me since Oksana's family doesn't even have a PHONE.

Borispol airport has two terminals: Domestic and International. The international terminal is a very chic western-european-like building with duty free shopping, fancy gadgets, and Ukrainians who speak understandable English. The domestic terminal is basically a smokey watering hole that happens to have buses that drive over to little plans you can board. Apparently nobody flies within Ukraine, so the domestic terminal is unimpressive. Kiev is a major international crossroad, though, so the international is nice.

Anyway, just checking in. I have gifts for all, so be careful with your smart ass remarks- you might get un-gifted.

See you soon and someone tell me what's going on for New Years.

Hello From ukraine

I have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to write and post this. Based on the slow internet speed. I have about 1:30 to get it done.

Ukraine is nice. People don't have some luxuries, but there is a nice simplicity and enjoyment of life that is often missing in the US. Oksana's family is wonderful, they love me and are very patient with my language barrier. Buses are crowded (they are really vans for 20 people often filled with 40 people.)

Time running out.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Bird Flu

For those of you who may be worried (I have recieved some sporatic e-mail concern)

FAQ:

Q. Aren't you worried about getting bird flu?

A. No, no Ukrainian person has contracted bird flu yet

Q. Doesn't that look close?

A. No, given the fact that Ukraine is the largest country in Europe proper (thus not including Russia), it is still quite far.

Q. Aren't you going to be visiting some of Oksana's family who may live in villages?

A. Yes, but none of them live remotely near there.

bam.

who's pumped?

ok... i havnt seen many movies all year... really been a slow year for me with pharm school and there being not as many good moves that i want to see... but man, i am pumped about Kong... the reviews just came out today and check this out... from such nationally reputable news sources as :

hicago Sun-Times	4 stars/4	"… magnificent entertainment."
Entertainment Weekly	A	"[Jackson is] the most gifted big-picture artist working today, a master of epics from a human-eye view who excels at employing 21st-century technological wizardry to suit the needs of ageless, personal storytelling."
Los Angeles Times	N/A	"… big, nerve-jangling, spectacular …"
New York Daily News	4 stars/4	"What a movie!"
New York Post	4 stars/4	"… stupendous, supersized remake …"
The New York Times	N/A	"… as memorable for its sweetness as for its sensationalism."
Rolling Stone	4 stars/4	"Here is the jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping movie epic we've been waiting for all year."
USA Today	3½ stars/4	"Jackson is a visionary filmmaker who is not only a technical wizard but also a master storyteller."
Variety	N/A	"Almost too much of a good thing … a stupendous adventure …"

dang you, USA today and your lack of half a star... who's pumped?!

FRIDAY 7:30ish, we are gonna see this at Opry mills- see you there!

happy christmahoniqwanzika!

Hey guys… just thought I might get in a pre-holiday update. Things are going good… as VP I’m responsible for our annual window display project. This years topic I’ve decided will be avian flu. I drew up a brochure which everyone seems to like… on the front it says “Avian Flu: and YOU” and there is a picture of a little cute chicken and next to him a guy is looking on in horror… I think its kind of funny, but yeah… had them printed up on canary yellow paper, about 1,000 and I distributed them out to the different class mates who will give them out at their pharmacies over the holidays. Next semester, the real project kicks in and we go around to about 12 locations through the months of January and February and do about a 3 hour display (in the process of making a large display/tri fold board with Avian Flu info) event at each location, we also have a table to the side for a free hypertension screening at each event, kind of a double whammi… so to speak… I passed my patient evaluation practical, and that was fun… my professor was presenting with cardiac, pulmonary, ENT (ear nose throat) , and extremity abnormalities so I got to poke and prod them, and stick that otoscope in their ears.. and feel their feet, ect… and I got a A on that part which made me feel good, and I passed the part where we had to take our stethoscopes and use cuff and check the BP on a fake arm that has been programmed to have a specific blood pressure from a computer that it is plugged up to, we had to get within 6 points on either systolic or diastolic… and I got that too! Woot… so I feel good… I also pulled a B in kinetics when all the class averages on the tests were in the low 70s… its kind of like the calculus, statistics, and physics of drugs all rolled into one…which is hard to explain, so i wont try which i'm sure makes you guys happy on multiple levels! but i could tell you some cool sounding stuff... hehe ok, gotta go study just afeeeew more hours before i knock this (Therapeutics-dang) final out. wish me luck- i am gonna need it...

horrible video game covers

(and if you like Joe Blade 2, you're gonna love the original!)




you gotta check out this gallery of bad video game covers that billy sent me. they are so terrible. i can't even imagine how the actual game would be if this artwork is any indication of the game's budget.

(who's idea of graffiti is writing "SCUM" on a brick wall?)

there are so many worse ones. such as...




i'm not sure what "anirog" means, but i'm pretty sure it's "obese" in another language. and are those bananas flying out of the anirog monkey?

can i get that with extra MAO?

oh cool... thats a really good question that i didnt really know much about till i got here, and then, its like when you hear in on drug commercials it really stands out becuse instead of technical sciency talk, its something you are comfortable with and understand... its interresting how that happens...

MAOIs.. this stands for "mono amine oxidase inhibitor(s)"... MAO is an enzyme and the inhibitors... inhibit it. So we know that much, so what does MAO do normally? Well, it functions to break down neurotransmitters (seritonin- heard of SSRIs?-, norepiniephrine, dopamine).

SO- if you inhibit the endogenous (in your body) way of keeping those neurotransmitters down, there will be a higher concentration of them... now, these three neurotransmitters in particular are linked to depression when people have decreased levels of them... so the rationale is that if you can boost them up, you can make someone feel happier... there are only 3 still on the market- isocarboxazid, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine (i had to look those up cause they are rarely used)...

interrestingly, studies have also shown that natural remedies such as exercise will have the same effect of levels of these neurotransmitters as it was clearly shown that runners had higher serationin levels... not to be confused with the endorphins that cause the "runner's high"... thats a differnt issue all together...

oh and i didnt answer your question... ok... so thats how they work... there are lots of drugs you wouldnt want to take with MAOIs because there are lots of drugs that also interfere with the concentration or affinity of those same neurotransmitters... if you remove your body's ability to downregulate them, AND you take something else that boosts them up, or causes even a minor increase in any one of those neurotransmitters, you will see dramatic effects... kinda like... if you took away the kindergarden teacher (MAO) and then gave all the 6 year olds speed (drug that potentiates MAO effects)... it would just be crazyness because not only could you not control them because of the lack of the teacher, they would be running around like crazy breaking stuff because you juiced them up...

you can even get neurological problems when you take MAOIs and certain foods! i'm sure you have heard about that... tyramine, a common ingredient in olives, wine, cheese, turkey... ect... acts as a pseudotransmitter because of its similar structure to norepinephrine... it is normally broken down just fine with you have functional MAO enzymes, but when you knock them out, you flood the synapse with extra neurotransmitters... why would it make you really tired you might ask? doesnt it INCREASE the amount of excitatory chemicals in the synapse?! (although you didnt ask) becuase while it binds to the norepinephrine (NE) receptors, it blocks them (antagonist) instead of activating them... NE is usually for making you pumped up and excited and ready to run away from the dog that is chasing you, if you take the opposite of that, you get sedation, lethargy, ect...

did that answer your question?

An abbreviated sports rant

I know there aren't a ton of sports fans on this blog, but I feel like venting. I guess since many of you are UT fans and alumni, you can enlighten me a bit on this subject:

I don't know if it is just the Titans-fan-and-thus-anti-Colts in me talking, but, Why does everyone say Peyton Manning is so "classy" and "modest"? Case in point:

- On field demeanor. Ever notice that when a play goes wrong, he acts like a 6th grader yelling at the poor fat kid? When someone drops as ball or runs the wrong route, we see Peyton putting up his arms, scowling, and demanding an explanation. No I understand that sometimes it is someone else's fault. Sometimes, though, it is Peyton's fault. Maybe we should consider that all that pre-snap pageantry confuses the offense and thus causes missteps. Who knows. Commentators call this "competitive." I call it "immature." Ever look at Steve McNair when something goes wrong? I'm not saying McNair is HALF as good as Manning, because he's not, but his on field demeanor can teach little Peyton something. McNair may look frustrated, but, unlike Peyton, he doesn't look like he's thinking "Why is everyone but me such a colossal fuck-up?"

- Unsportsmanlike conduct. The colts, under Manning's direction, have adopted a new questionably-fair tactic. I'll preface this by saying that the rules absolutely allow it. Manning like to rush his offense to the snap to force an illegal substitution penalty (too many men) on the defense. Basically he's vying for a free five yard penalty. Yes, it is perfectly legal, but is that the sort of behavior we expect from "professionals"? I might understand it in a close game or on a 4th down, but otherwise it just seems... classless? Immature? Fine, though, it is the defense's fault and they should hustle, I agree. However what he did at the end of the Titans game yesterday really pisses me off. At the end of the first half, the colts took a knee with about 35 seconds left (thus APPARENTLY running the clock out to halftime). When the players (and coaches and officials and everyone else) started walking toward the locker rooms, Manning tries to rush his offense out to run a play and get a cheap touchdown. Mind you, they were leading 14-3 (and eventually won 35-3). There was absolutely nobody who thought their "perfect record" was in danger at this point. He didn't pull it off since even his cronies didn't realize he was that much of a douchebag. The Titans are an awful team this year. Why kick them while they're down? I might understand if there were alot of threats and boasts about the Titans beating the Colts, and a well deserved putting in the place was needed. But no such circumstances existed.

- Interview "modesty" and "classiness" In interviews he is sooooo classy and modest. Has anyone ever heard of false modesty? I don't know if everyone is so stunned by his awesomeness and glory to notice, but he doesn't come across as a particularly genuine person. It is hard to notice someone being disingenuous when all you can think about is how wonderful it would be to filter your coffee through his jock strap. Again, maybe it is just my bias as a Titans fan.

- Manning false royalty. This is more reflected in kid-brother Eli, but the Mannings seem to have a sense of entitlement. They think they are football's royal family. Newsflash, Archie wasn't really that good. Not even top 10 if you ask me. But I honestly don't know much about football history.

That's it. UT/Colts/Manning fans feel free to comment.

What is the DEAL with MAOI's, Scott?

Look, nobody is posting and I have this pharmaceutical question for Scott. I figured I'd share it with everyone since an overly-technical question an answer post is better than, well, nothing (although I understand some may disagree).

Why do so many drugs say you can't take it if you are taking an MAOI? I hear about it all the time on TV and read them on labels (cough syrup, this morning, for instance). What's the deal? Explain to me in (relatively) laymen's terms.

The label said to consult a doctor or pharmacist. I figure since I'm not actually taking an MAOI (to my knowledge), I'll be ok with consulting a pharmacy student.


Check out this high quality precision digital photograph taken with my telephone:



The title says "Congratulations to the 2006-2007 Vanbderbilt Moot Court Board:"

I'm the fifth one down on the left. Wa-hoo!

Meanwhile... exam season is here and I am getting my ass kicked for my refusal to work hard during the semester. Today, Professional responsibility, Wednesday, Evidence, Friday, International Law, Monday, Con Law II, and Wednesday, Employment Law. Then the following Sunday we leave for Ukraine (bon voyage!).

How's everyone else doing?

look here, friends

welcome to Josh Presents: How to Post a Link

Let's start with a new post!





Next, let's copy the location we want to link to!





After this, we can go back to our blog entry and highlight the text we want to make a link and proceed to click on the hyperlink button.





We will then "paste" the desired link location into the box prompting us for the hyperlink.





After clicking "OK", it should appear as so...





Congradulations, you've successfully posted a hyperlink!






Below is an actual link i've posted. It is, of course, merely a general example to go by. However, once you've mastered "hyperlinking" you can link to virtually anything! Even pictures!

hey look at me posting a link!


Good luck and have fun!