Germs Have Hired Doctors, Spin Doctors

In an attempt to get humans to lower their defences, microbes have apparently gone... cute !?!

Case in point: This is a Rhinovirus (Common Cold) soft toy. No really. Check out the site.

http://www.giantmicrobes.com/

You can tell they really listen to their public.
"Swine Flu (H1N1) is now available"

I can imagine this creating a whole new trading/collecting frenzy among kids - "Do you have Common Cold !?! I have Bad Breath. I'll trade you Bad Breath for Common Cold! No, NOT Sore Throat! I already have Sore Throat! I got it from Johnny. Yeah, I gave him Kissing Disease! Hey, you never asked! You never... GIVE IT BACK, GIVE IT BACK... MOM... DAD!!!"

Sin City Blues

A lab-mate of mine went to Las Vegas recently (for a conference). On the day he checked in at his hotel, he ran into another conference attendee whom he happened to know.

Lab-Mate (LM): Hey.
Other Attendee (OA): Yo.
LM: Why the long face !?!
OA: Lost my luggage.
LM: Oh really !?! Shame... Anything of value !?!
OA: Yeah, a brand new suit, an IPod Touch and a gold watch.
LM: Whoa! Well, I hope you get it back mate.
OA: Yeah, thanks.

The following evening, LM met OA again. This time OA was in very high spirits. There was gold on his wrist and something in his pocket was playing Coldplay.

LM: I see you found your luggage.

OA looked at him with a blend of contempt and triumph.

OA: FOUND it !?! Why, I WON it back !!!

On Canada Day, Desperately Seeking Canadians

Practically no Canadian I've met identifies himself/herself as 'Canadian'. It's always 'Indian-Canadian', or 'French-Canadian' or 'Chinese-Canadian' and so on. Even the ones whose ancestors have been here for many generations seem to want to point out that they are from somewhere in the Old World. Or they insist on a connection with the First Nations. If they cannot do either, they admit their simple 'Canadian-ness' almost with embarassment.

Why !?! It's a beautiful and great country filled with lovely people. Why can't they be proud of being just Canadian !?!

Happy Canada Day !