Biology and ethics

I'm in the middle of revising for my final exam until the summer. Well I say in the middle, but realistically I have 2 more hours of work before my brain goes to sleep, and then the exam is at 9am tomorrow morning, yikes!
Well so I can get away with writing this post I'd better add how much I've enjoyed this module. It's one of the parts of science that I love. Real world applications of pretty cool science, and thinking about how it impacts on us all, and whether we want this innovation!
The module covers everything from transplants, assisted reproductive technologies, genetic testing, cloning and intellectual property rights on biological innovations. Now if you're not interested in science you may find it quite boring, but this is all stuff that affects our everyday life.
Do you think we should do IVF?
And what should happen to the embryos not needed after treatment?
Where should we stop with transplants?
Are face transplants right?
What about switching off heart lung machines on brain dead patients?
Should insurers have the right to ask for results of genetic test?
Or ask you to have a test if there is a genetic disease in the family?
Should we create human clones to allow research?
Will we ever allowing cloning for reproductive purposes?
Should we allow people to produce designer babies?
What about if that baby is being created to save the life of a sibling?
How do you copyright a genetically cloned mice?
Should we allow multinational companies to copyright a food produced in a different area for centuries?

I find it all fascinating, and has really got me thinking about how peoples lives have changed in the last 30 years, I can't imagine life without IVF babies, and organ transplants. However both were hugely controversial when the first started, it's going to be interesting to see how peoples attitudes change over the next 30 years.

Why do I do this?

Ok I was just about to write a post when something happened that made me question why I actually write blog posts. We won't go in to details but it's really got me thinking. I mean it's not like I have one of those blogs where hundreds of people read what I write, I'm not entirely sure wether anyone reads it all. I never felt the need to keep a diary when I was younger either, writing my thoughts down has always been hard for me, hell just speaking them is near impossible.
I think I like it because it actually gives me an outlet for the rubbish that sometimes goes on in my life, a place to share my small triumphs, not that there are many, and an outlet for when life gets a bit shit.
At the moment I'm so stressed out about exams, the future, and just everything. I feel like a bad daughter because I've not rang my parents for 3 weeks now, I keep meaning to and then I forget. I feel bad for not getting outside more and trying to stay fitter. I feel bad because the snow at the moment in the Peak is beautiful and I can't get out and enjoy that either. I feel bad for annoying Lex, making him feel bad and generally being a shit girlfriend at times. In fact at the moment I'm not sure what to feel good about.
I also feel bad because in comparison to some peoples lives, my life is actually pretty wonderful. I have just about enough money, I have a wonderful boyfriend, a good family, somewhere to live, enough to eat, and clean water to drink. So why is this not enough?

Hopefully life will seem a little rosier in 36 hours. I have my last exam, and I then have a week until lectures start. I'd like to think I'll feel better for it, but from past experience I'm actually at my happiest when rushed off my feet. I desperately need to come up with a project to keep me busy next week, or I really will go mad!

Mildly amusing distraction on a friday evening

Well Lex is at work, and I'm home alone. Was going to go climbing but everyone else is bing far too good about doing work!
This blog is stolen from a note that Max wrote in facebook but it amused me, and it'll keep me busy for 5 minutes!
This is comedy and such a good waste of time - love it!

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie

Opening Credits:
Writing to Reach you- Travis

Waking Up:
I just don't know what to do with myself- White Stripes ( Quite appropriate I feel, I mean who does know what to do with themselves in the morning!)

First Day of School:
Life is a Rollarcoaster- Ronan Keating (Inclusion of this shows I'm really not cheating!)

Falling in Love:
Don't Tell Me- Madonna

Getting it on:
Eleanor Rigby- The Beatles (I'm not really sure what it says about my love life! all the lonely people indeed!)

Fight Song:
If I'd found the right words to say- Snow Patrol (Not so much a fight as a funeral)

Breaking Up:
Saturday Nights alright for fighting- Elton John (Damn skippy it is, in fact the Tv's so rubbish you might as well have a good fight to pass the time till bed!)

Prom:
I'm in to something good- Hermans Hermits

Life:
The Year of purification- Manic Street Preachers

Mental Breakdown:
Dreams- The Corrs

Driving:
The tide is high- Blondie

Flashback:
Black Math- The White Stripes (Can I just say, what a guitar riff!)

Wedding:
Mack the Knife- Robbie Williams (that'll be a gangster wedding for me then!)

Birth of Child:
Hello goodbye- The Beatles (maybe more appropriately the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy audio book appeared first)

Final Battle:
Dream a little Dream- The Beautiful South

Death Scene:
Everything I wanted- The Bangles

Funeral song:
The Road to Mandalay- Robbie Williams

Closing Credits:
Daniel- Elton John

Wht I didn't mention at the beginning was that my iTunes library contains large amounts of Harry Potter audiobooks! Now Chapter 4, Harry Potter and the prisoner of azkabahn doesn't really work for this does it? So I got rid of them!
Most of my friends are busy working hard, but everyone needs a break from revision, go on amuse me, what skeletons do you have in your music library?

We have a home!

Well after the tears and frustration of last week we have finally sorted out a flat. It's not been easy and has led to lots of nervous waitng but we are finally done. It's in the same block of flats and owned by the same landlord as the one we just lost out on. even Lex has secretly admitted to being quite excited and looking forward to July. We've even found a friend who says we can out our stuff in his garage if we can't move in 5 days early!
Revision is also going quite well, though I've reached the point where I'm not sure what to learn, I think a few latin names and some facts and figure might be on order.
Climbing is going well, though after yesterdays session I ache.
List of things to do today
Revise
Sort out my Rainbow overnight
Find out where my new Rainbows were when they didn't turn up to the meeting
Sort out next weeks Rainbow meeting
Make some Leek and Potato soup for tea

I think that will keep me busy for today!

Everything seems better when the sun comes out...

or does it?
after the spell of bad weather we've been having recently it's been nice to see the sun again. Not that I have been able to get out and do anything. Weekends as ever are a write off due to work, and weekdays seem to be devoted to revision. Apparently it's also rather cold as well, and while friction is supposedly better in the cold I've always been a fan pf feeling my hands while climbing!
Oh well, at least I'm still getting exercise by keeping up with indoor climbing. It will make up for the bad foods I'm eating at the moment!
Another plus is the flat hunting, we're going to see one tomorrow morning, we'll be the first ones to see it and it's in the same block as the one we missed out on. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
My ankle also seems to be getting better, I'm doing my physio exercises religiously and they do seem to be helping. Think I might ask her for a bit of advise for my hip on the next appointment.

Renting isn't fun.

I don't like having to sort out renting a house every year. It's getting annoying!
This year me and Lex are sharing a flat, we want something with 2 bedrooms, that isn't a shithole but at the same time not so expensive we'll be paupers next year. Now that doesn't sound too demanding does it. Well so you'd think. Everything seems soooo expensive in the areas we're after.
We finally found a really good flat in the right area for a really good price, rang up as soon as we viewed it to find that it had gone 30 minutes earlier. I could have cried/screamed! Luckily the same landlord owns another flat in the same block. The current tenants aren't around at the moment so no-one has viewed it yet. Because we lost out on the other he has said he'll let us know as soon as they're back so we can look round. We've said if it's the same as the other one we want to sign a contract and get this whole annoying process sorted!
Only problem is the time the contact starts, 5 days after Lex has to leave his current flat, and 2 weeks after I have to leave mine. We'll sort that out nearer the time though. I'm sure we can persuade some people to keep some of our stuff for us for a few days and if not it'll have to go to my parents house. We're also kind of hoping the current tenants leave a few days early, in which case we might be able to move in a few days early.
Ok enough of that, I'm driving Lex mad with it at the moment poor boy, but I can't seem to settle until I know this is sorted! Anyhow I'd best try and do some work, but worryingly it seems like I know everything which can't be possible!

It's nice to be back at work

Well by the end of last year I was more than ready for a break from my little darlings that I teach at the climbing wall. They're all good kids but you can get a bit tired of breaking up the fights, placating people that yes it isn't fair that they've had less go's than everyone else but that you can't do anything about it now as the session is over, and you need to go and return to normality! However after a 2 week break from then I was actually pleased to see them all. They're just as annoying as I remember but most of them are a pleasure to teach. I was talking to a few of the parents about their progress and the change some of them have made in a few months is amazing. While it is the kids that have achieved this I'd like to think I was a helping hand along that road. While I don't think I have the next Leo Holding amongst them, I may well have the next Lucy Creamer, no really she is that good. She gets up boulder problem in her trainers that I've seen adults struggle on. The main problem is that her main sport is gymnastics and her Mum is none to keen on climbing distracting her from this. In the mean time I'm happy to continue teaching her what little I know, and can only hope she sees the light! though seriously I hope she continues with whatever sport makes her happy.