hey guys:
i am homeward bound..leaving friday for a month..so if you guys need anything ( like ecoli samples) no seriously, leather stuff (its really cheap out there)let me know..i will be checking the forum regularly.
posted by ashwin naik 7/13/2000 1:24:15 AM
PIZZA HUT SPONSORS ROCKET LAUNCH!! ( i have seen it all) The "brain" and living quarters of the International Space Station (ISS) will blast off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. The Russian-built Zvezda module will orbit the Earth for two weeks before linking up with the embryonic station 400 km (250 miles) above our planet's surface. Zvezda's launch will be sponsored by the American fast food chain Pizza Hut. The food giant will have its logo emblazoned on the side of the Proton launcher. Russian newspaper reports say the advertising stunt is costing Pizza Hut $1m.
posted by ashwin naik 7/11/2000 3:47:22 PM
Yep, it is the classic example of law enforcement gone insane. I understand that there is always the threat for terrorism... but I think a lot of that is fabricated. I also don't think your average terrorist operates with E coli... and I doubt they would be so bold as to ask customs to refrain from x-raying their deadly weapon. Stupid. But I like Ashwin's idea. Grad students should get their own plane. First class, from cockpit to tail. And free drinks through the entire flight, that way, we will be too wasted to launch an attack with our deadly cultures.
posted by maia larios 7/11/2000 8:58:36 AM
-Next time I pass through customs, I'm going to tell them that I'm transporting a huge colony of e-coli, and an entire ecosystem of bacteria in my colin! Will they fine me for that? I hope someone quickly passes legislation that will monitor any and all flatulents onboard, after all "we don't want DNA in our back yard!".
posted by zac forsman 7/10/2000 5:18:55 PM
i think the govt should take notice of this grave situation of graduate students transporting bugs..i have a solution. have a seperate flight for graduate students. the whole thing is ridiculous anyway..i agree that i dont want somebody to carry bugs on my plane but 24000 bucks!! what are they talking about. do you think if grad students had that kind of money, they would spend their weekends shipping bugs??!!!
posted by ashwin naik 7/10/2000 1:34:40 PM
The bugs are winning!!!!! First death in US from Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus A man who died last month in a New York hospital is reported to be the first fatality caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting intermediate level resistance to vancomycin. Other patients from Japan, and New Jersey and Michigan in the USA, have recovered. Vancomycin has been our last line of defense. Read about what happened and more about Staphylococcus. http://www.outbreak.org/cgi-unreg/dynaserve.exe/index.html
posted by maia larios 7/7/2000 12:58:21 PM
Hi guys. What's your take on this?? I got this message from Mitch Miller. Thought it was interesting, and a good thing to know. Are we losing it???? The message follows: This incident should be passed on to all lab personnel. It's from Earl Janssen who used to be our Biosaftey person (* MD Anderson Cancer Center) but is now in that position in UT Austin. It's for real. OK, here is your heads up for an incident that happened at the Austin Airport on Memorial Day, Most of this has been in a small article in the Austin newspaper, but not all of it. (This is all 2nd hand info and it could have some errors but you'll get the idea.) 1. A former Grad student visited a prof here on campus and obtained some lab strains of E coli for his research or teaching in another state. 2. He did not have the time to ship them to himself so he decided to carry the petri dishes on board the aircraft in a Tupperware container. 3. At the X-ray station, he stopped them from X-raying the Tupperware and said you'll kill them. He then attempted to explain what the cultures were, and it did not work. They called the Airport police then the HazMat team, then the FBI. 4. Needless to say he did not catch his flight and got to talk to the FBI for a while. 5. The Tupperware was bagged and held. (It was suppose to be taken to the TDH for determination.) Because of confusion it did not make it to the TDH lab for about 24 hours. 6. He was allowed to catch a plane the next morning after the prof went to the airport and talked to the FBI. 7. Cultures were determined to be E coli K-12. 8. FBI is still investigating and have not determined if charges will be filed. Now the rest of the story...The Austin Counter Terrorist Task Force has met twice on this and will meet again this week. This group includes all the law enforcement groups (UTPD, Airport and City Police, County Sheriff dept, Austin and Texas Health dept, FBI and others law enforcement, local, State and Federal) All 1st responders and a bunch of others (like me). It is very likely if this happens again it will be treated as a potential terrorist event and the person will be held by the FBI until the material is determined to be non-hazardous by an independent agency. So be aware, CDC tells me that the FAA has been fining people for the "Vial in the Pocket" (they call it VIP) and the fine starts at $ 24,000. I've asked for specific details on these fines. More later. Good Luck. Erle Erle Janssen CIH Director Environmental Health & Safety The University of Texas at Austin 304 24th Street Suite 202 Austin, Texas 78712-1024 phone 512-471-3511 fax 512-471-6918"
posted by maia larios 7/7/2000 9:41:25 AM
A human-shaped robot has been unveiled by the Japanese car maker Honda. The prototype, called the P3, went on a demonstration walk before a crowd of spectators at the company's headquarters in Tokyo. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_814000/814433.stm
posted by ashwin naik 7/4/2000 5:13:25 PM
Mexico is finally free!!!!!!!
posted by maia larios 7/3/2000 4:49:23 PM
my test message
posted by ashwin naik 7/3/2000 3:44:30 PM
Welcome to the Open Forum!
posted by fox lab 7/3/2000 3:16:39 PM