DRSM Session II.V

Topic: Human Genome Project

Moderator: M Jay


Retro Junky: I searched Vermeer's paintings, The Concert got stolen in 1992 and still not found and I actually felt sad :
M Jay: Yeah I did that too when I read the book, its one amazing book haina?
M Jay: GWAPE. I actually like that. Haha! Anyway..... so I read it like a year back.. Or maybe 6 months... dunno.. seems the same.
Retro Junky: I loved it after I was done reading it. lol no, actually it got interesting when I was mid way through.
M Jay: Me too.. And well Vermeer, any thoughts? The man himself is this shroud of mystery.. I tried researching on him. But only got vague tidbits.
Retro Junky: Well he was lazy I must say, like come on yeah you were creating master pieces but u could have gone a little faster. Family kee parwah nahi aur lagga hai paint maarnay.
Retro Junky: Yeah he was a mystery but the story wasn’t true was it?
M Jay: No no.
M Jay: Vermeer was Dutch rite?
Retro Junky: Yupp.
M Jay: And he had a patron like most artists that time.
Retro Junky: He did a painting of that town he lived in.
M Jay: The work itself is flawless.. i loved the painting, and the pearl resembled a tear no?
Retro Junky: Yeah it did.
M Jay: Interesting fact: This painting is signed "IVMeer" and not dated.
Retro Junky: Yeah why is that?
M Jay: Unclear... we don't even know if it was commissioned by anyone. The most recent restoration of the painting was in 1994 btw.
Retro Junky: Restoration?
M Jay: Yeah they carry out painting's restorations after certain time gaps.
Retro Junky: Oh like with the chemicals n stuff? You'd know better Jay :P since u have been painting sum master pieces yourself lately :P upload em on the blog
M Jay: Haha HAVE NOT!
M Jay: Yeah they clean the paintings maintain it and stuff.
Retro Junky: I just don’t know much about paints, but I saw this documentary on BBC about this painting of sunflowers forgot the artist oops! u know of it?
M Jay: It’s a tricky world. Nope didn't see it.
M Jay: What was your favourite part?
Retro Junky: Hmm fav part..
M Jay: Btw RJ I had some issues with Griet at first.
Retro Junky: What sort of issues?
M Jay: I thought she was kind of flirty :S
Retro Junky: With Vermeer? YES!
M Jay: Thats just what I thought.. or maybe its the fact that johanson plays her in the movie and I don't like her at all.
M Jay: And Pieter.. the butcher's son... how apt :P



SB has been added to the conversation



Retro Junky: In fact I think she was infatuated with him! even before she met him!
Retro Junky: I haven’t seen the movie yet.
M Jay: Neither have I lol... it’s just the book that gave me that feeling
M Jay: http://www.lloyds.com/dj/DowJonesArticle.aspx?id=392824
Retro Junky: : They found the whole human genome!!!
M Jay: HEROES!
M Jay: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
M Jay: Btw B the whole genome thing makes me think of Heroes lol and seriously it is being worked on by some organization.
M Jay: But overall I loved the description of paintings.
Retro Junky: Yeah me too, I cud actually imagine them.
M Jay: The whole part where they prepare and mix colours exactly, one of the reasons why I love this book, it’s so vivid.
Retro Junky: Yupp, oh but I cudnt imagine the tiles her father had made.
M Jay: The descriptions are perfect, the setting is believable.
SB: Ahem people when u r through discussing the book tell me.
M Jay: Actually it’s not too difficult..
M Jay: I mentioned the genome project just moments ago :P
Retro Junky: Loll B they figured out the whole genome and we dint even know! 4 males and one female.
Retro Junky: Jay when did they discover the males? [Mod: 10,000 B.C. would be my guess]
SB: What's wrong with you? Miss B****** did tell us that!
M Jay: Have no idea really.. Just saw this about the female genome being mapped.
Retro Junky: She did? I thought she said they are 'working' on it I didn’t know they had found it already.
SB: Nope she said it had been going on for a long time it must have been done by now no actually she said it was done.
SB: Yeahhh but they did it in an indirect way I dun remember much.
M Jay: Just checked.. it was a 13 yr project.
SB: The whole project isn’t very detailed.
Retro Junky: Ohhh and when was it completed?
M Jay: 2003. Began formally in 1990.
M Jay: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/project/about.shtml
SB: Lol I aint that crazy about knowing this.
M Jay: All I know is that a genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA and that’s it lol.
Retro Junky: I would like to get my sequence out!! lol
M Jay: And what would you do?
Retro Junky: Frame it and hang it in the drawing room! And then ppl who would come for my rishta will be able to see how amazing my DNA sequence is and I carry no genetic diseases! :D
M Jay: Haha IF they can figure it out. Or they may just label you a freak which in my case works just fine.
M Jay: Imagine anything close to what they meant in Heroes.. Hey do you think they twisted that part or is it actually possible?
SB: What is possible?
Retro Junky: Heroes stuff isn’t possible.
SB: Why not? mutation in genes aint impossible it happens all the time.
Retro Junky: Yea but a mutation cannot make you radioactive!! or make you fly!!
M Jay: Hey! not everyone on Heroes is radioactive. You do know that half the 'powers' are actually believable. And seriously, who the hell makes reality anyway? I mean if a meteor strikes tomorrow, will we keep on repeating to ourselves.. it isn't possible because blah blah said so?
SB: Right now mutations can cause cancers etc.
Retro Junky: Come on SB be able to read minds?? come back from the dead??? However one thing that Claire does is possible!!!
SB: Maybe someday human beings can adapt to the change, survive and well come out as reformed and a little advanced species.
SB: What do we know?!
Retro Junky: You can regrow your body parts!! no kidding! saw it on BBC!!!
SB: Ohh that.. I dunno about that but I do think that people are becoming more intelligent.
Retro Junky: I actually saw it happening! it was crazy! And US military is showing interest in this new discovery! ********
SB: Maybe that’s a mutation too!!!
M Jay: It’s possible... "anything is possible if you just believe" - A Cinderella Story
Retro Junky: LOL!
Retro Junky: No I dun think so.
M Jay: Why is that?
SB: Well if God intends something like this it will happen otherwise it won't.
Retro Junky: No it wont.
M Jay: If according to Darwin we come from the house of monkeys/apes whatever they should be actually proud we're button pressing suits these days. So impressive don't you think?
Retro Junky: We can create a device that would be able to catch the electrical impulses in our mind but we as human beings cant do it, unless we fix that device in our heads!
SB: What Darwin believes is incorrect we didn’t originate from apes we came as human beings on Earth.
M Jay: That’s what WE know, I’m talking about them.
M Jay: Pronoun deficiency i certainly do not have
M Jay: See it this way... THEY think that way, hence THEY will try every trick in the book to try to make it happen
M Jay: WE don't.
SB: Lol They aren’t going to make i happen they cant make it happe this isnt something that human beings can do.
M Jay: That’s where you're wrong B. Remember the nation which could tell angels from humans? God gave humans so much strength than we can possibly imagine and those who use it achieve things which we think are impossible however it doesn't mean what we are doing is correct.
Retro Junky: That nation is gone.
SB: I know but God did that not human beings themselves so point kia tha God ney dein powers God ney lein leen man kaa kya kamal hai?
M Jay: So if I cough.. God made me?
M Jay: God does give us powers yes BUT we use it the way we see fit.
SB: Not always Taqdeer.
M Jay: Come on! two different people do two different things. sure taqdeer yes but we play to our strengths as well don't we? and I believe man himself is a miracle of God and that’s enough to win any argument.. we may lose our humanity in the process of trying to 'save' humanity though, in fact i think we already have.
SB: Very random things. What’s the point? I'm confused.
M Jay: Why does there have to be a point?
Retro Junky: Yeah we have. So there should be a limit rite? Like stem cell research and cloning? Yes we can do it but does God want us to do it? Are we sure we r not playing God here? going against nature etc.
SB: We can never play God we dun have a 00000000000000000000000.1% of the idea of what’s going on in the universe.
M Jay: We are TRYING B that’s the thing. We are taking a small thing and imagining worlds within worlds out of it.
SB: If u look at it like that it's wrong.
Retro Junky: Nahi SB it’s not wrong to discover.

SB: No I didn’t say that I am saying keh saying that we are acting like God while we do it is wrong.
Retro Junky: But its wrong when it comes to messing with things God has created.
M Jay: Yes it is and I’m sorry but people caring about dolphin's existence when hundreds of innocents die every day in places like Palestine cracks me up.
SB: M kya kha keh rahi ho? You are switching from one topic to another so swiftly.
Retro Junky: lol yeahh I agree with that. Like looking for places for 'homeless' dogs to live in?? Why can't those ppl be foster parents to a homeless child!
M Jay: My brain works that way B lol. And I’m pretty sure we'd be labeled animal haters soon even though I’ve had more pets in my life than anyone can possibly imagine.
Retro Junky: Same here. I mean i loveeeeee Oscar lekin I would kill him to save a human life.
M Jay: Why didn't you name him Grammy waisey? just curious.
Retro Junky: Haha he is a MALE dog! Grammy is so girlish. You find a Grammy for him ;) It’s about time he got married.
M Jay: Aii aii captain! so just one last thing... are we royally screwed here? I was reading this column by some guy who stated that Punjabi would possibly cease to exist in the next 50 years and I just couldn’t help thinking.. i don't even know if we will survive ourselves, Punjabi tou dur ki baat hai.
SB: Hmmm it will. Nobody speaks it :( Which is kind of sad because it's funny and likeable

UEFA Final '08

Since NO ONE ELSE bothered to watch the match among us
Here I am. *tongue*

M Jay writes what she feels like...

It’s the first-ever UEFA Champions League final between EPL’s two most deadly teams: Manchester United and Chelsea. I had been waiting for the ‘clash of the titans’ for over two weeks and wow what a match it was. Blood, cussing, wrong tackles, almost-slaps, spitting; what’s not to like? Umm yeah except for the horrendous kits sported by goal keepers of both teams that is. And that awful Scholes injury as well. He had me almost crying there.
I’d like to mention the following people... Well just because they were a greater source of amusement/ anger than others..

Our very own drama queen: Ronaldo. Nah, seriously last night was like watching a sulky kid on the playfield who couldn’t have his way. Ronaldo is always a source of amusement no matter what. He’ll tackle beautifully one minute, act worthy of an Oscar the other (World Cup anyone?). But of course that does not steal the ingenuity of his header in the 26th minute. Just go with the flow. Classic

I think I’m finally coming around to accepting Ferdinand as the captain. It wasn’t easy but it’s done and well nothing that I can do about it. His largeness had quite much to say last night, but he was pretty much in the game most of the time unlike Terry, who only made any impression towards the last moments. Pressure much?
Its 3:30 into the ET and rain starts pouring in the gorgeous Luzhniki Stadium. Lampard misses a shot and I’m forced to wonder, is it not a sign? Perhaps just a tiny bit of raindrop in the eye...

But aha the highlight of the night comes not from the winning team but the runners up, even though Man U had quite a lot to say in it. THE FIGHT. So okay it wasn’t like a whole fist fight, just maybe a mild slap on the face, finger pointing and the usual cursing. Drogba gets a Red! Ahh the irony haha! Professional suicide dude. Tevez is left off with a Yellow and so is Ballack. But the funniest thing was Abramovich’s expression: priceless. He must have been counting all the benefits of sitting on home ground but really?

I have to say, no matter how talented Drogba is I just can’t come around to ever liking him. And with the whole high school lingo... (Shut Up, Frak Off, Whatever?? =S) not really a fan winner there. But then apart from Lampard and Ballack he was the only guy making an effort to actually get into the attack mode. However, that missed shot was just that missed.. by what 1200 miles? Seriously, you practise?

And Joe Cole, I don’t know who told you you’re cute but your antics on the field yesterday were just not at all funny. I think the barber might have shaved off a part of your brain along with your hair the last time you paid him a visit.

Lampard had earlier managed to tie the game in the 45th minute, hence leading to ET twice. Of course no one bothered with scoring any goal, however they were busy otherwise: faking injuries, water breaks and the almost bum-fights. By the end of it all I was beginning to feel sorry for the stewards, poor kids had to drag in a stretcher every time a player tripped or fell. What the hell, are you two years old?

And then the penalty shots. The joy and the fear. Best way to have a heart failure. I hated the WC match between England and Portugal for the same reason. Have some mercy guys. It’s brutal.

Man U got on Tevez, Carrick, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and Giggs for the penalty shots. Chelsea had Ballack, no idea, Lampard, Cole, Terry, Kalolou, and Anelka. You’d think watching penalties going down wasn’t enough drama; Ronaldo had to go and miss his. Strangely predictable actually. That No. 7 jersey carries with it a subtle curse as well. So now that Man U was at disadvantage Chelsea fans couldn’t be happy enough. However, on comes Terry at number five. The rain’s pouring down, the field is soaking wet and if you follow enough soccer, you would know it’s a match made in heaven for the opposing team. Viola, Terry misses his turn as he slips and is that joy I see on our beloved boy’s faces. Yes siree.

Now that the penalties are tied again with Anderson and Kalolou successfully taking their shots, it all comes down to the Butterfly Man, Anelka. Van Der Sar, God I feel like hugging him crazy, that man used reverse psychology out there on the field, believe me you. And how it worked! Anelka takes his turn, misses and feefaaaaaa... (Sorry it’s just that I love that UEFA soundtrack)

So Man U wins against Chelsea on penalty shots 6-5 and I’m all happy. Thank God it didn’t turn out like those Safin matches.

I might be crazy; I might be insanely into this game. After all it’s just a game right? But what a game.