The Gossip Mill

I'm as likely to spread a juicy rumour as any other 20-something girl with a voice. But cheese-and-rice, does the gossip fly when Apple even hints at the idea of a new gadget or gizmo.

The specific electronic device of which I am speaking is the highly anticipated, exceedingly blogged-about Apple tablet. Most of it is speculation, of course, as Apple hasn't even shown prototypes at any of the electronics shows yet.

I've always been a PC girl. I grew up with the old-ass IBM desktops and got my first laptop (a Dell Inspiron) when I came to college. Windows is my comfort zone, although Microsoft hasn't always made it easy on me...

Then, in 2008, I lost my cell phone. At Six Flags. On X2. Totally worth it. My contract was almost up with Sprint and my husband and I were looking for new phones anyway. I wanted a Blackberry and he wanted a touch screen phone. I let him choose where he wanted to go since EVERYONE carries Blackberries.... we looked at all the provider stores in the mall, then just for fun, we went to the Apple Store to check out the iPhone. It won hands-down over all of the other choices. I even changed my Blackberry-loving mind and went over to the dark side.

I've never looked back. Apple made a stellar product that was exceptionally customizable. I could make my phone reflect me and work the way I wanted it to. I could make it look the way that I wanted. I could organize and reorganize and categorize. As I found more and more apps, I became more and more satisfied with my product.

Now, as a shopper, I'm conflicted. I love to spend money, but I feel guilty doing it. Consequently, I often feel buyer's remorse when I spend >$200 in a clip. Buying 2 iPhones at $200 each +service and activation should have brought me to my knees... it didn't. That says a lot about my satisfaction that the money I spent was worth it.

So now, Apple is coming out with a tablet that's rumoured to be like a large iPhone. There are tons of artist predictions out there on the interweb of what it will look like and what functionalities it will have, but the best prediction? The price point. It's supposed to be available for <$1000. Win.

I'm still on my laptop PC, but I'm thinking I could become bi-computer-ial (?). After all, Macs are a little better for graphic design and even some lab work.... I'm keeping my ear to this gossip mill so I can once again get a toy that I won't regret buying.

Tripping on Amino Acids

I was reading this post today and was amazed by all that I didn't know about amino acids and athleticism. I've taken more biochemistry classes than I can count on both hands, many of them specifically related to protein biochemistry and I don't know anything relevant about amino acids. I don't know how they're metabolized (except for a few key players), how they partition in the body, or which amino acids make up a majority of the pool in the body.

I was astounded. As a protein biochemist, I was appalled that I didn't know these things. As a sometimes-athlete/biochemist, I was intrigued. I had no idea that glutamine was the most abundant amino acid in the body, but when I got to thinking about it, that made a lot of sense. It contains 2 amines (the peptidyl amine and the functional moiety) so it's very useful in metabolic reactions. It can be deaminated to produce glutamic acid, it can donate to several hydrogen bonds, it can form salt bridges since it's often protonated at physiological pH.

I knew from my extensive education that branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) were important for athletes due to their necessity in muscles, but I had never sat down and pondered this. They play a crucial role in oxidative metabolism (they're used as fuel) and are a crucial component in the immune response after physical exertion (again, related to glutamine!)

I guess I've never given much though to the human body as a whole, since I'm so ofen focused on my one little protein. I don't give amino acids the credit they deserve for all the varied activites they are part of. I've always said that lysine is my favorite amino acid. Today, I'd like to give a shout out to BCAAs with a special nod to glutamine. Thanks!