University of Michigan Cellular and Molecular Biology graduate student.

2008

UCLA and USC coaches find color scheme that works [∞]

Cardinal red. True blue. One field. A melding of our city’s most enduring collegiate sports, a masterpiece of our city’s most enduring colors, spread across a canvas for 90,000 to cheer and embrace and admire.

Efficient tumor formation by single human melanoma cells [∞]

From the Wired Science article:

“We’re not trying to claim there is no merit to the field, but we think that the frequency of cancer stem cells will be much higher,” said Sean Morrison, director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the U-M Life Sciences Institute and coauthor of the study in Nature Thursday. “And there will be some cancers like melanoma where lots of cells will be tumorigenic and it won’t be possible to treat those cancers by treating a small subset of cells.”

Musicians get meta in Guitar Hero and Rock Band [∞]

There’s something satisfyingly self-referential about watching talented musicians try to play their own music in Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Especially when they’re worse than you.

My two favorites are the Anthrax and Rush videos.

Let Detroit go bankrupt [∞]

Mitt Romney, Detroit native, on how the government should respond to the Big 3’s request for a federal bailout:

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

Basketball believes in life after Love [∞]

“Kevin was a big part of our success,” said senior guard Josh Shipp. “He was that guy who could get you 10 rebounds per game, and we don’t have that this year. Everyone has to take it upon themselves to get in there and get a lot more rebounds.”

Love averaged 17.5 points and 10.4 rebounds and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. He left for the NBA after one season in Westwood.

The incoming freshman class, dubbed the “fab five,” was ranked the best in the country, and possibly the best since the Wooden era. I’m looking forward to seeing Jrue Holiday and J’Mison Morgan play tomorrow at Madison Square Garden against Michigan.

Why buy the cow? 27 popular websites that became books [∞]

I just got Stuff White People Like from the library, but I wouldn’t ever pay for any of these works. Also, doesn’t The Onion fit into this category?

New Order Factory years remaster disaster [∞]

I was looking forward to the upcoming Rhino deluxe edition remasters of New Order, but apparently they are plagued by mastering problems. Wait until 2009 to pick these up.

Early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease [∞]

Where are the keys? What did I go into the kitchen for? Should I be worrying about my — you know, that thing, memory? Or is this just what happens to everyone with age?

The 4-Track Era box bundle [∞]

Limited edition (250 copies) box of DJ Shadow’s early work:

Several hours of Shadow’s formative work is included in this limited set. Recorded between 1989 and 1992 in bedrooms, dorm rooms and friend’s attics, Shadow’s passion and sweat is evident in every mind-bending minute of breakbeat madness. Remixes, mega-mixes, original tracks…all made for the sheer love of music.

Factory Records’ 30th anniversary feted with box set [∞]

Spreading some 63 Factory favorites across four discs in rough chronological order, A Factory Box Set indeed includes a healthy sampling of Joy Division and New Order, as well as representative offerings from New Order offshoots Electronic, Revenge, and the Other Two. But the set also finds room for other post-punk heavyweights and lesser-knowns (Cabaret Voltaire, A Certain Ratio, Section 25, the Wake, Quando Quango), Madchester staples (Happy Mondays, Northside), and even a few folks who would go on to bigger things (OMD, James). There through it all is perhaps the imprint’s one true constant, the Durutti Column, who gets a track on each of the four discs.

I think it’d be cooler if they repressed the New Order albums on vinyl, but this box set sounds decent.