DNA Sequencing + color = pony bead necklace

Next abstract, yes? I haven't painted horses yet... life and friends and school are a bit busy. But this is after the horses!

Before Sun Sinks by Yangyang Pan

And a lecture slide blew my mind yesterday, I'm going to try to explain this:

credit to Dr. Matthew Sachs and Dr. Joseph Sorg,
taken from BIOL 351 lecture slides

The dATP, dGTP, dCTP, and dTTP are nucleotide bases. If you take off the hydroxyl group, you get the corresponding ddATP, ddGTP, ddCTP, and ddTTP, which are chain-terminating nucleotides because the 5' phosphate of the next nucleotide can't bond without that 3' hydroxyl. Researchers marked the dd's with flourescent markers.  If you make many single-strand sequences from the original strand's pattern using the d-nucleotides and flourescent dd-nucleotides, the chains will always end with the chain-terminating dd-nucleotides at random lengths. And these dd's are the nucleotides that fluoresce! So you use electrophoresis to order the synthesized strands by weight (corresponding to length), and you get a colorful sequence. How ingenious is that? I hope you were able to follow.

This sequencing technique can't separate larger fragments due to computer-reading errors, so it isn't as useful for large projects. I'm more interested in the logic behind the process. It makes sense. It deals with chemistry. And it processes genomes. "How neat is that?"

Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.  Deuteronomy 13:4

Have you seen the stars at night?

I would rather be here:

The McDonald Observatory

Looking at these:

photo credit: Zach Schrock Photo Blog

But nonspecific host resistance and intraepidermal lymphocytes are cool too. Thank you, Joel, for making sure I am in tip top studying shape and ready to conquer some tests. And thank you, Mama Russell, for buying good green tea. (I term-dropped the intraepidermal lymphocytes for sympathy, but my real hidden agenda is to make you jealous. I am so positive that everything I am studying is way cooler than whatever you have to study.)

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-12.

Long live Yossarian

I wouldn't recommend Joseph Heller's Catch-22 to everyone. But I recommend it to myself every ten years and I can't wait for that time to come.
     "Death to all modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed
      through his hands went every adverb and every adjective."
     "Clevinger really thought he was right, but Yossarian had proof, because
      strangers he didn't know shot at him with cannons every time he flew up
      into the air to drop bombs on them, and it wasn't funny at all."

And watch out, all you who frequent Oregon.  There is a giant fungus.
It is old news, but interesting nonetheless.

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Psalm 103:1

Agape invite, for you

Agape is tonight! Come! All two of you! Hi mom, hi hailie. I love you both. Mom you get a pass on this one because you live far away. You haven't seen this one yet because I did it last weekend, and so I will show you here:

Reproduction of Claude Monet's Bulbfield and Windmill 
Near Leyden by Bailey Jones.

It is more of a simpleton in comparison to Monet's original. But it is also in a different medium and a smaller size. You won't get to see my version in person. Hopefully. Because if you never see it, this means someone has bought it at the auction and that would be wonderful.



And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Only the classy horses, please.

I want my next painting to be one of these. At least one of them is a pastel, so I get to play around a little  more than usual in making it into a painting.

Which one? (hailie...)

The Start of the Hunt by Edgar Degas, 1863-1865.

Racehorses at Longchamp by Edgar Degas, 1871.

Racehorses at Longchamp by Edgar Degas, 1873.

Before the Race by Edgar Degas, 1882-1884.

Race Horses by Edgar Degas, 1885-1888.

I'm really excited. I have never tried horses in a medium besides colored pencil. And any of these would look southern classy in the front sitting room, yes? I love how Degas seems to outline his subjects, and almost colors in the lines. It boosts contrast and keeps things from the overworked look. Because his style is a bit unique- the sketches show the varied speeds and motives of the subjects- it might be hard to emulate. But my version of his work probably won't get this lifeless...

The Fallen Jockey by Edgar Degas, 1896-1898.

Heh heh heh. Sorry Degas. That one wasn't your best.


Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:25

Call your mom!

Good morning!!

These things are on my mind:

The house is wonderful for putting out blueberries and blackberries
   in the morning.
Let's call beth "bburfever" because she suggested it in her sleep.
Ochem really is tough, but so so so cool.
I turned in paperwork for a double major and minor, so now that's official.
Saturday is parent's weekend and I hope there is a beautiful sunset.
Joel gave me a long-sleeve barely-cream A&M polo club shirt and I did a
   load of whites last night. But I forgot to throw the shirt in.... so today I'm
   reppin' Spencer
Camp comes in five weeks? also Parker's wedding. Also two graduations.
   Also finals.
And all the thoughts that come with reading:
     The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis
     The Bible
     Alzheimer's Disease: the Changing View, by Katzman and Bick
     Better, by Atul Gawande

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

It's film day.

It is friday!! Movie day!

This one is eighteen minutes.

This one is also eighteen minutes, but only 

because you hit replay seventeen times.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17