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Some two years after my academic colleague and I were first invited to author a book chapter, the book (finally) has been published by Springer Press. Scroll down, Chapter 12 I think.

In case your normal sleep aid has been failing you, try this

While considerable research into colorectal cancer (CRC) has implicated many genetic alterations that trigger the disease and sustain its progression, there are few well-validated, clinically useful molecular biomarkers of CRC. The observation that cancer is highly diverse across individual tumors is manifested at the molecular level by concomitantly diverse patterns of gene expression. However, while analysis of gene expression has been used to identify candidate biomarkers of cancer, such biomarkers frequently do not cross validate well on independent datasets and this has raised legitimate concerns regarding the usefulness of gene expression based markers. It is has been postulated that by integrating the functional information of gene products into the approach, networks of mechanistically related gene products may be identified and used to develop more robust biomarkers. Many such approaches focus on established signaling pathways for this purpose; however, pathways consisting of a few proteins interacting in a serial fashion oversimplify, and provide inadequate models for, a complex phenotype (e.g. CRC) mediated by a constellation of interacting gene products. Here, we discuss several integrative techniques based on cellular networks (protein–protein interactions) and incorporation of lower-coverage, but functionally relevant proteomic data, and show the power these techniques hold for prioritizing disease genes for biomarker discovery and biological verification of function.

I know, right — a real page turner. And that’s just the abstract!

Only $159.00 as an e-book! The perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite insomniac. There’s even enough time before Christmas to have me sign it. What are you waiting for?!

Well that was easy.

This Lucky Dog drew the Ace of Hearts today. We played for a while in the back yard at the shelter. A surprisingly warm day in October, nearly 60. Couldn’t find a single reason not to adopt him.

Meet Chester.

A vital, 11-month old Lab/Husky mix who’s only shortcoming so far is he doesn’t seem to know his name is Chester. He appears to be a bright boy, though, he’ll catch on.

I frequently hear in the course of foreign policy discussions that the United States is the only country in the world with sufficient military force to weaken and eventually destroy groups like ISIL. This is usually brought up in the context of air strikes. I have never understood the basis for this claim. Clearly, Israel, for instance, has a competent military, including fighter jets and trained pilots to do considerable damage to ISIL. And Israel is much closer to Iraq and Syria than the U.S., a practical advantage in terms of deployment. The reason Israel doesn’t join the attack against ISIL, I assume, is because it would inflame a larger religious war in the middle east. Sure, certain Muslim (Shia) countries in the middle east have joined the fight against ISIL, Iran for instance, but Iran and other Muslim countries would likely go apoplectic if a Jewish army were to start bombing Muslims, even if those Muslims are radical Sunni terrorists, i.e. ISIL.

I assume individual NATO members, such as France, also have an adequate military force to weaken ISIL. The latest events in northern Syria indicate that Russia does too.

Interesting how you never hear the American government admit they were wrong about being the only country with adequate military power, when Russia, for instance, wages effective bombing campaigns against ISIL in Syria. What you hear, at least what I hear, is not that the Russian military cannot be effective at weakening ISIL, it’s that Russia is doing this without U.S. approval or NATO’s coordination, and that they’re bombing targets other than ISIL (e.g., rebel groups supposedly fighting Assad but not aligned with ISIL).

Pretty clearly the U.S. really isn’t the only country with a military capable of fighting and eventually defeating terrorist groups. I find it surprising then why Obama and members of his administration continue to make this claim, in light of the fact that Obama refuses to authorize the bombing of ISIL in Syria, and so far has only given limited support for the same in Iraq. If you ask me, I like the fact that Obama hasn’t authorized military force in Syria, but I’d also like it if he would be consistent and stop saying that the U.S. is the only country capable of succeeding at it.

Closer to home…

We’re going to visit a young dog at the animal shelter this afternoon. Who knows, if he licks our faces and wags his tail just right it may be his lucky day.

Update: Evidently Obama has not refused to order air strikes in Syria against ISIS targets. I should have said he was reluctant to do so.

You know you’re in Wisconsin when

Or when I say, “Andy, look up.”

Half fish, half woman. Somebody must occasionally apply a smear of deodorant. She didn’t smell the least bit fishy.

A shout out to Cleos in Appleton, especially for those infamous Dirty Snowballs.

Or you find yourself thoroughly enjoying Boogie and the Yo-Yoz.

Wisconsibly, of course.

Or you come upon a very old lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Door County

Or you discover a bumble bee on approach to a Salvia bloom

Or you spot goats on the roof at Al Johnson’s

Or you find yourself gorging on Cherry Stuffed French Toast with a side of bacon at The White Gull Inn.

Or your sister suddenly sneaks up on you to ask if you might want a kiss. Uh…

Or you attempt the Lambeau Leap at Lambeau Field!

Or you’re just hangin’ with friends and family on a Monday night when suddenly the Green Bay Packers emerge from a tunnel!

Or even better yet Aaron Rodgers throws (1 of 5) touchdown passes not fifty feet in front of you!

And to think it all began about ten days ago with Happy Wife tickling an exceptionally passive moose

Vignettes from the Lost Lake mountain bike adventure this past weekend.

Happy Wife stayed back and did the heavy lifting with Barkley, a high-spirited golden retriever.

For as long as I remember I’ve been an Arguer. I’ve argued with my parents, siblings, teachers, friends, co-workers, bosses, people on-line, girlfriends, wives, children, even dogs. I frequently argue with myself, especially on long walks or bike rides alone. I don’t argue to win. I argue, I suppose, for the same reason I breathe. It’s automatic. Somebody says something to me she believes is true, and my instinct — no different than taking a breath — is to ask, What if it’s not true?

I cannot say being an Arguer has served me well. Not in terms of my relationships. Arguing is different than Critical Thinking. At least it’s perceived to be. Critical Thinkers are eventually acknowledged as productive individuals, people who ask good questions; models, mentors. Arguers are perceived as truculent, difficult, refractory, rebellious, averse to agreement on almost anything — people to steer clear of. Arguers are sometimes provocative or amusing for a while, but all the people they know, eventually, fall out of touch.

Sometimes I even get sick of myself.

And yet, we must play the hand we were dealt, no? What else is there to do. Get Counseling! Yeah right. I’m reminded of the Monty Python skit, the one where a patient walks into the therapist’s office and says, I came here for an argument. The therapist says, No you didn’t. Patient barks back, Yes I did! Therapist, No you didn’t!

Round and round it goes. I can see myself in that skit, qua patient.

Naturally, I Googled “arguers anonymous.” I found this.

Ha ha, very funny, a blog devoted to recovering Arguers with no content, no controversy, no disagreement. What kind of sick joke is that.

Although you do have to wonder if being an Arguer isn’t merely a superficial expression of a more disturbing, underlying psychological defect. Except I’ve no childhood trauma to report that might’ve caused such a thing. My upbringing was closely analogous to an eighteen year long episode of Father Knows Best, with me as “Bud.” Although my parents may recall differently.

…

Obama’s coming to Alaska, to Anchorage, on Monday. Ostensibly for a conference on climate change. So we left town to get away from the madness, and headed for our Nest. But wait, he’s coming to Seward too! He’s wants to see Exit glacier. Without us… Sniffle. We’d be happy to have him over. Happy Wife said she’s never made banana pancakes for a standing president, or, for that matter, one that wasn’t standing.

…

We’ve seen considerable death on the beach lately. Tragic, yes, but there’s probably worse ways to go that croaking immediately after sex

We’d no idea there were Eels in Alaska until seeing this poor soul on our beach walk this morning,

Possibly  a Wolf Eel. Although I might Argue otherwise.

Friends from the Boston area are up here visiting.

“Wanna see a glacier?”

“Uh huh.”

And so up we went.

Nearly fell asleep on the bench outside the office building this afternoon. It was that pleasant. When I came to, a bee was buzzing

 

(Embiggening is better).

Alas, the nectar of another was too much to resist,

Later, at home, a raspberry harvest from the south side of our house,

For dinner, lamb chops on the grill,

Paired with Hedge Hog mushrooms harvested by Happy Wife ‘n friends at Tutka Bay, Alaska, along with fresh peas from our garden,

Embiggen!

To think we started off together like this over ten years ago,

 

When I was a young, even the thought of this happening terrified me. That I wouldn’t get my glove up, or be able to duck out of the way in time. Ugh.

 

I opened a chat recently with an Amazon customer support person. I asked why the Felina Women’s Lush Lace Cheeky Boy Panty (2 pair) that were ordered 4 days ago were not already in my mailbox. I’m an Amazon JPrime member, I typed, this entitles me to free 2-day shipping, no? Where are the Lace Cheeky Boy Panties?

The support person, “Mark”, who I assume lives in India, exhibited no specific understanding of the product, what the difference might be between Lush and non-Lush panties, though he was apparently quite concerned and understanding that we were still without the panties. Mark asked that I wait while he checked into it.

“Certainly,” I typed.

As I waited I wondered if Mark, who knew my name was Rod, might be wondering why a man was so anxious to get Lush Lace Cheeky Boy Panties. I wanted to type, “Their for my wife, btw! We share the Amazon account!” But I didn’t. Consequently, there is now a man out there, somewhere, left wondering just what kind of Kink goes on day-to-day in this place called Anchorage, Alaska.

When Mark returned to the chat he assured me I’d have the panties by the time promised, on or before Monday next week. I resisted typing, “Oh no, all my other Lush Cheeky panties are in the wash. I was hoping the panties would arrive today, so I’d have a clean pair to wear!“

But I didn’t.

 Spanking Speaking of Happy Wife, she and friends are attending a cooking class today at the Tutka Bay Lodge. Serious eye candy at that link. I shan’t be idle around the house while she’s away. Grass cutting, bike repair, and then maybe I’ll head downtown for baby back ribs and a martini (or 2) at Haute Quarter Grille.

Outside, summer rages on, although there’s a nip to the morning air lately, a brisk reminder the start of a new season is nigh. The lawn mower will be emptied of gas and stowed in the shed. The rakes briefly deployed to gather the leaves; the garage cleared of summer’s clutter so the cars can be pulled in; a final harvest of fruits and vegetables from the garden. The tourists are gone, back home sorting and sharing their pictures of Alaska, while here the land will take a deep breath and sigh while she awaits her blanket of snow. Sleep will come quickly.

Update: Just got a notification on my phone — the panties are Out For Delivery. What a country!