Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

.....fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better

The Talking Heads are expressing what I'm about to turn into.

So, if you recall, I started doing these in vivo labeling experiments to look at protein phosphorylation and what not. Now, here's the deal. The way this experiment is done, you dump a shit load (and I mean, shit load) of radioactivity onto cells growing into culture. (Screaming hot, as one would say) then you gotta let it sit for a while, and hope that your protein of interest picks up a nugget or two of this, then you isolate said protein and examine it. Kapish? Anyhow, with every step, the radioactivity (and therefore, hotness) decreases quite significantly, until (at the end) you're left with this wimpy wimpy signal that you gotta pick up pretty quickly (because, thanks to the half life of P32), its going to be half gone every 14 days or so.

At this point, enter K (with 5 millicuries of hotness) and a paranoid baymate.

(Baymate noun n. Someone who shares a common work area, usually working in close proximity.)

"You know, I've been kind of sick ever since you started doing these experiments"

I sigh to myself, pretend not to hear, I know what is coming next.

"I said, I've been kind of sick every since you started doing these experiments."

"No really, like how?"

"I've been having blackouts. Well, not blackouts, but you know what I mean."

"Actually, no. Hmm. That's not good. Have you seen a doctor?"

"No. I haven't. Not yet. I'm not very sick."

"Maybe you should."

I leave the room. This is not headed in a good direction. I come back. I turn on the Geiger counter, which screams like a mandrake being uprooted. (At least that's how I imagine they sound.)

"Do you not see me?"

Huh?

"Do you not see me?" This time, its louder and angrier.

I look up, its Frenchie. I want to say, "No I did not see you, I was FOCUSING ON MY RADIOACTIVITY TRYING NOT TO BE DISTRACTED." Instead I reply:

"What's the problem?"

"The radiation."

"Umm, ok? I have a shield. And?"

"Well you have a shield. But what about me?"

I look across. There are two shields between us. A big one across the bench between us and a smaller one in front of it. Besides he's far away from the source. I wonder if I should launch into a discussion on the inverse square law and then I ditch that idea.

So its K - shield - radiation - space- space - space-space - space - shield - shield - Frenchie. I just want to finish this experiment and go home. In any case, he's barely ever at the bench, either he's checking out videos on You Tube or surfing the web, I think. I'm actually trying to do a complicated experiment here and I don't have the patience for this bullshit right now. Besides, my very hot and phosphorylated protein is degrading even as I speak. I look around, all radiation shields are occupied, plus he's already walking away, so I just shrugged and continued.

Something tells me, there's going to be drama when I do this experiment again next week. Also, I'm going to use about 8 - fold more radioactivity. Sheesh.

I call Matt from safety, I need two lead containers. And lots of shielding between me and Frenchie.

I'm surrounded by idiots.