1. Dennis on December 23, 2010 12:28 AM writes...

If you happen to feel like doing any blogging at all, my vote is always for more baking preps.

If you have a book of tolerances not just for the lab but for the kitchen as well, you can add that substituting peppermint flavor shots from coffee shops for peppermint extract (when every store in your city runs out of peppermint extract) will, in fact, make a significant difference. I didn't try subbing in cheese dip, but I assume that would have had even worse results.

2. Cartesian on December 23, 2010 4:48 AM writes...

Good break !

3. Anonymous on December 23, 2010 10:39 AM writes...

Merry Christmas, and thank you for your efforts here. Much appreciated.

4. St Hick on December 23, 2010 12:42 PM writes...

Merry Christmas Derek, thanks for the good writing this year!

5. quintus on December 23, 2010 12:43 PM writes...

merry Xmas and a happy New Year from Switzerland

6. Curt F. on December 23, 2010 1:04 PM writes...

Thanks for having such a cool blog. Happy Christmas and good blogging in 2011!

7. downunder on December 23, 2010 3:45 PM writes...

Cheers Derek
come down under one year and you can have a summer Christmas, with zero light pollution just out of town!

8. Ryecatcher on December 23, 2010 7:51 PM writes...

merry Christmas and a happy New Year from China

9. PorkPieHat on December 24, 2010 11:30 AM writes...

Happy Holidays, Derek:
تعطیلات خوشی را برای شما آرزو می کنیم

10. distantdiamond on December 24, 2010 12:32 PM writes...

Merry Christmas and hope you have a great Hogmanay!

11. Pharmaheretic on December 24, 2010 12:45 PM writes...

Happy holidays, and here is something that might interest you.
---

Discovery of new molecule can lead to more efficient rocket fuel

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-12-discovery-molecule-efficient-rocket-fuel.html

"As mentioned, what is specific to this molecule is that it contains only nitrogen and oxygen. Only eight such compounds were previously known, and most of them were discovered back in the 18th century. This is also clearly the largest of the nitrogen oxides. Its molecular formula is N(NO2)3, and the molecule is similar to a propeller in shape," says Tore Brinck.

12. flavor on December 24, 2010 4:29 PM writes...

#1 tell them to buy better quality flavoring and the taste gap will vanish.

13. Mike on December 24, 2010 7:31 PM writes...

Merry Christmas, thanks for another fun and informative year :)

14. coprolite on December 26, 2010 12:59 PM writes...

Listening to Pachelbel's Canon in MIDI format, it's a sublime experience, Baroque meets ringtone.

15. Dr R Sole on December 26, 2010 2:54 PM writes...

Oh little town of Loughborough..far la la la la –la –lahhh...
A Charnwood Christmas......aka...
A Visit from St David.....
On Christmas Eve night, while his wife and children weep, a scientist awakens to noises outside his lab. Looking out the window, he sees St. Dave in a sleigh pulled by eight brown-nosers. After flying on to the roof, St Dave enters the site through the fume extraction system, carrying a sack of redundancy notices with him. The SMT watches St Dave shi%^ing into the children's stockings hanging by the fire, and laugh to themselves. They share a conspiratorial moment before St Dave bounds up the extraction system again. As he flies away, Dave wishes everyone a happy Christmas.
This wonderful moment lead to an enduring favourite for all Charnwood families to read together at this time of year......
T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the site
Not a scientist was stirring, they were all as scared as shite.
The CV’s were hung by the fume hoods with care,
In fear that St David soon would be there.

The SMT were nestled all rich in their beds,
While visions of redundancies danced in their heads.
And Anders in her ‘kerchief, and Chris, using a vaginal cap,
Had just snuggled together for a long winter’s ‘nap’!

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the office to see what t’was the matter.
Away to the labs I flew like a flash,
Tore open the doors and threw up the fume hood sash.

The moon on the breast of the Leicestershire snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day on the tossers below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a lovely sleigh, and eight tiny HR queers.

With a little old driver, so conniving and slick,
I knew in a moment he must be a compete prick.
More rapid than eagles his Brown-nosers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Mike! Now, Chris! Now , Anders and King!
On, Bhaji! On, Mingey! on, on Martin – let’s Blitz em!
To the top of the Pharmaceutical Development Facility! To the Chemistry Halls!
Now Sack away! Sack away! Sack away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to Biology the brown-nosers they flew,
With the sleigh full of displacement notices, and St David too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each brown-nosing poof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the extraction stack St Dave came with a bound.

He was dressed in a cheap suit, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with malfeasance soot.
A bundle of p45’s he had flung on his back,
And he looked like Beelzebub (actually, old Nick’s bollock sack!).

His teeth they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the gleam of his teeth was as white as the snow.

That disingenuous grin he did with his teeth,
And the hypocrisy it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had an insincere face and a closed little mind,
But I shook when he laughed, - and lost control of my behind!

He was slimy and elusive, a right creepy old oaf,
And I gagged when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had everything to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And sacked all the staff, then had a quick jerk!
And pushing his unwashed finger right up his nose,
And giving a nod, up the fume stack he rose!

He sprang to his Merc, to his SMTeam gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Fuck you lot of losers, my pension’s alright’’!

16. cliffintokyo on December 28, 2010 1:58 AM writes...

#15 The lAZt word on the *seAZon of goodwill*?
Merry ChristmAZ Break(down).

17. Aniket on December 28, 2010 10:37 AM writes...

Merry Xmas, and Happy new year!! Hoping to hear some good news in the new year!!

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