The return of the white coat?

[The Prof]

Oh my, is this sniffing competition really going to happen?

It would make a splendid reportage type story for LabLit, that is for sure!

What do you think, Jenny?

[Mad Dan Eccles]

Yoo-hoo? Jenny?

[tideliar]

She's on holiday...




Wish I could have a holiday...

[challenge]

Wish I could have a holiday...

shheezzz tiddles. Don't you know, only those lazy Europeans have vacations. Weak, that's what they are! We however, the proud "Americans" don't need that silly thing. We work and we produce and we are happy in doing so. There is nothing more wonderful than to work all through summer and maybe take one odd Friday off for a looooong weekend.




[if someone doesn't know it, i'm trying to be sarcastic and funny... we lazy swedes... never heard that, right? of course I've heard it.]

[frogfactory]

I wish I could have a holiday, and I'm still in the UK. I had Download weekend off, but other than that I've been working just about every day - 7/7 - since Christmas. Somehow I don't think much will change when I move to the States in - eek - a month and a half, though.

Edit: I've just discovered that I never knew the tune of the American anthem. Goodness. Maybe if I was interested in televised sports I would.

[Beatrice]

Isn't the first line 'José, can you see?'

So considerate these Yanks are about having a good view of the pitch, regardless of ethic origin.

[tideliar]

*snort* Easily twisted into something about the immigration issue, actually...

D'yknow, the tune? An English drinking song, apparently!

Frogfactory, you'll be able to see the Key bridge in DC (links Georgetown with Rosslyn, VA), named after Francis Scott Key, author of the US anthem.

I love it, tbh Very stirring, wicked good patriotic song.

[frogfactory]

Ugh, anything patriotic (in any country) I find simply distasteful. It's a nonsensical way to think that means discarding all of one's critical faculties. How can you be 'proud' of a whole damn country?

[Mad Dan Eccles]

Oh tosh. It's perfectly doable to love your country while accepting her faults. I admire the Americans for pulling it off - in the UK we're not 'allowed' to do it anymore.

I'd go so far as to say that the true patriot is one who is completely aware of the faults and works to remedy them. Loving something that you know is imperfect is worth more than loving the ideal of that thing (or person).

[frogfactory]

I completely disagree. But then I'm mixed race and have spent most of my life in a country to which I have neither ties of birth nor nationality, so I'm the perfect person for instinctive patriotic tendencies to pass right by.

So, smelly lab coats.

[tideliar]

I like Dan's perspective.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

can be completely taken out of context because here it applies to what we now call Nationalism. Nationalism is abhorrent and an excuse for racist xenophobia and isolationism. Patriotism is the celebration of pride in one's history and culture. Celebrate her successes whilst acting to remedy her faults.

Anyway, lab coats? I want one with the Stars and Stripes on one arm and the Union Flag (the Brit one, not the Confederate one) on the other

[Editor]

Oh my, is this sniffing competition really going to happen?
It would make a splendid reportage type story for LabLit, that is for sure!
What do you think, Jenny?

Is this a trick question?

Heh. I'm definitely up for it, but we'd have to put some ground rules into place so that all the 'samples' were processed the same.

And there can't be any 'doping' (i.e. cologne). I'm not sure if I trust either of you two gentlemen...

[Mad Dan Eccles]

I'm offended, Madam Editor.

Not at the implication I wear cologne, but at the implication my smell isn't already manly enough.

Welcome back. Been away?

[frogfactory]

That's what we're going to find out.

Could someone who's not me, chall, MDE or tiddles write up a protocol?

[tideliar]

Well, in the interests of good, ethical science, neither Dan nor I can write the protocol... and are we going double-blind, in which our sniffers should be the writers?

Personally I think I've got this one in the bag, Koln or not. Today we have the CK, but this evening for the pre-4th drinkie-poos there's my fave (and one for the laydess), Armani's "Black Code". It can set off the new cast I'll have thanks to a freshly broken knuckle


grrrr