Malfunction 54 profile picture

Malfunction 54

Kind of common crime, kind of common living-lie.

About Me

    Hallo! I am currently living on the prairie, a reluctant capitalist with an unrealized secret socialist side. I am currently (again) a graduate student of biology . I have since found a previously unknown passion for microbial ecology and bioinformatics. Soon, I will begin a new master’s topic that deals with development of an undergraduate curriculum in bioinformatics .

    I have great passion for the natural world and fucking love evolutionary biology and natural history. Consider myself to be a bit of a left-thinking individual. I have multifarious and often ephemeral hobbies; some of the more lasting of them are home brewing, herb-growing, and geocaching . I play guitar poorly, like the ancient world and old Rome. Can probably out drink you, can sound like anybody if I try hard enough, have a folder full of voice-talent auditions, am introspective, a fast-typer. Oh, and oh yeah, I am Irish . Top that.

    Career aspirations are toward a medical degree. In fact, I was on a wait-list to get into medical school last fall but I didn’t make the cut that time round—so we are back in graduate school for a different masters’ focus until I can apply again for 2008. But, in the meantime I am hoping to win the lottery.

    What I am into? Really a fan of the Wikipedia , and try to make edits whenever they are due. You can check me out here as frenkmelk to see some of my edits and contributions. Hey, I am no copy-editor, but I know what I know, eh? I have been reviewing my X-files lately too. The last 3 seasons especially--I am a Doggett fan! He is a skeptic!

    Recently, I have really rediscovered my zeal for my science. Being back in school has really awakened me to how much I really used to love life sciences. Lately, I have been involved with some other graduate students and professors to try to form a green-eco friendly club on campus to reduce carbon footprints and enforcing the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle and all that) this summer we will be appealing to the administration and others to push for a greener campus. Evolutionary biology is another great passion of mine and something that I very strongly about. Likewise, I think it may in order to take a more radical stance when it comes informing the layperson or non-expert just exactly what evolution is and what it is not. In many instances, it appears the evangelical right has taken the initiative on this matter. Also, on the biology front, I am into panspermia --the hypothesis that life came to Earth via comets in the archean era . Also, in general the speculated early ecology of the Earth I have found really interesting as it likely gave rise to life as we realize it today.

    I am always up for meeting those who have some capacity for EXTREME irony and are fellow wits and trivia whizzes. I do not, however, espouse any total doctrine of any party though, I will vote with the Dems and am intrigued by libertarianism too. Also, I am all about empiricism and have been trying to make myself a more objective person in my old age. I like to compose short absurd stories with which I amuse my friends. I have been known to write erotica about Illinois politicians—who knows, they may amuse you too. I am an avid documentarian and have volumes of pictures, video, and years of journaling to prove it. I am not a religious person—was raised Irish- Catholic but consider myself an agnostic at present (but shh! don’t tell my parents!) However, I am fascinated with mythology and its importance and impact on cultures, just a shame that people use their doctrines to affect and subjugate others. I am also fascinated by how people are willing to delude themselves and remain willfully ignorant of the world around them simply because they are tethered to some arcane system of beliefs from which they cannot stray. I don't care what you believe in...Just be able to tell me why you believe it.


My Interests

On the pop-culture scene I like: Space Ghost, David Lynch, P.T. Anderson, Mr. Show, Shakespeare, Christopher Guest, old Rome and Greece, cosmology, Sealab, Conan, Reno 911, Aqua Teen Hungerforce, Tolkein, Homebrewing, running, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Super Milk Chan, Wondershowzen, the Daily Show, Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, Saturday Night Live, oz, etc.I am worth $2,368,844 on HumanForSale.com

I'd like to meet:

You should be able to provide intellectual stimulation. That you would be interested in the more outré elements of or our world would be cool. Precedent too that you have an appreciation of irony and can laugh laugh laugh.

You may be slightly geeky, quirky? Hmm, perhaps a bit left. At least espouse the ideals of the Human Rights Campaign, and Amnesty International. Social justice and basically not a REpUbLIcan (i should preface that I mean not a hardcore religious-right style evangelical...unless you are really cool or really hot). You are open minded, funny, ridiculous, preposterous,
and terribly witty, maybe a bit sarcastic...hmm???

Someone who loves cilantro, and wishes 'the Dark Crystal' was just a bit longer than it was. Someone who feels Tori Amos is a deity of some sort and should be given worship.

At any rate, buzz me if I read as a boy whom you may want to get to know. Don't be shy now. Mwah!

MATES FOR LIFE!!!!

Colin met Elyse when they were both students at Millikin University. She has been best mates with him ever since: both Colin and Elyse are MATES FOR LIFE!!!!

Colin and Andy met when they were both at different high schools in the early 90s. Since that time, they have been MATES FOR LIFE!!!!

Colin and Teri met while schooling at university. They have been estranged over the years but have recently affirmed that they are MATES FOR LIFE!!!!


Colin met Nanette when they were both students at Millikin University. She has been best mates with him ever since, and each has been an integral part of the other's life for over 10 years: both Colin and Nanette are MATES FOR LIFE!!!!

Music:

Pixies, Breeders, Rocket from the Crypt, Ani, Hedwig, Liz Phair, Beatles, Rentals, Weezer, REM, Stereolab, Zappa, Heather Nova, Poe, Pogues, Violent Femmes, Magnetic Fields, Tori Amos, Bowie, beck, Flaming Lips, Soul Coughing, Belly, Mike Doughty, Ditty Bops, Guided by Voices, TMBG, MC Paul Barman, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Princess Superstar, Badly Drawn Boy, Anna Waronker, PJ Harvey, Smiths, Morrissey, Happy Mondays, Sufjan Stevens, Nellie McKay, Beth Orton, Beastie Boys, Morcheeba, Rufus Wainwright, all that shit

Movies:

exorcist, magnolia, lotr, dune, best in show, waiting for guffman, anything by terry gilliam, titus, anything by mr. lynch, the dark crystal, nixon, jfk, martrix, secretary, frida, titus, glengarry glenross, 24 hour party people, apocaylpse now

Television:

daily show, conan, aqua teen, blind date, stella, deadwood, howard stern, mr. show, ali g, curb your enthusiam, oz, sopranos, so graham norton, kumars at no 42, coupling, tom goes to the mayor, super milk chan, david letterman, jeopardy!, wondershowzen, monty python, kids in the hall, saturday night live, oz

Books:

stephen jay gould's shit, silmarillion, schott's miscellany, salman rushdie, neil gaiman, shakespeare, sedaris, eggers, douglas adams, orson scott card, steven almond, saul alinsky, simone debeauvoir

Heroes:

Eddie Steve, Dr. Frenk Melk,

My Blog

Turning Tables...

So this little IM was waiting ofr me, totally unsolicited, when I finished watching the SOPRANOS tonite.  At first I thought it was just another spammer or bot sending out random messages, but I ...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Tue, 22 May 2007 10:05:00 PST

On the tele...

Okay, so maybe it is a bit trite to make my first blog in months about a damned tv show, but I must simply rave about tonite's ep of LOST. Did anyone catch that shit? I cannot get enough of that frick...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Thu, 10 May 2007 08:59:00 PST

my day

This is probably the first birthday that i can remember that i was really NOT looking foward to. AND it is on a Monday of all days. Being 32 is something that was never considered before, and now i ha...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:27:00 PST

P p p pirate!

you chicagolanders may remember this little gem. I have been obsessing over this ALL week. when I was in seventh grade some kid told me that he had seen this, and I didn't believe him until I read a...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Sat, 24 Feb 2007 11:52:00 PST

Hain't posted in a while...

Man, is it ever February out!!! I have done very little to advance my causes lately. winter doldrums and all that. I have been making piecemeal progress on my new graduate proposal though, and i do be...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:48:00 PST

Something

Last night at 1 a.m., i took very very ill and vomited and runs, and the whole bit.  death was a welcomer partner than that illness.  i actually had to have some one call into work for me to...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Wed, 03 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

SHOWS

Seems a sillly trifling to wait so long before posting a blog and then have it be one about tv and films, but whatever, winter doldrums. My semester is soon to wrap up, but not before i stared down te...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:35:00 PST

Awful Jackass

Today at work this geriatric pair came up to the counter to request Brian, one of the Pharmacists to speak to them. They apparently knew each other from church or some such nonsense, and after all the...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:53:00 PST

YOU MU$T VOTE!!!

You kinna ferget ta do'it on TUESDAY!!! VOTE, EH?!
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:13:00 PST

Uglio was right!

Oblio always asserted that he felt I bore a resemblence to Pablo Picasso, and now, with this here celebrity lookalike thing, I guess he was right! The foto is submitted returned a 68% similarity to PP...
Posted by Through the Looking Glass on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 08:42:00 PST