It's been a while ....

Yeah, I know it's been a while. Yeah, I know you all have been eagerly awaiting my next post.

I know, and I apologize. But, this term has kept me incredibly busy, and when you spend every day reading and writing, its hard to get the motivation to do it for fun. If I were paid to do so, that would be different (and I am currently accepting sponsorship offers) ;)

So, here is something a little different.

For those of you who do not know, I am on Twitter (follow me! @davidmanly) and have become quite an avid Twitter-er.

Therefore, so you can all know what I was up to in San Diego ... here are my Tweets from when I left Ottawa for San Diego to my return.

Ohhh, and zoo pictures will be up soon :)

Enjoy!
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In San Diego, getting ready to go to some receptions. Little nervous, as this is my first time to meet and talk with prof. writers 5:45 PM Feb 18th

Ok, off to shoot a video and then attend some receptions ... wish me luck! 5:54 PM Feb 18th

http://twitpic.com/140j6f - This door-knocker prevents disturbances and potential molesters from coming to you hotel 6:12 PM Feb 18th

http://twitpic.com/140myt - I saw the sign, I opened up my eyes and saw the sign ... 6:32 PM Feb 18th

'Think Canada' button is firmly on my chest. Wooo Canada! #aaas 8:43 PM Feb 18th

Being given a pep talk by the president of the #aaas, who is also a Nobel laureate. 9:53 PM Feb 18th

Wooooo Plasmodium falciparum! I love parasitology and microbiology :) 10:20 PM Feb 18th

I'm in the same hall that has hosted #SDCC Marvel and DC panels, and yet, I am learning about aquaporins. Wooooo ;) 10:26 PM Feb 18th

I'm in the same hall that has hosted #SDCC Marvel and DC panels, and yet, I am learning about aquaporins. Wooooo ;) 10:26 PM Feb 18th

OK, ready to hear about the science of superheroes! Wooooo! #aaas 11:23 AM Feb 19th

Apparently, Masi O. and Milo V. from TV's Heroes are supposed to be here #aaas 11:27 AM Feb 19th

All about making science 'real', and they worked on Watchmen, new Tron, Fringe and Caprica 11:44 AM Feb 19th

Watchmen screenwriter and author of Physics of Superheroes are also here. 11:47 AM Feb 19th

Saw a video with Brian and Stewie talking about science and the awesome reach-around that it is 11:57 AM Feb 19th

19/50 of top grossing films are sci-fi or superhero related 12:00 PM Feb 19th

Day after tomorrow ... bad film with bad science 12:03 PM Feb 19th

Two good scientists in movies: Foster in Contact and Williams in Good Will Hunting 12:14 PM Feb 19th

Screenwriter from Watchmen is great and talking about the plausibility of science 12:21 PM Feb 19th

Death of Gwen Stacy is perfect example of kinetic motion and gravity 12:31 PM Feb 19th

Thank Quantum Mechanics for your iPod 12:38 PM Feb 19th

So happy. Shrodinger's cat thought experiment is being discussed 12:39 PM Feb 19th

Science of Dr. Manhattan finally explained! :) 12:46 PM Feb 19th

Science of different powers on TV's Heroes. Now? Invisibility and flight #aaas 12:59 PM Feb 19th

Last speaker: How do superheroes evolve? 1:13 PM Feb 19th

Best sentence so far: "A mutational innovation" #aaas 1:18 PM Feb 19th

Choanoflagellates ... ancestor of multicelluar animals? 1:28 PM Feb 19th

I just met the woman who is the science advisor for the show Breaking Bad #aaas 1:50 PM Feb 19th

Worst sci-fi movie of all-time from the panel. The consensus is The Core #aaas 2:07 PM Feb 19th

Panel is done ... 90 minutes till my next one about food allergies. Off to exhibit hall 2:15 PM Feb 19th

In the food allergy presentation discussing allergen detection and even a possible cure #aaas10 4:34 PM Feb 19th

No definite cure for allergies, so main way is reading food labels! Do you read them? #aaasa10 4:51 PM Feb 19th

One food contains multiple possible allergens that an individual could be allergic too #aaas10 4:57 PM Feb 19th

Cure possible? A researcher has shown that daily exposure to allergens do increase tolerance. #aaas10 5:26 PM Feb 19th

They expect that within 3 years, a treatment for allergies will be available, besides carrying an Epi-Pen #aaas10 5:41 PM Feb 19th

In a rather dry, but very important seminar, regarding scientist communication with policymakers #aaas10 6:56 PM Feb 19th

Ig Nobel prize discovery - the "rescue bra" which can quickly turn into a respiratory mask. I kid you NOT 8:57 PM Feb 19th via mobile web

http://twitpic.com/1483pm - The amazing RESCUE BRA! 9:05 PM Feb 19th

One last thing for #aaas10 today. Apparently, the first stage of love (obsessed stage) in the brain is identical to that of someone with OCD 12:24 AM Feb 20th

Just got into my first seminar of the day: Repairing our DNA. I'm looking forward to this one! #aaas10 11:27 AM Feb 20th

Room was EMPTY, but now starting to slowly fill up #aaas10 11:31 AM Feb 20th

One human cell has around two meters of DNA! WOW! #aaas10 11:35 AM Feb 20th

First presenter: DNA mismatch repair systems and why use model organisms #aaas10 11:44 AM Feb 20th

Fascinating stuff about yeast genetics (gene loss from genome rearrangements) and the rate of this is much higher than we thought #aaas10 11:54 AM Feb 20th

But don't worry. Our cells have numerous repair mechanisms to combat this (but, nothing's perfect) #aaas10 12:01 PM Feb 20th

"There is a method to my madness" - Comforting thoughts from a cancer/DNA biologist #aaas10 12:08 PM Feb 20th

New speaker discussing Xeroderma pigemnentosum (cannot repair UV dna damage and creates many cancerous lesions) #aaas10 12:17 PM Feb 20th

Over 400 cancer genes have been identified (aka oncogenes) #aaas10 12:24 PM Feb 20th

Last presenter: Importance of DNA double-strand break repair #aaas10 12:33 PM Feb 20th

Chemotherapy agents damage DNA, which can cause cancer #aaas10 12:33 PM Feb 20th

Students are falling asleep to the left and right, but it is fascinating (double-strand break repair mechanisms) #aaas10 12:42 PM Feb 20th

BRCA2 (known to be involved with breast cancer) is very important in double-strand break repair #aaas10 12:45 PM Feb 20th

Ahhhh snoRNA, how I missed you (pronounced snore-nah) #aaas10 12:56 PM Feb 20th

I asked a good question. Yay me! #aaas10 12:59 PM Feb 20th

Did you know that particle physics helped make the shrink-wrap around Butterball turkeys stronger? #aaas10 1:36 PM Feb 20th

Ok, break for lunch! In an hour, I'll tweet from a press briefing about stem cells #aaas10 2:01 PM Feb 20th

Awaiting the news conference to begin #aaas10 2:58 PM Feb 20th

We need to think of cancer as a disease of stem cells, as that is where most begin #aaas10 3:17 PM Feb 20th

For stem cell therapy - "The science is just NOT there yet, but will be soon" #aaas10 3:23 PM Feb 20th

Umbilical stem cells work for a small child for blood-related cells. No lung, no brain. They are unproven #aaas10 3:28 PM Feb 20th

Met a nice girl from Texas today, and now I'm off to do an interview about women in science #aaas10 5:43 PM Feb 20th

Back to the hotel ... exhausted, and it's only 8pm 11:05 PM Feb 20th

Watching Frost/Nixon on TV ... good times :) 11:46 PM Feb 20th

"I'm saying, that when the President does it, it's not illegal" 12:38 AM Feb 21st

Mmmmm, Canadian Press breakfast .... #aaas10 11:18 AM Feb 21st

About to attend a presentation about women in science in US, Canada and the world #aaas10 11:30 AM Feb 21st

European Union has 27 countries with over 500 million people (bigger than the US) #aaas10 11:50 AM Feb 21st

"Women are not daunted by science, but are daunted by careers" - EU Commission #aaas10 12:06 PM Feb 21st

"Science is not biased, but people and employers are" - US representative #aaas10 2:31 PM Feb 21st

Had lunch and now in a sustainability lecture regarding communities #aaas10 5:14 PM Feb 21st

It seems that the public does not trust scientists to put society's goals above their own goals #aaas10 5:26 PM Feb 21st

Little Timmy took a drink, but he will drink no more. For what he thought was H20, was H2S04 5:44 PM Feb 21st

http://twitpic.com/14mecm - You gotta start 'em young! 6:05 PM Feb 21st

I'm excited for this talk: Mutators vs. Anti-Mutators in Evolution and Medicine #aaas10 6:31 PM Feb 21st

Canadians everywhere are in mourning. So disappointing. However, we still have hope! #GoCanada 10:07 PM Feb 21st

Unexpected meeting with @MiPiAi was fantastic ... made a day that was not going well turn great 1:22 AM Feb 22nd

I lost my umbrella today 1:22 AM Feb 22nd

GO CANADA! Ice dancing was grrrrrrreat 1:36 AM Feb 22nd

Got up and my computer has a problem. But, off to breakfast and then the zoo. No conference for me today :) 1:46 PM Feb 22nd

*Phew* Did most of the San Diego zoo in like 4-5 hours. It was a good day 8:20 PM Feb 22nd

Heading out to my first ever #TweetUp, with the fabulous @ArkhamAsylumDoc. Great way to finish up my last day in San Diego :) 11:01 PM Feb 22nd

#GoCanada! THAT'S how you ice dance 2:40 AM Feb 23rd

Airport fun!!! 1:16 PM Feb 23rd

http://twitpic.com/14xzf1 - Woooo! Exit row! I'm the go-to guy in event of a landing to open to door. Go me! 2:32 PM Feb 23rd

Landed in Chicago, had a quick bite of McD's, and now waiting to take off back to Ottawa. Hopefully it won't be too cold :) 7:20 PM Feb 23rd

http://twitpic.com/15041y - Hey David, it's Canada. Welcome back ... Sucker 9:33 PM Feb 23rd