Abstinence from Drugs and Alcohol

[DoesntMatter]

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEE first-person shooters on the PC only. I can do that for 10 hours a day for weeks on end. The problem is I don't want to shell out 2 grand for a decent desktop so I can kick ass in CoD4 because when school is in session there will be no time. I could seriously play first-person shooters until the end of time, I don't even need to eat when I play

My other mains "likes" are just living the relaxing lifestyle during the summer, waking up and casually making myself some espresso, going out and helping my dad in the garden for a little, coming back inside for some lunch and watch the Price is Right, go outside for a nice swim, come back inside and read the paper, play a game or two of chess or checkers or stratego against my dad, get my iPod and go to my little sisters soccer game and watch in the warm summer sun, all relaxed and in no hurry, take her out to an ice cream place after the game and take my dog for a walk on the canal in the later evening, play DDR late at night once it has all cooled down.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh now THAT is the life, and it is how I have traditionally spent my summer days when I don't have to work

God that's such a great lifestyle

[DoesntMatter]

I actually haven't had anything for over 2 weeks and feel great. In fact, I feel so great that I haven't looked at any orgo in about 4 days but I have my final this Friday

[IndiReloaded]

Why are you studying chemistry, DM?

[DoesntMatter]

My exact major is biochemistry. Is there a better major for a premed who wants to go into anesthesiology? Idk. But that is a good major for it

[IndiReloaded]

Ah, that explains the lack of interest in general scientific questions!

I couldn't figure that part out. I was into all sorts of side projects & experiments when I was a student. Now it makes sense, lol.

Yes, BC is an excellent major for what you want to do.

[DoesntMatter]

Ah, that explains the lack of interest in general scientific questions!

Hmm? I have a huge interest in synthetic organic chemistry. I don't know what you're trying to say

I probably WILL end up doing research, but I don't have enough chem classes under my belt to be of any use yet. At the end of sophomore year I'll have 2 semesters of gen chem, 2 semesters orgo, 2 semesters p. chem and 1 semeseter of biochem that is really 2 semesters condensed into 1, then I'll be able to do research in a somewhat more meaningful way

A TON of kids here do undergrad research, but I don't think it's completely focused for everyone. I know specifically what I want to do, work on developing synthetic methods of synthesis in organic chemistry with inorganic reagents...

[boobaa]

You play chess, DM? I'd like to take a game with you sometime.

Oh, btw, your lifestyle sounds so familiar. I too hate routine. I do have more hobbies like art etc, but you can't do same thing over and over again...

[IndiReloaded]

I know specifically what I want to do, work on developing synthetic methods of synthesis in organic chemistry with inorganic reagents...

You want to develop a better DNA synthesizer?

DM, why don't you have a look at this site:

[url]http://www.celera.com/celera/research[/url]

Might as well check out this one too:

[url]http://www3.appliedbiosystems.com/AB_Home/index.htm[/url]

[DoesntMatter]

That sounds interesting and all, but synthetic organic chemistry is where new drugs come from. Now THAT is interesting. I was looking through the description of research that faculty people at my school do and came across this professor-

[url]http://www.chem.cornell.edu/faculty/index.asp?fac=30[/url]

After reading the first line of his research description in big bold letters I knew exactly who I wanted to do research for

[misombra]

send all your residual drugs and alcohol to my house please.

[misombra]

You play chess, DM? I'd like to take a game with you sometime.

Oh, btw, your lifestyle sounds so familiar. I too hate routine. I do have more hobbies like art etc, but you can't do same thing over and over again...

i like to play chess! (lose most of the time though, ). but i still like it. i go on yahoo usually. although i haven't been there lately.

[IndiReloaded]

That sounds interesting and all, but synthetic organic chemistry is where new drugs come from. Now THAT is interesting. I was looking through the description of research that faculty people at my school do and came across this professor-

[url]http://www.chem.cornell.edu/faculty/index.asp?fac=30[/url]

After reading the first line of his research description in big bold letters I knew exactly who I wanted to do research for

Hrmm. Never heard of those journals, DM. I did a quick PubMed on him & only really recognized a Biochem paper & one other.

Anyway, if this is your thing, you should look into a bioinformatics/comp sci course to round out what you are doing b/c it sounds like thats the way this guy is heading.

[anachronistic]

It's only bad if you think it is.

But anyway, I am not here to congratulate you. I am here to make you think.

Why are you abstaining from drugs? Why exactly?

The one thing I never understood about some people are their reasons for doing drugs. Addictions are understandable, when they are physical. But the people who drink to get drunk, who smoke weed to get high, or whatever drug they are doing... I just don't understand it. And I don't understand the one's who just absolutely will not try it to see if they like it or not.

Do you really enjoy the drugs you have been doing? Why did you do them?

I personally enjoy alcoholic beverages. By enjoying, I mean that I enjoy the taste of it, how it reacts with my mouth, and so on. It is a given that there are a lot of kinds that I don't like, and I do not drink them. I don't drink them to get drunk either. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy getting drunk, though.

My opinion is that you shouldn't do something if you don't truly enjoy it. It's a simple concept that can be applied to everything. It's kind of obvious, but I see many people that don't seem to grasp it. Maybe this is you're reason for quitting.

Hmm, I can't think of anything else at the moment. Hope your summer is going well!

[shh!]

Lilwing is turning into a hedonist.

Drug abuse is bad. It interferes with brain cell function and drains motivation. If you think you should stop using because it is becoming a problem, then you should definitely stop. Routine users usually underestimate the impact their drug use is having on their life until after they've given it up.

[DoesntMatter]

Hrmm. Never heard of those journals, DM. I did a quick PubMed on him & only really recognized a Biochem paper & one other.

Anyway, if this is your thing, you should look into a bioinformatics/comp sci course to round out what you are doing b/c it sounds like thats the way this guy is heading.

What, are you saying the guy is unaccredited? First off I never knew what PubMed was. According to Wikipedia it is a search engine for papers relating to biomedical research. The professor is into ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, not biomedical research. Completely different!

Actually if you read about his research, him and his "group" found 4 one-pot syntheses to highly functionalized compounds beginning with a carbonyl. Far more impressive than posting a bunch of modified procedures in a journal, I don't know what journal these reactions were published in though



It also appears to me that most of the journals published in papers, at least from what I see in the few chemical journals I have had to read, are just people slightly tweaking some well-known procedure. Nothing new or novel

If I wanted to I could try to get a Nobel prize winning faculty member to do research with, but quite frankly they aren't likely to be any better than another professor. Maybe even worse if they are too wrapped up in their own research

The one thing I never understood about some people are their reasons for doing drugs. Addictions are understandable, when they are physical. But the people who drink to get drunk, who smoke weed to get high, or whatever drug they are doing... I just don't understand it. And I don't understand the one's who just absolutely will not try it to see if they like it or not.

People get drunk or high because it feels great and is just a ton of fun. As for people who don't want to try drugs "to see if they like them," I mean, you already KNOW you're gonna like it, unless it's PCP or some wild shit like that. I've never done heroin but I'm sure if I tried it it would feel amazing. No surprise there

It's not a sustainable way of having fun. I felt like I deserved to have fun in one way or another since other people had girlfriends and ****-buddies and whatnot, but now I realize I need to forget about that kind of fun because it isn't helping and I shouldn't fool myself into thinking I can have as much fun without a girlfriend