Licensing for Lives

I do a fair amount of work with people from other parts of MIT, including John Preston, the co-director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center. John used to direct the MIT Technology Licensing Center, the folks responsible for clearing the way to have MIT technology used as the basis for forming new companies like Akamai. His successor, Lita Nelson, is an advisor on intellectual property for IAVI, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. As she points out, “The American population is wearing a blindfold on this issue. Because the drugs are keeping people alive, we’re starting to think of AIDS like we think about pneumonia. But there is no cure for AIDS. And the rate [of infection] is climbing again in California.”
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When is it, again?

Today is World AIDS Day for most of the world, except at MIT where it’s being held December 5 “to allow for the fullest possible participation by the [MIT] community.” Interesting point — is it more important to show unanimity within the MIT community or with the rest of the world? Knowing how big the need for community is at MIT, I think making sure that people can participate is a good idea…

The Muppets: Gateway drug to all good things

I was trying to remember what the first time was that I heard the Beatles. The first album of theirs that I ever listened to was a vintage copy of the White Album that our youth pastor lent me. It started a three year period of intense Beatlemania that culminated in the trip to see Paul on the “Flowers in the Dirt” tour (that’s the one Esta alludes to here).

But that’s not time I ever heard their songs. That would have to be on the Muppets, when Dr. Teeth and Janice covered “With a Little Help From My Friends” and the acoustic cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by Sgt. Floyd Pepper (on the Lynda Carter episode). That’s what I’ll be remembering today.

Apolo-blog

Esta as usual writes a thought provoking piece this morning. I too have felt like I’ve been writing at the surface lately. It’s too easy to point to things that someone else has written, at least at the end of the semester. Well, I hope I can write some more significant things soon– right now it’s just really hard to concentrate.

Walking and Falling

I feel really good this morning. I should know better than to resist Lisa — she told me hopping on the treadmill would be just the thing to raise my energy and she was right. Funny thing happened while I was on the machine, though–just as I was wrapping up my walk, it stopped dead. I checked the plug, the switch, the safety, the wall fuse–nothing. After about half an hour and a panicking call from Lisa later (she’s really addicted to our machine), I finally realized that the fuse on the treadmill had blown. Fun, fun, fun…

Now playing

Currently playing song: “Well Well Well” by John Lennon on Plastic Ono Band. Good old John. I can always count on him to do some primal screaming for me when I can’t.