#44 Boston - Conference Doings - April 7, 2006

Friends - I had given you all the juicy details and touristy things from Washington, DC already in last week's write-up, so this update will be a little different. It will be a little glimpse into life at the conferences, which feels at times like a day at the races, but certainly never like a night at the opera.

I usually try to arrive a day early just to get settled, and in most cases to get a little sight-seeing in. As mentioned last week I did do the trolley tour in DC, which was quite educational, and with the massive cold I was working on, a leisurely thing to do. The first day of the conference is usually littered with educational sessions, which I do enjoy - the presentations provide a nice overview over some scientific areas, and not too much detail. The exhibit halls are not open yet (that is when the craziness usually starts), no poster session yet either (craziness, part 2). This is the day to meet colleagues for a nice dinner, which is exactly what I did, but the Restaurant Kolumbia (http://www.restaurantkolumbia.com/) only impressed with high prizes and slow service, maybe with one exception, my soup was to die for. Two soups mixed in one plate, one a pea soup, the other one duck, arranged in a yin-and-yang pattern. Pretty and tasty.

Then the conference starts, and I tell you at some point it all becomes one big blur - the exhibit hall opens and I pretty much have to chat up every company there is (well at least as long as they do clinical trials). Of course I also go there for the giveaways and knick knacks - but how many fancy pens do you really need? Next is the poster sessions, which at this conference (and at some others) present a bit of a challenge for me. I am of course not as scientifically proficient as many of my oncology doc colleagues, who have been living and breathing this stuff for thirty-some years, but I do try to assess which scientific discoveries might be able to be translated into the clinic within the not too distant future. This means talking to a whole lot of people, asking them about their development plans, and pretty much having the same conversation over and over. I also organize a series of presentations for the cancer center consortium in Boston, where oncology companies present their pipelines, and that is usually topic #2. Again, same conversation over and over. Come 3 PM I am utterly exhausted, and do not want to look at one more poster, period. I then retreat to the exhibit halls, where you can always find one of the companies who serves coffee, espressos and cookies and whatnot. In between all that there are business meetings, which usually take place over lunch or dinner, or I try catching 15 minutes of computer time - so no rest for the weary.

Food in DC this time was pretty much a mixed bag - some stellar, such as our visit to Olives - which features the cuisine of New England celebrity chef Todd English (http://www.toddenglish.com/). Absolutely fabulous - the presentation was "Wow" and so was the food! Some restaurants were almost as bad as the food at the Convention Center - and that is a drastic statement - City Lights of China on Connecticut Avenue for example. I cannot recommend it. Really. La Tasca on 7th (http://www.latascausa.com/locations.htm) - great food, great ambience, the worst waiter in the world, and like almost all restaurants in DC a bit on the pricey side. This one added an 18% gratuity to the bill automatically which took me aback a bit, in particular in light of the fact that the service was crappy and that on the final bill they asked for an additional tip. What do I look like, Rockefeller?

I just returned to a weather-moody Boston on Wednesday and finally got to spend a little time in my new place - trying to get used to new sights and sounds, the upstairs neighbors (who seem very nice) and I am starting to explore the neighborhood. East Cambridge is an older neighborhood with lots of "mom-and-pop" shops, a sizeable Portuguese and Italian population, and a comforting closeness to the county jail lockup. I have been exploring it a little, figuring out where to go and how, and hopefully will not get lost too often. I am now in possession of a parking permit, courtesy of Cambridge City Hall and Ella has a prime spot in front of the house. Life is good.

One interesting fact about Cambridge is that almost every intersection is a "square" named after someone - it has actually been called "the City of Squares". Aside from Harvard Square, Kendall Square, Central Square and Inman Square, which are all major areas with subway stops, restaurants of all kinds and some pretty cool bars, literally every side street has its own square, often some kind of war hero, admiral or local celebrity. I am in search of an unnamed intersection that one day could carry mine, but then again I would have to do something drastic to earn it, too. I will have to think about that. Stay tuned.

Driving around in Cambridge is not any different than in Boston, same nut jobs on the road, so below for your reading pleasure is yet another installment of the crazy road rules that apply.

Until next week.

Cheerio!

pet:)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


New Regulations in the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle's 2005 Handbook:
1. Turn signals will give away your next move. A confident Massachusetts driver avoids using them.
2. Under no circumstance should you maintain a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, because the space will be filled in by somebody else, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
3. The faster you drive through a red light, the less of a chance you have of getting hit.
4. Warning! Never come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will result in you being rear-ended.
5. Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive bodywork, especially with RI, ME, or NH plates. With no insurance, the other operator has nothing to lose.
6. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving a vigorous foot massage as the brake pedal violently pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to strengthen your leg muscles.
7. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a good way to prepare other drivers entering the highway.
8. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a suggestion and not enforceable in Massachusetts during rush hour.
9. Just because you're in the left lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that a Massachusetts driver flashing his high beams behind you doesn't think he can go faster in your spot. Also true for right lane.
10. Always brake and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire. This is seen as a sign of respect for the victim.
11. Learn to swerve abruptly without signaling. Massachusetts is the home of high-speed slalom-driving along the Route 128 Speedway. This is thanks to the Department of Public Works, which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keep them alert.
12. It is tradition in Massachusetts to honk your horn at cars in front of you that do not move three milliseconds after the light turns green.
13. To avoid injury in the event of a collision or rollover, it is important to exit your vehicle thru the windshield right away. Wearing your seat belt will only impede your hi-velocity escape from danger.
14. Remember that the goal of every Massachusetts driver is to get ahead of the pack by whatever means necessary.
15. In Massachusetts, 'flipping the bird' is considered a polite salute. This gesture should always be returned.
Thank You,
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles