I want you to know that I have a very nice office back home. It has a big window with a view. The view is of a tree and a parking lot, but still…it’s a nice office.

Then yesterday I got to tour the Kewalo Marine Laboratory just outside of Honolulu, where the SDB meeting is being held. We stopped by Mark Martindale’s office, and uh-oh, what’s this? Is that envy writhing in my breast, and discontent thrashing in my soul? Look at the view he’s got.

When I get back to Morris, I’m going to have to stomp down to the administration building and demand that they install an ocean. Do you think it would help if I got the entire biology discipline to join me in my demands? I’m sure I would find solidarity among them.

Also, while we were there, we got a group picture taken. I’m hanging out with some big-time developmental biology researchers at a very well attended meeting — I definitely need to attend more meetings in Hawaii.

(That’s Tom Schilling, me, Mark Martindale, Ida Chow, Richard Behringer, Brad Davidson, and Yale Passamaneck)