Good luck Barack Obama!

What do most people in this country – perhaps in the United states too – associate with Barack Obama? It is not so much a detailed understanding of his policies, but a general feel about him offering promise and hope. It is summed up in the phrase that punctuated so many of his speeches: "Yes we can".

We want to believe that we can each make a difference; that we can have an effect on the world; that our lives are not in vain; that our existence is worthwhile; that the world can be a better place; that the current version of it does not have to be the final version; that in our own small way we count and have significance.

Obama has reminded us of the power of inspiring words. It shows the influence he is having even before he has spent a day in office.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/jan/20/religion-barackobama

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Where there's hope...!

While working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, Dr Frank Drake conceived a means to mathematically estimate the number of worlds that might harbor beings with technology sufficient to communicate across the vast gulfs of interstellar space. The Drake Equation, as it came to be known, was formulated in 1961 and is generally accepted by the scientific community.
N = R* fp ne fl fi fc L

where,

• N = The number of communicative civilizations
• R* = The rate of formation of suitable stars (stars such as our Sun)
• fp = The fraction of those stars with planets. (Current evidence indicates that planetary systems may be common for stars like the Sun.)
• ne = The number of Earth-like worlds per planetary system
• fl = The fraction of those Earth-like planets where life actually develops
• fi = The fraction of life sites where intelligence develops
• fc = The fraction of communicative planets (those on which electromagnetic communications technology develops)
• L = The "lifetime" of communicating civilizations

Frank Drake's own current solution to the Drake Equation estimates 10,000 communicative civilizations in the Milky Way.

http://www.setileague.org/general/drake.htm

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It's not all bad news!

Pessimism is on the march. An international poll published last week suggests that we British are more despondent about our government, stock market and the future of our economy than people in almost any other industrialised nation. We've got less confidence in the banking sector than the Icelanders. We are miserable about everything and convinced that things can only get worse.

Doom-mongering has never been more hip. For months, newspapers have been brimming with frugality features: "The pages that save you money"; "How to moan on a budget"; "Use your child's tears as food!" Interestingly, none of them says: "A daily newspaper is a luxury you may find is getting you down." (A Sunday paper is, of course, a necessity. What else are you going to wipe your arse on in a recession?)

But it's been decided that 2009 is going to be a terrible year and that the best thing to do, while we wait for the shit to hit the fan, is wonder what we'll look like when we're spattered with excrement. (You'll be glad you saved the fashion section.)

Perhaps the most gleefully pessimistic character in comedy is Private Frazer from Dad's Army. There is a story, probably apocryphal, about the origin of his catchphrase. During the recording of the pilot, actor John Laurie was sceptical of the success of the project. He was chuntering away all day and said within earshot of the writers: "We're all doomed!"

Consequently, when the series was commissioned, they made him repeat that phrase in every episode of that enormously successful, popular and long-running show, each time a reminder of the folly of his pessimism.

I hope that story's true because, if it is, it's the closest an optimist has ever got to saying: "I told you so."

David Mitchell: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/18/happiness-david-mitchell

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Or is it...?

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him.

He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, the eternal pessimist who refused to be impressed with anything. This, surely, would impress him. He invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.

As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. This continued all day long; each time a duck fell, the dog walked across the surface of the water to retrieve it.

The pessimist watched carefully, saw everything, but did not say a single word.

On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?"

"I sure did," responded the pessimist. "He can't swim."

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Hot Jobs

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Hot Candidates

These are difficult and uncertain times, but there are still opportunities in the marketplace! Despite the rising number of unemployed people there remains an acute shortage of high calibre, experienced personnel. Here at Seltek we work with such people, who are not necessarily unemployed - all are highly regarded and successful in their positions. BUT...they are looking for ways to develop further their careers, and they are looking for successful, decisive and forward-thinking companies.

To misquote a former US president, ask not what these people can do for you; ask what your company can do for them!

Scientific Sales & Marketing Division

Account Manager

• BSc Medical Biochemistry, M.Res. Vascular Disease
• Experience in selling proteomics products, siRNA, cell culture
• Excellent presentation skills through project proposal presentations, customer interactions and sales analysis presentation
• Totally brilliant candidate - we cannot recommend him highly enough!

Reference 87737PSP
£30,000
London

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Account Manager

• BSc Applied Biology
• Experienced molecular biologist with a strong background in expression technology obtained within the pharmaceutical industry
• Responsibility and management of a sales territory with a revenue target of $ 2.7 Million
• Achieved 136% of personal target plan in fiscal year 2007 target of US$ 3.3M

Reference 53565CRD
£36,000 basic
M4 Corridor

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Sales Account Manager

• BSc Microbiology, PhD Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
• Extensive experience selling molecular biology products in the south east of England
• One of the top salesmen for the company consistently month on month
• "A very gifted individual"

Reference 43856SJW
£33,000
South East

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Sales Trainee

• BSc Biotechnology
• Currently working as a sales manager with the principal hire company of the United Kingdom's largest vehicle rental provider
• "It is important for me to not only work as an individual to achieve my personal targets, but as part of the sales team to achieve the results needed by the company"

Reference 84798JKP
£20,000 basic
North West / North East

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Account Manager

• BSc Biochemistry, PhD Molecular Genetics
• Key Account Manager with a premier division healthcare company
• Outstanding experience in NHS R&D departments
• Familiar with the full spectrum of molecular biology techniques

Reference 90039JRP
£30,000
Cambridge

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Clinical Research Division

Clinical Research Associate II

• MA Biochemistry (Oxford)
• Involved in international, multi-centre studies in cardiovascular and oncology indications, phase III and IV, with both paper and electronic CRF
• Currently working as Lead CRA on start-up phase for a phase II/III study in a respiratory indication.
• On a personal basis, one of the most outstanding individuals we’ve encountered for a very long time

Reference 88650DE
£30,000
Live anywhere!

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Senior Clinical Research Associate

• Masters degree in Clinical Research
• Fluent Spanish and English
• Considerable experience in the clinical research industry
• Therapeutic areas of expertise include:

      - Cardiovascular: hypercholesterolemia, hypertension
      - Neurosciences: Alzheimer Disease, Bipolar Disorder
      - Oncology: colorectal cancer, GIST cancer, lung cancer
      - Pain: arthrosis, low back pain, postherpetic neuralgia
      - Respiratory: quitting smoking in patients with COPD
      - Contraception
      - Urology: over active bladder

Reference 99044DE
£40,000 basic salary
M4 Corridor