The Half Decent Pharmaceutical Chemistry Blog

Today it should have been the beginning of the discussion of pharmaceutical syntheses. I have already prepared the pictures and I'm looking forward to reading your opinions on them. However, there is something that needs to be discussed before.

Last Monday I was pleased to reveal the recognition this relatively young blog got from an important website such as Sciencebase.

Writing on the internet means exposing yourself to a huge audience: it can mean becoming more or less popular (Dylan's tenderbutton was, at least in my opinion, a beautiful example of what a chemical blog should be). There are certainly a few drawbacks, though: what you say is public, everyone can read it and know something about you. When it comes to blogs, moreover, there are comments: these are the best part of the story, providing a immediate feedback. Readers can show their appreciation, share their views, correct you when you are wrong and so on. 

In Italy we use to say the more the enemies, the greater the honour. In my case, I cannot say I have achieved many honours, but not everyone can be our friend, right?
Writing your own real name on your web-site is not the best way to protect your privacy, but I don't think a smart guy like Paul Docherty has ever had problems with it. Or has ever received comments on his fantastic blog dealing with his private life (spam is an issue we all have to cope with and something completely different). 

Now, yesterday, a boring person I know well (that's for you: I can see your email address, your IP and how you came here through Google. Next time, you'd better pluck up courage and sign your rubbish with your real name, eh?) posted very inappropriate comments, in the WHOIS part of the blog. It was very sad: I always hope people are intelligent and smart, or, at least, grown enough to have left their childhood by the time they go to  university. How naive, eh? 

My first reaction was to remove the WHOIS page. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn't have made that page but, after yesterday, I can't draw back: it'll be on line, in a new version, quite soon again.
Then, I considered not allowing comments any more. It would be an easy way to solve that kind of problem. Yes, but it would be too easy. 

Finally I reached my conclusion: we go on, whether the people who don't like us like it or not. IPs can be banned, unfortunately there is no way to do the same with people's stupidity, but I don't want to damage a lot of nice people because of one or four boring ignorants. 

That's it, lads. Seeya!

I'm proud of the way this blog is going on. Honestly, when I began, it was more because Mitch had asked me rather than a personal need.
Approximately two months later, I have definitely changed my mind: I'm so fond of this blog.

Yes, so far, I've almost lectured the readers, but things are going to change.
Today this half decent blog made a giant, significant leap towards FAME. There is a very prestigious site linking to this plucky new kid on the block: The Half Decent Pharmaceutical Chemistry Blog is now listed on Sciencebase.

For what concerns the weeks ahead, pharmaceutical chemistry is going to make his debut on these pages. And it'll have a massive impact with organic chemistry (syntheses and properties of drugs, biological pathways explained from a chemical point of view) ruling the place.

Moreover, many other themes will be discussed here, as well as those you can already find it.

As you can see, many important people already read The Half Decent Pharmaceutical Chemistry Blog.
Don't you want to join us?

A little bit about me: I love cycling. It makes me feel free and it's extremely useful if your university is in the centre of the town.
When I arrived in Amsterdam, last July, I immediately bought a half decent city bike. It was nice because I didn't opt for a stolen one: I managed to buy a used bike, legally and, maybe more surprisingly, on Sunday.
I can't tell how much I paid for it since it's still there and a friend of mine, who works at the VU medical centre, is trying to sell it.
Here is the bike. Isn't it a beauty?

My friend has approximately ten months during which she will try to sell it to anyone (I suggested students there for interships). Well, I think she hasn't moved it yet: in fact, I left it locked in a very good position.
Amazingly, this means that, if you go to Amsterdam, you can actually visit it. And there's more.

This is the building in which I worked, during my stage, this summer. And (I know what you're thinking!) it's not ANY red and blue building. This is a masterpiece. It was designed by the famous MVRDV group.
Ok, I didn't know them either, and, I'm sure, if I hadn't had a friend studying architecture, I would have never ever said that building was cool. At first sight it looked like a box of shoes, but we should all be glad that science can be done in such a posh place.

Unfortunately, I left in Amsterdam the template I created for this web site too. This means, since my account on that computer has already been deleted, I'll have to design a new one, de novo-style. Considering my lack of time, at the moment, well, you'd better get used to this grey-sh nightmare...

Where you read and see things no one tells or shows you

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first issue of The Half Decent Pharmaceutical Chemistry Blog.

Some of you may have followed the development of this blog throughout the summer, when a beta-testing phase was going on.

Now, the time for tests is over and I'll start with the tough, real, hot and cool stuff.

I'd like to thank Mitch, supremo of ChemicalForums.com, for giving me a place where I can show what my life is all about. With his help, I'll try in the next few days to smart up this place.

For the moment, thank you for visiting my blog and see you soon.

Now, in this very first post I should talk about myself, my life, my interests, the reason(s) that made me decide to begin blogging.

However, everybody does it and this would make this a very boring blog: too common, too organized...too logic.

This is my second blog. Yes, I began blogging many years ago, when I was a (nerd) teenager. That was a very crazy blog.

However, the point is that it was one of the first blog ever. I mean, the word blog was still unknown!

So, given that I'm not a newbie, I hope to write something interesting here.

You, reader, may think I'll solely write about chemistry. Well, you are wrong. But don't worry: you don't know me. Yet.

Chemistry will obviously be a central theme here, but it will often be a starting point for discussing things that seem to have nothing to do with (pharmaceutical) chemistry.

That's it for what concerns the introduction. I hope you'll enjoy my blog.