I well remember several similar incidents, but to the best of my recollection it was a thin 'Lucite' rod (pointer), not bamboo, that was very 'wiggly'. I remember when David Pribnow (then a student, but later of "Pribnow box" fame:
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/3/784) had a similar problem with the wiggly Lucite rod, and exclaimed in frustration: "I am used to work with a stiffer rod' !! This obviously brought the audience down with an explosion of laughter and applause.
Waclaw Szybalski
szybalski@oncology.wisc.edu ;) ;) ;)
-Waclaw Szybalski