Neoplasia block

My favorite quote from medium Robbins, my pathology textbook: "There's no escape: It seems that everything one does to earn a livelihood, to subsist, or to enjoy life turns out to be illegal, immoral, or-most disturbing-possibly carcinogenic."

Lost Tribes of NY

Who hasn't seen this yet? Seriously, check it out. Brilliant!



(found via a cup of jo)

From the desk of KP

I'm feeling a little lackluster tonight. I'm not sure why that is, but it's probably a combo of not enough sleep, a little bit of a cold, changing weather, way too much to do and not nearly enough motivation. I've decided to just stay in tonight and veg out with some West Wing and tacos. Sound good?

School has been nonstop lately, and I know I haven't been keeping up with anybody as well as I should. Bad friend! I'm neck deep in lectures I need to study, but when is that not the case? I maintain a healthy balance of "OH MY GOD I'm going to FAIL this test WHAT WAS I THINKING WASTING SO MUCH TIME THESE PAST TWO WEEKS!!!!" and "Ain't no big thang." It keeps me on my toes without making me too crazy. And at the end of the day, I have my friends to tell me to chill out, a porch swing to sit on in the warm evenings, a big bed to climb in to, kittens to cuddle with.

Here are a few random things from around the interweb (as A likes to call it):


Morgue chocolates from wound impressions! The perfect thing to give out this Halloween, I'd say.


How freaking sweet is this kitchen from the selby? Words can't describe my love for chalkboard paint.


I WANT ONE!!! From here.


Cartoons for the kiddies. Collect them all here.

That's all folks. Time for some vegetation. What are the rest of you up to?

Jim Carroll

Another blogging hiatus with no excuse. Busy busy busy, you know. Micro's over, and I managed to pass, blah blah blah.

I wanted to stop in and pay homage to Jim Carroll, who died on Friday. He's one of my two favorite poets and just a crazy wonderful character, and the world's a little less fantastic without him in it. Read his obit here. If you've never read any of his stuff, check out Void of Course--definitely my favorite of his books, full of really beautiful, sexy poetry. Here's a good one:

POEM

The wide Mojave sky dark
And vain as my heart tonight
Walking back by the feel
Of the blacktop under foot

What's that desert fragrance
That lights the 4 A.M. sky
With a shampoo green glow?

Is that a coyote eye

Or a tail reflector that bumped loose
From an old English racer?

Which are popular on the reservation
But never last long

They weren't made for this landscape

--Jim Carroll

Anyway, great guy.

It's raining here in New Orleans, off and on but really, always on again. How's the weather where you are?

Oh. My. God.

(via)

Gold Dust Woman

A little Nicks fix to ease the studying.



Doesn't get more fabulous than that.

(via fabulon)

New plant

Study break! Any fans of Planet Earth out there? I mean the BBC version, with the soothing voice of David Attenborough, not Sigourney Weaver (not that there's anything wrong with Sigourney Weaver). By the way, why in the world did they re-release a US version with Sigourney Weaver doing his voice over? I never understood that.

ANYWAY, if you are a fan (and even if you aren't), check it out:



The newly discovered Nepenthes attenboroughii, a rat-eating pitcher plant! Named after Sir David Attenborough himself! Article here.

(PS--thanks for the heads up, David!)

Bronco

Hey people. I'm off to class (for once), but I thought I'd stop by and say good morning first! Also, how sweet is this old Bronco?




My grandpa used to have one just like it. When we'd visit my grandma in Bullhead City, AZ, we'd use it to tow a boat out to Lake Mead or take a cruise through the desert. It wasn't the most reliable transportation, but it got the job done most of the time. Not that I don't love my little Toyota, but I think my status as a bad-ass would jump up quite a few notches if I was driving this to class today. Found over at ACL (he finds the coolest stuff).

Anyway, if I leave right now, I'll be just the right amount of late for class, so I'd better get going. Ta ta!

Barney Frank

Ah, my hero! From huffington post.

Gay lovin'

Great article today in the New York Times about Theodore Olson and his challenge to California's ban on same-sex marriage--read it right here.


You know California needs a good bitch slapping when a Bush loving super-Republican has to take up the fight for gay marriage. In addition to be a big Reaganite, he argued Bush v. Gore in 2000 and helped in the fight to impeach Clinton. But he also happens to be a stand up dude who fights for gay marriage because it's the right thing to do. It warms my cold little heart! Check out the article.

Secret treasures

Quick study break to tell you to go check out the National Geographic Treasure article on the New York Times website! Some of the pictures in the slide show are stunning.


I take this as the second sign in a week that I should get a subscription the National Geographic. It's only $15 a year for goodness sake!

I wallowed in the pits of despair for a few hours this morning after looking online and thinking that I got a 55/100 on Friday's exam. But it must've been a temporary glitch, because around noon, the world righted itself (i.e. they updated the records) and I PASSED!! Woohoo!!! One exam down, a depressingly indefinite number to go!

Sweaty Sundays

So in order not to die an early, fat-filled death, I've started exercising. Don't get me wrong--I know that show girl thighs and bubble butts are sexy. But I figure I'll be eating my way through all of the pork products New Orleans can offer for the next three years, and I'd better not let it go to my...head.

Anyway, I hate it. H-A-T-E it. I'm not one of those people that gets a fabulous endorphin glow after working out. I just feel bored and tired. But I think I've finally found an exercise class that I can get on board with:



Sweaty Sundays! Leg warmers, lycra, indie rock and 80s pop...Oh Los Angeles, how we love thee! Seriously, doesn't doing aerobics to 99 Luftballons in a hot pink spandex crop top sound infinitely better than a half hour on an eliptical? Hells yeah.

Just try not to laugh

I'm stuck inside studying today, with no outside contact but the view of the city from this study room. And it looks like I'll be here for a good long while. Who knew there were so many different kinds of antibiotics? I'm feeling grumpy and sleepy and more than a little overwhelmed. On a day like today, it's good to find something simple to take pleasure in. So I give you Upside Down Dogs:





Seriously, if you're having an off day like I am (or even if you're not), this has to make you smile. Just pick your favorite breed from the list to the right and start browsing! Kind of makes me wish I was a dog, actually.

(found via inside the loop)

Armadillos and things

Microbiology fun fact #1*: There are two natural reservoirs for Mycobacterium leprae, the organism that causes leprosy: humans and armadillos.

Who knew?

I know that people like my dear, dear friend Mississippi Brad call armadillos varmints and use them as target practice (does anyone know if Brad reads this blog?), but I can't help it. I think they're adorable. Seriously, how sweet would it be to be able to curl up into a little armored ball when you get annoyed with the world?

Also, check out the Pink Fairy armadillo:

Isn't it teeny weeny and cute? I do love things in miniature.

*One week into our microbiology course, it's becoming abundantly clear that there aren't a whole lot of "fun facts" in the field. Lots of nasty, terrible, tedious facts, but not too many that I would call "fun". I'm sure that my classmates can attest to that. So Fun Fact #1 might be the first in a very short series--I didn't want to get your hopes up and then dash them to the ground. Ta ta!

Air troubles

One of my two working ac window units just died. In a house with four rooms and sixty year old insulation, when it's hundreds (hundreds!) of degrees outside, that's no joke. It's boiling. I've decided I need one of these:

I mean really. Have you ever seen anything so lovely? I can almost see it sitting here at my desk with me. Bright blue, oscillating, even safe enough for my cats not to lose a paw in. If the financial aid office ever gets around to giving me any money, I might just have to splurge. Although if one magically shows up on my doorstep from a secret admirer, I wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Just sayin, y'all.

Boooooobs

Hey all! Sweet new article at the Social Medicine Portal about breastfeeding, in honor of World Breastfeeding Week. Check it out right here!


Not to get all Dr. Dise on your asses, but since all of my friends seem to be having babies these days, I thought I'd share. Seriously people, breastfeeding is, like, mondo important. Check it.

Seascapes

Oooo...take a look at these beautiful, peaceful seascape photos by photographer David Doubilet.

The rest of his portfolio is amazing as well. I especially love the freshwater photos!

(found via abbey goes design scouting)

Update: Sorry about the missing pictures, but I'm way to lazy to re-upload them right now. Just go look at the photos on his website--they're still there and just as gorgeous.

Oh, California

I remembered! Y'all should check out this fantastic article about what a total shit show California is these days. We're such drama queens, it's great! The article is mostly about Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Fransisco, and whether or not he's going to run for Governor. There's also plenty of Governator hilarity to sink your teeth into, so give it a read!

Andrew and I are off to see Away We Go today. Has anyone seen it yet? I'm really excited!

Summer in the city

Summer is here in full force, and with it my well-cultivated ability to do absolutely nothing useful. Hence the pathetic smattering of blog posts over the past month and a half. Sorry about that!

I just got back to Brooklyn on Monday night after two weeks in California with the fam. It was relaxing and beautiful as always. Laurel and I tend to spend our summer days lying in the sun, reading as much as possible, doing jigsaw puzzles, and generally trying to think up creative excuses not to leave the homestead and trek into town. We're jigsaw puzzle masters and incurable hermits, and we love it! But we did drag ourselves out and about for some quality river time with our friends and adventures with the family, including a trip to the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival for father's day. Tons of fun, as always! My trip home is pathetically without pictures, I'm afraid. Someday I'll get better about bringing my camera places.

And now I'm back in New York with my super-duper boyfriend and my fabulous cats, and apparently God heard my pleas because it's SUNNY! I celebrated the weather today by finally exploring Prospect Park a bit. It's huge, gorgeous, and filled with babies and little dogs like the rest of Park Slope. I really do love the big beautiful parks in New York, although they tend to highlight the lack of green-ness in the rest of the city. In my more cynical moods, I feel like New Yorkers like to keep their trees prisoner so that they don't take over the rest of the concrete jungle. But I'm feeling very un-cynical today, so moving on!

The highlight of my walk way lying in the grass and reading my book, while all of the dogs played and the runners ran. But I also had a traumatic moment with a snapping turtle that should definitely be mentioned. Some of you might remember that this isn't my first run in with a snapping turtle--if not, ask me about it sometime. Luckily this wasn't as alarming as the first one, because it didn't involve any physical contact with said reptile (or any urine, thank GOD). But I came across this poor turtle wedged between a rock and a fence, trying to get to the little stream running nearby. The terrible part was that I couldn't help him, because the fence was too high. So I had to watch him struggle his way onto the top of the rock and then consider his options as to how to get down. I wish that these stupid animals would just listen to me, because there was a perfectly passable way off the rock and into the water if he'd just turned around. But no, in the end, he decided that a HEADLONG TUMBLE off of the boulder was the best choice. It was terrifying! He somersaulted his way off the rock, banging back and forth until he splashed into the water, where he took a minute to get his bearings before swimming back upstream. Oi, nature can be so stressful!

Now I'm back home and waiting for Andrew to get off work. It's hot outside, so I thought I'd surprise him with a pitcher of this delicious looking white sangria.


Mmmm...doesn't it sound tasty? Mine isn't nearly as beautiful as David's, but I have high hopes for the taste.

You know, I keep starting these blog posts because I just found something neat on the internet that I wanted to share, or something along that line, and then I realize that I can't just jump back in after a month's absence without an update. And by the time I'm finished with the update, I've completely forgotten what I wanted to show you! Ah well, I'm sure it'll come back to me. Ta ta!

Ta-Da!

I'm back! Long hiatus this time, huh? Well it's been a long month.

I'm finally done with year one! I'm now 1/4 of a doctor, although I feel like a lot less. The last three weeks of class were intense but actually really satisfying. We were finally learning things that are directly applicable to the practice of medicine, which was a nice feeling. Drugs, diseases, clinical diagnosis, that sort of thing. The exam was a bitch though. Three and a half hours, 39 effing pages! I'm still having stress dreams about it, which is just silly.

After a night of celebratory partying, a day of recovery and bbqing, and a day of packing, I set off for New York with two cats and a car full of crap. It was a long trip but actually very relaxing. It's a beautiful drive through Alabama, Virginia, etc, and it's not often that you get 20 hours to just think, listen to music, and catch up on phone calls.

I got lost trying to get to Brooklyn, of course. It was inevitable. But I finally found my way to the apartment and, even though it's teeny tiny, I'm thrilled! I certainly wasn't picky while Andrew was looking for a place to live this summer, but he hit the nail on the head! We're living in Park Slope, which is a cute little neighborhoody neighborhood in Brooklyn. It's full of families, babies, dogs, cute shops, and most importantly, about 130 restaurants within a 20 min walk. Oh baby. And the apartment is a tiny little studio with a tiny little kitchen, but there's tons of sunlight and bookshelves and closet space. Pictures to come.

So now I'm here, and I spent last week decompressing and being daunted by the thought of New York spread out all around me. Meaning I vegged. Lots of The West Wing and sleeping and wandering around, trying to remind myself that I don't actually have any money, and the tiny amount I have does not need to be spent in all of the boutique-y shops that stretch for blocks and blocks. I'm so happy to be here for two whole months with Andrew, and I hope I don't drive him crazy (and broke) dragging him to all sorts of restaurants and shows around the city. This weekened Andrew and I drove up to Stamford, CT for my girlfriend Kathleen's BIG WEDDING BLOWOUT and had a wonderful time. The weekend deserves an entire post with pictures, so I won't go into it just yet. But suffice it to say that it was huge and tons of fun.

I know this has been a long and not incredibly interesting post, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I just wanted to get the nitty gritty updates out of the way, so now we can move on to more exciting things, with interesting stories and pretty pictures.

Until then, how about some nice shots of Romania? Vic over at Lost went on vacation, and even though it sounds like she had mixed feelings about the trip, the pictures are breathtaking.

Ok you beautiful people, I'm off to do something with my life. Or at least brush my hair. Let me tell you, after a day of being polished and poufed by hair and makeup people (being a bridesmaid definitely has it's perks) and feeling like a movie star, going back to jeans and my normal messy hair is kind of a let down. But I'll try to pull myself together. Hope it's sunny wherever you are!